2012-2013 Interview Gossip/Chit-Chat

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Sheldor

Sheldor

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Link to last years threads:

2011-2012 Interview Gossip/Chit-Chat
Interview Dates & Offers 2011-2012
Interview Rejections 2011-2012

Enjoyed following this thread last year, hopefully our year will have as many people here on the forums.

How'd application submission go today? Kind of crazy that programs are already downloading on a Saturday! As stated below, I'm sure that downloads =/ reviewing, just a curious observation.

Congrats to those whose apps are officially in! (And good luck to those who are still putting on the finishing touches)
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Sheldor said:
Kind of crazy that programs are already downloading on a Saturday!
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While impressive that someone, somewhere in a rad onc department isdownloading apps on a Saturday, by no means should this encourage otherapplicants to rush to submit their applications. If you haven't submitted yet (waitingto hear back about a publication, award, work experience/grade, someone toproofread your PS, or something else along those lines), my advice would be toget it in within the next few weeks. However, don't wait for additional lettersof rec if you have already have one or more LOR already in.

Each individual program will download applications many times throughout theapplication cycle, and having your application in on day 1 will offer little tono advantage. I took step 2 in September and updated ERAS in mid-October andall but one of the programs I interviewed at (the very first) had downloaded myupdated step 2 score.

As stated in prior threads by other users, the majority of places will notseriously look at applications until after ASTRO regardless of when someone inthe department "downloaded" the application.

Hope this helps someone out there who may have been worried about getting inon "day 1".
 
lhl said:
While impressive that someone, somewhere in a rad onc department isdownloading apps on a Saturday, by no means should this encourage otherapplicants to rush to submit their applications. If you haven't submitted yet (waitingto hear back about a publication, award, work experience/grade, someone toproofread your PS, or something else along those lines), my advice would be toget it in within the next few weeks. However, don't wait for additional lettersof rec if you have already have one or more LOR already in.

Each individual program will download applications many times throughout theapplication cycle, and having your application in on day 1 will offer little tono advantage. I took step 2 in September and updated ERAS in mid-October andall but one of the programs I interviewed at (the very first) had downloaded myupdated step 2 score.

As stated in prior threads by other users, the majority of places will notseriously look at applications until after ASTRO regardless of when someone inthe department "downloaded" the application.

Hope this helps someone out there who may have been worried about getting inon "day 1".
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Definitely, not trying to rush anyone, more just commenting that it was crazy that it occurred this early on a Saturday. Especially since things won't really start moving until November.

aPD in the ERAS forum details how every time they re-login to ERAS if anything has changed in the applications it automatically downloads the updates, thus the reason your Step 2 updated. So yes, submit when its ready!
 
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Sheldor said:
Definitely, not trying to rush anyone, more just commenting that it was crazy that it occurred this early on a Saturday.
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I thought I was told by a program coordinator that there's some auto-download thing? It made it look like my apps were downloaded on Saturday in the middle of the night, but I got a good laughing at when I suggested that a person was actually looking at apps in the middle of the night.

If someone is working, more than likely a program coordinator just starting to print things out for review after ASTRO. It makes sense to do this in bundles rather than all at once given the hundreds of applications each program gets that are coordinated typically by one person.

Due to my medical school screwing up, my application wasn't complete until mid-November and I still did fine.
 
Keep in mind that this year they changed the reporting of USMLE scores so that they are no longer self-reported on ERAS, and take 3-5 business days following submission before they are available for programs to see (which I would assume are requisite for review of an app, but who knows). Therefore, people submitting Sunday or Monday should presumably have their scores arrive around the same time as those that submitted Saturday.

This is at least what I'll be telling myself as I submit my ERAS tomorrow!
 
lhl said:
While impressive that someone, somewhere in a rad onc department isdownloading apps on a Saturday, by no means should this encourage otherapplicants to rush to submit their applications. If you haven't submitted yet (waitingto hear back about a publication, award, work experience/grade, someone toproofread your PS, or something else along those lines), my advice would be toget it in within the next few weeks. However, don't wait for additional lettersof rec if you have already have one or more LOR already in.

Each individual program will download applications many times throughout theapplication cycle, and having your application in on day 1 will offer little tono advantage. I took step 2 in September and updated ERAS in mid-October andall but one of the programs I interviewed at (the very first) had downloaded myupdated step 2 score.

As stated in prior threads by other users, the majority of places will notseriously look at applications until after ASTRO regardless of when someone inthe department "downloaded" the application.

Hope this helps someone out there who may have been worried about getting inon "day 1".
Click to expand...

Although it is true that rad-onc programs will download after astro, many of the TY programs will download very early on. I don't think you can make changes to the main portion of your eras application once you submit it. For example, if you submit you app to the TY programs now but want to make changes later while you are waiting for a paper to come in, I don't think you can make that change. The only change that I think you can make is to identify whether or not you are AOA.

With TY programs being arguably more competitive than Rad Onc programs, it would behoove applicants to get the ERAS apps in as soon as possible. Otherwise you might end up slaving away at as an IM intern. I'm not saying that anyone should freak out an submit them immediately, but I would definitely try to get it out in the next week or so.
 
So it seems that UAB was the first this year, anybody hear anything from the others that traditionally sent out invites early?

It has been nice to at least get intern year interviews, helps since Rad Onc doesn't pick up until November!
 
All quite on this front...
 
The silence is deafening when I keep hearing about all the categorical IM IVs my classmates are getting. At least the prelims and TYs are flowing in. I wonder if the IV will trickle in any differently since letters go out earlier this year, or if ASTRO will continue to reign.

Looking at the list from last year Michigan has been an early IV in past, but they have yet to download my app - has anyone else been downloaded yet?
 
Don't expect to hear back anything until after ASTRO. Do yourselves as favor and go out and enjoy life until mid-October/November...life gets stressful from November-Jan/Feb. Stay away from this website also if you can resist...
 
anisotropy said:
The silence is deafening when I keep hearing about all the categorical IM IVs my classmates are getting. At least the prelims and TYs are flowing in. I wonder if the IV will trickle in any differently since letters go out earlier this year, or if ASTRO will continue to reign.

Looking at the list from last year Michigan has been an early IV in past, but they have yet to download my app - has anyone else been downloaded yet?
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Just checked, and they haven't downloaded my application either and I applied early, so I think its safe to say they just haven't downloaded yet.

I agree about the TY/Prelim's helping. One of my friends already had 5 Radiology interviews, so that does make the silence a little more deafening :)
 
In complete agreement with BraggPeak. The coordinator will download your apps, but the review committee at the vast majority of programs won't look at any of them probably until November. I know for a fact. So, chillax if you can. ;)
 
Obviously this year there are a lot of unknowns for invite schedules because of the change in MSPE date. But for those curious, based on last year, here is who people could be hearing from in the next 10 days. (Included the dates from last year as well)

9/22 - Case Western
9/26 - Mayo-Jacksonville
9/27 - UTMB
10/6 - Mount Sinai
10/10 - Georgetown
10/11 - Mayo-Rochester
 
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We don't even start looking at applications until November, and often don't meet to select candidates for interview until December. I don't think our program is in the minority.
 
Sheldor said:
To those who got the Mayo-Jacksonville invite: Any indication how many they are interviewing this year?
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I did not apply here, but a quick FREIDA search suggests they interviewed 60 people last year for one position.
 
rolltide487 said:
I did not apply here, but a quick FREIDA search suggests they interviewed 60 people last year for one position.
Click to expand...

60 for 1 position!? That seems like overkill and very time consuming.
 
Do programs ever send out invites on more than one date? For example, if we didn't hear from UAB, does that mean we have no hope of interviewing there?
 
RadOncDoc21 said:
60 for 1 position!? That seems like overkill and very time consuming.
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I'm pretty sure I remember reading on SDN that at one point in the last couple years they interviewed 40 for the 1 position. Thats actually why I was asking about this year because I was hoping they trimmed that back! (I didn't get an invite, so this was actually just curiosity)

Good luck this week everyone, hopefully a few more schools will start inviting!
 
Also once the interview season starts full force, it seems that many applicants will run into scheduling conflicts which should open up some more spots for those of us that didn't get invited initially.
 
Sheldor said:
Obviously this year there are a lot of unknowns for invite schedules because of the change in MSPE date. But for those curious, based on last year, here is who people could be hearing from in the next 10 days. (Included the dates from last year as well)

9/22 - Case Western
9/26 - Mayo-Jacksonville
9/27 - UTMB
10/6 - Mount Sinai
10/10 - Georgetown
10/11 - Mayo-Rochester
Click to expand...

Anybody heard from Case Western or Michigan?

Just out of curiosity, how many interviews is everyone planning on going on this year?
 
Sheldor said:
Anybody heard from Case Western or Michigan?

Just out of curiosity, how many interviews is everyone planning on going on this year?
Click to expand...

Nope no news from Case or Michigan as of yet. If I have the privilege of even getting this choice, I think 10 would be a safe bet.
 
Sheldor said:
Anybody heard from Case Western or Michigan?

Just out of curiosity, how many interviews is everyone planning on going on this year?
Click to expand...

Won't start canceling interviews til I hit 15... but like the above poster, I would be happy with 10.
 
10, 15...I will continue to dream of hitting those numbers.

On another front. Another interview did go out this week. Good for my buddy, but bad for me.Since I didn't get it, don't think it is right for me to post. But if anyone else wants to share, please do :)
 
any idea of what the best way to update programs on research changes such as a new abstract or paper? Better to send to the PD or the program coordinator? Should I send a copy of the paper as well? Thanks!
 
I think this is around the time where all of our friends have gotten at least a few interviews and many of us have gotten 0.

Any guesses for how long after ASTRO before interview invites start rolling?
 
I know rejections started this week with at least one program sending them out. Do we want to start a rejections thread? Seems like its hit or miss each year whether it gets used.
 
Sheldor said:
I know rejections started this week with at least one program sending them out. Do we want to start a rejections thread? Seems like its hit or miss each year whether it gets used.
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Personally, I think it might be helpful. Might indicate that some are "still in the running" at some programs.
 
It might be useful but maybe not. Last year I thought the same thing, and when all my friends got a rejection letter from a place and I didn't, I thought it meant good things. I later called a few of these programs after never hearing anything and they would apologize saying, oh whoops we just forgot to send you a rejection. Just saying..
 
Radbio22 said:
It might be useful but maybe not. Last year I thought the same thing, and when all my friends got a rejection letter from a place and I didn't, I thought it meant good things. I later called a few of these programs after never hearing anything and they would apologize saying, oh whoops we just forgot to send you a rejection. Just saying..
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Hah yeah...I can imagine that it might not end up being helpful at all. But, hey...maybe it will give me a little hope here and there ;)
 
They sent out invites.

EDIT: Over the last couple of years, UCSF has had three interview dates with about 21-24 applicants total. Generally the first interview slot is reserved for those who are "local" (e.g. located on the West Coast) so I would not fret too much if you've not received an interview as there will undoubtedly be a second batch coming.
 
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Do you guys think there is any hope left to get an invite for Harvard? saw on the invite thread they had emailed invitations yesterday... Are they known to email in batches? :cool::)
 
Sheldor said:
It doesn't feel early, I definitely want to start panicking. It's normal to have a crisis of faith about this time in the cycle right?
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It's normal but misjudged. My application wasn't even complete until ASTRO. Of the people I knew who were panicking this early, they all did extremely well. It's probably the anxious types, whose anxiety leads them to be strong applicants, who are the most nervous.
 
I'm not the only one who hasn't gotten any interviews yet right?
 
For those interested, based on last years dates the programs that we could be hearing from this week are:

Minnesota, Wake Forest, Rochester, Cal Pacific, Kentucky, Henry Ford, Mt Sinai, Cincinnati, South Carolina, UVA, and University of Washington.

Big difference is that last year ASTRO was in early October so that confounds things slightly.
 
How long should I wait for a program to confirm my interview date before I call?
 
So fellow applicants and those who have gone before: At this point, 24 programs have sent out invites. So there are roughly ~60 more programs that will be sending out invites after ASTRO.

My question is how many invites should one have at this point to not be freakin out?
 
How's everyone doing this week? There hasn't been the deluge of invites that I was expecting.

Anybody know if applications are up or down? Seems like they may be down based on some of the numbers of applicants quoted in some of the rejection emails...
 
Sheldor said:
How's everyone doing this week? There hasn't been the deluge of invites that I was expecting.

Anybody know if applications are up or down? Seems like they may be down based on some of the numbers of applicants quoted in some of the rejection emails...
Click to expand...
Applications are down by 25+ according to an earlier post, and also according to the PD at my home program.

For the sake of scheduling flights at non-exorbitant prices I hope that deluge comes soon too though the 6 or so places that have sent out invites in this half week is a fair number.
 
I'm thinking of not going to my UVA interview...I mean 26 applicants for 1 spot seems like a waste of time in my mind, especially since I'm flying so far.
 
Aortosis said:
I'm thinking of not going to my UVA interview...I mean 26 applicants for 1 spot seems like a waste of time in my mind, especially since I'm flying so far.
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Hmm...maybe with the number of applicants roughly equaling the number of spots this year they are concerned about matching?

I agree with you: probably not a great investment of time or money particularly if it requires a flight. Besides, by declining the interview you would instantly gain hero status from the 100+ applicants who were NOT INVITED
 
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