Calls, Lies, and Letters ....

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”
~ Oscar Wilde

I was speaking with one of my residents yesterday about match day. We shared our experience. How it was during the interview process. What we were told. We both had expectations based on what we were told by many people during the process. In our own mind, we had expectations based on information given to us from people in positions of importance. Therefore, on match day, we were both surprised at where we ended up. And we both had an ego deflating sensation based on where other people matched, etc. When I submitted my rank list, I submitted it as I saw it. I placed the 12 programs in the order that I like them, not based on the likelihood of me matching there.

I am a purist. I feel that the match should be done the way it was intended. I like these applicants and I rank them as I see them; you like these programs and you rank them as you see them. So, it kind of bothers me when there are people who make calls and send letters saying that you are in a ranked to match or in a position that has matched in previous years. When information is sent out about being ranked to match, it only benefits the program. The more applicants that have ranked you high, the more likely it is that you can report that you program always gets its top applicants. That is an ego thing. Truth is, we all can manipulate our list so that we get our top applicants. Making calls and misleading applicants can be done as long as there are no “verbal or written agreements”. That is why many letters give ambiguous information.

So, what is my point? The point of the match was to prevent programs from influencing/forcing your decision. I say, "stick to your guns." Rank them as you see them, what are they going to do, say “but you promised.”(sad face) Were all big boys and girls, we’ll get over it.

“Integrity is the essence of everything successful.”

~Richard Buckminster Fuller