Some programs like CMC and Houston Methodist are better than academic programs and routinely put people into those competitive fellowships. I know someone who went to a small community and matched to a large highly ranked plastics program. But you always want to give yourself the better chance if you think those other sub-specialties are appealing. Just think!!!
I know this was an unpopular opinion, but as someone who is applying to a competitive surgical subspecialty, I agree. There are many PDs/Chairs who would be ticked off by these types of questions to them and it would absolutely affect how they view/rank you. You have maybe 2 questions to ask someone who is a renowned leader in the field and you waste that opportunity asking about food or the weather in the area. They want to see well thought out questions and I agree. Of course read the room, but save these questions for the residents or google.
Definitely good points here. There are Attending/PD appropriate questions about the program, procedural exposure, didactics, research funding, mentorship etc that I tend to ask first. However, I have had 30 min interview where the PD/APD started with "what questions do you have for me". After exhausting my list of attending appropriate questions, I move to general stuff about the area, food and hobbies , which they didn't mind. I guess if you have 5-10 mins left in an interview and get an opportunity to ask questions, I wouldn't open with questions about food or the area.
And this was exactly the scenario. I just ran out of program type questions. Heck there was even a big educational thing given prior to interviews beginning that answered a lot of typical stuff. 5 minutes left in an interview and they’ve literally done nothing but answer questions and didn’t ask me a thing. I was just out of ideas.
I feel you dude. It's also problematic when the attending/PD/APD gives short, quick answers to my general questions, making me burn through my list faster.
Thank you. I literally took this opportunity and asked for their advice to become as successful as they are...etc...who would not like the opportunity to brag about themselves...🤣
Nah man the other constantly argumentative poster is right. You are a radiology nitwit who blurted out "men, women or both?" to the PD right after they introduced themselves. Their ire is warranted and not a reflection on their character. 😉
Dude the TY cycle has been kicking my butt. It honestly feels like random TYs in flyover country are more competitive than the biggest names in DR. I shouldn't be surprised that the Derm crowd is eating all the spots
Agree with this 100%. At my program applicants have been crossed off the list in the past because they asked questions like these to the chair or PD when they should have been asking questions that were program and leadership specific. It’s about knowing who you’re talking to and what is appropriate. That said, if the PD were to be openly upset with you for asking these questions it may be a red flag. In this zoom world we live in I don’t think you can fault someone like @Ho0v-man for just trying to maintain conversation with this kind of stuff.
Totally agree. Thankfully I got some non-cush ones on the list that work geographically that didn't have a bunch of superstars. Dermies would rank low because of location and not cush. My number 1 TY just happens to have people that want to live there and apparently it's cush. Really sucks as it would allow SO to keep job and not move. Wish it sucked more now haha.
I have 4 TYs out of 30 applied, and they're all in pretty weird/undesirable locations. I'm doing much better with "top tier" DR programs than I am with 1-year internships in the middle of nowhere. Can't make any sense of it, unless it's because hundreds of superstar derm applicants are hoarding all the spots
Maybe those random TY spots are saved for the soap? Maybe I’m confused about TY vs TRI vs Prelim.
One does not simply soap into a (edit: good) TY spot.
I’m in pretty much the same boat. Happy with my DR interviews but feeling like I way under applied prelim/TY. I did around 15 of each and I think that was a big mistake
There were actually over 200 unfilled TY positions last year that filled through soap
Yeah I have friends who soaped TY, so I assumed that was relatively common.
I stand corrected but I will quantify that a lot of these are probably just prelims disguised as TYs. Just a hunch after looking at a lot of TY websites.
Idk as of today, only one program I sent an LOI to didn't send me an interview invite. I think it helps even at big academic centers
specialty?
It probably depends what kind of applicant you are honestly. You’re a really good applicant, which I’m sure helps quite a bit.
From my understanding TYs have much more elective blocks vs general medicine/wards blocks. Vs medicine-prelim years where you're basically an IM intern and have 4+ blocks of general medicine. The more competitiveness comes because TYs are more cush, really.
My step 1 would say otherwise
Ugh I don't trust myself so I disabled facetime, gmail, and text on my computer. Also put my phone on airplane mode and leave in the bathroom lol
No. I was with you until the fist bump. I actually look back on those times and think that they won’t appreciate my side-stepping question-adjacent politician response.
Most of my actual formal interviews add up to around an hour. Whether it’s 1 for 50 mins, 2 for 30 mins, or 4 for 15 mins, etc.
Yup.....on my interview yesterday one of my fellow applicants had a great background with all the guitars he plays mounted on the wall....it broke the ice for him to be sure.....but he was wearing a shirt with the top button untied and his tie was loosened. Not how I'd imagine anyone should interview for a professional job.
Every interview makes me realize just how low the bar is to make a positive impression because there are people doing these things regularly. That and the stories from residents about the nonsense that applicants do at the dinner too. Literally have heard stories about applicants relentlessly hitting on residents wives for example...Who the hell are these people?
Are you interviewing for IM or is there just multiple people out there hanging guitars up behind them lmao
I've been really distracted/surprised by some of the crazy stuff people are doing just on zoom interviews so in person would've been a sight. It really isn't as hard to spot blatant psychos or people who just don't care as I would've thought prior to interview season. Person in one of my interviews was eating oatmeal (or soup?) and a banana in front of their iphone camera angled upwards from a desk while he talked to their roommate in the background here and there. Proceeded to then lick the spoon on camera and sniff their fingers pretty aggressively. It was really something to watch and I can't remember a single thing the PD said during it because I was so distracted lmao.
I'm not in IM but I have my guitars up so I was racking my brain if I buttoned my shirt and had my tie haha I think I'm good though I'd feel weird if I was in that guys position
lmfao
Idk but I wish everything was in person so they could all be late and act stupid instead of faking everyone out on zoom for 15 minute interviews. It would certainly help me look good haha
