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- Jul 27, 2010
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hey all, i'm kinda new to the studentdoctor forums and think this is a really awesome resource for all of us to keep a pulse on what's going on with the application cycle, among other things.
so i just had my first rad onc interview today and most everyone i met was really genuinely awesome (other applicants, residents, staff, faculty, etc). that said, there were a few observations i made about applicant-applicant interaction that were really disturbing. there's an image of one so-called offender that i am still having a hard time forgetting. that guy/gal (to keep it anonymous) really made a few of us feel very very very uncomfortable.
starting from the pre-dinner through the interview day, it really bothered me HOW MUCH ENERGY SOME APPLICANTS SPEND SIZING UP OTHER CANDIDATES.
these are ACTUAL questions i overheard (and a few that i was asked myself by another applicant(s):
1. "how many programs did you apply to? how many interviews do you have?"
1a. "what's your first choice? do you want to stay at your home program?? do you think you have a good chance there? oh, you probably have the inside track?"
2."who are you doing research with at your home institution? how many papers do you have?"
4. "what did you do in your year out/PhD/Masters, etc?"
5. "oh, you're married, you probably want to stay close to your husband? would you really come do school X?"
6. "you graduated in Apr/May/June? did you not match last year?" [YES, this was asked to the person sitting near me at dinner. i almost barfed right there. how ridiculously rude and inappropriate?????]
taken alone, each question is annoying, but could be construed as a getting-to-know-another-stranger (except the last one). maybe even just small talk to pass the time. but when i saw a fellow applicant welling up with tears when asked these questions, that's crossing the line. and when you ask such questions WITHIN EARSHOT OF THE HOST RESIDENTS AND FACULTY (i.e. dinner/lunch table or waiting room), that's really NOT COOL AT ALL. it just makes both the "question-asker" and, unfortunately, the "listener" (who kind of has no choice but to answer) both look like over-anxious, competitive fools.
we are going to all be colleagues down the road, in residency and much beyond. let's all try to respect that we are each trying to put on our "sunday best" at these interviews (and pre-dinners). be nice, friendly, and try to talk about something other than application/ERAS/interview/career/research/strategizing related stuff with your fellow applicants. it's really not that hard. don't we all do it with other strangers we meet? travel, sports, current events, pets, etc? great topics.
if you're the type of applicant who is going to size up others, let me ask you: does it REALLY make a difference? does it REALLY matter what someone's top choice is? do you REALLY need to know who someone does research with? will it REALLY impact your own decision? SO WHAT if someone has no JCO articles and you have 10?
you can look at my posting history and see that i participate in the threads related to some of the questions above. even when i don't post, i certainly read them. but, hey, we're all anonymous and it's a shared outlet and resource. being anonymous helps to speak without a filter on these forums...
but it's TOTALLY different when we're live, in-person, and it's interview day.... NOT COOL.
sorry for the venting and long post. in between the faculty and resident interviews, i know a few of us were feeling that we got body slammed by our peer-applicant(s).
hopefully others can share their thoughts. Gfunk, since you're already a resident, maybe you can advise how to handle such grilling by other applicants?
(btw, i'll try to provide interview feedback shortly. have a long journey home).
good luck to everyone!!!!!! we'll all do great!!!!!!!!
so i just had my first rad onc interview today and most everyone i met was really genuinely awesome (other applicants, residents, staff, faculty, etc). that said, there were a few observations i made about applicant-applicant interaction that were really disturbing. there's an image of one so-called offender that i am still having a hard time forgetting. that guy/gal (to keep it anonymous) really made a few of us feel very very very uncomfortable.
starting from the pre-dinner through the interview day, it really bothered me HOW MUCH ENERGY SOME APPLICANTS SPEND SIZING UP OTHER CANDIDATES.
these are ACTUAL questions i overheard (and a few that i was asked myself by another applicant(s):
1. "how many programs did you apply to? how many interviews do you have?"
1a. "what's your first choice? do you want to stay at your home program?? do you think you have a good chance there? oh, you probably have the inside track?"
2."who are you doing research with at your home institution? how many papers do you have?"
4. "what did you do in your year out/PhD/Masters, etc?"
5. "oh, you're married, you probably want to stay close to your husband? would you really come do school X?"
6. "you graduated in Apr/May/June? did you not match last year?" [YES, this was asked to the person sitting near me at dinner. i almost barfed right there. how ridiculously rude and inappropriate?????]
taken alone, each question is annoying, but could be construed as a getting-to-know-another-stranger (except the last one). maybe even just small talk to pass the time. but when i saw a fellow applicant welling up with tears when asked these questions, that's crossing the line. and when you ask such questions WITHIN EARSHOT OF THE HOST RESIDENTS AND FACULTY (i.e. dinner/lunch table or waiting room), that's really NOT COOL AT ALL. it just makes both the "question-asker" and, unfortunately, the "listener" (who kind of has no choice but to answer) both look like over-anxious, competitive fools.
we are going to all be colleagues down the road, in residency and much beyond. let's all try to respect that we are each trying to put on our "sunday best" at these interviews (and pre-dinners). be nice, friendly, and try to talk about something other than application/ERAS/interview/career/research/strategizing related stuff with your fellow applicants. it's really not that hard. don't we all do it with other strangers we meet? travel, sports, current events, pets, etc? great topics.
if you're the type of applicant who is going to size up others, let me ask you: does it REALLY make a difference? does it REALLY matter what someone's top choice is? do you REALLY need to know who someone does research with? will it REALLY impact your own decision? SO WHAT if someone has no JCO articles and you have 10?
you can look at my posting history and see that i participate in the threads related to some of the questions above. even when i don't post, i certainly read them. but, hey, we're all anonymous and it's a shared outlet and resource. being anonymous helps to speak without a filter on these forums...
but it's TOTALLY different when we're live, in-person, and it's interview day.... NOT COOL.
sorry for the venting and long post. in between the faculty and resident interviews, i know a few of us were feeling that we got body slammed by our peer-applicant(s).
hopefully others can share their thoughts. Gfunk, since you're already a resident, maybe you can advise how to handle such grilling by other applicants?
(btw, i'll try to provide interview feedback shortly. have a long journey home).
good luck to everyone!!!!!! we'll all do great!!!!!!!!
