resident at a hospital asking for interview confirmation letters.. breech of privacy??

[letsgomedical]

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[TraumaLlamaMD]

I don't know if this is actually against policy, but it seems pretty sketchy to me. We're all adults here, and I feel like some level of trust is warranted. How badly do you want to wind up at this program? If this is actually the institution's policy and not just this resident being a wacko, I'd think twice before ranking them highly.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

I don't know if this is actually against policy, but it seems pretty sketchy to me. We're all adults here, and I feel like some level of trust is warranted. How badly do you want to wind up at this program? If this is actually the institution's policy and not just this resident being a wacko, I'd think twice before ranking them highly.

I'd say it indicates either a whacko resident, or a student who has given the resident reason to be distrusting.

If I have the sense that students are blowing off lectures (or lying to me about when lectures are scheduled), for instance - I will start doing a little extra digging - "how was lecture today? who gave it? what was it on?". If I'm really concerned I will seek outside verification from the clerkship coordinator which is easy to do.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

This is why sites have clerkship coordinators. Talk to that person, refer the resident to the conversation you had with the clerkship coordinator.

 

[letsgomedical]

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[cher25]

Maybe a student before me acted disrespectfully and just missed days or something. But I shouldn't be giving out information I feel uncomfortable with esp because I'm applying to this program and I don't want to tell them which programs I'm interviewing at and their contact info. Maybe ill show him my flight tickets... or something... I'm pretty sketched out

i have found that it's routine for us to be required to provide interview confirmation to our clerkship coordinator and attending when requesting time for interviews (at least at my school during critical care, Acting internship, and ambulatory medicine rotation). So not sure that it's a shady request. I'm sure they just want to be sure that you're not just taking extra time. Unfortunately, this sort of thing is not an unthinkable action for a med student.

 

[cognitus]

i have found that it's routine for us to be required to provide interview confirmation to our clerkship coordinator and attending when requesting time for interviews (at least at my school during critical care, Acting internship, and ambulatory medicine rotation). So not sure that it's a shady request. I'm sure they just want to be sure that you're not just taking extra time. Unfortunately, this sort of thing is not an unthinkable action for a med student.

Seems shady for me if you are also applying to the program where you are currently rotating. It seems shady if interviewers ask where else you have interviewed because you're tipping your hand as to how competitive you are. Seems like this is an indirect way of asking that same shady question.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Seems shady for me if you are also applying to the program where you are currently rotating. It seems shady if interviewers ask where else you have interviewed because you're tipping your hand as to how competitive you are. Seems like this is an indirect way of asking that same shady question.

As shown above I don't really think it is the same. More that they are trying to verify you are going to be where you say you are.

I think OP needs to decide if this is really the hill they want to make their stand on...

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Seems shady for me if you are also applying to the program where you are currently rotating. It seems shady if interviewers ask where else you have interviewed because you're tipping your hand as to how competitive you are. Seems like this is an indirect way of asking that same shady question.

If it's a place you've applied, they have your application, they know how competitive you are.

 

[drcrispmd]

Talk to your clerkship coordiator &/or the attending. If they have given you permission, then you do not need to "clear it" with the resident. They are not the ones who give you the permission to take off for interviews. You can have the clerkship coordinator notify the residents you are working with that you will be absent for those days.

 

[lockjaw]

I'm sure they just want to be sure that you're not just taking extra time. Unfortunately, this sort of thing is not an unthinkable action for a med student.

Yup, I know of at least a couple med school classmates who missed days on their required medicine sub-I for "second look days," when in actuality they were just using that as an excuse to take a day or two off, and they weren't doing a second look at all. So it definitely does happen.

 

[rokshana]

I'd say it indicates either a whacko resident, or a student who has given the resident reason to be distrusting.

If I have the sense that students are blowing off lectures (or lying to me about when lectures are scheduled), for instance - I will start doing a little extra digging - "how was lecture today? who gave it? what was it on?". If I'm really concerned I will seek outside verification from the clerkship coordinator which is easy to do.

weird to ask for an actual letter, but you gotta wonder why? do students have a reputation of skipping out of rotations and using interviews as an excuse?

not sure why its a big deal, but yeah, give him a copy of say your plane tix (hopefully its not hawaii!) or hotel reservation….or ask for the time off with the clerkship coordinator and have it documented you are taking the time off.

 

[Gastrapathy]

Is this a PGY2 or a PGY6 resident? Chiefs on surgical services can have a lot of say wrt whether you match. Just show him yours already.

 

[Law2Doc]

Is this a PGY2 or a PGY6 resident? Chiefs on surgical services can have a lot of say wrt whether you match. Just show him yours already.

Actually in some programs any resident (usually through the chief but not necessarily) can weigh in and have an influence if they feel strongly about someone. We've definitely nixed applicants over the years that some of the more junior residents had problems with.

The bigger question is are they this suspicious of everyone or just you. If the latter don't bank on matching at this place, you already have a Reputation. Every year there are a few med students you know are ditching and seem to have any number of excuses. They think the residents dont see right through them. Most of the time the residents won't really care enough to say anything, but we usually know when we are being played, and if asked might give our candid opinion. IMHO not every med student needs to be a Superstar on rotation, but at least they should have the reputation for always showing up. If that's not your reputation I'd say you need to fix that. Doesn't matter if others ditch worse than you, if you have developed that perception you need to fix it. "Face time" matters, not just in rotations but every career. Every boss I ever had wanted to find me diligently working the couple of times he came to look for me, even if it's unreasonably late or early. You don't have to actually work 24-7 but you need to be seen enough to cultivate that perception. And if you do, no one will care when you need that one day off or need to disappear for X meeting.

Of course this could just be a busy body resident sticking his/her nose into your business. But it could also be a more open projection of how you are being perceived by others on the team. Proceed with caution.

And learn the difference between "breech" and "breach" if you are going to use those words.

 

[letsgomedical]

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[SouthernSurgeon]

Apologize for spelling error. And I'm not the only one he asked for the letters he asked for it from 3 other students too apparently even before they told him they have to be gone for interviews. I honestly don't think I developed a "reputation" because it was a first time I even met the person, first day at the hospital.

Then it's not you, it's him.

But the question remains - is this really the hill you want to make your stand on?

If it were me I'd just show him the emails.

I think it's exceptionally paranoid to think this resident is going to remember every interview that every student shows him, take that back to his program, and then they use that negatively against you.

 

[letsgomedical]

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[Winged Scapula]

I guess I was sketched out because it was never like this at any other rotations and I didn't have a good "gut feeling." Going through this whole application process and hearing various horror stories about different applicants not matching etc for various reasons has definitely made me very tense. Thanks for the input.

Don't get us wrong because we all agree this is unusual and the resident seems sketchy. So your level of discomfort is understandable.

It's just that taking it that one step further to assume that this paranoid resident that somehow going to try to shaft you during residency match decisions is unwarranted. So don't make a mountain out of a molehill.

 

[PikminOC]

Wait until you're an attending and you see all the invasive stuff they make you do then...
Ever seen a state licensing application?