Fellowships seem to have vastly different interview timing, I know people who are done whereas DD has them going into December.
Does the madness ever end? [-O<
It is crazy. D is getting residency interviews. Within 7 minutes from receiving the email, all dates were full. Within 10 minutes for another program. She is glued to her phone.
^I was really proud of myself the other day because I got an interview invite and it said you could schedule via email or phone and I really wanted one particular date they were offering so I called and the person said I was the first person to call or email to schedule.
As the old man of the former med students group here, I can say yes, it does and it doesnāt
20 months in as an attending at a practice I donāt see myself leaving for the foreseeable future, and thereās no next stepā¦other than maintenance of certification. Tests every 10 years, in between continuing medical education (best obtained by going to conferences in fun locations and taking your family with you). Some boards - like the American Board of Pediatrics - have this ridiculous, universally despised, āpractice improvementā component that requires completion of a project. Super procrastination worthy, but anxiety inducing all the same. Usually takes a minimum of 6 weeks and actually requires some data collection and analysis.
Other than that, thereās bigger concerns like overall practice management. As one of the most junior people in my group I get shielded from a lot of stuff, but still have plenty to worry about regarding contracts and reimbursements. I have to trust that my senior partners really do have my best interests in mind when negotiating specific deals and as we explore our options of separating from our current practice management organization thereās a lot of uncertainty.
That said, for the first time in my life though, thereās no time spent thinking about the ānext stepā, no knowing that after this I need to do X, Y, and Z so that I get my best option for life stage Epsilon. As someone who wanted to be a doctor from the time I was 3 years old, itās been a strange transition. I literally get to just go to work. Thatās a good thing, but I also understand those people who end up as perpetual fellowsā¦thereās a comfort in always delaying the final step and forever being a trainee - not because they arenāt competent or prepared enough to be an attending but because for so long thereās been that drive to the next level and having your life mapped out for the upcoming set of years.
That part of my brain thatās been dedicated to thinking ahead is now spending its time focusing on my retirement savings. I figured might as well put that energy towards the most far fetched of targets, while still being productive.
<<<
@mom2collegekids I may be mistaken but I believe myopinion is currently applying to fellowships, not residencies.
how happy fellows are
EDIT: just did a posting history stalk. Indeed they are applying for fellowships.
<<<
Ha! I guess we need a Fellowship Comes Next thread!!!
(Iām still recuperating from the stress of sonās residency cycle last year!)
I am just happy that I donāt have to go through anything with my D for 7 years. Hooray!!!
Sounds great, @Bigredmed. Was it you that is in Cincinnati?
Procrastinating on starting my next block of questions for step 2 studying, figured Iād drop in and say that Iāve gotten interview invites from 50% of the places Iāve applied to (which includes my top 3 choices going into the process) and no rejections yet. I didnāt even know pre-interview rejections were a thing for residency - figured you either got an interview or got ghosted.
Ahhh, the ābeautyā of academic medicine. For me, attending will definitely not be the final step in the career arc - in many ways it will just be the beginning.
Take heart, fellowship processes are so much more humane than residency, I think DD wanted 8 interviews and applied to 12 places, each time she gets an invite that would be number 9, she declines one lower on her list. I believe all, but one program have invited her.
I do know a mom of a surgical resident and that person is struggling more with making time for interviews, but DDs program has been great at working with her, because, hey, the people doing the schedules are also going to be āadultingā next year and every one wants the best for each other 
D2 has done quite well with the residency invitations so far. Her list was ā¦quirky, IMO. Still, sheās gotten IIs from >50% of the program she applied to and has had to turn down several due to time constraints. Interestingly, she has interviews all over the country, despite mostly applying to western programs.
D has 17 interviews all over the country and some will have to be cancelled. Travel logistics just wonāt work to get from place to place.
22 Interviews (13 accepted, 9 declined), 3 high waitlists.
(Still hoping to hear from 1 more program. Program still has 3 interview dates open. One of D2ās specialty preceptors taught the PD at the program D2 is hoping to hear from. The preceptor reached out to the PD on D2ās behalf so D2 is optimistic sheāll get an invite.)
Already interviewed at her home program.
First outside interview is Wednesday on the West Coast; next is Saturday on the East Coast. Sheāll be racking up those frequent flyer milesā¦
Oh the irony!
D2 is at her first interview today.
ERAS just sent her an email on how to finance interview costsāplus a very special loan offer!
Serious question: is wooing potential residents a thing?
D2 just reported she arrived at her hotel to discover the program had upgraded her basic single to a deluxe suite. (And she got a warm choc chip cookie upon check in.)
Last week at another program, she was assigned a personal one-on-one interview buddy (a senior resident) and received a discounted pass to local yoga studio.
Iām asking if this is normal. 'Cause I sure donāt remember her sister getting this kind of treatmentā¦
Absolutely. But probably varies wildly from specialty to specialty and program to program.
I guess it has to do with the quality of the applicant, WOWMās D2 is a top student, so perhaps she is getting top reception.
<<<<<serious question:="" is="" wooing="" potential="" residents="" a="" thing?="">>>
Do you mean before they apply or do you mean getting phone calls from program directors during the week or two before ranking pressuring/requesting you to rank them high?
I meant during the interview process itselfāwith hotel upgrades and other nice perks.
Nearly everyone get loves notes passed back & forth before ROLs are turned in.
Iām beginning to think this is program dependent. One of the programs that gave her perks is a tippy top program where everyone they interview is a top applicant.
D2 is now on her way to Boston to spend the weekend with her sister & BIL before taking Amtrak (how East Coast of her!) to her next interview at IWBBās old stomping ground.
Yeah, research is not good for my mental healthā¦definitely not missing the idea of having to be academically productive. Things change, and in the PICU world, with most jobs being academic, could foresee a future that gets me back into that grind, but would lobby hard for a āmaster clinicianā track if it came to thatā¦