How to go to a lot of interviews fourth year when school has bad policies?

[cryhavoc]

So basically my school technically only allows six interviews during interview season if you read their fine print. I have had many older classmates say they just went anyway and their attendings were fine with it.

My concern is a vindictive attending that fails you for missing days. Is there any other way around a school policy that doesn’t give you enough interview days? Seriously concerned.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[hallowmann]

My school officially allowed only 10 days off from rotations for interviews, and that included travel time and you couldn't take more than I think 5 days per rotation. People got around it in the same way.

My opinion is that if the attending seems flexible/OK just take the time off, but avoid taking too many days per rotation. If you're worried about the attending, you should actually report your days off to the school for that rotation (that's what I did). Most attendings will be fine again as long as you don't miss a ton days in the same rotation. Other people also used vacation time. I went on far too many interviews, but ended up only reporting 6 days for them using that method.

 

[cryhavoc]

My school officially allowed only 10 days off from rotations for interviews, and that included travel time and you couldn't take more than I think 5 days per rotation. People got around it in the same way.

My opinion is that if the attending seems flexible/OK just take the time off, but avoid taking too many days per rotation. If you're worried about the attending, you should actually report your days off to the school for that rotation (that's what I did). Most attendings will be fine again as long as you don't miss a ton days in the same rotation. Other people also used vacation time. I went on far too many interviews, but ended up only reporting 6 days for them using that method.

Yeah, I’m just nervous is all. Would it be weird to like call an attending when scheduling rotations and ask if they allow students to go on interviews without marking them as absent?

I feel like most of my classmates can get away with murder but I have no luck. Sucks my chances of a residency depend on breaking the rules.

 

[Rekt]

Yeah, I’m just nervous is all. Would it be weird to like call an attending when scheduling rotations and ask if they allow students to go on interviews without marking them as absent?

I feel like most of my classmates can get away with murder but I have no luck. Sucks my chances of a residency depend on breaking the rules.

Two of my rotations during interview season I was there less than six working days the whole rotations. Your school likely pays your preceptors and they couldn't give a damn if you're even there. It's easier for them for you to not exist. I emailed one and I just told them I'll be gone a lot for interviews and they were like "K". I remember I was worried about this, but it's not a big deal.

 

[atomheart]

I started interview season with full disclosure and transparency before my school began to grandstand their policies back at me.

These conversations took place only with my preceptors for the remainder of interview season.

 

[QueenJames]

Keep it between you and your preceptor only.

Our schools are leaches with stupid-ass policies.

 

[Sardonix]

Keep it between you and your preceptor only.

Our schools are leaches with stupid-ass policies.

Queen I can't wait until you're an attending and I get to read about whatever hijinks you've pulled.

 

[Neopolymath]

Classic DO admin. My school allows like 3 or 4 days off per rotation and each student has a required rotation during each of our 3 terms of 4th year. You can imagine how helpful this is for the students trying to go on a lot interviews. You could be the unlucky one who gets a required rotation during the peak month for your specialty. No vacation to use either. The word is that you absolutely don't talk to the school 4th year ever and you don't have a real issue. The problem is that outside of interview season people do this **** where they don't show up and stuff and then it can become a problem for everyone during interview season.

Consider doing an ER rotation during interview season if you can't get anything chill. At least you can just work different days.

 

[ortnakas]

Went to the same school as @hallowmann (a year behind, so we had an ever-so-generous total of 12 days off) and had the same strategy. Told them about interviews on rotations where attendings or the powers that be at didactics were likely to care about my absence. Left them blissfully aware otherwise. And I have friends who graduated and matched with, as far as our alma mater was told, zero interviews.

 

[QueenJames]

Queen I can't wait until you're an attending and I get to read about whatever hijinks you've pulled.

I vow that as soon as I leave my school with a degree in my hand so that they cannot touch me or do anything to reprimand me, I will come back to SDN with a final review of my cumulative experience of the previous 4 years.

 

[Mass Effect]

Interesting. Your school must not care about their match rate.

 

[ortnakas]

Interesting. Your school must not care about their match rate.

Most schools care about their match rate, but don’t know (due to involuntary or voluntary ignorance) what practical steps to do to actually improve it. I thought my school was unique in this, but realized it wasn’t while meeting other 4th years on auditions and interviews last year.

 

[ciestar]

Classic DO admin. My school allows like 3 or 4 days off per rotation and each student has a required rotation during each of our 3 terms of 4th year. You can imagine how helpful this is for the students trying to go on a lot interviews. You could be the unlucky one who gets a required rotation during the peak month for your specialty. No vacation to use either. The word is that you absolutely don't talk to the school 4th year ever and you don't have a real issue. The problem is that outside of interview season people do this **** where they don't show up and stuff and then it can become a problem for everyone during interview season.

Consider doing an ER rotation during interview season if you can't get anything chill. At least you can just work different days.

My MD school has the same policies. They say that’s why you can take blocks off. Everyone just finds the best rotations that allow for it instead.

 

[Macaronium]

If you do report, only disclose the day of the actual interview, not travel days.

 

[rg2o3]

I vow that as soon as I leave my school with a degree in my hand so that they cannot touch me or do anything to reprimand me, I will leave SDN with a final review of my cumulative experience of the previous 4 years.

I also cannot wait to do the same, tbh. I'm actually appalled at how it's ran and how students are treated. I'll leave it at that for now.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

I vow that as soon as I leave my school with a degree in my hand so that they cannot touch me or do anything to reprimand me, I will come back to SDN with a final review of my cumulative experience of the previous 4 years.

The world is not ready, but it never will be.

That thread will be 30 pages of Epic, no doubt in my mind.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I plan on doing one of my mandatory PC electives with an attending I know who said I can go on as many interviews as possible. You have to game the system to go on a lot of interviews but people do it every year. It's sad, our schools have completely forgotten what the point of medical school is: to get to residency.

 

[deleted480308]

don't ask, don't tell.

Handle it with the preceptor, not admin

 

[hallowmann]

Yeah, I’m just nervous is all. Would it be weird to like call an attending when scheduling rotations and ask if they allow students to go on interviews without marking them as absent?

I feel like most of my classmates can get away with murder but I have no luck. Sucks my chances of a residency depend on breaking the rules.

Unless you're missing a ton of days, don't email them anything. Seriously, less of a paper trail and more informal the better. Just talk to them at the start of the rotation and explain you have interviews on X-days. If they seem worried, then you can tell your school about those days, and only those days. If not, just don't worry about it.

You can always plead ignorance and ask for forgiveness and even offer to make up days AFTER interview season if you get caught or someone makes a stink. That said, avoid doing something stupid like just not showing up and not telling anyone. People have gotten into much more trouble because of that.