Ode to OPD

[Lavenlian]

After getting the news that I matched yesterday, I felt the need to post this before Friday not wanting this to get lost in the deluge of "I matched here, this is my #X program" posts.

A handful of you might have remembered my thread last year after it unintentionally started a post war between many of the respected posters here. At the time, I was a Carib graduate who was about to go for the Match the second time around with minimal Psych experience and borderline passing scores. I didn't have any traditional red flags but I had many issues with obtaining a Psych LOR the first time around. Also, I was contemplating taking the Step 3 exam.

I was chastised by a certain poster for not being responsible and told that given my previous poor performances on the Step exams, taking Step 3 was a bad idea and that it would have minimal effect on my application.

Enter OPD (whose commentary was co-signed by digitlnoize - thank you as well dn). OPD was extremely supportive of my situation, appreciated my candor, and told me that Step 3 would improve my chances. I scored higher on Step 3 than my previous Step exams and commenced applying for Psych the second time around.

23 invites, 22 completed interviews (where I spoke the truth about my situation and apparently wasn't deemed unresponsible), and 20 ranked programs later - I am happy to say that I am officially on my way to becoming a psychiatrist and I highly doubt that I would have been able to without the support and advice from OPD. Psych was competitive this year and rumor has it there are very few unfilled Psych positions in SOAP this year.

OPD was kind enough to even post a list of a programs on this forum that are IMG (or FMG) friendly for those who are like me. Like many, I was a forum lurker turned poster on this forum. But I encourage any and all (posters and lurkers, alike) to post here if you're in a bit of pickle like I was about a year ago or PM OPD (actually it's "OldPsychDoc" aka tha Senior Curmudgeon) if you're shy.

Thanks OPD. Where I'm from, you'd be called a hoss.

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[billypilgrim37]

Don't stop at the public accolades. Buy the man a bottle of single malt!

 

[notdeadyet]

A handful of you might have remembered my thread last year after it unintentionally started a post war between many of the respected posters here.

In fairness, it really didn't. Vistaril was the only one hammering away. Everyone else was confident that you'd find a good home if you applied broadly. I'm delighted that you did.

Be sure to share on the "where I matched" thread that will inevitably popped up (if you're comfortable) or at least let us know if you're happy with where you ended up. Fingers crossed.

 

[vistaril]

After getting the news that I matched yesterday, I felt the need to post this before Friday not wanting this to get lost in the deluge of "I matched here, this is my #X program" posts.

A handful of you might have remembered my thread last year after it unintentionally started a post war between many of the respected posters here. At the time, I was a Carib graduate who was about to go for the Match the second time around with minimal Psych experience and borderline passing scores. I didn't have any traditional red flags but I had many issues with obtaining a Psych LOR the first time around. Also, I was contemplating taking the Step 3 exam.

I was chastised by a certain poster for not being responsible and told that given my previous poor performances on the Step exams, taking Step 3 was a bad idea and that it would have minimal effect on my application.

Enter OPD (whose commentary was co-signed by digitlnoize - thank you as well dn). OPD was extremely supportive of my situation, appreciated my candor, and told me that Step 3 would improve my chances. I scored higher on Step 3 than my previous Step exams and commenced applying for Psych the second time around.

23 invites, 22 completed interviews (where I spoke the truth about my situation and apparently wasn't deemed unresponsible), and 20 ranked programs later - I am happy to say that I am officially on my way to becoming a psychiatrist and I highly doubt that I would have been able to without the support and advice from OPD. Psych was competitive this year and rumor has it there are very few unfilled Psych positions in SOAP this year.

OPD was kind enough to even post a list of a programs on this forum that are IMG (or FMG) friendly for those who are like me. Like many, I was a forum lurker turned poster on this forum. But I encourage any and all (posters and lurkers, alike) to post here if you're in a bit of pickle like I was about a year ago or PM OPD (actually it's "OldPsychDoc" aka tha Senior Curmudgeon) if you're shy.

Thanks OPD. Where I'm from, you'd be called a hoss.

well for starters, congrats on matching.

I'm not sure what your issue with the advice I gave you was. Given your application, I certainly don't think you needed to take step3 to match. Had you not taken step 3, you still match no doubt about it. Just as I said. Had you taken step3 and failed(for whatever reason),then that is the only way you run a real risk of not matching. I felt that you were throwing some possibility of risk into an equation where none existed. So for you to somehow claim that my advice was bad(or that i implied you wouldnt match...when i said exactly the opposite) is a total mischaracterization. Furthermore, I seriously doubt that psych will be any more competitive this year than years before. I still expect close to a 40% non allo AMG rate.....looking at number of SOAP positions open is a very poor way to evaluiate competitiveness because programs in fields that are not very competitive anticipate and gameplan for this. The best way to gauge competitiveness is look at avg step1 scores and amg%'s combined....

I don't step3 made much of a difference in your application either way. That said, it's over now and it is nice to not have to worry about it during residency. The only downside is some programs will reimburse you for it if you take it your intern year, and you could have probably gotten a few days of professional leave out of it as well.....I made sort of a mini vacation of my step 3 during intern year.....

but again, glad things worked out.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Don't stop at the public accolades. Buy the man a bottle of single malt!

Best advice ever.
You know where to find me, BP.
(BTW--it's my birthday today. Hint, hint...)

 

[deleted452516]

(BTW--it's my birthday today. Hint, hint...)

Happy B-day! For your gift we got together and through secret and nefarious means made sure your program filled.

 

[shan564]

A handful of you might have remembered my thread last year after it unintentionally started a post war between many of the respected posters here.

Of course, we all agree that OPD is a legend and if I end up like him when I grow up, I'd consider myself a success.

But that said, I don't think there was really a "post war." Looking at that thread, it was pretty standard for this forum. Most threads involving vistaril usually devolve into that sort of discussion.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Happy B-day! For your gift we got together and through secret and nefarious means made sure your program filled.

"All I want for my birthday is my top choice interns..."

 

[vistaril]

Of course, we all agree that OPD is a legend and if I end up like him when I grow up, I'd consider myself a success.

But that said, I don't think there was really a "post war." Looking at that thread, it was pretty standard for this forum. Most threads involving vistaril usually devolve into that sort of discussion.

first, it didnt devolve into anything....anyone who thinks that was confrontational needs to get a little thicker skin.

Second, looks like my advice was spot on. I was most adamant in telling the OP he had nothing to worry about and would certainly match.

 

[xlithiumx]

first, it didnt devolve into anything....anyone who thinks that was confrontational needs to get a little thicker skin.

Second, looks like my advice was spot on. I was most adamant in telling the OP he had nothing to worry about and would certainly match.

You just were so right. Doesn't it feel good to be so right all the time? No one understands the world like you understand it. The wrong people need to be punished for their wrongness and put in their places, don't they?

To be fair, there's absolutely no way to know to what extent the step 3 score influenced his match. Of course, people on this board who are training directors and/or have experience in residency administration thought that step 3 would help and now he's matched. So there's that. That doesn't really prove anything either. Your conclusion that your advice was correct doesn't really follow from what we have observed. You might have been right, but his matching didn't prove you right. In fact, you can't be proven right.

You assertion, however, did make me go look back at the referenced thread. The way you conducted yourself in that discussion is sort of troubling. It almost seemed like you took great delight in really bashing the OP. I just have a hard time imagining that that approach to interpersonal communication will be adaptive for you professionally or personally, for that matter. I can't imagine your fiancee would like to be approached the way you brutalized the OP. I know if I was your colleague, I wouldn't tolerate it, and certainly my training program wouldn't. Don't you think you could do better?

 

[Lavenlian]

All I'd like to add to thread I started, before I disappear from it, is that if anyone has knowledge that OPD will be attending the APA or an addiction conference, kindly PM me.

I'll see to it that OPD gets a single malt whiskey on me. Although now that I think about it, any kind of malt whiskey, for that matter, might be inappropriate at an addiction conference.