Since it's the first post, it must be happy (following my current emotional state). In the medical school world, I got two interviews last week from Drexel and Temple for end of next month!!! I am SO excited to go visit those schools (and a trip to PA to visit UPenn people!) I've heard great things about both of those schools, especially Temple and their new facilities. I will update my thoughts after my interviews.
For my UMass interview on 12/20, I don't think I prepared as well as I could have, so I'm definitely preparing better for my next two interviews. There was about 16 of us for the morning interview and 3 for the afternoon interviews. The interview coordinator was late, so we were very anxious in the waiting room, thinking they were watching us with a hidden camera or someone amongst the applicants was a spy or something. One person was playing with the piano. We talked and I met one guy from the UofR. I didn't know him because he stayed an extra year to graduate and I graduated a year early, so we're two years apart even though we graduated same year. We were given a brief overview of the school before being sent off to our interviews at 10:00am and 10:45am. I had two faculty interviews: one with a PhD in Infectious Diseases and the other with a Pulmonary Pediatrician. They were both very nice people, especially my second interviewer. He was sick during that day too but still a great guy to talk to. Both my interviews were very relaxed. My first interviewer asked more questions like why not MD/PhD (which I did not have a great answer to, so I prepared especially for that question this time), why medicine, tell me about your volunteering experiences, tell me about the research you are doing right now in your job, and we talked briefly about ethics and healthcare. My second interviewer only really asked about my volunteering experiences and another question which I did not have a great answer to: what do you think will be the most challenging in medical school. I was very lucky that my interviewers were both in the same place, so I only had to take the elevator up one floor to get to my next interview. Other interviewees had to go outside, or go to different buildings and rush to get to their next interview. After the two interviews back to back in the morning, we went back to room we were at in the beginning. The afternoon interviewees had arrived by then so I was very confused at first when I went back to the class. I wasn't sure if I was at the right place because I hadn't seen these people before. We were given a financial aid presentation ($8k tuition and 2/3rds off if you do your residency in MA!) and lunch (turkey, stuffing, salad, soup) before two students took us on a short tour (good thing because long walk + heels + injured ankle = x_X). The hospital was pretty nice, but very small. The simulation center was tiny too, but they're building a new one that's going to open this year. The classrooms/facilities that we saw were pretty nice, but we didn't get to see much, only one classroom, the student center, a small study room, the library, and the simulation center. I wanted to see the anatomy lab, but they said it was school policy not to show.
My overall impression: This seems like a great school! The students, from what I heard from the two that took us on a tour (rest of the students were home for winter break) are very cooperative and even share study guides! The place is relatively small, which is nice. The community is great, like Rochester's! Just during my 10min walk to through the hospital, to the admissions office, I was asked by like 5 people if I was lost and needed help finding my destination! UMass is my top choice, but I don't think my chances are great for getting in because I didn't do as well as I wanted during my interviews. I don't think I impressed my interviewers, but oh well, this is only my first interview and a great learning experience! I hope I can prepare better for my next two interviews next month!
