Interviews 2006

[quant]

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rejection-- U Penn (los bastardos!)

interview-- SUNY Upstate

The deluge hasnt materialised.... 🙁

 

[Fenriz]

Check out Zappa. He was a major influence on Vai, as well as Satch......

Now I know I'm in the right field. Of all the forums I've been to, med students I've met, residents in other disciplines I've talked with NEVER, I say NEVER, has anyone mentioned Satch, Vai, or Zappa. Have to put my two musical cents in:

Best Satch album: The Extremist (took my playing to a new level...still remember seeing the video for "Summer Song" on Headbanger's Ball when I was 13 and being blown away.

Best Vai: still Passion and Warfare for me...high school memories. His stuff got way too quirky for me post-Fire Garden.

Zappa: pure genius on every album.

By the way Matte...is that a King Crimson reference?

 

[uhoh!]

The deluge hasnt materialised.... 🙁

seriously..WTF is wrong with the programs!! 😕 if they are waiting to see if i am interested, here's a newsflash: I AM!! 😳
btw..to MGH :- your loss! 😛

Now I know I'm in the right field.

whatever made you think otherwise?! btw, my rotation in Path ended today..and IT ROCKED!!! now i so want to begin residency..

Best Satch album: The Extremist
Best Vai: still Passion and Warfare for me...high school memories. His stuff got way too quirky for me post-Fire Garden.
Zappa: pure genius on every album.

now i am flattered..got a nice little side-track going here..whatever helps me forget the paucity of calls..
Vai: i agree.P&W still is it for me.
Satch: dunno.Surfin is really my fave.didn't like Engines/Crystal Planet too much though..but WTF do i know, i am a drummer. dunno if Gene Hoglan rings any cymbals, but maybe Bonzo Bonham would be a close second..
Zappa: no idea! my version of pure genius on every album would be "Evil" Chuck Schuldiner (RIP)..

 

[Fenriz]

now i am flattered..got a nice little side-track going here..whatever helps me forget the paucity of calls..
Vai: i agree.P&W still is it for me.
Satch: dunno.Surfin is really my fave.didn't like Engines/Crystal Planet too much though..but WTF do i know, i am a drummer. dunno if Gene Hoglin rings any cymbals, but maybe Bonzo Bonham would be a close second..
Zappa: no idea! my version of pure genius on every album would be "Evil" Chuck Schuldiner (RIP)..[/QUOTE]


No self-respecting headbanger doesn't know Gene Hoglan, the drumming mastermind behind Dark Angel and Death. Dude, if you can play like Hoglan we should get together. I can play any metal...no problem. If you're into drummers I don't know if you've ever heard of Tony Laureano (Angelcorpse, Nile and, now, Dimmu Borgir). Unbelievable drummer...definitely check him out.

Chuck was good and I do enjoy Death's albums..I'm actually doing a presentation for my path externship on infectious causes of brain tumors (inspired by Chuck and James Murphy. Two guys in the same band both get gliomas? What are the odds?)

 

[stormjen]

Oh,well! guess you can't have everything.. 😳 i'm more of a Death/Cryptopsy/Opeth kind of guy..

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. How come there's no devil sign smilie? 😕

 

[uhoh!]

Sorry for the digression!started a new thread before things REALLY go out of hand!! i agree with some previous post which said a thread should try to stick to its topic as much as possible, and this tread IS an awesome resource..
and my first interview is coming up on Monday! 😛
seriously, got a few(maybe more) doubts. For starters..
1. what is the best reply to "Why Path?"..my reason is a deep liking for the subject since med school, and even through the Clinical Med years. is that good enough? what do i reply to "Why Not...?".it seems counter-productive to show any field down, as they are all good in their own way(i guess 😉 )
2. is it enough to know what area particular interviewers are interested in, or should i have some idea about their publications as well?
3. "Tell me about yourself"..in what sense/context? if s/he is interviewing me, they have my CV & Statement, and it seems futile to repeat what's in there.
this is one of the few places calling me thus far, and is a program i would like to go to..so really want to do my best.

 

[beary]

and my first interview is coming up on Monday! 😛
seriously, got a few(maybe more) doubts. For starters..
1. what is the best reply to "Why Path?"..my reason is a deep liking for the subject since med school, and even through the Clinical Med years. is that good enough? what do i reply to "Why Not...?".it seems counter-productive to show any field down, as they are all good in their own way(i guess 😉 )
2. is it enough to know what area particular interviewers are interested in, or should i have some idea about their publications as well?
3. "Tell me about yourself"..in what sense/context? if s/he is interviewing me, they have my CV & Statement, and it seems futile to repeat what's in there.
this is one of the few places calling me thus far, and is a program i would like to go to..so really want to do my best.

Hi uhoh,

Good luck on your interview! I have 2 under my belt now and I agree with what everybody has said that they are not as bad as I had feared.

1. Why path? I would just tell the truth. I actually don't think anybody has asked me that question yet!
2. publications - I am too dumb to learn about all the interviewers' publications. It never would have come up in any of my interviews anyway as 30 minutes goes by pretty fast. I would spend your time preparing by learning about the program itself so you can ask specific questions.
3. tell me about yourself - I haven't gotten this one either. I had prepared just a brief statement of why I wanted to do path, what I was looking for in a program, and where I saw myself long-term.

Best wishes!

 

[deschutes]

1. what is the best reply to "Why Path?"..my reason is a deep liking for the subject since med school, and even through the Clinical Med years. is that good enough? what do i reply to "Why Not...?".it seems counter-productive to show any field down, as they are all good in their own way(i guess 😉 )

The "best" answer to "Why Path?" will always be your own. While it may sound un-original to your ears, interviewers are really not asking for Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.

I'm not sure I understand the "Why Not...?" part of your question - but it is highly unlikely that any of your interviewers would care to ask you Why Not < insert Some Other Field here >?"

2. is it enough to know what area particular interviewers are interested in, or should i have some idea about their publications as well?

You can try if you want. I did for a few when I was still in the OCD first half of interview season. Half the publication titles didn't make any sense to me, so I went for area.

Unless you're basic science-oriented and already know that you want to go to that institution to work with a particular somebody - but then you wouldn't be asking this question 😉

3. "Tell me about yourself"..in what sense/context? if s/he is interviewing me, they have my CV & Statement, and it seems futile to repeat what's in there.

What it really means is "Where did you come from, and where are you going?"

A succinct review of where you're from, where you went to grad/med school, research experience if any, what track you plan to go into (AP vs CP vs AP/CP), what your five-year/ten-year plan is. And perhaps your interests if the interviewer hasn't yet interrupted you with a question.

Visiting professors have this down pat. But they also usually have done for them.

Do practice this. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to say, "Well......." and draw a blank when you're looking at yourself in the mirror - or worse, the interviewer.

 

[drPLUM]

I have gotten the "why path" and "tell me about yourself" more than any other questions. I have a different strategy than most when it comes to this. My philosophy is this: if you want to know path related things then ask me path related questions. If not then I am going to say random stuff that is out of the ordinary. For instance, tell me about yourself- I love college football, listening to 'the shins' and independent films, or something like that. This usually takes the interviewer off guard and you get a question like "oh, tell me about the shins", or a laugh. Either way, the interviwer remembers you and if you can follow it up with some intelligent talk later in the interview then you are remembered as "well-rounded" and stuff. Remember, everyone is answering "tell me about yourself" with "I am drPLUm. I went to drPLUM U, now I want to be a PLUM pathologist." All of these things are on your CV and add nothing memorable to the conversation.

This is just my opinion though. AND...I am still an applicant so it may actually be making me look like an idiot for all I know. But I figure I'll take my chances. Others will probably tell you to stick with the standard answers and play it safe. That is actually probably good advice for all I know. This is just my opinion.

 

[deschutes]

Either way, the interviwer remembers you and if you can follow it up with some intelligent talk later in the interview then you are remembered as "well-rounded" and stuff.

I'm actually glad that you came out and said that. In my previous answers I kept going on and on about not being formulaic. And then someone would pipe up with something more, um, classic - and then I would feel stupid for potentially "misleading" people into thinking they should song-and-dance 😉

It depends on what sort of applicant one is, and what sort of person the interviewer is. There are some interviewers with whom the moment you step in the door you realize you should probably stick to the straight and narrow. Then there are others who are a total riot to talk to - in which case there is a pretty good chance the conversation is going to be memorable, whether it was due to something you brought up or the interviewer highlighted in your app.

 

[drswam]

Call from Dartmouth....by snail mail....have a nice weekend guys......

 

[hzma]

I was just wondering about thank you letters. Do I have to send one for every program i interviewed at? What if i decided it isn't my first choice in the ranking, do i thank them anyway and say how much i loved their program? And do i have to send to ALL who interviewd me or just the chairman/director?
Thanks everyone!

 

[deschutes]

I got sick of writing them halfway through the season and just gave up. Believe it or not, even email will sometimes suffice, especially since some PDs/interviewers will write to you saying it was a pleasure to have you, etc. Then you can thank them for having you, and leave well enough alone.

This thank you thing really matters less than you think. It's nice to send them to those programs that you really really want to go to, but sometimes I think it's pretty much treating your own anxiety.

If you have Step 2 scores coming out later and you did well, that's another nice way of doing the "Hi, remember me?"

 

[AngryTesticle]

I was just wondering about thank you letters. Do I have to send one for every program i interviewed at? What if i decided it isn't my first choice in the ranking, do i thank them anyway and say how much i loved their program? And do i have to send to ALL who interviewd me or just the chairman/director?
Thanks everyone!

If I really enjoyed a visit (i.e., would rank them in my top 5), I would send each interviewer a card. Still, I think it was overkill. Overall, I think it's sufficient (if you really feel forced to write thank you cards) to just express thanks to the department chair (if you met him/her) and especially the program director. I would also make it a point to email the program coordinator who was responsible for scheduling my interview day.

 

[drswam]

call from Loyola....does anyone know details about this program......tried to look it up but couldnt find much....thanks...

 

[JaneDough]

been too lazy to post.
over the last 3 wks I have gotten:
Rejections: Johns Hopkins, University of Washington
Interviews: UVA, Duke, Brigham and Women's

 

[ChipLeader]

U Arizona.

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

yesterday: SUNY Upstate, Syracuse

tomorrow: University of Rochester 🙂

 

[uhoh!]

yesterday: SUNY Upstate, Syracuse
tomorrow: University of Rochester 🙂

brian dude!hope they went well..

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

brian dude!hope they went well..

I think they did. I'll most likely be attending one of the two next July! 😀

 

[beary]

I think they did. I'll most likely be attending one of the two next July! 😀

Awesome!

 

[drswam]

hey brian...good for you. I wish i could feel that confident after my interviews.....could you post your interview experience? thanks.....and goodluck with your other calls.....

 

[uhoh!]

I'll most likely be attending one of the two next July! 😀

knock on wood!!awesome man.. 👍 👍

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

hey brian...good for you. I wish i could feel that confident after my interviews.....could you post your interview experience? thanks.....and goodluck with your other calls.....

Thanks for the kind words, everyone ! 😍

One experience posted, the other on the way...

 

[path2be]

Applied to:18
New no thank yous: uw(and i rotated through them), phoenix
new invites: none
you're on hold: tampa, houston, galveston,mcv

I just got off my night shift in er. Gonna call a few programs that i left messages at last week.

love and light to everyone

 

[uhoh!]

what does "On Hold"mean? i have recieved more than a few of these, and some from really nice places..is this a nice way to say "No Thank You", or will they really consider my application if someone cops out..
Also, would i want to go to a place where i am placed "On Hold", since they didn't want me as first choice?

 

[deschutes]

what does "On Hold"mean? i have recieved more than a few of these, and some from really nice places..is this a nice way to say "No Thank You", or will they really consider my application if someone cops out..
Also, would i want to go to a place where i am placed "On Hold", since they didn't want me as first choice?

Depending on your comfort level +/- level of desperation you can do several things with this. You can sit tight and do nothing, or you can send a nice email back saying thank you for the update, I continue to be interested, I will be passing through the area, please feel free to contact me with any questions about my application.

I don't know if you would want to "go" to a place where you were placed on hold, but you certainly would at least want to visit before you made up your mind one way or another 😉 It's where you end up that counts, not what happens in the meantime!

 

[AngryTesticle]

what does "On Hold"mean? i have recieved more than a few of these, and some from really nice places..is this a nice way to say "No Thank You", or will they really consider my application if someone cops out..
Also, would i want to go to a place where i am placed "On Hold", since they didn't want me as first choice?

Consider it a slap in the face, extend your middle finger, and go to a place that actually wants you.

 

[uhoh!]

UPitt said they don't want to play..

 

[Aubrey]

Consider it a slap in the face, extend your middle finger, and go to a place that actually wants you.

Is it just me, or does the artist formerly-known-as Andy seem like he's channeling LADoc00 of late??

 

[AngryTesticle]

Is it just me, or does the artist formerly-known-as Andy seem like he's channeling LADoc00 of late??

I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks. 👍

 

[Aubrey]

I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks. 👍

As it was intended. But to get this thread back on topic.. Pitt still isn't responding to my emails. I grow impatient with their silliness. 😡

 

[uhoh!]

As for UPitt...

Consider it a slap in the face, extend your middle finger, and go to a place that actually wants you.

 

[deschutes]

Sitting in the residents' room talking about programs today - someone brought up another way to tell if residents really want to be where they are. At some places I am told it seems like people are at a place because they have spouses/family there or they're geographically-restricted. I'm not saying that's a red flag, since hell knows tons of us are geographically-restricted one way or another.

But it's potentially a yellow flag if unattached folks would rather get the hell out if they could, than stay.

 

[drPLUM]

Sitting in the residents' room talking about programs today - someone brought up another way to tell if residents really want to be where they are. At some places I am told it seems like people are at a place because they have spouses/family there or they're geographically-restricted. I'm not saying that's a red flag, since hell knows tons of us are geographically-restricted one way or another.

But it's potentially a yellow flag if unattached folks would rather get the hell out if they could, than stay.

So how would you go about asking this in a tactful way?

 

[deschutes]

Gosh you always get right to it! 😛 Are you interviewing here? So I can give you a hard time? 😉

Good point, really. I can't say I know how to translate it into one "golden" interview question.

If you hang out with the residents they usually mention family or attachments though. Don't they? It seems that most places I visited they did. If they didn't, ask. There are lots of ways you can get at this - housing, things to do outside of work, what's the city/town like.

Also, balance. Do the residents seem like they're hiding stuff from you when they answer your questions? Are the residents comfortable enough to crack jokes about their work, or do they feel like they have to defend everything to the "outside world"? I think it's difficult to keep everything under wraps, if you are really unhappy. People are really less devious (though perhaps still a little more challenging to read) that we admit to ourselves.

What is the ratio of male to female residents? are there marrieds and unmarrieds? Some places I flat-out asked, "Do you mind if I ask where you interviewed? and what made you choose to come here?" And people would give me straight answers.

Ya don't ask, ya don't get 🙂

Some places I even asked their opinions about other programs - and I don't think I got away with this just because I was "the Canuck".

In essence it comes down to "are people happy there" - and you're this close to being a doctor so don't mistrust your own very real ability to read people 👍

 

[drPLUM]

Gosh you always get right to it! 😛 Are you interviewing here? So I can give you a hard time? 😉

Heh, didn't mean to sound pushy or anything. I'm just one of those people who enjoys asking unanswerable questions. 🙂

I think that you make an excellent point about asking where folks interviewed and why they chose this particular program. I hadn't really thought of this angle before, but hey, that's why I read SDN everyday- always pick up something good. This strategy has its pitfalls too, but no more so than any other.

One thing I am learning more and more though is that being a good pathologist has more to do with individual effort than say for example, the "quality of didactics" at program X. Those who want to be good will read, work, and become good. I have a feeling practices doing the hiring take this into account more than we applicants sometimes think.

 

[deschutes]

Those who want to be good will read, work, and become good. I have a feeling practices doing the hiring take this into account more than we applicants sometimes think.

Oh totally. I have a couple of articles stuffed into my mailbox from CAP Today regarding the job search and interviewing that I keep meaning to reproduce for the "JOBS info" thread. You'd be surprised - but then again not really - at how some of the questions don't change.

 

[uhoh!]

does anybody know anything about the Danbury Hospital program at Connecticut?(and is the spelling correct? 😉 )

 

[luvalotapath]

Does anyone have any advise on doing research for the programs your going to interview at? What should I know?

 

[beary]

Does anyone have any advise on doing research for the programs your going to interview at? What should I know?

I guess I would basically read the programs webpage. I guess it would help to know a little about their curriculum, if they are community practice or research focused, if AP/CP is integrated or separate, basic stuff like that. That's what I did and I felt like I was well enough prepared.

Also, think of an answer for "Why do you want to come here?" that is specific for that institution.

 

[luvalotapath]

I guess I would basically read the programs webpage. I guess it would help to know a little about their curriculum, if they are community practice or research focused, if AP/CP is integrated or separate, basic stuff like that. That's what I did and I felt like I was well enough prepared.

Also, think of an answer for "Why do you want to come here?" that is specific for that institution.

Do you think it would be beneficial to try to read up on articles that faculty members have published, or is it overkill?

 

[AngryTesticle]

Do you think it would be beneficial to try to read up on articles that faculty members have published, or is it overkill?

Overkill.

Unless, you're seriously thinking about doing some sort of research with the person. And of course, read all you want if it interests you...but certainly don't feel obligated to read your interviewers' bibliographies.

 

[AngryTesticle]

Sitting in the residents' room talking about programs today - someone brought up another way to tell if residents really want to be where they are. At some places I am told it seems like people are at a place because they have spouses/family there or they're geographically-restricted. I'm not saying that's a red flag, since hell knows tons of us are geographically-restricted one way or another.

But it's potentially a yellow flag if unattached folks would rather get the hell out if they could, than stay.

Well, I'm glad you eventually figured this out. But just because a program is full of geographically-restricted people doesn't mean it's bad. On the flip side, some of the big name programs will have a significant number of geographically- restricted people as well. So I didn't read into this that much even though it did make my ears perk up a little when I interviewed.

 

[RonDon]

does anybody know anything about the Danbury Hospital program at Connecticut?(and is the spelling correct? 😉 )

Third best program in connecticut 😎

 

[uhoh!]

Third best program in connecticut 😎

😱 you don't say!! any other pearls? 😉

 

[prometheo]

Hi, everybody... I have a ?......after finishing the 4 years of residency , do you have to do one more year to be board cert.? if the answer is yes....what does it mean? you work as a resident or as a doctor? get paid as a resident or as a md?

thanks, everybody

 

[AngryTesticle]

Hi, everybody... I have a ?......after finishing the 4 years of residency , do you have to do one more year to be board cert.?

After 4 years of AP/CP training you are eligible to take boards (assuming that you've met other requirements such as having 50 autopsies under your belt). The issue is that people may sit for boards after completing residency and spend months studying for it during the fellowship year (year #5).

 

[cytoborg]

But it's potentially a yellow flag if unattached folks would rather get the hell out if they could, than stay.

True, true. At one program, I asked a group of residents, "So, what lead you to pick this program?" There was an odd silence, until one person said, "Well...my husband had a job here." Someone else then chimed in, "Yeah, mine too." Umm.....okay....I'm sold! 😎

 

[deschutes]

I don't recall if I've posted these two questions, which I used last year:

To interviewer: "What is the one thing you think every residency applicant should know about your program?"

To residents: "What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started here?"