Accidentally sent inappropriate email to program

[Qpworueury]

Hello,

Throwaway for very obvious reasons. Please DO NOT quote.

Accidentally sent inappropriate email to progam

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[ellohello]

This has to be fake - you're saying you found their email address, copied it, pasted it into the addressee box, and hit send all by accident? Seems completely intentional to me (if this story is to be believed)

 

[DO2015CA]

If true, sounds like you need a new perspective on life. It is 100% okay to be disappointed with your match and initially be upset but you have to get over it. You shouldn’t still be complaining 6 months later. We all know that it is a possibility to match anywhere on your list so if you hate somewhere then don’t rank it. On the flip side, if you didn’t match there then you would have likely went unmatched…

But addressing your question, yes this may cause problems as it may be interpreted as a professionalism issue. It’s not a match violation so they aren’t going to be able to not hire you but it certainly puts a spot light on you from the beginning which could make them hypercritical of you. They could also report unprofessional behavior to your medical school who could do something (although unlikely since your post match and about to graduate).

Is this military match? SF match? Timeline doesn’t match up with nrmp match for residency seeing as they haven’t matched residents for July 2023 yet.

 

[Captain_Falcon]

Pics or it didn’t happen

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

I am hard pressed to believe this happened. It has to be a joke/troll post.

 

[DarkBluMage]

Why on earth would you type up an email rather than just writing on paper in letter form? Lmbo yo 😂💀😭

 

[Goro]

10/10 in creativity

 

[Qpworueury]

This has to be fake - you're saying you found their email address, copied it, pasted it into the addressee box, and hit send all by accident? Seems completely intentional to me (if this story is to be believed)

I originally started drafting a word document. I finished that, then just out of shear curiosity, I put it on my Gmail to see how it would look like on that. I felt good so I added the email address just to see what it looked like. One of cousins and their pets created a disruption in the room where I almost dropped the laptop. I caught it, but I guess I clicked a key that sent it somehow.

 

[Captain_Falcon]

I originally started drafting a word document. I finished that, then just out of shear curiosity, I put it on my Gmail to see how it would look like on that. I felt good so I added the email address just to see what it looked like. One of cousins and their pets created a disruption in the room where I almost dropped the laptop. I caught it, but I guess I clicked a key that sent it somehow.

You’re tempt of fate resulted in what you really wanted. That is, if this whole scenario is not a lie, you wanted this to happen in some way but now have to deal with the real world consequences.

Still don’t believe this happened though

 

[Rapsidy]

On the assumption this isn’t a troll post, would be curious to see how it turns out since I’m pretty sure nobody has posted about something like this before.

My guess is the next couple of years you’ll have to spend convincing the program of your remorse for sending the email considering the opportunity they are giving you to be a practicing doctor.

I’d also suggest pastries at least once a week given to your coworkers for the first year. Sugar helps heal almost anything but medical issues.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

I originally started drafting a word document. I finished that, then just out of shear curiosity, I put it on my Gmail to see how it would look like on that. I felt good so I added the email address just to see what it looked like. One of cousins and their pets created a disruption in the room where I almost dropped the laptop. I caught it, but I guess I clicked a key that sent it somehow.

Guys why are we entertaining this post. For one, no one would be this bitter about matching. If they didn't want to match at a program they wouldn't rank that program. To add the cherry on top, they wrote up a word document detailing their disgust for the program, transferred it into an email, added the admin's email, and dropped his computer causing him to hit send "by accident"... This is either the biggest troll post I have ever seen or this person has a very low emotional maturity level and needs help.

 

[Qpworueury]

On the assumption this isn’t a troll post, would be curious to see how it turns out since I’m pretty sure nobody has posted about something like this before.

My guess is the next couple of years you’ll have to spend convincing the program of your remorse for sending the email considering the opportunity they are giving you to be a practicing doctor.

I’d also suggest pastries at least once a week given to your coworkers for the first year. Sugar helps heal almost anything but medical issues.

You’re tempt of fate resulted in what you really wanted. That is, if this whole scenario is not a lie, you wanted this to happen in some way but now have to deal with the real world consequences.

Still do

Guys why are we entertaining this post. For one, no one would be this bitter about matching. If they didn't want to match at a program they wouldn't rank that program. To add the cherry on top, they wrote up a word document detailing their disgust for the program, transferred it into an email, added the admin's email, and dropped his computer causing him to hit send "by accident"... This is either the biggest troll post I have ever seen or this person has a very low emotional maturity level and needs help.

I needed a job unfortunately. Am I suppose to go jobless? Have you even gone through the match?

 

[Osminog]

I originally started drafting a word document. I finished that, then just out of shear curiosity, I put it on my Gmail to see how it would look like on that. I felt good so I added the email address just to see what it looked like. One of cousins and their pets created a disruption in the room where I almost dropped the laptop. I caught it, but I guess I clicked a key that sent it somehow.

This sounds very far-fetched. Is it possible that writing the letter evoked intense emotions in you and that you sent it impulsively and then instantly regretted it afterward? And is it possible that you feel ashamed about what you did so you're giving us a convoluted "my-dog-ate-my-homework" story to make it seem like a bizarre accident?

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Tales from the basement

 

[Tenk]

Don’t worry. They probably hate it there too from the sound of things.

 

[EthylMethylMan]

I originally started drafting a word document. I finished that, then just out of shear curiosity, I put it on my Gmail to see how it would look like on that. I felt good so I added the email address just to see what it looked like. One of cousins and their pets created a disruption in the room where I almost dropped the laptop. I caught it, but I guess I clicked a key that sent it somehow.

"Sorry PD, that was from my cousin's chinchilla."

 

[DO2015CA]

Military match and SF match doesn't have results yet either. I would bet OP matched to a prelim/transitional year and then a categorical, and does not like the categorical. That said, this is all still pretty fishy.

OP, if this is true, I would preemptively reach out to the person you sent it to and apologize. Do not give them this cockamamie story about your cousin's pet, it sounds ridiculous and fake even if it's not. Just tell them you were trying to express some frustrations privately and never intended to actually send the email. Own up to what you did. See if you can talk to them on the phone or in person for this conversation.

Second, you need an attitude adjustment. I understand it sucks to match low on your list, but going in with an attitude that you're going to have a terrible experience is going to become a self fulfilling prophecy, especially if your feelings are bubbling so close to the surface that it's obvious to others you don't want to be there. Plenty of my classmates matched low on their list and it ended up being the right fit for them. One even recently told me that if she had to make her match list over again today as she's nearing the end of her residency, she'd make it completely differently based on what she knows now about what's really important in training. Obviously, the programs higher on your list felt you weren't a good match for their program, so why would you want to be somewhere you don't fit in or that doesn't match with your career goals? The program you matched at DOES like you and DOES think they offer what you are interested in. I'm sure you are an intelligent and resilient person who can be happy and successful for a few years wherever you end up - start acting like it!

That would make sense. Lol. Advance positions didn’t even enter my mind lol.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Clearly a part of you wanted to send this email. That's why you put the text into an email.

As above, there are lots of stories here on SDN of people matching low on their lists, and then being incredibly happy. Hopefully that will be you.

Damage control is critical.

 

[ortnakas]

I hope this is fake.
If it isn’t, the story is so wild (who types this in an actual email with someone typed on purpose in the To line, then blames an act of God for it going out?) OP kinda deserves whatever repercussions are coming their way.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I actually buy that this probably happened. In any event, there's really no use in playing the "is this fake" game, so we may as well just take at face value that what the OP said is what happened.

That said, there isn't a ton to be done here other than explain yourself and apologize profusely. To directly answer your question, yes, of course you can get in trouble for sending this email. You can get in trouble at any time for saying bad things about your program. But also, both you and your program are locked into starting next year together by the match agreement, so they're stuck with you for at least 45 days. They almost certainly don't want to go down a resident. You almost certainly don't want to become unemployed. So I'd probably follow up your original email with the shortest version possible explaining what happened as you did here, and ask to discuss further directly by phone or Zoom. If you present this error as born out of negative emotions from matching lower than you had hoped, but that you remain excited about the field and want to learn as much as possible from their program, these are the sorts of emotions people have to sort through all the times after the match. Most people don't open their mouths (or an email) and give voice to these feelings, but if you are honest and transparent I suspect that you will be able to move forward from here.

You should absolutely be a model resident once you start, be the person who shows up early and complains the least, etc. If you run into any problems after starting at your advanced program, this negative first impression of you is the sort of thing that could get you some unwanted scrutiny if you struggle or appear to be unhappy.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

I originally started drafting a word document. I finished that, then just out of shear curiosity, I put it on my Gmail to see how it would look like on that. I felt good so I added the email address just to see what it looked like. One of cousins and their pets created a disruption in the room where I almost dropped the laptop. I caught it, but I guess I clicked a key that sent it somehow.

Tell them just that lol

 

[Qpworueury]

I actually buy that this probably happened. In any event, there's really no use in playing the "is this fake" game, so we may as well just take at face value that what the OP said is what happened.

That said, there isn't a ton to be done here other than explain yourself and apologize profusely. To directly answer your question, yes, of course you can get in trouble for sending this email. You can get in trouble at any time for saying bad things about your program. But also, both you and your program are locked into starting next year together by the match agreement, so they're stuck with you for at least 45 days. They almost certainly don't want to go down a resident. You almost certainly don't want to become unemployed. So I'd probably follow up your original email with the shortest version possible explaining what happened as you did here, and ask to discuss further directly by phone or Zoom. If you present this error as born out of negative emotions from matching lower than you had hoped, but that you remain excited about the field and want to learn as much as possible from their program, these are the sorts of emotions people have to sort through all the times after the match. Most people don't open their mouths (or an email) and give voice to these feelings, but if you are honest and transparent I suspect that you will be able to move forward from here.

You should absolutely be a model resident once you start, be the person who shows up early and complains the least, etc. If you run into any problems after starting at your advanced program, this negative first impression of you is the sort of thing that could get you some unwanted scrutiny if you struggle or appear to be unhappy.

Clearly a part of you wanted to send this email. That's why you put the text into an email.

As above, there are lots of stories here on SDN of people matching low on their lists, and then being incredibly happy. Hopefully that will be you.

Damage control is critical.

Thanks for your advice! I ended up just emailing them real quick and said "account hacked, please disregard."

 

[DarkBluMage]

Thanks for your advice! I ended up just emailing them real quick and said "account hacked, please disregard."

Do you think they’re going to believe that? Have they said anything to you yet? 👀

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

Thanks for your advice! I ended up just emailing them real quick and said "account hacked, please disregard."

Brilliant. But I hope you emailed them from a different account lol.

 

[Qpworueury]

Clearly a part of you wanted to send this email. That's why you put the text into an email.

As above, there are lots of stories here on SDN of people matching low on their lists, and then being incredibly happy. Hopefully that will be you.

Damage control is critical.

Question: looks like your were a prior PD. What would you think of this type of email to you?

 

[DO2015CA]

Thanks for your advice! I ended up just emailing them real quick and said "account hacked, please disregard."

There’s no shot they believe that lol. They are smart people after all.

 

[Qpworueury]

Hoping this is a joke because it makes you look even wors

There’s no shot they believe that lol. They are smart people after all.

I'm still not sure what happened and how it got sent. I guess it's similar to the whole Rust situation with Alec Baldwin. Sometimes freak things happen that we have trouble explaining.

Although the email was personal, it's not a far fetched thing to happen. Facebook accounts get hacked and people end up in rough situations

 

[DO2015CA]

Sounds good. Keep us informed on how it goes. It potentially could help someone in the future

 

[Goro]

Thanks for your advice! I ended up just emailing them real quick and said "account hacked, please disregard."

Ahh, yes...that works so well for disgraced politicians.

 

[ortnakas]

So.....some rando logged into your account, wrote a very specific and detailed email about your specific complaints about a residency program that you haven't even started working at yet, got the contact info for someone from your program, and sent it? Come on. That's not even close to believable. Facebook accounts get hacked and send out spam, they don't get hacked and send personal insults to people's contacts.

People mess up, I get it. Happens to all of us. The absolute worst thing you can do when you mess up in medicine is lie about it or cover it up. Rarely is a single mistake a death sentence, but not owning up to it afterward is. Explaining this away with such an obvious lie is going to put a target on your back for any other issues the second you walk in the door July 1.

Seconded. I didn’t think OP could dig their hole any deeper and then they went and proved me wrong.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

just tell them to their face "I hate you" and be done with it. They can't rip apart the contract signed by ERAS anyway. They will hate you while you are there. That happens to most workers in America anyway.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I'm still not sure what happened and how it got sent. I guess it's similar to the whole Rust situation with Alec Baldwin. Sometimes freak things happen that we have trouble explaining.

Although the email was personal, it's not a far fetched thing to happen. Facebook accounts get hacked and people end up in rough situations

Not really. People hack FB accounts to send spam to other people, or phish for other peoples' personal information. They aren't going around randomly writing specific spiteful messages. No way I would buy this.

Regardless, you're probably stuck in this bed that you have now made. You can't really come back from this story that you've told and now fess up, so I suppose good luck that they either buy it, or at least don't care enough to really question your version of the story. I still recommend you be a model resident and not draw attention to yourself again...

 

[candbgirl]

Thanks for your advice! I ended up just emailing them real quick and said "account hacked, please disregard."

So you lied? 😯

 

[Qpworueury]

Not really. People hack FB accounts to send spam to other people, or phish for other peoples' personal information. They aren't going around randomly writing specific spiteful messages. No way I would buy this.

Regardless, you're probably stuck in this bed that you have now made. You can't really come back from this story that you've told and now fess up, so I suppose good luck that they either buy it, or at least don't care enough to really question your version of the story. I still recommend you be a model resident and not draw attention to yourself again...

To clarify, the email wasn't necessarily vulgar and did not include any sort of inappropriate slang or racism. I'm just really really hoping they either believe me or maybe they didn't read it and they just saw the disregard message. Plus none of it was untrue. It contained real legitimate criticisms. I just wish they're was some way to unsend emails.

It's not necessarily a lie either about what happened. To be fair, I don't necessarily need them to 100% believe me, just to have some plausible deniability. Hypothetically, if I (wrongly) own up to it, I look like I was at fault. It reminds me of the jury system, you don't prove someone's innocent, just if there not guilty

I haven't heard anything all day, some hopefully I'm in the clear. My only question is what does "being a target" really look like during residency? Does that just amount to How soft does a program half to be to hold a grudge over this?

 

[GoSpursGo]

To clarify, the email wasn't necessarily vulgar and did not include any sort of inappropriate slang or racism. I'm just really really hoping they either believe me or maybe they didn't read it and they just saw the disregard message. Plus none of it was untrue. It contained real legitimate criticisms. I just wish they're was some way to unsend emails.

It's not necessarily a lie either about what happened. To be fair, I don't necessarily need them to 100% believe me, just to have some plausible deniability. Hypothetically, if I (wrongly) own up to it, I look like I was at fault. It reminds me of the jury system, you don't prove someone's innocent, just if there not guilty

I haven't heard anything all day, some hopefully I'm in the clear. My only question is what does "being a target" really look like during residency? Does that just amount to How soft does a program half to be to hold a grudge over this?

I'm not sure what else to say. Clearly you've committed to this course of action and there isn't any point in debating whether or not it was a good idea. I still don't think the story you're trying to tell them is plausible, but hey it doesn't matter what I think it just matters if you get away with it right?

As to your bottom question, "being a target" could mean different things. It could be as benign as getting the short stick when they assign call and holiday schedules, or getting passed over for leadership positions. More severely, if you wind up having academic, patient care or professionalism issues, it could manifest as them being less likely to give you the benefit of the doubt and more likely to put you on probation. Before you play the victim and suggest that this makes a program "soft" or unfair, imagine a scenario where someone walks up to you and on their first interaction with you they tell you every single one of your flaws and why you're terrible. Then imagine you have to spend 3 years with that person. You're probably not going to go out of your way to help that person who gave that first impression. This is why I would suggest you be a model resident so that they have no good rationale for turning you into a target.

 

[DarkHorizon]

Just withdraw, you clearly hate the program to go the length that you did. It’s amazing that you hate the program so much without even being there yet.

 

[TJRock]

It's not necessarily a lie either about what happened.

Then you have absolutely no concept of what a lie or, for that matter, what truth is.

 

[DO2015CA]

Lol I think you made the absolutely worst choice to address the situation lol. Being perceived as a liar is among the worst things a resident can be. I absolutely don’t want to be called by my resident in the middle of the night who is on night float and not be able to trust theirs words they’re telling me. For me personally, that means I’m making the drive across town to lay eyes on the patient every time.

 

[Sidus1011]

To clarify, the email wasn't necessarily vulgar and did not include any sort of inappropriate slang or racism. I'm just really really hoping they either believe me or maybe they didn't read it and they just saw the disregard message. Plus none of it was untrue. It contained real legitimate criticisms. I just wish they're was some way to unsend emails.

It's not necessarily a lie either about what happened. To be fair, I don't necessarily need them to 100% believe me, just to have some plausible deniability. Hypothetically, if I (wrongly) own up to it, I look like I was at fault. It reminds me of the jury system, you don't prove someone's innocent, just if there not guilty

I haven't heard anything all day, some hopefully I'm in the clear. My only question is what does "being a target" really look like during residency? Does that just amount to How soft does a program half to be to hold a grudge over this?

The mental leaps are hilarious, I really do think this is fake and is meant to stir up the community a bit and get a reaction. If this is real, it truly goes to show you that brain power in one aspect of life doesn't translate to other parts.

 

[EthylMethylMan]

Thanks for your advice! I ended up just emailing them real quick and said "account hacked, please disregard."

If this is a troll thread, it's a solid 8/10. Like all good satire, this teeters just on the brink of infeasibility. Saying cousin Cleetus' sugar glider parachuted onto the laptop to send the email is a dog-ate-my-homework-tier lie. Then the "sorry, the hacker known as 4chan stole my password" follow-up is revealed, and is objectively worse than saying nothing. In a vacuum, I'd say this whole sequence of events is too ridiculous to be real. But I can totally see some of my med school classmates making decisions (and excuses) this bad. This is either the best SDN troll thread in months, or a great example of what not to do for any young professional. Bravo either way.

If this is real, good advice has already been given. See above. Please don't do this again. But if you do, definitely tell us about it.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Sadly, your response to this makes matters worse. I agree with others that a hacked email is a ridiculous explanation. When people hack your account, they don't do things like this. The right choice was to be honest with your program. Now you've demonstrated that you don't want to be there, and under pressure you decide to be less than truthful. The first is something that the program can work with. The second is not.

 

[DO2015CA]

If this is a troll thread, it's a solid 8/10. Like all good satire, this teeters just on the brink of infeasibility. Saying cousin Cleetus' sugar glider parachuted onto the laptop to send the email is a dog-ate-my-homework-tier lie. Then the "sorry, the hacker known as 4chan stole my password" follow-up is revealed, and is objectively worse than saying nothing. In a vacuum, I'd say this whole sequence of events is too ridiculous to be real. But I can totally see some of my med school classmates making decisions (and excuses) this bad. This is either the best SDN troll thread in months, or a great example of what not to do for any young professional. Bravo either way.

If this is real, good advice has already been given. See above. Please don't do this again. But if you do, definitely tell us about it.

Agreed lol. I thought about failedatlife level of trolling

 

[DarkBluMage]

If this is real I just really want to know what happens 👀

 

[gyngyn]

This would be a 45 day resident at my place.

 

[lal4life]

If this is real, there are so many red flags to this person being in medicine. You have to be adaptable, have to learn from mistakes, have to apologize when you are wrong. I would have serious questions about this person’s character coming into a program after this incident.

If true, the intent to send the email was likely present the entire time. The story with the animal is likely exaggerated. Once the email address was placed it was going to be sent. The excuses afterwards are an incredible rationalization and lack of responsibility. I’m guessing OP has never done anything wrong in his or her life, based on his or her own viewpoint. Maybe that’s an unfair assumption, but could be likely.

Then the hacked excuse. Blatant lie, and more lack of responsibility. We’re all going to make mistakes in medicine and need to be able to recognize them and learn from them. This person doesn’t seem to be able to. If he or she made a medical mistake, would the response be, “My brain was hacked, please disregard”?

Either a huge introspective look into your life and choices and significant changes need to occur to overcome this, or a career field change might be needed.

 

[Goro]

Agreed lol. I thought about failedatlife level of trolling

Indeed. May be up to the level of the legendary Streampaw

 

[Qpworueury]

This would be a 45 day resident at my place.

For an email ? I understand if I said something crazy or if it was full of a racism. Was it a poor email? Yes. Was it extreme? Yes. But what kinda of explanation would be to fire someone because they hurt their feeling? That's a slippery slope to getting residents fired during interview day for talking about the negatives about the program.

Good news is that it's been 48 business hours and I haven't heard anything. So hopefully that means I'm in the clear. But just plan for the worst, what ways could this end up going? Say if it went to the program director, chair, or program coordinator? I'm wondering what mechanism do they have to exercise a penalty regarding this? I'm not technically there yet as a resident, so would any repercussions be through my current program? Would I have to meet with this program through zoom. Or would they try to take me down when I arrive. In the end of the day, I need a job and can't afford to lose this spot despite not liking it

 

[GoSpursGo]

For an email ? I understand if I said something crazy or if it was full of a racism. Was it a poor email? Yes. Was it extreme? Yes. But what kinda of explanation would be to fire someone because they hurt their feeling? That's a slippery slope to getting residents fired during interview day for talking about the negatives about the program.

Good news is that it's been 48 business hours and I haven't heard anything. So hopefully that means I'm in the clear. But just plan for the worst, what ways could this end up going? Say if it went to the program director, chair, or program coordinator? I'm wondering what mechanism do they have to exercise a penalty regarding this? I'm not technically there yet as a resident, so would any repercussions be through my current program? Would I have to meet with this program through zoom. Or would they try to take me down when I arrive. In the end of the day, I need a job and can't afford to lose this spot despite not liking it

I don't know what world you live in. People get fired all the time for being malcontents who don't want to be there. Walk up to the boss and tell him all the reasons the place you work suck, and you can expect to very likely be allowed to no longer work in a place where you're so unhappy.

You could be in the clear, or they could just be kind of speechless that someone did something so foolish and are trying to figure out what, if anything, to do about it. They are obliged to train you for 45 days. After that, as outlined repeated above they have pretty broad ability to make your life unpleasant, all the way up to and including starting you on probation for "professionalism issues" and then finding reason to let you go.

 

[Osminog]

Good news is that it's been 48 business hours and I haven't heard anything. So hopefully that means I'm in the clear.

Are you under the impression that there's a 48-hour statute of limitations for disciplining people who send unprofessional rants to their employers and then tell preposterous lies to cover it up?

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

What are the odds someone affiliated with the program has read this thread?

Big Hoss