1. Heard this from more than one PGY5 and a PD…The most important things to land an academic job are a chair who will market you and a unique niche of research. Prestige comes in after those. And I asked on the forum here which seemed to echo that it is a minor factor.
2. Prestige doesn’t kill tumors, photons do. This was hard for me to swallow for about ¾ of the interview cycle, but the prestige/ranking list on here just doesn’t line up to reality. Some of your patients may be particular about where you trained, but all of them will care about how well you were trained. Find the place that will make you the best doctor and don’t be afraid to rank a not top 10 at the top.
3. I did 14 interviews. I probably left 4 or 5 feeling like I totally messed something up including the place I matched at. It’s impossible to be perfect on every interview and be prepared at the beginning to make a lot of mistakes. Don’t sweat it though. Everyone is in the same boat and makes the ridiculous gaffes early on. One resident had a particularly outrageous story from his interview day at the program and he still made it work—perhaps it’s best not to list comedy awards just be on the safe side. You’ll be a pro by the end and could deliver your research speech while juggling flaming swords.
4. Puppets are never a good idea. Mr. Photon had a lot of potential but just not the right era for such antics… So I didn’t actually use puppets but I’m pretty sure if you do that’s grounds for automatic induction as an ASTRO Fellow. But the point is to have some fun. A lot of your interviewers want to laugh with you (although a couple don't). This is a crazy time and even though I had to force my grandmother to work in the quarry to pay for the traveling expenses, the dinners, the late nights in the airport with your co-applicants when your flights get cancelled, the hitchhiking (unlike the puppets, this happened)--its unforgettable and part of me that has no financial savy really misses those crazy months.
6. If you can’t find a faculty’s email address but want to thank them, pubmed them and find papers where they're the first author and likely corresponding author. It’s usually in there.
7. Don’t use the hotels that the coordinators supply even with the discount. They are never cheaper than hotwire.
8. Southwest is gold. Can cancel flights without penalty up to 10 minutes before take off. You will be changing dates and missing flights unless you’re fortunate enough for a heat wave. Make sure to leave approximately 2 hrs between the end of the interview day and hotel. It never felt good leaving a little earlier than the group. That said, feel free to miss the dinners. They are helpful, fun, but not vital.
9. Always be nice. It's a great rule to live by. But just for emphasis the program director for the interview I was going to the following day was 2 seats ahead of me on the plane. He also chose Southwest...just saying.
10. Keep your chin up. If you want it, you will be an amazing doctor regardless of which RTOG titan didn't like your ASTRO project or who spotted the mustard stain on your interview outfit. Stay confident, stay humble, be yourself, be your best, forget the minor sticking points, and remember that the best part of you is desperately needed in this world.
10. Always, always be happy. If you’re ever having a bad day as an oncologist, you're still in a much better place than an oncology patient.
2. Prestige doesn’t kill tumors, photons do. This was hard for me to swallow for about ¾ of the interview cycle, but the prestige/ranking list on here just doesn’t line up to reality. Some of your patients may be particular about where you trained, but all of them will care about how well you were trained. Find the place that will make you the best doctor and don’t be afraid to rank a not top 10 at the top.
3. I did 14 interviews. I probably left 4 or 5 feeling like I totally messed something up including the place I matched at. It’s impossible to be perfect on every interview and be prepared at the beginning to make a lot of mistakes. Don’t sweat it though. Everyone is in the same boat and makes the ridiculous gaffes early on. One resident had a particularly outrageous story from his interview day at the program and he still made it work—perhaps it’s best not to list comedy awards just be on the safe side. You’ll be a pro by the end and could deliver your research speech while juggling flaming swords.
4. Puppets are never a good idea. Mr. Photon had a lot of potential but just not the right era for such antics… So I didn’t actually use puppets but I’m pretty sure if you do that’s grounds for automatic induction as an ASTRO Fellow. But the point is to have some fun. A lot of your interviewers want to laugh with you (although a couple don't). This is a crazy time and even though I had to force my grandmother to work in the quarry to pay for the traveling expenses, the dinners, the late nights in the airport with your co-applicants when your flights get cancelled, the hitchhiking (unlike the puppets, this happened)--its unforgettable and part of me that has no financial savy really misses those crazy months.
6. If you can’t find a faculty’s email address but want to thank them, pubmed them and find papers where they're the first author and likely corresponding author. It’s usually in there.
7. Don’t use the hotels that the coordinators supply even with the discount. They are never cheaper than hotwire.
8. Southwest is gold. Can cancel flights without penalty up to 10 minutes before take off. You will be changing dates and missing flights unless you’re fortunate enough for a heat wave. Make sure to leave approximately 2 hrs between the end of the interview day and hotel. It never felt good leaving a little earlier than the group. That said, feel free to miss the dinners. They are helpful, fun, but not vital.
9. Always be nice. It's a great rule to live by. But just for emphasis the program director for the interview I was going to the following day was 2 seats ahead of me on the plane. He also chose Southwest...just saying.
10. Keep your chin up. If you want it, you will be an amazing doctor regardless of which RTOG titan didn't like your ASTRO project or who spotted the mustard stain on your interview outfit. Stay confident, stay humble, be yourself, be your best, forget the minor sticking points, and remember that the best part of you is desperately needed in this world.
10. Always, always be happy. If you’re ever having a bad day as an oncologist, you're still in a much better place than an oncology patient.
