Surgery timing with PhD apps

[ExploringOptions]

---

Members don't see this ad.

.

 

[Spydra]

I think you have to prioritize your health and a program that won't support your inability to travel is probably not going to be supportive in other areas. I had a similar situation during my application season and I was able to move up my interview dates and still attend in person. Then I came home and immediately had surgery. If attending in person wasn't an option I was going to request Skype or phone interviews and was happy to furnish a doctors note if needed.

 

[singasongofjoy]

When I was applying to programs, mid-Feb was the earliest interview date. They're typically scheduled for after all the hullabaloo of internship interviews are over and those usually take place in January. So unless things have changed substantially in the past few years, it shouldn't be too much of a problem, especially if the surgery was scheduled for December. If you're talking mid January, that might be a bit more of a crunch, but you've got to take care of your health and I think that places you'd want to go would take that into account even if it meant allowing you to come on a different date / a week or two later than most applicants.

 

[psychbuckeye]

I had several interviews this past cycle, the earliest in-person interview was January 13, the latest was February 28. I have heard from several people that interview dates have been trending earlier over the years, on average.

With that said - you should absolutely prioritize your health. People have conflicts with interview dates all the time for all sorts of reasons. The programs will likely have a standard way that they deal with that, whether it is by doing a remote interview or offering a different date. As others have suggested, a program that would not be accommodating in this circumstance is probably not a program that you want to be a part of, anyway.

Edit: For what it's worth, I had to request a phone interview at one of my schools because I had a two interview offers for the same date and I still received an offer from that school.

 

[roryportman]

I went through the interview process 2 years ago, for programs mainly in the nyc/nj area. My earliest interview was mid January. Latest was mid/end of Feb.

Agreed w/ above- prioritize your health! It will be impossible, and you will have even more stressors, once you start your program.

That being said, I'm pretty confident that I did not get one offer because I was lukewarm about spending $$$ for a F2F interview far from me. I skyped, was waitlisted, and later found they chose someone who met them on campus. Of course this may not be causation.

 

[WisNeuro]

I know it's not what you want to hear, but people being at the interview in person definitely have a huge leg up. At the programs I was affiliated with, we never really considered people unless they were there in person. Caveat being, the people who asked for phone/Skype interviews were always in the middle of our pre-rank or lower, we never had a top tier applicant who did not show up in person.

 

[ExploringOptions]

When I was applying to programs, mid-Feb was the earliest interview date. They're typically scheduled for after all the hullabaloo of internship interviews are over and those usually take place in January. So unless things have changed substantially in the past few years, it shouldn't be too much of a problem, especially if the surgery was scheduled for December. If you're talking mid January, that might be a bit more of a crunch, but you've got to take care of your health and I think that places you'd want to go would take that into account even if it meant allowing you to come on a different date / a week or two later than most applicants.

That’s my hope. They would be understanding. I have no problem providing documentation of the sx if they ask. I just am
Worried I won’t get a fair shake.

 

[WisNeuro]

Ugh that’s what I was afraid of. But if I wait for sx until later, I run the risk of having to move away from my family while still recovering, potentially across the country and away from my doctors. It may be a lose-lose. So, even if the candidate told you it was due to sx you wouldn’t consider them for a spot? Doesn’t that also discriminate against people without the financial resources to fly around the country?

They are still considered for the spot, their application is just static, they don't really get the chance to move up in the rankings. Part of the interview is convincing other people in the program as well as the POI. I imagine if someone's application was a clear front-runner, it wouldn't matter, but if you're not in the top tier, it could be a neutral thing. Not discrimination, it's just making use of whatever opportunity you have. Mileage will vary at different programs, but personal impressions on faculty do matter in the application process, fair or not. It's just a lot easier to engage in impression management in person than it is with 1 or 2 people via phone.

 

[futureapppsy2]

On the flipside of this, I phone interviewed for a PhD program at an R1 almost a decade ago--got in, visited, really liked it, but chose to go somewhere with more breadth of clinical training and better funding. I've had no contact with that PI or program since then. A colleague of mine ended up as faculty in that department years later, and my then-PI is her department head. My colleague told me that when my then-PI saw my name on my colleague's CV during annual reviews, she actually said "oh, you've worked with [futureapppsy2]? I remember what an impressive applicant she was--I really wish she had come here!" So, phone interviews can definitely work. I do agree that you are at a disadvantage but perhaps not an unrecoverable one.

 

[WisNeuro]

I think you are missing the point. Some of these programs may be supportive, sure, but it's an impression management issue. You are decreasing your chances at making impressions on other people within the program, which is a portion of the application process. Simply the way things work, read whatever malicious intent and engage in cognitive dissonance if you wish, but it's simply an issue about exposure. Flip side also works, some people look great on paper and come to an interview and make a terrible impression and kill their chances. I've seen a shoe-in applicant go from a sure thing to application thrown away after that. Take your chances, but just know that some things will improve your odds.

 

[StellaB]

I totally understand what you’re saying. But this is major surgery I have to have. It’s not a face lift. I don’t really have a choice about it. I get what you mean, but I also don’t see another way around it. If I postpone sx until after I graduate, I run the risk of having to move potentially across the country right after sx by myself. That would not be good for my body or my mind.
So, if you wanted to interview someone and they needed to have this type of sx and couldn’t come, you would dismiss them as an applicant?

Wisneuro gave a major caveat that none of the applicants that didn't come for an in-person interview were frontrunners to begin with; I wouldn't read too much into it and I certainly don't get the sense anyone is saying you should massively change your plans. This process is tough. People end up having to apply multiple rounds sometimes for a variety of reasons. In the grand scheme of your career, it's not as big a deal as it seems.

Best advice I have for you is to apply to a wide variety of schools to increase your odds of getting interview invites that you can accept. You also don't have to tell programs why you couldn't make a date during your healing time, it's none of their business. For all they know, your sister is getting married, you have an interview somewhere else, etc. If you don't want to be perceived as sick, don't tell them.

 

[WisNeuro]

So, if you wanted to interview someone and they needed to have this type of sx and couldn’t come, you would dismiss them as an applicant?

I never said don't have the surgery, I was merely telling you the reality of the situation at most programs. I also said I would never dismiss someone as an applicant in this situation. I very clearly said that they would essentially stand pat where they were in the rankings from the application only. While other applicants may move up or down depending on their in-person interviews, an applicant who does a pone interview would remain static. If you're in the top tier, wouldn't be a problem, outside of the top tier, a lot rides n how much other people move.

 

[cara susanna]

For what it's worth, my cohort had several people who'd interviewed via phone or Skype and they were first offers (meanwhile, I interviewed in person and got waitlisted. 😉)