Interview timeline

[Talula]

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Can anyone who's been through the process shed some light on when most general surgery interviews are offered and if there are multiple dates to choose from? I'd like to know when I'm going to need to be 'freed up' for interviews next year.
Thanks! 😀

 

[Winged Scapula]

Can anyone who's been through the process shed some light on when most general surgery interviews are offered and if there are multiple dates to choose from? I'd like to know when I'm going to need to be 'freed up' for interviews next year.
Thanks! 😀

Most interviews are in the November to mid December and early January to early February range. We have 3 interview dates and offer them to prospective interviewees. Other programs give the same, or just tell you "show up on such and such date". Most programs will not interview during the last two weeks of December because so many faculty/administrative personnel are gone for the holidays. Some programs stop interviewing in January (we do) but others will interview right up to time for ROL submission. A few will start in October.

 

[aboo-ali-sina]

When I was interviewing this winter, most places interviewed dec/jan. Many would tell you to come on a given date, but you could call and change it to another date. A lot of the "more competative" programs like to interview on Saturdays/Fridays and there is a lot of overlap between their interview dates. Hopkins, Duke, MGH, Brigham, UCSF all had intervews scheduled for the last 3 weekends in Jan. (altough hopkins had earlier interviews too and i'm not sure if UCSF had earlier ones).

So what I saw many people doing was getting a calendar from Nov. to Feb and calling the programs they had a good chance at and those they got interviews at and asking for their interview dates that way they could plan better.

 

[runnermoore]

Also you can check each program's website, some will list the dates they are offering interviews. Most of the places I interviewed at had between 3-7 dates spread from late Nov to mid-Jan. A few times I had to change dates around as more invitations came in, and I cancelled a few, but the program coordinators were very understanding. Just be sure to do it as far in advance as possible, and always treat the coordinators like you would your grandparents...they can be big allies down the road.

 

[shag]

I "freed up" December and January by taking Dec. off and making a deal with a FP attending for Jan.

The only program where I was unable to interview due to work conflicts was UT Chattanooga because most of their dates were in November. They had one Dec. date which was already full when I got my invite.

I had no problem getting dates at more well known programs.

Good luck...