mstp loungin' 2004

[u2psalm40]

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october 15th is next week. NEXT WEEK!

this thread is not, i repeat NOT, for stressing about the next 10 years of your life. anyone on this forum just want to shoot the bull about interviews, interests, whatever's going on? post. hmm.. ok stressing is permitted😉

i wish i could fast forward to thanksgiving break right about now... send a decoy on some of my interviews so i can be in two places at once

 

[noy]

Anyone feel like some of these interviews are 60% recruiting? Sometimes I walk out and say to myself "OK, I know everything about what your lab does, what do you know about me?...."

Anyway, I'm waiting for winter break. By then I should have a MUCH better idea of how things are...

Are interviews turning anyone else's workout schedule upside down? All this flying and driving and staying at people's houses means my 5 or 6 days a week has become a 'when I can get to it' kind of deal...

 

[Neuronix]

I wonder if anyone will have any decisions on October 15th. If you do, don't decide on a program before you get all your decisions and then go to your second looks. Also, don't let any program pressure you into a decision too soon! They do this stuff every year as it seems to be a recruiting technique: get em in early, give em an acceptance before anyone else does, and maybe they'll commit.

Not to flip you guys out or anything, but you probably won't get a decision from half or more of your schools until something like March/April. I didn't know where I was going until the end of May. Of course, this is because I was waiting on Penn who I think was the last to move their waitlist. But, you're in for the long haul...

Yes, interviews are all about recruiting. That's because the first round of acceptances at most schools will go somewhere else. Naturally, the school wants their best applicants to come there, so they pitch hard for their school in hopes that the ones they accept will come.

Enjoy interviewing, it's way more fun than the first year of med school 🙂

 

[u2psalm40]

i think that every trip for me is a workout.
what with all of the airport walking, interview walking, tour walking. and when i do it in small heels-- an extra workout. good for my calves, i guess🙂

the great food/dining out makes up for it a bit

 

[noy]

Seriously, this is the first time in my life where they don't skip out on the *wining* part of *wining and dining*... normally you go out and get evaluated, and everyone is hesitant to order a drink, in case you look like the 22 year old college alcoholic!...

Last week, we had 5 MD and PhD students (two were not even MSTP) getting free alcohol, trying each other's drinks, having a good time, all on the program's tab...

Which brings up the question - does MSTP grant money pay for recruitment? Or is that the institution's private money? Because if the grant is paying for my dinner and drinks, I must say:

THANK YOU TAXPAYERS! THAT MEAL & WINE WAS GREAT!

Ouch. heels. thank goodness for suits and ties and flat shoes.

 

[looseygoosey]

Originally posted by noy
Anyone feel like some of these interviews are 60% recruiting? Sometimes I walk out and say to myself "OK, I know everything about what your lab does, what do you know about me?...."

Anyway, I'm waiting for winter break. By then I should have a MUCH better idea of how things are...

Are interviews turning anyone else's workout schedule upside down? All this flying and driving and staying at people's houses means my 5 or 6 days a week has become a 'when I can get to it' kind of deal...

I completely agree about the lack of working out. In the past month, Ive only been to the gym 3 TIMES!! and ive only had time to play tennis, basketball, soccer, run about once each. I feel like such a slob. I wish there were gyms on planes.

All of my friends have been making fun of me because i havent partied with any of them this quarter. I've been having too much fun at other schools going out (and drinking). I hope that MSTPers have time to party/socialize all year round and not just when applicants are around.

I would say that the interviews ive been at have been 90+% recruiting. Heck, I had a 20 min conversation about FOOTBALL during a FORMAL interview. I hope thats not a bad sign (ie there's nothing interesting about me to talk about 😀 )
No wonder ive had a blast interviewing.

 

[u2psalm40]

so on the pre-allo page there's alot about getting a thick package in the mail. are all mstp acceptances called on the phone? or is that normally by mail. i'm thinking it's by phone on most. (?)

i just got an interview invite in the mail in a thin envelope, on a single sheet of paper. right after i convinced myself that i wasn't really attached to the school anyway, i opened it and took back everything i said🙂

 

[Habari]

they are pretty much all by phone

some exceptions i remember are duke [mail/e-mail], yale [e-mail], ucsf [letter - though they call later], columbia [letter - or you call them or something like that]. the letters confirming the phone call are all 'thin' [in case they couldn't get ahold of you - don't throw the letter away]

 

[u2psalm40]

hey i just wanted to say hello to all of the kids that were at northwestern this past week 19-21. it was a fun time, and i hope you all get into the schools of your choice.
have a happy thanksgiving and see you on the circuit 🙂