I. Scheduling Interviews
A. Plan for adequate time to interview, talk to house staff, and get a feel for the hospital and city/community.
- This may require arriving the night before.
- Schedule/plan time to collect and focus your thoughts and specific questions about the program you are visiting.
B. Know whether the programs allow you to schedule interviewing time or if it is by invitation only.
- Follow-up with the program director's office to be sure your credentials have been received.
- Try to coordinate visits that are in the same city or region of the country.
C. If possible, schedule one of the programs lower on your preference list first to give you some experience with the residency interview setting.
II. Prepare Yourself
A. Know what general questions you would like to have answered and record information to give you a general database on all programs for review at a later time.
B. Try to learn something about the program (from the brochure, faculty, or residents) so you can ask specific questions that may provide you with better insight on that particular program.
C. Be comfortable with yourself: dress professionally, but don't overdress.
III. Follow-up
A. Debrief yourself:
- Use some sort of note system to provide yourself with important facts and impressions about the program and the hospital/community environment.
B. Thank you or Follow-up Letters:
- To indicate interest;
- To provide additional information that may have been requested by interviewer or you may need to update credentials or indicate that you are part of a couple interested in matching together;
- Samples of Thank you letters