Contact from programs

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Gogiants,

I'm not suggesting anyone is foolish. I just want you guys to understand how the match algorithim works. All this talk about phone calls and letters is crap. Although it may feel all nice and fuzzy inside to feel wanted and loved, it should not change your rank list. Rank the programs in order of your preference.

SF


UTSouthwestern said:
Sage advice.

Some programs were/are notorious for telling almost everyone that interviews with them that they will be ranked highly. Why do that? If a program with 12 spots tells 180 candidates that they will all "be ranked highly" and those candidates in turn rank that program # 1, 2, or 3, when the match algorithm is put into play, it is the program's TRUE rank list that will be followed by the matching algorithm (i.e., the program will likely get all of their spots filled with 12 members of their top 20 ranked candidates).

Therefore, don't use those letters or notes or whatever that the programs send/e-mail to you as any kind of factor in your rank list. If you do, you are only serving their interests, not your own.
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Gogiants,

I'm not suggesting anyone is foolish. I just want you guys to understand how the algorithim works and to make sure that everyone ranks their programs according to their preference. All this talk about contact phone calls and letters is crap. it should not change how you rank your programs.

SF
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Duckie24 said:
Really? Then why the extreme interest in who has been contacted from what program? If it has no bearing on anything whatsoever then who cares about all these letters, phone calls, emails? I mean if we all don't put any bearing on this at all, then why does it make a difference if I received a contact from a program while someone else didn't?
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Mostly to calm my anxiety for a few days. Regardless of what feedback I (hopefully) get, my #1 will still end up being #1 on the list. However, if everyone else is getting all sorts of handwritten letters and baked goods from my #1 and I am not, then it will not crush me as much when I don't match there. I'm just looking for some sign that I'm on ANYONES rank list to calm my nerves.
 
badgas said:
Mostly to calm my anxiety for a few days. Regardless of what feedback I (hopefully) get, my #1 will still end up being #1 on the list. However, if everyone else is getting all sorts of handwritten letters and baked goods from my #1 and I am not, then it will not crush me as much when I don't match there. I'm just looking for some sign that I'm on ANYONES rank list to calm my nerves.
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Understood. And believe me, I'm checking my snail + email just like everyone else b/c I want the warm fuzzies too. But on the other hand, just like the folks who have done this before us have said, none of this contact means anything in the end.

58 more days of madness.
 
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While this subject is hot, anyone hear anything from URochester or any of the Chicago porgrams?

Yea yeah, I know, its a sickness. I forsee myself needing script for Lexapro soon for this GAD that I now have :)
 
Induc(junc)tion said:
While this subject is hot, anyone hear anything from URochester or any of the Chicago porgrams?

Yea yeah, I know, its a sickness. I forsee myself needing script for Lexapro soon for this GAD that I now have :)
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Which program sent you the love??
 
Here's what I've gotten: A form/thank u letter from Wash U PD & a thank u letter from Yale via snail mail. Neither one personalized so I doubt it carries any weight. They both look like something everyone gets. G'luck everyone.
 
Has anyone gotten anything back from Vanderbilt? Email, snail mail, anything?
 
does everyone who interviewed at ucsf get the dr. miller letter? anyone? i'm just curious because it looks a little form-lettery
 
I'll add: a totally generic snail mail from Yale, a non-generic "thank you for your thank you" from the PD at BID, a non-generic email from a Stanford interviewer, and a quasi-generic email from the PD at JHU.
 
Got a personalized letter with professional calligraphy from Duke. UCSF baked me cookies that all say "PLEASE RANK US #1." MGH offered to do my laundry for the next 4 years if I go there. And Mayo sent a strip-o-gram.
 
badgas said:
Got a personalized letter with professional calligraphy from Duke. UCSF baked me cookies that all say "PLEASE RANK US #1." MGH offered to do my laundry for the next 4 years if I go there. And Mayo sent a strip-o-gram.
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I will be looking forward to the strip-o-gram from Mayo:D But, I did get a personal email from the PD at Mayo (Rochester).
 
smgilles said:
I will be looking forward to the strip-o-gram from Mayo:D But, I did get a personal email from the PD at Mayo (Rochester).
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OOhhhhh... you didn't get the strip-o-gram? :oops: Just a personalized email? Oh well, maybe they'll rank you anyways :)
 
Of the various strip-o-grams sent to me by programs, I'd say the Mayo ones were pretty average. The Penn State one, however, helped to bump that program way up my list. Good thing too, since no one wanted to talk about htem in the Interview Expereince thread! :D
 
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FWIW email from Louisville, snail mail from Maryland.

No strip-o-grams from either unfortunately.:confused:
 
I got a call from Pitt, card from UVA, spoke to people at UH-CWRU because I did a 2nd look.

I think a lot of this, except maybe personalized stuff like calls/specific emails...is all form stuff. One chairman's secretary emailed me to ask if I had gotten a thank you letter. So clearly, the chairman is not putting pen to paper or anything.
 
So, I'm still trying to dodge sending out thank you cards. Has anyone received any post interview positive feedback despite not sending that program a thank you card/letter and not doing a second look?
 
Purpose said:
So, I'm still trying to dodge sending out thank you cards. Has anyone received any post interview positive feedback despite not sending that program a thank you card/letter and not doing a second look?
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Yeah, got an email from Lousiville. Now I feel more compelled to send them in particular some thank yous.
 
Bertelman said:
Yeah, got an email from Lousiville. Now I feel more compelled to send them in particular some thank yous.
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Anyone hear anything from UW-madison?
 
an update:

BWH: form letter from PD; MGH: phone call from interviewer; BID: email from PD; UCSF: form letter from chair; stanford: 4 emails from chair and interviewers, 1 phone call from chair, and 1 personalized letter; yale: form letter from PD; columbia: email from interviewer; upenn: 2 emails from PD and interviewer; nothing from NYU, cornell, MSSM, UofC, JHU

pls add your own updates!
-chips (yes, i am paranoid. let me be)
 
Also got letter plus phone call from Stanford Chairman....loved that. Wondering if UCSF contacts applicants in any way other than the Miller form letter.

Hey Chips, where are you thinking of going? I'm having a tough time with my rank list and am interested in what others are choosing.
 
gogiants, i pm'd you.
 
I received an email on myeras from the PD at Penn State saying they intended to rank me highly on their match list. I was just curious if anybody else who interviewed there also received this. I was very happy to get the email especially since I thought I interviewed terribly there. Thanks. Good luck everybody with the match :)
 
thegreenfrog said:
I received an email on myeras from the PD at Penn State saying they intended to rank me highly on their match list. I was just curious if anybody else who interviewed there also received this. I was very happy to get the email especially since I thought I interviewed terribly there. Thanks. Good luck everybody with the match :)
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I got it too ... I was really happy at first but, then I realized that it's probably just a generic letter sent to most everyone.
 
thegreenfrog said:
I received an email on myeras from the PD at Penn State saying they intended to rank me highly on their match list. I was just curious if anybody else who interviewed there also received this. I was very happy to get the email especially since I thought I interviewed terribly there. Thanks. Good luck everybody with the match :)
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i check for a post to this thread almost every day, and when i got the above email from the PD at penn state, i couldn't wait to check this thread, hoping to see that there WASN'T a post regarding penn state. guess i'm not so lucky. :rolleyes:
 
Mista Suprane said:
i check for a post to this thread almost every day, and when i got the above email from the PD at penn state, i couldn't wait to check this thread, hoping to see that there WASN'T a post regarding penn state. guess i'm not so lucky. :rolleyes:
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Got the same one today....:D

Got a phone call from the PD of Mayo (Rochester) last week, and a couple of emails prior to that. Got a personalized letter from the PD at Iowa today too. Got a personalized email from PD at CCF last Friday as well.
 
Not sure how many interviewed at Ohio State but, when I interviewed there I was told that anyone who got a personal call from the new chair (this only counts if you interviewed before he got there) is likely to be very high on the rank list. So, if you got said call - you can probably be assured that you will match there if you want to.
 
thegreenfrog said:
I received an email on myeras from the PD at Penn State saying they intended to rank me highly on their match list. I was just curious if anybody else who interviewed there also received this. I was very happy to get the email especially since I thought I interviewed terribly there. Thanks. Good luck everybody with the match :)
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Add me to the list of folks who got this message. I also heard from two of the programs in the Carolinas this weekend.
 
got the email from penn state too. I was so excited initially but then figured it was too good to be true...esp the part that says you will most likely match if you rank us high! oh well
 
Got Penn State also. Shady business. Anyone else get anything from Cleveland Clinic in the past week?
 
This whole game really irritates me. Why send love notes to everyone? I know it is all just tactics but it really kind of puts me off. When I was interviewing at another program (not going to mention the name), the PD kept telling me that I was such a good candidate and that they were going to rank me high and that I will match wherever I want, blah, blah, blah. I went out into the room where I was sitting with the other applicants and asked them if he told that to everyone and sure enough he did.

My home program sent me a note saying that I was a excellent candidate and they would love to have me at the program. Then it went on to say if I want to take a second look I can call the department. Hello ... they couldn't even have a different letter format for those who go to school there?

Sorry, just had to vent. All this matching stress is starting to catch up with me ... come on March 15th!
 
loveumms said:
All this matching stress is starting to catch up with me ... come on March 15th!
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ditto.

Received emails from JHU PD and Cornell PD (within minutes of each other! were they talking?).
 
Count me in on the PSU bandwagon.

Also heard from the PD at UTMB a few weeks ago-- that email was individualized and made reference to a specific conversation we had during my interview. Much more well-received than the form letters
 
Has anybody heard a thing from Wake Forest yet?
 
Form letters from URochester and UW-madison. And a cheap calendar from UPitt? Odd.
 
I have been waiting to hear from UTMB but nothing yet. I have recieved a personalized typed letter in the mail from UAB and Oklahoma and an email from the program director at New Mexico. also a post card from New Mexico signed by the secretary but who cares about that. i was glad to get the letter from the PD at new mexico because that is my #1 program. anybody else heard from programs in the south, nobody seems to be mentioning much about those programs.
 
Got email from PD at Temple saying I am on the rank list.


So, what is the consensus on replying to these emails? Should we send a email saying that we plan on ranking them too or just leave it unsaid?

AHHHH - taking step II on Friday and all this added stress really isn't helping the studying!
 
I dunno. I've not replied to two places that emailed me even though I'm going to be ranking them. I did reply to my top choice with a two liner.

I haven't sent interview thank yous either though, so you may not want to look at me for advice. Here's to the hope that PDs will rank us based on their own evaluations of us, not on pesky med student thank yous and follow up emails.

~Cheers


loveumms said:
Got email from PD at Temple saying I am on the rank list.


So, what is the consensus on replying to these emails? Should we send a email saying that we plan on ranking them too or just leave it unsaid?

AHHHH - taking step II on Friday and all this added stress really isn't helping the studying!
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Got the Penn State nod of excellence as well. Haha

Duke, personalized and autographed paper from the Chair telling me what I wanted to hear. ;)

UNC, personalized e-mail saying that if history repeats itself, if I ranked the program appropriately, a match chance would be really, really good

UAB, handwritten snail mail from PD saying that all things were gravy.

UPenn, personalized e-mail from interviewer and chair saying that things were great and I could go anywhere and hoped it would be the Penn. :)

JHU, PD letter apologizing for getting back to me at such a late date (??) informing me that they would be "thrilled" if I matched there and telling me about the possibility of an arranged second look.

UVA gave me the nod as well in a standard form letter.

Colorado sent e-mail thanking me for coming to visit and to contact with questions.

I think that's it... I haven't really checked snail mail at my old address for about 2 months so don't know the status of anymore.

Definitely, the next few weeks will be interesting ones. :)
 
Chalk me up for the sweet U. Pitt calendar

Also a 2 page letter about the U. Rochester program.
 
Card/letter from Northwestern. Emails from interviewer at Penn, and the thank you from BID PD. Anyone hear anythin else from the programs in Chi-town? Thanks!
 
rufio173 said:
Duke, personalized and autographed paper from the Chair telling me what I wanted to hear. ;)

UNC, personalized e-mail saying that if history repeats itself, if I ranked the program appropriately, a match chance would be really, really good

JHU, PD letter apologizing for getting back to me at such a late date (??) informing me that they would be "thrilled" if I matched there and telling me about the possibility of an arranged second look.
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x2
 
rufio173 said:
Duke, personalized and autographed paper from the Chair telling me what I wanted to hear. ;)

UNC, personalized e-mail saying that if history repeats itself, if I ranked the program appropriately, a match chance would be really, really good

JHU, PD letter informing me that they would be "thrilled" if I matched there and telling me about the possibility of an arranged second look.

UVA gave me the nod as well in a standard form letter.
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Count me in for these as well. My UNC e-mail didn't say that per se, but they indicated an interest.

In addition to the article from the chair, also got a form-looking letter from the PD at Duke.
 
the best kind of contact....PDs from my two top choices both guaranteed i would match, one via phone, other via email. it ain't over til its over but i will be celebrating tonight.
 
I think this thread is kinda gross. I'm definitely glad for everyone, and I know this is maybe the only place you/we have to celebrate these contacts where people truly understand the implications of what it all means, but I donno.

I got stuff from places too. Great. None of it means anything until 3/15.

Sorry for being a buzzkill. I just don't think that comparing/bragging about/crying about/thinking about any of this silliness has any merit until match day.

[/downer mode]
 
Hawaiian Bruin said:
I think this thread is kinda gross. I'm definitely glad for everyone, and I know this is maybe the only place you/we have to celebrate these contacts where people truly understand the implications of what it all means, but I donno.

I got stuff from places too. Great. None of it means anything until 3/15.

Sorry for being a buzzkill. I just don't think that comparing/bragging about/crying about/thinking about any of this silliness has any merit until match day.

[/downer mode]
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I agree. :) I think some places are less than honest in their e-mail practices. (Penn State may be an example, not really sure, but a lot of people seem to be getting the "feel good" letter from them) Also, remember that people who are getting these may be candidates with topnotch scores, academic endeavors, research, well-rounded and who also interview very well. They will be the most highly sought after, butttttttt remember that said people can only go to one program. :)

Best of luck for all of you in the upcoming month, I'm sure we'll all be happy with where we end up next year!
 
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