bbb
IM Program Coordinator
Topics: 33
Posts: 5,222
| | 09/08/08 - 04:48 PM
1 of 1 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #1 |
I was in a meeting this afternoon with my program director and associate directors. We were trying to think of new ways of doing things that might make my program even more exciting and desirable to candidates.
- Interviews with members of the resident staff - would that be interesting? One on one talking with residents who are good spokespersons for the program
- Panel interviews with a staff doctor and a resident together? Or would applicants feel not at ease with two persons facing them and asking questions.
- Applicants facing the PD and associate PDs at one time - everyone asking questions, taking notes, etc.
We haven't made a decision and went through a lot of other ideas at this meeting. The bottom line was that interviewing residency candidates is like speed dating: You have about 10 minutes to impress the PD and others that interview you. Use it wisely.
___________________
bbb - trying to combine common sense and humour into realistic answers, but not going to guess on anyone's chances of getting into a position....
|
| truedoc
Forum Elite
Topics: 48
Posts: 204
|
It sure sounds exciting and fun . But sure sounds nervewrecking when all you've got is 10 min to impress.
Thank you for this insight bbb.
___________________
The Lord hears me!
|
| ladydocz
Topics: 11
Posts: 105
|
one on one is better.Less intimidating.Wonder if I will ever meet you,bbb,on the IV circuit....  ?????
|
| george_md
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 181
|
if it's like speed dating i'm hoping to land on as many tables as i can!
___________________
.............loading signature
|
| AnneGermany
Forum Guru
Topics: 37
Posts: 584
|
Speed dating
|
| Tuscani
Forum Guru
Topics: 48
Posts: 463
|
i have very good luck with love...but i guess not with medicine..
|
| hcm11
Forum Senior
Topics: 24
Posts: 172
|
Dear BBB, you know what would be best for you and your programme?? Getting rid of the Hawthorne effect!!! Which means, you should evaluate candidates on a non threatening situation for them... maybe interviewing them when they don't know they are being interviewed.
Might some say it wouldn't be fair, but I think it's just fair, since everybody would be evaluated under the same standards and your programme would get to meet "the real me" (i.e. the real candidate).
I think that programmes have a darn difficult job interviewing people and selecting them. It's like selecting a wife after having seen hundred girls, at night, without good lightning and with a 10 minute talk!!! (Just to keep going with your dating analogy!)
I worked as assistant teacher for my fomer med school, I had the opportunity to work with four different classes, and I must say the dynamics in my class were completely different among groups, and even among subgroups of people. There was this one class which had the best scores, but I enjoyed working with the less... why? Well, because they were uninteractive, they were something like teaching a videocamera, no feedback, no reaction... or like kissing you newly wed wife and getting zero emotion back from her!!  (I hope that doesn't happen to me whe I get married someday!! hahaha).
So, in my humble opinion, programmes should care less about things tha don't really predict anything like USMLE scores and Interviews... do I sound like heresy here??! Well, that's what change sounds like always. However, leave your prejudices against my crazy ideas aside for a minute, and just think that there are so many other factors that would predict a better candidate FOR YOUR PROGRAMME, than just a raw score on the steps and 10 minutes of sweaty, shaky, I am trying to impress you now while I babble interview asking those questions that seemed interesting in a "Medical IV's for dummies" book and answering what the same book told me to answer?
When I become a Programme Director or Coordinator, I might instead of spending 15 miuntes with 15 candidates and making other Dr.s (either Attendings or Residents), just give them all a 30-1 hour tour of the hospital letting them ask whatever they want, and some social activity on any given Saturday for some 4 hours were they feel free. I think that's a way better way to know, which candidates would fit your programme better. Besides, that's when you would get the opportunity of listening to stuff like: "Dude, how hot are the patients around here?!", "Do you really have to work that much?", "Has anybody done anybody else during a night call?!" and stuff like that or seeing the typical guy getting drunk in the first half hour of your social event, or bringing in a joint, or just being socially untalented or excessively hysterical, which would make you think: "Really? You, a 99/99/passed/99, research experienced, USCE experienced guy are asking/doing this?? Do we want you in our programme?
Of course I am exaggerating, but I am just trying to transmit my idea, and on the other hand it's not only about bad traits and eliminating people, you could also discover some nice, wonderful, desirable traits in an 85/87/passed/ no Step 3, no USCE, no research guy, that would be a perfect fit for your programme because of his thinking process and attitude towards life. I think it's not about getting the best candidate possible, but the best candidate FOR YOUR PROGRAMME! And viceversa, it's not about matching to the best rated hospital in magazines, it's about THE BEST HOSPITAL FOR YOU AS A CANDIDATE. That I think, will make you more commited to your job, let you grow and learn more, enjoy your training more and let everybody be surrounded by people that match in their attitudes towards work and interests, which would translate into a better fine tuned-up programme. It would be like marrying the girl you get along with the most, that might not be the absolutely prettiest one at first glance, but that will be your best friend, against marrying a model alike looking girl, that's just a bitch and makes you misserable your whole life...
Now, did I make any sense or did I just smoke it way too green??
|
| Tuscani
Forum Guru
Topics: 48
Posts: 463
|
"I think that programmes have a darn difficult job interviewing people and selecting them. It's like selecting a wife after having seen hundred girls, at night, without good lightning and with a 10 minute talk!!! (Just to keep going with your dating analogy!) "
then i don't wanna go to residency .....
|
| arlete
Lucky woman!
Topics: 49
Posts: 3,470
|
10 minutes?! Great! Because I was never able to impress in less than 3!
___________________
Now it's on God's hands. I've done my best!
|
| arlete
Lucky woman!
Topics: 49
Posts: 3,470
|
But thinking of it... It took 10 years for my husband to decide to marry me, so I hope PDs are a little bit faster...  
___________________
Now it's on God's hands. I've done my best!
|
| arlete
Lucky woman!
Topics: 49
Posts: 3,470
|
Good luck, bbb. 
___________________
Now it's on God's hands. I've done my best!
|
| bbb
IM Program Coordinator
Topics: 33
Posts: 5,222
|
HCM - while I think that you might have been hitting the herbal tea a little too hard while you were writing this, some of your points are very valid (and made me laugh so hard coffee came out my nose - not a good look).
My program is trying to get out of the rut that we are in - we have done the same thing for years, and while we do get a good mix of applicants matched here - it's interesting to think "can we do better?" And I don't just mean better scores - but a better group of residents that I would like to get to know - to go out and have dinner with.
I will agree that the best scores don't always mean the best group or residents (even I have learned that over 20 years). I've often said that a higher education doesn't mean more common sense (mostly in regards to my sister, but that's a different story).
We might be one of the few programs of our size that barely even talks about medical knowledge, questions, etc. We know you know that if you are invited for an interview because we have seen your transcripts from school and your scores - you are smart. But.........will you fit in with my program, my patients and my other residents (yes, I get possessive when I talk about my residents)
The statement below is one that every applicant needs to remember, memorize, tattoo on their foreheads. It's what I have been saying for years!!!
hcm11 wrote:
I think it's not about getting the best candidate possible, but the best candidate FOR YOUR PROGRAMME! And viceversa, it's not about matching to the best rated hospital in magazines, it's about THE BEST HOSPITAL FOR YOU AS A CANDIDATE.
See you all on our "speed date" - should I say that every interview day so that someone will know that they are seeing me?
___________________
bbb - trying to combine common sense and humour into realistic answers, but not going to guess on anyone's chances of getting into a position....
|
| hitesh
.
Topics: 64
Posts: 1,075
|
I'm looking forward to (and hoping for many) "speed date"s 
___________________
12/28
|
| hcm11
Forum Senior
Topics: 24
Posts: 172
|
BBB, let me guess? You laughed about the guy asking who's doing who in the night shifts and about the pretty bitch making our lives miserable, didn't you?
What specialty are you in by the way? Could it be Gyn?
Glad I made you laugh... even more glad coffee came out of your nose.... hahah jk!!! Take care!
|
| AnneGermany
Forum Guru
Topics: 37
Posts: 584
|
Thanks, you guys really cheered me up. Still battleing the jet lag.... but agreeing with everything you said hcm
|
| AnneGermany
Forum Guru
Topics: 37
Posts: 584
|
and bbb, watch the coffee
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
