Interview Trail

The Interview Trail

This blog post is for the friends and family who follow my personal journey.

The post that follows this (U.S. Residency Application Advice) will be for prospective residency applicants.

So the match system, for those who don't know, is a process where many applicants interview at many different programs. Then the applicant (ie. me) ranks all the programs in a list based on where I want to go for residency. Then the programs rank all the applicants in a list based on who they want to hire. Then in March, all the lists by the applicants and the programs countrywide goes into a computer system and we get "matched" together based on our preferences. So if my first choice program has me as their first choice applicant, then we get matched together and I go there for residency. If my first choice doesn't pick me near the top of their list, then I could end up at the 2nd, 3rd, etc ranked program depending on which program wants me. It's a confusing system but it actually serves in favour of the applicants.

On top of that, Craig and I are couples matching. So every program we applied to knows that we are a couple. Then during the match, our lists will be coordinated so that if a program wants him and not me, then both go down our list until one program wants us both. If no program wants both of us then we will coordinate our list so that we can be in the same city/state/general geographic area. Then further away and so on. Also, we list "unmatched" with each others programs at the end of our lists so that way at least one of us could match if the other one didn't. If you're into the boring math (like me), the number of ranks on our list works out to 

[(My # of ranks)+1] x [(Craig's # of ranks)+1] - 1. 

Craig and I have been offered interviews in Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Florida, Connecticut, Louisiana, Iowa, New York, Illinois, Alabama, North Dakota, West Virginia, New Jersey, Washington, and Nebraska. Craig also was offered another one in Wisconsin and I was offered one in Georgia. I've been surprised at how accommodating programs have been as far as inviting both of us to interviews and allowing us to interview on the same day. Often times, one of us would be offered an interview and then we would e-mail them to point out that we were a couple and then they would offer the other person an interview.  

We are so grateful to have gotten the interviews that we did and never expected to have to cancel/decline some. Our strategy was to decline most places that didn't invite both of us and also most places that were in our "back up" specialty. Unfortunately, we were not offered any interviews where we could be together in Canada, so we didn't go to any. This has also been a very expensive time of year between the applications and the travel. Fortunately, most hotel rooms and meals are paid for, plus I have been hoarding my airmiles for 4 years, but it is still costing a pretty penny. 

In the end, I am so happy with some of the programs that we interviewed at that I have no regrets about which ones we decided to accept and/or decline. This should remain true as long as we match at the same place! I can't imagine doing all of this and then ending up being away from each other for three years.

Although I don't think it is wise to post the names of the hospitals, I wanted to document my interview adventures on my blog so that I can look back on this unique and emotional experience.

Interview #1 in Maine

So nerve-wracking heading into our first one - especially to a place that is so high on our list. 

Free hotel and meals - I'll take it! They also provided us with beautiful gifts on our arrival. The little things went a long way in making our visit feel special. We has such a great day with this program and it became the baseline for us to compare other programs to.

This is my pre-interview dinner outfit:

Interview #2 in Louisiana 

Stayed with friends and had a super fun weekend with our classmates while we were there. This felt like a bit of a homecoming trip. 

Interview #3 in Indiana

View from the 18th floor of the Marriott Downtown

Interview #4 in Michigan

Program had a garden where they grew vegetables to give out to patients which I thought was pretty cool

Interview #5 in Iowa

Had our pre-interview dinner with some Nova Scotians!

Interviews # 6 & 7 in Louisiana

Back in the bible belt!

Interview #8 in New York

I have learned that driving in this big city is not for me

Interview #9 in Florida

One of the two trips that I did by myself 

Interview #10 in Florida

Driving up to the hospital was like driving into a city centre

Also the lobby looked like it belonged in a luxury hotel

 Interview #11 in Pennsylvania
Had excessive amounts of ice cream with the residents

Interview #12 in Connecticut

Stayed with our former landlords which was nice

So many applicants at this interview

Interview #13 in Illinois

Explored Chicago in the blistering cold and got deep dish pizza which was amazing.

We also got a free upgrade to our hotel room and ended up with this great view.

The Bean!

Post-interview indulging right here

Interview #14 in New Hampshire

I've taken up the habit of taking dessert to go at these dinners. In this case, it was chocolate cake "for two" haha

Interview #15 in Ohio

Another homecoming 

Interview #16 in New York

Did a little outlet shopping while we were here

On our way home from interview #17 in Maine! All done!

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A sneak peak into the couples match ranking process

We have also done a lot of visiting between interviews while we are on the road.

Indoor rock climbing with the Jennings brothers

Boston for a quick trip 

Niagara Falls!

Visited in all the little towns along the Ottawa River where Craig's extended family lives

Ottawa with my sissy

Statues of the Famous 5

Did a project on these ladies in grade 5

AKA the birthplace of my feminism

Rideau Canal skating

Warming up with a fire pit and some beavertails

Rink of Dreams

Axe throwing!

Tricked Craig and even my own mother into thinking this was a picture of me and had way too much fun doing it.

Bullseye!

The Nordik Spa was what dreams are made of.

10 hours of infinity pools, waterfalls, dry and wet saunas, fire pits, wine, snacks, tipis, hot stones, exfoliation

Staying in Kemptville with Craig's extended family