facebook stalking

[Natividad Resident]

* * * public service announcement to residency applicants * * *

A consensus opinion from current residents here:
- FB private messaging a current resident or faculty member you don't know in real life is creepy stalker behavior
- it will not help your application to creep out a resident or faculty member
- only residency officials have access to AAMC data, so your AAMC number is useless to the average current resident or faculty member

Yes. We understand. It's really hard to get an interview if your stats aren't good or if you failed a step or if you need work visa support or if you otherwise have a problem app.

In the olden days people would say "you're being too familiar."

Best wishes for a successful interview season and good luck in the match.

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[FM Hopeful]

* * * public service announcement to residency applicants * * *

A consensus opinion from current residents here:
- FB private messaging a current resident or faculty member you don't know in real life is creepy stalker behavior
- it will not help your application to creep out a resident or faculty member
- only residency officials have access to AAMC data, so your AAMC number is useless to the average current resident or faculty member

Yes. We understand. It's really hard to get an interview if your stats aren't good or if you failed a step or if you need work visa support or if you otherwise have a problem app.

In the olden days people would say "you're being too familiar."

Best wishes for a successful interview season and good luck in the match.

Did this happen to you?

 

[Natividad Resident]

Did this happen to you?

a) what difference would it make if it did?
b) it didn't happen to me
c) it happened to people in my program

 

[deleted87716]

Many young people these days don't consider instant messaging to be much different than e-mail, and somebody's Facebook profile may be easier to find than their e-mail address. If it isn't "creepy stalker behavior" to e-mail somebody you haven't met, what's so vastly different about instant messaging them? It may be less formal, but unless the content itself is "creepy," I think you're overreacting.

Our society has dropped many formalities that were once a given. When I applied to residency, for example, most of my communication with residency programs and those I interviewed with was done using pen and paper (letterhead that I bought specifically for interviews). E-mail was still considered too informal by many people.

 

[Natividad Resident]

I'm not mad. I'm trying to be helpful. I was in these shoes a year ago. I do give a crap about an applicant with a problem app making it worse by thinking FB contact is appropriate. This isn't just happening at my residency. Residencies regularly get well over 500 apps now. People with problem apps used to have a more reasonable chance. Now there's literally not enough time to even read every app. Somebody who made an educated decision to go Carib 4-5 years ago has worse odds of matching than they planned on. It's excruciating. I'm hoping somebody sees this thread and doesn't blow their chances. Don't blow it for next year by being weird on FB this year.

The comparison to email would be appropriate if you HAD the resident's email. We're talking about a person who wants something (an interview) looking up current resident names on a program website and either googling or searching on FB to find one that hasn't locked their messaging. A better comparison might be cold calling like a telemarketer, which is still universally considered to be obnoxious. The only people affected by this are residents/faculty who don't lock down their FB security, regardless.

 

[deleted87716]

We're talking about a person who wants something (an interview) looking up current resident names on a program website and either googling or searching on FB to find one that hasn't locked their messaging. A better comparison might be cold calling like a telemarketer, which is still universally considered to be obnoxious. The only people affected by this are residents/faculty who don't lock down their FB security, regardless.

IMO, the real issue is that it gives the impression that they're attempting to circumvent the usual process (a process that exists for a reason). It also makes them look desperate.

 

[teacherman84]

I'm not mad. I'm trying to be helpful.

a) what difference would it make if it did?
b) it didn't happen to me
c) it happened to people in my program

I agree, it's weird...inappropriate and wouldn't help anyone's rank list. But your snarky response in A above definitely seems like you're mad.