For those of you getting your PDs to call your #1 programs

[lakeplacid]

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Are you guys setting up appmts to talk to your home PD (or other faculty like advisors) about which programs you liked best and discussing your ROL with them?

Otherwise, I don't understand why people are posting on here about having their home PDs call their favorite programs to tell them they are #1. I have never sat down and talked to my PD. I have either been on the interview trail or busy at the hospital making up for missed time when I'm not interviewing so I haven't had time to think about discussing my favorite programs with my advisor or PD.

So basically, I'm wondering if I should set all that up. I personally feel I can make my ROL on my own, and don't really want help from my advisor or PD, who are extremely opinionated about certain programs (and tend to bias me as well). But certainly if everyone else is getting faculty to make phone calls for them, I don't want to be the one left out of this game.

 

[tarlovcyst]

Are you guys setting up appmts to talk to your home PD (or other faculty like advisors) about which programs you liked best and discussing your ROL with them?

Otherwise, I don't understand why people are posting on here about having their home PDs call their favorite programs to tell them they are #1. I have never sat down and talked to my PD. I have either been on the interview trail or busy at the hospital making up for missed time when I'm not interviewing so I haven't had time to think about discussing my favorite programs with my advisor or PD.

So basically, I'm wondering if I should set all that up. I personally feel I can make my ROL on my own, and don't really want help from my advisor or PD, who are extremely opinionated about certain programs (and tend to bias me as well). But certainly if everyone else is getting faculty to make phone calls for them, I don't want to be the one left out of this game.

The real question is -- since your PD is so opinionated, will he/she feel offended that you're not considering their home program? Think about this point when you discuss your favorite programs with your PD. Many things are said without even saying them.

With phone calls, they help if the PDs know each other. There are many PDs that are good friends with each other, and thus, some programs tend to prefer applicants from certain programs over others. I have examples, but I will keep them confidential for personal reasons.

Since you know which programs your PD really likes or feels strong about, and if you feel the same way about those programs, then the enthusiasm will be genuine when your PD calls that one program. Most PDs I know will only make one phone call. UNO. single. to your #1 choice. It looks bad for the PD when they call a program, the program ranks you higher, and then you don't match at that program; it'll be obvious who didn't rank the program #1.

 

[lakeplacid]

Yeah..what I am asking is if I should even be discussing programs with my PD if I already know which programs he likes and which he doesn't. He made it pretty clear when I consulted him on which programs to apply to. He basically wasn't impressed with most programs on my list, and felt neutral about the rest.

If he is neutral about my first choice, then that means a phone call from him probably wouldn't help right? I mean, I completely agree that PDs from different programs may be friendly and if that's the case, then a phone call should help, but if they don't know each other (or worse, if they dislike each other), then I see the phone call being more awkward than helpful.

But whatever, I'm really just venting about all the hoops we still set up for ourselves to jump through even as interview season winds down. It just seems to never end. Programs want you to do second looks. We want our PDs to make phone calls on our behalf. I'm already broke doing so much traveling and tired of talking to people about programs.
I actually miss the med school application process where a couple months or so after the interview, you got the news: Accepted, Waitlisted, Rejected.

 

[glasshouse]

I actually miss the med school application process where a couple months or so after the interview, you got the news: Accepted, Waitlisted, Rejected.

I agree with this... the application process overall hasn't been as bad (ERAS is great) but I hate the waiting and all of the politics involved in this late stage of the game. I'm not planning on having my PD make a phone call, because I don't want to alienate my home program

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Otherwise, I don't understand why people are posting on here about having their home PDs call their favorite programs to tell them they are #1. I have never sat down and talked to my PD. I have either been on the interview trail or busy at the hospital making up for missed time when I'm not interviewing so I haven't had time to think about discussing my favorite programs with my advisor or PD.

Well, for me it's b/c my PD is one of my mentors and is very involved with my applications - he's my faculty advisor, I rotated on service with him, he wrote one of my letters, etc. I trust his advice on programs and have frequently touched base with him through the interview season.

If I didn't have that kind of relationship with him, I wouldn't be scheduling meetings. To be honest, my main purposes in meeting with him are (a) because I need advice and he can give it, (b) as mentioned below I want to make sure he knows how interested I am in the home program. The "make a call" thing is a secondary benefit.

All that being said, if you've got someone out there willing to make a call, I still say go for it - it's a pretty easy hoop to jump through even if that's how you view it.

 

[7abiby]

For those who had your PD/chair make a call to your #1, did they get any feedback?

 

[thedrjojo]

I didn't go through the PD or the Chair, I went through my advisor who gave me advice on applying, wrote a good letter. The person I had him call (which is for one of my top 2 places, and part of my meeting was to ask his opinion on one vs the other) did research with him (they were in the lab together during residency) and actually told me on the interview that he'd love to hear from him, so I asked if he would let him know I was highly interested, but there was no mention of "You are my number 1". I am not sure if the call was even ever made since I haven't seen him since our meeting, but I have received 2 phone calls from said program (assistant PD and Chair) saying they were impressed and ranking me high, blah blah blah... I did an away there, had a letter from one of their top docs, and had a great interview with another of their top docs, so I don't think the call had anything to do with it... but I suppose it didn't hurt me.