Good day again fellow residents! The CRIP is over, and for better or for worse, we’ve interviewed our prospective residents for the next two to three years. This is the second CRIP I’ve attended from the interviewer’s standpoint (three if you include my own interviews), and I have to say I find the process fascinating.

For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to attend a CRIP as an interviewer, I highly recommend it.  First, it’s nice being on the other end of the process. My interviews were somewhat of a blur – I was intently focused on attaining the best residency I could and NOT listening to all the gossip. I was also incredibly nervous and under a lot of stress (most of it self-induced). Now that I’m on the other side of the process, I’m much more relaxed and able to focus more broadly on the “culture” of the CRIP – the groups of students conglomerating together for support, the black and gray suits, the forced smiles, the hotel.  I admit I still find myself a bit nervous for the students. Many of those interviewing had clerked with my program, and I got to know them well. I wanted them to perform outstandingly regardless of whether or not they were strong candidates for Botsford’s residency program.

Second, it was incredible how few people were in attendance. My program attended the final CRIP (Central this year), which may explain part of the poor attendance. However, more significantly is the miniscule pool of applicants this year. During my interview year, the halls seemed busy if not crawling with young, nervous, podiatrists-to-be. This year was much different. The once busy Sheridan O’Hare in Chicago seemed almost a ghost town in comparison. As I understand it, the next couple of years will have continued low numbers with significant increases by the 2009 class. That’s great news!

The interviews themselves were also fascinating, similar to small psychology experiments. To hear the variety of responses evoked from the interviewers provides insight into the way people think as well as how they respond to stressful situations.

Finally, it was a real treat to interact with some of my key attendings in a more casual manner than I’m used to. I know many of my attendings as generous and caring people who are dedicated to residency training and are quite approachable. But to see them out of their white coats, in jeans and sneakers, talking casually in the airport and listening to stories of what it was like to practice podiatry in Michigan as young physicians themselves, was an honor that put the proverbial icing on my third year as a podiatric resident.

Some day in the near future many of us will be attending the CRIPs, not as residents, but as residency directors and staff. I urge as many of you as possible to stay involved in the process and continue to support podiatric residency training.

What were your impressions of the interviews this year? Did you go? To what level did you participate? What did you think of the applicants? Write in with your impressions and memories. Have a great week!