Interview Experiences 2006

[yaah]

Ah yes, good point. On the hemepath service we do preview the same day we sign out, although there usually is enough time (if you get there early and it isn't too busy) to do a good job of previewing on that service. But the others we do have the 3 day case turnaround where the case is received and grossed on day one, previewed on day 2, signed out on day three.

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[miko2005]

I am just curious how many of you have been to interviews where the interviewers have not even looked at your application? I found that to be very frustrating. I know that they are busy people, but I have had one interviewer tell me that he does close to nothing (no research, signing out not too big of loads) and that he probably wouldn't survive in private practice, yet he had not even flipped through my file. Ughhhhhh... For many other reasons, this will not be my top program, but I am still pissed off. Of course I smiled during the interview and repeated everything that was in my file to him but I am still kind of annoyed about the whole thing. Also because I have seen really busy PD, chairs, etc who not only read my file, but made notes and seemed genuinely interested in me.

 

[miko2005]

double post -- sorry

 

[CameronFrye]

I am just curious how many of you have been to interviews where the interviewers have not even looked at your application? I found that to be very frustrating. I know that they are busy people, but I have had one interviewer tell me that he does close to nothing (no research, signing out not too big of loads) and that he probably wouldn't survive in private practice, yet he had not even flipped through my file. Ughhhhhh... For many other reasons, this will not be my top program, but I am still pissed off. Of course I smiled during the interview and repeated everything that was in my file to him but I am still kind of annoyed about the whole thing. Also because I have seen really busy PD, chairs, etc who not only read my file, but made notes and seemed genuinely interested in me.

I've had a few interviews where my interviewer didn't even know which school I was from, but for the most part my interviewers seemed to have done their homework. I was sometimes even asked about very small details that I didn't even remember putting into ERAS (hobbies and former non-medical jobs).

 

[Mindy]

SUNY Upstate Medical University

Just to put in my 2 cents about SUNY Upstate: A very solid program with a lot of good teaching, much material, and a CP program built on the core of John B. Henry, whom is the model program for many others in the country. If interested in lung, Dr. Katzenstein and Dr. J. Abraham are famous in the field. In fact, retrospectively, I think Upstate would be a very nice place to work long-term (i.e. after residency), and if you like the Syracuse area (good for family-raising, and cheap), and wanted to find a residency in a program that may be able to hire you on after, this would be a very good one to look at.

Why do I know this? I was a med student at Upstate, and more importantly, I did my post-soph fellowship there. In fact, currently of the 50 residents/fellows at MGH, 4 of us are from Upstate. 3 of us were PSFs @ upstate. We all, for largely individual reasons wanted to be in the Boston area, and ended up at MGH. I am certain that the folks at MGH think pretty highly of the training (both medical and pathology) at Upstate because of this. In fact, I think there has been a few Upstaters interviewing with us so far this year.

Mindy

 

[Mrbojangles]

SUNY Upstate Medical University

They get around 40-50k surgicals a year

I think they get between 14-16K surgicals a year. Maybe that number includes cytology specimens.

plus some fellows in heme, neuro, cyto, and surgical path

They used to have a neuropath fellowship, but otherwise they do have alot of fellowship opportunities for a smaller sized program. They also have a bloodbank fellowship.

From my impressions as a medical student (I didn't do a PSF) it's a well organized program and a complete program. Because it's a regional referral center you'll get to see neuro cases, medical renal cases, pediatric path, some BST, etc which may not be the case for all programs. One negative in terms of specimen variety is is that most gyn onc cases seem to be done at Crouse (which is a private hospital just a tunnel away from University Hospital) which the residents don't rotate at. With the opening of a new peds hospital just nearby that will probably change things for the path department too.

 

[beary]

I am just curious how many of you have been to interviews where the interviewers have not even looked at your application? I found that to be very frustrating.

This happened to me today.

Me: asking lots of questions about research opportunities

PD: Sounds like you are interested in research. Did you do some little research project in med school or something?

Me: Uh, I got a Ph.D.

 

[drPLUM]

This happened to me today.

Me: asking lots of questions about research opportunities

PD: Sounds like you are interested in research. Did you do some little research project in med school or something?

Me: Uh, I got a Ph.D.

That is completely rediculous. These faculty obviously care nothing for the betterment of the residency training or they would recruit better.

 

[miko2005]

This happened to me today.

Me: asking lots of questions about research opportunities

PD: Sounds like you are interested in research. Did you do some little research project in med school or something?

Me: Uh, I got a Ph.D.

That's truly awful!!! Its especially bad after you have been to other interviews/schools where the faculty almost studied your whole application to an amazing detail. I am certainly not asking for that since I realize that most faculty are busy people...but at least flip through the file!!

 

[JaneDough]

Last week somebody asked me how I decided to attend medical school. Uh, 'cause my parents threatened to disown me if I went to law school?

(I'm too lazy to find the "interview questions" thread)