application questions

[icebreakers]

---

Members don't see this ad.

most programs schedule interviews between oct-end of jan.

does anyone know when programs have already handed out all their interviews spots? is it by end of september? or is it possible that there are still interview spots available in october and end of october (or even later?)

the reason i ask is because i'm wondering if an away elective scheduled for october would be of any benefit to me at all? its at a program that I really would like to go to? if they are already handed out all their interviews, (lets say excluding me) how would it help me?

 

[fiatslug]

most programs, if you are doing an externship, will definitely offer you an interview, likely at the time you are there (as that's usually the most convenient time for the student). If they don't, you can probably assume that you are stinking up the joint! 😉

October is a totally reasonable time to do any kind of audition rotation. Residencies don't make up their rank lists until the end of February, and believe me things are in flux until the last minute. Probably it's ideal to interview before December (and not too close to the holidays, when lots of critical faculty will be gone), only because you have more time to do follow-up schmoozing, but we've ranked some January interviews quite high.

 

[icebreakers]

so, would I be accurate in saying that most programs have not already handed out all their interview spots by october? there would still be spots left over by say middle of october (that gives me a few wks to make agood impression)

also...
is it okay if I ask the people that I'm doing an away elective with to write me a letter of rec?

most programs, if you are doing an externship, will definitely offer you an interview, likely at the time you are there (as that's usually the most convenient time for the student). If they don't, you can probably assume that you are stinking up the joint! 😉

October is a totally reasonable time to do any kind of audition rotation. Residencies don't make up their rank lists until the end of February, and believe me things are in flux until the last minute. Probably it's ideal to interview before December (and not too close to the holidays, when lots of critical faculty will be gone), only because you have more time to do follow-up schmoozing, but we've ranked some January interviews quite high.

 

[icebreakers]

At what point in the school year...are all the interview spots already handed out...and they cant assign any more dates?

most programs, if you are doing an externship, will definitely offer you an interview, likely at the time you are there (as that's usually the most convenient time for the student). If they don't, you can probably assume that you are stinking up the joint! 😉

October is a totally reasonable time to do any kind of audition rotation. Residencies don't make up their rank lists until the end of February, and believe me things are in flux until the last minute. Probably it's ideal to interview before December (and not too close to the holidays, when lots of critical faculty will be gone), only because you have more time to do follow-up schmoozing, but we've ranked some January interviews quite high.

 

[whopper]

For the most part, expect most of the residency spots to be filled just after match results.

Then during the "scramble" any medstudent who didn't get a spot struggles to get into one. Scrambled positions often fill up quickly.

I forgot the exact dates this happens because its one of those things where you forget it all after you get into a program but it happens around spring.

Any program with openings outside the above time frames are rare, but still happen.


For interviews-any program usually can fit interviews in anywhere up until a nonspecific period of time before they have to hand in their match results.

Just how long that nonspecific time is varies. I've seen some programs make their final decisions literally the day before its due.

As mentioned-they can pretty much fit in anyone they want, even stretch the rules because interviewing candidates is not one of those things that take up too much time, but they will only make the time outside the norm if the person shows some exception to them that they feel might be worth it.

 

[fiatslug]

if they want to interview you, they'll find a spot. Seriously, externs are always always offered interviews (if you aren't, you probably aren't passing the rotation, either). You can definitely ask for letters, esp if you are getting good feedback from your attendings. Keep in mind that a LOT of people flake on letter writing, and those affiliated w/your home institution are more "honor-bound" to keep those letter writing commitments. But don't rely on letters written in late fall--make sure you have at least 3 on file by the time interview season rolls around.