Work and Interviews

[UCBShocker]

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I am sure this has happened, so I am looking for advice. What if you are in a job that may not be very flexible when granting time off for interviews? Is it possible to get an interview done in two days by flying in the day before and leaving the night of, or do medical schools tend to want you to stay a bit longer if they are interested in you?

Are phone interviews a viable option for medical schools? I would think not, but thats why I am asking. Thanks for all your help.

 

[tinkerbelle]

You generally can't do a phone interview (except for the first stage of the mayo interview process).

I leave for the airport right after work, and arrive the night before the interview. I leave right after the interivew. This way, you only need to take one day off instead of two.

 

[Davina3000]

I agree with Tinkerbelle. I have only had to take one day off from work per interview. (Even though I don't live in a city that offers many direct flights)

It also helps that all of the schools that I have been invited to interview at offered interviews on Mondays and/or Fridays. Booking one of your flights on the weekend makes the traveling less hectic and still allows you to only miss one day of work.

 

[fakin' the funk]

Scheduling on Monday is obviously the best, cuz you only miss that day. Friday is good too if you can work on Saturday.

Of course there are always red-eyes: a red-eye each way should get you there & back in one day. Yikes!

 

[rockstar2525]

I've booked all my interviews for one day only. I fly out the evening before and fly out the evening after the interview is done. Med schools don't care how long you stay, they just care that you show up for your interview on time.

 

[eralza]

I'm living in Germany, so my strategy is to block interviews when possible. Otherwise, if an interview is on Fri; I fly out on Thurs, interview on Fri, and fly back Fri night or Sat morning. Sucks down the vacation time pretty quickly. No vacation (nor money) for fun ski trips this year 🙁

 

[sdnstud]

It is pretty hard for us West coast people. If we do leave for the airport after work, say 5pm, to catch a evening flight to the East coast, we won't arrive at the destination until after midnight. I am planning to miss 2 days of work per interview. Luckily, I work at a lab where my supervisor is pretty chill about me taking days off.

 

[UCBShocker]

Thanks for the help guys and gals!

 

[Fusion]

Your concerns about missing work are certainly understandable, but IMHO, your supervisors should be more understanding of your situation. Going to medical school interviews are way more important than missing a couple days of work here and there. Your coworkers should recognize that. It's not only important that you go to the interview informed about the school and having your thoughts together, but also that you allow adequate time to get there and back without stressing about arriving on time, catching your flight back, etc. Expect the unexpected, e.g., delayed flights, traffic, hotel screw-ups... Taking off two days at a time every so often to find the right medical school for you is not too much to ask, so don't hesitate to assert yourself if need be. Besides, if all goes well, you're only going to be working your current job for the next seven or eight months. What's the worst that could happen? 😉

 

[akaneko]

I'm living in Germany, so my strategy is to block interviews when possible. Otherwise, if an interview is on Fri; I fly out on Thurs, interview on Fri, and fly back Fri night or Sat morning. Sucks down the vacation time pretty quickly. No vacation (nor money) for fun ski trips this year 🙁

you must have banked tons of miles...enough to for tickets maybe?

 

[eralza]

you must have banked tons of miles...enough to for tickets maybe?

The bummer is that the flights have been on different airlines, since I'm always looking for the best deal. Surprisingly, the ticket prices are pretty low - about $500 round trip.

 

[leechy]

I am sure this has happened, so I am looking for advice. What if you are in a job that may not be very flexible when granting time off for interviews? Is it possible to get an interview done in two days by flying in the day before and leaving the night of, or do medical schools tend to want you to stay a bit longer if they are interested in you?

Are phone interviews a viable option for medical schools? I would think not, but thats why I am asking. Thanks for all your help.

Yeah, it depends on the nature of your job. I get the feeling yours is not a laidback 9-5 type job, so that might make it more difficult for you. I was working a job with long, unpredictable hours, and I knew it would just not be possible to take a couple days off per month for several months. So I chose to quit. But for those with "regular" 40/wk jobs, I think what the others have suggested works fine.