Four Ways to Save $ in the Medical School and Residency Interview Processes

1. If you are ambivalent about an institution, schedule your interview later. By late-season you may decide not to interview there at all, saving you some money.

2. Group your interviews geographically. If you think this is impossible, consider this: There is nothing wrong with calling an institution you are waiting to hear from and politely letting the assistant know you have been invited to interview at a nearby school/program. Let him/her know you can only afford to fly out to the area once and ask if the admissions committee/ residency might be willing to let you know now if the institution will be offering you an interview. Believe it or not, this technique sometimes works.

3. Check out travel web sites daily or better yet, set an alert on Kayak or Google flights. Occasionally, a low price is available only if you catch it quickly.

4. Consider staying with students/residents if the institution offers. Hotels can be expensive, and sometimes you can gather useful information about the school/program this way. Just beware that anything you do or say may be repeated to the admissions committee/residency. (Make sure to write a thank you note.) 

Don't Let Other People Freak You Out

I started Insider Medical Admissions over a decade ago, so I've been in admissions consulting for a while. I'm pretty good at spotting trends. Every year about now I start getting emails from clients saying they're worried about their lack of (or minimal number of) interview invitations. Yes, even as early as mid-September folks are concerned. They say they have a classmate who says he's gotten an interview invitation or they read online that others are being contacted with invites.

Sure, it's possible some people are getting very, very early interview invitations. But, it's rare and should not affect your confidence. After all, according to Amy Cuddy, whom I've referenced before, confidence is the name of the game when it comes to interviews. 

So, simply stop checking online and minimize conversations about interviews with others. If you are in the thick of the season and you still haven't gotten any interviews, then you'll need to reassess and act. But for now, put in ear plugs. This process is so very stressful; you certainly don't need to seek out more anxiety-provoking information (and who even knows if it's accurate anyway!). 

ERAS 2018 Timeline: Don't Lose the Forest for the Trees

As many of you well know, September 6 was the date that candidates could start applying to ACGME-accredited residency programs (and September 15 will be the date that ACGME-accredited residency programs start receiving applications). I am a big fan of getting your ERAS in on the early side: It demonstrates commitment, and when I was reviewing applications as an Assistant Residency Director, I found my workload was lighter earlier, allowing me more time to spend on those initial applications.

Having said that, do not over focus on an early application such that your written materials are suboptimal. Every year I encounter panicked candidates who want to submit their poorly written documents simply to get them in, shooting themselves in the proverbial foot. 

Find a balance. Yes, submitting early is wise, but not at the expense of your candidacy's success.

Medical School Interview Questions: How to Handle the Illegal Ones

In the United States, a professional interview is subject to basic legal rules. Specifically, admissions officers should refrain from asking medical school interview questions that are not relevant to the position the interviewee is seeking. Questions about race, religion, sexual orientation, and marital or family status fall into this category.

If you are asked these types of questions, you can simply answer - if it's not distasteful to you - or respond by addressing the intent of the question without revealing personal information. ("I think you're asking if my home life will affect my ability to carry out my medical school studies or my clinical duties. I can assure you it won't, and I’ll complete my full tenure here at your school.")

If you have the opportunity to give feedback to the institution about your medical school interview questions or experience, you can consider doing so after the interview. When I was interviewing for residency, I was asked by a faculty member if I had a boyfriend. After the interview day, I talked to a faculty mentor at my school who reported the situation to the other institution. The faculty member who asked me the illegal question was no longer permitted to interview.