Not getting the interview invites I expected

[neurom4student]

I am an MD/PhD (USMLE -235). I submitted my applications the last week in October. I only applied to 15 programs as I was assured that I would have no problem getting interviews. Currently, I have only had 4 interview invitations and have been wait listed by 8 major programs.

Did I wait too long to send in my app? Should I be contacting the program directors and asking for consideration?

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[Terpskins99]

I am an MD/PhD (USMLE -235). I submitted my applications the last week in October. I only applied to 15 programs as I was assured that I would have no problem getting interviews. Currently, I have only had 4 interview invitations and have been wait listed by 8 major programs.

Did I wait too long to send in my app? Should I be contacting the program directors and asking for consideration?

Question 1: yes
Question 2: yes

I don't know who you were talking to, but timing is everything. Plenty of programs fill their interview schedule by the end of September. Particularly the top notch ones, who often stop accepting applications after a certain number.

I think you should contact programs in addition to the ones you've already applied to and see if they'd be willing to offer you an interview.

 

[neurom4student]

So you are saying I can contact programs that I didn't apply to?

Thanks

 

[Terpskins99]

So you are saying I can contact programs that I didn't apply to?

Thanks

I don't see what is stopping you from doing so now. Well, outside of complacency. But that's kind of what got you into this position in the first place, isn't it?

 

[buckley]

Nothing is "assured". I would go ahead and send applications. You have nothing to lose but a few bucks. Even I on hindsight wished I applied to more. But I was in budget constraints last year.

 

[PhakeDoc]

Any other MD/PhD types having few interviews as well or is the OP a "minority" case?

 

[Amos]

To the OP, I am sorry to hear that the interviews have not been coming in.

A similar thing happened to one of our students several years back. Turns out that his/her Dean's letter had some random comment in it that was negative and made him/her seem strange and hard to work with. She/he corrected this problem and then got a bunch of interviews.

Something wierd is up. Make SURE your email and phone number are right on eras. Make SURE that some of your email is not getting sent to the trash via some junk mail filter.

 

[Terpskins99]

I am an MD/PhD (USMLE -235). I submitted my applications the last week in October. I only applied to 15 programs as I was assured that I would have no problem getting interviews. Currently, I have only had 4 interview invitations and have been wait listed by 8 major programs.

I think the more positive sign is that you weren't straight up rejected by those programs.

It would be even worse if those programs bumped another candidate out of an interview they had already scheduled just to accommodate you (this happened to me with one of my transitional year "invites"... NOT COOL ). Would you really want to attend such an institution?

Again, I suggest staying in contact with them as well as reaching out to other programs you didn't apply to yet. Many of the smaller programs have interviews open up as we get into January/February.

 

[undecided3yr]

It also depends on where you applied. If you only applied to more well known and competitive programs, you aren't doing all that bad with interviews assuming some of those waitlists turn into invites.

I had a med school classmate who was shocked when he scrambled. He had ranked mayo, stanford, UCSF and one or 2 other 2nd tier progs. He had assumed that if he was interviewing at mayo he was a shoo-in at the less competitive places. He did by the way get into a good prog via the scramble.

Do yourself a favor and apply to more programs and then email the PD at those places so they know your are interested and thus more likely to give you one of their last slots. At this point in the game you're playing from behind. I also advise you to start emailing some of those waitlists and anyone you have not heard from by now, expressing your interests in their program.

Good luck.

 

[Acherona]

yea, I wish I had been waitlisted. Instead, they just leave me in limbo. Reject me already I beg of you!!

OK, stories like the above freak me out. I thought most people get one of their top 3 choices. Did this person just suck at interviewing or what??