Just curious. When you guys go on a second visit to a program, what are you doing when you go there and what are you hoping to gain that you didn't get on the initial interview? Do you shadow in the ED? Meet the residents outside of the ED? Throw a shout out to the PD? Do you bring your spouses on these visits? etc...
In all seriousness, Im going on one second look and taking my wife to check the place out. Will observe the ED, talk to the residents and PD again. Its both a chance for me to look at the sort of day to day functioning and for them to fully realize that they'd be crazy not to pick me up. So spouse selling, confirming a choice and of course letting them know Im serious.
I spoke to a couple of places yesterday to schedule a second look. Both allow you to shadow in the ED for a few hours. One has an open door policy, so they said come whenever you want, go directly to the ED and stay as long as you want to. The other one scheduled me, and I'm supposed to shadow this resident for 2 or three hours.
My spouse has already been there with me for the interview, so we got the idea. I don't plan to meet the PD, and I doubt he'll even know about my second look at these places. What I hope to get is a good feel about how the ED works, how hectic it gets, how people interact, see what's expected from an intern and how I feel about it. They were both overcrowded places with beds on the halls before noon, and I want to see if there's more than "moving the meat" happenning, or if that's about all you get there.
More of the programs I have been to say that despite the trend of 2nd looks they do not influence the decision. I do believe this, but they also say "let us know if you want to go here". What better way...Still I hope this trend dies fast.
What are the odds of being pimped in a second look?
I am doing one this week and am slightly nervous of making my great first impression not so great the second time by not knowing half of what they are asking me.
Not that I went on any second looks, but if a program pimped me while I was there, I would have serious second thoughts about it.
The point of the second look is geared to the applicant. So that you can get a better feel of the program. Not a second chance for the program to get at you. *shrug* but I am new fangled like that.
