Hi everyone,
The first time Heide was pregnant, we debated whether to find out if the baby would be a boy or girl. I wanted to be surprised, but not Heide. There were clothes to buy, a room to decorate, and names to choose. In marriage, I am persuadable, and, of course, Heide was doing the heavy lifting. She said I could close my eyes and ears during the ultrasound if I wanted, but keeping the secret would be impossible. She could hide the dresses and tights from me, but there was no way she was going to spend hours haggling over boys’ names.
Knowing your child’s sex tells you little about the person they’ll become. Who could guess Gabrielle would have her opa’s dark eyes and olive skin, or that she’d have a gift for music, languages, dancing, and design? We just knew we’d love her.*
Which brings me to Friday’s Match (attached). It’s not like we Program Directors have no idea who’s coming. We tell applicants (repeatedly) not to tell us where they’re ranking us, and that telling us has zero influence on our decisions (truly), but some tell us anyway. So, we know.
Signaling is also a clue. Of the thirty-eight categorical interns, twenty-six sent us Gold Signals, meaning we were in their top three before interviews began. While signaling did influence our invitation decisions, as intended, it did not impact ranking decisions. Ultimately, of the forty-two Gold Signal applicants ranked highly enough to match, 62% are coming.
I knew this would be a huge year for international medical graduates despite concerns about visas and travel bans. Unfortunately, despite their enormous academic potential, many top tier IMGs don’t get as many interviews at academic residencies as American graduates. But we review all applicants the same way, focusing on clinical, scientific, and leadership potential, and we view all forms of diversity—including international education—as an opportunity to enrich our residency. Among our IMG applicants, 78% of those ranked highly are coming.
This year, we participated in the Rank Order List Lock, which meant our list was certified and fixed after February 9th, more than three weeks before the deadline for applicants to submit their lists. This created a no pressure opportunity for candidates to come to New Haven for a “second look” without having to worry that visiting (or not) would influence how they were ranked. Of the forty-two highly ranked applicants who joined us, 40% will be joining us this summer.
Here’s what else I can tell you about our 38 categorical and 8 PSTP interns:
- Schools: Yale (5), Cornell (2), Stony Brook (2), Wash U (2), UConn (2), MCG Augusta (2), and many others (1).
- Gender: Women (26), Men (20)
- Connecticut Ties (birthplace, family, college, prior work, medical school): 15
- Underrepresented in Medicine: 7
- Distance Traveled (hardship overcome): 10
- Advanced Degrees: 15
- Countries Represented: Türkiye (3), Lebanon (3), Pakistan (2), India (2), Greece (1), Mexico (1), Singapore (1), Palestine (1), Italy (1), Iran (1), Dominican Republic (1), Germany (1), Colombia (1)
The interns have high Step scores and grades, impressive research and leadership, and compelling personal statements. They had strong recommendations and interviews. Each could have gone to many excellent programs, but I’m grateful they chose us.
As parents, we can’t know where our children’s genes and experiences will take them. Our job is to provide a warm home, food, encouragement, and love, and then let our kids surprise us.
Program Directors have a similar job. Our new interns have the innate potential to become scientists, educators, and master clinicians, but it’s up to them to choose their path. Some already have their sights set on subspecialties, while some have no idea. It’s up to them. But what’s guaranteed is that they’ll work hard, learn a ton, make friends, and become skilled, compassionate internists. As faculty, it’s our job to create the challenging, nurturing environment they need to succeed as they exchange their interview suits for scrubs and become the next generation of Yale residents, “as good as any, nicer than most.”
Enjoy your Sunday, everyone. I’m going for a hike up East Rock to search for signs of spring before returning to work on an UpToDate update.
Mark
*This is the point in today’s PD Note where I reassure Isabella and Francesca that we love them just as much.
P.S. Look out for next week’s Program Director’s Note where our new interns introduce themselves!
P.P.S. Happy Nowruz!
P.P.P.S. What I’m reading:
- Time of the Child By Niall Williams
- You’re Addicted to Being Right By Amanda E. White
- Can You Dress Your Way Out of Heartache? By Alyona Synenko. Photographs by Olga Engibarova
- How Iranian New Yorkers Are Celebrating Persian New Year During the War By Diba Mohtasham. Visuals by Ahmed Gaber
- An Aural Companion for Decades, CBS News Radio Crackles to a Close By Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin
- AI in Residency Application Reviews. Emerging Legal Risks. By Preetham Bachina, MSE; Diane E. Hoffmann, JD, MSc; Katherine E. Goodman, JD, PhD
- Don’t Surround Yourself With Admirers By Arthur C. Brooks
- A.I. Is Writing Fiction. Publishers Are Unprepared. By Alexandra Alter
- What Happened When a MAHA Activist and a Yale Scientist Worked Together By Brinda Adhikari and Tom W. Johnson
- Do We Really Need a Reminder of What the AIDS Crisis Was Like? By Maia Szalavitz