Canceling interviews - when is too late?

[Maryland to AZ]

Hello - is a weeks notice too late to cancel an interview? I don't think it's a program I'd rank highly, however I was curious to check it out - but tickets are around 400.00. Is it poor form to cancel this late?

Thank you.

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[turkeyjerky]

I wouldn't spend 400 bucks just to avoide being impolite.

 

[cofcemt]

Personally I think a week is too late, but I live in the overly polite southern culture, so it may just be me. I would think at least 2 weeks notice would be acceptable.

 

[gman33]

2 weeks is probably best.
I think a week is the minimum.

If it's a place you don't care about, and you have enough interviews otherwise, I'd cancel.

 

[Maryland to AZ]

Thanks for the feedback. I too was raised by a southern mother, so I'm feeling horribly rude canceling late. Its a program I was initially really excited about - but as I've interviewed, what I want and where I want to be has solidified - and it wasn't until this last week that it really gelled for me. And now I reallize this program isn't a great fit for my professional goals (academic) and geographical preferences (east coast). Its a great place - so I also figure that by giving up my spot, someone who may have been hoping to get off a wait list might get an interview. Thanks again - I hope all your interviews are going well.

 

[gman33]

I got a last minute invite today and I wanted to cancel another one I have scheduled for next week. I'm not too keen on the other place, but it's in the city where I want to end up.
I know the PDs all know each other well.

If it was a little further out, I'd cancel, but I'm going to bite the bullet.

 

[EctopicFetus]

If you think the PDs will talk about it you have a much higher opinion of yourself than they do.

 

[Apollyon]

If you think the PDs will talk about it you have a much higher opinion of yourself than they do.

I don't think it is that simplistic. It's not like a drawn out, in depth convo. Enough would be one to another with something such as "had one kid drop with less than a week - weird kinda name like Iohannes Kowal". Other "Hey, we interviewed him - I remember that name. Well, X him!"

Less than 10 seconds.

("Iohannes Kowal" means "John Smith" with a Latin first name and Polish last name.)

 

[gman33]

I don't think it is that simplistic. It's not like a drawn out, in depth convo. Enough would be one to another with something such as "had one kid drop with less than a week - weird kinda name like Iohannes Kowal". Other "Hey, we interviewed him - I remember that name. Well, X him!"

Less than 10 seconds.

("Iohannes Kowal" means "John Smith" with a Latin first name and Polish last name.)

👍

 

[Hypomanics]

As someone who has not had many interview offers, I want to say thank you to the cancelers. Got two interviews today. 🙂

 

[Braves123]

I don't think it is that simplistic. It's not like a drawn out, in depth convo. Enough would be one to another with something such as "had one kid drop with less than a week - weird kinda name like Iohannes Kowal". Other "Hey, we interviewed him - I remember that name. Well, X him!"

Less than 10 seconds.

("Iohannes Kowal" means "John Smith" with a Latin first name and Polish last name.)

hmm, you think the PDs would talk about you if you just came off nervous and didn't interview well at one program but did great at another? would that adversely affect their impression that you came off stressed and less articulate at other places 😱😕

at least I have a pretty gerenic name

 

[Apollyon]

hmm, you think the PDs would talk about you if you just came off nervous and didn't interview well at one program but did great at another? would that adversely affect their impression that you came off stressed and less articulate at other places 😱😕

at least I have a pretty gerenic name

"Gerenic"?

All I know is what I know, and I know that my PD mentioned certain applicants to other PDs, and that some PDs are downright weird (one of whom was "likely" mentally ill, in some manner, in my PD's opinion). You can minimize it, but, hey, do what you want to do. If you sweat like you're in a sauna, if you speak in a bizarre way, if you get drunk on one beer, but always have that beer, if you can't keep an inappropriate joke to yourself, then you have at it. "Anecdote" is not data, but, still, do you want to be known as "that guy"? It's not just the person that looks uncomfortable or has a badly tied tie.

Whether you're in LA, the Bay area, NYC/NJ, Chicago, or Detroit, or even between Duke and UNC, or Pittsburgh, or Boston (and I know I'm missing others), all politics is local. And, likewise, EM is a small world. I can get a visit in the office without an appointment with the chair at Mt. Sinai and Loma Linda. There are others here in the same boat. People are people, and, if you do something egregiously stupid or unacceptable (not just interview badly), one PD may, while speaking with another PD friend, mention it. Look at SDN - how many threads are there about interview trail incredulities?

On the flip side, there are two SDNers from several years ago that were actively recruited, and PDs talked about them and about who could land them - Jeff698 and Tyson Cook (not to stoke any egos).