For those who work, do you tell your employer if you are applying this cycle?

[huihui]

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I'm afraid that I will get fired if I tell my boss I'm applying to med school this year. But how can I take some many days off for interviews assuming I will get some interviews?

 

[MedPR]

Mine knows and is fine with it. I'm getting a LOR from her as well. Just explain that if you get accepted it won't be for more than a calendar year from now and you will give them adequate notice before you leave.

 

[excitedtoapply]

I took classes, shadowed, and will be applying without my work knowing. It is difficult but it can be done. I am not a big fan of lying, so I don't. When I took a week off to shadow I said I was taking vacation. When I came back I talked about the nice weather at the coast and how my dog got along with my parents' dogs...

I am saving up PTO in hopes of interviews. Technically your work can't ask what you are doing on your time off, so don't tell them. If you are like me and are friends with your boss, do what makes you feel the most comfortable.

It kinda stinks (I made a thread complaining about this) but sometimes it is necessary. I don't think my boss would fire me but I am pretty sure his boss would so it is better for all of us for me to keep my mouth shut...

 

[kinokoboy]

I actually just told my supervisor that I want to apply for medical school in June 2013. I also asked him if I could reduce my hours and become a part-time employee so I can finish my pre-reqs and study for the MCAT. He's going to talk to his boss next week about this and I'm pretty sure it will be approved.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

In my previous employment, the culture was very cut-throat. if you feel you are better off not saying anything, then by all means do not say anything!

 

[HipChick]

I'm one of those "can't say anything" unfortunately. I can't wait to throw it at my supervisor if I get in...

 

[theseeker4]

I didn't say anything until my loans were all lined up and approved, and I had two months before I planned to quit. I have no reason to think my boss would have been upset, and he has been happy for me and supportive since I told him, but I first, didn't want to say I was applying and then not get in and second, make myself the primary target for any layoffs if any occurred. Keep it quiet and just take personal days when you have to interview if you have any reason at all to worry about them firing you for applying to med school.

 

[SnowyRox]

It definitely depends on your work environment. Are you one of those people who shares every last detail about your life with your coworkers and boss? If so, they might get grumpy when they find out you didn't tell them. However, you are under no obligation to do so and it will probably be in your best interest not to. Many people don't even get accepted their first cycle and no business needs 2 YEARS of notice.

Obviously this advice changes if you are high up in a company and need a long time to train your replacement. Then it's just rude.

 

[kinokoboy]

Yup, it totally depends on where you work and who you know. This 6-8 year recession has not hurt the field of anatomic pathology; in fact labs in my area have been in a hiring boom for the last 2-3 years. I'm not worried about any retaliation because my family is close to the medical director. In fact, before I went and talked with my supervisor, I talked to the medical director about reducing my hours and spending more time at school and he was ok with it but he told me to go tell my supervisor so that this topic could go up the chain of command.

 

[pkwraith]

Last year, I had to tell my boss pretty early (6+ month) because I needed his Letter of Recommendation.

It worked out okay. I was way too valuable to fire. I lost the use of sick days and vacation days for my rest of tenure (I should have probably used up all my vacation days before). I used my recovery days from weekend worktrips for interviews. They still gave me a pretty giant raise, which I wasn't expecting at all.

 

[huihui]

I already took some time off before the MCAT. My boss is expecting me to work hard after I had that vacation. I'm doing research in the lab, so a letter from him may be required by some schools. But I felt he is not satisfied with me and thus I cannot get a letter from him. If I tell him the truth, he will know that I'm lying before to take time off (I just told him I had some personal issues to be solved.)

 

[theseeker4]

I already took some time off before the MCAT. My boss is expecting me to work hard after I had that vacation. I'm doing research in the lab, so a letter from him may be required by some schools. But I felt he is not satisfied with me and thus I cannot get a letter from him. If I tell him the truth, he will know that I'm lying before to take time off (I just told him I had some personal issues to be solved.)

Well don't tell him, work hard, and when you start actually getting your interview invites, request the time off for them as you need to. There is no reason you need to tell him anything more than "I need a personal day. Why? It's personal."

 

[huihui]

He is very pushy. Everyone in the lab works like there is no tomorrow. My boss is already not satisfied with me because I just work regular hours (8 hrs) in the lab. He is expecting everyone work 70 hours per week and have publishable data within several months. I'm not sure how far I can go before he fired me. Filling out first and secondary takes no less time than preparing the mcat. Maybe I should tell him the truth and asks whether he can let me work half time with half pay. If he becomes angry, I'll just quite. How bad will it look if I quit a postdoc job?

Well don't tell him, work hard, and when you start actually getting your interview invites, request the time off for them as you need to. There is no reason you need to tell him anything more than "I need a personal day. Why? It's personal."

 

[Flim Flam Man]

He is very pushy. Everyone in the lab works like there is no tomorrow. My boss is already not satisfied with me because I just work regular hours (8 hrs) in the lab. He is expecting everyone work 70 hours per week and have publishable data within several months. I'm not sure how far I can go before he fired me. Filling out first and secondary takes no less time than preparing the mcat. Maybe I should tell him the truth and asks whether he can let me work half time with half pay. If he becomes angry, I'll just quite. How bad will it look if I quit a postdoc job?

won't they be expecting a letter of recommendation from your boss if it is a posdoc job? Is this in a science related field?

 

[huihui]

Yes, but I just cannot get a letter from him. I has just worked for 6 months.

won't they be expecting a letter of recommendation from your boss if it is a posdoc job? Is this in a science related field?

 

[jatt12]

I'm afraid that I will get fired if I tell my boss I'm applying to med school this year. But how can I take some many days off for interviews assuming I will get some interviews?

Depends where you working. I worked in car sales, and if I would have told them that I will be applying to med school, I would have been fired. So I just worked there made lot of money lol and when I got accepted I told them I got accepted into med school so can't work anymore .

 

[BoondocksDoc]

I think it has to be very personal. I just started a new job so obviously don't have the liberty of telling them that I'm leaving in a year. That said, I partially picked the job because the schedule will be flexible so I can arrange interviews throughout the year.

 

[type12]

I'm also in the "can't tell" boat. My company treats us like garbage. I escaped research work long ago for the same reason, but this office work is a different type of work drama. They expect you to stay longer hours and everyone just sits around surfing the web waiting for their superiors to leave, like a game of chicken. At least in lab people get work done the additional hours!

I'm keeping shut until I get an acceptance in my hand. I did ask someone in my office for a rec, and they happily agreed. In fact, they thought I was better off anyway.

 

[TeddyBoomBoom]

Mine knows and is fine with it. I'm getting a LOR from her as well. Just explain that if you get accepted it won't be for more than a calendar year from now and you will give them adequate notice before you leave.

To me, this makes a lot of sense. I would think most bosses would respect this, especially if you make the extended timeline clear.