Columbia interview disaster

[jshaw]

---

Members don't see this ad.

This weekend's interview at Columbia in NYC was an absolute disaster and embarassment for the program!! We only met 1-2 residents during the trip and the program director didn't even show up! The explanation was mainly the weather, but 25-30 applicants seemed to have no trouble getting to the interview by plane, train, and automobile. Applicants "braved" the cold, the snow, and the dissapointment of arriving at a premier program only to see that their own residents didn't seem to give a crap to show up.
Even worse, the night before the interview only one resident showed up...not even the prospect of free drinks at a swanky bar could entice their residents to come out and spread the word about their program.

I am hoping that this was simply a fluke and would appreciate it if people who interviewed there earlier could touch on their experiences...

Thanks and happy interviewing!!!

 

[kinetic]

That sounds pretty low class.

 

[fourthyear]

I'd be very wary of any program that residents don't show up to at least the reception the night before. They either are way to tired to have fun/don't know how to have fun anymore, or they aren't happy there and don't come b/c they don't have anything nice to say about the program.

My program might have a low turnout on one or two of the nights for various reasons, but overall we try to outnumber the applicants if possible b/c we want to meet them all, plus it's an excuse for us to get out for drinks and free food with each other. But, that's at a program where residents are happy.

 

[doc05]

didn't NY have like 2 feet of snow this weekend?

 

[jshaw]

didn't NY have like 2 feet of snow this weekend?

It did snow about a foot in NYC this weekend, but all the applicants were able to make it. Not only did we all have to find a way to get to the city in the bad weather, but we all made it to the interview day with relative ease. The weather is absolutely a lousy excuse for the low turnout. If the interview had been cancelled all together, then I would understand. However, if all the applicants could make it, then so should the residents/faculty.

 

[trout]

This weekend's interview at Columbia in NYC was an absolute disaster and embarassment for the program!! We only met 1-2 residents during the trip and the program director didn't even show up! The explanation was mainly the weather, but 25-30 applicants seemed to have no trouble getting to the interview by plane, train, and automobile. Applicants "braved" the cold, the snow, and the dissapointment of arriving at a premier program only to see that their own residents didn't seem to give a crap to show up.
Even worse, the night before the interview only one resident showed up...not even the prospect of free drinks at a swanky bar could entice their residents to come out and spread the word about their program.

I am hoping that this was simply a fluke and would appreciate it if people who interviewed there earlier could touch on their experiences...

Thanks and happy interviewing!!!

This actually makes me laugh, yes NYC was on a snow emergency, of course you were able to make it in, you came in on Friday! I actually live on the same floor as a general resident and I have to admit, they keep their 80 hours but he is tired, you will understand when you get to residency. You seem a little clueless, If you don't like it don't rank it, if you want someone to put smiles on their faces and a three ring party then go there-if you want a good program where you will get excellent training and the residents were out not putting on some fake party for you think about Columbia-if not go where you are comfortable-

 

[Bo Hurley]

Guys it's Columbia for cryin' out loud. Their name and reputation alone is enough to get tons of applicants rank them highly.

 

[Celiac Plexus]

This weekend's interview at Columbia in NYC was an absolute disaster and embarassment for the program!! We only met 1-2 residents during the trip and the program director didn't even show up! The explanation was mainly the weather, but 25-30 applicants seemed to have no trouble getting to the interview by plane, train, and automobile. Applicants "braved" the cold, the snow, and the dissapointment of arriving at a premier program only to see that their own residents didn't seem to give a crap to show up.
Even worse, the night before the interview only one resident showed up...not even the prospect of free drinks at a swanky bar could entice their residents to come out and spread the word about their program.

I am hoping that this was simply a fluke and would appreciate it if people who interviewed there earlier could touch on their experiences...

Thanks and happy interviewing!!!

Believe it or not, interview dinners are not at the top of every resident's list of things to do. On a dark, snowy, winter night, maybe the thought of a hot shower, and spending the evening at home cuddled up with your sign other is a more appealing option... Try to have some understanding. It's the end of the interview season for both applicants and residents... and both groups are a little sick of the process. I don't think porr resident turnout to an interview dinner is necessarily a sign that a program is terrible.

I know nothing about Columbia other than it is a storied program, with an excellent reputatiion. Hopefully you didn't let the dinner ruin your interview experience.

OTOH, it is simply inconsiderate as heck to have all of the applicants come out for a big dinner with the residents, and have a poor resident turnout. I was a 4th year med student not too long ago, going on interviews... I spent a LOT of money traveling to programs for interviews, and it woulud have irritated the heck out of me if I showed up to a resident dinner and only 1-2 residents showed up. Now that I am on the other side, I make a huge effort to go to every dinner and chat up applicants. At my program we ususally have 10-15 residents at these dinners, and around 20 applicants. THey're usually pretty fun too. My advice.... if your experience at Columbia pissed you off, then remember that when you are a resident, and don't let yourself turn into a hypocrite... make sure you go to the applicant dinners.

good luck.

 

[jshaw]

This actually makes me laugh, yes NYC was on a snow emergency, of course you were able to make it in, you came in on Friday! I actually live on the same floor as a general resident and I have to admit, they keep their 80 hours but he is tired, you will understand when you get to residency. You seem a little clueless, If you don't like it don't rank it, if you want someone to put smiles on their faces and a three ring party then go there-if you want a good program where you will get excellent training and the residents were out not putting on some fake party for you think about Columbia-if not go where you are comfortable-

That's got to be one of the stupidest things I've ever heard! Obviously you seem to be clueless. At least Celiac has some perspective and can understand both sides. Yeah, there was ****ty weather, but 30 people did take time and money to make it there to visit a program that they would potentially be a part of for 7 years or longer. Also, the residents were already in the city on Friday!! Moreover, many people did not come in on Friday, but rather Saturday morning and even afternoon when the snow had already started. Either way, once you're in the city it really doesn't make a difference right? The subways were running without much difficulty and taxis were flying all over the city! NO EXCUSES...

As for having a fake party, that's just plain stupid! Many questions are actually answered the night before or even on the interview day that pertains to matters that the attendings simply can't comment on reliably. I can understand if residents wanted to "snuggle" up the night before, but that's absolutely no excuse for not riding the subway for 10-20+ minutes to spend an hour talking to applicants the next morning.

Bo Hurley...if you pick your program based on solely the name, then you are the type of person that ends up dropping out of a program and screwing all your fellow residents because the weather sucks or your "just not happy." That type of behavior is crap and I've seen it happen.

Ultimately, I was giving Columbia the benefit of the doubt and that is why I posted my initial message. I would like to hear other people's experiences on the previous interview days to see what they thought. If this is a trend, then no matter what the circumstances, there is something bizarre about the program.

Just my thoughts and I would appreciate it if further posts would be just useful info, rather than pointless, irrelevent, "clueless" remarks.

Thanks

 

[Smurfette]

I didn't apply to Columbia, but if I was in your shoes I would be very wary of its program. Maybe it does have a great rep, but there's a lot of programs out there that have a great rep yet I would NEVER want to go to. In my opinion, not at least meeting the PD (even if just briefly) at a program's interview is a HUGE red flag for that program. This is the person during your residency who you want to be a resident advocate and address any problems with the program or your education....if he didn't bother to show up to an interview day to meet his future residents (he also presumably has a fair amount of pull in the ranking process), how supportive can he be? Did you get to meet the chairman?

Besides, the snowstorm didn't start until Saturday, right? So why didn't anyone show on Friday night? If you are really interested in that program, you should contact them and see if they address the poor turnout or if they would let you talk to the PD briefly (most PDs would not refuse to talk an applicant). Just my two cents; do what you feel is right for you.

 

[surg4me]

That reflects poorly on the program. Interviews are not only for the programs to screen potential residents, but also for applicants to guage the quality of the program. Name and reputation is not set in stone...the quality of programs change all the time...make once-quality programs are in flux...take UCLA for example...already 3 residents have left this year...from 2nd and 3rd year...not to mention the approximately a dozen facultly who have left the GS program for other programs in the past 2-3 years...

 

[CardinalW]

That reflects poorly on the program. Interviews are not only for the programs to screen potential residents, but also for applicants to guage the quality of the program. Name and reputation is not set in stone...the quality of programs change all the time...make once-quality programs are in flux...take UCLA for example...already 3 residents have left this year...from 2nd and 3rd year...not to mention the approximately a dozen facultly who have left the GS program for other programs in the past 2-3 years...

Hi surg4me,

I interviewed at UCLA liked it quite a bit. However, I did not hear about the residents and the faculty exodus. Faculty leaving may be somewhat understandable since it's a new chair and maybe he's cleaning house. But do you (or anyone else) know what's up with why the residents left?

Thanks for any help.
C

 

[zpdoc]

I just spoke with someone who interviewed at Columbia not this past weekend, but the one before. He said that for the night before, ALL of the interns were there, most 2nd years, and quite a few 3rd years. For the interview, several attendings and the PD were there.

Like I said, this was regarding the interview date 2 weeks previously. Either this past weekend's interview was a fluke...or it just might be that the OP is trying to color other people's perceptions of a great program, in the hopes that they will move it down on their rank list and give him/her a better chance to match there. This is a common tactic on some other specialty boards (plastics, derm), and people reading those boards are well advised to take every post with a grain of salt.

To the OP, I'm not saying this is the case (no one else who attended that interview has posted to confirm/deny), but just that it is always a possibility on anonymous boards such as this one. Take care everyone and good luck.

 

[Ed Scissorhands]

I was at the Columbia interview and although was only 20minutes outside of the city, equivalent to where most of the residents would be living could not get in. The roads were dangerous, visibility poor. The news was discouraging people from driving and it took my family 5 trips outside to get the driveway in any condition to drive to the interview in the morning.
It was disappointing to not meet more residents but the ones left were staying late, as it was still difficult for some to make it in during the morning to round. Secondary streets from someone who grew up in the city don't get cleared until the snow stops.
Maybe the residents did not risk personal injury to get there and I don't blame them. Also, the office put me in touch with residents who I spoke with on the phone, one for almost two hours on his day off.
As I mentioned, I was as disappointed as anyone, but the residents who were there came in. Also, the program director had a fever over 102 degrees. I know the holiday season has passed, but so has the time for being a bit of a grinch. Good luck and if you were interviewing at Columbia I am sure all of the programs you applied to are fabulous.

 

[jshaw]

I just spoke with someone who interviewed at Columbia not this past weekend, but the one before. He said that for the night before, ALL of the interns were there, most 2nd years, and quite a few 3rd years. For the interview, several attendings and the PD were there.

Like I said, this was regarding the interview date 2 weeks previously. Either this past weekend's interview was a fluke...or it just might be that the OP is trying to color other people's perceptions of a great program, in the hopes that they will move it down on their rank list and give him/her a better chance to match there. This is a common tactic on some other specialty boards (plastics, derm), and people reading those boards are well advised to take every post with a grain of salt.

To the OP, I'm not saying this is the case (no one else who attended that interview has posted to confirm/deny), but just that it is always a possibility on anonymous boards such as this one. Take care everyone and good luck.

Well, the last post does confirm my "story." Also, I want to make it abundantly clear that the purpose of my post was not to discredit Columbia, or to somehow gain from my comments! IF you read my post, I was very clear that I was asking for someone to describe their experience at Columbia on the other interview days expecting my experience to be a fluke.

I appreciate the meaningful posts that some have put on the site and do not appreciate your attempt to discredit me in any way!