Second Looks??

[nightynite]

Are any of you going to go on second looks at any hospitals? Do you think it helps(if you go) or hurts (if you don't go)? There are so many different places I would have to visit, it would take so much time out. But I don't want to hurt my chances, and I would do anything if it helped.....Tell me what you all think, or if you know of stories where second looks actually help.

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[VolatileAgent]

Are any of you going to go on second looks at any hospitals? Do you think it helps(if you go) or hurts (if you don't go)? There are so many different places I would have to visit, it would take so much time out. But I don't want to hurt my chances, and I would do anything if it helped.....Tell me what you all think, or if you know of stories where second looks actually help.

more likely to hurt than help.

 

[nightynite]

So you think it would hurt my chances if I do go, of hurt my chances if I don't go?

 

[Trisomy13]

waste of time

 

[chips]

every place i visited said explicitly that while you're welcome to come to 2nd look it won't hurt or help your chances. this is to be fair to applicants who live far away and can't afford to come back for a second look. so, that being said, if you're going for 2nd look purely to augment your chances, i think it's a waste of time and money. go only if you think a second look around will help you decide and/or make a difference on your rank list.

 

[ketafol]

waste of time

I disagree. One porgram made it rather clear at the interview that second looks are looked upon favorably come rank time, while another one I went to said it wont make a difference either way for ranking purposes, but is to your benefit since you get a larger glimpse of the program.

 

[aredoubleyou]

I disagree. One porgram made it rather clear at the interview that second looks are looked upon favorably come rank time, while another one I went to said it wont make a difference either way for ranking purposes, but is to your benefit since you get a larger glimpse of the program.

waste of time

 

[jennyboo]

Go if you live nearby and are having trouble deciding whether to rank the program as your #1 or as your #2 -- purely for your own benefit, to get peace of mind about having made the right decision for yourself.

Since anesthesiology is a tertiary care specialty, residency programs are spread thinner and are fewer and further between than, say, medicine programs. This makes it difficult (and, thusly, rare) for people to take second looks. They are not expected and I didn't do any.

At one program near me, however, a vice program director looked at me and said, "You're.... close. If you're interested in this program, I strongly urge you to come back and take a second look." I thought he implied that I should do so in order to demonstrate that I was interested (and yes, showing strong interest does make a difference in how much they consider your application). However, I ranked that place #5-6 -- not near enough to the top to make it worthwhile for me to visit them for a day. Program wasn't compelling enough, and I thought the 'request' for a second look made me even less interested in going there.

 

[Duckie24]

What about for someone who really doesn't care about spending the travel money/time to show some interest in a program? I am fairly certain of my #1 and don't really care what it takes, within reason, so some money for a second look means nothing to me. Worth it?

 

[jennyboo]

What about for someone who really doesn't care about spending the travel money/time to show some interest in a program? I am fairly certain of my #1 and don't really care what it takes, within reason, so some money for a second look means nothing to me. Worth it?

Probably not.

You can tell them how interested you are by writing a strong thank-you that expresses how much you want to come, how you think it's a good fit, etc. Cost of postage vs cost of travel... hmmm, which would I rather pay?