Rumors about the integrated match

[ctusfinest]

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So, I've heard many borderline crazy rumors about the match while going through this process and I wanted to hear from people as to what their experiences have been regarding these facts.

1. Gen Surg programs will not even look at your application if you are applying to plastics at the same institution.

2. If you do multiple aways in one area of the country (ex stanford and ucsf), people from the opposite coast will slight you thinking that you will only be happy on that other coast.

3. It matters more who wrote your letters than the quality of your letters.

Feel free to add more as they come to mind.

 

[maxheadroom]

1. General Surgery programs can usually "smell" the Plastics on your application. Most GenSurg programs are not interested in training people who want to go into Plastics.

2. We always wonder why you picked where you did your aways. If you did them all on the West Coast, don't expect Midwestern programs or East Coast programs to be as interested. We understand why you do rotations in a geographic area.

3. It matters WHO wrote your letters and WHAT they say. Mike Bentz writes letters that make almost every applicant sound like s/he walks on water. Once you've read a few of his letters, you pick up on the "key phrases" that he uses to distinguish top-notch candidates from the rest of the applicants.

Good luck in the match!

 

[ctusfinest]

Thanks for the help!

Follow up to question number 1 then for people who have gone through the process. How do you go about asking for recommendations from general surgery mentors for the gen surg match? Do they normally ask why you aren't doing an early gen surg rotation and why you are doing aways in plastic surgery? If so, do you go ahead and tell them that general surgey is a 2nd choice? I could see this going over somewhat poorly...

1. General Surgery programs can usually "smell" the Plastics on your application. Most GenSurg programs are not interested in training people who want to go into Plastics.

2. We always wonder why you picked where you did your aways. If you did them all on the West Coast, don't expect Midwestern programs or East Coast programs to be as interested. We understand why you do rotations in a geographic area.

3. It matters WHO wrote your letters and WHAT they say. Mike Bentz writes letters that make almost every applicant sound like s/he walks on water. Once you've read a few of his letters, you pick up on the "key phrases" that he uses to distinguish top-notch candidates from the rest of the applicants.

Good luck in the match!

 

[medicinednh09]

I personally think that the best think you can do is be honest with everyone about your plans. I applied in both gen surg and plastic surg, and I didn't even do a gen surg sub I. I asked for a letter from the gen surg chairman for the gen surg application, and told him exactly about my plan: apply in both, with plastic surgery my main priority. he didn't care at all, and still wrote me a great letter. On my gen surg personal statement I wrote that I was applying in both gen surg and plastic surgery, and that gen surg was my second choice of specialty. i applied to penn, columbia, and mass general and got all 3 interview offers in gen surg. so, based on that experience, I think that what hurts you is trying to hide that you are PRS, then they don't trust you. Be up front with them, and they will trust you enough to interview you. They just don't want to get screwed, but they do want to interview you if you are a strong candidate.

 

[Valadi]

I had the opposite experience. Deans at my school made me get a gen surg chair letter even though I was only applying to PRS programs. I'd never worked with him before and he didn't know me (he was new). We had a 10 minute "interview" and he said he'd write me a "great" letter. By all accounts he wrote a letter that tried to torch me. This is despite getting honors and spectacular reviews from my third year clerkship, aoa, etc. The letters/calls from well-known plastic surgery faculty saved me (I hope. Will let you know on Friday..).

I would find a mentor you can absolutely trust in both fields to look over everything and vouch for you.

 

[marathon261]

My Plastics advisor told me to have completely separate letters for General Surgery and Plastics. He also gave me a list of General Surgery programs that he considered to be "Plastics applicant friendly." He also told me that the key words for General Surgery interviews were that I wanted to be a "fully trained surgeon" in the Plastics world.

I had more General Surgery interviews at big name places than I expected, but I hope I don't need them!