Entrance Interviews While Working Fulltime - How Hard?

[GooberGeek]

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Hey SDNers

I plan on applying for the 2010 cycle. I grad this May and am starting work full time this July; I am super nervous about not being able to get time off work if I were offered multiple interviews, specially if they were on the East Coast.

Do most schools let you select dates for interviews or do they assign them to you? Are they usually scheduled on weekends? How much notice do you generally get?

Finally...anyone had to schedule multiple interviews while working fulltime?

 

[DrReo]

Hey SDNers

I plan on applying for the 2010 cycle. I grad this May and am starting work full time this July; I am super nervous about not being able to get time off work if I were offered multiple interviews, specially if they were on the East Coast.

Do most schools let you select dates for interviews or do they assign them to you? Are they usually scheduled on weekends? How much notice do you generally get?

Finally...anyone had to schedule multiple interviews while working fulltime?

First off, you will be working a job, not a career. Unless you want to work there full-time for the rest of your life, dentistry must be your number one priority.

Some schools gave me an interview date (Indiana and MN) and others let you pick between a few of their listed dates. The only school that had a portion of the interview on the weekend (Fri and Sat), which was Indiana. There may be others, but I only interviewed at 6 schools. If you cannot make it to an interview, there will be several other thousands of people who will be more than gladly to.

 

[bleech]

I've scheduled multiple interviews this cycle, a few rather last minute, and my boss has been cool with it. After you finish your first 90 days (or whatever your probation period is), and you can use your days off, just make sure you use them wisely. When I accepted the full-time position, I let them know right away that this was my priority and that I would be taking time off for interviews. I think if you're up front about it and you don't take more days than are necessary it shouldn't be a big deal.

EDIT: my boss is a DDS/PhD (doing research, not practicing), so that may have made it easier as well....

 

[Ranelar]

Yea if you state your desire to become a dentist, most bosses would be more than happy to let you take a day or two off to go interview. Any position you can get right now is probably a dead end job anyway, and your boss probably knows it. All my interviews offered me options, but USC and UNLV only offered the dates on Thursdays. Tufts' options were Monday or Wednesday I think.

 

[BalloonDog]

I started a new full time job at the end of August and was able to go to all of my interviews. The key is to be honest with your employer from the start...offer to take the days off as vacation days or, if they prefer, you can make up the time as you go. I was lucky, my employer (also a DDS) was extremely flexible. Most of the interviews I went to were on Mondays or Fridays, making travel a bit easier on one end.

 

[MissionDental]

Hey SDNers

I plan on applying for the 2010 cycle. I grad this May and am starting work full time this July; I am super nervous about not being able to get time off work if I were offered multiple interviews, specially if they were on the East Coast.

Do most schools let you select dates for interviews or do they assign them to you? Are they usually scheduled on weekends? How much notice do you generally get?

Finally...anyone had to schedule multiple interviews while working fulltime?

It really all depends on the relationship you have with your boss man or woman and whether or not they know you are applying to dental schools.

I live in CA and had to make 4 trips out to the east coast in a span of a month and a half. The interviews were usually on a monday or thursday/friday (i haven't heard of any schools that offer weekend interviews). The tricky part about traveling to the east is that you really have to devote one full day to traveling, which quickly eats up work days.

If you apply early in june/july and are part of the first wave of interviews, then you should have plenty of notice to schedule the interview day (approximately a month). Interviews towards the end of the cycle are the ones that tend to give short notice with less options.

Just talk to your supervisor and make sure they understand the admissions/interview process.

 

[GooberGeek]

First off, you will be working a job, not a career.

What makes you think its not a career? You've got to be smart about picking your undergrad degree, and I chose one that would lead me to a comfortable career if I chose not to continue with higher education past my bachelors. Shouldn't be so quick to assume.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I plan on telling my boss about it when we begin working out the details of the employment contract. I do plan on applying early, so if you're right, one months notice would be more than enough.

MissionDental, that must have been an expensive month. Probably racked up the frequent flier miles quickly!

 

[DrReo]

What makes you think its not a career? You've got to be smart about picking your undergrad degree, and I chose one that would lead me to a comfortable career if I chose not to continue with higher education past my bachelors. Shouldn't be so quick to assume.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I plan on telling my boss about it when we begin working out the details of the employment contract. I do plan on applying early, so if you're right, one months notice would be more than enough.

MissionDental, that must have been an expensive month. Probably racked up the frequent flier miles quickly!

I know it isn't a career because you are, obviously, looking for other options. Additionally, if it was a career, I doubt you would be applying to dental school for fun. Nevertheless, best of luck!

 

[nydds25]

If you are working a job, say like anything involved with business, and the employers do not know you are applying to dental school and you have to take off 8 times for interviews, then you are in some **** and are gonna get fired.

If its a serious job, and they know you are planning to go to dental school, that means you have no passion for the company or work you are currently doing, so the company will cut their losses early and get rid of you. Its a tough situation with a real, "9-5" non retail job. I had to quit my job to go on all my interviews.

 

[Ranelar]

Thank goodness for my fake "10-??" lab job 😛