When to respond to interview invites?

[ajnak182]

So I've gotten a few interview invites to IM programs that I like, but are not at the top of my list. It could be a month or more before I hear back from other programs higher up on my list (I applied to ~25, would like to interview at 10-12). Should I hold off on responding until then? Should I stall in an email response? Should I decide now whether I'm going to interview at these programs or not? My only concern with turning interviews down now is that I will end up with too few, increasing the likelihood that I wouldn't match.

Any thoughts would be hugely appreciated.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[AttyHubby]

So I've gotten a few interview invites to IM programs that I like, but are not at the top of my list. It could be a month or more before I hear back from other programs higher up on my list (I applied to ~25, would like to interview at 10-12). Should I hold off on responding until then? Should I stall in an email response? Should I decide now whether I'm going to interview at these programs or not? My only concern with turning interviews down now is that I will end up with too few, increasing the likelihood that I wouldn't match.

Any thoughts would be hugely appreciated.

Waiting to respond is probably not a good idea. Your best bet is to schedule them ASAP for later in interview season. Then later on, when you have a better idea of how many interviews you get, you can cancel the ones you don't want to go on so long as you give them enough notice to invite someone else (say, a month or so).

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

So I've gotten a few interview invites to IM programs that I like, but are not at the top of my list. It could be a month or more before I hear back from other programs higher up on my list (I applied to ~25, would like to interview at 10-12). Should I hold off on responding until then? Should I stall in an email response? Should I decide now whether I'm going to interview at these programs or not? My only concern with turning interviews down now is that I will end up with too few, increasing the likelihood that I wouldn't match.

Any thoughts would be hugely appreciated.

Much like the advice to premeds...if you aren't interested in the programs enough to interview, why did you apply?

I think you should respond promptly to any interview invitation. If down the road you find yourself having a conflict or too many interviews, then you may politely cancel.

 

[mcl]

It's polite to acknowledge receipt of the invitation--that way the program isn't left wondering whether it somehow got filtered as spam and sent to your junk folder. You don't have to say that you're waiting to hear from better programs, of course--reasonable substitutes could include something about complex travel arrangements or checking with your professor about getting permission to be away from a rotation. Bear in mind that programs are not keeping a spot open on every interview date just in case they hear back from you, so by the time you are ready to schedule your options will probably be more limited.

Cancellations are fine and to be expected, but if you go that route, PLEASE be respectful of the program and other applicants who might be on waiting lists and cancel your interview as soon as you decide not to attend. A month would be terrific, but I've rarely had that experience unless it was a couple's match that didn't work. A week is about the least amount of time needed to make the logistics work--any less than that and the chances are good that your spot won't get filled. NEVER cancel the day before the interview and NEVER EVER no-show.