How many interviews before it's safe to cancel some?

[DrWuStar]

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Here's my situation: Applied to 12 programs, scheduled 10 interviews. I already cancelled 1 interview due to deciding I really wouldn't want to move to that city. I'm thinking of cancelling another because the scheduling is a nightmare (would have to fly in late the night before after 3 days of interviews in another city) and because I think this is the program I'm least interested in out of the ones still on my list.

This would leave me with a total of 8 interviews at places ranging from top programs in the country to mid-tier programs. Does that sound pretty solid, or should I keep all 9? I am feeling pretty confident at this point because the interviews I've had have gone really well, but I don't want to be overly confident, cancel this interview, and then not match. Advice?

 

[Danica]

Right now I am as green as Shrek!

 

[whopper]

A very common question but with each new year, there's a new generation of students who need this answered.

10 is a very safe number. I'd say 7-8 is perhaps the bottom of safe. I'd definitely suggest around 10, not more. This gives you a good choice and allows to you to "comparison shop". I only became aware of certain things that were better or worse after I checked out about 4 programs. Only then was I able to start judging some of them head to head.

Over 10 is perhaps overkill. Each new interview will probably cost you anywhere from $10-hundreds of dollars considering it may be the cost of a hotel room, plane ticket & food. Since around 10 (I'd actually argue maybe 7-8) will put you in a good area of safety (all things being equal..I'm assuming you gave at least a decent interview & you didn't try to punch the program director), and still give you a good range of choices, each one after that number is wasting hundreds of dollars and is probably going to exhaust you & take away valuable time from other things you might have to do such as study for Step II.

Over 8-10 interviews--I'd start nixing some from the list that were not "choice" programs.

I would only do as many interviews as humanly possible if something were very off--e.g. all your interviews went very bad. Don't underestimate yourself. If you got about 10 interviews, they would have only been offered if the program realistically wanted to consider you. My own program has over 600 candidates and we're going to offer an interview to about 5% of those applicants.

 

[DrWuStar]

thanks, that's very helpful.

 

[jjbmsiv]

I had 6 interviews. Got my first choice. Again, it totally depends. To insist that less than 8 is CRAZYSTUPID or more than 10 is a waste (last year one FMG did FORTY THREE- but he matched!) is also rediculous. Go with your gut. If you know you wouldn't want to be there ahead of time, don't interview. If you paid ERAS 8 bucks to apply there, you probably wanted to see the place to begin with anyhow.