I agree with both posts. Looking back and I can still say in all honesty other than the places I rotated at, I had no real idea about any other program. You just learn to be a great bullsh&*er. I had some "rumors" from this board, which I will admit do influence your initial thoughs about a program because from the time you step foot in the door on interview day you are recalling some of what you read/heard to see for yourself. However, all those rumors are not substanciated because everyone has on their game face at interviews. And rightly so, everyone you talk to on those days is doing orthopedics, something they love, so yes they may have liked somewhere else better for whatever reason (name, location, significant other, research oppurtunities, blah blah blah...etc) but it still ain't that bad wherever they are at, its still ortho and they're livin' the dream baby. I bitch my fair share about the twisted system in which we live our lives but in the end getting a spot is all one giant game and should be approached as such. How great would it be if you could really answer the question, why do you want to come here? with, "because it cost $10 or whatever to apply and you bit on giving me an interview." "Yes, I read your web site, didn't tell me anything anybody else's site told me, yes I read orthogate and asked my residents and everyone was cool and every program has strengths and weaknesses but in the end why do you want me". Or if they ask "what particular field are you interested in?". Lets see, most students have done 2-3 months ortho and consider there is joints, spine, peds, hand, foot and ankle, onc, trauma, research, whatever else superspecialized field you can think of. So that question is absolutly retarted. As well as the one about, "where do you see yoursef in 10 years?". I'd love to say, "in 10 years I'm gona be sittin' in your chair, so you had better not slack for one second because I'm gona be on you like stink on sh*& boy!" Give me a break. What would be really cool would be if there were garenteed ways in, like if you scored >270 or could bench 350 or own a heismen.
I would say a better way to do it or at least a way to take away some of the cloudyness to the picture is to let programs offer their own competitive salaries and do away with the match. Liken it to this, "if you get yourself into big trouble are you gona go to the lawyer down the street with a dead plant in the waiting room (because he is a lawyer) or are you gona go to the guy downtown in the penthouse suite. The guy in the penthouse suite is there for a reason. Let the free market drive the competetivness of our system and take away the regulations. When JD's graduate the law firms don't say well, lets all get paid 40 grand give or take and see who wants to go where with the hope that in ten years we will sort it out ourselves in terms of who if competitive. This way if you are gona pay a resident 60-80 grand you had better be damn sure he is the smartest guy you can get and not a guy with ok scores who seemed cool and worked hard and all the bull because anyone can put on a smile for a month long audition.
My point I guess is, getting a spot is always a game and never forget it. Thats for the 3's for us 4' our fate is sealed and "if you find yourself riding alone in green fields with the sun on your back, don't worry because you are in Elecion and you're already dead!"
