Surg Rejections

[Glass Half MD?]

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262 on boards, all A's clinically at my state school, some research, strong letters and Vanderbilt Gen Surg wouldn't even give me an interview. WTF? I never realized Vanderbilt General Surgery was as hard as UCSF Derm or something. Nothing like a blunt rejection to bruise the ol' ego.

 

[SocialistMD]

I think a lot has to do with the completeness of one's application and letters of recommendation instead of simply grades and USMLE scores.

 

[Glass Half MD?]

How would you define (more importantly Program Directors define) the "completeness" of an application and use the "completeness" to determine who get interviews and who doesn't. Realistically most people with good scores don't just show up to exams and isolate themselves from everthing else in medical school. They will get good letters, research, and be in clubs and organizations as well. Thinking that general surgery residency placement has to do with your degree of "completeness" and not scores is simply wrong.

 

[SocialistMD]

How would you define (more importantly Program Directors define) the "completeness" of an application and use the "completeness" to determine who get interviews and who doesn't. Realistically most people with good scores don't just show up to exams and isolate themselves from everthing else in medical school. They will get good letters, research, and be in clubs and organizations as well. Thinking that general surgery residency placement has to do with your degree of "completeness" and not scores is simply wrong.

Ok, well, I do not have a 262 or all A's clinically from my state school, but I had to turn down my Vanderbilt invite today because I do not have any dates left to interview. There must be more to their selection process than simply scores. Maybe your arrogance translated onto your application, because it definitely did on your last post (it's never a good idea to say someone is "simply wrong" when you do not have all the facts).

 

[mcindoe]

How would you define (more importantly Program Directors define) the "completeness" of an application and use the "completeness" to determine who get interviews and who doesn't. Realistically most people with good scores don't just show up to exams and isolate themselves from everthing else in medical school. They will get good letters, research, and be in clubs and organizations as well. Thinking that general surgery residency placement has to do with your degree of "completeness" and not scores is simply wrong.

i wouldn't regard it as a matter of "completeness" but rather a matter of "complexity". consider your application like a fine bottle of wine...it may come from a famous chateau with a great reputation, praised by critics to be of the highest caliber, and command an exceedingly high price for its value. but there may always be someone who sips the wine and doesn't necessarily like the taste of it, no matter how many accolades have been ascribed to its vintage.

i don't mean to trivialize this by comparing our applications to wine quality, but i'm going through the same thing and it frustrates me to no end to be dealing with a process that should be inherently logical and consistent yet is nothing but erratic and schizoid. and as future surgeons, we expect things to make sense and follow some degree of order for the same reasons we expect to find the organs and vessels in their appropriate locations when we make an incision...otherwise it's a bloody mess.

 

[Glass Half MD?]

I agree with McIndoe. Who gets interviews is seems complex and erratic with no rhyme or reason sometimes. You interpreted my stated my scores and suprise that I didn't get an interview as arrogance and maintain that there is some secret factor of gestalt or completeness than you have. This unknown factor you speak of evades me. All I said was to say that grades aren't aren't extremely important in determing interview is wrong. I stand by this. Some programs openly admit they have cutoffs or grade prerequisites for interviews. If there is some arrogance in me posts that you picked up on and vanderbilt picked up on then I guess the other programs that did give me interviews are not quite as astute as Vanderbilt and Socialistmd.

 

[Gator Fan]

I also got the big fat NO from Hopkins today.

 

[snowball77]

Hopkins, Stanford and for some damn totally inexplicable reason LSU(well they haven't invited me at least).

I feel MGH's rejection is just around the bend

 

[Gator Fan]

Emory

 

[tom_jones]

Emory

me too. Goodbye hotlanta

 

[Shanopy]

Indiana

rejection in two lines. Ouch.

Has anyone gotten an interview lately?

 

[Amy]

Has anyone gotten an interview lately?

Good question. I haven't gotten an offer in a couple weeks, and I'd like a few more, but I'm losing hope.

I did get Emory's e-mail yesterday, and one from UIC today. I'm totally desensitized to it now.

 

[kinetic]

At this point in the interview season, although it is TECHNICALLY still possible to get an interview, it is a very slim chance. Most (99%) of intervews have been handed out. Nevertheless, if you are a very marginal candidate (i.e., on the border of acceptability) and they have not outright rejected you, it is possible that -- later on, when people start dropping interviews due to fatigue -- you may get an interview at that institution. That's my understanding, based on speaking with programs.

 

[jmattwilson]

Vandy. That is the last one I was waiting on. Oh well

 

[Smurfette]

Indiana

rejection in two lines. Ouch.

Has anyone gotten an interview lately?

I actually got an interview last week...the program didn't start downloading anything of mine until Nov. 8 (I submitted it to them in September) and it sounded like they didn't review anyone's until then.

Still haven't heard from several programs, but I assume I just didn't make the cut. Afterall, even if I was "waitlisted" and then get an interview later on, what are the odds that the program would rank me high enough for me to match there if I was borderline to interview there in the first place?

 

[Gator Fan]

Still haven't heard from several programs, but I assume I just didn't make the cut. Afterall, even if I was "waitlisted" and then get an interview later on, what are the odds that the program would rank me high enough for me to match there if I was borderline to interview there in the first place?

I was wondering this myself. I have gotten a few interviews at places where I was obviously waitlisted (ie. the interview just came in and I was given one date). What are the chances of matching at these places?

 

[KimR]

At this point in the interview season, although it is TECHNICALLY still possible to get an interview, it is a very slim chance. Most (99%) of intervews have been handed out. Nevertheless, if you are a very marginal candidate (i.e., on the border of acceptability) and they have not outright rejected you, it is possible that -- later on, when people start dropping interviews due to fatigue -- you may get an interview at that institution. That's my understanding, based on speaking with programs.

It must technically be possible; I got two today. One program offered six dates and one offered two. Keep hoping! 😉

 

[cutslikeaknife]

Agree with Kim R... I just got 3 interviews in the last two weeks, all from University programs. Keep 'em coming!

 

[kinetic]

Hmm ...I must just suck. 😀 Well, good for you guys. 😡

 

[tasmanian]

yeah, two interviews for 2 days - Geisinger (PA) and NY Med College Sound Shore - both had only 2 dates available.

 

[whipple]

I did received 4 interview yesterday. They were from Thomas Jefferson, NYU, Emory and University of Florida/Jacksonville. I don't know what to do with them. It seems like am being selected b'cos other students rejected them. Some offered 5 dates, others 2. Am worried!!!! . I don't want to waste my money going there and not being ranked higher. These programs are playing games with us.

 

[debvz]

Vandy. That is the last one I was waiting on. Oh well

jmatt--
Did vandy notify you by email or snail mail? They're the last one i am waiting on too, and since i wont be home to pick up snail mail until mid-dec, i wont know til then, unless they email me.

Received an invite today from Memorial Health-Savannah -- They'd originally put me on hold until my step 2 scores were received, and said they'd have to receive them by i think nov 15...... they werent released until nov 21, and i got the invite this morning -- odd.... i declined it anyway.

Also declined today EVMS and LSU-NO.

Good luck to everyone on the trail. I'm 4 down, 12 to go.

deb

 

[jmattwilson]

Deb I recieved snail mail from vandy. It was the nicest rejection I have recieved handwritten by the PD and all.

jmatt--
Did vandy notify you by email or snail mail? They're the last one i am waiting on too, and since i wont be home to pick up snail mail until mid-dec, i wont know til then, unless they email me.

Received an invite today from Memorial Health-Savannah -- They'd originally put me on hold until my step 2 scores were received, and said they'd have to receive them by i think nov 15...... they werent released until nov 21, and i got the invite this morning -- odd.... i declined it anyway.

Also declined today EVMS and LSU-NO.

Good luck to everyone on the trail. I'm 4 down, 12 to go.

deb