sleepymedstudent Posted February 2, 2023 Report Share Posted February 2, 2023 Hey everyone! With CaRMs interviews coming up soon, the stress is really hitting. I'm someone who stresses a lot during interviews to the point where I feel like I forget everything I would have wanted to say. I applied to only peds and didn't get as many interviews as I would have hoped. With that said, I know it varies from one program to the next, I'm curious to know if the interview essentially makes or breaks your application? Or do programs typically have an initial ranking going into interviews and then the interview may change your position on their list? From what I'm hearing, quite a few of the programs I applied to are closed file and so I worry that the little time I have with the interviewer (while being stressed) would give a negative impression Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUMI97 Posted February 2, 2023 Report Share Posted February 2, 2023 I don't have any advice on this but I'm also feeling very stressed. Any tips on coping? The CaRMS process has been one of the worst times in my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plsaccept Posted February 2, 2023 Report Share Posted February 2, 2023 Not sure about peds in particular, but for some programs they tell you the weighting in the CaRMS program description or on their site. The ones I’ve seen have mostly been 50-50 file review to interview. sleepymedstudent 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymouspls Posted February 2, 2023 Report Share Posted February 2, 2023 1 hour ago, HUMI97 said: I don't have any advice on this but I'm also feeling very stressed. Any tips on coping? The CaRMS process has been one of the worst times in my life. why stressed? even in the absolute worst case of matching into what ever in second round you are going to be a top 0.1% income earner in canada having a better job and quality of life than most Canadians can dream of. Dice 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GH0ST Posted February 2, 2023 Report Share Posted February 2, 2023 - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neurophiliac Posted February 2, 2023 Report Share Posted February 2, 2023 I suppose it really depends on the program as someone mentioned above, but I would imagine it being an important phase of CaRMS (albeit not everything). All we can do is to showcase who we are in a concise and succinct manner while having fun with the process. I would further emphasize the latter as approaching interviews with a positive mentality can make a huge difference. Take a deep breath, focus, disregard anxious thoughts, and go with a big smile ready to conquer it all haha. Good luck! P.S. I'm coping by constantly going to the gym lol – #powerofendorphins. sleepymedstudent 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dooogs Posted February 2, 2023 Report Share Posted February 2, 2023 2 hours ago, anonymouspls said: why stressed? even in the absolute worst case of matching into what ever in second round you are going to be a top 0.1% income earner in canada having a better job and quality of life than most Canadians can dream of. ppl can get anxiety and it's not a logical process Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymouspls Posted February 2, 2023 Report Share Posted February 2, 2023 I had someone tell me programs mostly know who they want to rank and their rank order even before the interview and sometimes the interview scheduling can be a reflection of that (maybe they interview their best applicants first in the mornings.) ha probably overthinking it but thought i'd share Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChemPetE Posted February 2, 2023 Report Share Posted February 2, 2023 We are 50/50 file/interview weight our program admin does the schedule. Can’t be bothered to arrange candidates in a secret-but-meaningful heuristic. We’re all busy af with clinical/other academic responsibilities. It’s a miracle sometimes to pull enough staff for the day (or days) to interview people hope that helps provide some context Elgar, sleepymedstudent and robclem21 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robclem21 Posted February 3, 2023 Report Share Posted February 3, 2023 While it's true that some programs already know who they want before interviews, it is unlikely reflected in any meaningful way in how interviews are scheduled. As others have said, getting staff and residents together to interview is a challenge most years, let alone a secret ranking schedule. In terms of interview weighting, it varies immensely by program from not that important (program already knows their top candidates), to very important (hardly even care about the written application once interviews start). It is tough to answer your question because many programs don't even have a formal interview scoring system and formula to calculate a "score". The rank order simply results from conversations between interviewers and the general vibes they get from candidates. A lot of this depends on the size of the program/applicant pool. In general, this is the one and only time programs will get to meet/know you so most will place a lot of emphasis on the interview. Preparing is a delicate balance between have good, concise, and rehearsed answers vs. being relaxed and genuine. If you find yourself overthinking everything, just take a step back and focus on why you wanna match there. Elgar, sleepymedstudent, Dice and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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