Pre-interview dinners?

[Ludy]

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Hi all,
I'm just trying to map out some travel plans for interview season (despite the fact that I currently have no interview offers 😉 ), and I was wondering if any of you had a pre-interview dinner last year. Browsing through some old interview posts from this forum, it sounds like most people just spent one day at a program (arrived in the morning and were done by 6:30 or so at the latest), but I thought that dinners with residents the night before were pretty common, at least in internal medicine. Do path programs generally have these as well?

 

[rirriri]

Originally posted by Ludy
Hi all,
I'm just trying to map out some travel plans for interview season (despite the fact that I currently have no interview offers 😉

i will soon go shopping for a pen to sign my contract with. 😀

 

[Ludy]

Fine, well, now I have an offer 😛

Anyway, I talked to one of the first-years at my school today and he didn't have any night-before dinners last year. Then again, he only interviewed at a few programs, so I don't know if that applies across the board. Did anyone run across these during interview season last year? And if so, where? Thanks 🙂

 

[GreatPumpkin]

We don't have an official night before dinner at my program. But, we would gladly arrange one if a candidate was interested. I am sure a couple of residents would love an excuse to go out to dinner and charge it to the department hehe. We have talked about encouraging one, but never have decided for sure if we are going to do it.

 

[Doctor B.]

A few of the places that I interviewed, maybe 3 or 4 out of 9, offered a night-before dinner. I went to a few (I couldn't make all of them b/c of travel plans) and I would definately advise going to them if possible. First, it is a great chance to talk to the residents in an informal setting. They can get to know you a little on a personal level and that can help a good deal in their opinions of you. Second, you can get the skinny on the way the interview day will go and how to handle some of the different interviewers. Third, it's a free meal!

Even if a program doesn't formally offer one, like GP said, if you call up the chief resident and ask if you can meet with them, they will more than likely be happy to work something out with you.

 

[Ludy]

Thanks for the replies!

BCMD, what was the level of "dressiness" at those pre-interview dinners? Were the all guys in ties? Any suits? Is it a resident-only affair, or did attendings show up as well?
You're becoming like a mini-GP on this forum now 🙂
I'm really glad to have such consistent, helpful advice from you guys -- I love this forum 😀

 

[GreatPumpkin]

Mini-GP hehe....pumpkinseed

Actually I am so glad that there is much more imput by so many folks. When this forum first started there was not much discussion. It has really evolved into a very active place.

 

[Doctor B.]

The dress was casual but nice. I think I wore a collared shirt and khaki's without a tie. The residents were around that level of dressiness as well. The dinners I went to were only with residents; no attendings were there.

I can only aspire to be as great as the GP. I accept the title of pumpkinseed with honor 😉.