How I did it

Now that the interview season is done, I thought I would share how I went about the whole process (not including ERAS/ personal statements/ etc).

One of the first things you have to do is determine which programs to apply to, which can be very overwhelming. So, how did I go about choosing programs? I'm a little OCPD (as you'll be able to tell as you read this post), but here goes:

1. Determine regions/ places you want to live. Remember that while you'll be working crazy hours, you also want to find a place where you'll enjoy yourself in your off hours.
2. Go to FREIDA. Narrow your search to the type of program you're applying to and the regions/ states.
3. Start narrowing the list. This process will be different for everyone, but I knew I wasn't really interested in community programs and that I wanted to be in large cities. That being said, if a program had a good reputation, I usually kept it in my list. I knew I wanted to apply to between 40-60 programs.
4. Balance the list. Let's be honest, unless you're AOA and awesome, you're not going to get interviews everywhere. So I tiered out my programs (with the help of the surgery "red book"). I made sure that my 40-60 programs were divided into 25% top tier, 50% 2nd tier and 25% 3rd tier.

From this point on I started making and updating my spreadsheet (see the first table in the document).

Click here to open the Interview Spreadsheet.

As soon as the interviews started coming in I did two things, I moved the website column from the first table into the Program Information table (where you'll find it in the document) and I started gathering more data to add to the Program Information table (i.e. Program Director's name, Program Size, Board Passage Rates, % to fellowship, etc).

Then the interviews started. The biggest advice I have is to debrief yourself within the day or two after the interview. I did this by filling out a Program Evaluation (see below), but also during all the travel time I had while driving between interviews -- there's nothing like driving 10 hours in a car by yourself to give you time to reflect and digest an interview.

Click here for the Program Evaluation Template.

As soon as I tallied up the ratings, I added them to the spreadsheet and started sorting them by score. However, at the same time I had a dynamic Rank Order List going. After each interview you can sit there and say, "That program was definitely a better fit than program X but not as good as program Y." 

By doing this I found that I would commonly be able to reflect on why a program was better or worse than the one I interviewed at the day before. It also made me go back and reread the program evaluations. It also meant that by the end of the interview season I had a pretty solid idea of how my rank order list would go (and it was not in the order of the rankings, but pretty close).

When it came down to it, my gut reaction to programs at the end of the interview season and how my dynamic rank order list stood was fairly close. I changed a few things here and there... like moving Wayne State to a position that would make it possible to match there and be close to my family, but also in a place that gave me a chance to go to other awesome programs, and moving one program a little lower because the location just wasn't my idea of a good place to live for 5-7 years.

I was methodical. Not everyone is... some of my friends didn't even think about what they liked or didn't like in comparisons to this and that program until it was time to sit down and finalize a rank order list. I knew, however, that by being methodical I would be less stressed out.

Other quick tips:

• Send Thank You cards within the week after you interview. They will still remember you and your application will be fresh on their minds, rather than sending them later when they have to go back and remember your application. Also, send them to everyone who interviewed you and the program coordinator. I personally sent handwritten notes on Crane cards.
• Remember that while they are interviewing you, you are interviewing them. Talk to the staff and residents... make sure you fit. There was one place an attending tried to debate creation vs. evolution with me, when he didn't even know where I stood on the debate. At another place the residents were way too different from me.
• Grooming. Yes, I know... it seems silly... But girls, pull your hair out of your face, it makes you look more professional. Think about getting a manicure or maintaining a self-French manicure, it's a small details that set you apart. We're a suit that fits... wear a shirt that's nice but not overly distracting. Minimize the jewelry, but wear at least some that look nice. Take out that noise-ring on the actual interview day (I wore mine to the informal get-together with the residents though). 
• Minimize. Yes, you might have luggage, but make sure it's small and not ratty. Don't carry a large purse. The less is more phenomenon is true here.
• Be nice to EVERYONE. Fellow candidates, residents, staff, the program coordinator.

Anyways, hope that helps. If you have any questions, leave a comment or send an email to drkatiegoestomedschool AT gmail DOT com.