Waitlist vs Silence Poll

[ValleyRad2018]

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Maybe it's just me, but the 'waitlist' or 'hold-status' email doesn't always go over too well. I will take a pleasant rejection any day, but the former seems to leave you in an uncomfortable gray zone, particularly if you end up getting an interview invitation from said program.

Curious as to your thoughts? Do you feel better being waitlisted or simply silence with no rejection during peak interview season?

 

[cyberchicken001]

Maybe it's just me, but the 'waitlist' or 'hold-status' email doesn't always go over too well. I will take a pleasant rejection any day, but the former seems to leave you in an uncomfortable gray zone, particularly if you end up getting an interview invitation from said program.

Curious as to your thoughts? Do you feel better being waitlisted or simply silence with no rejection during peak interview season?

I would rather be put on a wait list as long as the program also sends out rejections. That way I know there's a chance of me getting an invite if people cancel. When there is silence, I have no idea where I stand.

 

[ValleyRad2018]

I would rather be put on a wait list as long as the program also sends out rejections. That way I know there's a chance of me getting an invite if people cancel. When there is silence, I have no idea where I stand.

Fair enough. But do you not feel like you are at a disadvantage showing up for the interview when you were initially waitlisted?

 

[cyberchicken001]

Fair enough. But do you not feel like you are at a disadvantage showing up for the interview when you were initially waitlisted?

Maybe, but from everything I've heard the interview counts just as much as anything else, so you can still match there. There are so many stories of people matching at places after getting late invites. And nowadays with the spreadsheet, everyone knows when you weren't in the first cut so it's not like silence totally hides that.

 

[ValleyRad2018]

Maybe, but from everything I've heard the interview counts just as much as anything else, so you can still match there. There are so many stories of people matching at places after getting late invites. And nowadays with the spreadsheet, everyone knows when you weren't in the first cut so it's not like silence totally hides that.

To be honest, it just feels more like a soft rejection to me. Despite the stories that are out there, I don't want my plan A to be a program's plan B. I'm sure I'll get destroyed on here for taking interviews for granted, but if you are able, don't you want to be at a place that wants you?

 

[cyberchicken001]

To be honest, it just feels more like a soft rejection to me. Despite the stories that are out there, I don't want my plan A to be a program's plan B. I'm sure I'll get destroyed on here for taking interviews for granted, but if you are able, don't you want to be at a place that wants you?

I wouldn't take it so personally. From their perspective, you are one of hundreds of applicants. There's no way for them to know how awesome you are. It's not that they don't want you. If given the chance take the interview and rank based on your preference, not what you think they think of you. This is just my opinion though.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

Any news is good news to me.

 

[ValleyRad2018]

I wouldn't take it so personally. From their perspective, you are one of hundreds of applicants. There's no way for them to know how awesome you are. It's not that they don't want you. If given the chance take the interview and rank based on your preference, not what you think they think of you. This is just my opinion though.

I don't take it personal. I've been through this process before and matched. I know there can be a lot of games played during this process, but it meant something to me if a program was genuinely interested. I actually received a 'love letter' and matched at that program. I talked about the letter with the PD when I arrived. Maybe it's just human nature to view things more favorably when the feelings seem mutual.

Either way, when I get a waitlist email, I read it as, "We have reviewed your application and you weren't good enough to fill our allotted spots. The only way you will interview at our program is if someone better than you decides to cancel."

Comparing that with the program that is clearly interested in you from the start, it kind of becomes an easy decision. But that's just me and why I created this poll, to see how you all felt about it.

I appreciate the input so far.

 

[ValleyRad2018]

If I were a PD I would not send out waitlist emails. Even with the spreadsheet, there is the idea that interviews are sent out in waves, which is easier to swallow than the aforementioned scenario.

 

[ValleyRad2018]

Again, I hope my comments are not perceived in the wrong way. In general surgery, you would visit programs that routinely fired 1-2 residents per year, or 1-2 residents per year quit, so it seemed quite important to me to find a program with mutual interest.

Radiology is obviously a little different, and if your main goal is to match at the "best" place, then being on the waitlist should be no problem. The number one goal, particularly in a competitive specialty like radiology, is to get a job. But assuming you have the requisite number of interviews to almost guarantee a match, I personally would feel much better matching at a place where I was wanted, even if it meant passing up on a 'bigger name' program that I would have potentially squeaked into.

In one sense waitlist emails add an extra layer of transparency, which is nice, but they also remove all doubt as far as being in that program's 'top cut.'

 

[rrxr]

Have you ever gone to a program you thought would be a safety, and it turned out you loved it? I know it’s already happened to me. I imagine the same thing happens on the program side. But if you want to be at a place that makes you feel wanted, that’s perfectly valid and you should rank how you’ll be happy.

 

[ValleyRad2018]

Have you ever gone to a program you thought would be a safety, and it turned out you loved it? I know it’s already happened to me. I imagine the same thing happens on the program side. But if you want to be at a place that makes you feel wanted, that’s perfectly valid and you should rank how you’ll be happy.

Totally fair, and I completely understand what you're talking about. I think back to ranking Gen Surg programs and it was not at all how I anticipated. My pre- and post-interview impressions changed constantly, and trying to put all of the information/feelings from the trail into a rank list was very difficult. I can imagine the same thing occurs on the program's side.

All I'm saying is the mutual interest aspect of this process begins with an invitation to interview and continues through match day. I received quite a bit of feedback after interviews last time around, that, for better or worse, factored into my ultimate ranking decision. There are different ways to approach this process, but for me, I would rather receive a rejection or an interview invitation when one comes available (or nothing).