Proper etiquette for soliciting advice from an MS4/PGY-1?

[Ruskithin]

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Hi!

I recently learned that an M4 at my school matched into the specialty/program of my dreams. In short, I'd love the opportunity to talk to this person to see how he/she did it and solicit some school-specific advice. The problem is that I don't know this individual at all (nor do any of my friends/acquaintances). What is the best way for me to contact this person?

Thanks so much for any insight(s).

-R

 

[deleted480308]

Hi!

I recently learned that an M4 at my school matched into the specialty/program of my dreams. In short, I'd love the opportunity to talk to this person to see how he/she did it and solicit some school-specific advice. The problem is that I don't know this individual at all (nor do any of my friends/acquaintances). What is the best way for me to contact this person?

Thanks so much for any insight(s).

-R

just walk up and ask them if they would mind talking you through some questions....offer to buy them a cup of coffee/lunch if it's going to take more than 5-10 minutes

 

[Priapism4tooLong]

Hi!

I recently learned that an M4 at my school matched into the specialty/program of my dreams. In short, I'd love the opportunity to talk to this person to see how he/she did it and solicit some school-specific advice. The problem is that I don't know this individual at all (nor do any of my friends/acquaintances). What is the best way for me to contact this person?

Thanks so much for any insight(s).

-R

If they are human then i would talk to them probably

 

[Apoplexy__]

Hi!

I recently learned that an M4 at my school matched into the specialty/program of my dreams. In short, I'd love the opportunity to talk to this person to see how he/she did it and solicit some school-specific advice. The problem is that I don't know this individual at all (nor do any of my friends/acquaintances). What is the best way for me to contact this person?

Thanks so much for any insight(s).

-R

If you never see them and don't know what they look like, try asking around for faculty that are close with him/her. Odds are, they'll be familiar with that person and they can shoot them an e-mail on your behalf to connect you two.

 

[Priapism4tooLong]

I'd be like "hey i heard you got into the speciality i wanted, can i ask you a few questions about it?, please?"

 

[2010houston]

Or just send a nice email. We have all been M1s and know how difficult it can be to know what to do to get the match you want; s/he is likely to be helpful and understanding of the situation. Then you can discuss over email or offer to buy them coffee / a beer (it is MS4!) etc.
good luck.

 

[JJMrK]

I've received a couple emails like this recently. As long as they aren't aggressive or weird, I'm happy to chat with peeps.

 

[Wordead]

Recent grads are usually pretty helpful and dont expect much if anything in return, because they remember well what it was like in your position. I dont know what the cutoff is where they start becoming dicks that make everyone's lives harder.

 

[maxxor]

Send an email and offer to buy them coffee.

 

[Ruskithin]

just walk up and ask them if they would mind talking you through some questions....offer to buy them a cup of coffee/lunch if it's going to take more than 5-10 minutes

The coffee/lunch is a great suggestion! Thanks!

If they are human then i would talk to them probably

Hahaa, but how do you talk to the person who's achieved residency nirvana?

I'd be like "hey i heard you got into the speciality i wanted, can i ask you a few questions about it?, please?"

Ohhh...gotcha! 🙂

If you never see them and don't know what they look like, try asking around for faculty that are close with him/her. Odds are, they'll be familiar with that person and they can shoot them an e-mail on your behalf to connect you two.

That's a great idea. I'll mention it to our student dean. Thank you!

Or just send a nice email. We have all been M1s and know how difficult it can be to know what to do to get the match you want; s/he is likely to be helpful and understanding of the situation. Then you can discuss over email or offer to buy them coffee / a beer (it is MS4!) etc.
good luck.

Thanks for the support! The coffee/beer is a great idea!

I've received a couple emails like this recently. As long as they aren't aggressive or weird, I'm happy to chat with peeps.

This is reassuring! For some reason I thought I was the only one thinking of contacting a complete stranger for a conversation. Thanks for the advice!

 

[mvenus929]

Just send an e-mail. I've gotten several unsolicited e-mails in the past year from MS2s and 3s looking for some sort of advice. Yeah, it's nice to know the person you're talking to, or to have met them, but I don't mind talking to people I haven't met before, so long as they have somewhat decent social skills.

 

[Ruskithin]

Recent grads are usually pretty helpful and dont expect much if anything in return, because they remember well what it was like in your position. I dont know what the cutoff is where they start becoming dicks that make everyone's lives harder.

Hmmm...in my experience, people generally stop being helpful when they perceive a sense of entitlement from the other person. I didn't want this M4 (who probably had to do a great deal of research/networking/etc on his/her own time) to feel that I thought I deserved to be spoon-fed all of his/her hard-earned info. But then, I have a tendency to over-think everything.

Send an email and offer to buy them coffee.

This seems to be the magic formula and I'll be trying it! Thanks!

Just send an e-mail. I've gotten several unsolicited e-mails in the past year from MS2s and 3s looking for some sort of advice. Yeah, it's nice to know the person you're talking to, or to have met them, but I don't mind talking to people I haven't met before, so long as they have somewhat decent social skills.

Thank you! I don't usually have a problem once the conversation starts but it's the initiating the contact that I was unsure of how to do. It's great to hear that older students are typically receptive to strangers' questions.

 

[DermViser]

just walk up and ask them if they would mind talking you through some questions....offer to buy them a cup of coffee/lunch if it's going to take more than 5-10 minutes

I love SDNers. To quote Regina George, "She's like a Martian!"

 

[DermViser]

Hi!

I recently learned that an M4 at my school matched into the specialty/program of my dreams. In short, I'd love the opportunity to talk to this person to see how he/she did it and solicit some school-specific advice. The problem is that I don't know this individual at all (nor do any of my friends/acquaintances). What is the best way for me to contact this person?

Thanks so much for any insight(s).

-R

Depends. If it's in an competitive specialty, and you approach them directly, you'll probably get this response:

 

[Ruskithin]

Depends. If it's in an competitive specialty, and you approach them directly, you'll probably get this response:

I'd know what to do then!

 

[Armadillos]

Hi!

I recently learned that an M4 at my school matched into the specialty/program of my dreams. In short, I'd love the opportunity to talk to this person to see how he/she did it and solicit some school-specific advice. The problem is that I don't know this individual at all (nor do any of my friends/acquaintances). What is the best way for me to contact this person?

Thanks so much for any insight(s).

-R

So next time when people come here wondering why we have OSCEs and have to drop 2k on Step 2CS, point them to this thread

 

[honeyyygirl]

I had this same exact situation happen a few weeks ago. lol!!

Like others have said, if you politely introduce yourself and ask if they could grab coffee to chat / send them an e-mail with a couple of questions-- I think you are okay.
You just don't want to look like you're too thirsty.

 

[Modafinil]

Just ask. If any student comes up to me (regardless of whether I know them or not) you bet your ass I'll help em out. If the person is busy ask for their email address or something and ask your questions that way so he/she can respond whenever they have time.

 

[maxxor]

Recent grads are usually pretty helpful and dont expect much if anything in return, because they remember well what it was like in your position. I dont know what the cutoff is where they start becoming dicks that make everyone's lives harder.

I think that point is once an intern has been burned by a med student's screwup.

edit: student'a -> student's

 

[DermViser]

So next time when people come here wondering why we have OSCEs and have to drop 2k on Step 2CS, point them to this thread

And even after all that they still have to ask the internet how to go about asking advice from an MS-4.

 

[DermViser]

I think that point is once an intern has been burned by a med student'a screwup.

After which they complain on SDN about how mean their intern is instead of actually acknowledging their screwup and complaining their intern doesn't let them do anything.

 

[Psai]

So next time when people come here wondering why we have OSCEs and have to drop 2k on Step 2CS, point them to this thread

I heard that we have a step 2 CS because some dumb med student thought that it would be a great idea to try to put in some extra bs for Caribbean grads. She brought it up in an AMA meeting on the pretense that it would maintain physician quality so now all medical students have to travel to an "official testing site" and drop a g or two for an extra, useless test.

 

[evilbooyaa]

Just ask/cold e-mail them.

 

[DermViser]

I heard that we have a step 2 CS because some dumb med student thought that it would be a great idea to try to put in some extra bs for Caribbean grads. She brought it up in an AMA meeting on the pretense that it would maintain physician quality so now all medical students have to travel to an "official testing site" and drop a g or two for an extra, useless test.

No, all IMGs had to take the ECFMG Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) along with the TOEFL before, now replaced by USMLE Step 2 CS.

 

[Raryn]

I heard that we have a step 2 CS because some dumb med student thought that it would be a great idea to try to put in some extra bs for Caribbean grads. She brought it up in an AMA meeting on the pretense that it would maintain physician quality so now all medical students have to travel to an "official testing site" and drop a g or two for an extra, useless test.

Medical student section of the AMA has been pretty consistently against CS since it was initially proposed. Can't imagine this is the case.

 

[Ruskithin]

And even after all that they still have to ask the internet how to go about asking advice from an MS-4.

After which they complain on SDN about how mean their intern is instead of actually acknowledging their screwup and complaining their intern doesn't let them do anything.

Hahaaa. Awwww, why you gotta be so salty DermViser?

 

[DermViser]

Hahaaa. Awwww, why you gotta be so salty DermViser?

It was in response to:

So next time when people come here wondering why we have OSCEs and have to drop 2k on Step 2CS, point them to this thread

 

[DermViser]

Medical student section of the AMA has been pretty consistently against CS since it was initially proposed. Can't imagine this is the case.

Not to mention the AMA has nothing to do with the NBME.

 

[colbgw02]

Hire a skywriter. Be brief.

 

[Ruskithin]

Hire a skywriter. Be brief.

Hahaaa, thanks for the laugh. That's surprisingly humorous for someone with a House of God footnote. Shudder.
I just...I...I mean....you think that'll be enough?? You don't think they'll judge me for excluding sound effects, do you?? 🙂

 

[Psai]

Medical student section of the AMA has been pretty consistently against CS since it was initially proposed. Can't imagine this is the case.

I see, my mistake.