Did I do something wrong?/Will this matter?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
C

Chickenwing

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Messages
23
Reaction score
0
Don't know if anyone's had anything like this happen, but this happened to me the other day.

So I was offered an interview at program X for Jan 22. Program X is on the west coast. I had an interview at program Y on Jan 21. Program Y is in the midwest. I called program Y and asked if they had any other dates available currently, to try to make the travel a little easier. I ONLY asked if there were any dates available that's all. So, then I get an email from program Y saying that they moved me to Jan 4 (a date I cannot make) because the date was open. Keep in mind, I never asked to be moved, I only asked if there was anything available. So I respond and say that won't work, I'll just keep my date on the 21st. Program Y then says.."Will any other dates work?" So naturally now I'm thinking...wtf, they just moved me and now they can't find a place for me. So, I send probably 2 more emails just asking what the situation is and call their office and leave a message as well trying to figure out what the situation is..anyways I don't hear from them for a few hours.

A few hours later, the secretary/PC calls and absolutely rips into me for a good 2-3 minutes. She says things like "You asked me an open-ended question, and I did what anyone would do" "You're making way to big a deal out of this", "We get over 5,000 applicants and I don't have near enough time to talk to them all individually" "Don't call this office again" I literally didn't say anything for the whole 2-3 minutes. Then after she was done I started to say "sorry" but she hung up before I could finish saying that one word.

The main thing was, She had moved my interview back to the 21st, she just never let me know that had happened. Anyways..I just don't really know what to make of this situation. I've been going over it, and I really don't feel like I did anything wrong, there was no way for me to know what the situation was as they never really let me know. But, I could be wrong I guess.

Anyways just wondering what you guys think about this. The program is a good program I believe. A place I was considering ranking somewhere near 5-8. I guess the main thing is, is my run in with this secretary/PC something that could actually effect how this program ranks me? Is it something I should try to explain briefly at the interview? Anyways, sorry for the long post. Let me know what you think.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Chickenwing said:
Don't know if anyone's had anything like this happen, but this happened to me the other day.

So I was offered an interview at program X for Jan 22. Program X is on the west coast. I had an interview at program Y on Jan 21. Program Y is in the midwest. I called program Y and asked if they had any other dates available currently, to try to make the travel a little easier. I ONLY asked if there were any dates available that's all. So, then I get an email from program Y saying that they moved me to Jan 4 (a date I cannot make) because the date was open. Keep in mind, I never asked to be moved, I only asked if there was anything available. So I respond and say that won't work, I'll just keep my date on the 21st. Program Y then says.."Will any other dates work?" So naturally now I'm thinking...wtf, they just moved me and now they can't find a place for me. So, I send probably 2 more emails just asking what the situation is and call their office and leave a message as well trying to figure out what the situation is..anyways I don't hear from them for a few hours.

A few hours later, the secretary/PC calls and absolutely rips into me for a good 2-3 minutes. She says things like "You asked me an open-ended question, and I did what anyone would do" "You're making way to big a deal out of this", "We get over 5,000 applicants and I don't have near enough time to talk to them all individually" "Don't call this office again" I literally didn't say anything for the whole 2-3 minutes. Then after she was done I started to say "sorry" but she hung up before I could finish saying that one word.

The main thing was, She had moved my interview back to the 21st, she just never let me know that had happened. Anyways..I just don't really know what to make of this situation. I've been going over it, and I really don't feel like I did anything wrong, there was no way for me to know what the situation was as they never really let me know. But, I could be wrong I guess.

Anyways just wondering what you guys think about this. The program is a good program I believe. A place I was considering ranking somewhere near 5-8. I guess the main thing is, is my run in with this secretary/PC something that could actually effect how this program ranks me? Is it something I should try to explain briefly at the interview? Anyways, sorry for the long post. Let me know what you think.
Click to expand...

Sucks. I would cancel the interview. Honestly, bitchy secretary will probably complain about you to PD, making it much harder to match there. I'm not sure it's worth going at this point.

If it was your 5-8, then you still have a lot of other programs you prefer, so I wouldn't stress over it. People suck sometimes, unfortunately. I'm sorry this happened to you.
 
Chickenwing said:
Don't know if anyone's had anything like this happen, but this happened to me the other day.

So I was offered an interview at program X for Jan 22. Program X is on the west coast. I had an interview at program Y on Jan 21. Program Y is in the midwest. I called program Y and asked if they had any other dates available currently, to try to make the travel a little easier. I ONLY asked if there were any dates available that's all. So, then I get an email from program Y saying that they moved me to Jan 4 (a date I cannot make) because the date was open. Keep in mind, I never asked to be moved, I only asked if there was anything available. So I respond and say that won't work, I'll just keep my date on the 21st. Program Y then says.."Will any other dates work?" So naturally now I'm thinking...wtf, they just moved me and now they can't find a place for me. So, I send probably 2 more emails just asking what the situation is and call their office and leave a message as well trying to figure out what the situation is..anyways I don't hear from them for a few hours.

A few hours later, the secretary/PC calls and absolutely rips into me for a good 2-3 minutes. She says things like "You asked me an open-ended question, and I did what anyone would do" "You're making way to big a deal out of this", "We get over 5,000 applicants and I don't have near enough time to talk to them all individually" "Don't call this office again" I literally didn't say anything for the whole 2-3 minutes. Then after she was done I started to say "sorry" but she hung up before I could finish saying that one word.

The main thing was, She had moved my interview back to the 21st, she just never let me know that had happened. Anyways..I just don't really know what to make of this situation. I've been going over it, and I really don't feel like I did anything wrong, there was no way for me to know what the situation was as they never really let me know. But, I could be wrong I guess.

Anyways just wondering what you guys think about this. The program is a good program I believe. A place I was considering ranking somewhere near 5-8. I guess the main thing is, is my run in with this secretary/PC something that could actually effect how this program ranks me? Is it something I should try to explain briefly at the interview? Anyways, sorry for the long post. Let me know what you think.
Click to expand...

i am almost positive i know what program you are talking about. it has put me off as well and am debating canceling my interview as well.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
If it isn't in your top 4, I agree with cancelling, especially if the west coast program you are interviewing at the next day is higher on your list. You deserve to be treated with respect. And yes, I think potentially the secretary who screens and prepares the apps for review and manually enters the rank list, and who the program director relies heavily on during this busy time, could potentially put in a bad word that skrews your chances to match there. Hard to know for sure, but I think this secretary is already exhibiting a significant lack of professionalism. I would cancel...and then after match day I would politely email the program director to let him/her know that you felt a lack of professionalism. If enough people complain, she will be reassigned/removed before the next interview season.
 
sec may not represent the culture of the program, but if she does...you don't want to work there
 
That sucks. You should email the program director directly about what happened and let him/her know that's why you are cancelling your interview.
 
umean2tellme said:
That sucks. You should email the program director directly about what happened and let him/her know that's why you are cancelling your interview.
Click to expand...

I agree. The program is not your top choice. I would withdraw and send copies of emails exchanged and phone conversation to PD either now or once the rank lists are in - up to you.
 
Hmm, well I appreciate the responses. Like I said this is a good program (by all accounts) and I don't think I'm going to let this make me cancel the interview. I think what I may do is (possibly) contact the PD after the interview. I've been sending thank yous etc, and I suppose I could just briefly explain/apologize for the situation in my email to him, but I think it would be something that would be best handled after the interview. What do you guys think about that?
 
Chickenwing said:
Hmm, well I appreciate the responses. Like I said this is a good program (by all accounts) and I don't think I'm going to let this make me cancel the interview. I think what I may do is (possibly) contact the PD after the interview. I've been sending thank yous etc, and I suppose I could just briefly explain/apologize for the situation in my email to him, but I think it would be something that would be best handled after the interview. What do you guys think about that?
Click to expand...

Why should you apologize? You didn't do anything wrong.
 
Chickenwing said:
I know, but this just seems like a situation where taking the high road would be best for everyone involved
Click to expand...

How is apologizing for something you didn't do taking the high road? And who does it benefit?
 
umean2tellme said:
That sucks. You should email the program director directly about what happened and let him/her know that's why you are cancelling your interview.
Click to expand...

Don't do this, at least not now...maybe after match day, but not before. In the interview process, positive things don't help that much (like the secretary saying he was such a nice guy) but negative things can scuttle your chances of matching. You wouldn't want something at a program you don't care that much about to hurt your changes at another program you do care about.

It's best to keep it to yourself for the time being. Don't appologize. Just act like it didn't happen. Realistically it is probably unlikely to make it up the chain of command to anyone who really matters. If you send the PD an e-mail it will because he/she will ask about what happened.

If you think you might like the program, there is no harm in going on the interview. Then you can decide if the secretary represents the program or not.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Instatewaiter said:
Don't do this, at least not now...maybe after match day, but not before. In the interview process, positive things don't help that much (like the secretary saying he was such a nice guy) but negative things can scuttle your chances of matching. You wouldn't want something at a program you don't care that much about to hurt your changes at another program you do care about.

It's best to keep it to yourself for the time being. Don't appologize. Just act like it didn't happen. Realistically it is probably unlikely to make it up the chain of command to anyone who really matters. If you send the PD an e-mail it will because he/she will ask about what happened.

If you think you might like the program, there is no harm in going on the interview. Then you can decide if the secretary represents the program or not.
Click to expand...


Ok, thanks. If I send anything, it wouldn't be anything negative..just something like sorry for the misunderstanding/miscommunication on my part, sorry If i caused any bother. I wouldn't mention anything else really or go into details about what happened. I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble, just trying to turn this into a positive. I don't really see how that would affect my standing at other programs though
 
Last edited:
Not a good sign
whether she was having a bad day or not she definitely just put the proverbial check next to your name after this (whether you DID or DIDNT do something wrong)

yeah she doesnt rank the list, but surely she can sabotage you/say something/etc
so if you do go, i'd say be very polite (maybe even a small gift? chocolates?) if not cancel
 
Ok so I think I should clarify a few things...

I'm not cancelling the interview. If I was, I would simply cancel and that would be it..I wouldn't try to get anyone in trouble if I wasn't even going to the place. Since I am going, I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to at least "apologize" to the PD in case something has been said to him already. Yes, I know I have nothing to apologize for. Yes, I know I'm not at fault, but it seems like an opportunity (to me at least) to try and smooth things over, take the high road and try to turn this into a positive by apologizing and trying to be the bigger person, so at least if something was said to him, he can at least have half of a good opinion about me before the interview. That's all I was wondering about...
 
No because what if she never says anything
then its like you are apologizing for nothing

i guess silence is the best thing now

and cookies
 
Apologizing for nothing doesn't sound like a bad thing to me
 
Chickenwing said:
Apologizing for nothing doesn't sound like a bad thing to me
Click to expand...

Do you go apologizing to people for nothing otherwise as well??? Someone chews you out for no fault of yours and you want to go apologize - What gives?

Seems like that program and you are a good match for each other. If they can't respect you as a person now, good luck later - and yes they are going to change - these things do happen outside of movies.

To your original question - no one knows what she put on your file, if she did or if anyone listens to her that really matters. In any case - Good Luck!
 
i disagree that you didn't do anything wrong. two emails and a phone call without waiting a sufficient amount of time for a response (24-48 hours) when it is concerning an interview that is 2-4 weeks away is excessive and unnecessary. we're so used to the immediacy of text/instant messaging and email that some people have unrealistic expectations for responses to emails. that being said i dont think its appropriate for a PC to act that way with an applicant and if this was me i would have sent an email canceling my interview within an hour of this incident.

however if you are going to show up to the interview the most you should do would be to send the PC an email apologizing for your impatience and leave the PD out of it. You've likely already screwed yourself over though and will not be ranked.... negatives get quite amplified because almost everyone is on their best behavior and negatives are rare.
 
skinMD said:
i disagree that you didn't do anything wrong. two emails and a phone call without waiting a sufficient amount of time for a response (24-48 hours) when it is concerning an interview that is 2-4 weeks away is excessive and unnecessary. we're so used to the immediacy of text/instant messaging and email that some people have unrealistic expectations for responses to emails. that being said i dont think its appropriate for a PC to act that way with an applicant and if this was me i would have sent an email canceling my interview within an hour of this incident.

however if you are going to show up to the interview the most you should do would be to send the PC an email apologizing for your impatience and leave the PD out of it. You've likely already screwed yourself over though and will not be ranked.... negatives get quite amplified because almost everyone is on their best behavior and negatives are rare.
Click to expand...

Pretty much agree with this sentiment. You were a spaz, the PC was a spaz. You both acted inappropriately.

But the PC (for better or worse) has the upper hand in this scenario. The best you can hope for is that if you keep your head down, she'll forget about this and, since she already gets 200+ emails a day and has better things to do, won't bother to go back and look up your name and bring it up to the PD.

More likely, you're already pretty screwed and, unless you're hurting for interviews, or this is one of your pre-interview Top 5 programs, you would probably benefit from just walking away at this point.

(Side note...when we sat down to go over our final rank list of ~40 people for 3 fellowship spots, our PC got the first chance to nuke anybody for bad behavior...the only person she mentioned was blacklisted by more than half of us anyway but the point is that people pay attention to the PC's opinion.)
 
Canceling an interview over something like this seems a little rash to me. It's the middle of interview season, and the PCs are overworked. Tempers will flair over stuff that might have slid earlier on in the process.

Seriously, if you're interested in the program, you should go on the interview. Just be sure to smile a little wider to the PC on the day of your interview and be pleasant to everyone else during your day (interviewers, PD, applicants, etc.). Sending an e-mail to anyone won't serve you well. It'll only confirm your guilt (whether or not it is legitimate), and will only strengthen the memory of the incident in the PC's mind. Just let it go.
 
Instatewaiter said:
Don't do this, at least not now...maybe after match day, but not before. In the interview process, positive things don't help that much (like the secretary saying he was such a nice guy) but negative things can scuttle your chances of matching. You wouldn't want something at a program you don't care that much about to hurt your changes at another program you do care about.

It's best to keep it to yourself for the time being. Don't appologize. Just act like it didn't happen. Realistically it is probably unlikely to make it up the chain of command to anyone who really matters. If you send the PD an e-mail it will because he/she will ask about what happened.

If you think you might like the program, there is no harm in going on the interview. Then you can decide if the secretary represents the program or not.
Click to expand...

This would be my approach. PC did not act professionally. She probably had too much on her plate and probably has done the same thing to others.
 
Last edited:
Thank you all for your advice. I appreciate it. What I've decided to do is ask my dean of students advice and do what she thinks is best, which is probably what I should have done from the start. I certainly respect all of your opinions, but she probably has a little more experience with these types of things and consequently might know what would be best. Thanks to you all though
 
"can you guys give me advice to make me feel better please?"

"well thanks but no thanks i asked someone who deals with these types of conflicts who knows better than you guys"

:)
 
I agree with canceling the interview. A poor impression has been made on both sides. Would be a waste of your time and money at this point.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

G
Does Chief Resident Matter for Less Competitive Fellowships?
Replies
12
Views
2K
Residentdoc86
Residentdoc86
I
USMLE Step 3 as a DO? Does the score matter?
Replies
8
Views
4K
dozitgetchahi
D
caffeinegirl
Does pathology morphology matter anymore?
Replies
11
Views
826
gutonc
gutonc
C
Did not match into pulm crit need advice
Replies
42
Views
3K
NotAProgDirector
NotAProgDirector
Y
  • Locked
Taking USMLE Step 3 as a DO for Cardiology fellowship? Does it matter?
Replies
6
Views
3K
gutonc
gutonc
Top