Interview or second look?

[budda10000]

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I am currently stuck in a scheduling pickle and was wondering if any of you had good advice in the matter. A program I auditioned at which I plan on ranking very high sent me a second look dinner invite, the only problem is that ithe directly conflicts with an interview I have on the same day across the country. I am not sure if I should go to the interview or not? I think I would like the other program as well but not nearly as much and as it stands I have 14 other interviews done in psychiatry. I tried rescheduling my interview but this late in the cycle they have no other time slots available. Any suggestions? I would hate to give the impression I am not interested, irregardless of the dinner I was planning on ranking the prog 1 or 2 depending on the remainder of my interviews.

 

[Donald Juan]

I am currently stuck in a scheduling pickle and was wondering if any of you had good advice in the matter. A program I auditioned at which I plan on ranking very high sent me a second look dinner invite, the only problem is that ithe directly conflicts with an interview I have on the same day across the country. I am not sure if I should go to the interview or not? I think I would like the other program as well but not nearly as much and as it stands I have 14 other interviews done in psychiatry. I tried rescheduling my interview but this late in the cycle they have no other time slots available. Any suggestions? I would hate to give the impression I am not interested, irregardless of the dinner I was planning on ranking the prog 1 or 2 depending on the remainder of my interviews.

Tough situation because you'll never really know how important that 2nd look dinner is. Some programs take things like that very highly while others don't. I think you need to consider:

1) are you in a good position to match in psychiatry or do you need every last interview you can get? If the latter then your answer is obvious.

2) do you REALLY like this place with the 2nd look? How do you feel about the other one? I would take making a good impression at a program you love over one that you likely won't rank highly (again, this depends on where you stand with point number 1).

 

[AMEHigh]

Since you have auditioned at the program, they already know you well and know you're interested, so I don't think a second look would add much value. You already know the residents and they know you and honestly they have probably already made up their mind on how they want to rank you.

My program doesn't do formal second looks but I guarantee you it wouldn't sway my opinion either way if an applicant did or didn't show up if I had worked with them previously for 2-4 weeks.

I'd absolutely go on the interview at the other program.
I would write the second look program an email to the coordinator, CC'ing the director saying that you are still highly interested in the program, but due to a scheduling conflict you can't make the dinner.

 

[DokterMom]

Tough situation because you'll never really know how important that 2nd look dinner is. Some programs take things like that very highly while others don't.

Do you feel like you know any of the residents or program people at your audition site well enough to call and ask if their second look dinner is important in that regard?

If not attending won't damage your chances, simply contact that program and explain that while you'd love to go, you already know that you love their program and will be ranking it very highly but that their second look dinner conflicts with an obligation that you can't move, so regrettably, you won't be able to make it.

If not going will hurt your chances, then the decision is tougher --

I haven't checked the stats, but isn't 14 interviews pretty safe for psych?

 

[budda10000]

I think my chances are pretty solid the matching and the interview that conflict with the second look isn't likely to rank high on my list due to distance from home. However in the off chance i do have to relocate i would really like to live in that location. At the same time I really liked the program offering the second look and they said they really liked me. I wouldn't want them to think I wasn't planning on ranking them high, I absolutely plan on it.