re: interview etiquette

[lexy]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I'm not sure how to handle an inconveinent interview time with a school who just arranged a last minute date and time. Originally, Adelaide asked for me to fly down (from Canada) to write a PQA (personality assement test) on Sept. 29. They told me they will decide, pending the reslts, if they want me to return for a face to face interview. They asked that I be available in Australia between Oct. 3 - 10 for that interview.
Another interview has been scheduled for me in Newcastle (a 3 or 4 hour flight) for Oct. 2. (my first choice school). So I fly into Adeliade on Sept 28 - not much time to recuperate from jet lag, I know...and write my pqa on the 29th. I am currently booking a domestic flight from Adelaide to Newcastle for Sept. 30. So things are tight as is.
The problem is, that I just recieved a letter from Adeliade yesterday, stating that they require I come for an interview...they said due to time constraints , they need to hold interviews before the pqa results are known. They booked my interview for Oct.1 at 10 am. Normally, the schools ask if the time is appropriate, with a contact number. This letter was a confimation letter though.
Also, this is out of the time frame origianlly requested (Oct 3 - 10).
Anyways, my question is, is it appropriate for me to ask them for another date/time because of my travelling itinerary? I am travelling internationally, and I purposely arranged to be in Australia between Oct. 3 - 10 for the possiblity that they may want me back for an interview. Oct. 1 really doesn't work.
I suppose I COULD rearrange things, and write my test on the 29th, have an interview on the 1st, fly out immediately after that, and go for the other interview the next day. But I will be suffering from jet lag, and absolutely exhausted. I am flying all the way around the world for this, and I really don't want to blow it simply because I am cramming too much into 3 days. I honestly feel things are too time constrained (what if there are flight cancellations , or delays????).
So, is it appropriate for me to ask for another date/time, or should I be as accomodating as possible, and not cause any disruptions in their schedule. Will it affect my chances at all if I do ask for a change of date?
Thanks everyone.
Lexy

 

[pitman]

I've had similar scheduling problems with 2 of 3 Aust. schools. I think most of them are used to cramming the process into a short time frame, for whatever reason, and may not be used to thinking in terms of convenience (-> quality of students) over filling slots (filling quota -> $ from full-pay students). So with the exception of one marketing-savvy (determined by other criteria) school, they didn't initially go out of their way to be all that accommodating (e.g., several members here have posted "concerns" about scheduling problems due to not being informed of interviews w/ Aus. schools earlier), but after emailing the schools with slightly malleable constraints ("I'm hoping to schedule school visits and interviews into a single trip to Aus..."), one of the schools did bend over backwards to accommodate me, another did end up giving the more accommodating date from their schedule, and a third told me of their expected local interview dates, but hasn't "officially" given me an offer (and thus I scheduled to be there around the time I hope to get one). To some extent, the fact that I chose to interview at their schools I think showed them that I am serious about them, which cannot hurt.

My advice would be to explain some of what you just said, e.g., how you scheduled your trip based on initially stated dates, etc., but a bit more concisely (short paragraph), and to *ask* if it is in any way *possible* to get a more narrowed down date for you to work with, while expressing your understanding that you don't want to put them out either, etc. With a nicely worded, carefully edited, and humble request in the form of a question, without being too submissive/subservient, it can't hurt to try, and they may be more understanding than they have appeared to be. If they aren't, then unfortunately you won't know if it's because they don't care to be more accommodating in general (because they care chiefly of just filling their quota), if being accommodating to int'l students (which is somewhat new to them) hasn't trickled down the administration which is used to dealing with Aus. candidates, or if they think you're not a strong enough candidate for them to bend over..or maybe not knowing is fortunate 😉. If/when I go to school there, I expect to be active in marketing to int'l students, to explain and help address this and other shortcomings that I perceive.

lexy, are you applying for the combined MD/PhD or DO/PhD (this forum is not mere premed)? Also, it may help to move this to the Int'l forum, since someone from the school who knows how its process works might see and respond to it..

-pitman