Is it horrible to miss an interview without notifying the school????HELP?

[zealous]

I missed an interview because when I got to the city, I realized that I could not live there because it was like Antarctica. Do you think schools talk and that I will be red flagged? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" />

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Jalby]

HAHAHA. That was hilarious. I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure the school you missed the interview with will reject you, but I doubt they would tell other schools.

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Albany?

I think it is pretty lame to miss an interview without telling the school. Someone without an acceptance could have filled your slot. It's a free world, though. Guess you can do what you want.

Don't know if schools talk. I imagine they may.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

Why don't you just call up and politely apologize? Withdraw your application then too. Maybe you could say you missed your flight or got sick, but calling them up now would be a nice way to fix the problem. Was this a very long time ago?

 

[zealous]

It was April 5th. I figured calling them after the fact would make me look like even more of a loser, you know?

 

[Trek]

Not cool. --Trek

 

[Doctora Foxy]

I think it is the polite thing to do and would help to eliminate any red flags later on. You need to withdraw your application anyway....you could even pretend you already withdrew and ask if they received your withdrawal email that you sent 2 weeks ago. Hehe, I'm so sneaky! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

 

[oldman]

so you arrived in the city and decided to ditch the interview after flying all the way there? sounds strange to me.

i'd call them up and say you got sick and couldn't make it. then withdraw from the school.

unfortunately, i think bubba swamp is right, your interview spot could have gone to an applicant who desperately wants to get into medical school and would be willing to endure some cold weather.

 

[matthew0126]

hmmmm.... zealous, i just read your post on the ucla thread, and your post about waiting for your dream to be realized "touched" me i guess. but i have second thoughts now... if you are so set on being a doctor, does it matter if say it's in anarctica? esp considering that you have no acceptances yet right?

 

[izz-ay]

I agree with matthew0126. You should be able to tough out the cold for a few years if its gonna get you what you really want. An explanation or a withdrawal letter would be the courteous thing to do. Think about it, we hate it when the schools dick us around and don't respect us enough to keep us informed, do we want to be the same way? Don't mean to harp on you though.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Frankly its pretty immature and irresponsible (your interview spot could have been given to someone else). At any rate, I don't know if you'll be "blackballed" but it doesn't look good. Besides isn't it the program and your education that matters the most? Maybe you would have loved it there and been able to tough out the few months a year when its freezing cold.

 

[mr.annoying]

Who cares about it if you don't intend on going there no matter what. It's not like you planned on hating it when you got there. I wouldn't worry about it too much, but it would probably be polite to at least apologize or whatever to them.

 

[Jim Picotte]

When I was doing my residency interviews this year for Rads, at one interview we had a no show (no phone call either, no word at all) and the PD of that residency program told me that he calls that particular medical school's Dean to let them know about such unprofessional behavior for any applicant that does such a thing. This doesn't matter as much for medical schools though. You'll probably be fine, but for such an important event (especially given that you screwed someone else out of an interview that would have loved to have gone) certainly be more cautious in the future.

 

[mr.annoying]

Just to back up zealous a little... he had every intention of interviewing at the school, and even traveled to the city for the interview (from what I understand). For this reason, he really had no idea that he would've hated it that much at the last minute. There's no way the admissions office could've replaced his spot within a day's notice. Also, I'm pretty sure they're bright enough to realize that an interviewee didn't show up, and they can therefore send out another invite if necessary.

 

[reesie0726]

I was considered a no-show at my GW interview. I recieved a nasty little letter in the mail about them withdrawing my application since I did not show up to the interview. However, I had sent a letter about 3 weeks earlier that I wanted to decline their interview and withdraw my application. So their admissions office needs to get their stuff together. Anyway, I recieved multiple acceptances and waitlists so I doubt that I was blackballed by GW. I understand how you feel. When I got to one school, I was ready to leave without going through the interviews. I just suffered the day, though and withdrew my application soon afterwards.

 

[johnM]

sounds to me like your full of crap, I don't think anyone would travel a long distance and not even bother to show up, at least for the free lunch.

 

[zealous]

Thanks to everyone who responded and was honest. I realize it was a pretty irresponsible thing to do but imagine if you were in my shoes. I HONESTLY flew from Cali to the northern midwest and realized that I would not be happy there for FOUR years of my LIFE. I guess I've just come to realize how precious each moment of our life is because I just had a friend of mine from highschool die in a car accident. It really makes you think about things differently and realize that your time here is not permanent and that accidents DO happen. Maybe it was just a temporary paradigm shift but why be unhappy for FOUR years. Also, if I was unhappy there I know that it would affect my performance in everything else, especially classes. Just something to think about. Thanks again everyone.

 

[Nova]

About the main question, no comment. You know it was rude and wrong, or your conscience wouldn't be bothering you enough for you to ask us.

That said, I completely agree with your reason for not wanting to attend that school. It's a pity you didn't figure it out sooner. I myself have no intention of even applying to schools in the north, because I will not spend part of every year completely miserable in the cold.

Maybe that makes me a wuss. But I live in heaven (a.k.a. Virginia) and I'm not willing to compromise. Know what you want. Find it. Get it. What if I don't get into a med school in the south? I'll do some EMT work and reapply the next year.

Long Live Dixie!

Nova

 

[PiperNate]

Act professional and withdraw your application. Do not offer an explanation unless prompted. Do not lie. Say you realized you could not spend 4 years of your life there because...

Next Time RESEARCH the school and area first. That not only will save you money, but give another a chance. It is done and you can't change it. Don't stress about it. Atleast you were honest to yourself.

 

[none]

Geeze...some people are really into dishing out the guilt here! This posts looks like the holding multiple acceptances thread. I don't think what you did is such a horrible thing. I like to put things in a positive light. You saved the school time by not having to consider you further and probably gave another person a shot at greater consideration. Had you stayed to interview, that wouldn't have happened. What you did was better than attending the interview once you arrived and remaining under consideration with 0 intention of attending. I do think you need to withdraw with a postal letter, but I don't think you need to heap the guilt on yourself. That's definitely not healthy and what's done is done. I totally understand that the rest of the country can really freak out a person coming from southern CA. It's definitely a different world out there. From what I hear, though, you get used to it. And...there are these things called seasons in the rest of the country. You happened to arrive at the tail end of the worst 1/4 of them.

 

[BlackPuma]

dude pple CHILL

yes it was a childish thing to do...but he or she realized what a place they could have been living and was petrified...it wouldnt have hurt to call that morning and said no!

I went to the USC interview

and SIX pple didnt show up that DAY!!!!!

so take a chill pill everyone.....

 

[none]

Blast from the past! Always fun when someone dredges up an ancient thread.