Interview predicament

[jj6vcb]

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I was fortunate enough to get an interview invite to the university of arkansas, but their scheduling system is frustrating me a little. The first email that I got said that I was scheduled for January 9th - the problem is for the last few months I've had a family trip planned for that week.

I thought hey, simple, I'll email their office and request a date change - they have been really helpful in the past with application questions. When I did, they responded and said that Jan 9th was the only date available because it is the last date they have for out of state applicants. I really want to go to UAMS for both academic and personal reasons, so now I'm looking for advice. Obviously worst case I can leave the trip, but we have been planning for so long it just seems too bad that it has to happen. Anyone think I should keep pressing them, maybe call the office during business hours?

 

[Tatastrophy]

I dunno what to say but I can tell you what I did when an interview was scheduled for a bad time-I risked getting and F on my inorganic chem exam (which was the following day) and went. Didn't do too hot on the exam but I believe my final saved me. Two days after the interview, however, I was accepted at the school.
Don't know what that means to you, but to me it means I made the right choice.

 

[Dr McSexy]

medical school > family trip

 

[red10]

you gotta decide which one is more important at this point in time. vacay or potential admissions.

do you really think "pressing them" is going to help you at all? (that's rhetorical. the answer is no!)

 

[chman]

Go to the interview is my first instinct.

But other factors are;

- Do you have any other interviews/acceptances, how far is the trip with family (as in to another country or just another state)?

 

[PJ3]

I've got a similar problem and already got the same response as you.

I'm on a trip as well and have things that I cant miss on both the night of the 8th and 9th.... Working on a 6am flight with 3:30 return flight on the same day but that only works if I can get one of the 11:30 interview times and nothing gets delayed.... Think its bad if I say I can only interview at the 1130 time slot?

 

[icalz]

I was fortunate enough to get an interview invite to the university of arkansas, but their scheduling system is frustrating me a little. The first email that I got said that I was scheduled for January 9th - the problem is for the last few months I've had a family trip planned for that week.

I thought hey, simple, I'll email their office and request a date change - they have been really helpful in the past with application questions. When I did, they responded and said that Jan 9th was the only date available because it is the last date they have for out of state applicants. I really want to go to UAMS for both academic and personal reasons, so now I'm looking for advice. Obviously worst case I can leave the trip, but we have been planning for so long it just seems too bad that it has to happen. Anyone think I should keep pressing them, maybe call the office during business hours?

You're wondering what to do because you planned a family trip? Really? Heh, you'd better begin to get comfortable with your career in medicine interfering with alot of your personal plans from now on. Good luck.

 

[metallica81788]

If you want it badly enough, you do what you need to do to get in. Simple enough.

I would interrupt a 2 week long road trip and spend hundreds of dollars to fly out in the middle of it to interview at a school I really liked and then fly back to resume.

 

[rockymhs]

If you are sure that you will get additional interviews and get into a med school, then just don't attend the interview.

Why waste your fun time for an interview that you don't need?

 

[riverjib]

I was fortunate enough to get an interview invite to the university of arkansas, but their scheduling system is frustrating me a little. The first email that I got said that I was scheduled for January 9th - the problem is for the last few months I've had a family trip planned for that week.

I thought hey, simple, I'll email their office and request a date change - they have been really helpful in the past with application questions. When I did, they responded and said that Jan 9th was the only date available because it is the last date they have for out of state applicants. I really want to go to UAMS for both academic and personal reasons, so now I'm looking for advice. Obviously worst case I can leave the trip, but we have been planning for so long it just seems too bad that it has to happen. Anyone think I should keep pressing them, maybe call the office during business hours?

Really? This is your future, and you're willing to risk it for a trip you can plan another time? I admire your dedication to your family, but this sounds pretty silly to me.

If they sounded firm about the date, and you're already at an out-of-state disadvantage, I wouldn't rock the boat. I just agreed to interview for a job that is perfect for my gap year, despite the fact that it's the day before an important final. There's no harm in asking for another date, but why would you persist at the risk of annoying the ADCOM?

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Don't be pushy or annoying, but give them another call and see if you get more lucky. Some administrators take pleasure in making our lives suck. Maybe think of an excuse that's not a total lie (it's could theoretically be possible that they put a note on your file or something that you made a request due to vacation and the request was denied), but makes it seem like you really have to go on this trip but you also will definitely go to the interview either way. Maybe they'll help you.

Plan B, is there any chance you could leave your vacation for a night, interview the next day, then get back to it....considering your trip is long enough? It would be a pain but not as big of a pain as canceling the whole thing.

 

[jj6vcb]

This interview isn't life or death - I have 2 acceptances and a couple waitlists so far, but I do like Arkansas and would really consider going there if I got in. The trip is important to me because my cousin who planned it is a doctor and has helped me a lot these last few months with admissions stuff, not to mention sparked my interest in medicine when I was younger. He is too busy to reschedule the trip - it made me laugh when someone responded with "you're in for a shock if you already don't want to sacrifice time with your family for medicine." I understand that, and plan on medicine being number 1 in my life for a long time, I just don't know if I want the ADMISSIONS PROCESS getting in the way of my family life, because I don't get to see this guy very often at all. I haven't called them yet, so I think on Tuesday I'm going to try and grease some palms over there and try to get a date change

 

[Ativanigans]

Unless one of your family members is going to keel over and die in the next month or so, go on the interview. There will be time to see them later.

 

[AlanAlanine]

If you're already accepted I would just withdraw if there aren't any other interview days... Relax and take your vacation

 

[icalz]

This interview isn't life or death - I have 2 acceptances and a couple waitlists so far, but I do like Arkansas and would really consider going there if I got in. The trip is important to me because my cousin who planned it is a doctor and has helped me a lot these last few months with admissions stuff, not to mention sparked my interest in medicine when I was younger. He is too busy to reschedule the trip - it made me laugh when someone responded with "you're in for a shock if you already don't want to sacrifice time with your family for medicine." I understand that, and plan on medicine being number 1 in my life for a long time, I just don't know if I want the ADMISSIONS PROCESS getting in the way of my family life, because I don't get to see this guy very often at all. I haven't called them yet, so I think on Tuesday I'm going to try and grease some palms over there and try to get a date change

Why didn't you say that in the first place? Hellz yeah, go on vacation!

 

[jj6vcb]

My cousin who I'm going on the trip with sent me a picture message this morning of his gf's hand with a ring on it. Haha I'm now having second thoughts on this trip if he's going to be all engaged and lame (kidding), looks like I might be packing my bags again for a wedding in Shreveport