Skype Interviews

[lgirl60]

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Hello Everyone!
I did a search for this topic on SDN and suprisingly didn't find a thread aside from ones regarding using Skype for mock interviews. I was just wondering if anyone had heard about medical schools interviewing applicants via Skype if said applicant is out of the country. I got accepted into the Teaching Assistantship Program in France, and my work contract goes from October 1st to April 30th. That means that by late September I would be in Europe.
I will probably contact the some of the medical schools that are in my state (I'm a MI resident) that I plan on applying to and ask them, but I was just wondering if any of you have done this or know anyone who has had this done.
Thank You!

 

[music2doc]

Hello Everyone!
I did a search for this topic on SDN and suprisingly didn't find a thread aside from ones regarding using Skype for mock interviews. I was just wondering if anyone had heard about medical schools interviewing applicants via Skype if said applicant is out of the country. I got accepted into the Teaching Assistantship Program in France, and my work contract goes from October 1st to April 30th. That means that by late September I would be in Europe.
I will probably contact the some of the medical schools that are in my state (I'm a MI resident) that I plan on applying to and ask them, but I was just wondering if any of you have done this or know anyone who has had this done.
Thank You!

The schools where I interviewed all required in-person interviews and did not make accommodations for anyone to my knowledge. You might find this to be more likely with some of the DO schools as they tend to have slightly looser restrictions/requirements.

 

[sinombre]

Yeah, I haven't heard of any that will make exceptions either... which might put you at a significant disadvantage. It really behooves you to interview sooner than later in a rolling process as competitive as this.

 

[DAPI]

Don't ask me where, but I know somewhere within the MSAR there is a note for each school about whether they offer off campus interviews or something, which I would think would be skype or something of the likes, but I have a feeling most don't.

 

[xffan624]

I applied while stationed in Korea with the military (still here, hoping to come back in month or so). I flew back to the states for 3 II's. Got another II a month after that,didn't go back for that one (they didn't offer the skype option).

Got another II about a a month after that, I went back for that and thankfully got accepted. Got another II a couple weeks ago, but declined to attend that one.

Bottom line, skype will not be an option for most of your schools, plan to schedule the interviews together in a short time period (not always possible as II's can come at variable times) and fly back for them.

Or cancel your employment overseas.

 

[AnthonyBourdain]

I don't know why Skype isn't a option. I had to turn down one of my top choices because they invited me to interview too late in the season and I was broke and just couldn't afford it. Now I'm left with regrets but there was nothing I could have done to come with the money that fast.

It would make sense to have a skype interview and if accepted, require you to come visit so you knew what you were getting into. Would save people a lot of money.

One school in the midwest really annoyed me. They were encouraging applicants to spend money, go shopping, and make a vacation out of the interview and help their local economy. At that point, I was drowning in credit card debt and was so annoyed, I crossed them off my list right then at the interview. This school also increased the number of the people they interviewed this year while their class size stayed the same. They seem so inconsiderate. Going to these interviews isn't free and not all of us have the money. ugh, not the school for me.

 

[sinombre]

I don't know why Skype isn't a option. I had to turn down one of my top choices because they invited me to interview too late in the season and I was broke and just couldn't afford it. Now I'm left with regrets but there was nothing I could have done to come with the money that fast.

It would make sense to have a skype interview and if accepted, require you to come visit so you knew what you were getting into. Would save people a lot of money.

One school in the midwest really annoyed me. They were encouraging applicants to spend money, go shopping, and make a vacation out of the interview and help their local economy. At that point, I was drowning in credit card debt and was so annoyed, I crossed them off my list right then at the interview. This school also increased the number of the people they interviewed this year while their class size stayed the same. They seem so inconsiderate. Going to these interviews isn't free and not all of us have the money. ugh, not the school for me.

I definitely understand how financially difficult this process is. But just out of curiosity... couldn't you have opened another credit card? I paid for literally my entire application via credit cards because I had no other way of financing it.

 

[music2doc]

I don't know why Skype isn't a option. I had to turn down one of my top choices because they invited me to interview too late in the season and I was broke and just couldn't afford it. Now I'm left with regrets but there was nothing I could have done to come with the money that fast.

It would make sense to have a skype interview and if accepted, require you to come visit so you knew what you were getting into. Would save people a lot of money.

One school in the midwest really annoyed me. They were encouraging applicants to spend money, go shopping, and make a vacation out of the interview and help their local economy. At that point, I was drowning in credit card debt and was so annoyed, I crossed them off my list right then at the interview. This school also increased the number of the people they interviewed this year while their class size stayed the same. They seem so inconsiderate. Going to these interviews isn't free and not all of us have the money. ugh, not the school for me.

While your frustration is understandable, there's really no good reason FOR them to make an exception. Think about how many applicants they have per interview slot (usually 5-10) and how many interview slots they have per acceptance (usually 2-3). As for encouraging students to enjoy themselves, go shopping, etc. Why not? If they can afford it they will. If not, they won't.

 

[pineapplepancakes]

I had a friend/colleague in my organization (we're based in rural Asia) who was applying to medical school for the 2016 cycle, and I know she had to fly back at least a few times for interviews. We make pretty much nothing, and it takes several days to get to the states from where we are, so I think if there were an option, she probably would have found it. It's too bad that med schools make it so difficult to apply from another country, though I do understand that face-to-face interviews definitely have their advantages.

 

[gyngyn]

Skype interviews fail to provide information about the applicant's ability to relate to others, one of the main reasons we have interviews. The applicant also fails to meet our students, the best source of info on the school.