Interview

[friction]

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For GME application, do I need to interview at all training locations? Thanks

 

[colbgw02]

Ummm....depends?

What service are you? To which specialty are you applying? How many programs are there? How competitive are you (do you actually know)? Have you or will you do audition rotations? How much is cost an issue? Are there places you have no interest in living?

If you're asking if you're required, then the answer is 'no'.

 

[pgg]

If you want to be considered by a program, you should interview there. Phone interviewing is fine - though the interview benefits the applicant too, by giving you an opportunity to eval the program.

 

[Cooperd0g]

How does this work if you are a Navy GMO and are applying for PGY2 spots? If you rotated there 3-4 years earlier no one is going to remember. Do you just try and make time to visit when you can during the application cycle?

 

[Gastrapathy]

The GME note for the Navy used to say that you were required to interview with all of the PDs. What is the downside?

 

[IlDestriero]

The GME note for the Navy used to say that you were required to interview with all of the PDs. What is the downside?

You might get selected by a program you don't want to attend.
I cancelled one of my transitional intern interviews after business hours the day before. I left a message saying that I would try to reschedule. It worked, I got my first choice. 🙂
I was a good candidate and I wanted to decrease my chances of going somewhere I would not want to live. If the PD made me his #1 choice, I'd be screwed. I would have rather gone unmatched and gone civilian for internship. It's like not ranking residency programs that you interviewed at.

 

[friction]

Let’s say you completed internship in Portsmouth and now doing your GMO in Norfolk. If you want to continue your residency in San Diego, do they honor your request? I think per the GME notice, closer training sites will be considered first because of PCS cost. In your experience, how likely this happens? Do they really send you to Portsmouth without your choice?

Thanks

 

[IlDestriero]

They don't like to flip flop coasts, but it happens. When they want it to.

 

[pgg]

Let's say you completed internship in Portsmouth and now doing your GMO in Norfolk. If you want to continue your residency in San Diego, do they honor your request? I think per the GME notice, closer training sites will be considered first because of PCS cost. In your experience, how likely this happens? Do they really send you to Portsmouth without your choice?

Thanks

For the Navy at least, it used to be that PCS costs were explicitly NOT a factor in GME selection. GME trumped everything.

Now, I bet the GMESB is feeling the cost squeeze, same as everyone else. But I have no idea how much freedom they have to move people where they want.


I'd like to think that if there's a San Diego applicant and a Bethesda applicant for the single Navy/Army-wide neurosurgery slot in Bethesda, that the board wouldn't give any thought to PCS costs from applicant #1 vs #2 ...

 

[krwhite]

While we're here, can we add the over-played topic of 'what to expect on your internship interview' to this thread as well? Need some ideas of things to be thinking about before heading into the ringer... As always, personal experiences/anecdotes always welcome. Thanks!

 

[IlDestriero]

What do you want to do with your life?
Why here?
Why military?
What do you add to the already spectacular potential intern class?
You're called to assess a patient at 0300 that you don't recall from sign out. Upon arrival 5 min later after walking from the call room you see a morbidly obese older man with a full beard. He's ashy color and the nurse is struggling to get a seal with an ambubag that is clearly not attached to the wall oxygen. He's not moving. The nurse is crying. Go.

 

[teacherman84]

You might get selected by a program you don't want to attend.
I cancelled one of my transitional intern interviews after business hours the day before. I left a message saying that I would try to reschedule. It worked, I got my first choice. 🙂
I was a good candidate and I wanted to decrease my chances of going somewhere I would not want to live. If the PD made me his #1 choice, I'd be screwed. I would have rather gone unmatched and gone civilian for internship. It's like not ranking residency programs that you interviewed at.

I was given the impression (because of what I've been told during interviews) the mil match was very geared to the applicant. That they score all our applications then start with the person with the most points and start filling programs until they fill. I.e.my name comes up and my #1isn't full I go there even if my #2 or #3 spot wants me as their top choice.

I would be thrilled to go to either my #1 or #2 so I don't mind either way...just curious how much it really favors to applicant.

 

[colbgw02]

I was given the impression (because of what I've been told during interviews) the mil match was very geared to the applicant. That they score all our applications then start with the person with the most points and start filling programs until they fill. I.e.my name comes up and my #1isn't full I go there even if my #2 or #3 spot wants me as their top choice.

I would be thrilled to go to either my #1 or #2 so I don't mind either way...just curious how much it really favors to applicant.

What you're describing is the civilian match. In theory, the military match works the same way, but it's not nearly as transparent as the NMRP. I've always suspected strange things happen behind those closed doors. I understand that future boards will be done virtually, so it'll be interesting to see if/how that changes things.

 

[NavyFP]

You might get selected by a program you don't want to attend.
I cancelled one of my transitional intern interviews after business hours the day before. I left a message saying that I would try to reschedule. It worked, I got my first choice. 🙂
I was a good candidate and I wanted to decrease my chances of going somewhere I would not want to live. If the PD made me his #1 choice, I'd be screwed. I would have rather gone unmatched and gone civilian for internship. It's like not ranking residency programs that you interviewed at.

Your concern was actually misplaced. Every program (save the one you applied to) could have put you at #1 on their list and you would still get your first choice if the program you wanted ranked you in their first tier. (meaning top 10 if they have 10 slots or top 20 if they have 20 slots). You would be screwed if the program you wanted hated you.

 

[teacherman84]

What you're describing is the civilian match. In theory, the military match works the same way, but it's not nearly as transparent as the NMRP. I've always suspected strange things happen behind those closed doors. I understand that future boards will be done virtually, so it'll be interesting to see if/how that changes things.

I was told if an applicant above the quality line gets down to their #3 a flag officer gets involved (usually GMOs no one wants) but other than that its straight forward (and maybe this is specialty dependent).

 

[IlDestriero]

Your concern was actually misplaced. Every program (save the one you applied to) could have put you at #1 on their list and you would still get your first choice if the program you wanted ranked you in their first tier. (meaning top 10 if they have 10 slots or top 20 if they have 20 slots). You would be screwed if the program you wanted hated you.

Maybe now, but not necessarily 20 years ago. There's nothing transparent about the mil match. I heard stories at the time from active duty staff.
And if screwed is civilian internship at a fabulous notoriously easy transitional program, I could have dealt with that fine. I have no doubt I would have matched well.

 

[IlDestriero]

I was told if an applicant above the quality line gets down to their #3 a flag officer gets involved (usually GMOs no one wants) but other than that its straight forward (and maybe this is specialty dependent).

I'm not sure what "above the quality line" means, but flag officer involvement in resident selection just because they didn't get their top three choices seems very unlikely.

 

[teacherman84]

I'm not sure what "above the quality line" means, but flag officer involvement in resident selection just because they didn't get their top three choices seems very unlikely.

Multiple PDs I met used that term. They said all the applicants are scored by the scoring sheet and a minimum score is set as the quality line, people above get placed in AD training spots amd those below were civ deferred or sent to pgy1 only.

I don't see why a PD would make up the flag officer thing.

 

[colbgw02]

I was told if an applicant above the quality line gets down to their #3 a flag officer gets involved (usually GMOs no one wants) but other than that its straight forward (and maybe this is specialty dependent).

Even though it's a joint board, you must be describing something the Army doesn't use, so I'm not familiar with it.

Also, assuming it's true, what you've described is a prime example of a lack of transparency. You can't convince me that shuffling doesn't occur to the detriment of some applicants in order to adhere to this arbitrary standard.

 

[NavyFP]

Maybe now, but not necessarily 20 years ago. There's nothing transparent about the mil match. I heard stories at the time from active duty staff.
And if screwed is civilian internship at a fabulous notoriously easy transitional program, I could have dealt with that fine. I have no doubt I would have matched well.

Could not agree more that 20 years ago it was different. Prior to the start of the match in 2007, I equated intern selection with the NFL draft.

"I'll let you have medical student A if you give me medical student B and a draft choice to be named later........."