Phone calls?
- Thread starter KUB
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Phone calls from MGH, Brigham, Hopkins and email from Beth Israel Deaconess. Each said that I had a spot at their program and was ranked to match. Hoped that I would be on their match list in March. Best of luck to all!
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so much for the integrity of the match.
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You're actually allowed to say where you will rank the other party (both apps and PDs). What you can't do is solicit from the other party where THEY will rank YOU.
Alias must be the man (or woman). I've gotten that from other less prestigious programs - but what you have to throw down to get THAT call from THOSE 4? Wow... I take it you're from HMS, thus the big 3.. but you're obviously the ****.. so Hopkins, too. Still, wow.
The real question (for the rest of the world) is this.. when you get something from a PD around this time, i.e., they've finished their rank list, and the message, while flattering, stops short of "ranked to match," what does that mean?
Does everyone on their rank list get this? Or is it the top 1/2? Top 1/4? Any ideas?
Alias must be the man (or woman). I've gotten that from other less prestigious programs - but what you have to throw down to get THAT call from THOSE 4? Wow... I take it you're from HMS, thus the big 3.. but you're obviously the ****.. so Hopkins, too. Still, wow.
The real question (for the rest of the world) is this.. when you get something from a PD around this time, i.e., they've finished their rank list, and the message, while flattering, stops short of "ranked to match," what does that mean?
Does everyone on their rank list get this? Or is it the top 1/2? Top 1/4? Any ideas?
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Actually I am not from HMS but from a school in NYC, will leave it at that. In the MGH and Hopkins calls that I received to say that I was "ranked to match" they said that they call those that are in the top of their list (ie those that are in the top number of spots that they match for such as top 30 candidates if they have 30 spots for IM). This is definitely not a breach of integrity of the match and why should they not be allowed to do this. In each phone call they purposefully said that they were not calling to get a committment or to gather any information but to answer any questions about their program that I may have. In no way did they push me to indicate where I was ranking them. The interaction was completely professional and within the guidelines of the match. Best of luck to all in the match.
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you are of course correct with regard to the letter of the match law. it seems to be in opposition to the spirit of the match. why not just let people create their rank lists w/o that information? of course we live in the real world, so that would be too ridiculous to even consider.
why do we even need the match? why not just allow people to interview and then decide whether they want those positions or not?
if i am a pd isn't it in my own interest to call every one that we REALLY liked and tell them they are in?
why do we even need the match? why not just allow people to interview and then decide whether they want those positions or not?
if i am a pd isn't it in my own interest to call every one that we REALLY liked and tell them they are in?
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The spirit of the match, huh? Most candidates that I know are either calling or writing as well as having someone such as a chairperson call on their behalf to the program they are ranking first. So it is considered perfectly acceptable for this direction but if a PD calls to say they are ranking you high this is somehow against the spirit of the match. This is the real world and we are all working to get the best match for ourselves as are the programs. It is a fair system for both sides.
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obviously candidates writing violate the spirit of the match too, if you think that pd's writing violates it. i think both violate, but that is just me, and i don't think two wrongs make a right. but as you say, this is the real world.
i think the match puts all the power in the program's hands. i don't think a program suffers if they don't get any one candidate, but it may dramatically affect any one individual's life if they have to pick up and move, find their spouse another job, kid another school etc.
i understand the attractiveness of trying to enhance your attractiveness to the programs, it just seems imho to be in disagreement with the spirit of the match.
ymmv
i think the match puts all the power in the program's hands. i don't think a program suffers if they don't get any one candidate, but it may dramatically affect any one individual's life if they have to pick up and move, find their spouse another job, kid another school etc.
i understand the attractiveness of trying to enhance your attractiveness to the programs, it just seems imho to be in disagreement with the spirit of the match.
ymmv
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Personally, if I was a program director, I think it would be important to let me know they're psyched about going into the program. If I had to choose between two equally qualified applicants, I think the one who would give up their firstborn would be more motivated if they came here. I guess the problem is that often people may abuse this and tell everybody that they want to go to their program.
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i think a good number of people do abuse this "showing of interest" and tell every school. i think it all begins in 3rd year:
surgeon: so, what do you plan on going in to?
student brown nose: surgery's awesome! i'm going into surgery! did i mention it's awesome? i'm doing it!
neurologist: what do you plan on specializing in?
student b.n.: i'm probably going to do neuro, i mean, it's so great. everyone with a stroke pulls through. yea.
ob/gyn (did i mention that there's a female ob/gyn whose license plate is 'boxdoc'?): i overheard you say you're going into radiology AND anesthesiology. wow. you're full of it.
student b.n.: oh! um, no way. what i was saying was that those two suck and that i wanna deliver the babies. i mean, it's so great.
ok, you see what i'm saying...
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while i haven't received any phone calls from any of my programs, i'm glad to hear that there's just a few folks getting multiple calls. studs like alias can only go to one of the top-notch programs that have him/her ranked to match. hopefully, that'll open up good spots for the rest of us average joes.
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About 1-2 weeks ago I got an email from MGH saying I was ranked such that I would definitely match there if I wanted; in their email they said they tried to call me, but I don't know if this is true because nothing showed up on my caller ID and the email looked a little bit like a form letter. Also got a phonecall from Yale, emails from UCSF and Chicago, letters from Northwestern and Baylor, and a handwritten card from the Brigham. It's tempting to feel good about this, but personally I still think it's all a game and it ain't over till it's over.
Be very wary of this. Just go with where you feel most comfortable. I personally think it's unethical to tell interviewees that they will be ranked in the top 5, 10, etc. unless they are willing to send you a certified copy of their ROL.
