The name of the game is information gathering. The most useful information seemed to come from outside of the 15-20 min interviews conducted at any programs, and from one-on-one with the residents (and occasionally the attendings) - who usually are pretty straightforward and honest as they've all been through the process only a few years before. Also Know well the questions appropriate to ask Attendings vs. questions to ask residents vs. questions to ask ancillary staff. This tenet is one of basic common sense, where you don't want to ask the Attendings which bars to meet hotties. But anyways, here are some guestions to think about yourself and may be appropriate to ask those you encounter at different programs.
1) Will I be able to go to the fellowship/practice of my choosing upon finishing this program?
2) Are you happy here? Is your significant other? (Sniff out Malignant programs)
3) Are the program and the town/city conducive to family/single life?
4) Where did you rank this program and why?
5) Does the chairman plan on staying for the next 5 years?
6) What are the programs greatest deficits?
7) What changes to the program will there be in the future?
Rendering Error in layout BBCode/Image: Layout 'BBCode/Image:default' Not Found. Please enable debug mode for more information.
Are you in compliance with the 80 hr work wk?
9) Do the attendings get along with each other? - with the residents?
10) Do the residents get along with each other? - with the attendings?
11) How does this program compare to some of the others the residents were considering when they were ms4s?
12) How early and often do you get to the OR and how many cases/year will I do as 1st assist upon completing this program?
13) Is every subspecialty represented well?
14) Will you be able to handle anything that walks through the door after finishing here?
15) What are the avg. OITE scores?
16) Have any residents left the program in the past?
17) How are conferences/didactics organized?
18) What kind of research could I do if coming here? (for research track/fellowship considerations)
19) What's the salary, benefits, health/dental/medical plan like?
20) How much is the educational stipend?
21) Will there be any down time to work-out?
22) Are any of the spots spoken for already outside of the match?
23) Is an away AI necessary to be seriously considered for a spot?
24) If I'm really interested in coming here, what should I be doing to make that happen?
25) So what's orthopedics, anyway? (just kidding, but this will surely leave an "impression" if you ask it to the chairman?)
I'm sure there are other things to ask and to be thinking about - but it all comes together throughout the entire process - and it can go on for awhile. Y'all will see, but then again that's part of the fun of it all.
-!-
"on your deathbed you will receive total consciousness. - So I got that going for me, which is nice."
