locitamd said:
After having a big name PD admit to me that interview days are "dog and pony shows" that don't give an accurate feel of a program, I'd take the "informative" feel with a grain of salt.
just my $.02
Many of these PDs are professional "salesmen." They know what sells and what to promise. You end up walking out of the dealership with a Kia you will pay a Mercedes price for.
Be very very circumspect in what the program directors tell you during the dog and pony show. Be alert. Dogs bark, they have teeth, and they have been known to bite. Ponies can kick and bite too, if you're not careful to watch where the hooves and teeth are.
If you are depending on a representation by a program director, the ask for it in writing. If the program director balks, be even more suspicious. Program directors bark, have teeth and have been known to bite. Caution is the watchword.
If you can't get it in writing and you really want that program, send a confirming letter asking for a timely correction of any misperception in writing by return mail within a reasonable amount of time BEFORE the ROL deadline.
Once you've matched, they hold ALL the cards and there's little you can do about a malignant program, once you match and the "new and improved" contract is passed out for you to sign.
Programs are required to tell you that they are on probation, but they are not required to volunteer that the RRC citations are. Ask for them, and their plans for remediating the citations. Ask them for old citations too, so you can get a history of the program.
Ask them how many residents have not completed the program and why those residents did not. Ask other residents about this too, individually and in private. Call people from your med school that went to a program who have completed training at the program and ask them what they thought of it. Alumni are much more free to discuss things than those still in the program.
Evil programs will lie. They can and will make life miserable for residents who communicate truth that the program does not want applicants to know.
Accept this. Get it all in writing in advance, signed and dated. Be suspicious of programs that are not forthcoming. If residents have not completed the program, ask for their contact information so you can validate a program directors story.
One example: Applicant interviewed at a program and asked a specific question: How many residents do not complete the program? Answer: All residents complete our program. Q:Have any residents been terminated from the program? A: No. Facts: The program had terminated 3 residents in the four months prior to the interviewee's questions. The interviewee signed a contract into that program and was terminated after starting PGY3 year.
It's a scary world out there. Check your medical school. Some schools know about evil programs and will warn you about them, if they know.
Watch Scutwork, but carefully analyze postings. For every truthful post that does not say that a program is the creme de la creme, "residents" will post rebuttals. Watch for this pattern. If you see it, run, like the wind away from such a program. It is likely that there is some truth in all of the posts, but where there is a clear attempt to discredit a specific post raise your antennae, and be very, very careful. If it's black with white stripes down its back, has a big fluffy tail sticking straight up and say's its a kitty, but it sure looks like a polecat, it probably is. Do not pet it or you'll smell very bad when it's all said and done.
NOW, that having been said, I think there are many, many good programs out there with highly honorable people. But unfortunately, it only takes one or two bad actors to taint the whole industry. And the price for being naive can be exceedingly high, so it behooves you all to be careful.
Good luyck and good hunting.
