Hot on the Interview Trail

Actually, it's effing freezing. I drove up here for an interview, and yesterday I was sweating in 80 degree humid weather. Today, it's been in the 30's all day and sleeting/drizzling. Disgusting. I wasn't able to get the wireless router at my aunt's house to work with my computer (although that probably says more about my computer than her router) so I'm at some random coffee shop/chic eatery populated with law students. Just don't sue me.

This will be my fifth interview, and I'm kinda wondering why I'm taking it. After all, I've pretty much decided I won't rank anywhere outside of the geographic area where we need to go, so even if I love this program I probably won't be coming here. It was a nice excuse to come see my aunt, and I got to see a friend from high school today, which was excellent.

Partly, though, I think it's because I like psych interviews. Everyone is excited about psych there, and they get it. No one makes jokes about "oh, you're going into psych, don't analyze me!" or "oh, you're going into psych, I might need your services!" at psych interviews. Instead, you get to talk about what you like about psych, and what the problems are, and what might be done to fix them. Psych people *tend* to be well-read, which I used to be before med school killed my ability to read. Also, the ladies from the program today are apparently big shoppers, which endeared them to my heart; we compared our favorite shoe brands, and discussed the pros and cons of outdoor shopping malls in cold weather. Always a good sign when the residents have time for shoe shopping!

I haven't decided yet how I will discuss my rank choices here. Suffice to say, I have my rank list in order, and Top Choice Program has emerged as the shining winner. It's hard, though, because I feel like I have to be rather hush-hush about the whole thing. One of the programs I interviewed at was rather aggressive about selling the program, but I know that program has some problems, and so I feel that I have to be careful about how I say things, especially since that will be a program I rank, but not highly. Also, since I've thus far kept this blog relatively anonymous, I have to be very careful how I discuss various programs, or it will be extremely obvious what program I'm talking about. It's all very high school, when you had to gossip behind people's backs cautiously, so they didn't figure out who had started what rumor (even in band, we had this problem).

So, without giving you any information at all, I know what my rank list will be. It will likely be 3 programs long; if I don't match, I'll have to scramble into a prelim medicine year. As everyone tells me, though, it's psych, so that won't happen, silly. I agree, but I still have to know my plan B. Yes, I realize how OCD that makes me. Those nearest and dearest to me just know and accept that I am a little crazy that way, and move on with their lives.