Interview experiences

[b&ierstiefel]

I'm curious about this so I'm gonna throw this out to the path residents who chill on SDN...How many interviews did you go to before you felt burnt out?

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[yaah]

I'm curious about this so I'm gonna throw this out to the path residents who chill on SDN...How many interviews did you go to before you felt burnt out?

Funny you ask because I sort of mentioned this just now in another thread - I never really got burnt out, but it did get somewhat tedious. I enjoyed the newness of visiting the different places and meeting different people. Also, seeing how things were done differently. At the same time, however, there's only so many ways a program can organize a cytology rotation and it gets kind of annoying to keep asking about it or hearing about it (because IMHO the most common type of pathologist to interview me seemed to be a cytologist - at one place I interviewed with 3. Consecutively!). Certain types of people, those who stress over interviews particularly, must have a tough time during interview season. Personally, I don't know where it comes from but I get completely relaxed during interviews, and it is odd because it is completely counter to my normal personality and how I respond to new things.

After about 3 interviews I felt very comfortable with all of the questions I would be asked and how I would answer them. Plus, I was starting to see the similarities and differences for myself between programs, and it was easier to pay attention and decide what was important to ask about or notice. There weren't a lot of surprises either by that point. It kind of worked out well for me because I had a block of 4 interviews before thanksgiving, then another block of 6 in the first 3 weeks of december before my final one in january. It was nice to have a couple of weeks off to recharge my interview face.

However, all the interviews were sufficiently different (be it in the types of attendings I interviewed with, the style of the program, the residents, whatever) that it was never boring. The bigger problem was having more than 5 interviews in one day (particularly with multiple people from the same specialty as I mentioned above) because when so many of the questions revolve around "what questions do you have" it feels rather painful to ask two hematologists in a row "how do you organize your rotations here." I guess the problem would come if you schedule an interview late in your scheduling that you aren't really interested in (more of a safety). While it may be easy to fake a bit of enthusiasm at a top choice (or perhaps not fake it, just allow yourself to enjoy it), perhaps tougher at a lower choice.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I have to admit that I was stressed over my first interview and I think it was because it WAS my first interview. Didn't know what to expect. I had specific questions lined up and memorized as well as answers to questions I expected to hear; I think I approached it very mechanically for lack of a better term. Asking questions are easy I've found out though. When I would just go with the flow, I would find that I would be coming up with questions I actually hadn't thought of before but would totally apply to the conversation at hand. As for answering questions, it's all in the application....there is no bullsh*tting!

But even as that first interview day went by, I felt myself being more relaxed. Asking the clearly important questions, going with the flow of the conversation (because in essence, interviews ARE conversations), etc. I agree with you that it is fun to meet different kinds of people and that when the number of interviews in a single day exceeds 4 or 5, one can get tired. My UCLA interview consisted of talking with 8 people but that whole day was totally chill and fun.

 

[deschutes]

I ended up loving the first interview day. I started out being nervous, but with every interview the momentum in my bounce increased.

How often do you get to talk about pathology ("You hear me? I said AUTOPSY!") in public for a straight two hours over a fine dinner, I ask you?

 

[yaah]

How often do you get to talk about pathology ("You hear me? I said AUTOPSY!") in public for a straight two hours over a fine dinner, I ask you?

Try going out to dinner with your parents when they are in town and they have a couple of glasses of wine and keep asking you how your AUTOPSY ROTATION is going. Lots of pleasant stares. But hey, maybe all the other patrons think I am a CSI!

But yes, you're right, interviews do get more enjoyable as you go. For awhile. Do I need to post the link to the Twinkie thread again? Because it is rather like the marginal utility of the Twinkie. After a lot, you are kind of wishing for something else, even though it's still somewhat enjoyable.

 

[deschutes]

My Achilles' heel = talking while I eat. I pay too much attention to one or the other. Especially when both are excellent.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

You're not supposed to bring food to and eat during the interviews.

Even during lunch. No eating. Only talking!

 

[deschutes]

Even during lunch. No eating. Only talking!

In which case I would have been forced to give up the very excellent (and I am being entirely serious) tofu spinach fettucine? Not a chance!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

mmm...sounds good. had some kickass sushi at UCLA during the lunch. I actually had sushi 3 times during my stay there at 3 different places...it beats the Ann Arbor sushi scene hands down!

 

[stormjen]

I've had only two interviews now (well, at my last one, I had nine--talk about having to repeat questions!), and I've found the actual interviews themselves to be no big deal at all. I never prepared any responses to common questions and just winged it as I went along. No prepared questions either and just came up with them on the spot.

What HAS turned out to be a monstrous inconvenience, to say the least, is actually GETTING to the interviews. While revealing this might unveil my identity to the program I was visiting, should any of them be reading this, I will state anyway that THE FREAKIN' AIRLINE LOST MY FREAKIN' SUIT!!! on the way to the last program I visited, so I had to do all nine interviews in regular clothes. Talk about a bummer. I'd even purchased nice new shoes. *sigh*

And yes, since I know what people are going to suggest, I did in fact try to carry-on the garment bag, but they wouldn't let me since the storage space was supposedly limited. Bastards.

 

[yaah]

I drove to most of my interviews, but on one trip I found out the morning of the interview that I forgot to bring a tie (this was at Hopkins). Fortunately (odd how things like this work out) the interview there didn't start until 10am, and I had time to venture a few blocks down into Baltimore (skating on the ice because it was cold and Baltimore apparently doesn't believe in sanding sidewalks, probably because "it doesn't get cold enough" there ) and found a menswear store and bought two nice ties (because they were nice to me) and made it to my interview 5 minutes late, but only 5 minutes late because the cab driver sucked and then when I got into the hospital the security guards directed me to the wrong building. But they had built in a 30 minute window to arrive so it turned out I was sort of early.

Another bad interview story - not a pathology story. I had lunch with the derm attending on my derm rotation and he told me about how someone he interviewed with at UVA during lunch ordered a large meatball sub or something like that and spilled the entire thing on his chest, and had to finish the interview day with about a one foot by one foot tomato sauce stain on him. Bummer, huh?

 

[jeff2005]

In which case I would have been forced to give up the very excellent (and I am being entirely serious) tofu spinach fettucine? Not a chance!

When I was at MUSC I pigged out! I don't know what was wrong with me, but I did apologize for eating like a hog on MUSC's tab. The residents seemed to find it amusing. I think I'm getting TOO relaxed about interviews.

 

[sandyworks]

For those interested, I interviewed at BIDMC back in early October with one other applicant. I don't remember exact details (it's all a blur now), plus the Red Sox were getting fired up for the Worold Series and most of the faculty there are pretty hardcore fans and were kind of distracted.

Anyway, in your confirmation email, the program coordinator sends you two hotel suggestions, a Best Western and a bed/breakfast, which are both like $280. Because it was kind of last minute, I shed a few tears and shelled out the money for the bed/breakfast, which was super fancy and had a great breakfast, but I would definitely recommend looking for alternate arrangements. Supposedly, this is within driving distance, but I ended up driving and parking in the deck (which the PC validates at the end of the day).
The day starts at 10:00am, and not a minute earlier. I reported to the office and was promptly escorted to my first interview.

10:00-10:30: Interview with one of the junior faculty, who was friendly, but had obviously not interviewed too many people. Some of his questions included "Pathology no longer exists, what job would you be in?" and "Are you more of a hands-on or hands-off person?", as well as some pimping questions such as "What are the histologic features of malignancy?" and "What are the different types of malignancies?". I'm really not kidding; he asked these.

10:45-11:15: Interview with the AP program director, who really just gave an overview of the program, with your basic, what questions do you have, etc. Oh yeah, and, why pathology?

11:15-11:45: Tour with one of the first years of the AP facilities. There is a PA who helps out with the biopsies, but space is definitely a little tight and a little grungy. The rest of the hospital is pretty nice.

12:00-1:00: Surgical unknown conference: Basically, residents get to preview the slides a couple days in advance, and then faculty call on individuals to discuss the cases. Usually, they discriminate what level of resident case it is and pass you, if you haven't had a chance to look at the cases in advance.

1:00-2:00: Lunch with 1-2 residents at one of the hospital cafes. The food was actually really good, fresh fruit and salad bar, as well as fresh wraps prepared in front of you etc.

2:00-2:30: Tour of CP facilities with 1-2 residents. Not quite as grungy as the AP facilities, but still kind of tight in terms of space.

2:30-3:00: Interview with AP chair. Very friendly guy, but definitely one of those "So, any questions?" from the start. Be prepared to make your questions last 30 minutes.

3:00-3:30: Interview with CP program director. I was kind of turned off by this experience, because she was paged and then spent about 20 minutes of the interview talking on the phone and typing on the computer. I think I got nothing out of this one, but that may just have been situational.

From here on out, there is an option to watch some of the first years cut in or just hang out for a bit, which I did. Everyone was mostly heading off to a Red Sox game at 4pm. The department chair actually invited me, but I had a long drive ahead, so I declined.
Pros: People are very nice, although definitely Bostonian. According to the residents, there are rarely afterhour frozens, and several of them were adamant that they had never left after 8:30pm, and that even this was very rare. The PA helps out a lot with the biopsies. Also, residents are very collegial and will come in at night and do frozens for others that live farther from the hospital. Signout is general, and you alternate AP and CP years.
Faculty seem very accessible and they have some big shots like Antonioli and Goldman here who are both super nice.
Hospital food is actually good here, although somewhat pricy, like everything here.
Cons: Well, it's Boston. Which means, cow trail street arrangement, massive traffic, and sky high prices. Parking at the hospital is expensive (admittedly, I don't remember just how much), and while public transportation is great during the day, it's not as easy at night. In terms of the program itself, they are getting a new chairman (not designated yet), which may signal more funding initially, but also maybe some changes in the department. Also, space here is very tight, but supposedly, this is one of the first priorities, once the new chair comes in.
I don't remember the rest of my initial impressions, but hopefully, someone can add to and/or amend this when they go.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Well, I'm a Michigan grad so this interview was one taking place on friendly, home turf. Overall, a very very chill day since I was already acquainted with Michigan pathology having been a student here but also having done a path month here as well.

First meeting with the program director, who is informally an adviser. He told me about the basics of the program most of which I knew. Most people do AP/CP here and most people go into community practice. However, for me who is leaning towards AP only, he said the rotation setup is very flexible. A good number of elective months are present in the core years of the program where AP and CP are generally combined. Electives can be used to do some research and can be clustered together. There is no formal post-doc type of fellowship like the STAR program at UCLA or MMTP at UCSF. However, there are ample opportunities to do research as a resident sees fit. Again, the curriculum is quite flexible. Then we discussed other places I applied to and he just did some friendly advising. All in all, the meeting was totally chill.

Second interview was with a AP/CP certified hematopathologist. I thought speaking with him was a very enlightening experience. I had met him before on heme path signout so we had a chance to chat earlier regarding my career plans. Anyways, whereas a lot of pathologists told me that, as a future basic scientist research / pathology type, it would be "foolish" to do AP/CP combined, he presented why doing AP/CP in the 21st century was valuable.

Third interview with a surgical pathologist. Basically talked more about my career plans and discussed the other places I was applying to. During this discussion we were therefore talking about aspects of a pathology program I found to be important for my purposes.

Fourth interview with a surgical pathologist. This was kinda weird because he was my mentor during the path clinical rotation a few months ago and he wrote me a LOR. The interview was much like the last one and we were basically chatting.

Lunch with two 3rd year residents. Again very chill. I had worked with one in the frozen room during my rotation. The other one was a former classmate so we basically traded stories of old times. They were forthcoming about changes in the program (hiring some new folks including another derm pathologist and trying to set up a derm path fellowship) as well as some weaknesses (e.g., weak in head and neck pathology, surg path is a bit cramped). As for the last issue, immunopath is moving to a satellite site (which isn't too far away from the main hospital). They are gonna move things around to try to increase surg path grossing/signout space. However, this change is in the proposal stages and may not take effect until 2-3 from now.

Finally, the chair of the program is stepping down. However, he will still be around to help smoothen the transition since he just got a 5 year RO1 grant. Their lead candidate for chair is Jay Hess from UPenn. Not sure if any contracts were signed though. Regardless, the PD assured me that he did not foresee major changes in the faculty roster or financial issues with the upcoming transfer of power.

OK that's the scoop. I'm jetlagged and only got 2 hours of sleep last night so nappy time for me. Feel free to PM me if you have questions/concerns about this interview experience or the interviews I've been on before this one (UNC and UCLA). Any specific details on curriculum, I will likely defer to our resident moderator, Dr. Yaah MD,PhD,DVM,FACS since he is actually going through the program here.

Cheers,

AndyM

 

[sandyworks]

For those of you going to Seattle, be prepared; this was quite an ordeal.
The program coordinator is really organized, in that you get a great packet in the mail beforehand with maps of the city, and other goodies. Also, one of the residents emails you and basically looks out for you during the socials. There is an option to go to dinner with them before or after your interview. I stayed in the recommended University Inn, which was nothing fancy, but definitely nice. One perk: the lobby has a computer with public internet access for hotel guests. Breakfast is your usual danishes, bagels etc. There's a hotel parking lot right next door, where I left my car until the end of the day.
Anyway, there's shuttle across the street from the hotel that you can take to get to UWMC; it leaves every 15 minutes starting at 6:42am.
The day begins at 7:30am (take the 6:57am shuttle to give yourself enough time). On my day, there were three other applicants, all either AP or CP only.

7:30am-8:00am: Coffee/Tea with the AP and CP department chairs. (They are separate departments here). Only the AP chair showed up for my day and gave a basic overview of the program's philosophy. He emphasized that nobody was really pushed into one career path or another, which I really liked. Everyone felt that since UW serves Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Washington, there's a duty to not only churn out researchers and academicians, but that community people were important too.

8:00-9:00am: Gyn-Onc conference given by the program director. This is a great opportunity to learn some gyn-onc path, or take a well-needed morning snooze like myself. I can't really comment on the rest of the conference.

9:15-9:45am: Interview with the program director. This was kind of a weird experience. It really seemed like she just wasn't really that interested in recruiting per se. In asking about specialty boards, we basically talked about how testing has lost its purpose etc. I really got the impression she was very opinionated and non-traditional, and that's all I got to say about that. I never did get a percentage pass rate out of her. She was unusual though in that she really wants to turn out good diagnosticians. According to her, the most important thing is to learn pathology, then do some reading, and then, if there's time, research.

9:45-10:15: Interview with director of hematopathology. This guy is really nice, but once again, it was 30 minutes spent with me asking questions. Apparently, UW is very wellknown for its flow cytometry.

10:30-10:45: Interview with AP faculty member. This was hilarious. Not only did he not know I was coming, but once he found out who I was, he tried for 15 minutes to get his Grand Rounds that he gave to my alma mater up and running on the computer, and then talked about his research and protemics in general. Nothing residency related, really.

11:00-12:45: Lunch with residents. This was a box lunch in the South Campus of the hospital with all the other applicants, which was really cool. We talked about UW some, but mostly about everyone else's interview experiences so far and their medschools.

1:00-2:00pm: Conference. Okay, more weirdness. Basically, there was also a faculty candidate interviewing that day, and this was a grand rounds type conference on more proteomics. Very interesting to many, but otherwise, an excellent time for a post-lunch siesta.

2:00-2:30pm: Tour with chief resident. Facilities are very open. Apparently, there was a movement to make faculty more accessible (even though nobody states that this was ever a problem). Now, everyone at the UW basically sits in one large room in small cubicles without real walls, so everyone can just glance over and see eachother. Faculty have their offices at teh edge of the room with actual cublic height walls, but there is ample glass for them to peep out and you to peep in. It's really a pretty unique setup. Everyone has a IMac.

2:30-3:00pm: Interview with CP program director. This was probably the most productive interview all day, even though the rest were fun. Basically, why pathology, what are you career goals, what do you want to know about CP. This guy really does read your application well, though, so be prepared to answer minutiae about your CV.

3:15-3:45pm: Interview with CP faculty. Again, very fun, but nonproductive interview. I learned some facts about his area in the department and talked about my career goals, but otherwise just sat back and listened.

4:00-4:30pm: "Living in Seattle" with program coordinator. This was fantastic. Wish every program had this. Anyway, the program director meets with you and hands out this ditto with a Seattle map and a breakdown of all the different neighborhoods, including price per sq foot and population flavor, as well as where most current residents live. A lot of information is given regarding job offers for significant others, good school districts, best routes to campus from the different neighborhoods, and things to do in the area. Anyway, short, but very useful.

4:30-5:00pm (6:15pm): Meet and Greet. This is where the beer and wine is broken out and a bunch of people sho up to hang out with eachother and supposedly get to know the applicants. I would have had a little more fun, if I hadn't been stuck in my monkey suit, but I still got to know a lot of the faculty and residents I hadn't met. Again, I had a long drive ahead, so I left at 6:15pm, but a lot of people were still hanging out and chatting then.

Pros: People are super laidback and friendly. Nevertheless, work definitely gets done. The residents are really nice and hang out a lot together. In terms of the city, there's lots of outdoors stuff to do in Seattle and depending on where you live, it's pretty affordable for a big city. The facilities are pretty open and you get your own computer; the frozen grossing table is practically in the OR. A PA helps out with biopsies. Nobody is on your back regarding career choices one way or the other, although it is always appreciated when someone does do research.
Unusual aspect: You basically do two years of AP, then two years of CP. There are sometimes exceptions, when there are CP only and AP only people. Your second year of CP consists of 6 months elective time and 6 months of acting director of a part of the lab, so you can (if you're so inclined) get away with 1.5 years of CP and 2.5 years of AP.
Cons: There are two other campuses, Harborview and the VA. Some of the residents actually don't know eachother, if you're someone who started out in CP and aren't seeing the AP folks. Transfusion medicine here is completely done by the regional blood bank. Only three weeks are required in your first CP year with an additional three weeks elsewhere.
I thought this was a pretty cool program; I just don't know how I feel about the whole two years of each thing. PM me with questions.

 

[yaah]

Things to add about BIDMC - some graduates of the program have told me that residents don't often sign out with attendings - a lot of the program is fellow driven (i.e., residents interact with fellows, fellows with attendings). Antonioli and Goldman are apparently a bit different, however when you sign out with them you don't get to preview. I am not sure how much of those rumors are true, but I trust them because they came from people who trained there recently.

Other than that, I don't have a lot to add to what Andy said. We work hard here but there is definitely a lot of flexibility. We have lots of great teachers and conferences are well done and well attended. The way first year is structured is also a bit different, although probably not unique. Everyone does about 6 months AP and 6 months CP, but you don't take any call at all except for occasional weekend autopsy - night call (blood bank, frozens, etc) doesn't start until second year. And you don't start officially U of M surg path until at least late in the first year - they do a lot of easing you into things (first surg path is at the VA) which I think works well.

The residents are also very good here - it is true that most people seem to go into private practice but I have a feeling this is going to change in the future - a lot of the younger residents have more academic ambitions. The interesting thing is that lots of the faculty have experience in both, having done private practice before entering academics.

In regards to the chair stepping down, at some programs this may be a problem, but frankly, the chair here doesn't do much. He is a straight researcher and the only time the residents ever see him is during your residency interview (if at all then) and maybe here and there when he shows up at a research lecture. The program runs well and a new chair is not likely to change a whole lot. However, having a new, involved chair will only help. So definitely don't be turned off by this.

There are also lots of fellowships here - except for dermpath currently and neuropath. Dermpath here is sort of run by dermatology-trained people.

It is definitely a big program, and something for everyone.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

The residents are also very good here - it is true that most people seem to go into private practice but I have a feeling this is going to change in the future - a lot of the younger residents have more academic ambitions. The interesting thing is that lots of the faculty have experience in both, having done private practice before entering academics.

In regards to the chair stepping down, at some programs this may be a problem, but frankly, the chair here doesn't do much. He is a straight researcher and the only time the residents ever see him is during your residency interview (if at all then) and maybe here and there when he shows up at a research lecture. The program runs well and a new chair is not likely to change a whole lot. However, having a new, involved chair will only help. So definitely don't be turned off by this.

There are also lots of fellowships here - except for dermpath currently and neuropath. Dermpath here is sort of run by dermatology-trained people.

It is definitely a big program, and something for everyone.

Yeah, about the whole chair thing, I didn't wanna say it but since yaah shares my sentiments, I'll echo the opinion that during my time at Michigan, the chair of the department is quite invisible. It's kinda like saying, "Peter Who?" Despite this, the department is well run and well funded. It also seems that the faculty roster is moving in a positive direction, i.e., more newer faculty candidates are in the process of coming than the number of people leaving. I foresee the transition being fine.

I heard today that there could be a derm path fellowship as soon as next year. Yaah, is this true? Not that this is a huge factor for me to begin with but I was just curious. As for neuropath, two of my interviewers told me that neuropath is a bit weak here so if you're whole goal is to focus on NP or if you wanted to do AP/NP, Michigan may not be the optimal place.

I forgot to mention the whole thing about resident camaraderie and collegiality. This is mainly because I formed my opinions on this while doing the rotation here rather than during the interview today. The residents that I have met are really a cool bunch, but I have yet to go somewhere where I thought I wouldn't get along with the residents. Michigan is an environment that is intellectually rich but there is also a high sense of openness and collaborative spirit here. One quick and dirty example that comes to mind is daily consensus conference we have here where attendings bring interesting and/or confusing cases from that day's signout to either generate opinion or just to share/teach. These conferences are usually packed with people and many times, quite entertaining.

 

[cytoborg]

Someone was talking about a wrench-in-the-gears interview. Well, I expected to really love UNC - and I didn't, actually. It sounds like they spend an awful lot of time grossing, and don't get to see much under the scope. I gathered that this has been a matter of some ongoing debate in the department and that they have yet to find the ideal balance. Oddly enough, I didn't get to meet any upper level residents and so didn't have the opportunity to ask whether they felt this was detrimental in boards preparation...it sounds like the pass rates are only in the 80s compared to 100% at some other places I've visited. The residents I did meet seemed a bit disinterested, as if they see a lot of candiates come through. It came off seeming impersonal and when the day was done, I had a negative vibe. Also, most of the residents actually live in nearby Durham, which is a bit of a hole, not cutesy Chapel Hill. So while I still like the idea of UNC, I'm now unsure where they will sit on my ROL.

 

[jeff2005]

Thanks for the input about UNC, cytoborg. I have never been to UNC, but I too like "the idea" of going to UNC. I don't know why. Maybe I've been brainwashed by Scutwork feedback.

 

[yaah]

I heard today that there could be a derm path fellowship as soon as next year. Yaah, is this true? Not that this is a huge factor for me to begin with but I was just curious. As for neuropath, two of my interviewers told me that neuropath is a bit weak here so if you're whole goal is to focus on NP or if you wanted to do AP/NP, Michigan may not be the optimal place.

Not completely sure (about the dermpath). I have heard it is in the process of being setup. However, what I have also heard is that since the dermpath stuff at Michigan is run mostly by dermatology trained people, they may be looking to fill the spots with dermatology residents. That could be just worrying and such, but the senior residents are pretty convinced about it. Since I have little interest in a dermpath fellowship anyway I haven't paid tons of attention to it (I know, SACRILEGE! How can you NOT want to make 300k per year!!).

Neuropath here is weak, I guess, in comparison to other large programs. But the main neuropathologist is fantastic and really into teaching, always willing to meet with us.

 

[Gut Shot]

It sounds like they spend an awful lot of time grossing, and don't get to see much under the scope. I gathered that this has been a matter of some ongoing debate in the department and that they have yet to find the ideal balance.

I didn't get the feel that they spent all their time grossing, but that their surg path schedule was the single biggest point of contention within the program. I admit, it seems less than ideal, but it certainly hasn't prevented them from churning out sought-after pathologists.

Oddly enough, I didn't get to meet any upper level residents and so didn't have the opportunity to ask whether they felt this was detrimental in boards preparation...it sounds like the pass rates are only in the 80s compared to 100% at some other places I've visited.

When I interviewed there I had lunch with two upper levels, and their story was that the only person to fail boards in recent memory was a forensics geek who passed them on the second go. I sat on some of their morning conferences, and I can't imagine them passing in the 80's. They're a sharp bunch. Hell, if they really are only passing 4 out of 5 then the rest of us are in real, real trouble.

Also, most of the residents actually live in nearby Durham, which is a bit of a hole, not cutesy Chapel Hill. So while I still like the idea of UNC, I'm now unsure where they will sit on my ROL.

Such is the irony of Chapel Hill. The residents tend to live in Durham because purchasing housing in CH has gotten rather expensive. Rent is still pretty cheap there, though. Personally I would rather rent in a vibrant college Mecca than chase equity in Durham.

 

[Gut Shot]

I have been lax about updating my experiences.

Experience one: Emory - they rock. What can I say? Totally biz-nitchin.

Experience two: UTSW - they also rock. Utterly biz-nitchin.

Experience three: Walking by Andy at UNC while he was interviewing. Biz-nitchin, to be sure.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I didn't get the feel that they spent all their time grossing, but that their surg path schedule was the single biggest point of contention within the program. I admit, it seems less than ideal, but it certainly hasn't prevented them from churning out sought-after pathologists.

This is probably an issue at other places as well where residents gross, preview, and signout in the same day. Michigan's program was the only one I've "visited" so far where residents had a chance to preview slides the day before signout. However, I think this may have been clouded somewhat given the recent switch to subspecialty signout.

Such is the irony of Chapel Hill. The residents tend to live in Durham because purchasing housing in CH has gotten rather expensive. Rent is still pretty cheap there, though. Personally I would rather rent in a vibrant college Mecca than chase equity in Durham.

I got this sense too, mainly from talking to a friend who works at Research Triangle Park. Durham is a bit of a hole based on my visit (albeit brief) there a few years ago. The college town in Chapel Hill is awesome.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Experience three: Walking by Andy at UNC while he was interviewing. Biz-nitchin, to be sure.

Fo shizzle? Did I meet you when I was at UNC? I think I did meet a med student (briefly) who was doing a rotation at UNC; didn't suspect that was you though.

At Emory, did you get to meet Tristam Parslow? I wonder what his personality is like. (He rejected my ass from UCSF's MSTP program a long while ago).

 

[QuietSylph]

I have been lax about updating my experiences.

Experience one: Emory - they rock. What can I say? Totally biz-nitchin.

Experience two: UTSW - they also rock. Utterly biz-nitchin.

Tell us more! Please!

 

[caffeinegirl]

So I just finished interviewing at a program yesterday, and was wondering if this is normal...

There were three other applicants there, and they all had interviews with the chair of the dept and the program director....but I did not. Is this an indirect diss or am I reading too much into this??

 

[Gut Shot]

Tell us more! Please!

Emory: Parking was a snap, and the directions to the path department seemed very convoluted yet worked out perfectly. All the interviews were low key, which is par for the course. Some interviewers barely let me get a word in edgewise, others were conversational. You know, the ususal. I met with Angela Caliendo, Daniel Brat, C. Whitaker Sewell (PD), Charles Hill (new molecular faculty), Randolph Hennigar and Sharon Weiss. Collectively they really knocked my socks off.

The residents were a great bunch. They get together after work and hang out, which is an important marker of the atmosphere. Three of them took me to lunch at an on-campus restaurant (French cooking without any French names), and I had a ball. Not literally, of course.

Pros: great faculty, many well known; excellent teaching (per the residents); volume and variety of specimens; surg path schedule allows a preview day prior to signout; good stipend (should be around 41-42K for rising PGY-1's); research galore if you want it; hefty travel allowance if you are presenting, not too shabby travel allowance if you aren't; proximity to CDC and undergrad campus (in case the urge for a kegger/pantie raid strikes).

Cons: Atlanta is a bit pricey (partially ameliorated by the fat stipend) and the commuting traffic is lousy; coverage of multiple hospitals (which some folks might dig).

 

[Gut Shot]

Tell us more! Please!

UTSW: They have an unusual format for interview day: an upper level herds you around throughout the entire experience. It was a good setup, as the PGY-3 who led me around was extremely cool, and I feel like we knew each other by the end of the day. The campus is also so massive that it would be impossible for me to find my way on my own.

The day started at 9, and I first met with two research faculty (with crazy good pedigrees) who blew me away with their projects. The rest of the morning seemed to focus more on CP faculty, who were all great. Noon lecture was followed by lunch with a group of residents on campus. Much like Emory, the residents here were also a great bunch. This is also a big program, so it would be hard not to find some friends within the group. Afternoon transitioned more into AP, and I was impressed with their faculty. The final meeting was with Dr. Timmons (PD), who is awesome. He stressed that the program is dedicated to serving the goals of the residents, which is certainly nice to hear.

Side note: one perk is a free Apple iBook that each resident gets for their tenure here. The majority of the department is wired for Mac's, which is a bonus for me personally. I use my Dell with a vague sense of disdain. Their decision was based largely on Apple's superior handling of images, although the lack of crashing might have sweetened the deal. The internet connections around the program are also wireless, so you can chill about anywhere and hop online.

Pros: strong CP; huge volume and variety; fun residents; cost of living in Dallas is favorable with no state income tax; kicka$$ research (from basic science to translational); in addition to normal stipend a teaching bonus is added monthly to each resident's pay; no call for first year (except weekend autopsy); gyn surg path resident caps at 4 placentas/day (Parkland has over 16,000 births a year); moonlighting available; the institution oozes money; parking is cheap.

If you want to roll out of bed and saunter across the street to North Campus, you can live here: http://www.inwoodonthepark.com/

Cons: book allowance was a bit meager ($500); surg path schedule does not have preview day.

 

[Gut Shot]

Fo shizzle? Did I meet you when I was at UNC?

Nah, I just brushed past you in the hallway leading to Brinkhouse-Bullitt.

At Emory, did you get to meet Tristam Parslow? I wonder what his personality is like. (He rejected my ass from UCSF's MSTP program a long while ago).

Nope, didn't have the opportunity. He was apparently out of town when I was there. That seems to be standard for me. I have had four interviews and met one Chair on the interview day (and it was Dr. Wilkinson at MCV, my home institution). I did meet UNC's Chair, but only because I scheduled some time with him before I left my rotation there.

 

[garfield]

Hey Havarti:
I'm glad you liked UTSW. We have a lot of fun here. The whole campus has a wireless network for our computers, which is pretty cool. Book allowance is relatively small... we're working on that. Travel stipend kicks butt if you're presenting or representing... travel, hotel, and awesome meal stipends. The Parkland surg path schedule is a little unique- 4 resident rotation, signout in the morning and gross in the afternoon. There's a 2 day turnaround time instead of 1 day, so you get an extra day to look at the slides. It's different at the other hospitals with gross days and signout days.

By the way, folks, Havarti's cute. Had lunch with him, though he didn't know it.

 

[yaah]

The computer perks are nice - the kind of thing you don't realize is cool until you have it - we don't have macs here, we get Dell laptops. And the wireless connections are floating around through the aether so everywhere we go we can be connected to everything. Presentations are made a lot easier by all of this...

 

[stormjen]

By the way, folks, Havarti's cute. Had lunch with him, though he didn't know it.

Please describe. Thank you.

 

[cytoborg]

When I interviewed there I had lunch with two upper levels, and their story was that the only person to fail boards in recent memory was a forensics geek who passed them on the second go. I sat on some of their morning conferences, and I can't imagine them passing in the 80's. They're a sharp bunch. Hell, if they really are only passing 4 out of 5 then the rest of us are in real, real trouble.

That's why I was concerned. I got this info straight from the mouth of an interviewer (or the PD himself...can't recall now). Either he was wrong, or this is a big red flag, or other programs lie about having 100% pass rates and this is just normal?

 

[Gut Shot]

Please describe. Thank you.

Oh, great. My girlfriend already thinks I'm having torrid online affairs with you and QuietSylph. No doubt Garfield will now be added to my list imaginary conquests.

 

[garfield]

Oh, great. My girlfriend already thinks I'm having torrid online affairs with you and QuietSylph. No doubt Garfield will now be added to my list imaginary conquests.

I knew he probably had a girlfriend, at least. Oh well, no big details...better to keep you guessing, more fun that way, don't want to get him in any further trouble. I will say he's very tall; think I'd get a crick in my neck looking at him for too long. The girlfriend must be like 8 feet tall.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Nah, I just brushed past you in the hallway leading to Brinkhouse-Bullitt.

cool cool...small world ain't it?

Nope, didn't have the opportunity. He was apparently out of town when I was there. That seems to be standard for me. I have had four interviews and met one Chair on the interview day (and it was Dr. Wilkinson at MCV, my home institution). I did meet UNC's Chair, but only because I scheduled some time with him before I left my rotation there.

That's odd. I would think that at almost all interviews, the applicant would meet with at least the PD. Out of the 3 interviews, I've met with the PD at all 3. I only met the chair at UNC which was an improptu meeting since he happened to be in his office the day I was there.
Oh well, my next interview is at WashU and the program coordinator emailed me the itinerary. I meet with neither their chair nor the PD.

Kind of echoing the sentiments of caffeinegirl, should we take away any kind of negative message if we don't have the chance to sit down and talk with the chair or PD?

 

[stormjen]

I'm 5'9" when barefoot, so tall is good.

Stupid husband, standing in the way of my online romances!

p.s. if you're reading this, dear husband, I love you (whew!)

 

[yaah]

tall is good.

Is that so?

 

[Gut Shot]

should we take away any kind of negative message if we don't have the chance to sit down and talk with the chair or PD?

That's a tough question. I personally doubt that it's a big deal, more likely just an unfortunate coincidence. PD's certainly can't all be around for every interview day (although I'm 4/4 so far), and Chairs tend to be very busy people. I'm sure the residents at Wash U can give you the scoop on what your missing. And if you really just love the Hell out of the place you can always take a second look and meet the PD and the Chair. They might eat that up.

 

[Gut Shot]

Is that so?

This reminds me of my IM rotation at our VA. I'm 6'4", the attending was 6'7", and our female chief resident was 6'0". The other teams referred to us as "The Team of Giants." Another group, the so-called "Team of Elves" had their front three ring in at a maximum of 5'4".

And yes, it being IM, that was the only amusement to be had that month.

 

[Gut Shot]

Hey Havarti:
I'm glad you liked UTSW. We have a lot of fun here.

I loved UTSW, thanks for showing me a good time. The vibe was perfect. I particularly enjoyed walking into noon lecture as someone was finishing the sentence "...drinking Scotch until four in the morning." Play hard, work harder!

 

[yaah]

This reminds me of my IM rotation at our VA. I'm 6'4", the attending was 6'7", and our female chief resident was 6'0". The other teams referred to us as "The Team of Giants." Another group, the so-called "Team of Elves" had their front three ring in at a maximum of 5'4".

And yes, it being IM, that was the only amusement to be had that month.

I am about an inch taller than you, shorty.

There was an orthopedic guy at my med school who was 6'10" and I felt short. I had a pediatrics team I was on where the two residents (one man, one woman) were both about 5'4", the other med student was 5'5" and the pharmacy student was about 5'2". Then there was me. I was very tired of the tall jokes by the end of the rotation.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

That's a tough question. I personally doubt that it's a big deal, more likely just an unfortunate coincidence. PD's certainly can't all be around for every interview day (although I'm 4/4 so far), and Chairs tend to be very busy people. I'm sure the residents at Wash U can give you the scoop on what your missing. And if you really just love the Hell out of the place you can always take a second look and meet the PD and the Chair. They might eat that up.

Thanks Havarti. That's kinda what I figured. It would be a bit superficial to read too much into a program based on whether the chair and/or PD was on one's interview itinerary.

There was an orthopedic guy at my med school who was 6'10" and I felt short. I had a pediatrics team I was on where the two residents (one man, one woman) were both about 5'4", the other med student was 5'5" and the pharmacy student was about 5'2". Then there was me. I was very tired of the tall jokes by the end of the rotation.

Yeah, I'm at around 5'4'' to 5'5'' depends on the shoes I wear that day. Kinda like how Kim Jong Il gains about 4 inches with his boots on. Anyways, on my subI month, there was actually a student who was shorter than me. I kept uttering during rounds, "Where she go?".

 

[jeff2005]

My next interview as at WashU too, and I don't meet with the chair or PD either.

 

[garfield]

Y'all are reading too much into situations: It happens that at UTSW, every applicant meets with the PD on their interview day because they plan it that way (ie, they don't schedule any people on the days when the PD is out). But, plenty of places don't make that special accommodation. PDs and chairs are out on some work days, presumably for out of town meetings and conferences so they may not meet with folks interviewing those days.

Another thing to consider later on in the season: try not to read too much into programs contacting you after the interviews. Some programs will just contact everybody with the same message of "we loved you and will rank you strongly"; some may stalk you; some may not contact you at all (doesn't mean they didn't like you).

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I echo garfield here with respect to communications from programs later in the application season. I've heard this from many of my (former) classmates who matched a few years ago. Also, when I met the PD at UCLA, he told me that he doesn't partake in any "funny business." He said that "if we don't contact you, it doesn't mean that we don't like you...some programs will try to strongarm you." We should just simply rank programs the way we see fit for our best interests.

 

[garfield]

Yeah, I'm at around 5'4'' to 5'5'' depends on the shoes I wear that day. Kinda like how Kim Jong Il gains about 4 inches with his boots on. Anyways, on my subI month, there was actually a student who was shorter than me. I kept uttering during rounds, "Where she go?".

Hey that's not a bad height. There was this Asian guy classmate of mine in med school who might have been barely 5". He'd have to wear real killer heels to be as tall as you.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

hehe...I feel that I'm shrinking though

next year, it'll be about 5'3'' to 5'4''

short ppl are fast though...i can run 3 laps around yaah and do 2 jumpingjacks all before he can say, "RAWR"

of course, i think i can hit the 6-foot mark if I do my hair like that dude from Kid 'N Play from way back in the day.

yeah, screw the parted hair-do!

 

[yaah]

I am sneaky fast - don't underestimate me. Long legs can help.

Although phone calls or other contact don't mean much they do mean the program probably at the very least wouldn't be disappointed if you matched there. So it means you are a good candidate. Of course, you may be #40 out of 40 people that they called, so don't take it to mean you are lock (unless they tell you that too).

 

[deschutes]

I will burn in hell for this, but how is it you have managed to Muslimfy Kim Jong Il?

Witness the first prime minister of Malaysia...