Without a doubt the most common question I am asked, whether on social media or in person, is "How is interview season going?". To continue on with my day in the life series, here's what those interviews look like.
If you aren't familiar with the medical student process, during fourth year we apply to different academic hospitals for residency positions that will begin July 1 after we graduate medical school. If you've seen Grey's Anatomy or Scrubs, those interns are first year residents. While television doesn't quite portray it accurately, you get the idea. Residencies range from 3-5 years and they are a period of enhanced supervised education and clinical experience for the particular specialty of your choice. Keep in mind, before residency, all graduating medical students studied the same information, which was a broad comprehensive knowledge of the human body and diseases. Every medical student applying and interviewing will find out which residency they "match" to on March 16 by opening an envelope at 11 a.m.
Day before Interview:
Transport 4-8 hours - Drive or Fly.
All of the programs I interviewed at (except one) graciously provided hotel stay for 1-2 nights and transportation to and from hospital and dinner.
7:00 p.m. Dinner with Residents
Usually I had time to unwind before dinner.
Sometimes I would explore the area, get a workout in, nap, go shopping, or just relax.
Once, my hotel ceiling was leaking and falling down on me, then I got upgraded to the Hilton concierge floor to a three bedroom suite!
The Graduate Hotels were so fun to see in different cities because each had memorabilia from their own schools.
Interview Day
Depending on the institution things worked a little differently. We could get picked up from the hotel at 7a.m. at some places and 10:30 a.m. at others.Typically I was assigned a morning or an afternoon group. If I was in the morning group I'd arrive by 8:00 a.m. and finish interviews by 11:00 and then the afternoon group would meet up with the morning group. As a larger group you'd listen to a few presentations, have lunch with faculty and residents, and then go on a tour of the hospital before heading back to the hotel. If you were in the afternoon group you may get picked up at 10:30, go on a tour of the hospital, meet the morning group for presentations, enjoy lunch with faculty and residents, and then begin interviews at 1:00 before heading home.
If I was flying, I always stayed one more night because I wasn't able to make it to the airport in time for the evening flight home. If I was driving I would drive home right after the interview and change out of my suit glamorously in the hotel lobby bathroom or the gas station. TMI? Well I always laughed how ridiculous it was.
For more day in the life posts:
anesthesiology // psychiatry // internal medicine // labor and delivery // family medicine // cardiothoracic surgery // NICU // transplant surgery // second year med student // first year med student // pediatric inpatient and gi // USMLE Step 1 studying