2013 Postdoc Applicants

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PHD12 said:
YAY!

So far i have a few interviews scheduled as well, but these were anomalies and one site had a very early deadline. Most of my sites have sent out emails letting me know that they received the application and will be going through the applications over the next few weeks with interviews scheduled in February and possibly early March!!! If you haven't heard from sites, its still too early for most places. In big cities they get over a hundred applications easily so its not surprising that they may take longer.

I'm going to practice my judo moves before the interviews. The good news is that this process is time limited. We should find out in March either way.
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Absolutely! I don't expect that I'll fully hear back from places for weeks yet. But it is nice to feel like the ball is rolling. :) Looking forward to mid-March when all this is over.
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DrivenDoctoress said:
Absolutely! I don't expect that I'll fully hear back from places for weeks yet. But it is nice to feel like the ball is rolling. :) Looking forward to mid-March when all this is over.
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How many interviews do people think is enough on average to secure a post-doc? I know there is no firm number, but when I was applying for internship, the magic number seemed to be about 7 interviews! There is data that shows that matched applicants ranked 8 sites for internship. I would think that if you are a good candidate, 6-7 would be a reasonable number? What do you guys think? That way, if you screw up 1 or 2 interviews, you are still okay.
 
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I am 6 for 6 so far for interviews, and am waiting to hear back from 6 others with later due dates and am freaking out about paying for this (only 1 is at INS); the others on site. I am flying to the same city THREE TIMES IN TWO WEEKS because the timing wouldn't work out no matter how I swung it. Had to resort to begging my family for money. Thank goodness my internship site is being nice about this.

But yes, meetup at INS! We can discuss as it gets closer.
 
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So far I've gotten 2 interviews (I'm not in neuro) - both from sites with very early January deadlines. 2 for 2 is a nice start but my wheels are turning...this is going to get expensive fast if I get the same number of interviews or more as I did for internship. Some of my sites offer phone/Skype options and I may need to resort to one or a few of those, much as I detest the idea. But I'm making less on internship than I did as a graduate student and time off is tight. Anyone else contemplating not physically attending an interview?
 
Milk Milk Milk said:
So far I've gotten 2 interviews (I'm not in neuro) - both from sites with very early January deadlines. 2 for 2 is a nice start but my wheels are turning...this is going to get expensive fast if I get the same number of interviews or more as I did for internship. Some of my sites offer phone/Skype options and I may need to resort to one or a few of those, much as I detest the idea. But I'm making less on internship than I did as a graduate student and time off is tight. Anyone else contemplating not physically attending an interview?
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Other than INS, I attended very, very few on-site interviews. This actually seems to be a bit more of the norm for post-docs, at least in my experience.
 
AcronymAllergy said:
Other than INS, I attended very, very few on-site interviews. This actually seems to be a bit more of the norm for post-docs, at least in my experience.
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What happens at INS (I'm non-neuro)?

I would feel comfortable with 5-7 interviews overall. I like knowing that I can screw up 1 or 2.

MILK, If I get more than 7 interviews, I'm going to ask for a phone interview at a less desirable site.
 
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PHD12 said:
What happens at INS (I'm non-neuro)?

I would feel comfortable with 5-7 interviews overall. I like knowing that I can screw up 1 or 2.

MILK, If I get more than 7 interviews, I'm going to ask for a phone interview at a less desirable site.
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INS sets aside a handful of meeting rooms so that sites can all conduct their interviews at the conference. When I went, there were 4-6 tables setup per room, and programs would schedule a slot with you ahead of time for about a 30-minute window per applicant. It was nice in that I knocked out I think 8 interviews over the span of the 4.5 days I was there, but it made for some tiring afternoons on those occasions when I had 3 interviews scheduled nearly back-to-back.

I don't know how many sites had faculty present, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that it was upwards of 20 or 30.
 
One rejection so far, from a site that filled the postdoc slot within a week of the application deadline. I'm telling myself that they must have chosen a current intern in order to make the hire so quickly. Sure, rejection is rejection, but in my head, "we chose someone who already works with us" is better than "we're interviewing other people, but we don't want to interview you."

ETA: Also, I've gotten 2 interview so far, with very little advance notice on scheduling. One site requested a specific date that was 9 days from the day they contacted me, and one requested an interview 4 days away. Neither gave an alternate date, though I'd certainly follow up and ask for one if needed. Has anyone else found that they're not given a whole lot of notice? These are both local sites, so I figured that might be part of the reason they didn't give me much time.
 
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PHD12 said:
What happens at INS (I'm non-neuro)?

I would feel comfortable with 5-7 interviews overall. I like knowing that I can screw up 1 or 2.

MILK, If I get more than 7 interviews, I'm going to ask for a phone interview at a less desirable site.
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The biggest problem is taking the time off. From internship, I'm getting the message of "Wow, great job getting interviews! We're proud of you!... but...[insert: is that fellowship at the top of your list?/That's such short notice!/You don't have too many days off to interview so maybe you should prioritize.]" Such pressure!
 
AcronymAllergy said:
INS sets aside a handful of meeting rooms so that sites can all conduct their interviews at the conference. When I went, there were 4-6 tables setup per room, and programs would schedule a slot with you ahead of time for about a 30-minute window per applicant. It was nice in that I knocked out I think 8 interviews over the span of the 4.5 days I was there, but it made for some tiring afternoons on those occasions when I had 3 interviews scheduled nearly back-to-back.

I don't know how many sites had faculty present, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that it was upwards of 20 or 30.
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Even though exhausting, I love the idea of having everything in a central location and getting it out of the way! I hate the waiting game and all the uncertainty. Its been pretty stressful checking my email and waiting to hear from places. I have few interviews scheduled so far, but have not heard anything from majority of sites.
 
Milk Milk Milk said:
The biggest problem is taking the time off. From internship, I'm getting the message of "Wow, great job getting interviews! We're proud of you!... but...[insert: is that fellowship at the top of your list?/That's such short notice!/You don't have too many days off to interview so maybe you should prioritize.]" Such pressure!
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Mixed messages like that are so frustrating. Ultimately, you have to take care of yourself and prioritize your future goals. I don't think its unreasonable to interview at 9 or 10 sites. We all need to pay our bills and get our hours for licensure!
 
I would agree that it's not unreasonable, although at the same time, it can take some creative scheduling to make it everywhere in the time off that you're actually allotted. We were lucky at my site in that they were very, very supportive of participating in the interview process. But part of that might've been because it was expected, so they already knew that starting by about mid-January, we'd be making some trips.

Still, other than the time I took off for INS, I personally only ended up having to request off I think about 3 days. I took up a good number of sites on their offers for phone rather than in-person interviews, and would often conduct those either before my workday started or around lunch time so that I avoided having to shuffle things around very much.

And yeah, having everything centralized at INS truly was great. It was also in a city I'd never before visited, so that was fun.
 
Although I'm not going to INS anymore, I have to say the fact that it's in Hawaii this year is pretty irritating...the people who can least afford it are the ones who are obligated to go. The planners really should aim for more affordable spots for students. And next year, APA is also doing Hawaii. What the heck?
 
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Member6523 said:
Although I'm not going to INS anymore, I have to say the fact that it's in Hawaii this year is pretty irritating...the people who can least afford it are the ones who are obligated to go. The planners really should aim for more affordable spots for students. And next year, APA is also doing Hawaii. What the heck?
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Was saying the same thing to a few interns I know who're going this year. Anytime a "good deal" for a plane ticket somewhere is $600-800, you should probably rethink the location if it's a conference lots of students are going to need to attend. It does at least seem like more programs are either conducting on-site interviews or are offering phone interviews if not attending INS this year, though.

Still, I suppose if you have something like 5+ interviews lined up, it ends up being cheaper than having to travel to all of those places individually. And at least you get to visit Hawaii, I guess.
 
Looks like the interviews are starting to roll in! I'm 4 for 4 and waiting on a couple more sites. Its nice to start on a positive note before the rejections roll in. Luckily, I am not driving more than 2 hours away. I'm wishing for 3 more interviews!

I second what PsychRA was saying about short notice. It seems like sites are giving me only about 1-2 weeks notice before interviews (although most are local sites). Many of the interviews are only 1-1.5 hours long and some are a full day.
 
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I am in agreement about the expense of interviews and the short notice - both really important issues and for some reason, it seems that concerns related to post-docs are less addressed relative to those related to internship applications, or is it just me?

What I am in the process of wondering now is where do we get information on the types of questions we can expect at said interviews. I am especially concerned about the INS ones since they are only 20-30 minutes a-piece. Any advice from past applicants or helpful websites folks came across would be very appreciated. In addition, if you had experience with both on-site and INS interviews, how are they similar/different? What about phone interviews? Obviously, this is a Neuropsych-specific question.
 
CentralExec said:
....if you had experience with both on-site and INS interviews, how are they similar/different? What about phone interviews? Obviously, this is a Neuropsych-specific question.
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INS interviews can sometimes feel like "speed dating." Many sites will put aside a block of time and interview applicants back to back, so you get your 30 minutes to make an impression. Most of the sites will gather in one area (usually a conference room w. a bunch of tables and then various nooks & outcroppings of seats that sites claimed for their interview times.) Given the setting, I didn't find it particularly stressful because my interviews consisted of having coffee and talking with each DCT and usually 1-2 other faculty members. The time limit kept things moving and as an applicant you had to be ready w. questions. I had one site that interviewed their people outside of the pre-conference times because they wanted to have an extended amount of time w. their applicants (3-4 v. 15-20+ like most sites). They had a written component to their interview (I was warned ahead of time), so that was stressful....though most sites don't do that. They worked in a niche area and it required having a very solid understanding of neuroanatomy, so the clinical vignette tested your knowledge and approach to a complex presentation. It was fun...minus the fact it was part of the interview.

The phone interviews I did were a mix of very awkward and quite comfortable. I'm not a fan of that setup, but they are pretty common these days. Skype is also popular now, though it wasn't when I interviewed. The on-site interview (non-neuro match) was a very good experience, but flying out for a two day interview was tough to swing in the middle of my internship. FWIW...I landed at a great site that I talked to 2-3 times within a few days. It's funny how things work out sometimes.
 
PHD12 said:
Looks like the interviews are starting to roll in! I'm 4 for 4 and waiting on a couple more sites. Its nice to start on a positive note before the rejections roll in. Luckily, I am not driving more than 2 hours away. I'm wishing for 3 more interviews!

I second what PsychRA was saying about short notice. It seems like sites are giving me only about 1-2 weeks notice before interviews (although most are local sites). Many of the interviews are only 1-1.5 hours long and some are a full day.
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Nice job!

I have a question for folks. Since I started this thread, would anyone be interested in me keeping a list of sites that have offered interviews. I realize there are way less of us here but I thought I'd offer the option to keep it updated via PMs to me. If no one is interested, no worries!

I'm still at 2/2 and hoping to hear something else tomorrow!
 
Therapist4Chnge said:
INS interviews can sometimes feel like "speed dating." Many sites will put aside a block of time and interview applicants back to back, so you get your 30 minutes to make an impression. Most of the sites will gather in one area (usually a conference room w. a bunch of tables and then various nooks & outcroppings of seats that sites claimed for their interview times.) Given the setting, I didn't find it particularly stressful because my interviews consisted of having coffee and talking with each DCT and usually 1-2 other faculty members. The time limit kept things moving and as an applicant you had to be ready w. questions. I had one site that interviewed their people outside of the pre-conference times because they wanted to have an extended amount of time w. their applicants (3-4 v. 15-20+ like most sites). They had a written component to their interview (I was warned ahead of time), so that was stressful....though most sites don't do that. They worked in a niche area and it required having a very solid understanding of neuroanatomy, so the clinical vignette tested your knowledge and approach to a complex presentation. It was fun...minus the fact it was part of the interview.

The phone interviews I did were a mix of very awkward and quite comfortable. I'm not a fan of that setup, but they are pretty common these days. Skype is also popular now, though it wasn't when I interviewed. The on-site interview (non-neuro match) was a very good experience, but flying out for a two day interview was tough to swing in the middle of my internship. FWIW...I landed at a great site that I talked to 2-3 times within a few days. It's funny how things work out sometimes.
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I agree with pretty much everything T4C has mentioned. The INS interviews were fairly speed dating-ish. I was never blatantly shooed away or rushed off by anyone, mind you, but you could tell the interviewers had schedules to keep. I also don't know that I more than once had interviews that were literally back-to-back. All in all, INS was a very positive experience. As T4C said, always be ready with questions to ask, but don't freak yourself out too much, as the entire process is generally more laid back and less-stressful than for internship.

I didn't mind the phone interviews, either, although I probably lucked out in not ending up with any awkward silences or repeated interruptions. They basically covered the same sorts of topics and with the same general "flow" as the INS interviews did.

In-person site visits I enjoyed the most, although they definitely wore me out quite a bit more. I was able to meet with more of the various supervisors/faculty, obviously had the chance to see facilities for myself, and as an added bonus generally got some very generous lunches out of the deal.

I never had any writing samples, or essentially anything outside of standard interview-type questions and interactions, so that was also nice.
 
Keeping a list of places that have offered interviews would be great, thanks!
 
Hi all!
I'm also in the postdoc application phase, and I'm going the university counseling center route. Any other UCC folks following here? I'd love to hear others' experiences!
 
Have people heard back from INS sites yet? Just curious (for my colleagues).
 
I know that interviews went out for the following neuro programs:

Cambridge Mass
Cleveland Clinic (INS)
Kaiser Permanente - Roseville
Mayo Rochester
Mayo Jax
Palo Alto VA (INS)
Tampa VA - phone
UC Davis (INS)
UCLA
U of Michigan (INS)
UPMC Sports Neuropsychology
 
List updated, front page. If people could state:

1. NEURO: INS? Adult or Child/Ped?
2. Non-Neuro: Adult or Child/Ped? Subspecialty?

Thanks!
 
Non-Neuro:

Kaiser Santa Rosa - Adult Phone call w/ formal email invite
Kaiser Pleasanton - Adult Phone call
 
Milk Milk Milk said:
List updated, front page. If people could state:

1. NEURO: INS? Adult or Child/Ped?
2. Non-Neuro: Adult or Child/Ped? Subspecialty?

Thanks!
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Neuro Interviews:

Med College of Wisconsin - Adult - (group email) on site or via Skype
University of New Mexico Health Science Center Adult - (personalized email) at INS
Barrow Neurological Institute - (personalized email) at INS or on site
Indiana University School of Medicine- Adult - (group email) on site or via telephone
 
To add to the list:

Nebraska Medical Center -- adult neuro, INS, via personalized email
Barrow -- adult neurorehabilitation track ("Track 2"), on site, via personalized email
Milwaukee VA -- adult neuro, INS, via personalized email
Brooke Army Medical Center -- adult neuro, call

Someone mentioned they had gotten an offer from a non-match neuro site... anyone willing where they've gotten/accepted offers?
 
Bex223 said:
Hi all!
I'm also in the postdoc application phase, and I'm going the university counseling center route. Any other UCC folks following here? I'd love to hear others' experiences!
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I'm going the UCC route. I found a few postdoc sites I applied to (just sent out some earlier this week), and will also be applying for any jobs that become available in my area.
 
I agree that some of these interviews are incredibly short notice, which certainly drives up the prices of those lovely plane tickets. :-/ I've also found that February 4th seems to be prime real estate for interviews and some don't offer multiple formal interview dates... so I will have to go to at least one site on a "non-interview" day, which makes me a bit nervous. I won't complain though, I am really happy with the progress so far-- 5 for 5 and waiting to hear back from 2 more. I'm also very lucky that my hospital hasn't yet groused about me taking the time off... I saved up all my vacation days for this very purpose.
 
Just got word that my absolute top choice postdoc is missing one of my letters of rec. I submitted my application nearly a month ago, and the my letters went out the first week of January. The writer of the missing letter told me that he emailed it weeks ago, so I asked him to re-send, no word back from him or the site yet. It's equally possible (based on what I've heard about disorganization at this postdoc site) that they simply lost track of the letter. Either way, I'm really freaking out that this might knock me out of the running.

Friends (psychologist friends, no less) telling me "Well, if this site lets one letter keep you from getting the postdoc, then you didn't want to work with them anyway" is so NOT helpful. Yes, I do want to work with them, and it would be really awful to lose out because of something beyond my control. :mad:
 
psychRA said:
Just got word that my absolute top choice postdoc is missing one of my letters of rec. I submitted my application nearly a month ago, and the my letters went out the first week of January. The writer of the missing letter told me that he emailed it weeks ago, so I asked him to re-send, no word back from him or the site yet. It's equally possible (based on what I've heard about disorganization at this postdoc site) that they simply lost track of the letter. Either way, I'm really freaking out that this might knock me out of the running.

Friends (psychologist friends, no less) telling me "Well, if this site lets one letter keep you from getting the postdoc, then you didn't want to work with them anyway" is so NOT helpful. Yes, I do want to work with them, and it would be really awful to lose out because of something beyond my control. :mad:
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It would definitely stink, so I can completely understand the frustration. I can say that in my case, like you, one site contacted me after never receiving one of my letters. I had an alternate writer send something in (the original writer was on vacation), and I got an interview offer a day or two after they'd said the letter had been received.

My opinion is that if the site weren't interested and/or were going to discount your application outright, they would have said so. I could be wrong, and this could vary by site, but that's my take. The postdoc application process, as we've all seen by this point, is generally less-formal overall than APPIC (even for neuro match sites). Thus, programs can have quite a bit more "wiggle room" regarding various things, such as application deadlines, when you can start the position, how many people to interview, etc.
 
Regarding Brooke Army Medical Center, I received a non-specific voicemail from the DCT requesting I return the call. Anyone know if this is to set-up an interview or if the return call will be the interview? THANKS!

Neuro postdoc additions include:

Tampa VA: notification via email; interview offered in person or phone
University of Florida: notification via email; applicant choice for interview

Positions filled: a cohort mate accepted a UCLA HIV position a few weeks ago
 
BAMC voicemail is to set up an interview time. Usually I let go to voicemail any blocked numbers, but I had a phone interview very close to when the dct called. A somewhat pleasant surprise before my other interview.
 
I know that the Pittsburgh VA (non-neuro) has extended invitations for interviews.
 
The Cleveland VA has also extended invitations for interviews (non-neuro). Both this and the Pittsburgh VA one I gleaned from a close colleague.
 
AcronymAllergy said:
I agree with pretty much everything T4C has mentioned. The INS interviews were fairly speed dating-ish. I was never blatantly shooed away or rushed off by anyone, mind you, but you could tell the interviewers had schedules to keep. I also don't know that I more than once had interviews that were literally back-to-back. All in all, INS was a very positive experience. As T4C said, always be ready with questions to ask, but don't freak yourself out too much, as the entire process is generally more laid back and less-stressful than for internship.

I didn't mind the phone interviews, either, although I probably lucked out in not ending up with any awkward silences or repeated interruptions. They basically covered the same sorts of topics and with the same general "flow" as the INS interviews did.

In-person site visits I enjoyed the most, although they definitely wore me out quite a bit more. I was able to meet with more of the various supervisors/faculty, obviously had the chance to see facilities for myself, and as an added bonus generally got some very generous lunches out of the deal.

I never had any writing samples, or essentially anything outside of standard interview-type questions and interactions, so that was also nice.
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When I applied I only applied in one location (refused to move). As a result, I had the option to interview at INS or interview onsite at these places. For all of them I interviewed onsite (and just kicked back and relaxed at INS). It was in Acapulo that year - I felt terrible for the applicants I talked to running around all stressed out at the conference while I had my nice frozen cocktails.

Now don't get me wrong - I think it is awesome that you can cover a lot of interview ground and save $ on travel. It's a great option. But I also really preferred to see the actual sites and spend some more time. All of my interviews were either half or full day interviews. Definitely less formal, but I got to talk to several people, see facilities, meet current interns/fellows, and even eat lunch with faculty. I felt like it was quality time and it really helped me to narrow down my list.

If you can swing it, I suggest going to the site if you can. In my case, that meant saving money anyways because they were all in town (I just had to get those days off for my internship). Well, I guess there was dry-cleaning ;)
 
HomeworkHelper said:
True story! I've got 9 more postdocs to hear back from. Not a peep so far!
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Neuropsych interviews tend to kick off the post-doc interviewing period. Rehab Psych interviews tend to overlap with that cycle, but sometimes they often go past the neuro match submission deadline, which is a crunch for applicants who have a foot in each camp. I believe the neuro match deadline date used to be quite a bit later, though for the last handful of years it seems to have been pushed up. GL to everyone doing the neuro match, it will be a whirlwind of interviews pre-INS through INS.

It is still very early in the process for everyone else, so don't worry too much. I swear the fellowship interview process is better than the internship interview process (by about 495%).
 
Therapist4Chnge said:
Neuropsych interviews tend to kick off the post-doc interviewing period. Rehab Psych interviews tend to overlap with that cycle, but sometimes they often go past the neuro match submission deadline, which is a crunch for applicants who have a foot in each camp. I believe the neuro match deadline date used to be quite a bit later, though for the last handful of years it seems to have been pushed up. GL to everyone doing the neuro match, it will be a whirlwind of interviews pre-INS through INS.

It is still very early in the process for everyone else, so don't worry too much. I swear the fellowship interview process is better than the internship interview process (by about 495%).
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In what way?
 
does anyone know if sites send out rejection letters? the waiting is killing me!!!
 
Therapist4Chnge said:
It is still very early in the process for everyone else, so don't worry too much. I swear the fellowship interview process is better than the internship interview process (by about 495%).
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I'm happy to report that so far the interviews are more pleasant overall and more collegial. There is less of an emphasis on "do you know how to do X" type of questions and more of an emphasis on your professional goals and interests.

However, I've been hearing from sites that they have been getting a record # of applicants over the past 2 years in particular--some sites are getting double the # of applications. I got my first rejection email from 1 site that interviewed me on internship (they had triple the number of internship slots) So far, 'm finding that post-doc is more competitive than internship (there are only 1-2 spots vs. 4-5 for internship and more applicants overall in my geographic region). Plus, many sites tend to take insiders. I know many people from great VA internships who were unable to land clinical post-docs even at the VA. In the end, they had to scramble and piece something together. Nobody really talks about the post-doc crisis. I think APA needs to continue to encourage states to modify/eliminate the post-doc year because it can be tough to get licensed without a formal post-doc in some states, yet there are so few positions! Its ridiculous that people from good programs and APA internships have a hard time finding a position that provides them with the # of supervision hours they need for licensure.
 
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PHD12, were they geographically flexible?

As for sites getting 2x-3x the applicants....it is even more important to network and let people know you are looking. It can be helpful to e-mail/contact old mentors/supervisors and if they are amenable, you can float them your site list for help. I know I benefited from a few phone calls/e-mails of support by them, but a solid cover letter and polished CV also are key factors in securing an interview. Fit. Fit. Fit. And networking.
 
Therapist4Chnge said:
PHD12, were they geographically flexible?

As for sites getting 2x-3x the applicants....it is even more important to network and let people know you are looking. It can be helpful to e-mail/contact old mentors/supervisors and if they are amenable, you can float them your site list for help. I know I benefited from a few phone calls/e-mails of support by them, but a solid cover letter and polished CV also are key factors in securing an interview. Fit. Fit. Fit. And networking.
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Good ideas. Yeah, I'm definitely emphasizing Fit at every possible opportunity. I don't have people calling sites for me, but my letters were incredibly strong (step up from internship). CV and cover letters are strong overall.

Most people that I know were only willing to go to sites in 1 or 2 states so they were somewhat geographically flexible, but not willing to go anywhere. At this stage, most people are married/partnered/have kids so its tougher to uproot completely. I know that its easier if you apply all over the country.
 
I'm finding myself missing last year's Match process. It really puts applicants at a disadvantage to have some sites making offers, while others have yet to notify about interviews - and these are sites whose application deadlines were all within the same week.
 
PHD12 said:
I'm happy to report that so far the interviews are more pleasant overall and more collegial. There is less of an emphasis on "do you know how to do X" type of questions and more of an emphasis on your professional goals and interests.

However, I've been hearing from sites that they have been getting a record # of applicants over the past 2 years in particular--some sites are getting double the # of applications. I got my first rejection email from 1 site that interviewed me on internship (they had triple the number of internship slots) So far, 'm finding that post-doc is more competitive than internship (there are only 1-2 spots vs. 4-5 for internship and more applicants overall in my geographic region). Plus, many sites tend to take insiders. I know many people from great VA internships who were unable to land clinical post-docs even at the VA. In the end, they had to scramble and piece something together. Nobody really talks about the post-doc crisis. I think APA needs to continue to encourage states to modify/eliminate the post-doc year because it can be tough to get licensed without a formal post-doc in some states, yet there are so few positions! Its ridiculous that people from good programs and APA internships have a hard time finding a position that provides them with the # of supervision hours they need for licensure.
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I would agree that with the way training programs are nowadays, coupled with the requisite one-year pre-doc internship, the required year of supervised clinical practice just seems archaic at this point. Some states have obviously done away with it, so hopefully that trend will continue.

That being said, I wouldn't at all be surprised if the popularity of postdoc doesn't drop off much even if this happens, given that the board certification process seems to be picking up steam.

And yes, the postdoc interviews were infinitely more enjoyable than for internship. Not because I had any bad internship interviews, mind you (quite the opposite), but the degree of inherent pressure was reduced and the overall approach/theme of the questions was much different, as you've said.
 
psychRA said:
I'm finding myself missing last year's Match process. It really puts applicants at a disadvantage to have some sites making offers, while others have yet to notify about interviews - and these are sites whose application deadlines were all within the same week.
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I can definitely understand what you mean, I felt that way last year going through this process. I never thought I would say that "I miss the match". Even though there was the "uniform offer date" for post docs last year, not every site abided by this and would make offers when a suitable candidate came along. However, since I am applying for jobs right now I can tell you this experience will be more reflective of and help you prepare for "the real world." Unfortunately job offers come when they come, and you may be getting a call for an interview the next day for a different position with another offer in hand, or not even hear from other sites until months later.
 
shutterbug433 said:
I can definitely understand what you mean, I felt that way last year going through this process. I never thought I would say that "I miss the match". Even though there was the "uniform offer date" for post docs last year, not every site abided by this and would make offers when a suitable candidate came along. However, since I am applying for jobs right now I can tell you this experience will be more reflective of and help you prepare for "the real world." Unfortunately job offers come when they come, and you may be getting a call for an interview the next day for a different position with another offer in hand, or not even hear from other sites until months later.[/QUOTE]

So what did you do here? It seems to be a common problem. I just wrapped up one interview but I haven't heard back from my top site re: interviews. I'm worried that if I get an offer from this interview, I may need to accept/pass quickly. Did anyone call top sites at which they had yet to receive an interview explaining to them the situation? I don't want to come across as impatient. But, who am I kidding - I am.:D
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Milk Milk Milk said:
So what did you do here? It seems to be a common problem. I just wrapped up one interview but I haven't heard back from my top site re: interviews. I'm worried that if I get an offer from this interview, I may need to accept/pass quickly. Did anyone call top sites at which they had yet to receive an interview explaining to them the situation? I don't want to come across as impatient. But, who am I kidding - I am.:D
Click to expand...

Personally, I wouldn't be at all hesitant to call up a site I hadn't heard from yet to let them know I had an offer (assuming I hadn't just turned in the application yesterday or something similar). With respect to jobs specifically, I also wouldn't necessarily be hesistant to discuss the specifics of other offers if a site lower on my list were willing to provide better benefits. You just have to prepare yourself for hearing something along the lines of, "you should probably take the other offer" from the more-preferred site.
 
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