Im trying to plan out my 4th year schedule and was wondering - how many days off does one usually take per interview? is it just one day, or is it a multi-day affair?
Residency interview days
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The interview is just one day, but generally there is a dinner/appetizer/cocktail event with the residents the night before or after. Interview season is pretty crazy and its advantageous to be able to make last minute plans so if there's a way for you to get November and December off it would be ideal. Good luck!
thanks. Unfortunately, I need to be on a rotation in Nov/December, which is why I was trying to plan ahead.
So do you think it would be feasible to plan for only taking off one work day for most interviews (assuming a late flight or a super early flight the next day) or can I expect to take 2 days off per interview for most?
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You can make one day work if you REALLY have to, but depending on how far away you're interviewing it will make it a lot harder if not impossible to make it to the dinners. The importance of these is up for debate, but with how competitive the field is, you may not want to take the chance of missing them. Also, it's a very expensive process already and further limiting the times when you're traveling will make it more expensive. Sorry that's not a very definitive answer, but I'm learning just how hard it is plan this process in advance. If you have to be on a rotation both months, try to find the ones like research months which will give you as much flexibility as possible.
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This is a tough situation. I am not sure what would require someone to be on rotation full-time during interview season, but it certainly complicates things. To give you an idea of what the interview season looks like, read the thread of 2011 interview/rejections. Or follow the link to the google calendar that puts most of it together visually.
There is one week in the interview season in which I have 4 interviews in 5 days. This would not be possible if I were on rotation. The only way it is possible is to take a bunch of one-way flights and miss some socials, and cross my fingers hard that weather doesn't kill my plans. With the few offers for interviews that people get, it is so hard/mind boggling to turn anything down.
If you can't get time off, take a look at which programs interview on the weekends, see if those are programs you want...there are also certain weeks of the month that are huge interview weeks; those would be good to request off in advance. Lastly, most rotations are very understanding about MS4 interviews; try to talk to the elective director about making up missed days outside of interview season.
There is one week in the interview season in which I have 4 interviews in 5 days. This would not be possible if I were on rotation. The only way it is possible is to take a bunch of one-way flights and miss some socials, and cross my fingers hard that weather doesn't kill my plans. With the few offers for interviews that people get, it is so hard/mind boggling to turn anything down.
If you can't get time off, take a look at which programs interview on the weekends, see if those are programs you want...there are also certain weeks of the month that are huge interview weeks; those would be good to request off in advance. Lastly, most rotations are very understanding about MS4 interviews; try to talk to the elective director about making up missed days outside of interview season.
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Out of curiosity, why do you need to be on a rotation both months? I have vacation for both November and December and have felt pretty busy with just interviews. I can't imagine doing this in addition to having clinical responsibilities. I'm sure it's possible, but don't underestimate the difficulty you'll be adding to an already rough process. Depending on the strength of your application and how flexible your school is you could also be putting yourself at a real disadvantage. You won't be able to predict last minute offers, and it would be really frustrating to have to turn down an interview at a great program for a rotation that won't really affect your training anyway. I'm not trying to be a downer, but you want to make things as easy on yourself as possible.
Thanks..where is this google calendar? Can't seem to find it.
Yeah - now I am really bummed out... Unfortunately, we have certain requirements on having to take certain rotations before certain dates and given some other restrictions I am required to take psychiatry during those two months..
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Sorry, not trying to freak you out. Maybe talk to the Psych department really early and see how flexible they will be? Here's the google calendar:
https://www.google.com/calendar/emb...roup.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York
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Assuming you are not the first person to ever go into ophtho from your school, they should be familiar with the early match and the interview sched, and hopefully they'll work with you. If not, they might be setting you up for a...less than ideal situation. I have met a few people on the interview trail who are doing psych or family starting in January, bc of having to miss it during ms3 for one reason or another. Maybe your school will bend their policies for you. If I were in your shoes, I would try to make my case for an exception.
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Yeah, don't risk your future because you have to take a psychiatry rotation during your interview season. Your school should understand if you communicate your situation properly. After all, they should be interested in you getting the best match possible, not taking some random rotation before a deadline.
The travel demands are intense and barely manageable without having to think about making it back to your hometown and return to your rotation. Plus, if you are interviewing between the two coasts, the time difference throws a wrench in a lot of your plans. It's tough to show up anywhere on time and attend the socials unless you give two days per interview.
The travel demands are intense and barely manageable without having to think about making it back to your hometown and return to your rotation. Plus, if you are interviewing between the two coasts, the time difference throws a wrench in a lot of your plans. It's tough to show up anywhere on time and attend the socials unless you give two days per interview.
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It's a travesty for your school to make you do a clinical rotation during your interview months. It is literally impossible. Psych is easier to manage than Surg or OBGYN but I would still not recommend it. If you are a good applicant who is applying widely, it is literally impossible to go coast to coast without missing 2-3 days/interview with the social, etc. Unless your attending will be super super understanding, you will have a very very hard time interviewing...
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I agree with above. Interviews are a rotation in themselves. My institution only allows you to miss 5 days per/rotation for interviews. If I had to do ANY rotation during this period it would be impossible to interview effectively. Note that the vast majority of interviews happen within a short window period between Nov/Dec minus Thanksgiving and Christmas. To travel cheaply requires taking available flights and almost always requires 2 days (one to travel and settle at the destination, one to interview) and sometimes longer if you can't get an evening flight or there is an evening social after the interview day. You simply can't pull it off with a rotation holding you down. I'm sure its been done, but unless you are an exceptional (REALLY exceptional) candidate that can afford to restrict himself to a few key programs, you will suffer from not having the time to interview freely. Good luck, and if I were you with the time you have ahead of the interview season next year, I would do everything in my power to get at least a single month free to interview. Best of luck
