Devious Program Directors???

[quixoticus]

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3 out of 4 places that I like have sent great replies to my thank you letter. II am sure that they have sent the same to others. Why should they be so..devious.
They can send these letters to only the ones whom they like the most. Hopefully the letters that they send close to ranking list comes close to reality.

 

[ResidentMD]

3 out of 4 places that I like have sent great replies to my thank you letter. II am sure that they have sent the same to others. Why should they be so..devious.
They can send these letters to only the ones whom they like the most. Hopefully the letters that they send close to ranking list comes close to reality.

Why should you be so.....presumptous?

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

3 out of 4 places that I like have sent great replies to my thank you letter. II am sure that they have sent the same to others. Why should they be so..devious.
They can send these letters to only the ones whom they like the most. Hopefully the letters that they send close to ranking list comes close to reality.

By this logic, you should only send thank you letters to the ones you like the most.

 

[Winged Scapula]

What's so "devious" about sending out presumed standard responses to applicants who show interest?

Are they saying, "quixoticus, you are the ONLY one for us! We aren't sending any other letters to anyone else."? Of course not.

While the match is often seen as akin to dating, this is not like the girl who tells you she only loves you but all along is dating someone else behind your back.

This is SOP - for both applicants and programs. Nothing devious to see here.

 

[DarthNeurology]

3 out of 4 places that I like have sent great replies to my thank you letter. II am sure that they have sent the same to others. Why should they be so..devious.
They can send these letters to only the ones whom they like the most. Hopefully the letters that they send close to ranking list comes close to reality.

It will serve you well to look at program director as being "devious" as everybody has a secondary, tertiary and quaternary agenda and I applaud you for recognizing this early on in your career. Program directors are evil in certain respects as they are not necessarily on your side at all, . . . even during residency and they may value abstract objects such as the "reputation" of their program over your needs.

When I interviewed I got a thank you note with a hand written note from a PD. I would be a fool not consider why the program director wrote me a personal note explaining why I would be a good fit at their program. It *is* emotionally manipulative of a program director to do this. The PD knows that their note may gain them a more favorable ranking. I have heard applicants getting "love letters" from residency programs only to have it all turn into a disaster later.

In the end, you must rely on your own gut instinct and don't let a "love letter" from a PD sway your decision, it could be a sign of manipulation. You have to wonder about a PD who has enough time to write personal thank you notes to hundreds of applicants . . . .

 

[DarthNeurology]

While the match is often seen as akin to dating, this is not like the girl who tells you she only loves you but all along is dating someone else behind your back.

Nothing devious to see here.

This match often is about dating your S.O. and finding out that they are dating somebody else. My number one turned me down after I did what I thought were good auditions there, but more importantly I really loved the faculty and wanted to know what they knew and how they treated patients. Yes, it was a heart break as it was a place I would have *loved* to have trained at and would have been in a position to "go the extra mile" for the patients/faculty there. It was like finding out that I had been cheated on because I was cheated on! 🙁 I would go back there in a second and would *like* to mess up the residents who matched there for taking away my significant other. . . there's a country song in there somewhere . . .

 

[Eta Carinae]

It will serve you well to look at program director as being "devious" as everybody has a secondary, tertiary and quaternary agenda and I applaud you for recognizing this early on in your career. Program directors are evil in certain respects as they are not necessarily on your side at all, . . . even during residency and they may value abstract objects such as the "reputation" of their program over your needs.

When I interviewed I got a thank you note with a hand written note from a PD. I would be a fool not consider why the program director wrote me a personal note explaining why I would be a good fit at their program. It *is* emotionally manipulative of a program director to do this. The PD knows that their note may gain them a more favorable ranking. I have heard applicants getting "love letters" from residency programs only to have it all turn into a disaster later.

In the end, you must rely on your own gut instinct and don't let a "love letter" from a PD sway your decision, it could be a sign of manipulation. You have to wonder about a PD who has enough time to write personal thank you notes to hundreds of applicants . . . .

😱
wow,
that was seriously the best piece of advice anyone has given about this entire 'love exchange' so far.

Thanks so much for your veracity and your plainspokenness.

It really blows when people play games with what might be the second most important decision in your life (after spouse).

Please continue to keep us informed and well-adviced👍




😍

 

[ResidentMD]

😱
wow,
that was seriously the best piece of advice anyone has given about this entire 'love exchange' so far.

Thanks so much for your veracity and your plainspokenness.

It really blows when people play games with what might be the second most important decision in your life (after spouse).

Please continue to keep us informed and well-adviced👍




😍

I actually wonder if someone takes LSD and reads your posts, how your formatted text may look 😉

 

[Eta Carinae]

I actually wonder if someone takes LSD and reads your posts, how your formatted text may look 😉

 

[Eta Carinae]

I actually wonder if someone takes LSD and reads your posts, how your formatted text may look 😉

dude like seriously,
I don't know what it is.

I remember in college, a coworker caught a glance of my organizer

(you know back then when we had write-in organizers)

and she commented as well about how colorful it was.

I still walk around the hospital halls with 7 different pens- you know the Pilot Precise V5- I have every color. Pink, purple, black, red, green, even pastel blue.

Just a really inefficient habit...

But you know things look prettier in color.
😉


anyway, don't mean to hijack the thread.








😍

 

[dragonfly99]

I wouldn't pay much attention to letters that programs send you. It means basically nothing except that they like you enough to want YOU to rank THEM. It doesn't say anything about where they'll rank you, except that you probably will be ranked somewhere on their list. Just rank the programs in the order YOU want to attend them and don't be swayed too much by what someone writes to you, or says. Do trust your gut and gestalt (?spelling) about how you'd fit in at a particular program, and/or pick based on which one can get you to your career goals.

 

[howelljolly]

This match often is about dating your S.O. and finding out that they are dating somebody else. My number one turned me down after I did what I thought were good auditions there, but more importantly I really loved the faculty and wanted to know what they knew and how they treated patients. Yes, it was a heart break as it was a place I would have *loved* to have trained at and would have been in a position to "go the extra mile" for the patients/faculty there. It was like finding out that I had been cheated on because I was cheated on! 🙁 I would go back there in a second and would *like* to mess up the residents who matched there for taking away my significant other. . . there's a country song in there somewhere . . .

Yeah me too. ...sniffle....

 

[NotAProgDirector]

First, this thread is a bit of a let down from the title. I was hoping for more "deviousness".

It really blows when people play games with what might be the second most important decision in your life (after spouse).

Looking at this from the other side, I'm not sure it's being devious. I never know how far down my rank list I will go. I want my "last match" to be as happy/positive as my first match. If I think you'd fit well in my program, then I might send you an email saying such. That doesn't guarantee a match. Nor does it necessarily affect the outcome -- you can still decide to rank me wherever you want.

Some of this is also an "arms race". I did not use to send emails like this. I was then told my one of my matches that I was the "only program" that didn't contact them after the interview and that it made me "look bad". So now I send emails.

 

[dragonfly99]

arms race...ha ha.
I agree.
It's that way for applicants as well. You almost can't match in cardiology without getting faculty to make personal calls or other contacts for you...

 

[diosa428]

I don't think it's that big of a deal... if I am planning on ranking a program, in my thank you to the PD I include something about how I could see myself there next year, or would be happy to match there, or whatever. It's true, so why not put it? Even if they're last on my rank list, if they're on there, it's someplace I'd be happy to be.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

I don't think it's that big of a deal... if I am planning on ranking a program, in my thank you to the PD I include something about how I could see myself there next year, or would be happy to match there, or whatever. It's true, so why not put it? Even if they're last on my rank list, if they're on there, it's someplace I'd be happy to be.

As much as it pains me to do so, I'm going to agree with diosa. (A piece of me just died on the inside 🙁 )

I usually phrase it like "I would be fortunate to work/train at X the next X years," because it's true. I'd much rather be anywhere than nowhere.

And if PDs say the same thing, I just take it at face value: that I'll be on their rank list somewhere, but no guarantees where.

That said, as I've discussed in another thread, I've had at least one program cross the devious line, so it does happen.