orthodex
OSRR Newbie
Posts: 4
(1/16/02 10:57:50 am)
Reply First Choice
h$%&o Everyone,
If you just got back from an interview and were certain that it was going to be your first choice what would you do? Would you call or mail them and indicate you've found your first choice, or would you just write the standard letter? I really want to go to this program, but I don't want to pressure them?
Any ideas?
Ortho2002
OSRR Fellow
Posts: 139
(1/16/02 11:19:52 am)
Reply go for it!
i think that it would be ok if you sent a letter stating that the program will be your number one choice. the only time this could hurt you is if you tell every program that! and if you want to make sure that your letter arrives in the right hands, you might want to send a carbon copy of it to the program directors e-mail address (ie. so they have a both a hard copy and electronic copy). love to hear what others think about this one. congrats on finding a program you are so psyched about!
bigjvk
OSRR Intern
Posts: 8
(1/16/02 12:36:24 pm)
Reply re: go for it!
I agree with letting your No. 1 know about it. I've been told by several residents to play your No. 1 card once and to make sure the program knows about it (immediate emails, phone calls, whatever). Don't do this more than once b/c it's amazing how word gets around between programs; especially those in the same city/area.
C arm
OSRR Newbie
Posts: 5
(1/30/02 12:34:58 am)
Reply numero uno...rank intentions
Is there any harm in telling a program you will rank them No. 1? I've wracked my brain and concluded it could only help you. Just wanna make sure I won't be shooting myself in the foot with that manuever...
Chaney3
OSRR Senior
Posts: 66
(1/30/02 2:22:19 pm)
Reply re:
Something tells me it's not the right thing to do. I only did that at 1 program, and this program is really my number one choice, obviously. I don't know, I've heard from a number of people that it's not a wise thing to do, but I see your point in that yes, it could possibly help you. You may suffer repercussions later on if you run into someone from that program at a meeting, or whatever down the road. Who the h$%& knows, this process is so crazy. Just for the sake of integrity, I have chosen not to.
orthopod99
OSRR Newbie
Posts: 4
(1/30/02 3:14:00 pm)
Reply Re: numero uno...rank intentions
I'm not trying to sound pious, but it is your word of honor. Secondly, they do talk; especially regionally.
C arm
OSRR Intern
Posts: 6
(1/30/02 3:27:28 pm)
Reply Re: numero uno...rank intentions
thanks for the input guys...i should've clarified initially that I was only sending that message to my true No. 1 and not to anyone else...i agree, relaying that message to more than one program may not be the wisest thing to do!
orthopod99
OSRR Newbie
Posts: 5
(1/30/02 4:27:19 pm)
Reply Re: numero uno...rank intentions
Oh...Congratulations. In that case, of course you tell them they're No. 1.
bonedoc2be
OSRR Senior
Posts: 75
(1/30/02 5:59:37 pm)
Reply I would not lie if i were you
If it really is your number one choice, I would think telling them is a great idea. You are playing with fire however if you go around lying to places telling them "what they want to hear"
Eortho
OSRR Intern
Posts: 10
(1/30/02 6:07:46 pm)
Reply Re: numero uno...rank intentions
Ortho is a small world. Academic ortho is even smaller. Chairmen, directors talk about applicants so, as I was told by a resident, only tell a program that you will rank them no. 1 if you really will rank it no. 1. From what I gather, it can't hurt to tell a program that it is your no. 1 choice. Whether or not they take that into consideration in making up the rank list is an entirely different story.
Scott Silverstein
WVU Staff
Posts: 13
(1/30/02 6:37:16 pm)
Reply telling a program they are No. 1
I think (know) that it can help you.
Your right chairmen do talk and it could really come back and haunt you one of these days if you lie about it.
If you want to go somewhere rather than just saying it the way to GET IN is have your chairman call that program and tell them you really want to go there. That carries alot of weight come rank meeting time!!
Scott
carlos
OSRR Intern
Posts: 7
(1/30/02 7:43:32 pm)
Reply Telling a program that they are your No. 1 choice
Sir,
Any good alternatives to having the chairman of your program make that call?
As an independent applicant who graduated 5 years ago and is currently serving in the military, my circumstances are somewhat different. I am not as close to my med school program as virtually every 4th year med student applying for ortho. Besides, it would seem to me that asking the chairman of my old med school to make such a call is in essence telling him that I will not be ranking my home school program No. 1. I would be afraid that such move could hurt my chances there.
Thank you
BoneWax
OSRR Intern
Posts: 11
(1/30/02 7:52:12 pm)
Reply RE:
I'm in the same boat. Dr. Silverstein, if I told my chairman to call another program, that pretty much drops me on HIS rank list, something I don't want to do. So as Carlos said, any other options for those poor souls whose chairmen are oh-so-sensitive? I have heard of stories about how our chairman "screwed" an applicant some years ago who openly showed strong interest in a program other than our home school (i.e. screwed him in his chairman letter).
Scott Silverstein
WVU Staff
Posts: 15
(1/30/02 8:07:34 pm)
Reply chairmen
you can have other people who wrote you recs do it
however, you can approach a chair like a man and tell him that you like their program alot but there is one program that you feel is the best for you and ask them to call. that carries the most weight. if they like you as more than just a marginal candidate they'll rank you anyways and they can change their letter at this point....
bonedoc2be
OSRR Fellow
Posts: 76
(1/30/02 10:34:40 pm)
Reply I too am afraid to step on my chairmans toes
He kinda asked me why I was even applying to this one place (he is my advisor and i was asking him about programs) and since it is close to our program geographically i think there is some rivalry. Well turns out that after interviewing there I really like it and it will most likely be my number one (still debating). I think asking him to call would be a bad move. That would be nice though if your chairman would do that. Speaking of chairman, Yo Dr Silverstein is it true that Dr Blaha is leaving WVU?
UCBoneboy
OSRR Intern
Posts: 16
(1/31/02 3:49:45 pm)
Reply Re: I too am afraid to step on my chairmans toes
Boedoc2be, that program you think might be number 1, wouldn't happen to be WashU would it? Hmmm.
If so, what made it go to the top of your list?
A Curious boy
bonedoc2be
OSRR Fellow
Posts: 77
(2/1/02 11:22:41 am)
Reply yeah
so do i know you or what? Basically I thought it was a pretty impressive place and all the sterotypes i heard about did not seem to be that bad when i was there. Sure you work hard, but isnt that what we are supposed to do, get as much exposure as possible while someonw is there to cover our rears? I am not against working hard for 5 years. Oh and as for what made me sway my mind, it is just a combo of things, not the least being my good impression of the program. Others are geography, family, wife, cost of living. That being said it is still a very competitive place to get into and I would consider myself fortunate if I were able to get a spot there. So have we met UCBoneboy? I think so if UC is cinn, not calif.
Spirit Mike
OSRR Junior
Posts: 40
(2/3/02 2:28:55 am)
Reply What I did.
Essentially, I did not ask my chairman to tell my number one program that they were No. 1. One reason was because although he "wrote" me a letter, I never did come into much contact with him. Second, he's our interim chair and I don't even know that he knows the chairman all that well of the program I am ranking No. 1. So, I talked to one of my letter writers to update him on my progress with interviews and he asks me if I would like him to call the chairman of that program. I said yes . . . so that was that. Still though, he had pretty much said that if I ever needed anything from him, or if he could help in any way, I just had to ask, so I probably would have asked him to do that even if he hadn't already offered.
If you have a chair that's very proud of his program and you get the feeling he'd take offense and you wanting him to call another program on your behalf, of course don't do it. However, an alternative would be to ask one of your friendly letter writers who hold more allegiance to how YOU do, than how your program does.
Oh, and I definitely agree on not telling multiple programs that they are No. 1. Several of the chairman that I know of keep tabs on that sort of thing . . .
I wouldn't think you'd want some sort of vendetta when it comes to a fellowship . . . just because you told everyone that they were No. 1.
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