Has anyone been abroad while applying and flown back to the states?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
theWUbear

theWUbear

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2009
Messages
1,873
Reaction score
61
Members do not see this ad.
I am applying to 30 schools this June (getting apps in the first day possible, and have already written the secondaries) for admissions in fall 2012. In the fall of 2011 I will finish my masters program and I have no plans for spring 2012.

I am just about fluent in Spanish, and it is a life goal of mine to perfect my Spanish in the healthcare setting. I want to do a program in Latin America/Spain in Spring 2012 to help realize that goal.

The obvious problem: any interviews I get in spring 2012.

I would like to know from people who have applied ~June 1st and quickly sent in secondaries in the past:
- When did you get your interviews? Did some schools interview you the next spring despite you applying so early in the cycle? How common is it to get a late interview given an early application? (one would think that, for the most part, if they saw your app in june/july and didn't like it for the first 6 months odds of you getting an interview later are pretty slim - but im sure it does happen)

From people who have been abroad during the application cycle:
- Did you have to fly back to the states to interview? How was that experience?

From everyone who has applied:
- Do you think an email to the point of the following, sent around October to ADCOMs, would be a good idea?
Dear ADCOM,
Blah blah kind words. I will be working in a hospital in Madrid in the spring of 2012 in an effort to hone my skills working with Spanish-speaking patients. Sentence about loving [med school name]. I am writing to inform you that because of this I will be out of the country from January to May. I have every intention of returning to the states to interview if given the opportunity. I ask that you consider review of my application in the months prior to January if possible, so that I may interview before entering Spain if granted an interview. I understand if this is not possible.
(I could do a better job wording the email...)
 
I finished all my interviewing and got the acceptance I wanted by December, but this is not the case for every applicant. I was abroad while filling out my application and secondaries, though, which was a pain because I had to do everything over Skype phone or PDF to fax websites.
 
I did this. I did not submit early, but most of my secondaries were complete by September 15th. All of the schools who decided to interview me gave me the option to interview before Christmas (due to some overlap I scheduled some for Jan/Feb instead). I would not recommend flying back and forth for interviews, it is extremely exhausting and you will be jet lagged during your interviews (which, as it turns out, is a great ice breaker).

I applied MSTP, so this may vary for you. I assume it will be somewhat easier as there are many interview dates to choose from, so you could group your spring interviews into a single trip (I could not). However, on the downside, MD interviews don't provide you with a cozy hotel and food--which made it much cheaper for me to travel (plus a few schools paid for my plane tickets)
 
I did this from the UK. It was kind of hard, but doable. Above poster was right-- jetlag was a good ice breaker. I only applied to schools on the east coast (despite being from california) and my gf lives in DC which provided me with a good 'home base' for interviewing sessions as well as some quality visit time.
I finished secondaries by the end of August, at which point I left for the UK. I came back at the end of sept, end of oct, end of nov, and have one more interview next week. I got my first invite midway through sept and my first acceptance midway through november. Ummmm that's all I can think of now that is relevant but if you have more quetsions feel free to follow up. Good luck!
 
fantastic! this thread couldn't have gone any better for me. i appreciate everyone's sharing of their experiences and advice
 
Pretty much every school invites in order of desirability. A high stats/good ECs candidate that is complete everywhere early will have most interviews in September-November. With lower stats/weaker app interviews will be a little bit later but most interviews should still be within the same calendar year or January. There might also be some later interviews scattered here and there, but they will be less frequent. Besides you can probably send out emails in November or so saying you will be out of the country in January and ask schools that you have yet to hear from to invite you before you leave.
 
Very informative thread - I will be studying abroad in the summer, so a little different, but I was considering study abroad spring 12. This is good info!
 
i'm working as an expat, and flying back to the US costs about $1500, and takes 25 hours. if i get interview invitations such that i could schedule them into just one trip, then maybe i could make it, but otherwise i couldn't make multiple trips for just 1 or 2 interviews at a time. do any schools ever conduct interviews over Skype?
 
startoverat40 said:
i'm working as an expat, and flying back to the US costs about $1500, and takes 25 hours. if i get interview invitations such that i could schedule them into just one trip, then maybe i could make it, but otherwise i couldn't make multiple trips for just 1 or 2 interviews at a time. do any schools ever conduct interviews over Skype?
Click to expand...

Buy the MSAR published by AAMC. (Medical School Admission Requirements, an essential guide to medical schools in the US). It has that info in it and is more than worth $25. Just a quick look showed only U Chicago as offering "video interviews" in limited circumstances.

Your best bet is to note at the bottom of your Personal Statement (do a few *** and then write a sentence below that "line") and in an email to each school stating that you are living abroad and plan to be in the US from [date] to [date] for interviews. Do not select Thanksgiving week or any dates between Dec 18 and Jan 2 as those are rarely available for interviews given faculty and student holiday breaks. Schools that want to interview you will be glad to offer you a date within your time frame in the US. If you get one interview in a specific city and have applied to other schools in the same city, you could, at that point, contact the school with an "in the area" note and specify that you will be visiting the US for 2 weeks and will be in that particular city on x for an interview and would be most grateful if you could piggyback an interview during your same trip. Again, if a school really wants you, they'll make it happen. If you aren't of interest, they'll pass. Keep in mind that many schools interview only 10-20% of all applicants.
 
theWUbear said:
I am applying to 30 schools this June (getting apps in the first day possible, and have already written the secondaries) for admissions in fall 2012. In the fall of 2011 I will finish my masters program and I have no plans for spring 2012.

I am just about fluent in Spanish, and it is a life goal of mine to perfect my Spanish in the healthcare setting. I want to do a program in Latin America/Spain in Spring 2012 to help realize that goal.

The obvious problem: any interviews I get in spring 2012.

I would like to know from people who have applied ~June 1st and quickly sent in secondaries in the past:
- When did you get your interviews? Did some schools interview you the next spring despite you applying so early in the cycle? How common is it to get a late interview given an early application? (one would think that, for the most part, if they saw your app in june/july and didn't like it for the first 6 months odds of you getting an interview later are pretty slim - but im sure it does happen)

From people who have been abroad during the application cycle:
- Did you have to fly back to the states to interview? How was that experience?

From everyone who has applied:
- Do you think an email to the point of the following, sent around October to ADCOMs, would be a good idea?
Dear ADCOM,
Blah blah kind words. I will be working in a hospital in Madrid in the spring of 2012 in an effort to hone my skills working with Spanish-speaking patients. Sentence about loving [med school name]. I am writing to inform you that because of this I will be out of the country from January to May. I have every intention of returning to the states to interview if given the opportunity. I ask that you consider review of my application in the months prior to January if possible, so that I may interview before entering Spain if granted an interview. I understand if this is not possible.
(I could do a better job wording the email...)
Click to expand...

I've been overseas for almost this entire cycle (August 2010 - March 2011), and I can tell you that there is hope for you - especially if you apply super early. My AMCAS was in on June 15th, and like you I applied to about 30 schools. Taking LizzyM's advice, I sent an email to every school that I applied to - explaining my situation, and the ones that wanted to interview me made provisions to do so (via phone or webcam). I couldn't fly back to the states even if I wanted to, so that wasn't really an option for me.

I had interview offers at different times throughout the cycle, so I wouldn't put much weight on when the interview offers come. You can look at my MDapps if you want to see the dates of the interview offers. My feeling about it was if the interviews happen then they happen, and I tried not to spend too much time worrying about things that are out of my control.

The bottom line is - that if you're a quality applicant and you have a good reason for being out of the country, then Admissions committees will do what they can to accommodate you. Good luck to you.
 
startoverat40 said:
i'm working as an expat, and flying back to the US costs about $1500, and takes 25 hours. if i get interview invitations such that i could schedule them into just one trip, then maybe i could make it, but otherwise i couldn't make multiple trips for just 1 or 2 interviews at a time. do any schools ever conduct interviews over Skype?
Click to expand...

Startoverat40 gets an "A" for bumping a relevant thread instead of starting a new one 👍

Calling/writing/emailing schools with "in the area notifications" may be one solution, when you get an interview. Letting schools know that you are back in the US in, say, the first week of October, and asking that they consider reviewing your application and granting you an interview at a date in that time frame due to your circumstances, is an established practice.
 
Duke does online interviews, I think.

Also--while I don't regret the way I've done it, I have to note that you may have to pass up on some late interviews/opportunities. I got an interview invite today for an interview in 1 week. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to book a last minute expensive plane trip, and I will have to decline to interview at this school. Fortunately, I already have an acceptance I prefer over this school, but its too bad I can't check it out myself to make sure!
 
theWUbear said:
Startoverat40 gets an "A" for bumping a relevant thread instead of starting a new one 👍

Calling/writing/emailing schools with "in the area notifications" may be one solution, when you get an interview. Letting schools know that you are back in the US in, say, the first week of October, and asking that they consider reviewing your application and granting you an interview at a date in that time frame due to your circumstances, is an established practice.
Click to expand...

If you know it's an established practice, then why are you asking for comments? Just wondering. 😕
 
SFGuy2011 said:
If you know it's an established practice, then why are you asking for comments? Just wondering. 😕
Click to expand...

It appears that the OP initially asked this question 2 years ago. They have probably figured things out by now.

I'll be in a similar situation this next cycle, so hopefully things can work out for me as well.
 
SFGuy2011 said:
If you know it's an established practice, then why are you asking for comments? Just wondering. 😕
Click to expand...

At time time of my original post I indeed was not as aware of this practice 😛 I also gave a three-pronged original post and wanted to hear other peoples' experiences in attempting this. I'm grateful to everyone who shared their experiences! It seems this thread is helping a few people who will be involved with an abroad experience at some point during the application process.
 
My husband did this. He was in another programs were very happy to have him contact and arrange for "I'm in the neighborhood" interviews . They were really accommodating.
 
Last edited:
dinodino, if you don't mind me asking, how much exactly did all those round-trip flights from the UK cost you?

I'm asking because I'm going to be in Cambodia until July 2012, and I'm applying this year so that I'll have somewhere to go as soon as I finish work here. It's hard to find round trip flights from Phnom Penh to America for less than $1000 round trip so I can realistically only afford one trip out. I don't want this to minimize my chances at getting in, though...so if you (or anyone!) have any suggestions on which month (I can only take up to 35 days off) I should fly in, I'd really appreciate it. Right now I'm tentatively looking at September 3-October 3, because school starts October 1 (big welcome ceremony, no teaching) with then a week of registration before classes.

Do you guys think that the month I've chosen is too narrow in range for me to realistically get the most out of my application experience? I'm pretty conflicted. If need be, I can take November off instead, but I'd prefer not to, because of school and teaching.

dinodino said:
Yes. It works.

I submitted my primary around the third week of June.
I wrote my secondaries while living in a rural village in Central America... finished by mid August.
I got my first interview invitation in late August.

I finished five interviews by October 1st (could have knocked out more, but I didn't want to fly too much) and started school in the UK.

I started hearing back on the 15th of October and got accepted to one of my top choices on the 16th-- which then led me to withdraw from almost all schools/interviews except for three schools.

I flew back in November just for fun and interviewed at my very top choice.

I went back home in December for winter break and finished my last two schools. So in total, I chose to interview at eight schools.

All of the schools were SUPER happy to offer me a handful of interview dates. It works. Believe in yourself. Good luck!
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
glikegrandpa said:
Do you guys think that the month I've chosen is too narrow in range for me to realistically get the most out of my application experience? I'm pretty conflicted. If need be, I can take November off instead, but I'd prefer not to, because of school and teaching.
Click to expand...

You are taking a huge risk but you might be successful. I would suggest: targeting schools that are a good fit for you in terms of gpa/MCAT and focus (rural and/or primary care or research heavy), submitting the AMCAS as early as possible and having transcripts and LORs submitted as early as posstible, turning around secondaries as early as possible, writing an email to the admissions office of each school as you submit your secondary stating that you will be in [location] from Oct 3 onward but available for interviews from [date] to [date] and that you are very interested in [x med school] because of its focus on.... and that you hope that an interview on or prior to October 1 can be arranged. :xf:
 
LizzyM said:
You are taking a huge risk but you might be successful. I would suggest: targeting schools that are a good fit for you in terms of gpa/MCAT and focus (rural and/or primary care or research heavy), submitting the AMCAS as early as possible and having transcripts and LORs submitted as early as posstible, turning around secondaries as early as possible, writing an email to the admissions office of each school as you submit your secondary stating that you will be in [location] from Oct 3 onward but available for interviews from [date] to [date] and that you are very interested in [x med school] because of its focus on.... and that you hope that an interview on or prior to October 1 can be arranged. :xf:
Click to expand...

Are you saying it's a huge risk because of how early she plans on being back (September) or the fact that it's for a specific amount of time? I thought it was generally okay to let schools know when you'd be in the states? Me, for example, is late September to November 1st. Is this also similarly a huge risk? Thanks!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
Applying to med school while taking Education classes
Replies
7
Views
998
Goro
Goro
C
Is it normal to be invited to tour a school while on the waitlist?
Replies
2
Views
935
Rachapkis
Rachapkis
H
Is it okay to study abroad this spring as a current applicant?
Replies
2
Views
1K
LizzyM
LizzyM
B
I was accepted last year and deferred due to health issues. Due to a course classification my sGPA has dropped 0.10 and I have no idea what to do.
Replies
3
Views
697
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
A
Reapplying while on WLs
Replies
1
Views
477
wysdoc
wysdoc
Top