How many interviews?

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Plecopotamus

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My Neuro advising has been really mediocre. So I over-applied (35 programs) to be safe, but now I have little sense of how many I actually have to interview at to be sure I match.

At what point is it ok to start cancelling/declining interviews with programs that one has less interest in attending? Or, how many interviews are other neuro applicants being recommended to do (for neuro and prelim)?
 
My Neuro advising has been really mediocre. So I over-applied (35 programs) to be safe, but now I have little sense of how many I actually have to interview at to be sure I match.

At what point is it ok to start cancelling/declining interviews with programs that one has less interest in attending? Or, how many interviews are other neuro applicants being recommended to do (for neuro and prelim)?

My adviser recommended about 10-12 if you feel confident at those places that you go to. I think you will be in great shape. It's better to apply wider than too narrow and not match.
 
My adviser recommended about 10-12 if you feel confident at those places that you go to. I think you will be in great shape. It's better to apply wider than too narrow and not match.

I have been told 10 interviews for neurology programs + 10 interviews for preliminary programs. It seems like others don't apply to that many prelims, so I'm curious how many prelim interviews others are being recommended. I think my school is advising very conservatively (said to apply to 20-25 prelims), but I'm frustrated that's going to reduce the number of neuro interviews I can do.
 
I have been told 10 interviews for neurology programs + 10 interviews for preliminary programs. It seems like others don't apply to that many prelims, so I'm curious how many prelim interviews others are being recommended. I think my school is advising very conservatively (said to apply to 20-25 prelims), but I'm frustrated that's going to reduce the number of neuro interviews I can do.

I think the number of prelim interviews kind of depends on how many of your programs are categorical. I'm applying to mostly categorical spots, so fewer prelims. A lot of places are technically advanced too but include the prelim year in their interview and guarantee it if you match (places like Duke and Northwestern), so they don't require a separate interview.

Basically, unless you're married to the idea of residency in a big northeastern city, you can get away with applying mostly to categorical programs and not have to deal with all the prelim crap.
 
I think the number of prelim interviews kind of depends on how many of your programs are categorical. I'm applying to mostly categorical spots, so fewer prelims. A lot of places are technically advanced too but include the prelim year in their interview and guarantee it if you match (places like Duke and Northwestern), so they don't require a separate interview.

Basically, unless you're married to the idea of residency in a big northeastern city, you can get away with applying mostly to categorical programs and not have to deal with all the prelim crap.

Unfortunately, my med school (and thereby my back-up if you will) is an advanced program, so I'm stuck with the prelim issue as well. If you have any advanced program high on your list, however, you have to apply to enough prelims to make sure that if you match to it, you'll have a PGY-1 year to attend. The match will put you in your advanced program without a prelim rather than "drop down" to the first categorical on your list, right? That's what makes me nervous. I applied to 30 prelim programs if you count all the "linked," "joint," "strongly encouraged" ones, b/c unfortunately, I do want to be in CA or NY if possible. It's a bummer.
 
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