Double (triple) Booking VSAS?

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sunealoneal

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I unfortunately did not get my VSAS applications out as soon as some places opened a week or two ago.

Should I apply to other places for those same months as a back up? It's only March, I'd hate to sit around until May and find out that I didn't get in...

How are you guys handling this?

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I applied for several spots for each time block. Once you have something scheduled, just withdraw your applications from the other places or request a different date to avoid scheduling conflicts.
 
^yes, it would be highly unlikely to get more than one offer for the same block at the same time. Also as long as you withdraw the offer before accepting it (and not after), highly unlikely they would remember your name come time to hand out interviews.
 
Sometimes you just can't win at all, unfortunately. I applied to two AI's for one month, one through VSAS and the other not through VSAS, and was accepted through the one not at VSAS. I immediately withdrew my application from VSAS, and two weeks later I got an email asking me why I withdrew my application because the faculty had approved me and were wondering what was up. I think it's just the risk you have to take-- either you apply out of abundance of caution and look bad or you apply for to few and don't get anything.
 
Just a heads up: If you are offered a subI/AI at an institution and decline it, that school may choose not to interview you in the future. I'm not sure how EM or other fields approach this, but I applied to ortho and 2/2 programs that offered my rotations that were my "backups" didn't offer me interviews in the fall. So try to reschedule them if you can and if you are really interested in the program.
 
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Just a heads up: If you are offered a subI/AI at an institution and decline it, that school may choose not to interview you in the future. I'm not sure how EM or other fields approach this, but I applied to ortho and 2/2 programs that offered my rotations that were my "backups" didn't offer me interviews in the fall. So try to reschedule them if you can and if you are really interested in the program.
Well, crap. Is there any way to avoid this outcome? I applied to two aways near my home town at very competitive institutions, hoping to ensure I get at least one of them, but I think I can only actually do an away at one given that I would be geographically limiting myself by doing all my aways at the same place (I can only do two due to my home school's restrictions). However, both these institutions are top choices for where I'd like to do residency. That would be terrible to get shut out at one at this point.

Do I withdraw from one now before I get any offers?
 
Just a heads up: If you are offered a subI/AI at an institution and decline it, that school may choose not to interview you in the future. I'm not sure how EM or other fields approach this, but I applied to ortho and 2/2 programs that offered my rotations that were my "backups" didn't offer me interviews in the fall. So try to reschedule them if you can and if you are really interested in the program.

Our ortho C/O 2017 didn't have this problem. A few them double booked and still got interviews at the places they canceled, as long as they emailed politely and well ahead of the start of the rotation. It sounds like a total crapshoot with these things. Good luck!
 
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Our ortho C/O 2017 didn't have this problem. A few them double booked and still got interviews at the places they canceled, as long as they emailed politely and well ahead of the start of the rotation. It sounds like a total crapshoot with these things. Good luck!
My advisor told me this wouldn't happen, but I had heard about it from last year's applicants. Not sure N=2 is anything to hang your hat on, though. I'm glad to hear it wasn't a problem for you guys!
 
I submitted apps at 6 institutions over a 3-4 month period for anesthesia. I'm afraid that I'll get accepted and then have to withdraw making me look bad but at the same time don't want to be left empty handed. Anyone feeling anxious and bad about this dilemma? In the end, I made the right move since there's no guarentee that I'll even have overlapping bookings?
 
I submitted apps at 6 institutions over a 3-4 month period for anesthesia. I'm afraid that I'll get accepted and then have to withdraw making me look bad but at the same time don't want to be left empty handed. Anyone feeling anxious and bad about this dilemma? In the end, I made the right move since there's no guarentee that I'll even have overlapping bookings?
I am also feeling anxious about this dilemma. The advice I got from some M4s was that it was better to err on the side of getting too many and needing to cancel than it was to be left with none or too few, but this was in reference to a specialty that essentially requires aways. Not sure about anesthesia.
 
I am also feeling anxious about this dilemma. The advice I got from some M4s was that it was better to err on the side of getting too many and needing to cancel than it was to be left with none or too few, but this was in reference to a specialty that essentially requires aways. Not sure about anesthesia.

This is basically what I've heard as well-- that it's okay to apply to more than you need, but the key is to withdraw applications as soon as possible if you've accepted something else. I'm under the impression that programs understand if you have to apply to multiple aways and end up not doing all of them, but are less forgiving if you schedule something and then later cancel on them because you found something "better." (What I've heard generally as a DO applicant, not specialty specific)
 
You guys are referring to accepting and then canceling? I can't imagine why they would be upset if you hadn't accepted and just declined it.
 
You guys are referring to accepting and then canceling? I can't imagine why they would be upset if you hadn't accepted and just declined it.
I did not accept them, simply applied, was offered a rotation, and politely declined. Unfortunately, no interview invites from those places. It may have been coincidence.
 
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