Is it worth it to attend Feb/March/April interviews?

[Qwest]

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Hello-

I'm expecting a few more interviews in the following months and was wondering if it was worth it to attend interviews in Feb, March and April. With most schools having rolling admissions, are we not competing for wait-list spots? Is it OK to ask the schools if we will be interviewing for wait-list spots?

By the way, my stats are average. Any veteran SDNers willing to comment?

Thanks!

P.S. Suppose a long time patient of yours with a terminal condition (3 months left to live) calls you up and tells you that he has saved up the sleeping pills you prescribed and plans to take them all at once. He thanks you for being his doctor. What do you do?

 

[Street Philosopher]

if you already have been accepted at a school you're happy with, then don't go. but if you're a loser like me, then waitlist is better than nothing.

answer to your question: be polite and say you're welcome. 😉

 

[UCSBMed1]

Well, if its one of your top choices, well go.

But for the record, I know that many schools (mainly in California if u care) still interview until March for class seats, not just waitlist spots.

 

[T-bruin]

ahhh crap, my interviews don't even start until Feb! Is this bad news?

 

[UCLAMAN]

Originally posted by T-bruin
ahhh crap, my interviews don't even start until Feb! Is this bad news?

No...its not bad news. Well...I guess it depends on the school and if they are rolling or not. If the school is rolling then it depends on how much of their class they have filled. But I'd say that with all the shuffling that goes on having a Feb interview isn't a bad thing. There are probably quite a few students in most classes that interview in Feb and end up part of the class. However, it is a little disconcerting to hear that these are your first interviews. Feb seems late to be going on first interviews. Regardless, I'd say you still have a good chance of getting into those schools with Feb interview dates. Good luck!

 

[Pre-Dent-David]

Try to stop them from killing themselves. Them telling you is a cry for help.

 

[Pre-Dent-David]

**** nm didnt see the terminal.... That is a very weird situation though. I would be like **** dont tell me that!!!! Now I will feel guilty no matter what I do.

 

[bond007md]

do Aug MCATers- like I am planning to be- always get the late interviews even with great stats and having turned in the AMCAS ASAP (like earliest possible dates in june for amcas)

 

[Mutterkuchen]

Originally posted by bond007md
do Aug MCATers- like I am planning to be- always get the late interviews even with great stats and having turned in the AMCAS ASAP (like earliest possible dates in june for amcas)

No. Plenty of August MCATers have been interviewed and accepted already.

Regarding interviewing for the waitlist. . . I don't see how it really matters. Most schools offer acceptances to 50-150% more people than actually matriculate. Mant/most of these extra people come from the waitlist. This is often more than 1/2 of the class! I think that if you are interviewed "for the waitlist" you still stand a decent chance of getting accepted. Personally, I will go to any interviews that I am interested in.

 

[Ramoray]

Originally posted by UCLAMAN
No...its not bad news. Well...I guess it depends on the school and if they are rolling or not. If the school is rolling then it depends on how much of their class they have filled. But I'd say that with all the shuffling that goes on having a Feb interview isn't a bad thing. There are probably quite a few students in most classes that interview in Feb and end up part of the class. However, it is a little disconcerting to hear that these are your first interviews. Feb seems late to be going on first interviews. Regardless, I'd say you still have a good chance of getting into those schools with Feb interview dates. Good luck!

Dude you are always like the early person to chime in on these threads saying what a bad sign it is to have interviews in feb etc. Every single time, you have read or you are too much a typical SDNer. I know plenty of people interviwing in feb and later, and espeically private schools, mid tier have a TON of waitlist movement over the months following feb, and march so of course its fine to have the interviews. Good god man just shove all your typical gunner premed know it all words up ur freakin ass to the OP forsure go and good luck!

 

[AussieNYC]

Originally posted by T-bruin
ahhh crap, my interviews don't even start until Feb! Is this bad news?

i agree with UCLAMAN, it's not bad news depending upon the school...i hear tufts interviews til april...MCV/VCU offers positions to applicants in chunks on the 15th of the month....a girl i knew got an interview at mt. sinai in may and got off the waitlist in june...

 

[DrMom]

Originally posted by Qwest
I'm expecting a few more interviews in the following months and was wondering if it was worth it to attend interviews in Feb, March and April. With most schools having rolling admissions, are we not competing for wait-list spots? Is it OK to ask the schools if we will be interviewing for wait-list spots?

I have quite a few classmates that interviewed at my school in those months, so if you're interested in the school its probably worth your time.

You may or may not be competing for wait list spots, but lists change a lot even after April, so some people are only waitlisted for a short time. As to asking the schools...feel free, but remember about the fluidity of the lists (in other words, don't be too discouraged if they tell you the class is full already). There are people who will hold spots for quite a while and then decline them. Same goes for the waitlist, too.

 

[doepug]

Plenty of my classmates interviewed in February and March, and my school accepts on a rolling basis. April is late, and at that point you might be vying for a high spot on a waiting list.

If you're interested in the schools in question, go to your interviews, smile, and pretend that it's September.

Oh, and I agree with pre-dent David... if a patient notifies a physician of an intent to end their life, it is your ethical and legal obligation to intervene. Suicidal ideations are serious business, even in patients who are terminally ill.

Cheers,
doepug

 

[UCLAMAN]

Originally posted by Ramoray
Dude you are always like the early person to chime in on these threads saying what a bad sign it is to have interviews in feb etc. Every single time, you have read or you are too much a typical SDNer. I know plenty of people interviwing in feb and later, and espeically private schools, mid tier have a TON of waitlist movement over the months following feb, and march so of course its fine to have the interviews. Good god man just shove all your typical gunner premed know it all words up ur freakin ass to the OP forsure go and good luck!

Check your PM's man.....To the OP. I'm not ripping you down. I WANT EVERYONE to get into medical school this year. I just hope that everyone hopes for the best but plans for the worst....Gees...I never told the OP to sit down and shut up cuz he sux. The reason why I said it was "disconcerting" was because it is. I would feel worried if my first interviews were in Feb. Rightfully so. As much as people may not like to hear it, reapplying may be a POSSIBILITY...meaning it may never occur(a possibility that I hope you never have to face). BUT, keep in mind that if one does reapply for the next cycle, that means s/he has to show some improvement in their app. Since amcas is allows submission in June, it would be best to think about how you are imrpoving/will improve your app now. I'm just trying to advocate hoping for the very best, but preparing for the worst. I apologize for not making that clear in my earlier post.

Like I told the OP, there is still a VERY GOOD chance that s/he will get in with Feb interviews. Its not at all impossible like some people imply it is. And like I said earlier, quite a few people in a class interview in Feb and get in. So I hope people aren't taking my criticisms on ill terms. I apologize in advance if it sounds harsh. One does not have to listen to what I say. I'm just tossing my $0.02 out there. Pick it up if you want. Leave it on the floor if you think its tails. But DON'T rip me just because you don't like my opinion!(because I'm NOT trying to rip anyone on this post.)

With that said...good luck on your Feb interviews!!! 🙂

 

[lola]

Originally posted by JBJ
No. Plenty of August MCATers have been interviewed and accepted already.

i will have to disagree slightly here. while i think many august mcaters have been interviewed, i don't think that many have been accepted. of those who have been accepted, many are at less competitive state schools or they have stellar apps. when you're accepted as an august mcater depends on how phenomenal your app is and also where you apply (and where you can apply). i received invitations to interview pretty early but have yet to interview at those schools (except 1) b/c they fill up interview slots way in advance. if you don't have a state school that is "easy" to get into and your app is not extraordinary, it is likely that you won't hear from schools until the spring and will be interviewing in feb, march.

i think people on sdn tend to exaggerate the importance of interviewing early. i spoke with my premed advisor, and she said it's completely normal to be interviewing in february/march. depending on the school you may be competing for waitlist spots, but hey, if you really like the school you might as well go. if they really like you they'll put you at the top of their waitlist & you'll probably get in.

 

[8744]

Dude, I had the last interview on the last interview day at LSU New Orleans two years ago and was offered admission two weeks later. DO NOT skip interviews because you think you are not competative.

 

[relatively prime]

Originally posted by Qwest


P.S. Suppose a long time patient of yours with a terminal condition (3 months left to live) calls you up and tells you that he has saved up the sleeping pills you prescribed and plans to take them all at once. He thanks you for being his doctor. What do you do?

Call your lawyer b/c no matter what you do you're going to get sued.

(j/k... I'd talk to the guy see what I could do... try to just keep him talking... probably ask him to come over and meet me at the hospital... then maybe call the police)


About interviews... I think it's always worth it to go to an interview at a school you would like to attend. They wouldn't interview you if they didn't like you. Even if you're being interviewed for a waitlist position.... a lot of schools take a big part of their classes from waitlists.

 

[Desdemona]

If it's a school you are interested in going to, I would go to the interview. So what if you end up waitlisted? Tons of people get accepted off the waitlist; in the end you are accepted and will have the same MD degree as the people who were accepted without being waitlisted. After May 15th when all the class seats open up, everything will be crazy and everyone will be moving around, and you don't want to close doors to those schools by not interviewing when you could very likely be accepted in May or June.