Stating Intentions In Personal Letter / Interview

[medisforme]

Hi,

 

just going through my Carms application, writing my personal statements and thinking ahead to interviews.  I am applying to family and psych and just wanted to ask if most people applying to two specialties indicate in their personal letter and/or interview whether one of them was a back up or not.  I have set up my electives quite even such that you could not infer which specialty is my number one choice.  In my personal statements for both specialties I made every effort with my wording to make it sound like each one was my number one choice and had planned to do that during interviews as well.  Is that the approach others take, or do applicants say "specialty x is my second choice, but this is why I would be good in it/why I want to do it etc..."  Do programs care or feel they were jerked around after the match that an applicant they may have ranked highly actually matched to a different specialty?

 

thanks.

[Bambi]

There is no point, only a downside, by explaining this is your 2nd choice. Your approach is sound. I applied to different specialties last year and my Motivational Letters were virtually identical except for what I changed for each specialty. I got my interviews for each of 3 fields and got in to my second choice.And I am thrilled with it.

[A-Stark]

I would not mention applying to another specialty. Having a variety of electives isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if it does come up in interviews, talk about being "well-rounded" or getting a "broad" experience or something. This won't be a problem with psych for the most part and definitely not with family. 

[Lactic Folly]

Honesty is good, and it's ok to like more than one thing, but I don't think anyone likes hearing upfront that they are a backup/second choice. The purpose of the personal statement is to explain why you wish to do x field (i.e. you have made an informed decision and would thrive in / complete the residency program). It's not necessary to state how you will rank the field - for all anyone knows, you could still modify your rankings after interviewing (and some people do).

[medisforme]

Thanks for the replies,

On a similar note, is it better to list memberships in interest groups (ie. family medicine interest group, college of family physicians of canada etc...) or leave the section blank if you are applying to more than one specialty and are aiming for a specific city/province rather than specialty.  

[Bambi]

I don't see adding this brings anything to the table.

[GrouchoMarx]

dont do it.

if they ask in interview about it with your elective hx then by all means have a good convincing story.

carms is such bs.

[Arztin]

I've heard from a few residents that for each interview you are getting, you have to talk during your interview like if it is your first choice program. Can someone comment on this?

[NLengr]

I've heard from a few residents that for each interview you are getting, you have to talk during your interview like if it is your first choice program. Can someone comment on this?

Basically. You don't wanna go into the interview and tell the people they are your 5th or 6th choice of program. No interviewer likes to be told that. That gets you put right to the bottom of the rank list.

 

It's like a job interview. You are selling yourself to the interviewers as the best candidate for the job. There is an art to it. You need to do a certain amount of promoting the program back to the interviewer. It's like buttering them up, which makes them more receptive to you, but it's not quite full out sucking up. Obviously you also don't want to be seen as lying either.

 

For example, you are applying to plastics with a family back up. You did 6 plastics electives and one family elective. If you tell them you are most interested in family, then obviously, the family interviewers are gonna know you are lying. If they think you are lying, then you are gonna end up on the bottom or off the rank list. So you need to shape your response to that situation. "I'm applying to plastics too but it's very competitive. I also have a strong love of family (be prepared to say why) and I think it would also make an interesting career. I love your program because x,y,z. If I am unable to match to family, I'd love to be in your program etc. etc.". That kinda stuff.

 

On the other hand, if you like plastics at UdeM the best, but are in an interview with Ottawa plastics (who are way down on your rank list), there is basically no way for them to know that you are gonna rank Ottawa low especially if you did an elective there. Hence, you can really play up how much you love Ottawa and consider it one of your top choices during the interview (again, have a good list of reasons: academic, program atmosphere, personal and social/location. Try to be honest in what you like, it makes it easier to talk about). 

 

CaRMS interviews are a place where I think the students with more non medical work experience, especially students who were out in the real work force and for whom medicine is a second career, really out-perform the traditional "BSc, summers in the lab, straight to med school" students. They know how to interview and they have more experience with it.

[Arztin]

Basically. You don't wanna go into the interview and tell the people they are your 5th or 6th choice of program. No interviewer likes to be told that. That gets you put right to the bottom of the rank list.

 

It's like a job interview. You are selling yourself to the interviewers as the best candidate for the job. There is an art to it. You need to do a certain amount of promoting the program back to the interviewer. It's like buttering them up, which makes them more receptive to you, but it's not quite full out sucking up. Obviously you also don't want to be seen as lying either.

 

For example, you are applying to plastics with a family back up. You did 6 plastics electives and one family elective. If you tell them you are most interested in family, then obviously, the family interviewers are gonna know you are lying. If they think you are lying, then you are gonna end up on the bottom or off the rank list. So you need to shape your response to that situation. "I'm applying to plastics too but it's very competitive. I also have a strong love of family (be prepared to say why) and I think it would also make an interesting career. I love your program because x,y,z. If I am unable to match to family, I'd love to be in your program etc. etc.". That kinda stuff.

 

On the other hand, if you like plastics at UdeM the best, but are in an interview with Ottawa plastics (who are way down on your rank list), there is basically no way for them to know that you are gonna rank Ottawa low especially if you did an elective there. Hence, you can really play up how much you love Ottawa and consider it one of your top choices during the interview (again, have a good list of reasons: academic, program atmosphere, personal and social/location. Try to be honest in what you like, it makes it easier to talk about). 

 

CaRMS interviews are a place where I think the students with more non medical work experience, especially students who were out in the real work force and for whom medicine is a second career, really out-perform the traditional "BSc, summers in the lab, straight to med school" students. They know how to interview and they have more experience with it.

Thank you very much!