Traveling during interview season? (out of the country)

[patineurMD]

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I have this great opportunity to go to a South American country for a surgical mission trip (followed by a few days on a yacht in the Galapagos but that's somewhat irrelevant). I have been on similar trips before (to a different, Caribbean country), and absolutely LOVED it. I learned a lot and the surgeons that I will be traveling with again are really amazing about letting me get very up-close-and-personal in both the OR and recovery.

The problem is, the trip will run from the middle of September to the beginning of October. I am worried that I will be cut off from communication with adcoms and will miss important details about getting interviews/get delayed and less likely to be accepted... etc etc.

Do you think this learning/fun opportunity is something I should pass up just because I might have problems? It's not like I'll never have the chance to serve in third-world countries again, but I kind of had my heart set on this one and the dates are just not working out so well. Thoughts?

 

[Fabio001]

I have this great opportunity to go to a South American country for a surgical mission trip (followed by a few days on a yacht in the Galapagos but that's somewhat irrelevant). I have been on similar trips before (to a different, Caribbean country), and absolutely LOVED it. I learned a lot and the surgeons that I will be traveling with again are really amazing about letting me get very up-close-and-personal in both the OR and recovery.

The problem is, the trip will run from the middle of September to the beginning of October. I am worried that I will be cut off from communication with adcoms and will miss important details about getting interviews/get delayed and less likely to be accepted... etc etc.

Do you think this learning/fun opportunity is something I should pass up just because I might have problems? It's not like I'll never have the chance to serve in third-world countries again, but I kind of had my heart set on this one and the dates are just not working out so well. Thoughts?

I don't think that two to three weeks away is going to cripple your cycle. I'm going to assume that you will at least have limited access to the internet, in which case you can keep up on things with adcoms and the like. If you're concerned that the trip would interfere with interview opportunities, I can say that in scheduling all my interviews I was given mulitiple dates to choose from. I dont' think interviewing a few weeks later than ideal will be the difference between an accept and a reject so early in the cycle.

 

[DNAdude120]

Communication wise, even mid-size cities should have internet cafes. I didn't read if you would be in a rural area or not. By chance is this Ecuador you are going to since you mention the Galapagos?

 

[patineurMD]

Communication wise, even mid-size cities should have internet cafes. I didn't read if you would be in a rural area or not. By chance is this Ecuador you are going to since you mention the Galapagos?

Yes, it's in a rural part of Ecuador. I have not been to this particular location before, but the places that I have been with the same group have had minimal (as in zero except for emergency) access to internet except on the weekends if we go into a nearby city.

Thanks so much for your input. It's a lot to think about!

 

[mauberley]

My guess is your primary handicap will be how prompt you can be in responding to any interview invites that come your way. It may or may not make a difference, depending on the school. Who knows. *shrug*

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

I'd say you'll be okay with any invites, because it'll be so early in the cycle. If you submitted early enough, you'll receive invites starting July/August for these Septemer/October dates...at least that's how I remember it. I got invites starting in July and the bulk of them came in later months (August/Early Sept) for late Sept/Mid Oct dates. As long as you can respond to those, you'll be good to go! I would advise just making sure you can check your email once every 48 hours or so.

 

[LizzyM]

Can't speak for every school you've listed but I know that Pittsburgh starts interviewing in mid-late Sept and in the past has made its first offers on Oct 15 (earliest possible date). Many of the others may do the same. Getting an offer early and having more freedom to pick & choose your remaining interviews is very liberating and you may miss out on that if you are abroad during that crucial period.

If you are going to go, send an email to every school on your list letting them know that you will be unavailable to respond to email or to do interviews from [date] to [date]. That way, if a school feels you are a good candidate, they'll hold the interview invitation for a bit later in the season after you get back.

 

[patineurMD]

My guess is your primary handicap will be how prompt you can be in responding to any interview invites that come your way. It may or may not make a difference, depending on the school. Who knows. *shrug*

That is my main concern as well. Do you think I would be safe to leave my phone with my parents (who would have access to my email and schedule as well) and notify all the schools I'm applying to that they are authorized to accept invites on my behalf? Or would they be unwilling to talk to anyone other than me?

Getting an offer early and having more freedom to pick & choose your remaining interviews is very liberating and you may miss out on that if you are abroad during that crucial period.

So true...

 

[CodeBlu]

Get a mobile internet stick. If you have cell service, you have internet.

 

[patineurMD]

Get a mobile internet stick. If you have cell service, you have internet.

That is a good idea. Do you have to have a working cell phone, or just have cell service in the area in general? Because I have US Cellular, which unfortunately doesn't work outside of the US, Canada, Mexico, and a few islands in the Caribbean.

 

[LizzyM]

Watch out for those phone bills when you use the phone abroad:

http://www.nbcwashington.com/multimedia/Cell_Phone_Travel_Nightmare_Washington_DC-124324709.html

also see http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/tips-for-using-your-cellphone-abroad/