A freaking expensive interview

[lady in red]

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I just spent about 500 bucks that I don't really have (450 plane ticket, 50 hotel room) for an interview at a 'back-up' school. I don't really want to consider this school back-up and try to treat each itnerview like its the only one, but still. The thing is, they gave me an interview notice (at least I received it) 5 days before the interview!!!!!! they sent it out a week before the actual date, so I was royally screwed for the flights. Do you guys think its worth it? Everyone keeps telling me I am an idiot for going there, but I am not in yet anywhere. Is this REALLY an expensive interview? What are you guys spending per trip? Thanks. My flight is from California to a midwestern city, and the school is REALLY small.
I guess my major question is--is it normal to spend so much per interview or am I smocking crack for doing this?

 

[Weeble]

Flights from CA to midwest or east coast plus hotel can often be in the $500 neighborhood, especially when a school royally screws you like this one did. 😡 Sadly, however those of us without acceptances kind of have to swallow our pride, gather up our last tattered shreds of dignity and suck it up. (Can you tell I'm feeling sorry for myself?) 😉 <img src="graemlins/pity.gif" border="0" alt="[Pity]" />
Anyways, I'm sorry they did that to you. It's incredibly inconsiderate and seems to happen all the time. 🙁

 

[brandonite]

I guess that depends on whether you think you would honestly consider going there... If they were the only school that let you in, would you rather wait a year, redo your MCATs (which I think you said were the biggest problem with your app), and try and stay in San Fran next year? If you think you might honestly go there should none of your other schools work out, then you should probably go to the interview. Maybe you could call them up and ask them if you could interview a week or two later, to make things easier for flights. Some schools are accomodating like that.

Nobody can really tell you what to do. It's a tough call. But I just got my first interview this week, so it'd be an easy decision for me! 😀 You might want to wait and save that money up for other schools that you prefer later on down the line. After all, you'd hate to interview at this school that you don't really like, and not be able to afford to fly out to a school you'd really prefer.

It's a tough choice. I'd go if I were you, but I can see the reasoning behind the hesitation.

 

[THE instiGATOR]

I'd go!

Which school? Not that it matters...I still stand by my advice. Keep interviewing until you have an acceptance.

 

[A. Caveman]

i know right..what the hell kind of question is this Lady? you can afford that pretty red dress but can't go to a school that might take you??? at this point, be very cautious..unless applying again doesn't bother you.

 

[Jalby]

I'm guessing Medical college of Wisconson.

 

[brandonite]

Originally posted by A. Caveman:
•i know right..what the hell kind of question is this Lady? you can afford that pretty red dress but can't go to a school that might take you??? at this point, be very cautious..unless applying again doesn't bother you.•••

What the hell kind of response is that, would be my question. She just wanted the opinion of a few people out here, on what is a somewhat important question. After all, you can only afford $500/interview so many times. Say you only have $1000 in your bank account. Should you take this interview, even though you have yet to hear from schools X Y and Z that you would rather attend? I see no reason to respond with hostility.

And let's not let this end up as another 'cookie' incident. People keep things private for a reason. 😀

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Two words: CREDIT CARDS

Get them...use them...pay them down later. 🙂

 

[lady in red]

Well, I did not want to name the school b/c I don't like name-calling. If I had a bad experience there with interview scheduling, does not mean everyone else would, so I don't want people to be biased about this school. Brandonite, thanks! You are always my man! Can you PM me which interview you got? I read somewhere you have your first one! i am not surprised. The thing is, you probably know i applied to 58 schools, and I got 15 rejections and counting, so that leaves A LOT of schools behind. this is why i was cautious w/$$$.

 

[imtiaz]

Originally posted by brandonite:
•


And let's not let this end up as another 'cookie' incident. People keep things private for a reason. 😀 •••

What is the "cookie" incident? I've been away for a while and came back a month or so ago. Someone PM me it if it's "touchy." I gotta know!

 

[SMW]

"Cookie" said she was accepted immediately post-interview -- like within two or three minutes!!! Interviewer said, excuse me, I'll be right back, and then came back and she was was in!!! Supposedly..... Ignited quite a firestorm when she reported it here on SDN!!! She wouldn't give the name of the shool, but we were able to figure it out (i've since forgotten which school it was) because she'd previously posted when she was intereviewing where.

 

[SMW]

Originally posted by lady in red:
•I just spent about 500 bucks that I don't really have (450 plane ticket, 50 hotel room) for an interview at a 'back-up' school. I don't really want to consider this school back-up and try to treat each itnerview like its the only one, but still. The thing is, they gave me an interview notice (at least I received it) 5 days before the interview!!!!!! they sent it out a week before the actual date, so I was royally screwed for the flights. Do you guys think its worth it? Everyone keeps telling me I am an idiot for going there, but I am not in yet anywhere. Is this REALLY an expensive interview? What are you guys spending per trip? Thanks. My flight is from California to a midwestern city, and the school is REALLY small.
I guess my major question is--is it normal to spend so much per interview or am I smocking crack for doing this?•••

Well, considering you applied to 58 schools, I'd think there would be some way to combine interviews. I only applied to 22 schools, and I'm doing pretty well combining interviews. So far, I'm trying to do at least 2 interviews per trip. Well, that's not really true; I'm flying to Seattle just to do a regional interview with SLU, and then to New Orleans just for Tulane. I'd really like to combine the Seattle trip with UWSOM or OHSU interviews but they've not been very cooperative. What I've been doing is calling every school that's in the neighborhood every time I have a confirmed interview to see if they'll consider coordinating interview dates for me "if they're considering offering me an interview, blah, blah, blah, etc." I am spending an amazing amount of money per trip, but that's because I'm from Alaska, and the airlines consider us a captive audience up here. I will only be spending that much money to visit a single school -- Tulane (at least so far). It will be worth it if you get in to that school and only that school, and since there's no way to predict that, I'd say you're definitely not smoking crack! 😀

 

[otter]

I don't have a lot of money left, but I'd be willing to spend $500 just to land another interview 😉 .

 

[Gotrob]

Lady in Red...I can understand why you might not want to name the school, but others who have interviewed there may be able to give you a better idea of if the trip is worth it. Someone above guessed MCW, if thats the case go. Great facilities compared to most of the schools I have visited, great area, and great rotation opportunities.

Good luck no matter what you decide.

 

[ConstantlyWaiting]

Imagine that this school is the only one you got into. Would you go? If the answer is no, then save yourself the $500. I'm going on an interview this Friday to the midwest, and I really regret it now. I realized that I would probably not go to this school, despite the fact that it is a really good school so what's the point of shelling out the money for the interview? <img src="graemlins/pity.gif" border="0" alt="[Pity]" />

 

[UCLA2000]

I would go until I had an official acceptance letter in my hand. Call the school, and maybe they can hook you up with a student host...

 

[brandonite]

Originally posted by SMW:
•"Cookie" said she was accepted immediately post-interview -- like within two or three minutes!!! Interviewer said, excuse me, I'll be right back, and then came back and she was was in!!! Supposedly..... Ignited quite a firestorm when she reported it here on SDN!!! She wouldn't give the name of the shool, but we were able to figure it out (i've since forgotten which school it was) because she'd previously posted when she was intereviewing where.•••

Yah, the basic deal was that she didn't give out the name of the school that accepted her, and people got upset. I just saw shades of that here.

In the end, I think we chased her away from SDN. Most people didn't buy her story, anyway.

 

[lady in red]

Well, for those wondering, I am going tomorrow. Yes, if that was the only school that took me, I'd go, what the heck, MD is an MD, right? I am still grateful they invited me, though, and if I could, (and if I had the money), I'd go to all interviews (in the perfect world...) that i get invitations for. You guys are like analgesic: dulled the pain of potentially-wasted 500 dollars 🙂

 

[Jalby]

You know, there is a schools currently requesting interviews thread. Might be kind of usefull to know this schools is still sending out interview requests. (sorry, shameless plugging for my pet thread.)

 

[brandonite]

Originally posted by lady in red:
•You guys are like analgesic: dulled the pain of potentially-wasted 500 dollars 🙂 •••

Does that mean we're so boring that you'd rather spend $500 than listen to us ramble on for another day or two? 😀

j/k Good luck!

 

[Weeble]

That's fast brandonite! Didn't they just show that episode for the first time tonight? 🙂

 

[brandonite]

Originally posted by Weeble:
•That's fast brandonite! Didn't they just show that episode for the first time tonight? 🙂 •••

I've been looking for a good Dr. Nick quote for my sig, and that one just hit me. Except I couldn't make out the first word. It sounded like "Whew", but that doesn't make any sense.

Maybe I'll rotate Dr. Nick quotes every couple of weeks. 😀

 

[Weeble]

mmmm. I've always liked
"1-600-DOCTORB. Da 'B' is for bargain!" 😀

 

[brandonite]

I like the scene when he gives Homer a bypass - you hear his voiceover saying "Think back to your med school days, Nick", and they show him at a frat party saying to some girl "Seriously babe, I can prescribe anything I want".

Dr. Nick is one of my all time favorite Simpsons characters. He hasn't been on in awhile. Nice to see him back.

 

[Weeble]

Originally posted by brandonite:
•I like the scene when he gives Homer a bypass - you hear his voiceover saying "Think back to your med school days, Nick", and they show him at a frat party saying to some girl "Seriously babe, I can prescribe anything I want".•••

Man, I'm so pissed. Hollywood Upstairs Medical College didn't even send me a secondary.