Contacting programs pre-interview

I got a few interviews at places that I contacted, but also haven't heard anything or got turned down from one or two. I think it is nice to show that you are interested, especially if you are already a good applicant. But I would be honest about the ones you contact. The only ones I would contact are the select few that you are very interested in. Don't be fake and I think it can do nothing but help.

Ortho tends to be more no-nonsense. In my humble opinion, and from everything I've heard, contacting programs can come across as "gimmicky" at worst, and does not make a difference at best.

Considering aways, obviously performing an away at a place helps your chances at matching at the place - from their end. (unless you sucked it up )
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to clarify.. if more and more people rotate at places and rank those places at the top of the list.. there is a higher chance of people saying they matched at a place that they rotated at.

It's just probability
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You guys put too much emphasis on the away rotations. Not everyone can do aways at every place.

The reason why a lot of people match at one of their rotations has little to do with the fact that it 'enhanced' their chances of getting in.

consider the following:

If you do an away rotation, you either really like it, or dislike it.

In the beginning, one of the reasons you rotated their was because you liked aspects of the program that matched your life (ie location, lifestyle, whatever). You liked it before you went there. No one says, ahh what a lousy place, I'm going to spend a month there, that sounds like a great idea! You also pick your aways based on the strategy of "I think I could match there, realistically".

So, in the end, you're going to rank it either at the top, or far down your rank list.

It's natural human psychology to go with the familar. Let's say you interview with 10 programs. You don't really know the programs..and even if you thought you did, you will never trust your judgement as much as your experience that you had from you away. So, chances are, even if a place was steller, if you liked the place where you rotated, you still would rank your rotated place higher. You trust the familar. The only exception are your 'reach' places.. like the places you got interviews at that you never thought you would match at. In that case, you're going to rank those higher than your away rotation, but you're less likely to match there in the beginning because it is a 'reach'.

..and then at the end of it..the program knows you better, and trusts you, so you may have someone stick out their neck for you (that knows you from rotating..).

So it all adds up in the end, but it really has little to do with the concept of 'I have to rotate somewhere to get in'.. It really isn't the case.

Soo you can only be interested in the 3 or so programs you rotated at?

There are several places that I'm legitimately interested in and even tried to rotate at, but were full on vsas.

I doubt it hurts to contact the program, but the PD's are smart enough to realize that if you were truly interested in their program--and not just jockeying for an interview--you would have done an away rotation there. Also these guys are all attending physicians, working 60-80+ hours a week, so they likely don't have time to field 400+ phone calls from all their applicants.

In my opinion, this is absolutely kosher. Flip side: I think it has ZERO affect on whether or not you get an interview. I have done this for a handful of programs that I didn't hear from in the first round/was waitlisted at - and to this point have not received an invite from any of them.

It certainly couldn't hurt though - maybe it'll give you a slight edge, but in all liklihood, you're already pigeon-holed where you're going to be, and you just have to hope for some cancellations...