New poll on an interview related topic

[yaah]

So: If a program is not going to give you an interview, which would you rather hear?

A) You are rejected. We don't care about your feelings.
B) Nothing. Let you stew. You haven't officially been rejected so there is a chance you can still get that interview, but as time goes by things get less likely.


On a side note, many programs do not give out rejections. They just don't contact you. I always preferred if they would just tell me. I don't like people toying with my emotions. I like to know where I stand.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I agree. Suspense is not my cup of tea.
Although it's never pleasant to get rejection notices, it would help us better solidify our schedules.

 

[yaah]

Perhaps we should forward preliminary results of this poll to all the residency programs. Stop toying with emotions!

They would probably respond that they don't want to reject anyone in case they need to invite more. That's the easy way out, I say. Shenanigans!

 

[deschutes]

I really don't care.

Bottomline: unless everyone starts phoning up program coordinators demanding to know their acceptance/rejection status and make it so that it would be more energy-efficient to mail notices early rather than take phonecalls all the time, I doubt things are going to change.

To viz.:

Logistically, we know that programs will continue to offer less desirable (and I don't mean completely undesirable) candidates invitations later in the season. Since they have limited interview spots and limited positions, It only makes sense that they have to prioritize their selection.

Rejection letters are a courtesy, and certainly a rung lower on the list of priorities for an already busy program coordinator.

I suppose a program is more likely to send out a rejection letter if they can't see that applicant in their program even if it meant going unfilled. (At which point I would call and ask why this was so.)

But if it was a so-called "second tier" applicant, then chances are they will continue to have that applicant in the "hold" pile for just in case.

How odd it would be to receive a rejection notice early in the season, and then have it retracted later!

Some programs are comfortable knowing that no matter how late they offer, candidates will still interview.

The "We have received your stuff" notification is essentially the same as checking ADTS. They can continue to send us millions of emails with variation on the same theme, and STILL stall on offering an interview.

• "We are waiting for your application to be completed."
• "We have received many many applications and are in the process of reviewing them."
• "At this point you have not been selected for an interview, although this might change."

It's like a splashscreen - gives you something to look at while the program is loading. (Pardon the pun.)

I'd rather they just get through all the applications instead of spending time designing more ultimate memos.

 

[yaah]

I like that - the ULTIMATE MEMO.

Well, you are still an outlier. It is good reasoning, but I honestly don't think they spend tons of time on these correspondence letters.

Check out this thread from last season.

You are right about them needing to prioritize selection and keep their options open though. But in truth, I don't know how often there are interviews added after a certain point. However, not all interviews are offered at once, a point which I am sure everyone is well aware. Why that is is a big mystery to me.

 

[deschutes]

Who voted for "Don't contact me"? I'd love to hear why

Consider for a moment a program that received 200 applications and chose to interview 50. That still means 150 rejection letters. One could send a "standard" letter, with name changes - but that still takes time.

And looking at that thread, consider the multiple revisions! Obviously not all proggram sekreterys (or assistants, to whom scut like this might get delegated to) haf teh best speeling to begin with.

Me, outlier? In terms of my geography or my vote?

...not all interviews are offered at once, a point which I am sure everyone is well aware. Why that is is a big mystery to me.

I suspect this is again due to a combination of factors - all grouped under "logistics". It's not a perfect system.

I imagine factors like the attractiveness of a candidate, the time at which an application was received, the availability of reviewers/committees etc. all play a role.

And then there are "daily grind" affairs like a program coordinator quitting or having a new accounts system in place...

I imagine PD's do this on top of their regular work. Therefore they get to the applications and invites when they can.

Today for instance, I phoned a program to get my 'view scheduled. The reason the very nice coordinator hadn't replied to my previous attempts to reach her was because she had not got her PD's schedule.
She was also trying to figure out a new computerized budgeting system for the reimbursements to candidates on the side.

I mean, sure I don't mind getting rejection letters. I just don't think that's going to happen very often in practice!

•
I think they just stop inviting when they can't fit any more in.

 

[yaah]

I imagine factors like the attractiveness of a candidate,

Looks have very little to do with it, actually. Although that will change when I become a PD. I will require all applicants to submit a swimsuit photo.

I mean, sure I don't mind getting rejection letters. I just don't think that's going to happen very often in practice!

I don't like getting rejected by girls! That is happening surprisingly more lately because everyone is freaking engaged or married here. Even the darn old college students, it seems! WTF? Maybe I should become gay. I have no problem unintentionally attracting gay men.

 

[deschutes]

Looks have very little to do with it, actually. Although that will change when I become a PD. I will require all applicants to submit a swimsuit photo.

deschutes will not deign to respond.

I don't like getting rejected by girls! That is happening surprisingly more lately because everyone is freaking engaged or married here. Even the darn old college students, it seems! WTF? Maybe I should become gay. I have no problem unintentionally attracting gay men.

Relax. She didn't reject you. She was already taken. There's a difference.

That's the thing about "small" cities or towns - everyone is freaking engaged or married. I haven't decided how much that will affect my ROL when the time comes. Not restricted to the issue of finding a partner - but there are crazy fun things that young single people who hang out together can do, which tends to dissipate with attachment.

I guess looking for a partner has to start at some point, but since I know what I am looking for and haven't found him yet, I'm happy to just coast....

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I don't like getting rejected by girls! That is happening surprisingly more lately because everyone is freaking engaged or married here. Even the darn old college students, it seems! WTF? Maybe I should become gay. I have no problem unintentionally attracting gay men.

This is true about Ann Arbor...this city is rated amongst the highest regarding best places to raise a family. And what I find a bit humorous are the countless women here who within the first 20 seconds of any conversation mention the word "boyfriend." It's like when I was buying my interview suit...

OK Andy stops here cuz Andy may say something stupid.

Regarding your powers in unintentionally attracting gay men, you can test out your powers at the Nectarine on Friday nights ("Gay Night")

 

[deschutes]

I imagine factors like the attractiveness of a candidate...

Just in case there was any doubt, I wasn't talking about looks at all.

 

[yaah]

Just in case there was any doubt, I wasn't talking about looks at all.

Yeah, I know. I wonder if it does matter for some fields though. Like ortho? I doubt it, but I always wonder.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I think looks may [unintentionally] play a factor in Derm too. Knew one guy with bad skin who applied to derm. He didn't match. Knew two hotties apply to derm. Both matched.

N = 3
p > 0.2

 

[deschutes]

I've been indulging in some mental masturbation - begging your pardon, I realize these are bad words to use around here, and in more ways than one! - with regards to these interview invites/rejections.

But if you want to play my little though experiment for awhile....

One of my email invitations was addressed to "Dear Candidate" - sent via a mailing/distribution list on the AAMC intranet for programs.

I think it was the same address to which the previous "We have received..." and "Your application is complete" messages were sent.

Unfortunately I don't have the previous messages to back me up - I deleted them, and the ERAS message centre doesn't show the sender's address.

So if this is true - i.e. invitations and "we have received your application" emails are sent to the same distribution list - then the only way that can work is that the program updates the mailing list of applicants' email addresses to only reflect those they are currently interested in.

So much for hearing back re: rejections...

Then again, they could have multiple distribution/mailing-lists, at which point my beautiful theory goes right out the window.

Okay, deschutes needs a life. deschutes needs to go outside and see if there is enough snow for snowballs.