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Sounds good, thanks for the reply. What exactly should I say when contacting my number 1, and what are things I should NOT say?
Official 2016-2017 Internal Medicine Residency Interview Thread
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I have also been told that this is a bad idea. Programs read these letters in one of two ways:
1. I am their number 1
2. I am not their number 1
I feel like it will not help in any way to essentially confirm to a program that they are not your number one. It also may negatively impact you if a program is petty and decides to lower you on their rank list so that they don't have to go so low to fill up their spots. They may put applicants who they think are a more for sure bet higher up. Again this is all here say but I prefer silence and to use the benefit of the doubt to your advantage. Several previous applicants and faculty advisors have told me that the only post-interview communication that actually matters is the "you are my number 1" letter. It may do nothing but it may also help you, it will (usually) not hurt you though.
Per my faculty advisors good tips for a number 1 letter include:
1. be short and concise
2. list SPECIFIC reasons why they are your number 1
Any other thoughts/tips/advice are welcome.
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I REALLY appreciate your input. Thanks.
Is it okay to actually stay "I will be ranking you as my number one program"? Orrr is there another way of saying it haha
I mean that's what I did. I explicitly told them outright I am ranking their program number one.
I don't think the letter means jack squat if you don't explicitly state those words. It may also not mean jack squat if you do include those words but most advisors say it at least won't hurt you.
Best of luck.
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Exactly - I think you *do* need to be that explicit. Otherwise, they may confuse the message as "I'm-ranking-you-very-highly [but not #1]."
Better hurry. The PD at my home institution already finalized the rank list.
You could have stopped with the bolded.
You really don't think a program cares if a candidate likes their program? Wouldn't you want people in your program who want to be there?
Whether program cares and whether it actually affects how they rank you are two separate things. I second (or third or fourth?) the opinion that it doesn't matter and is unnecessary especially with more programs adopting the post interview no communication policy recommended by the NRMP.
Does anyone have contact information for PD or assistant directors at Texas Scott and White program? The secretary has been quite hard to contact, and the residents do not respond to my email.
I would appreciate it.
I would appreciate it.
already sent the e-mail last week.
Sure. But the overwhelming amount of BS emails that fly around from late January til Feb 22 means I can't tell the diamonds from the ****.
Seriously. I had an applicant write me almost every month from her interview telling me she was coming to my program, including her last email - mid February - that we were her "#1". We ranked her in our tippy-top "to match". I was so excited to be seeing her in June. She matched somewhere else.
I don't believe a. single. word. anymore.
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Haha wow...I don't have anything to add just think this is insane.
I have heard of people doing this in the past but didn't think it actually happened in this manner. Sorry that happened to ya, but honestly its probably best she didn't match at your program like why would you want someone with this type of moral character anyway. Integrity not even once.
I didn't think people had the audacity to do this, but obviously it still occurs. Thanks for sharing.
Is that to say it doesn't influence your ranking at all?
I don't have any advice for you since I know nothing of those programs but it would be really nice if there was a sticked thread at the top of the internal medicine and subspecialties forum that said something like "Official 2016-2017 Help Me Rank Megathread". Yes, that might be very helpful.
There is another thread with the same name. Thank you!
Post-interview communication woes are the worst. It almost makes me angry what a weird spot some of the communication puts us in.. there should be zero communication after you walk out on interview day /rant
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