interview day advice

[stephew]

---

Members do not see this ad.

no for for from you.

So now I turn to you for advice; in the past Harvard has invited the candidates out for dinner with the current residents and some faculty memebers attended. it was a "get to know you" relaxed sort of thing. this year only one PD showed up at each interview night in order to create a more "open" atmosphere where candidates felt they could relax and ask resident's questions. However yours truely didnt get the email and crashed the party 😳 One applicant (reasonably) asked how come more attendings weren't there. So that begs the question; which is best?
Dinner with (lots) of current residents and limited attending presence for a more relaxed open exchange, or dinner with more attendings so you can get a feel for them etc.

Please give your input and if you have personal experience with one or both, please say so. it will help put in context. thanks.

 

[bobloblaw]

It's nice to have faculty show interest in the applicants, but I think most applicants would agree that it is also valuable to have some time with the residents when the faculty are not around (either dinner the night before interviews or lunch on the interview day).

 

[Gfunk6]

I concur w/ bobloblaw. In one best case scenario, the chair showed up, toasted all the applicants, gave a quick program blurb and then went on his merry way -- leaving us alone with the residents. Honestly, we see enough of the faculty during the formal interviews. It's nice to get a chance to talk informally with the residents and not fear a major faux paus b/c a faculty was sitting next to you when you got a little too tipsy.

 

[stephew]

ok sounds like i shouldn't crash any more parties; ill feedback to the group.

 

[stephew]

120 views and 2 responces? Anyone else?

 

[nod]

No attendings is best. From what I have seen this year, the dinners with only residents are much more relaxed and I feel more comfortable asking questions. Dinners with attendings are much stiffer and also limit what I feel comfortable asking, knowing there is the PD sitting two seats away.

 

[napoleondynamite]

I agree..kissing butt for one whole day is hard enough 😱

 

[CAbroiler]

definitely better without attendings present. it feels like an extension of the interview day if they're around. if not, it's a better "get a feel for the program" opportunity.

 

[CNphair]

No attendings for dinner is definitely best...I did go to one dinner that was "wine/cocktails" with a few young attendings/residents and then dinner with just residents. I did like this scenario. Because the young attendings could give a different perspective...often talked about job market, different styles of training, etc...Having the chair/senior staff at dinner, however, never failed to be a drag.

 

[clintpark]

This may not be the best model, but let me tell you what we do. All our interviews are on Saturdays. The night before the interview, we invite applicants to a nice dinner with residents only. After the morning interviews on Saturday, applicants have lunch together with both attendings and residents. (no designated seats... some tables have attendings and others don't... they can sit wherever they want)

I like this model since they can ask all the frank questions the night before and mingle with both attendings and residents depending on their preference. Residents do not interview applicants, but we show up to have lunch with them (since not everyone comes to the dinner the night before) and give a tour of the facility.

 

[Brim]

Time with residents alone is time well-spent. On several interviews I went to, there was dinner the night before or night after the interview day with residents and no faculty present. Such a setup is great, because not only do you feel the residents are more likely to tell the truth about the program when their attendings aren't eyeing them, but also it's more relaxing because you don't feel like you're still being interviewed as you would if faculty were present there.

Is it just me, or does this post icon look like a multiparous cervix?

 

[G'ville Nole]

Is it just me, or does this post icon look like a multiparous cervix?

It's not just you (shudder...)

We typically have most of the junior faculty, and some of the senior faculty make it out for dinner post-interview. I certainly don't mind this as a resident, and didn't mind it as an applicant either, maybe because of the laid-back demeanor of the senior faculty here.

I get the sense that this isn't the general sentiment of the applicants on this board. A "residents only" get together is definitely something we can suggest to the PD, but frankly, I don't think we're going to be able to stop the older guys from coming; they just have too much fun at these things.

 

[deleted4401]

On the other hand, wouldn't it be kind of fun to see Steph get tipsy?
-S

 

[stephew]

On the other hand, wouldn't it be kind of fun to see Steph get tipsy?
-S

doesnt happen.

 

[pastelist]

I actually wouldn't mind having attendings at the dinner if they are not on the selection committee. However I would feel less comfortable about talking to the residents and asking questions if I were also sitting at the same table as the program director or chairman (it would feel like an extended interview!) and would personally feel less relaxed. I liked the UCSF dinner, where the chairman showed up briefly to drop off some wine, but also gave the students a chance to talk to the residents without attendings around.

 

[stephew]

all attendings are on the selection committee; the nurses, secretaries you interact with and the janitor if he has some experience with you is on the selection committee. all things are fair game if it provides information about your character. I can think of several people who got themselves dinged because they thought they only had to be quality people around the "right" people.

 

[radonc]

steph, to tell you the truth, i wouldnt mind having a mix of attendings and residents at a pre/post interview dinner. attendings are always much more relaxed when not at work, and they understand its a casual non-malignant atmosphere when at dinner. it would give students an opportunity to show themselves in a different manner (for better or worse), and of course it should be used in decisions regarding ranking, etc. you always tend to learn more about a program when you spend time with them, and just talking to the residents is not enough. and trust me, you really dont get to know attendings at the interviews...

 

[stephew]

i forwarded the comments (anonymously) to our PD's. he said thanks very much; they'll have this in mind for next year.

steph, to tell you the truth, i wouldnt mind having a mix of attendings and residents at a pre/post interview dinner. attendings are always much more relaxed when not at work, and they understand its a casual non-malignant atmosphere when at dinner. it would give students an opportunity to show themselves in a different manner (for better or worse), and of course it should be used in decisions regarding ranking, etc. you always tend to learn more about a program when you spend time with them, and just talking to the residents is not enough. and trust me, you really dont get to know attendings at the interviews...