"I'll go to bat for you"

[inositide]

If someone in your home institution's dept tells you that "I'll gladly go to bat for you", and somewhere during the process it becomes necessary for you to have someone contact the PD at your #1 choice, is it better to have that person contact the PD at your #1 choice or should you still try to get your home institution's PD or home institution dept chair to make that call for you?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[cytoborg]

If someone in your home institution's dept tells you that "I'll gladly go to bat for you", and somewhere during the process it becomes necessary for you to have someone contact the PD at your #1 choice, is it better to have that person contact the PD at your #1 choice or should you still try to get your home institution's PD or home institution dept chair to make that call for you?

Standard practice is the dept chair or PD making the golden phonecall; they generally have the most clout and often times know the other chairs/PDs well. Unless there is some major issue where you can't approach this person, I would stick to the norm. But if this other person has strong ties to the decision-makers in your #1 program, a call from them might be useful as well.

 

[Mumpu]

Wow, there is a magical bat you can talk to about residency matching?

... I'll show myself out.

 

[Von Hohenheim]

Follow up question:

What if numerous docs, including the PD have offered to "go to bat" for you. Can you get each to call a different program or would that be considered improper?

 

[cytoborg]

Follow up question:

What if numerous docs, including the PD have offered to "go to bat" for you. Can you get each to call a different program or would that be considered improper?

Yeah, that's generally considered improper, at least in my experience. It's great that you have such strong support from your home program, but you really should stick to the one call to your #1 only. You wouldn't want to be construed as leading on multiple programs.

Again, perhaps it varies among specialties, but I know in path you really only get one phonecall.

 

[(nicedream)]

I don't get it. What do they say in the phonecall? Isn't it weird for one PD to work on getting you into another program?

 

[surg]

I can only speak for myself. If someone were to ask me to make a call to a friend at another program, or I offered to do so, then I am putting myself and my reputation out there for the benefit of another person. I would hope that the person I'm doing it for would respect me enough to not ask me to do this frivolously or in a way that would harm my ability to help another student in the future. If you ask me to call someone and say that place X is your number 1 and have me put myself on the line for saying they should take you because you'll be a great fit and will love it there, and then they follow through and you don't rank it there... Well needless to say, I'll be miffed, the person who I called will be, and there is a fair chance that I will have lost credibility with that person, that person will have lost some credibility in that department since they might have had to stick up for you in the same way at their committee, and well... you will have lost a lot of credibility with a lot of people that you will be interacting with over the REST of your CAREER. Bottom line, don't ask people to call places that aren't your #1 with the message that you are their #1. The honest and ethical thing to do is to tell anyone that is going to make a call for you exactly where you plan on ranking the program being called, IMHO.

 

[Poety]

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering how common it is for PD's to call on their students behalf? I hadn't heard of this before - but it seems to be common knowledge here. Should we have our chair do this for us? And if so - when? Thanks for any insight!

 

[Von Hohenheim]

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering how common it is for PD's to call on their students behalf? I hadn't heard of this before - but it seems to be common knowledge here. Should we have our chair do this for us? And if so - when? Thanks for any insight!

It's very common. Basically it's the norm.

 

[Poety]

It's the norm? No one even mentioned this to us at our 4th year meetings! - well, I suppose if it can help why not right? I just thought this was for if your PD knew the PD at the program you wanted to rank #1 or something. Guess I'll have to just do without since I never asked anyone to do this prior to my interviews!

Good luck everyone and thanks Von!

 

[BKN]

It's very common. Basically it's the norm.

It may be the norm in some specialties but not in mine. I don't think I've ever had another PD or Chair call me to confirm that student X want's my program first. Nor has any student asked me to do that.

The more I read these forums, the more I see variation in recruiting practice that I was not aware of.

 

[blue2000]

It may be the norm in some specialties but not in mine. I don't think I've ever had another PD or Chair call me to confirm that student X want's my program first. Nor has any student asked me to do that.

The more I read these forums, the more I see variation in recruiting practice that I was not aware of.

My experience matching in gen surg: My PD (not the chair) called the program that I was ranking #1 to let them know that fact. He was very clear that he didn't really have a prior relationship with the PD and that he was uncertain whether this would have any effect at all. I say, can't hurt, but don't stress if someone's not offering.

 

[daisygirl]

It is an 'unwritten rule' that the chair of surgery, at my school, will make a call to your favorite program (outside the home institution) to advocate for the applicant.

I have a feeling that this is quite common in surgery.

 

[miko2005]

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering how common it is for PD's to call on their students behalf? I hadn't heard of this before - but it seems to be common knowledge here. Should we have our chair do this for us? And if so - when? Thanks for any insight!

I don't know if its the norm, but the chair of pathology at my home school offered to call the bay area programs for me since I need to be in that area for residency. I wouldn't ask him to call more than 1 program since I think its unfair and unnecessary. But it probably wouldn't hurt to have him call my #1 choice. This also wasn't mentioned at our 4th year meeting either.

 

[missdr]

my PD emailed me and offered to contact other programs if needed to help me out when the time comes...since i am hoping to stay at my home institution, does this mean he is trying to get rid of me???? i did not take it that way when he wrote me but now i am wondering...

 

[BKN]

my PD emailed me and offered to contact other programs if needed to help me out when the time comes...since i am hoping to stay at my home institution, does this mean he is trying to get rid of me???? i did not take it that way when he wrote me but now i am wondering...

I suspect it just means he likes you and wants you to have the choice that you wish for.

 

[cytoborg]

I suspect it just means he likes you and wants you to have the choice that you wish for.

Agreed. Take it as a good sign that he will support you in the process regardless of what choice you make. Also, maybe he's trying to figure out your intentions regarding his program. It's an ego thing but sometimes programs like to rank people higher who they know are ranking them high, so they can brag that they got their highest picks.

 

[Von Hohenheim]

It may be the norm in some specialties but not in mine. I don't think I've ever had another PD or Chair call me to confirm that student X want's my program first. Nor has any student asked me to do that.

The more I read these forums, the more I see variation in recruiting practice that I was not aware of.

Perhaps, no one wants your program first.

 

[inositide]

can someone offer more input regarding the original question?

If a student has never worked with the home institution dept PD, but that PD offered to call the PD of your #1 choice, would go with that call. OR, would you have another faculty member who is a senior faculty member (but isnt the PD) make the call for you if this senior faculty member knows you and your work closely from direct interaction? Both have offered to go to bat for you.

 

[kungfufishing]

Perhaps, no one wants your program first.

not that it matters on some internet forum, but BKN heads a very well respected program.

 

[14022]

If you send out a letter to your number 1 program telling them this fact, do you still have your PD or chair call on your behalf or is this overkill or annoying?

 

[Poety]

Perhaps, no one wants your program first.

I highly doubt that is the case - and I don't think that this is really the "norm" I think its done in some specialties and by some institutes but may vary widely - this is after speaking with a PD, my dean and BKN -

BKN, your insight is appreciated and I hope you don't take offense to some of these posts as they're clearly done tongue in cheek - RIGHT VON?

 

[Von Hohenheim]

I highly doubt that is the case - and I don't think that this is really the "norm" I think its done in some specialties and by some institutes but may vary widely - this is after speaking with a PD, my dean and BKN -

BKN, your insight is appreciated and I hope you don't take offense to some of these posts as they're clearly done tongue in cheek - RIGHT VON?

Duh, isn't that what the "stick out tongue" emoticon is supposed to communicate?


BTW, what is BKN's program? A program can be "well respected" and still not be anyone's first choice. If "BKN" stands for Brooklyn, then that would definately be a factor. Downstate, for example, is "well respected" but no one picks it as their first choice. Even the residents there admit that.

 

[Poety]

I didn't even see that emoticon oopsy!