Etiquette for canceling interviews

[flipcyde]

How far in advance is appropriate to cancel interviews? I'd love to interview at all the places I applied, however it will be impossible to go to more than 8-10, especially since I made the unfortunate error of scheduling two away rotations during interview season. Thus, I will be limiting my choices based on location and reputation. Anyone else have this dilemma?

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[lane]

unless you're really high on the places you're doing away rotations, wouldn't it make sense to cancel one of them to allow yourself more flexibility with interviews?

i've heard giving at least 2 weeks notice is preferred when you cancel.

 

[oudoc08]

I've already decided to cancel almost half of my interviews. My question is, when you go on ERAS, you can check a box in each program to notify the program that you are withdrawing your application (which I did, funny though, one program still sent me an invite to interview, a week after I checked their box)

So, is that good enough notice that you're cancelling your interview, or do I still need to call each place individually to tell them?

I'm not being rude or unclassy, just that all other the residency sites usually prefer that you do all your business through ERAS and not contact them directly, so is there any exception for cancelling interviews?

 

[pjl]

Yes, contact them directly. You sent an email or called to accept the interview, is it too much to ask to send a 2 line email saying I'm not coming? Someone else wants that spot.

 

[Gern Blansten]

Yes, contact them directly. You sent an email or called to accept the interview, is it too much to ask to send a 2 line email saying I'm not coming? Someone else wants that spot.

I agree. Send them a polite email saying that you regret that your schedule will not allow you to interview there. It is the right thing to do for the program and for the others that want that interview spot.

 

[Ferdie]

I've heard that if you skip out on an interview without giving notice, your other programs will magically find out... I've also heard that it can give your school a black mark and future students from your school will be less likely to get interviews with that program - so be polite and cancel the interviews you can't make!

 

[Gern Blansten]

People DO talk and they all attend the same meetings several times a year.

 

[polkadotcap]

would attendings/residents agree that about 2 weeks in advance of your date is an appropriate amount of time for cancellation?

 

[Ferdie]

I think so.

 

[coprolalia]

would attendings/residents agree that about 2 weeks in advance of your date is an appropriate amount of time for cancellation?

Why wouldn't you just cancel now? You already decided you're not going, so just tell them. I cancelled two interviews and I told them the next day after I got the invites. This frees up their spots so they have more time to send out invites to others who may want to interview at that program. You're not going to hurt their feelings. There's no feelings involved. This is business.

Don't delay. If you're cancelling, cancel ASAP. They'd appreciate it more if you cancelled sooner.

-copro

 

[polkadotcap]

i fully plan to cancel ASAP....the hitch is I am couples matching with a very competitive other specialty that doesn't hand out interviews (for the most part) until well after deans letters go out....meaning that the interviews I have now I very well may need to keep OR cancel depending on the decision given to my SO....but I won't have that information until mid-november until very possibly well into december (and sometimes they'll give out last minute interviews in January!!. I can't cancel a place until my SO gets an outright rejection. it means tons of extra travel and $$ for me too so I hate it and I don't want to take up a spot that I won't end up at but such is life with the couples match, unfortunately.

 

[flipcyde]

Have people responded to all the invitations whether or not they intend on going? Or do you just don't reply with an interview date if you have no intentions of scheduling an interview.

 

[lane]

Have people responded to all the invitations whether or not they intend on going? Or do you just don't reply with an interview date if you have no intentions of scheduling an interview.

It seems like common sense to simply reply with "Thank you for the invitation, but my schedule will not allow me to accept your offer." It took me 11 seconds to type, so it's not a huge effort to save them time waiting on your response so they can offer the spot to someone else who wants it.

 

[johankriek]

I've heard that if you skip out on an interview without giving notice, your other programs will magically find out... I've also heard that it can give your school a black mark and future students from your school will be less likely to get interviews with that program - so be polite and cancel the interviews you can't make!

whatever dude. anesthesia isnt ortho or neurosurgery. There are plenty of spots to go around. geez i remember the late nineties when programs were begging people to come.. Penn had a 20K sign on bonus as a resident. can you believe that. I say if you cant make it Fine. If you can let em know fine. if not .. thats fine too. They will eventually find out youre not coming.

 

[mmag]

When I had to cancel an interview, I also noted that I canceled the hotel reservation as well.

When one cancels (interview or offer of interview), one has to click the withdraw application on ERAS too in addition to emailing, right?

 

[Ferdie]

When one cancels (interview or offer of interview), one has to click the withdraw application on ERAS too in addition to emailing, right?

well, if you don't don't interview there and don't rank them, essentially you've withdrawn your application from them anyhow