Making a good impression on dept chair

[greentealeaves]

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I’m going to the department chair’s house (for the specialty I’m interested in) next week for a volunteer event dinner. How do I make a good first impression? I’m an M1 and want to make sure I get started on the right foot.

Thank you in advance for the help

 

[OnePunchBiopsy]

Just introduce yourself, and be yourself. Also don't drink too much.

 

[sella.turcica]

As long as you don't mistake this event for a frat house party, you'll be fine.

 

[Tenk]

As long as you don't mistake this event for a frat house party, you'll be fine.

Depends on the specialty.

 

[greentealeaves]

Depends on the specialty.

Dermatology

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Dermatology

“Hi Dr. Derm, it’s great to meet you! I appreciate you having us over to your home, that’s very considerate of you. By the way I love that [item of your choosing] you’ve got over there, it’s really [adjective]”

I get a fair amount of social anxiety when meeting important people for some reason, so I use some iteration of the script above to avoid falling flat on my face right out the gate.

Usually that opens the door enough that if they feel like chatting, you’ve given them something to talk about.

 

[Doctor-S]

I’m going to the department chair’s house (for the specialty I’m interested in) next week for a volunteer event dinner. How do I make a good first impression? I’m an M1 and want to make sure I get started on the right foot.

Thank you in advance for the help

Agree with @OnePunchBiopsy and others above.

If you make a good impression as an M1, the Department Chair might not differentiate you from every other M1-M4 anyway because you're going to be one of many med students who want to make a good first impression.

BUT, if you make a bad initial impression, you'll probably be remembered by EVERYONE for a LONG time, and for all of the wrong reasons. 😱

Be courteous, A&O, thoughtful and sane, that's all. You'll be fine. 🙂

 

[deleted854547]

Just be yourself.

 

[Sky138]

When I was in the OP’s position, I took a very different approach. Instead of focusing on one person, I made sure to leave a good impression on each and every person in the department ranging from the professors to the front desk people. Having friends in every corner made it that much easier to approach and leave lasting impressions on the chair. If you think about it, the likelihood that the chair will remember you or rather me, an undergrad at the time, is/was very slim considering the circumstances. However, if they see you talking to all of their coworkers, you’ll probably stand out. Point is, you don’t have to suck up to a single person not to people in general. Just make time for everyone around you and with a little luck, that can be the foundation to making a great impression.

 

[libertyyne]

When I was in the OP’s position, I took a very different approach. Instead of focusing on one person, I made sure to leave a good impression on each and every person in the department ranging from the professors to the front desk people. Having friends in every corner made it that much easier to approach and leave lasting impressions on the chair. If you think about it, the likelihood that the chair will remember you or rather me, an undergrad at the time, is/was very slim considering the circumstances. However, if they see you talking to all of their coworkers, you’ll probably stand out.

This is like the advice for all people, not just people trying to match into a specialty.

Be kind and courteous to everyone around you unless they give you reason not to.
Essentially dont be a dick. Just be a normal human being.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

This is like the advice for all people, not just people trying to match into a specialty.

Be kind and courteous to everyone around you unless they give you reason not to.
Essentially dont be a dick. Just be a normal human being.

It's honestly kind of amazing how there are lots of people who can't actually pull this off. Having been with multiple 4th years doing aways with the departments I've been rotating in I can definitely say that being normal is honestly at least half the battle, regardless of what your application looks like.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Just be yourself.

Unless yourself is terrible. Then be a better version of yourself.

 

[Tenk]

Dermatology

Just bring some goggles and a swim suit in case they let you swim around in their vault of gold coins.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Just bring some goggles and a swim suit in case they let you swim around in their vault of gold coins.

I can't imagine there is a lot of swimming going on in the vault holding these bad boys.

 

[Tenk]

I can't imagine there is a lot of swimming going on in the vault holding these bad boys.
View attachment 297861

You have to apply the right creams and lotions before you go in is all.