A few tips from the interview trail...

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koolaidkid

koolaidkid

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1) interview dates get snatched up quickly. when interviews start coming, it helps to have a phone with e-mail capability (palm, iphone, blackberry), someone mentioned a way to send e-mail from myeras to phone via text (but I don't know how).
2) get a southwest freq flyer acct and maybe a sw credit card for racking up miles (also you can cancel a paid tik at last minute and they'll give you a credit)
3) try to do at least one away rotation (reach). two (one reach, one you have good shot at) will help. three is prob overkill.
4) peak interviews were beginning of December thru mid January (check this board for interview dates and sched clerkships accordingly)
5) don't be afraid of trying to schedule interviews geographically together--ppl are usually ok with it when you call
6) even if you are a mud-phud, try to do some rad onc research (or at least onc) so interviewers can talk to you about something
7) don't go overboard or be too aggressive (e.g. phone calls to homes). the balance between making yourself attractive to programs and promoting yourself too much can be a fine line. people do get annoyed.
8) be careful of burn out and winter illness. this happened to me in the middle of the season at key programs.
9) wear the uniform
10) thank you e-mails are probably sufficient. don't write "you are number one" to more than one place--especially several top programs. ppl talk.
11) if you have your chair make the "you are number one" call, have him/her call before the program creates their final rank list
12) don't get discouraged if you don't get as many interviews as you thought you deserved, you can only match at one place
13) get the advice of recent grads and current med students who have gone through the process
14) almost everyone gets the same hard interviews so don't worry, just be ready (the really tough/difficult ucsf interviewer, the "vector" question at wisconsin, the panel interviews)
15) it's possible you won't get an interview at the place you rotated at (me). but can open doors closed b4
 
16) if you are genuinely interested in academics, let it show and demonstrate it concretely.
17) don't come off as over-confident. it can hurt you.
18) a step I score of 260 helps. a first author publication in JCO probably helps more (for the average candidate). if your grades are mostly passes and your step I is below average, consider taking step 2. try to get honors in your away rotations.
19) geographical cnnctns do make a difference. programs that are willing to rank you highly want to know you will be happy in their town and, ideally, have a compelling reason to go there. if you have always lived in NY, it is more likely you'll choose MSKCC over MDACC.
20) be ready to take step 2 in December in the middle of interview season if you hadn't gotten it out of the way
21) be ready to spend around $2000 at the bare minimum for interviews. I think $5-7000 was a good estimate for me
22) don't read this website too much. it can make you overly anxious. impressions and interview dates are the things to focus on.
23) go with your gut feeling when it comes to your rank list. talk it through with friends and mentors, but most people said to trust your instinct.
 
Please add to this if possible. I am thinking of things I wish I had known earlier.
 
Impressions:
I wouldn't overly weigh the impressions on this site. I disagree with several of them. Plus, the program of last year may be different this year. For most applicants, you're probably going to apply to a lot of (if not all) programs and get interviews at a much smaller number of them. At most interviews you'll meet all of the faculty, many of the residents, and some of the staff. You'll have a chance to ask the questions that are important to you and see the facilities. You'll get your own impression as you interview your way through Lake Wobegon where every program is apparently above average. Just decide what is important to you so you can ask good questions to help when you make your rank list. We may all look the same on paper, but we have different opinions. I know I'm ranking programs highly that others are ranking low and vice-versa.


Interview dates:
Not all of the dates get posted. The first one or two are always posted, but the later ones are often not. For this reason you may get an unexpected offer if you go by this site. Alternatively, you may not know if you were rejected until mid-January roles around without an offer. If it's a program you really care about you can always ask the administrative assistant what their interview dates are.
 
a) also keep your receipts. they are tax deductible (esp. from Jan) for intern year.
b) there were at least two ppl interviewing this yr who were pgy-1 in something else. you can always choose rad onc later (but it's difficult)
c) abcxrt is right. impressions are just that, the opinions of someone else from a yr ago. wash u and mskcc will both be different next yr with powell's chnge.
d) also abcxrt right again as for interview dates, for places you really want to go to, contact the administrative assistant and find out. then schedule other interview dates for other progs / vacation ard those dates. for this year, I think the last interview in dec was the 19th and the first in Jan was January 3rd.
e) if you drink alcohol, have a drink or two at the social functions. use the residents as a pacer to see what is acceptable. try to go, but I don't think the social stuff is "mandatory". it's basically an oppty to determine if you fit in with their group and if you like them. a plug for Wisconsin. only interview where we went out for drinks after the dinner. I can see why UCSF sought out Harari. the guy is just fantastic.
f) things that make rad onc profs/residents really interesting: several chuck norris type martial artists, a race car driver, former body builder, former B movie star, an olympic hopeful, major college athletes, and many wine enthusiasts
g) for cheaper flights, consider flying into Providence for Boston, Milwaukee for Madison, DC for Baltimore, and Oakland for SF/Stanford
 
What you wear is not as important in this field for interviews, as long as it is not inappropriate. You don't have to wear "the uniform".

If you interview at MSKCC, apply for their TY also. Try to arrange those interviews together.

Apply broadly. Don't take anything personally.

People will ask if you are married/ single.

The worst question at the end of the interview season is: Do you have any questions for me?

The second most difficult question is: Where else have you interviewed at? How would you rank them so far (excluding our program)?

Try to have fun on the interviews. I wish I spent more time seeing the city than seeing the linacs.

I also wish I contacted residents after the interviews to get a more candid opinion.
 
again, please use the impression account only for issues that would potentially require an extra layer of privacy. Otherwise it will be locked.
 
Impressions said:
What you wear is not as important in this field for interviews, as long as it is not inappropriate. You don't have to wear "the uniform".
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I agree with this. An advisor told me early on that any program that won't take you because you didn't wear a black suit to the interview is probably not a place you want to be anyway. And some say any little thing you can do to stand out from the others....

I wore a nice brown sport coat and slacks to my interviews (dang, there goes my anonymity) and several people noticed that I was the only one not in a dark suit and commented in the positive.

Now if everyone shows up next year in sport coats they are going to know something is up. 😀

(btw for those of you who like figuring out who people are, I am the same user previously posting as achybrachy, but I made a new account because I always had that horrible song stuck in my head)
 
i think wearing a 2 or 3 button gray, blue or black suit is the safest route.
 
- schedule time off from mid Nov to mid Feb

- obtain $6000-10,000 or so for travel funds, less if you're only doing regional

- kayak.com for flights 2-4 wk ahead of time, otherwise you'll lose hundreds of $. rental cars go up in price too, so book early on hotwire.com

- AVOID O'HARE AIRPORT FOR CONNECTIONS. for some reason, this airport cannot function in good or bad weather. if you are chaining interviews and have a connection in o'hare, you will likely get a flight delay that ruins your plans.

- maps.google.com to locate hotels closest to interview site. also good for checking out public transportation points, Amtrak lines, etc, finding grocery stores.

- shop around for hotels. ask about shuttle service to/from airport and hospital. compare that to cost of using taxi with a cheaper hotel. always ask about radonc, oncology, hospital rates.

- ALWAYS FLY CARRY-ON ONLY. checking your luggage risks losing your interview suit, etc.

- pack healthy food in your luggage, or find a grocery store. work out at the hotel gyms to keep your energy up. independent restaurants are definitely nice for getting a vibe on the local scene, though.

- read Boards and Wards, 1st Aid, do Step 2 CK questions while flying. Kaplan/Goljan Step 2 lectures on your mp3 or laptop.

- read up on the programs again the night before your interview. jot down some notes, formulate some intelligent questions. laptop is most handy for accessing websites (virtually all hotels have free wireless these days), but you can bring printouts too for lighter travel.

- use the free hotel wake-up call service, and then set your cell phone and the hotel alarm clock to make sure you wake up on time.

- wear a quality wool suit (doesn't wrinkle like polyester). to prevent wrinkles, slip over a dry cleaner bag, fold it in 3 like a letter, and pad the inside with other clothing to prevent creases. this fits great into standard carry-on luggage (see http://www.makingitclear.com/pages/foldingsuit.html). you can freshen up your suit by hanging in a steamy hotel bathroom, but don't get water on it. do not wear your suit top on a flight, it will wrinkle. wrinkle-free dress shirts own, but make sure you wipe the hotel iron clean before you do any touchups. keep a clean towel between your shirt and the filthy ironing board. get some decent shoes and keep them clean, and make sure they match your reversible belt. get some respectable ties and learn some decent knots (avoid solids...otherwise you will look like a waiter). you can roll your ties and store them in your dress shoes to pack. and for god's sake, don't wear athletic tube socks to your interview.

- bring some $1 old navy flipflops so you don't get tinea from the showers.

- driving your own car or using public transportation from/to airport can often save you money; shuttles and taxis are often a major ripoff. We're talking $5 for public roundtrip vs. $50-100 for shuttle/taxi. Amtrak can sometimes be faster than flying after you factor in security delays (DC-to-Philly, Philly-to-NYC).

- buddy-up with fellow applicants to share rental cars and to help each other out with GPS/nav. don't forget to chip in for gas! offer rides back to airport if you have a car.

- easy airport to interview/hotel public trans:

Boston T

NYC subway

LA Airport Flyer (couldn't believe this one)

Minneapolis Lightrail

Chicago CTA (the Hyde Park stations by U of C are dangerous at night, so beware, and definitely consider getting off before getting too far South/West if coming from North from O'Hare. Midway airport is closer to Hyde Park and you can take bus straight onto the safer, residential south edge of campus).

Philly SEPTA (get to Penn and Jefferson in a jiffy, then take the Amtrak out to NYC or DC in heartbeat)

St Louis Metrolink (drops off right at WashU doorstep)

Washington DC Metro, DCA Airport (but have to pick up free GWU hospital shuttle at Roslyn station)


- send thank you letters, particularly to the PD and chairs. best way in my opinion is to laser print the bulk of it and then add a handwritten personal PS. electronically paste your ERAS photo by your signature line to make it easy for interviewers to remember you.

- elsewhere on sdn.net I read that for typical US seniors, travel expenses are NOT tax deductible for both the fourth year of med school and internship. this is regardless of your income status during the interview season.

- whenever you think you have it bad on the interview trail and are suffering badly, just remember your colleagues going for other specialties. your derm classmates who gunned so hard. folks currently in their general/neuro surgery residency. do NOT think of your friends going into PM&R (one calls it "Plenty Money & Relaxation").
 
Mobile Gmail is great & free! There are plenty of posts on other SDN threads on the multiple ways you can get access to your email right away (ERAS & NRMP threads). Basically, find a method that works for you & stick with it. I think the biggest problem people I talked to on the interview trail had was that they waited until the end of a day or the next day to respond to an email and those were the people that had problems with scheduling...of note these tended to be people who do not have OCD with regards to this forum and just didn't know that sometimes they offer more interviews than there actually are positions. I think most of us would agree that the best advice is just to do something that will help you out during the time of interview offers, you don't need to go out & spend a ton of money on an iPhone or anything, but maybe just think about what email account you'll use on applications & that you can get the best access to. I found having all of my interview offers/schedules on one account to be very helpful especially late in the season.

Also as a side note, if you are setting up a new email account, be sure to have it be professional, it seems like common sense, but you never know. Good luck to all next week!
 
bananaphone said:
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- kayak.com for flights 2-4 wk ahead of time, otherwise you'll lose hundreds of $. rental cars go up in price too, so book early on hotwire.com

---- driving your own car or using public transportation from/to airport can often save you money; shuttles and taxis are often a major ripoff.
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Agree--other than a few cities (Chi, NY, SF, Philly) where you have to pay $$ to park a rental car (use public trans), it is often much cheaper to rent a car (sometime only $15/day using priceline) than using cabs to/from airport, to/from interview, to/from dinners.

bananaphone said:
-- ALWAYS FLY CARRY-ON ONLY. checking your luggage risks losing your interview suit, etc.

- wear a quality wool suit (doesn't wrinkle like polyester). to prevent wrinkles, slip over a dry cleaner bag, fold it in 3 like a letter, and pad the inside with other clothing to prevent creases. this fits great into standard carry-on luggage.
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My solution was to have a carry-on, and then carry my suit on a hanger with cover over it. Avoid having to cram suit into carry on, avoid checking luggage, & most airlines have a closet they'll let you hang the suit in. On airlines can get away with a roller carry-on in overhead room, a shoulder bag to go under feet, & hanging suit--provides plenty of room to avoid checking bags.

Would also echo the utility of a smart-phone (Palm Centro is cheap, iPhone much nicer). In addition to near-necessity of getting emails offering interviews ASAP, my device spared me numerous hours of boredom in airports, where wireless internet is often expensive while browsing internet on phone is free--once you pay $15/month fee for data from sprint.
 
Yo, I don't think it's a good idea to post so many specifics on how to get instant mobile ERAS invites. It will become too accessible to *everyone* and pretty much guarantees that program coordinators will be flooded with 50 phone calls simultaneously soon after they hit the send button. Moreover, it really puts certain people (e.g., stuck in the OR, too poor or tech-illiterate for the gizmos, or inside an airplane high in the sky) otherwise well-qualified for radonc at a disadvantage.

Case in point: One of the more popular prelim years I applied to filled all their interview spots 45 min after the invites went out, which is pretty insane. I was seeing patients in clinic at the time and had to wait to call back. I was shut out even though I had that instant mobile ERAS vibrating in my pocket (believe it or not, it can be done using only $20 total for gizmo/access fees if you know UNIX).

I think that if someone realizes the possibility of mobile ERAS and figures out on their own how to do it, then they fully deserve to employ this method. Giving out the exact methods to everyone is really going to make the scheduling for next year's applicants way more painful and annoying.

Anyway...regarding suits on a plane...I have heard that some airlines let you use the closet, some don't, some count it against your 2-piece limit. I suppose you would be guaranteed a closet if you're flying 1st class. I didn't want to take a gamble being coach, and I like having my hands free anyway.
 
Sorry Banana, but I think it is in the spirit of this page/forum to post the specifics on tech tricks to help individuals grab interview spots early next year. That being said, I dont think this is necessary to go out and buy anything new or high tech to assist--a computer with internet will do just fine. Most hospitals/clinics have electronic med records (at least partially) and even when in clinic (or even OR) it is not hard to check email q2 hours with workstations sitting all over the place. Just anecdotally, I was able to obtain all 13 interviews I was offered using conventional email (and voicemail, from FCCC). Then again, I didnt get offers from the "big guys."

But I do agree that it is a real problem with programs offering more interviews than they plan on actually doing. The onus really falls on them to act more professionally (that means you too Stanford).
 
I heartily disagree that folks shouldnt share the kind information Radoncrudy has.

It seems a rationalization to say on the one hand that only tech savvy people will benefit once PD's start sending group emails as it becomes more popular, and in the next paragraph that only someone who is tech savvy & figures out the technique "deserves" to do it.

And I doubt anyone feels terribly concerned about coordinators getting 50 replies all at once.

If a program decides to mass mail and fill spaces on a first come/first serve basis (ala arizona, who did that once) that is unfortunate for applicants (and programs in fact) and a lousy policy. No question. but thats not a big radonc problem (and usually not for intern years too).

And frankly while you do want to maximize your advantage, (nothing wrong with that) I dont think doing so at the expense of others is really the right "way". You might be surprised perhaps how little conflict there is in adopting a personal policy of promoting your interests without manipulating others to put them at disadvantage.


BTW this thread is a great idea.
 
All of the above advice is great. I would like to add another gem that I discovered on the trail: all hotels are NOT created equal. Don't assume that because you've heard of a chain before that all of its hotels are standard issue. Travelodge may sound like a respectable chain, but I assure you that it is not. Ditto for Days Inns. On my first interview, I stayed at a Travelodge and definitely encountered a "lady of the night" outside the front door. At another interview, I stayed at a Days Inn and heard all sorts of crazy arguments and thuds/bangs outside my door. This was disconcerting enough, but when the concierge randomly called my room to ask if "I was OK", I near about freaked. Not a good night's sleep. Drop the extra $10-$20 to stay at a reputable chain. Also, it was mentioned above, but always make sure to ask for any type of hospital/program discounts even if the program coordinator did not mention any to you. Most hotels within the vicinity of hospitals offer great deals that can save you up to 50% of the room cost.

Another piece of advice: Hampton's have the most comfortable beds ever made by anyone.
 
agree with above. ladies of the night, wow. that must make for a great impression of the city you're staying in.
a few places that put you up:
Mayo-Jax, Cleveland Clinic, Wisconsin (madison)
most places will reimburse for parking, except for UCSF

try to crash with friends (and even relatives), but a couple of warnings there:
1) you'll feel obligated to hang out with them / go for a drink, which can be really rough when you're tired from interviewing and the next day is a "big" interview for you; great oppty to catch up but can be stress inducing
2) you may end up really far away from your interview; ended up being late to one in NYC due to that

dress business casual to the dinners; rarely saw people in ties / suit dresses unless they were coming from clinic / straight form teh interviews; you'll feel more comfortable and so will they

put some effort in your personal statement (and have some people read it / give feedback); people actually brought up stuff in my personal statement during interviews (of the ones who read it);

you will definitely meet people who did not read your application; be ready with a 2 minute overview which captures your app; it can be frustrating but what can you do....it does give you a chance to highlight certain strengths that are either overlooked easily or are not emphasized as much (such as really worthy volunteer work or an interesting hobby)

i find it pretty irksome when someone doesn't read your app; the worst situation is when someone from your home institution hasn't read your app (yes that happened) and when someone else from your home insitution asks "did you rotate here?" (also did happen)...well, you just laugh it off:corny:
 
1)if you are going to buy a new carry-on suitcase or rummaging through someone else's collection, consider looking for a suitcase with a built-in strap that attaches to the front of the suitcase with a hook to hold another bag. If you apply broadly like I did, you will spend a lot of time in parking lots, running through airports, and porting suitcases to interviews...this definitely helped keep the hassle & weight of bags to a minimum. Also, you can get built-in garmet bags which was really helpful too.

2) If you want to bring your favorite shampoo, lotion, etc. without checking a bag, go somewhere like the Container Store that sells Nalgene travel-size bottles. All travel bottles are not created equal...many will spill (always put plastic around your suit just in case!) but I can vouch for the Nalgene bottles which come in very small (1oz, 2oz) sizes for around $0.99 each.

3) Know the flight schedules of where you're going on your interview days, especially if it's a busy airport. You will be surprised at how many times interviews will end early and then you're stuck at the airport for a long time. I was able to stand-by every time I tried and then could either get to my next interview destination or home earlier.

4) I agree with Pointless, Hampton Inn does have the most comfortable beds & they usually have free breakfast & coffee and tea almost always available at any time.

5) abc.com shows are endlessly entertaining when you get stuck in an airport for 6 hrs with free internet 🙂
 
I can't emphasize how much Priceline will save you money on rental cars and hotels. I usually got $15/day cars and $50/night hotels. I wish I found out about this earlier.
 
Priceline can be a pain in the *** to use. To streamline:

1. Go to www.betterbidding.com
2. Go to the "priceline & Hotwire Forum"
3. Click on the area you're heading to

This will show recently accepted bids on hotel rooms in the area. Make sure you're on priceline at the same time, under the "Name your own price" feature, so that you can see what area on the map you want your hotel to be in, and look for accepted bids accordingly. Otherwise you have no idea what $$ bid may or may not get accepted, and if you misjudge you have to change your desired area or quality level. This saved me lots of headaches.
 
mikedc813 said:
I can't emphasize how much Priceline will save you money on rental cars and hotels. I usually got $15/day cars and $50/night hotels. I wish I found out about this earlier.
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I wholeheartedly agree with this. Hotels.com actually got me pretty close to those numbers too without having to mess around with priceline.

For about the first half of my interviews I stayed where the program was getting us a discount, but soon realized that there were lots of places (typically the places close to the airport) that were much cheaper still. And I ended up renting a car most of the places I went that didn't have good public transit, about $20 a day for most cars. I talked to several people who ended up paying like $50+ taxi from the airport.
 
cheap travel along the Northeast corridor (boston to new york to dc). consider grey hound (one way $40)/ "china town" bus (one way $20) instead of a flight or train. watch out for probs with winter weather though.
 
koolaidkid said:
cheap travel along the Northeast corridor (boston to new york to dc). consider grey hound (one way $40)/ "china town" bus (one way $20) instead of a flight or train. watch out for probs with winter weather though.
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oh yeah...forgot about greyhound! used that back in the day for med school interviews. definitely economical, and you can meet some pretty interesting characters on the bus. can be sketchy, so ride at your own risk.

i have always wondered how secure the luggage storage spaces under the bus are. i don't recall them ever tagging your luggage and providing a stub. you can keep an eye on your stuff at each bus stop if you're seated on the same side and close to where your luggage was loaded.
 
Have good answers for the three ubiquitous questions:

3. Why do you want to go into Radiation Oncology?

2. Why do you want to come to our program?

1. The favorite - Do you have any questions?
 
Wm Tell said:
Have good answers for the three ubiquitous questions:

3. Why do you want to go into Radiation Oncology?

2. Why do you want to come to our program?

1. The favorite - Do you have any questions?
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It's also good to have a politically correct answer to "where else are you interviewing?" Even though they're not allowed to ask, some do. I didn't like to directly answer that question and usually gave some nonspecific answer such as "other excellent programs like this one."
 
One question that was discussed on the trail a little was who we should be sending thankyous to; for the record I matched at #6 on my list, which incidentally was the highest rank on my list at which I wrote thankyous only to the PD and chair rather than everyone I interviewed with. I had a good mix of top to mid to low tier programs. What I'm getting at is I think it's ok if you don't write them to every person you interview with. I wrote paper thankyous.
 
ABCXRT said:
It's also good to have a politically correct answer to "where else are you interviewing?" Even though they're not allowed to ask, some do. I didn't like to directly answer that question and usually gave some nonspecific answer such as "other excellent programs like this one."
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The only program that asked me where else I interviewed was UTMB.
 
ABCXRT said:
It's also good to have a politically correct answer to "where else are you interviewing?" Even though they're not allowed to ask, some do. I didn't like to directly answer that question and usually gave some nonspecific answer such as "other excellent programs like this one."
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I thought i posted this but:
you can answer in ways a little more delicately. You can say "mostly the NE" or "rather widely".
 
stephew said:
I thought i posted this but:
you can answer in ways a little more delicately. You can say "mostly the NE" or "rather widely".
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Yes but this answer was usually followed with "like what other programs have you interviewed at?"
 
SchwettieBalls said:
Yes but this answer was usually followed with "like what other programs have you interviewed at?"
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Maybe this is a naive question but what is it they are really getting at when they ask this? I was asked almost once every interview day. Do they just want to know how competetive everyone else thinks you are? Or whether there are a lot of places on your list you would rather go than their program? Or just regionally speaking how likely you would be happy at their program?

I usually answered something like "well mostly in the midwest" which is true and then usually gave a few examples, phrased as the most recent places I had been (so they wouldn't think I chose those because they were the ones I was interested in).
 
yeasterbunny said:
Maybe this is a naive question but what is it they are really getting at when they ask this? I was asked almost once every interview day. Do they just want to know how competetive everyone else thinks you are? Or whether there are a lot of places on your list you would rather go than their program? Or just regionally speaking how likely you would be happy at their program?

I usually answered something like "well mostly in the midwest" which is true and then usually gave a few examples, phrased as the most recent places I had been (so they wouldn't think I chose those because they were the ones I was interested in).
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agreed, but i think they're getting at the same things we're getting at when we ask things like "hey, do you think I'll match with a 258 on step 1 and only honors in half of my classes?" or "where else are you interviewing at?" or "what program will you rank number one?" when you ask someone else on the interview trail. they're just like us, sizing up the competition and making sure they're competitive also.

I'm sure that many of us, if we had the chutzpah to, would also ask the interviewers, "so, who else are you interviewing?"

When I was asked this question, I told them all the programs. In retrospect, probably not the best idea. I think that the interviewers who asked this frequently felt slightly uncomfortable about asking such a candid question.

we should give interviewers the same amount of slack we give ourselves. when they determine their rank list, they want to make sure that they aren't short-changing their own lists and not being able to make their calls to recruit their top candidates. For example, if a mid-tier program interviews a highly desirable student, they probably want to know if that student is interviewing at mostly top 10 programs and will likely rank them low or not.
i know that the rank process is just as stressful for programs also since even just one "difficult" resident in a class can make life hard for an entire department. the programs also get just as disappointed when they don't get their top choices, and I'm sure that's especially true when they expect to match particular candidates.

Back to the thread: Once again, I can not overemphasize the importance of not telling more than one program that you will rank them number one. The field is small, and you better hope that the person / program director you just burned will not be sitting on your oral exam committee, reviewing your grant, interviewing you again for a faculty spot, or just told his/her former resident not to hire you. we definitely have to look out for ourselves, and i think that includes trying to keep ourselves out of too much trouble by being honest.

Nonetheless, I do think it is also important to express interest, particularly strong interest, in programs that are in your top 5. Save the "number one" phone call / e-mail for one program. Also, make sure that your chair makes that call early enough to support you, depending upon when programs make their decision.
 
about this "you're my number one" business:

I never told anyone they were my number one. I guess that was mainly b/c I still didnt have my list finalized until the 27th at 9pm, but I dont think it hurt me at all. I ended up emailing my top 5-6 and telling them they were ranked very highly (or some other verbiage) and that "I would be a good fit in their program."

I just didnt feel comfortable having my PD/chair call another program on my behalf. I felt that would be burning a major bridge. remember, statistically speaking, you have the best shot of matching at your home program. burn that bridge and you might get caught with your pants down on match day.
 
IRISH22 said:
I just didnt feel comfortable having my PD/chair call another program on my behalf. I felt that would be burning a major bridge. remember, statistically speaking, you have the best shot of matching at your home program. burn that bridge and you might get caught with your pants down on match day.
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Ahh, the only advantage of not having a home program! You don't have loyalties to anyone! If you don't have a residency program at your med school, having your adviser make this call may help, especially if your adviser knows a faculty member at your #1 program. I don't know how much these calls affect anything, but I don't think it can hurt if you don't have a home program.
 
yeasterbunny said:
Maybe this is a naive question but what is it they are really getting at when they ask this?
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I think it depends on who is asking it and what the context is. Certainly some interviewers are trying to assess the chances of matching you- though they can often figure that out more easily by seeing if and where you did away rotations, since those are likely to be the applicants' top choices. Others are probably trying to find out if you met any of their friends on the interview trail (since this is a small field), or if you interviewed at the place where they did residency. It gives you and them something to talk about. When I applied, I answered this question honestly, and often it led to a benign discussion about how the interviewer knows Dr X, and Dr X is a great guy/gal ....

Personally I think the only situation where this should be asked is when an applicant is known to the interviewer (i.e. program where applicant rotated or home program) , and he/she genuinely wants to give that applicant advice.
 
make sure you get your apps in quickly; it doesn't have to be the day that you can click submit but at least within a week or two of that

also, I don't think it really matters that much when you interview (i.e. early or late in a program's interview cycle). If you are going to try to play the "you're my number one card", make sure you try to contact that program before they finalize their rank list. I would agree that it can help, but maybe not that much, especially if the program doesn't really care or can choose whomever they want. However, it may help to move you from #6 to #5 on a program's rank list.

for some programs, they'll meet immediately the afternoon / evening of the interview and rank that batch. Once all the interview dates have been completed, they'll meet again and decide (which may mean the programs have completed their rank list in mid January) or they may have a final meeting mid February.

also, I stressed about the rank algorithm. Initially, I thought that if I ranked a program higher (i.e. #2) that really liked me, it would be safer. Check out the rank algorithm on the NRMP website, and you'll see that you should really rank according to where you want to go. It won't affect you adversely.

good luck to all those applying this year. I especially wish those re-applying this year good luck. it's funny how this field used to be filled with FMGs and unfilled spots. things have changed.
 
for those getting ready to apply for the next cycle, a few things to think about / ask during your intern year:
-what is your typical patient load (is there a maximum number of patients you carry, like 8?)
-is your night coverage system nightfloat or overnight
-how much flexibility do you have for your elective time (i.e. research versus electives at other institutions / international electives)
-how supportive is the ancillary staff?
-do you draw all your own blood or do the nurses/techs do it?
-do you help with housing?
-is parking available?

it seems odd, but I frequently just glossed over these questions during the interview. Ultimately, small things like this can make a huge difference, after all, it is a year of your life.

one advantage may be to do your internship at the same institution that you're doing residency. by that time, you already know the rest of the housestaff, and it becomes a much more collegial environment. the downside is if you're not the most stellar intern, your reputation will precede you.

the other thing is prelim years are still fairly competitive, and it is possible to go fairly low on your list (and even have to scramble).

good luck to all those applying.
 
- Although it's not crucial to respond to interview invitations immediately, it sure helps. If you don't have a blackberry/iphone, etc., consider asking your hospital if there's a way to send emails to your text pager. If so, you can use MS Outlook to filter out any emails with a subject heading containing the word "interview" and have them forwarded. The whole email won't fit in that tiny pager screen, but it will alert you to the need to check your email asap. This worked really well for me and was free. Free is good.

- NEVER check your luggage if you can help it. Last year, I knew an applicant who lost two suits this way. If you can afford it, get a carry-on garment bag, SkyRoll or something similar. When you're running around airports and living out of a suitcase, convenience becomes more important than you'd think. Wheels are a must.

- Packing without wrinkles: I had really good luck with dry cleaner plastic bags. I packed my suit jackets and pants in separate plastic bags, folded them in three (like a C fold letter), placed a shirt or two in the middle of it all, and hardly ever had wrinkles. If you do pull a wrinkled suit out of your bag, 20 minutes in a steamy hotel bathroom should take care of it. (Irons can leave shiny marks on nice suits.) Travel-sized Downy Wrinkle Releaser can also be a life saver in a pinch.

- As previously mentioned, kayak, hotwire and priceline are awesome websites for travel deals. I often rented cars for $8-15 a day on Hotwire and got three star hotels for $40-55 a night. Be smart about your hotel choices on Hotwire and Priceline, though. If you can afford it, don't go below three stars. While it may seem snooty to differentiate, the two star category on those two websites includes a huge range of quality - everything from pretty nice to really sketch. I've (happily!) stayed in my fair share of sketchy youth hostels over the years, but the last thing you want the night before a big interview is a terrible bed and raucous neighbours. Of note, the discounts you'll find on these websites are usually better than those offered by a program.

- Tripit.com is useful site for organizing plane/hotel/car reservations on those long multi-city trips.

- If you're taking a laptop or a smartphone on interviews, Boingo offers a discounted $10 monthly rate for unlimited wireless internet access for the first 3 months. This can be helpful for those airports without free wireless. Of note, you cannot cancel this service over the internet; you have to call them.

- If you have friends or a trusted mentor within your home department, ask them for information about various programs before you interview. Given the sorry state of most departmental websites, they can often give you more realistic information than you'll find on your own.

- Resident dinners: Use common sense. The dress code is usually business casual. You certainly don't need to wear a suit, but wearing jeans and a polo shirt is pushing it. Also, use discretion when the residents tell you, "This is a safe space. You can say anything here!" The residents certainly aren't lying or out to get anyone. They ARE looking for someone with whom they would like to work, however, if so you say something really bizarre, it's going to get around.

- For the caffeine-desperate: Crystal Light Energy packets. Easy to pack, relatively cheap, 120 mg of caffeine and 5 calories. Just mix it into water, and you'll have a pre-interview caffeine rush without waiting for your coffee to cool. (I don't get a kickback from Crystal Light, I promise! They just have an addictive product.)

- Other things I found useful for interviews: Breath mints/gum, stain stick, mini lint roller, GPS (a life saver for the directionally challenged)
 
"try to do at least one away rotation (reach). two (one reach, one you have good shot at) will help. three is prob overkill."

I am considering to do 3 monthly aways, all happening in summer months (fortunately, my schools allow such a flexible schedule)...I wonder if it's a super good idea? If that's any disadvantage of doing so?

Any comments appreciated.
 
A few other travel tips:
1) get AAA. it sucks if your car breaks down. Or at least get the rental version. Also, AAA can give you discounts on car rental and hotels some times.
2) if you have a platinum card / car insurance already, check to see whether it transfers to car rentals (can save you some money).
3) Costco has an American Express that gives you like 3% back on travel. If you're spending $5000 on airplane tickets and rentals, that's a good like $180 or so.

Pump the residents for info. esp. re weaknesses. If you strike a nice little bond with any of them, ask for his/her e-mail, and you can ask them questions re. their program or thoughts on other programs.

Also, just be yourself. It's important, especially because you want to make sure that you mesh well with the current residents.
 
I thought I'd bump this in case current applicants were looking for a way to pass time until rank lists are certified and the interview impressions start rolling in!
 
Sign up for at least 2 of the multitude of credit card offers out there that give you 2 roundtrip tickets with your first purchase (or after some nominal spend). Keep track of your miles using awardwallet.com.

Bid for hotels (and if possible for flights) on priceline. Use hotwire for rental cars (should be $10-15/day). Bring a portable GPS if you don't have one on your phone.
 
If you're flying, check weather reports a few days ahead of time to see if trouble is brewing at your origin, destination, and connection airports. Most airlines will change your ticket for free if that's the case - but you have to be proactive. I had to change itineraries several times last year at the last minute because of this, but thankfully did not miss any interviews.

Good luck to this year's applicants!
 
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