Overkill

[Amygdali-lama]

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Hi.

I finally decided where I want to go for my residency. I have one quick question for you though that I am hoping you can help me with.

I have, so far, already told the PD and the person who interviewed me, AND the chielf resident that I want to be at the program as my #1 choice during my interview. I sent a courtesy e-mail to another faculty member that I met at the place thanking him for talking to us AND expressed that it was my #1 choice, and I set up a 2nd look with the chief resident. I will be sending a hand written e-mail to the PD and the person who interviewed me (as per another thread, a hand written is better than an e-mail supposedly) thanking them and once again (tactfully) re-iterating them that they are my #1 choice. I have set up an appointment w/ my home school's IM head to call the PD there to let them know that I have expressed that the program is my #1 choice. FINALLY, 😳 I plan on sending the PD closer to ROL due day expressing my interest there.

Do you guys think that this is overkill?????

Background: Although I do not know for sure (the timing of all this happened WAAYYYY too coincidentally) but I think the interview was given to me as a courtesy since I "bugged" them so many times. 🙂 OR, it could just be that because I was bugging them so many times, they offerred me a "true" interview, but the timing just happened to be same by coincidence.

Anyways, staying on the side of caution, I presumed it is a courtesy interview, and that they are not really planning on ranking me. This is the reason why I am being so "proactive" since it may push me from the "well...poor med student...why not give a courtesy interview," to the "hey...this person is serious...maybe we should rank highly."

(I know I am not doing a good job of explaining, but I think you get the picture)

Thanks for all your help!

 

[dodo2]

An interview is an interview. There is no such thing as a courtsey interview.
The program has to spend time/money on each interview. If they were not interested in you they would have given that interview spot to some one else.

Yes, what you are doing is not only an overkill, but can hurt you too.
They may think that you are hounding them because you have no where else to go - Why should our program take a risk on this guy?

 

[G'ville Nole]

An interview is an interview. There is no such thing as a courtsey interview.
The program has to spend time/money on each interview. If they were not interested in you they would have given that interview spot to some one else.

Yes, what you are doing is not only an overkill, but can hurt you too.
They may think that you are hounding them because you have no where else to go - Why should our program take a risk on this guy?

I both agree and disagree, dodo. I've definitely seen a couple of courtesy interviews, and while the rationale you give is sound, sometimes other factors contribute. And FWIW, I agree that these spots are better off given to someone else.

I agree that the OP is overdoing it. ESPECIALLY if you think the initial interview was just a result of pestering them enough. People tend to get out of relationships where the other individual is too "clingy"; you'd better believe that a similar dynamic applies in residency programs.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is nail the interview and just walk out with your finger held aloft like Larry Bird after the last shot in the 3-point competition at the All-Star Game (forget the year, but that was just awesome!). Always leave 'em wanting more!

 

[14022]

I will be sending a hand written e-mail to the PD and the person who interviewed me

Yes this is overkill. On the other hand, a "hand written e-mail" is such an innovation, that the PD may feel inclined to rank you to match since I am positive that he/she has never received an e-mail that was hand written in the past. Kudos!

 

[Poety]

Hi.

I finally decided where I want to go for my residency. I have one quick question for you though that I am hoping you can help me with.

I have, so far, already told the PD and the person who interviewed me, AND the chielf resident that I want to be at the program as my #1 choice during my interview. I sent a courtesy e-mail to another faculty member that I met at the place thanking him for talking to us AND expressed that it was my #1 choice, and I set up a 2nd look with the chief resident. I will be sending a hand written e-mail to the PD and the person who interviewed me (as per another thread, a hand written is better than an e-mail supposedly) thanking them and once again (tactfully) re-iterating them that they are my #1 choice. I have set up an appointment w/ my home school's IM head to call the PD there to let them know that I have expressed that the program is my #1 choice. FINALLY, 😳 I plan on sending the PD closer to ROL due day expressing my interest there.

Do you guys think that this is overkill?????

Background: Although I do not know for sure (the timing of all this happened WAAYYYY too coincidentally) but I think the interview was given to me as a courtesy since I "bugged" them so many times. 🙂 OR, it could just be that because I was bugging them so many times, they offerred me a "true" interview, but the timing just happened to be same by coincidence.

Anyways, staying on the side of caution, I presumed it is a courtesy interview, and that they are not really planning on ranking me. This is the reason why I am being so "proactive" since it may push me from the "well...poor med student...why not give a courtesy interview," to the "hey...this person is serious...maybe we should rank highly."

(I know I am not doing a good job of explaining, but I think you get the picture)

Thanks for all your help!

I think its all good, except for the last part about sending the PD another email closer to the ROL. The chair of IM telling the program should suffice for that one.

I hope you get your first choice, and if not them, then at least your second 🙂

Good luck!

 

[jennyboo]

1. told the PD and the person who interviewed me, AND the chielf resident that I want to be at the program as my #1 choice during my interview.

2. sent a courtesy e-mail to another faculty member that I met at the place thanking him for talking to us AND expressed that it was my #1 choice

3. set up a 2nd look with the chief resident.

4. hand written e-mail to the PD and the person who interviewed me

5. home school's IM head to call the PD there to let them know that I have expressed that the program is my #1 choice.

6. I plan on sending the PD closer to ROL due day expressing my interest there.

If you add up all the letters/notes/emails you send, you'll end with three "thank you" notes and one letter expressing interest (total of 4 letters, assuming that all emails get printed) in their application file on you, correct? I wouldn't do any more than that (1 or 2 is plenty in my opinion) but I think 4 just reaches the limit of acceptable -- any more than that I would find absurd.

But I think you're thinking the right thing in letting them know you want to come. This year I've been told countless times, "If you want to come, let it be known." Whether by telling them verbally, or by sending a letter afterward. A few programs have told me that if I want to rank them highly on my list, please send them a letter telling them I'm very interested after my interviews are done, "so that we know you're interested when we make the rank list."

But.... you have to be smart about it or don't do it at all. If you're as anxious and clingy as you sound on SDN 👎 👎 👎 it might be a turn-off to the program.... But if you're smart and communicate well, your work could pay off.

 

[Poety]

If you add up all the letters/notes/emails you send, you'll end with three "thank you" notes and one letter expressing interest (total of 4 letters, assuming that all emails get printed) in their application file on you, correct? I wouldn't do any more than that (1 or 2 is plenty in my opinion) but I think 4 just reaches the limit of acceptable -- any more than that I would find absurd.

But I think you're thinking the right thing in letting them know you want to come. This year I've been told countless times, "If you want to come, let it be known." Whether by telling them verbally, or by sending a letter afterward. A few programs have told me that if I want to rank them highly on my list, please send them a letter telling them I'm very interested after my interviews are done, "so that we know you're interested when we make the rank list."

But.... you have to be smart about it or don't do it at all. If you're as anxious and clingy as you sound on SDN 👎 👎 👎 it might be a turn-off to the program.... But if you're smart and communicate well, your work could pay off.

excellent advice Jenny, and I agree - if you're going to send a lot of emails, or letters don't be clingy, find 'reasons' and make sure you are SOLID with the written word 😉

 

[Ypo.]

Yes this is overkill. On the other hand, a "hand written e-mail" is such an innovation, that the PD may feel inclined to rank you to match since I am positive that he/she has never received an e-mail that was hand written in the past. Kudos!

Oh that just struck my funny bone.

 

[GoofyDoc]

I will be sending a hand written e-mail to the PD and the person who interviewed me

I gotta have some of that technology.

Seriously though, why would you set up a 2nd look at a place you already expressed to be your #1? I think that amounts to stalking.

 

[Apollyon]

An interview is an interview. There is no such thing as a courtsey interview.
The program has to spend time/money on each interview. If they were not interested in you they would have given that interview spot to some one else.

From direct, personal experience, I know this is not true. I got an interview and found out afterwards that, even before I ever showed up, it was decided I would not be ranked (because I was an FMG) by the chair, despite an ass-kicking letter from the PD. THAT is a "courtesy interview".

 

[neilc]

duplicate, oops

 

[neilc]

From direct, personal experience, I know this is not true. I got an interview and found out afterwards that, even before I ever showed up, it was decided I would not be ranked (because I was an FMG) by the chair, despite an ass-kicking letter from the PD. THAT is a "courtesy interview".

i had one of these as well...(not the letter, but the PD loved me and the chair was a haaah-vad grad, and wanted none of us dirty FMG's in his program...told to me by the PD (albiet in kinder words) during my interview). what a waste of time. down with the courtesy interview!

 

[monkey7247]

Overkill 👎