Ahh interview season! So much hope, fear and foreboding mixed together in a terrifying time of life.
If you are like me, the refresh button on your email has never been clicked so consistently. I feel like God literally carried us through that stressful time and I hope He does the same for you.
Different couples handle interview season different ways. For us, David was mired in some pretty demanding rotations at the time so I handled the research, application and scheduling side. Surprisingly most programs were ok with me handling the logistical details, although admittedly a few were not.
If we could do it all over again, here are a few things I wish I would have known.
1. Have your ducks in a row and be ready to click “submit” on those applications the second applications open. Interview spots fill up far faster than I anticipated.
2. On that note, don’t be afraid to apply to every program available in your chosen specialty. Yes, it is expensive. Yes, you are a foreign grad. So yes, it is well worth the extra grand you chuck at those applications.
3. Apply for “backups”. It is a fact that most foreign grads go into primary care specialties (family med/internal med). Both can be incredible careers and neither are selling out. We are fantastically happy with family medicine and feel like it was the right choice for us. But “future pediatric neurosurgeon/plastic surgeon to the stars”, Let’s be blunt. SGU publishes their match info. They tell you what the odds are. Do you really want to roll those dice with a quarter mill of loaned money up to lose? Better to have an ace in your pocket, if you know what I mean.
4. You can always turn down an interview later. Make your list of 15 places (the max number you can rank without paying extra), then bump one if a better offer comes along. It’s not rude. It happens all the time. Just means some other lucky duck now gets that interview spot.
5. Ask about licensing requirements for foreign grads in that state, but tread carefully. It’s different for us IMGs. For example, David cannot be fully licensed in the state if Idaho until he finishes his three years. American grads can after their first year. This puts the brakes on any and all moonlighting opportunities. Not that we are complaining, but as a third-year student working out in a rural clinic for a weekend, he could have made enough to cover our monthly student loan bill … In ONE weekend.
6. If you are thinking about primary care, I am a huge fan of completely unopposed programs. Oh, and rural. David gets to do procedures here he wouldn’t get to perform anywhere else. And he doesn’t have to fight for them.
7. Consider the region you want to end up in when making that rank list. At our 20-year-old residency, 100 percent of graduates have stayed in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Utah. Just something to think about.
We obviously aren’t the end-all source for interview season. Just wanted to share what we have learned and I am excited to see what you all learn through the process!
May the odds be ever in your favor 🙂
P.s. If you end up interviewing in Pocatello drop us a line!
