Interviewing during PGY1

[mcatsb]

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Hi everyone,
I will be applying to a psychiatry residency this upcoming Match season (2017-2018) during my PGY1 year. I will be applying to advanced and categorical positions.

I wanted to ask whether anyone had any advice as how to schedule PGY1 rotations as to LEAST conflict with interview season.

When do most psychiatry interviews occur? I looked at the interview thread and the dates posted were when the invites came out and not when the actual interviews happened.
Should I schedule my elective block for the month of November?
Thanks for any insights!

 

[sloop]

Hi everyone,
I will be applying to a psychiatry residency this upcoming Match season (2017-2018) during my PGY1 year. I will be applying to advanced and categorical positions.

I wanted to ask whether anyone had any advice as how to schedule PGY1 rotations as to LEAST conflict with interview season.

When do most psychiatry interviews occur? I looked at the interview thread and the dates posted were when the invites came out and not when the actual interviews happened.
Should I schedule my elective block for the month of November?
Thanks for any insights!

Speaking from the perspective of someone who just matched:

At least for categorical positions (I assume advanced position applicants are interviewed on the same days at most programs, but I can't be sure), I received most interviews from the date eras went out through late November. When you interview though is much more up to you and what your schedule is. Most places offer interviews once or twice a week from October through January. Peak interview season is usually November and December but most applicants will be in medical school so their needs are different from yours.

Overall, if you had to plan for a high volume time, I'd say it's November and December. That said, just keep on top of scheduling interviews relatively punctually and you should be able to schedule most of your interviews at a time that works alright for you.

 

[mcatsb]

Speaking from the perspective of someone who just matched:

At least for categorical positions (I assume advanced position applicants are interviewed on the same days at most programs, but I can't be sure), I received most interviews from the date eras went out through late November. When you interview though is much more up to you and what your schedule is. Most places offer interviews once or twice a week from October through January. Peak interview season is usually November and December but most applicants will be in medical school so their needs are different from yours.

Overall, if you had to plan for a high volume time, I'd say it's November and December. That said, just keep on top of scheduling interviews relatively punctually and you should be able to schedule most of your interviews at a time that works alright for you.

Thanks a lot for your insights. I didn't realize psych programs interview over such a broad period.
Are most of the interviews all-day affairs?

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Thanks a lot for your insights. I didn't realize psych programs interview over such a broad period.
Are most of the interviews all-day affairs?

Yes

 

[sloop]

Thanks a lot for your insights. I didn't realize psych programs interview over such a broad period.
Are most of the interviews all-day affairs?

Yeah. Most of my interview days started at 8 or 9 AM and ended at 4 or 5 PM. I think I had maybe 2 or so interviews that were significantly shorter, ending at like 3 PM, but I think this is the exception to the rule.

There is considerable variability in how many people interview you though. I think I've had anywhere between 4-8 half hour interviews. The ones with ~8 interviews were super exhausting, btw.

 

[notdeadyet]

I'd also mention that although it varies by programs, making an effort to attend the optional resident and/or faculty attended dinner/drinks the night before or after is highly recommended. You'll learn more about the program and if you're a good egg, word can get to the people that matter.

 

[sloop]

I'd also mention that although it varies by programs, making an effort to attend the optional resident and/or faculty attended dinner/drinks the night before or after is highly recommended. You'll learn more about the program and if you're a good egg, word can get to the people that matter.

Agreed. Theyre also fun and often pretty nice! I ate like a king at many of these dinners. The place I matched at, I also felt the dinner with the residents was the most fun and the residents were the most interesting, down to earth and enthusiastic.

In retrospect I think the dinners were very important for me in making decisions about programs—certainly more important than I thought they'd be at the time. The residents at the dinner are more relaxed because they're not "at work" per se and you get an idea of what drives the people you'd be working with. One of the most important things to me was that people were so enthusiastic about psychiatry that they would talk passionately about it even when they weren't in the hospital. Some places, I felt, residents at the dinner didn't much more to say than how early they were out of the hospital on an average day or how much they could make moonlighting. At others, while people would answer those types of questions, the residents talked much more about psychiatry, interesting outside interests, etc. than just lifestyle. I felt these things were telling about how happy the residents were with their program.