What will you to do when....?

[doc081]

Hi friends,

I am an international medical graduate 2006 and had descent scores 98,96,cs pass 2nd attempt,83 with 2 US Lors and a publication I am working on. I am in position where I can do nothing except wait for interviews

I applied for ERAS 2009 and had got mostly rejections except one mail with an invitation for an IM spot. I want to contact programs coordinators, mention my interests in their programs.I need suggestions (mainly from residents on this website) for :

• Does it leaves a bad impression if I contact them as they already have tons of applications?
• Am I late in initiating the process of contacting

I will really appreciate feedback from you guys.

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[dragonfly99]

It might be a little late but it's not too late.
You could email or call program directors. Keep it short and to the point (i.e. I'm an IMG who passed all the steps first try, 1 publication, very interested in your program, wondering whether you could take a look at my application b/c I'd love to get an interview). If you send email or letters, make sure the English is flawless.

If you have any MD's who wrote your letters of rec. who work in the US and could email or call someone on your behalf to try and get you an interview, that would be ideal. Or maybe your PI (even if a PhD) might know an MD or two at residency programs...some of them do and some don't have connections within clinical medicine.

If you really hurry up you could still send out more applications as well. Maybe you just need to apply more places...

 

[tetris]

If you have any MD's who wrote your letters of rec. who work in the US and could email or call someone on your behalf to try and get you an interview, that would be ideal.

Interesting. One of my LOR writers would do it if I asked, but I wonder how effective it would be for him to call out of the blue considering that he's in a different specialty than the PD, possibly another State, and has never met the PD.

I'm applying to FP and IM programs, and the LOR writer is a radiologist at a good NYC hospital.

What do you think?

 

[tetris]

dragonfly, a related question I have is: what about having this LOR writer call the PD of a program where I've had an interviewed? The interview went pretty well IMO and I like the program, and I discussed the radiologist and my relationship with him.

If I ask him to call, I think I should do so around Jan/Feb, close to ranking time.

Please advise.

 

[doc081]

Thanks you guys,

To dragonfly:
I agree with your advice, thank you so much. I will be contacting program coordinators soon. Please advice me is it considered unprofessional if I ask them to look at my application.

 

[doc081]

It might be a little late but it's not too late.
You could email or call program directors. Keep it short and to the point (i.e. I'm an IMG who passed all the steps first try, 1 publication, very interested in your program, wondering whether you could take a look at my application b/c I'd love to get an interview). If you send email or letters, make sure the English is flawless.

If you have any MD's who wrote your letters of rec. who work in the US and could email or call someone on your behalf to try and get you an interview, that would be ideal. Or maybe your PI (even if a PhD) might know an MD or two at residency programs...some of them do and some don't have connections within clinical medicine.

If you really hurry up you could still send out more applications as well. Maybe you just need to apply more places...

HI

Should I mention in my email or when I call, what specific interests I have in their programs?

Thanks

Doc081

 

[dragonfly99]

tetris,
yes, I think to have someone call a program where you have already interviewed is even more effective than having someone call places you haven't even interviewed or been invited yet. In your situation tetris I would definitely do that. You state you already interviewed there and you liked the place...US medical grads will commonly do this (have someone make a phone call on their behalf) in the more competitive specialties especially. I never did this for medicine interviews but I already knew I was going to match (at my medical school's hospital at least, even if nowhere else wanted me). I did do it when I was interviewing for fellowships. Yes, I would wait until a little later in your case...like January or something...try to figure out when the program makes its rank list...they probably do it in February but I'm not sure.

For the other poster/original poster, I would try and find contact info for the Program Director (i.e. the MD in charge of the residency program), not the program coordinator, who is really an administrative assistant/secretary to the program director and is not a physician. The program coordinator is a good person to ask questions about directions, travel arrangements, whether your file is complete, etc. but he/she probably doesn't have anything to do with deciding who gets interviewed. If you can do some detective work on the internet you may be able to find/figure out the email address of the actual program director. If not, you could try mailing him a short <1 page note/letter stating your interest in the program, and why you are interested, and I would tell him your step 1 and 2 scores, and that you have passed all of the steps. I also think that to have one of the people who wrote a LOR for you to call a few of these programs would be helpful. You are right - it is more helpful if they know the person and/or are in the same specialty, but any MD/attending who can make a call for you would be helpful. You may want to wait a week or so...I think some programs wait until Nov 1st to give out some more interviews, since that is when the US students get their "dean's letter" which basically gives a general summary of their grades and class rank.

 

[tetris]

Thanks very much, dragonfly99!

 

[Winged Scapula]

This forum is for the posting of OPEN positions only. Moving to ERAS/NRMP forum.