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PA program gives us two days off clinical year for interviews. How can I pursue a residency?


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Hello, I have been applying to a handful of residency programs in EM and surgery.  I have just received an interview invite and my clinical coordinator informed me that I can only take two days off for interview purposes during clinical year.  In my part of the country any program is at least one days travel away, and most interviews are all day affairs.  This situation leaves me feeling a little stuck.  

Should I just interview only at my number one location and let every other program go?  

Is it acceptable to ask the respective programs to do an interview on Skype?

Would it be better to just get a job out of school and pursue a residency later in my career?

I don't want to give up on this dream, but I don't want to make waves with my program director.

 

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Yeah, that's a thing.  

I would say nothing to them and work it out with your preceptor at the time.  If they say it's okay, then that is the end of it, isn't it?  You don't check with the program every time there's a weekend or a holiday, right?  Also determined by your work.  

If you get "caught" (a misnomer, since you are following your schedule given to you by the preceptor) then say oh, sorry, well, my preceptor sets my hours and schedule and I didn't think that involved you at all.  Can we help you understand my work schedule?

I had appendicitis during one rotation, which required an emergent surgery (and partial colectomy) and 5-day recovery (I became septic and required big boy abx).  Being proactive, I notified the program and they made my life miserable, forcing me to return to work before I was even medically cleared, on threat of flunking the rotation and another semester at $10,000.  I should have called that bluff, but the bottom line is even my preceptor told me I should have kept it between him and me and nothing would have been said.

The answer to the other thing is HELL NO make sure you go to these things if that is what you feel you must do.  

 

 

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I do NOT understand how we are supposed to find jobs when we get no time to interview.  I can understand excessive absences but 2 days?  In an entire year?

I have no helpful advice.  South's is reasonable however at this point the program has already informed you that you get 2 days so I'm not sure how well that will go over.  Try and plan for a Friday or Monday if at all possible to use weekends to travel.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 10/25/2017 at 3:27 PM, Wildmed-PA said:

Hello, I have been applying to a handful of residency programs in EM and surgery.  I have just received an interview invite and my clinical coordinator informed me that I can only take two days off for interview purposes during clinical year.  In my part of the country any program is at least one days travel away, and most interviews are all day affairs.  This situation leaves me feeling a little stuck.  

Should I just interview only at my number one location and let every other program go?  

Is it acceptable to ask the respective programs to do an interview on Skype?

Would it be better to just get a job out of school and pursue a residency later in my career?

I don't want to give up on this dream, but I don't want to make waves with my program director.

 

Go to every interview you are offered. This is your career we are talking about. Deal with the consequences later. Besides this is not like you are skipping out on a scheduled shift when you are actually working. That would be a different matter altogether. Good luck with the interviews.

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  • 1 month later...

The program said you can request two days off, it said nothing about your work schedule. I second South’s position here. Talk with your preceptor. Work out a way to increase your daily hours that week so you won’t run afoul of the minimum hour reqs and then ask your preceptor to “give you the day off”. What you do with your day off is no one’s business. 

 

I went to three interviews using this method. 

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