phone call

[Anasazi]

As my interviews wind down, I have a dilemma I was hoping someone could shed light upon. When an attending offers to make a phone call to a program s/p interview, a phone call intended to raise you on a program's ROL, should that phone call be reserved for your top choice only, or is it appropriate to request calls to several places that attending might have connections to? I worked with an attending who wrote me a letter and has offered to make phone calls on my behalf. It seems like it would be easier for him to sell me to one program that he knew was my top choice and could say something like "you guys are his #1 because he told me, he esteems your program above all the others," instead of saying something like "he really liked you and is going to rank you highly". I suppose it will come down to me detailing my rank list to my attending and seeing how he feels about calling multiple programs or just one, but I'd thought I'd solicit input on what the popular approach is. Thanks for your help.

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[NotAProgDirector]

I think you answered your own question. If I make one call for a student, I can be honest and say that it's your top choice. The more calls I make, the more difficult it is. I have to be honest -- these are people I work with and if I'm not honest, the next phone call won't mean anything.

 

[DoctorWannaBe]

How important is it to have an attending make a phone call for you? Does that really change your position on the program's rank list?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Not important at all, and it probably won't change very much. If I know the person, then maybe.