Silly question, I know

[AishaMousgoy]

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Has anyone ever heard of any medical schools that allow you to interview on the phone instead of in person?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Some do webcam interviews. However I think in person interviews are simply better because you have a better arsenal of impressiveness.

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

are you ugly?

haha jk.

 

[rHinO1]

are you ugly?

haha jk.

I was thinking house arrest

 

[bookfreak89]

Or limited funds.

 

[rHinO1]

Or limited funds.

. . . and we're back, nothing funny about that. 🙁

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

debt aint nothin but a number baby

 

[bookfreak89]

. . . and we're back, nothing funny about that. 🙁

Sorry to ruin the fun. 😛

 

[AishaMousgoy]

Actually, I am most likely nuts. Here's the deal, peeps:

I've been offered a job as a science teacher in Somaliland, which is REALLY far away from these here United States. The job is from August 2010- August 2011. I will be paid enough money that I could afford one, possibly two, trips home to the States for interviews. (Though I'd much rather make just one trip if possible.)

I really don't know what my chances are for getting an interview, and the last thing I want is to decline this fantastic job opportunity just to wait around for an interview that might not come my way.

Here's what I've got going for me:

I don't have a GPA from my undergrad institution (UC Santa Cruz)
I have a 3.9 in my premed prerequisites
I was a Peace Corps Volunteer (health education) in Cameroon from 2004-2006.
I worked for one year as a patient care tech at a hospital.
I have not taken the MCAT yet, but plan to in the next few months. Yeah, I know that could make the difference either way...

Thanks for reading, and for any words of wisdom.

 

[rHinO1]

Sorry to ruin the fun. 😛

It's cool I would have got carried away 😛

Actually, I am most likely nuts. Here's the deal, peeps:

I've been offered a job as a science teacher in Somaliland, which is REALLY far away from these here United States. The job is from August 2010- August 2011. I will be paid enough money that I could afford one, possibly two, trips home to the States for interviews. (Though I'd much rather make just one trip if possible.)

I really don't know what my chances are for getting an interview, and the last thing I want is to decline this fantastic job opportunity just to wait around for an interview that might not come my way.

Here's what I've got going for me:

I don't have a GPA from my undergrad institution (UC Santa Cruz)
I have a 3.9 in my premed prerequisites
I was a Peace Corps Volunteer (health education) in Cameroon from 2004-2006.
I worked for one year as a patient care tech at a hospital.
I have not taken the MCAT yet, but plan to in the next few months. Yeah, I know that could make the difference either way...

Thanks for reading, and for any words of wisdom.

Taking the MCAT late will mean a late app and could ruin your chances this cycle. Sounds like the best thing for you would be to take the job and apply when you come back. Your work experience will help you and you will be able to apply at the beginning of the next cycle. Ultimately you will have to decide how badly you want to do the teaching job.

 

[LizzyM]

If you want to make just one trip to the US, you want to do that after your application has been reviewed by most or all schools.

My recommendation would be this:

Take the MCAT before you leave. Have your application submitted with one school listed and add more schools after you get your MCAT scores. Prepare your supplemental answers using the prompts posted here on SDN and try to have as many as possible submitted before you leave in August.

In your AMCAS (steal a few lines at the bottom of your personal statement), on every supplemental and in a separate hard copy letter mailed to the director of medical school admissions at each school you are applying to, state that you are very interested in the school and that you are planning to be available to for interviews in the US from date to date. The best times for interviews late enough for everyone to have seen your application would be first 2 weeks of December or anytime after January 7.

There are some schools that stop interviewing early in the season (NYU is finished before Christmas, IIRC) but most interview well into mid February or beyond.

Do not expect to get interviews between 12/20 and 1/2 as most schools have a break for students and staff around that time and there aren't any tour guides, hosts, etc.

Once you get an interview offer, contact every school you've applied to that is within 300 miles, note that you will be in the area and available for interviews before or after date and would be grateful for the opportunity to interview during your short visit to the States.