GS Rejections

Q-Optics, surgical ergonomics - redefined
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How about posting places that you have been rejected from...

So far I have 2....

UPenn
Wake Forest
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Virginia Mason
UNC
U Colorado
 
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One of the big disadvantages of having your real name as your user name is, well, stuff like this. I feel compelled to participate with my brothers in surgery.

I have been rejected from:

THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. :(
 
I got the "We wish you luck on your future endeavors..." from

BI Deaconess
UCSD
UT SW
Brigham and Woman
 
Well geez, did they actually *interview* anyone this year? :D
 
Originally posted by tripod
I got the "We wish you luck on your future endeavors..." from

BI Deaconess
Click to expand...
Oooh...I think you might've dodged a bullet there. I've heard pretty unhappy things about that program. Have you seen the scutwork evals?
 
I just read on the IM forum that Baylor College of Medicine's IM program sends out rejections which read " . . . we would be wasting our time if we interviewed you."

Wow. That's harsh.
 
Originally posted by ******
I just read on the IM forum that Baylor College of Medicine's IM program sends out rejections which read " . . . we would be wasting our time if we interviewed you."

Wow. That's harsh.
Click to expand...

Ditto Virginia Mason - they say something along the lines of "we won't bother interviewing you since there's no way in hell we'd rank you".

c'est la vie!
 
These words may be painful but they may be saving us time. I just went on an interview at a top 10-15 program that interviews ~150 people for 7-8 spots. They say they never go very much past 25-30 on their rank list. Interestingly, they also say that the interview is rarely a deciding factor- its more about the applicant getting to know the program. If this is the case, why interview 150 people? I truly believe that the interviews can only help you if you are very close to being high enough on the rank list to have a chance at matching. Truthfully, I'm not so psyched about my upcoming Brigham interview- 130 or so top applicants for 7 crummy spots.
 
All the more reason to show them that you have a personality ;)
 
Personality? is it possible to pick one up in the next 3 weeks?

One more thing- if you are on the waiting list for an INTERVIEW at a top program, what chance do you have at matching at that program? (if they are eventually generous enough to give you an interview). Probably close to none (especially if they plan on interviewing 20 or so applicants for each opening). At lesser programs, you may have a shot as they have to go way down on their rank lists.

I remember asking a similar question of med schools- Am I going to spend $800 to fly down there to interview for a spot on your waiting list? (late in the interview season)

Now, off in search of a personality....
 
Good point - I think programs have differing viewpoints on the whole interview thing. For some, it's icing on the cake but basically your numbers are what rank you. However at some programs (Emory) you could interview dead-last in the season and still Match there...

Good luck!

PS- I think I saw some personalities on sale last week at Hammacher Schlemmer
 
Members don't see this ad :)
rejected by MGH. The subject heading to the e-mail was "Interview at Mass. General." After a short celebration, I opened the e-mail to find out I was rejected.+pissed+
 
Originally posted by ******
One of the big disadvantages of having your real name as your user name is, well, stuff like this. I feel compelled to participate with my brothers in surgery.

I have been rejected from:

THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. :(
Click to expand...

Tim,

Don't feel too bad. I interviewed at Penn for otolaryngology. After seeing what general surgery residents went through during my years of doing research at HUP coupled by the fact that one of the ENT chiefs said he wouldn't do it (internship) again, I'd say your loss isn't that severe.
 
Originally posted by Bear Down
rejected by MGH. The subject heading to the e-mail was "Interview at Mass. General." After a short celebration, I opened the e-mail to find out I was rejected.+pissed+
Click to expand...

haha same here. I totally didn't expect an interview from mass gen (applied for ****z and gigglez) and when I saw the title, i was totally surprised. Of course, when i opened it, it was a rejection... I was relieved that hell hadn't froze over.

I heard from another interviewee today that interviewed at Mass Gen last year that for his interview, he sat at the head of a long table and where 9 attendings sat. He then proceeded to get pimped for 1 hour straight...like medical/surgical pimping, not interview questions. That mighta been a blessing to get rejected.
 
Rejected by Univ. of Washington today.
 
Rejected by U Washington and Mass General.

Oh well.
 
Me too. Rejected by U of W. No reject from MGH yet- must be on their holding **** pile. What an honor...

Still no response from Columbia, MGH, Hopkins, Duke, Stanford, SF, LA, Mayo, Pitt, Baylor and Yale- I suspect I'm on many of their holding **** piles too.

I just paid $700 for a flight to minneapols- have I lost my mind?
 
Well, got the big "NOPE" from Emory this morning. Bummer, I was hoping to go and visit some friends in Atlanta.

And Superstar -- You have lost your mind! Do you know how cold it gets in MN??? :p
 
Fellow brothers (and sisters)...

Really rackin' up those points with the Ivys:

1. The University of Pennsylvania
2. New York-Presbyterian/Cornell

Next...?
 
OK... Well, since my last post I have received additional e-mail rejection....

The total # of rejections is now 3....

UPenn
Georgetown
Wake Forest

The Upenn rejection was not an earth-shattering surprise... It was a long-shot for me I suppose. The Wake Forest one hurts more since I thought that I was a reasonably competitive applicant but from what I've heard, it's a pretty good program. The Georgetown rejection stings a bit too since even though it's a big name, I have heard that the program is mediocre.

The Georgetown rejection e-mail did state though that they received 500+ applications for their 5 (I think) spots... So I guess if you got an invite then you should be pretty psyched! Congrats!

Well, keep on truckin'! And good luck with the rest of your interviews!
 
Don't worry about UPENN...the residents there are miserable with a capital M.

I know a surgery resident who is switching to IM there because it's just too much crap to put up with. Tons of work. Obnoxious attendings. No praise.
 
Just got a the ixnay from umbiaclay!
 
Originally posted by ******
One of the big disadvantages of having your real name as your user name is, well, stuff like this. I feel compelled to participate with my brothers in surgery.

I have been rejected from:

THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. :(
Click to expand...

Tim,

What is it like at Downstate? I'm considering applying there and since I live in Brooklyn, it would be an ideal location.

Onyx
 
Has anyone applied to Cornell? What do you think about their program and about the program in Florida. I've always heard that UPenn has an excellent surgery program. Why would you say that the residents are miserable? Is it too much scutt work or just the overall case load? Thanks
 
Originally posted by mustang
Has anyone applied to Cornell? What do you think about their program and about the program in Florida. I've always heard that UPenn has an excellent surgery program. Why would you say that the residents are miserable? Is it too much scutt work or just the overall case load? Thanks
Click to expand...

Everyone seems to think UPenn is "malignant". Dunno really what they mean. Though I've never heard anyone describe UPenn as "laid back", or "chill".... :) I have heard over and over that it is a great program.

All I know about Cornell is that it is considered a "top" program. Dunno about caseload or anything like that.

Florida is supposedly an up-and-coming program. They got a new chairman, and he's looking to build the program in to a top tier operation. It has been historically referred to as "Shands" after the main teaching hospital, and it has always had a great rep in the SE, and probably nationwide. Certainly a solid, well-respected, program.
 
Weeell...

If you're asking about the Jacksonville program (Shands), I have several comments to make (via interview):
- Crime is an issue. Two nurses have been attacked in the parking lot adjacent to the center (one on a smoke break and another on her way *into* work). Oh yeah, that's the same parking deck where *you* the resident park. Another nurse was abducted as she left work and hasn't been heard from to this day...

- The program has had RRC citations but wouldn't tell me what they were - only that they'd been "resolved".

- The only reason given to applicants as why the medical center won't close (it's running at a deficit and is roughly $100 mill in the hole) is "well we're the indigent care center for the city - they won't let us close!".

- The program did not provide board QE or CE pass rates for it's graduating seniors and none of the faculty I spoke with could even give me a rough estimate.

- When asked to rate the quality of its residents, one faculty rated them as "average".

Anyway, I have other observations but I think you get the picture. If anyone wants to know more, feel free to email me.
 
Originally posted by UI2003
Weeell...

If you're asking about the Jacksonville program (Shands), I have several comments to make (via interview):
Click to expand...

"Shands" refers to the University of FLA program in Gainesville, not Jacksonville. The Jacksonville program's hospital is called "Shands Jacksonville" although when people say Shands, they nearly always mean UFL-Gainesville.

Thanks for the input about UFL-Jax though. I gotta remember to ask about stuff like this at my interviews....

OK, now back to the regularly scheduled topic:... REJECTIONS... oh boy...

Peace and good luck all!
 
the Univ. of Florida program has had a VERY good reputation regionally for their surgery program for a # of years. I know Dr. Ted Copeland was approaching retirement, has there already been a change @ the top? One of my good friends is a junior faculty member (introduced me to my wife as an intern...Thanks Chuck!) in their Thoracic Divsion & the best resident I've ever seen
 
Dr. Oliver,
UF's new chair is set to start in February - Dr. Cance, a surgical oncologist currently at UNC.
 
rejected by MGH this afternoon:clap:
 
Originally posted by triathlete411
Dr. Oliver,
UF's new chair is set to start in February - Dr. Cance, a surgical oncologist currently at UNC.
Click to expand...

FYI - For all interested parties, the chair for the Jax program is Dr. Crass.
 
Vandy today through the mail.

It's a great rejection letter though! It's very polite, and respectful. Dr. Tarpley even wrote a hand-written note that said I had a "good personal statement"! (Though I met a resident on the interview trail who said he wrote the same thing on her rejection letter... but it's still a nice gesture.)

Good luck all!
 
rejected from Vandy yesterday. Is it safe to assume if you haven't heard from a program at this point, that you are waiting on a rejection?
 
Utah rejection 2 days ago, Stanford rejection yeterday:clap:
 
I am a bit confused...If you apply to a surgical residency and get rejected from all the program you applied to, then what do you do? I mean what if you are a good student,etc and really want to go into surgery? Do you wait a year?
 
its the same as applying to med school. You apply to programs that are "reaches", appropriate for your level and "safety schools" and hope for the best. General surgery is not that competetive anymore so any "good" student with a reasonable application strategy should match into a residency. On the other hand, all bets would be off in a field like dermatology- not all "good" students match.
 
UCSF today (they sent me three just to make sure).

Brown asked me yesterday if I would agree to be on the waiting list for an interview- I said no.

What is up with Brown? I've got invites from way better programs.
 
So long NYC - Columbia said 'no thanks'. Dang.
 
Dude,

It would be pretty hard to not get any interviews if you are a good student and you follow superstar's stratergy. But if you don't, I assume you'll be notified a couple of days before the Match results are released (not that you wouldn't already know by this point) and you "scramble" for an unfilled spot along with everyone else that didnt match.
 
Check your email. Sent you a couple of questions yesterday.
 
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