Hearsay

My second interview on the trip was at a smaller program, at least compared to my previous ones. I think it was an experience for me in general because I had never really been to the south. I am finding there is very much geographic circuits for applicants (West, Northeast, South, etc.)  

 Interviewing was different than the other programs since there was only a few of us there compared to the 12-15 applicants. The program was a well funded and well run place. The faculty and residents were all very nice and great people (haven’t been to a bad place yet.). I think the program was a reminder that there are a lot of program, maybe even most that are not cuckoo for coco puffs about research. They were big on preparing their residents with a lot of surgery and being a five year program they didn’t have any protect research time. I think as you interview you need to know if research is something you want or something you are willing to tolerate. Knowing what you want will allow you to sort out a lot of programs very easily. For me I am starting to realize that I want a place with research. Weird because a year ago I was more of the type who just wanted to get through residency with the minimum amount of publishing. Now I have come to the realization I want to publish and have an academic career so I want a program were they have the best support for it like protected time, access to a statistics department, and lots of other people putting out papers so I can learn from them.  

Also while being out on the trail I am beginning to realize how the this all reminds me of high school lunch. All that time when we are left in a conference room waiting for our turn with the chair, a lot of gossip gets spread. Everyone has an opinion and something to say about almost any program. Not all of the things said are bad, in fact sometimes the things said get me to think twice about a program that I considered lower on my list. Of course there is also plenty of “malignant this” and “malignant that”. I think at this point in all of ours lives we know not to believe everything we hear. I also think that program know about this exchange of knowledge. Programs must know that 90% of the people they interview will not match there but they will match somewhere else and become urologist, therefore this time when people interview might be this future urologists only exposure to a their program. So that years from now when a young hopeful med student ask about so-and-so program that now attending will remember his interview experience and give their opinion. This whole process is a way for programs to develop a reputation, good or bad, to a future class of urologist.

UMuser