Thread: What's the best way to cancel a residency interview?

Question for those of you who have already gone through the match process. I had been scheduling interviews as the season went along, and seem to have reached a point where almost every week on my calendar from now until early Feb has one interview booked. Now I'm feeling like a bit of a jack***** because a few of the hospitals I was hoping for are finally getting back to me and I don't suppose my attendings will allow me to miss any more than one day per week during electives. So I'd like to cancel one or two of these interviews while the programs still have time to offer them to other deserving applicants.

In case anyone here ran into a similar problem during their interview process, what's the best, most polite way to go about canceling an interview? Other than just lying and saying I've accepted a pre-match somewhere else?

Thanx in advance.

first of congrats on so many interviews. second you should really talk to your attendings or chief residents that are in charge of you during your elective to see if it's ok to miss more than 1 day a week for interviews, or even call in sick. I would think that they wouldn't have a problem with that, this way you won't have to cancel any interviews and will be able to go to all of them and thus increasing your chance of matching. But if you must cancel an interview, you can just email the program director and say something along the lines of "thank you for giving me the oppertunity to interview with your program, unfortunately I will not be able to attend my scheduled interview date."

keep it short and there's no need for details, people cancel interviews all the time and it's best to do it as soon as possible so that they can offer an interview to someone else, perhaps a fellow classmate.

whatever you do, don't lie!

also unless you have over 12 interivews don't cancel interivews, it's better to offer to do an extra call or come in on the weekends or something than to cancel an interview and end up not matching.

Originally Posted by butaloh

Question for those of you who have already gone through the match process. I had been scheduling interviews as the season went along, and seem to have reached a point where almost every week on my calendar from now until early Feb has one interview booked. Now I'm feeling like a bit of a jack***** because a few of the hospitals I was hoping for are finally getting back to me and I don't suppose my attendings will allow me to miss any more than one day per week during electives. So I'd like to cancel one or two of these interviews while the programs still have time to offer them to other deserving applicants.

In case anyone here ran into a similar problem during their interview process, what's the best, most polite way to go about canceling an interview? Other than just lying and saying I've accepted a pre-match somewhere else?

Thanx in advance.

one a week? january i had 2-3 per week (course i tool that month off)
but i missed 9 days during my elective in dec for interviews and travel...the attendings should generally be understanding ...they know that interviews are the most important thing right now...

but rj is right, say thank you, be to the point, and try to cancel early if you have to cancel...let some one else get the opportunity to interview...cancelling at the last minute hurts others...the program intervies one less, and a fellow med student loses the chance to interview...