In applying for residencies these last couple of months, I have learned that there really isn't an easy way to schedule interviews. There are some considerations in applying to residency programs. For myself, I had made the choice to apply to 14 programs in California and out of state. Keeping in mind that residency is competitive, I was declined by 4 sites for interviews. In being offered 10 interviews, I had to decline one interview due to scheduling issues. Many programs seemed to have the same date for interviews and navigating from one interview to go to another was tricky especially when accounting for travel time.
My friend who is a PGY2 had once told me that the third interview was a "sweet spot." In other words, he mentioned that by his third interview, he was able to improve on the mistakes he had made during his first and second interview. In keeping with his advice, I had tried to schedule my top choices later on in order to prepare myself as much as possible. I had my first interview this past Wednesday. Considering that I am a decent interviewer, I felt that it wasn't a terrible interview, but I could have done better.
My advice in the clinical component from what I learned so far:
In trying to gauge the structure or format, it is appropriate to ask for an itinerary or schedule. Even though you don't ask about the structure of the clinical component, by seeing how much time is allotted, can give you an idea how lengthy it is. As for the clinical component, be prepared for a rapid fire of questions, a clinical case and presentation, and/or clinical test. My classmates have undergone all these formats and there really isn't a way to prepare. I think reviewing main topics such as diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, cardio, etc. is helpful. If there is a question that you may not know the answer to or have an exact answer for -- don't guess. I think what is more important is to show your critical thinking process and that you know where to pull the information from. For an example, if there was a question on chronic myeloid leukemia treatments, you may not know the answer, but can map out your thinking process from pathophysiology to knowing tyrosine kinase inhibitors as treatment. Even further, if you don't know the treatment, tell them you will get back to them, and that you would need to refer to the NCCN Guidelines. It is more important to demonstrate critical thinking skills and show where you would extract information than knowing the answer.
As for the interview questions, be prepared for the situational, difficult, and hypothetical scenarios. I had questions ranging from describing a situation where I made an unpopular decision and its outcome, elaborating on leadership experience, to describing a time where I had to change course in a plan or project. Some asked for personal examples (which I didn't expect), and some asked for professional examples. Despite answering these, I felt these interviews were trying to gauge your ability as a resident - so highlight leadership, research, and work experience. Also be prepared to talk about patient interventions in different rotations. I had kept an ongoing document where I would write a small summary of everything I did at the end of each rotation. Looking back on it, it made it easier to remember what I did and the interesting patient cases.
Finally be yourself. As much as you want to match, you want to get a good fit for residency. I applied to residencies I was really interested in, rather than those I felt I had a high chance of matching. I had past friends who matched to residencies that were great on paper, but their experiences were not what they expected. These residency programs in turn, are trying to see if you are match for the program. The staff you meet will be working with you daily, so it is important to be yourself and let your personality shine.
If you don't match the first time, there is always phase II, and then the scramble. At the end, if you really want the residency, it isn't "if" your are going to match to a residency, but "when" you are going to match." Good luck to everyone!
Jasmine Reber