How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.88 | 103 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 83 |
| Negatively | 3 |
| No change | 14 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 4.66 | 106 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.38 | 71 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.33 | 67 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 3 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 2 |
| 25 minutes | 3 |
| 30 minutes | 35 |
| 35 minutes | 7 |
| 40 minutes | 9 |
| 45 minutes | 11 |
| 50 minutes | 14 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 22 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 78 |
| At a regional location | 1 |
| At another location | 22 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 100 |
| In a group | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 78 |
| Closed file | 10 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.88 | 103 |
"“Tell me about a time that you worked on a team and things maybe didn’t run as smoothly.”"
"There will be one stress-test interviewer who will try to make things tough on you. This is usually the administrator MD (a dean, senior chair). They might grill you, claim you lied on your app, tell you that your views are wrong, or etc. For me, they attacked my personal identity by saying they have a hard time believing people from my background experienced what I experienced."
"What about starting medical school concerns you most?"
"A presented ethical dilemma and asked how I would respond"
"How would you explain your research if I were a six-year old?"
"Tell me about a time when you dealt with a difficult person."
"Why medicine? Tell me about yourself"
"Tell me about yourself."
"How would your mother describe you?"
"How do you deal with death?"
"What do you think are the qualities of a good leader?"
"What are you strengths/weaknesses? What would your friends and family say about you!"
"Tell me about yourself"
"Tell me about _____ activity."
"Explain your research to someone with no scientific background. "
"For the record: I had two interviews that were each one on one. "
"What is your greatest weakness? I would counsel every applicant to have an answer prepared for this question at any school."
"So, tell me about (insert specific experiences)."
"How would you explain your research to a 12 year old?"
"Most of my questions were inspired from the experiences and activities I discussed in my AMCAS and secondary applications."
"Tell me about a leadership experience"
"why mayo"
"How to fix current healthcare system."
"Summarize your contribution to one of the research projects you listed."
"Why MD/PhD?"
"Are you comfortable with your own mortality?"
"Have you ever been a patient? How was your experience as a patient?"
"What would your dad say is the most impressive thing about you?"
"What was the focus of your Master's thesis?"
"Explain the research you did in your NIH-funded program."
"Do you like to spend time alone? What do you think about when you're alone?"
"How would you go about resolving health care issues in developing countries?"
"What does ELISA stand for and describe the process/reason for its use. (related to my research)"
"Tell me more about (blank) experience."
"Have you ever helped a company start, increase in sales or prosper? Would you spend more time with a patient who obeyed your orders, or with one who followed them? Would you ever give up hope on a patient?"
"asked about my job "
"Talk to me about your job and what you've been doing since you graduated."
"Tell me about your research. One whole interview was on nothing but the small amount of research I have done."
"Tell me what you've been doing since high school."
"What would your friends say about you if I asked them about you?"
"Asked about my research and volunteer work. Asked about my recommendation letters. "
"What would I do if a patient refused to be treated? What would I do if a patient did not like me? Would I ever give up on a patient?"
"What is one thing you want me to make sure that I tell the Admissions Committee?"
"Describe your research."
"They were all posted on this site. Go have a look!"
"How will you deal with your mistakes as a doctor? Have you ever started your own business or organization? Are you a perfectionist? "
"Describe a positive learning experience. "
"See previous postings."
"just app stuff."
"What is your favorite book "
"Same as posts above, just different order so don't rely on reading."
"Descirbe myself in one word"
"Why Mayo?"
"Tell me about your clinical experiences. "
"Why medicine?"
"What are some ways that the current health care system can be reformed?"
"Is it important for a physician to be humble? Why? On a scale of 1-10, how humble are you?"
"Describe some of your leadership experiences and tell me what they taught you."
"How would one of your friends describe you?"
"Tell me about your research."
"What's your take on abortion? Euthanasia? Stem cell research?"
"Standard: Why Medicine? Why Mayo?"
"What is your opinion on ethical issues that don't have a definate wrong or right answer? (Ex - euthanasia)"
"Have you ever helped a business to expand or recruit new members?"
"Should the standards and ethics by which professionals must adhere to at work extend into their private life?"
"Why do you want to be a Mayo graduate?"
"“What’s a book you’ve read recently?”"
"Tell me about yourself, why medicine, how have your (insert EC) contributed to your "why medicine"?"
"Tell me about a great team you worked on"
"How would you explain your research if I were a PhD?"
"What's it like immigrating to the U.S.?"
"Any reservations about Mayo? Concerns?"
"Why medicine?"
"What are your concerns of attending medical school?"
"What would you do if you saw another student cheating?"
"Tell me about someone that you truly admire."
"Talk about volunteer experiences."
"How would you like living in Rochester, MN?"
"Tell me about your family"
"Would you come to Mayo when you live so far away?"
"My questions pertained to my file and indicated that they thoroughly reviewed my application. "
"Why did you do ____ volunteer experience?"
"Explain your research project to a fourth grader. It is actually really hard to dumb a genetics project down to that level, so it took some thinking."
"What is something you might redo about your past if your could?"
"How would your friends describe you?"
"How would you deal with a resident who was unethical/dangerous towards a patient."
"Is there anything else I should tell the committee?"
"my research"
"how would u deal with a cheating classmate? a cheating resident?"
"Stem cell research, ethics when faced with real people in need of help."
"Why do you enjoy doing research?"
"Do you think it is important for a physician to be humble?"
"Do you think you'll practice what you preach as a physician? How do you stay healthy? What do you think about smoking, drinking, and drugs?"
"How would you solve the problem [you mentioned] in health care?"
"Tell me about your volunteer experiences- disadvantages and advantages."
"Why didn't you proceed directly into medical school after your undergraduate work?"
"Explain how your research advances science."
"What has been the most life-changing event thus far?"
"Are you a perfectionist? Do you expect perfection from others?"
"What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? (Difficult question to answer becuase you don't want to sound arrogant, and you don't want to make it sound like your weaknesses are huge issues)"
"What is the biggest problem facing medicine today?"
"Tell me how you've demonstrated leadership skills."
"How would you handle a patient who didn't like you? Are you a perfectionist? Do you expect perfection from others? Why do you want to be a Mayo graduate? "
"describe your research to me"
"What things do you do that are not work or school related?"
"Why be a doctor and not a lawyer or business person?"
"What are you doing currently (since not in school)?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"What am I most proud of? Why not MD/PhD?"
"Name a situation when I weighed out all the possibilities. Name a negative situation I turned positive. "
"What was your most memorable experience in your time in Haiti?"
"What's Mayo's weakness?"
"Why do you want to become a mayo school graduate? How many hours a week do you work? What grades do you get?"
"As a physician, how will you deal with your mistakes?"
"How would your hobbies make you a better doctor"
"Biggest problem in healthcare today? and my solution"
"What about yourself distinguishes you from the other applicants?"
"Why Mayo? Why Medicine?"
"Tell me about your work in counseling."
"What do you do for fun?"
"Do you spend more time working than the average person?"
"How do you keep healthy?"
"Why Mayo?"
"Tell me about your leadership experiences and what they have taught you."
"The standard "Why medicine?" and "Why Mayo?""
"What are you most proud of in your life?"
"Have you ever started your own business?"
"“Is there anything that you’d like me to pass on to the admissions committee?”"
"What was your most meaningful EC?"
"What are your reservations about attending Mayo?"
"How has your xxx experience influenced the way you approach medicine?"
"Application specific question"
"Who is your role model?"
"Why are you interested in working with children?"
"Tell me about your research..."
"Mayo's very far away from home for you. Tell me why you would want to come to our school in particular."
"Activities/experiences/background"
"Why not a school with a public health school? (PH background)"
"Tell me about your research."
"Explain your research to someone with little knowledge of science. Why did you do ____ activity? What did you get out of ____ ? "
"Why Mayo?"
"Describe yourself in three adjectives."
"How do you think you would fit in here?"
"What leadership experiences have you had? What challenges/hardships have you had? Tell me about your research. "
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"fixing the healthcare system"
"Why Mayo? Sure its a great place, but its also cold and in MN, so why here and not another great place? (my answer was about why the cold and location don't matter since Mayo gives benifits not found anywhere else)."
"How do you intend to balance your time between research and medicine?"
"Would you quit your PhD if your project didn't work out like you wanted it to?"
"Can you give an example of a time when you turned a bad situation into a good one? Would you rather do a job yourself or delegate it to others?"
"Would you ever give up hope on a patient?"
"What made you decide to apply to medical school after a career in another field?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"Which is more important to you, family or medicine?"
"Would you enjoy living here for 4 years? (after seeing my fear of the 5 foot snow drifts). "
"Why are you interested in Mayo?"
"Why Mayo? Why medicine? What pieces have you played (I play an instrument)?"
"Tell me how I should describe you to the Admissions Committee Meeting."
"Tell me more about [AMCAS volunteer activity]."
"What is your most treasured personal experience? Is humility important in a physician? On a 1-10 scale, how humble are you? Did you feel this interview summed you up pretty well?"
"any additional info for the adcom"
"What major problems does American healthcare face and how should we alleviate them? "
"What's the worst thing about being a doctor?"
"Tell me about _____ activity (from my app.)."
"What would you get out of Mayo?"
"What qualities did I I like in physicians I shadowed? Why did I take certain gen ed courses in college?"
"Do I like to work in groups? Name a time when I needed help? When have I needed help? When have I helped someone?"
"Which of your volunteer experiences increased your desire to practice medicine the most?"
"Is that weakness an insurmountable obstacle in your coming to school here? (I think this might be a sign that I'll get in!!)"
"What makes you most satisfied? What is your history with drugs, alcohol, smoking? On a scale of 1-5, how well did this interview describe you?"
"What kinds of questions have I asked during my research? ( this was in the middle of discussing how my research has prepared me for medical school)"
"How do you think health insurance could be made more affordable in this country?"
"Problems in healthcare etc. "
"What's the last book you read?"
"How did you come to your decision to apply to medical school?"
"Do you consciously try to get others to work harder? How?"
"The admissions committee will want to know why we should select you out of all our other applicants."
"Describe your research to me."
"What are you most proud of in your life so far?"
"What is your experience with drugs and alcohol?"
"If you are a physician and you find a colleague doing something "wrong" in his private life, would you do something about it?"
"What is your experience with alcohol, smoking, and drugs?"
"What's your story?"
"When was the last time you cried?"
"What do you do with the rest of you? (on other identities besides my major cultural group)"
"If you could sum yourself and application up in a short pitch what would you say?"
"Tell me about a time when you disagreed with someone or something. How did you work that out?"
"Conversational"
"What kind of singing will you do once you're in medical school?"
"Explain your research to ... "
"The research one. I loved it. "
"Rate your humbleness on a scale of 1-10. ...talk about a catch-22. :) On the upside, I had a funny answer prepared since this question was asked in previous years."
"What career would you pursue if there was a pill that cured every illness and there was no need anymore for medicine?"
"What does diversity mean to you?"
"How would you explain your research to a 12 year old?"
"Mostly conversational about Mayo, Rochester, other places I've lived and travel experiences"
"How did I fit with Mayo's 3-shield tradition (the shields represent education, research, and clincical practice)."
"I applied to a lot of top schools, so they wanted to know why Mayo instead of some other good school...which was easy to answer once I was there, being there I could see how different it was and it was easy to explain/talk through in the interview."
"Where do you think you obtained your understanding of the doctor-patient relationship? What pieces have you sung?"
"if i was surgeon general, how would i fix the healthcare system?"
"How do you view the day of a typical practicing MD/PhD?"
"why r u here?"
"Who is your hero?"
"What would your dad say is your most impressive quality?"
"Do you see yourself being a part of reforming medical care?"
"Was your father wrong or right in his decision not to teach his children to speak Spanish?"
"What would you do if you had unlimited resources (after discussing my time abroad in 3rd world countries)."
"Do you think about your own mortality?"
"Nothing too out of the ordinary, how would I reform health care in developing countries (based of my extracurriculars)"
"Have you ever been in a situation in which you feel you were not fully recognized or awarded? (Answered yes, which lead to a second question) How do you deal with those situations and continue to work hard?"
"How do you feel about diversity?"
"How do you think your sibling would describe you? "
"What do you see as the biggest problem in health care and how would you fix it?"
"The interview was not as difficult as I expected. "
"Questions about my profession and experiences I've had there."
"Tell me about someone you met volunteering at the soup kitchen."
"Do you miss your old major? (I wasn't a science major.)"
"Nothing too interesting or hard"
"Do I feel McDonald's should be held responsible for our overweight society? If I was a car what color would I be?"
"AM I a perfectionist? Do I expect perfection of others?"
"There weren't any surprise or unusual questions."
"What's Mayo Clinic's weakness?"
"How do you feel about your mortality? "
"How I felt about national health care."
"What are some solutions for the healthcare crisis we are currently facing?"
"If you worked in a group with a colleague who was an irresponsible, bad doctor, what would you do, if anything?"
"Do yout think about your death?"
"What do you think about your own mortality?"
"What is one moment in your life you are most proud of?"
"Nothing. The questions were mostly specific to my AMCAS application and things I said on the phone interview."
"Discrepency in my two MCAT scores"
"I'm going to be your advocate on the admissions committee. What would you like me to say about you?"
"Describe yourself but only use 2 words."
"What do you think about when you are alone?"
"Have you come to terms with your own mortality?"
"If there was one moment in my life that I could relive (good or bad) what would it be? Why?"
"How can you prove to me that you can relate to people of different backgrounds from yourself?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"Say you are Bill Gates...Come up with a way to fix health care as it currently stands."
"If you had one word you wanted me to tell the committee to describe yourself, what would it be?"
"Have you thought about your own mortality?"
"Do you ever spend time alone? What do you think about when you're alone?"
"What does it mean to be a professional?"
"Describe an educational experience in which you turned a negative situation into a positive situation."
""You are not a very typical applicant, what should I say to convince the admissions committee that you are really dedicated to medicine?""
"N/A"
"When was the last time you apologized? Tell me about it."
"How would your friends describe you?"
"Behavior-based questions (ask a question and the response is something from your personal experience)"
"What would be your one-line "About Me" section on your Facebook page 20 years down the road?"
"An ethics question about end of life/allocating resources"
"There really weren't difficult questions. As my host student told me (and as the Deans will reiterate during the morning's info sessions), they've chosen you to interview because they are confident that you have what it takes to be there and they just want to get to know more about you"
"Nothing"
"Do you have other volunteer experience that you didn't list on AMCAS?"
"Why wouldn't you come here?"
"None really, I am who I claimed to be on my application so the interview was easy. "
"None were too terribly difficult. "
"Compare the government's intervention in trans-fats and smoking."
"There weren't any very difficult questions."
"None really. Both of my interviewers had read my entire application (and LORs) very closely, and all the questions pertained to my life and my experiences."
"Explain how ...... activity helped you grow as a person."
"I got asked a question about a LOR. I was surprised."
"If you saw a student cheating, what would you do?"
"How would you fix the health care system?"
"None were very difficult, but some in-depth questions were asked about my activities (i.e. what I learned about myself/the practice of medicine from them)."
"Most significant leadership exp, how to fix the healthcare system, nothing too tough."
"One of your recommenders said X. do you think that's true? (weird question, I thought... asking me to confirm something written in a letter i've never seen?)"
"why rochester, mn and not the city that i'm currently living in? can't i do what i want to do there?"
"How can the medical system be fixed to allow equal health care access."
"What made you change your mind and become pre-med? (I wasn't pre-med in college)"
"do u see any future in this?"
"Explain a failure in your life and how you dealt/deal with it."
"Are you comfortable with your own mortality."
"How do you think we can solve the crisis [you mentioned] in health care?"
"How would you fix the problems with physician malpractice insurance?"
"How would you change the American medical care system? Why a doctor and not a nurse?"
"What should be done in the educational system to motivate and retain underachieving students? (I was expecting a question about medical system reform... so the educational system reform issue was a bit of a curve ball.)"
"What are you most proud of in life?"
"What makes you most satisfied about yourself?"
"What are your weaknesses (its ALWAYS hard to answer that)?"
"What do you think about when you are alone?"
"Same as above..I was kind of caught off-guard by it."
"What would you do to fix the healthcare situation in your state?"
"As a physician what would you do if you made a mistake? What would you tell a patient that knew he was not going down the right path with his health (something like that)?"
"Tell me about yourself (and then when I finished my spiel, the interviewer said, "And???" so I went on some more and again he said, "And???" This went on for five minutes or so and was rather uncomfortable."
"How do I feel about the statement, Pain is a person's perception therefore it does not exist"
"Can you give an example where you turned a difficult situation into a positive one?"
"Is there anything else that you would like for me to tell the admissions committee?"
"Several questions about healthcare politics."
"Nothing out of the blue."
"What do you want me to tell the Admissions Committee in particular?"
"Explain my research work in non-scientific terms."
"How do I feel about the statement, pain is a person's perception therefore it does not exist?"
"For the research you are going to be doing this fall, what are your positive and negative controls going to be?"
"What's Mayo Clinic's weakness?"
"What do you think about when you're alone?"
"Think of something, in recent hitory, that you turned from a negative into a positive."
"same"
"See above"
"If a great doctor is a wife-beater at home, should he still be considered a professional?"
"When and how have you made an organization better?"
"What are your thoughts about the statement "When a patient says they are in pain, then they are in pain, whether or not the pain is physical or imagined.""
"What if patients loved this physician, co-workers loved him, he was just a great doctor. But, he is an alcoholic who beats his wife. Is he still a professional? (based off my original definition of a professional)"
"Should the government establish a policy that facilitates going to Canada to buy prescription drugs?"
"How would you solve the problems of uninsured ppl in the US? Resource allocation problems. "
"Should we have a death penalty in the United States? (I brought up the topic)"
"Give a recent (w/in the last year) experience that was negative, and what you did to make it positive?"
"How have you helped a small buisiness grow or increase in productivity?"
"How do I know you won't drop out of the MD/PhD program after a few years?"
"If a physician fits my definition of professionalism (which I had defined previously), but is an alcoholic and beats his wife, is he still a professional?"
"Same as above"
"What is the most pressing healthcare problem, and your solution to it?"
"What is the thing you are LEAST proud of?"
"How should we solve the problem of providing adequate medical care to the uninsured? How have you been exposed to working w/ people of different backgrounds (minorities)?"
"NA"
"Have you dealt with your own mortality? How so?"
"With such good MCAT scores, GPA, and essays, why did you score a 'M' on the writing sample?"
"On a scale from 1-10 with 1 being least humble and 10 being very humble, how humble are you?"
"Re-read primary and secondary app, did mock interviews, reviewed SDN info"
"Read my primary and secondary applications."
"SDN, school website"
"SDN"
"Reread notes from my "deep dive" into admissions site materials. Reread primary and secondary applications."
"Read SDN interview feedback, asked a friend about her experience interviewing here."
"Read SDN questions, read Mayo Med website"
"Went over AMCAS, read about Mayo, looked over SDN interview feedback. MAKE SURE you sit AFTER the interviewer sits. Maintain good posture, and do NOT interrupt the interviewer."
"Prepared answers to common questions and review application materials."
"Practice questions"
"Reading SDN interview feedback, keeping up to date with health news (although that never came up in my specific interview), learning as much as I could about Mayo Medical School (via SDN and their own website), mock interviewing with friends/in front of a mirror"
"Sdn, read A LOT, didn't "prepare" so that I was myself"
"Reviewing Mayo website, especially their "three shields" values, model of care, etc. Stayed with student host and asked lots of questions."
"SDN, review AMCAS, website, talked to student host, etc."
"SDN, watching reruns on USA before bed"
"Review AMCAS."
"It was my 8th interview, did mock interviews, read the Mayo website for hours, etc."
"SDN, mock interview, had several interviews before this one, read the website. "
"I had been to a 5 interviews before, so I did not worry about preparing as much. (even though it was my top choice!) If you have not been to an interview before, I would suggest doing a mock-interview with your school's career services department."
"I read the Mayo Medical School website, learned about Rochester, MN, viewed SDN, and stayed with students"
"Read over my AMCAS application, and went through the Mayo Medical School website to get an idea of the curriculum and of Mayo's philosophy about patient care"
"SDN, website, brainstorming"
"read SDN--lots of questions came up!"
"Reading Mayo site, SDN, ethics (although none of this was really necessary)."
"SDN Interview Feedback, Mayo's site, reviewing my AMCAS and secondary essays"
"SDN, Mayo.edu"
"mayo website, sdn"
"read about mayo"
"Mayo website, history"
"Reading questions from this forum, talking to current medical students"
"reading my AMCAS, books"
"SDN, school's website, AMCAS application"
"Read the questions on this site...many of the questions were the same although there were some variances and completely new ones"
"SDN, Mayo website"
"1) Reviewed AAMC medical school book 2) Reviewed the Mayo website 3) Read article(s) on the latest medical developments 4) Mock-interviewed with another medical school applicant"
"Read up on Mayo, if you are interviewing in the future go to the web site and read the "Mayo Model of Care" a few times, this info is critical because I don't think it is for everyone and it is something you have to agree with if you want to head to MMS."
"Read Mayo's website, SDN interview feedback, prayed in the hospital chapel, etc."
"Sheesh! I wish I had known about SDN before I went for this interview! I prepped by reading the Mayo website, the Rochester website, and emailing back and forth with a 4th year Mayo student."
"SDN, reading primary"
"read over comments on SDN, Mayo's website and my AMCAS application"
"I looked at the questions posted on SDN, especially the 8/21/2002 posting. I also read through my AMCAS application and browsed the Mayo Medical School website."
"Read my primary application, Mayo's website"
"Read over SDN, Mayo website, AMCAS app."
"SDN, their WEBSITE has lots of info about their program."
"Read SDN, read school materials"
"Read SDN, read over Mayo website"
"SDN, practiced answering questions w/ boyfriend, school website"
"SDN, the questions listed previously were pretty much the same with minor variations."
"SDN - almost word for word questions, read mayo literature and visited the web site- I also read Harry Potter"
"Of course sdn, amcas app"
"Familiarized myself with my application. Spoke with physicians about healthcare politics since I knew that's a popular topic at Mayo interviews."
"This website, Mayo website."
"SDN, read over app, studied up on ethical issues + healthcare issues."
"website, my application"
"SND. The Mayo web-site. My application and personal statement."
"SDN. Practiced the questions. They are all standardized."
"SDN, read over my AMCAS application, looked over Mayo mission statement & curriculum"
"Read over my application."
"Looked over the questions here. They were almost verbatim. I chose not to prepare specific answers, but I did get some general ideas of what I wanted to say."
"SDN was the best way to prepare beecause the phone interview is a standardized questionaire. "
"This website, Mayo website, & MSAR."
"I read the questions posted previously, but I decided not to prepare answers. I did not want my answers to seem scripted in any way. If I am right for Mayo, they will know it and so will I."
"read my app"
"SDN, mayo website, AMCAS app, talked with a couple of mayo grads I am friends with"
"SDN, amcas"
"Read the questions on this post and the Mayo web site. READ the questions from previous posts...they are almost verbatim."
"SDN feedback - questions posted in early October of last year were repeated almost verbatim. There were a couple of other questions not on that, but they were of similar type (ie. what do you think of such and such personal characteristic, and give me an example of a time you have demonstrated it)."
"Read detailed questions from 8/21/2002 posting on this site, thought about answers. Read other posts. Looked at Mayo web site to find out more about school and curriculum. Made sure phone battery would not run out during call, went to bathroom before call, had a glass of water handy, gave dog a bone to keep him quiet."
"read SDN, Mayo web site, looked up issues on abortion, stem cell research, and euthanasia"
"Read Mayo's web page and this website."
"read SDN and Mayo websites"
"Read up on Mayo, their website's really good. Also corresponded with some Mayo students beforehand."
"Read website and other information."
"Read all the questions posted on this Web Site, reviewed my AMCAS application."
"Very prepared."
"Looked up what my interviewers were doing."
"This site and Mayo web site."
"Spoke to Mayo med students and perused the website."
"I didn't"
"Reviewed my AMCAS application, their school description online, and why I wanted to go there. "
"Read the website, searched online for other peoples' interview experiences."
"Read the materials they sent me, checked interview feedback, SDN"
"Read this site and read about the Mayo tradition."
"It was hard to really prepare. I just reviewed the basics: why I want to be a doctor, why I want to go to Mayo. Also, I thought a lot about how I would answer any questions about my personal history. However, it was a formatted interview, and their were no personalized questions."
"I found a number of these question in the SDN forums beforehand."
"Not too much."
"Read interviewfeedback.com -- thought real hard about my reason for medical school."
"VERY relaxed, friendly, & conversational. Super low-stress. I promise"
"Mayo seems like an amazing school -- everyone I spoke to over the interview week seemed to be absolutely in love with the entire Mayo system and think it's the absolute best, and many of them had intentionally come to Mayo after being at other top schools."
"The campus is beautiful, and the physicians, staff, and students were incredibly down to earth and friendly."
"Students, curriculum, resources"
"I mean Mayo is really the mecca of medicine. The hospital system speaks for itself."
"Book suggestions for follow-up emails."
"The gym. They have one for patients, one for employees. Both look AMAZING!"
"Amazing school and facilities, students are happy, faculty is very approachable"
"Everything. I was completely blown away by this school. The people, the facilities, the philosophy of the school (patient centered care), the curriculum (SELECTIVES = AWESOME)!"
"The opportunities as a medical student that affect your success in residency and in your career- selectives, publication of research, etc."
"How attentive they were during the interview"
"The facilities and the amount opportunities for students."
"Everything"
"Pretty much everything about Mayo. The students, the staff, the faculty, the facilities, and an environment where I truly felt like I could fulfill my potential in medicine."
"Everything - faculty, students, staff, area, facilities,"
"Immensity of clinical opportunities, small class size, lots of individual attention, amazing facilities, best art that you'll ever see in a hospital."
"Facilities, students, friendly atmosphere, simulation center, fitness center, curriculum, class size, subway system, selectives, etc. "
"The entire school. This place is like Disney World for doctors. I mean, common, there is a grand piano in the main lobby of the clinic..."
"Everything. Really, everything. Just look at the website and if you get an interview you will have no further questions about what a medical school should be."
"1. The tuition + scholarships are crazy 2. The support of students ($5k travel stipend anyone?) 3. The Mayo Clinic was AMAZING 4. The interviewers were nice, everyone was down-to-earth and non-pretentious 5. The free time to explore was awesome and let me get to know my fellow interviewees, who ended up being really cool. 6. The gym was super nice and inexpensive (or free, I still don't know) 7. The curriculum is awesome (selectives rule!) 8. Pass/Fail grading anyone? 9. Three week orientation, get to know your classmates 10. Class size of 50 is perfect for me..... AND SO ON..."
"Everything. Curriculum, tuition, facilities, class size, clinical emphasis, great lunch, etc."
"Mayo's support of its students is unparalleled, and its facilities are mind-boggling. "
"The students and doctors all seemed very happy to be there and proud to be members of the Mayo Clinic. My interviewers were both friendly and were very familiar with my file. The small class size (42) really lets you get to know your classmates and professors. The curriculum has the most flexibility due to selectives to let students tailor their education to their interests.The Mayo Clinic is really one of the best healthcare facilities in the world, and students get to work with some of the finest physicians. "
"Mayo is an amazing school, and extremely unique, sometimes in ways that I wish other med schools would follow. The yearly tuition is $30,000 but every student is guaranteed at least a $15,000 scholarship, and most end up with a $25,000 dean's scholarship. So the student debt is extremely low, plus housing around Rochester is very reasonably priced. Their curriculum is set up so that there are interdisciplinary blocks, and between each block is a 2-week selective, which students can design however they want - shadowing, going abroad, doing community service, or just taking a vacation. I think the idea is fantastic, and really prevents the students from getting burned out. The Mayo Clinic is awesome, and probably the most beautiful facility I have seen so far. Its tradition of putting the patient first is not something that is just said, but is tangibly shown. Also, the gym there is ridiculous - tons of machines, two swimming pools, and free personal training and exercise classes."
"These were some of the nicest people I ever met. I was given a one on one tour, talked with the dean, and had two very nice people interview me. The staff walks you through the entire interview day process. Everyone you meet is ready and willing to ask questions. The day was very well structured. The facilities at Mayo are AMAZING and they have the money to back up their students with financial aid."
"Everything. Everything. Everything. The school, the facilities, the faculty, the students (especially the students!). Everything."
"The facilities are amazing and the students seem incredibly happy. Also, Jane is SO fantastic!"
"The school and clinic has A LOT of funding, and students are super friendly."
"The opportunities available for Mayo med students - the world really seems to be at their fingertips! Also, everyone is extremely nice."
"Everything, I was unprepared from the website/reputation/reading for how big the place is, and the cool part is the whole place is the medical school as students get to go everywhere and I saw ones interacting with faculty there in ways I don't even think would be possible at some of the other schools I int'ed at."
"The people, the students, the sense of community among the first years, my host was super nice, the curriculum is awesome, that the physicians are on salary so they like teaching, the list could go on"
"the facilties of the mayo clinic. it's world-class. i feel like this is still an understatement. i felt like i was in a fancy hotel or a museum. they really TAKE CARE of their patients. students seemed SOOOO kind."
"Mayo Clinic buildings, very very nice, better than any other school I interviewed at. Also the history and tradition, not so full of themselves about being a good school, more focused on helping people as physicians. Tradition of helping the poor, etc. "
"Personal attention from faculty and friendly staff"
"food, hotel, some of the faculty"
"The people are very nice. The facilities are BEAUTIFUL. There is a scholarship that anyone who wants it (in medical school) can get to go abroad to help underserved areas. The MD/PhD pays for your entire time in the program--even during your grad school years so the responsibility doesn't fall on your PI. Cost of living is INCREDIBLY cheap. Rochester is very safe. M1 and M2 are pass/fail."
"n/a"
"The most impressive quality was the enthusiasm of both staff and students. It appears that students are treated with respect and can readily develop a good raport with faculty. Mentors are readily available and the school administrators listen to students. The curriculum was recently changed on account of this."
"Everyone at Mayo was INCREDIBLY nice - the admissions staff, the medical students, my interviewers, people you bump into on the Mayo campus, and even just random Minnesota residents. My student host in particular was an awesome person."
"Everything. The clinic is AWESOME. I was more impressed by Mayo than by my interview at Yale (Yales students were hardly energetic, and the faculty didn't seem friendly). Clinic, people, students, all seem to really love being there. "
"Alright so MMS is pretty incredible, the facilities are second to none and the new simulation center is just ridiculous. The class size is small, but what a great collection of people. A very dynamic group of people. Honestly, everything about this place is terrific, even the social life which I expected to be terrible was reasonable. "
"The students all seemed friendly and down to earth, the kind of people that I would be good friends with. I knew that Mayo was going to be amazing, but it was still incredible to see the huge hospital complex. The secretaries, the dean and all the students were so welcoming."
"The people are so nice, and the facilities are great! Most notably, the new patient simulation labs are incredible. Overall, it's hard to accurately describe the classiness of the place! Everywhere I looked there was fine art and well-dressed people. They even have a grand piano in the main lobby of the hospital that anyone is allowed to play. Mindblowing."
"The facilities."
"pretty much everything...its MAYO. But especially I was impressed by the financial support they have available to the students (during the day they kept telling us about different opportunities available [ie: getting an MPH, law degree, etc or doing a clerkship abroad for 2 months] that they had full scholarships for. It was amazing. This was also my first interview that I was really impressed with the other interviewees (not just intelligent but also exceptional people). There were random students all day long that were very willing to drop what they were doing and talk about the school. The admissions office sends an email out to all the mayo students before each interview time to say who's coming and where they went for undergrad (so if there are any alumni from your school, they can contact you)"
"OK, hands down this school is amazing. I get the feeling that if this school was located in anywhere but Rochester, everyone would want to go there. The administration was a class above every other med school I've been too. They really stressed that they want you to go where you think you'll fit, they were extremely courteous... and its the Mayo Clinic, prime ministers from other countries come there for treatment and your working with specialists who lead their field. Amazing school. They offer scholarships to everyone, at WORST your going to pay 12,000 a year, housing is cheap too! Medical students seemed so respected (theres only 42 of them in a class) and I was amazed when I sat in a lecture in one of the Clinic buildings and there was a lecturer, and then five doctors specific to that field that took questions, and added more for students. Just amazingly impressive. Oh and if that wasn't enough, you get scholarships to cover costs for dual degrees, and they cover expenses for you to do rotations abroad for 2 months. A WEALTH of opportunities and connections."
"The woman who conducted the phone interview, Jane, was very friendly and calming. She made the experience much more relaxing."
"Facilities are BEAUTIFUL, Faculty/Student ratio, early patient contact, bargain tuition...basically everything."
"The facilities are *amazing*. Everything is brand new and in tip-top shape (that's what happens when you have money!) The students also seemed really enthusiastic and happy to be there."
"The lady was very nice over the phone."
"Mayo's amazing facilities and staff. The abundant funding for research options and international rotations. Board pass rates and match list."
"Once I settled down, it was easier than I thought, and the time flew."
"Mayo's mission, faculty, students, facilities, St. Mary's - Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital, finaid"
"The people - everyone was amazingly kind. The clinic's overriding philosophy that the patient always comes first."
"The facilities, the people, the tuition...just about everything. The people there were very nice and eager to tell you about Mayo."
"Everything. The lecture we sat in on, the facilities, the down-to-earth students, the student:faculty ratio, the financial aid."
"Mayo is a tremendous facility. The hospital is absolutely amazing and even more astounding because it is relatively in the middle of nowhere. The history of the place is really neat, and it is something that they are very proud of and love to talk about. Everyone, students and faculty, was very friendly and helpful. When we were eating lunch with the students, three faculty members stopped to say hello. you get the impression that everyone wants to be there. The financial aid is fantastic. "
"The fact that they cared enough about us to interview only 2 students at a time vs a large group of students. That we met for a long period of tiem with the Dean of Admissions. The faculty and staff were all so cool and nice. The faculty and staff knew all the students. I was allowed to observe the anatomy disection lab. I loved the faculty member that I interviewed with. I felt like we could have talked all day. "
"The facilities (of course), the friendliness of the administrative staff, faculty and students, the lecture hall"
"EVERYTHING--happy and cohesive students, quality of teaching, 11:1 faculty student ratio, relatives nearby, international opportunities, clinical training, away rotations, you name it."
"She said I would know within about two weeks. Also, she was really, really nice."
"Mayo is the only school I've had experience with that actually lets the candidate know when they can expect to hear about the next phase of the application process. That is greatly appreciated, particularly in light of the fact that many shcools don't even let the candidate know when the application was received."
"This is the best school I went to. I interviewed at most of the top schools and this was the best. The Mayo beats Harvard, Duke, Wash U, Iowa and Baylor."
"EVERYTHING! Mayo is my dream school - tuition is cheap, facilities are amazing, the clinical opportunities are endless, and there are tons of chances to study abroad or at least go to the Mayo clinics in Jacksonwille or Scottsdale during the summer"
"the financial aid, incredible stats such as ridiculously high board scores, 100% residency matching...everyone seems so accomplished, and it seems to be a result of being at that school. The small class size. I would think that the students must be incredibly spoiled by the high faculty-to-student ratio. (12 to 1, I think?!)"
"Jane, the lady conducting the interview is SUPER nice, as has already been said by all the other posters, but I would like to echo"
"facilities, friendly people (admininstrative staff, faculty, students)"
"The students seemed extremely friendly and sincere."
"The admissions office staff and the students were extra friendly. When we were walking around the school, students came up to us and asked how things go... very friendly and supportive environment. Also Mayo clinic is HUGE. It's like a city of its own. There is no doubt med students get the best education possible. They really take care of you. "
"The Mayo Clinic was very unusual, but it would be a great place to be. It feels like a couple blocks of a big city, lots and lots of people around and very tall buildings. The students were from all over and had such diverse backgrounds. They seemed to be really great friends with each other. The housing was really nice. I saw several students' homes and they lived close to campus in very nice and warm little houses in nice neighborhoods. There are 2000 doctors there, and the students are given time during the week to shadow them, and most do it a lot. And the docs are supposedly really happy to have the students there and teach them well and give them hands on experience. The day is long but there is a lot to see. I walked around outside at the little shops and restaurants. I also thought that Rochester was a fine town. It has a population of about 90,000 and would be fine for me. I don't need a huge city, but if I have a good group of friends I will have fun (beside I don't have a lot of money to waste). There is a lot of outdoors stuff to do if you are not afraid to embrace the cold, and the not cold season is really really nice. I enjoyed the cool weather and blue sky. "
"The students are top dog there. The staff almost seems to exist for the sole purpose of serving them. The community feeling among students, and between faculty and students is undeniable. And the students are awesome... they are all unique in they're own way, I did not meet one person who is NOT cool."
"The smaller class size, financial aid, quality of staff, research quarter, clinical experience, and the clinic!"
"The phone interviewer, Jane, was very nice and made the akward experience much more bearable."
"(Telephone interview)"
"I have no doubt that Mayo has a great medical school. Mayo is something you should at least see once in your life. No matter what you think about the place, it's huge, it's full of money, and it's different."
"Everyone! Staff, faculty and students were all very, very positive and helpful. Mayo Foundation has tons of $$$, so facilities are great. They have audio/video hookup with their clinics in Jacksonville and Scottsdale so in some lectures, you get interaction with students there (on rotation). Also, met Dean Windebank. He said he normally does a formal-type powerpoint presentation, but decided to just sit down with us (6 of us) and talk. It was a very interactive conversation about all sorts health care issues. I felt that, if I still had a question, I could go to his office and ask him."
"Everyone was extremely nice and supportive. The students were enthusiastic and the facilities were the best that I have seen. Specialist at the Mayo Clinic come to the anatomy lab and assist students on the part of the body that they know best. "Mini" rotations in the second year, and all rotations are one on one."
"The spectacular facilties, the enthusiastic students, the general ambience of Mayo. Also, the frankness of the Admissions Staff, and the complete packet of information they provide."
"Incredible student-faculty ratios of like 1:20, meaning you get mostly 1-on-1 interactions especially during your clinical rotations! Beautiful outpatient facilities...the subway level is like a mall. "
"The facilities are top notch. The buildings are beautiful, and the faculty seem eager to teach the students. I was really taken back by how extravagant the main Mayo Building is. They are a very wealthy school."
"The clinic! It's amazing to actually BE at the Mayo Clinic. It's an incredible atmosphere, and the quality of the practicing/teaching doctors and med school staff would be hard to beat."
"Phone interview - No visit"
"The interviewer was incredibly friendly. Her manner really helped to relieve some of the nervousness I felt."
"The facilities, the students, the faculty, the staff...everything impressed me about this place. It was quite remarkable. "
"There was no visit."
"Nothing really"
"The stress test and crossing the line to do so (see my other comment)"
"Still not convinced on living in Rochester. I guess everyone is at different points in life and have different priorities, but I feel like I'd be more in love with living here if I was 30 with a family and not in my low-mid 20s. If location is not a huge deal for you, you will love the school."
"Nothing really comes to mind."
"Both of my interviewers grilled me."
"They stated that for the class matriculating in 2014, they will be changing the financial aid structure. It will begin to be need-based as opposed to "everyone gets everything"...not sure how this will affect the fact that most Mayo med students currently get most of their tuition covered."
"The physician asked me an ethics question."
"the small number of acceptances"
"The cold. And even though Rochester's a city, it sure feels like a small town."
"Nothing. It was freezing but everything else overshadows that"
"Rochester: cold winter, early closing time, not lots of cultural life."
"Anatomy is only 6-weeks long, which makes it unbelievably grueling"
"The only downside is the location - it is not a buzzing metropolis, but then again, you don't have much time for a buzzing metropolis in med school."
"It was a bit cold, Rochester wasn't that nice but it's fine. "
"Rochester (125,000 people) would take some getting used to for someone coming from a big city."
"The location in Rochester. The immediate area around Mayo is very nice, with coffee shops, restaurants, and bookstores, but outside of the clinic, Rochester doesn't offer too much. There are scattered shopping areas, a few bars, and one comedy club...but that's about it. Minneapolis is an hour-and-a-half away. The city can get very cold in the winter, but fortunately, you can get around the medical school and all the clinic buildings through the "subway," which is a system of nice underground hallways."
"Weather is a slight issue, but May is def worth it."
"Rochester is TINY!"
"Nothing!"
"Small town, but lots of cultural stuff (you have to look for it), and twin cities is close...but more of a town problem than a school one I guess."
"i'm single and not from the area. the class size is small. i dont know if i would build a network of friends and have the support that i do at home. "
"The -10 degree weather (and that I missed the superbowl!)"
"students are laid back. Rochester is very small."
"Rochester is, well, small. There wouldn't be a lot of opportunities for my fiance, although someone in the program said his wife was able to find a job at Mayo (because where else would you work in Rochester, beside IBM?). The medical school is very inflexible about re-entering into your M3 year--you have about a 2-month window during the fall before you have to wait until the next year to start your M3. There isn't an abundance of laboratories in the Virology and Immunology departments (my area of interest) but each lab does GREAT research. In your M1 year you don't do anatomy until the middle of the year. Also you only get 5 weeks off in the summer--only enough time to barely do one lab rotation, which only lasts one month (SHORT!)."
"n/a"
"I live in Washington, DC so it was a cultural shock to come to Rochester, Minnesota. Residents are friendly but the ethnic diversity gave me pause. Most of the travelers that come to Rochester are patients."
"Rochester is kind of out of the way."
"Nothing. It was all awesome. (Even the freakishly cold weather wasn't as bad as I expected!)"
"The weather (YIKES, blizzard when I was there, it was hard to even walk in!)"
"Rochester isn't that exciting."
"The only negative, location. Rochester is an allright town. Nothing amazing. The clinic makes up for it because it is so diverse, has a diverse patient base (global) and world class resources. Minneapolis/St. Paul is onlya n hour away. But still, rochester kinda blows."
"Location in Rochester, Minnesota. But honestly, the pros of this school completely outway this."
"Not a fan of Rochester, since really all there is there is Mayo. I'm a big city person, so I probably wouldn't enjoy living there."
"The student facilities seemed a little small, but I have to keep reminding myself that there's only 42 of them in each class!"
"NO FEEDBACK"
"I suppose the location, but that is easily overlooked with this place."
"I suppose location, but really, with this caliber of school, the place could be underwater and I'd still want to go."
"The student to faculty ratio is obviously fabulous in many ways, but the small class I would think would be overwhelming after a while. The class also seemed older/more married couples than at the other schools I visited (This could be good or bad depending on what you are looking for)."
"The student interview was somewhat dry with very standardized questions. He was late and hardly looked over my file and my qualifications that I was most proud of instead he asked me political questions and spent forever explaining my research work in common terms. They were good questions I have never had before, but I don't feel he got to know me to the same extent as the physician interviewer."
"Rochester"
"It's cold, Rochester isn't the best town for a bachelor, it's a 7 hour drive on country roads from my home, lots of older students (again, not the best for dating)."
"It was strange not to have any feedback."
"Nothing."
"Of course, the weather!"
"Hmmm...not much! The city of Rochester isn't great, but I can definitely think of worse places"
"the LOOOONG interview day. I was afraid that I was coming off as standoffish when I was just incredibly tired and jet-lagged."
"It was difficult to not get clarification on questions - there were a couple where it would have been helpful"
"not a lot to do in rochester but hang out with the med students"
"The public tour was kind of boring."
"Rochester does not have anything else. Everything revolves around Mayo. Mayo is the whole town. Everyone who lives there is employed by the hospital. The weather sucks and there's nothing else to do and no where else (close) to go to when you're bored. Apart from that, Mayo is a great school!"
"The public tour of the clinic is 2 hours long, and I really could have taken the walk and seen what they showed me in 30 minutes, but the tour guide goes into great detail about everything. It is about the history of Mayo and the founders, and their families, and their pets, and ...etc. It was hard to patiently enjoy it while I still had an interview to do. "
"One word: Rochester. It sucks. It's fairly diverse for a small town, but I can't imagine not being bored there. You have to find things to do. Also, no student housing. And it's a LONG frickin day. The Mayo clinic tour (which is open to the public) is unbelievably boring and long. It's a long day in general, wear comfortable shoes."
"If I had to name one thing, it would be Rochester. It is not the most exciting place, but the city is safe and the students still have fun!"
"Kind of impersonal, but I think it was better than having to answer all those questions on paper!"
"Location. It's super-duper cold and there's no parking for students. That either leaves you walking around in the -40 weather or waiting for shuttle busses. Beyond getting in and out, Rochester is practically a ghost town on the weekend. There's nothing to do there. Everyone goes to Minneapolis/St. Paul if they want to do anything. It's not MSTP. I'm not sure what not being MSTP means in the long run, but I think it would be more attractive if it was. They made me pick alot of people to interview with, but when I started looking, I realized there was almost nobody there I wanted to work with. The only kind of work there that really seems full of people is oncology. If you're interested in cancer, apply. It's a traditional cirriculum. They boast high boards scores with it, and I bet you could learn alot. But omg, 8 - 5 5 days a week is not for me. Maybe it could cut down on the boredom?"
"It was -9 degrees!"
"There is no PBL, and on some days there is class from 8-11am and then 1-5pm. Mayo is in Rochester, MN, and there are very few extracurricular activities to do there. It is also very very cold. "
"The match list. The school sends roughly 30-40% of its grads to Mayo for residency each year, but removing that, I wasn't very impressed by the rest of it."
"The length of the day. 10 hrs. "
"The town of Rochester is a little dull for someone who has come from a major city. There doesn't seem like there is a lot to do for fun out there. "
"The small class size. I'm single and will be entering straight out of undergrad, so it was harder to relate to some of the students who were quite a bit older than me adn married with children."
"nothing"
"The interviewer was only allowed to ask the pre-written questions. She explained that she could not re-phrase them or clarify in anywas. Since the interview was on the phone, she would ask the question and I felt like I was talking to the wall, since she did not respond to my answers and when I was done, there would be this awkward silence. I wasn't sure if she was waiting for me to say something else or what."
"If I had to pick on something it would be the student facilities (computer room, rec room). They were good but as compared with everything else they were a but shabby...but I wouldn't complain about them in the slightest."
"The interviews were both very chill -- I didn't need to worry so much"
"There will be a stress-test"
"To wear more comfortable shoes."
"Get to know you the other interviewees as much and as soon as you can."
"Mayo recycles the behavioral/HR type of questions all the time. I actually saw some of the questions before the interview but unfortunately didn't prepare for them as seriously as I could have."
"It may be cold or windy, be prepared"
"Bring a jacket. Part of the tour is above-ground (not in a subway) and it will be freezing."
"Not to interrupt the interviewer, even if it's to correct your question. To sit down after the interviewer sits. In any ethics question, NEVER harm a patient, even if that means wasting resources."
"How much I would fall in love with it even though I was already pretty obsessed."
"That Starbucks closes at 6pm. That it's still wicked cold in October. That there would be so much of the clinic to explore. That the 'Subway' system is an underground walkway."
"That I would leave with an awesome Mayo Clinic t-shirt! (that I purchased)"
"How friendly and non-intimidating the interviewers would be. "
"Not to worry about it. If you are honestly who you claimed to be on your application, they saw something they liked and want to know more. Show them your true colors and relax!!"
"I have spent lots of time at Mayo, so nothing surprised me or anything. If you have not been here before, look at the website extensively and really understand Mayo's core principles."
"Rochester is only an hour and a half shuttle ride from Minneapolis, which is a more affordable plane ticket. Ask students about where to visit during your free time during the interview day."
"How great the clinical experiences at Mayo are. Students who have shadowed surgeons as one of their selectives have actually been able to participate in surgeries - from making incisions to performing full surgeries on pigs - and this is just in their first few months of year one. The amount of trust that Mayo puts in its students is wonderful - they really are treated like equals."
"Student interview was slightly more formal than I first thought."
"Wish I had known how much I would love this school. Now I can't stop thinking about Mayo..."
"The Rochester airport is horrible. I had 5 flights get cancelled before I finally went to Minneopolis. GO THERE FROM THE GET-GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"how quiet the rochester airport is. i took off my socks, unpacked, and slept in the airport for a few hours. there was only one other guy there waiting. "
"Rich history that is very much still important to the people there."
"Students are paid from the foundation and not their PI so they can work with their professor of choice."
"rochester is very small. VERY SMALL. Very boring. I'm not saying u have to have lots of fun, but really, there's nth to do here. research is not diverse enough and school is too small."
"M1/M2 are pass/fail. Also that Rochester is very small, and it basically consists of Mayo and IBM."
"I wish I had known that the ''subway'' is not a train but an underground walkway connecting major city points, which would have been a good thing to realize since it was 20 degrees and snowing the day I arrived. Also, traveling to Minneapolis (and taking the bus to Rochester) may have been a good deal easier than traveling by plane to Rochester directly."
"Mayo is a non profit trust."
"I wish I had known beforehand what a small chance I had of getting in. My advisor's guidebook had said that normally the interview 250, accept 60 and waitlist 100. In reality, they accept 34 and take around 12 off the waitlist out of 350 interviewees!!!!"
"The phone interview was done to test how compatible a candidate's behavioral pattern is with the behaviors of Mayo's most successful physicians. Unlike the last person who posted about their Mayo interview, I was not told that people interviewing toward the end of February were only interviewing for a spot on the waiting list rather than outright admission. That's rather disappointing, but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed."
"I found out from interviewer when I got there that if you aren't accepted already (so before feb. 20th) you're just interviewing for a wait spot!!! :("
"Money is not an issue, you don't have to worry about debt and they basically pay for any opportunity you wish to pursue. 94% of applicants match at their top three choices, 90% match at their TOP CHOICE!. They ever had a stat sheet saying: USMLE Step 1 National Average: 215 USMLE Step 1 Harvard average: 225 USMLE Step 1 Mayo average: 235 No wonder their match list is so impressive!"
"Possibly bring a good book if 2 hours of touring time is too much."
"You have 30 minutes to answer 24 questions. That some questions you just answer YES or NO, and if you answer YES then there is a follow up question."
"Nothing, really."
"There is no real tour, just the tour they're giving to everyone there. You can take the self-guided one though."
"The interviews were not as stressful as I anticipated - but that's fine with me."
"the tour is pretty much self guided"
"The phone interview gets LONG and I got really tired. Try not to get nervous. "
"The interview day is very self directed. They tell you when your interviews are and give you a list of other things they would like you to see and places they would like you to go. So, don't expect to be led around for the entire day...much of it is time to explore on your own."
"Not much."
"nothing"
"Rotations in Jacksonville and Scottsdale during 3rd/4th years are paid for (along with housing, transportation, etc.) by Mayo"
"to wear comfortable shoes with no height whatsoever because I must have walked miles during all the tours."
"Bring a book, there is a lot of down time during the day"
"LOOOOOOOOOONG day... Besure to get a lot of sleep the night before because the day really tires you out. Don't bring too much winter clothes. Even though it's bitterly cold there, they have underground tunnels that you can walk through around the whole downtown area (which includese like one mall, 2 hospitals and some hotels). "
"You can fly into Minneapolis and take a shuttle to Rochester and that may save you money. "
"Spending an extra day in Rochester is definitely worth it, especially if you can stay and hang out with a med student."
"n/a"
"The isolation."
"Before going there I was so nervous because--it's MAYO! Everyone there is so nice. They really want to know who YOU are, on a personal level. No one is out to get you."
"Much of Rochester is linked by underground walkways. Bring comfortable walking shoes. If you're so inclined, skip the two-hour tour in the morning, it was the single most agonizing experience of my interview season."
"No surprises for me. "
"The day is very long, so try as best you can to get a good nights rest before, even if you are nervous. You are going to be tired."
"How grueling this day is! The entire experience lasted about 10 hours - by then end I was completely exhausted. There is a two hour walking tour of the facilities (kinda dull), so be sure to wear comfortable shoes!"
"NA"
"There is a long public tour of the Mayo facilities. It's a long day at Mayo and you are on your feet a lot so be prepared for that."
"The school, MDs, and students do certainly give off a "cult" vibe. (They are NOT a cult, at least not as far as I know, but they do give off the vibe). They want people who will abide to the Mayo system and philosophies...some not so orthodox."
"Absolutely loved this school and would go there in a heartbeat."
"Amazing place"
"Mayo values communication, but it's not everything. If you are a strong enough applicant, you may be just fine without sending LOI."
"Absolutely loved the school and the people!"
"The school is very student centered. The admissions staff goes out of their way to make you feel comfortable. My interviews were both low stress and it was clear that my interviewers just wanted to get to know more about me as a person, my motivation for medicine, and specific interest in Mayo. Also Mayo Clinic is gorgeous and an absolute dream. All of the facilities are stunning."
"Bring a pair of flat shoes, ladies! The walking tour is done quickly and covers a lot of ground."
"Be yourself, be passionate about what you say, but don't exaggerate your responses/feelings on purpose if your heart truly isn't in it--they can tell when you're faking."
"Be yourself ... That's why Mayo invited you to interview and they really just want to assess the fit so if you try to impress them or give a false representation they will know"
"Wonderful place, with some particularities that may not make it for everyone."
"An amazing school with a world-renowned hospital. This is my #1 (obviously)."
"Great day, it was an honor to visit. "
"Ensure that your answers focus on the patient and a physician's service to society at all times, even if indirectly."
"This interview was a great experience with very friendly and professional admissions staff. I stayed with students and they helped me get a better idea about how I would fit in at Mayo. Mayo admissions seem to place a great amount of emphasis on community service and philanthropy, so having some of these experiences would definitely go far for an applicant."
"AWESOME! This was a school where the only thing that comes in front of med students are the patients they are trained to treat."
"Mayo is amazing. Enjoyed the trip."
"great place, wonderful faculty. small class so we'll see"
"Overall, it very relaxed and stress free. My student host even picked me up from the airport! Interviews were very conversational, and everyone I met was very nice."
"The interview experience at Mayo is really great. There's a lot to see, though, so make sure you know what you might want to take in during your short break time. The interviews are very conversational, but still explore important topics about your application."
"Awe pretty much sums it up, the place is huge. I went to a grand rounds lecture for lunch with some med students (they said they go every day if they want to, and some do), it was amazing! Going in I was 50/50 with a school on the E. coast but after this I'm pretty set on going to Mayo...the acceptance rate isn't encouraging though :("
"Very positive, conversational interviews. The interviewers were really nice and truly love Mayo."
"mayo is a special place. i've been on the interview trail, and the mayo is definitely unique. i would go there if they accepted me. it seems like i would get excellent clinical training. i usually like big groups, so i dont know how a small class size will work for me. nonetheless, i would be honored to be accepted there."
"AWESOME"
"It was amazing. Dinner the first night was only with the other interviewees. The days are grueling so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. The evening dinners are much more casual than I thought they would be (jeans and a sweater are ok). Overall, I had a VERY positive experience and just received the call that I will be going there next year! "
"i will go somewhere else coz i can't imagine spending 8 years here. it's 8.2 graduation time. you have to find somewhere that fits you. not that the school is not good, but the location sucks"
"You have 5 interviews during the day, and 2 faculty interviews whose labs you would like to work in. The interviews are a bit long (45 minutes) and they are particularly looking to see if you will quit the PhD portion of the program halfway through. You go out to dinner with students that night, then meet for lunch the next day. Then you go on a TWO AND A HALF HOUR tour (a bit long) that is actually very complete. You even get to see the helipad! That night you have dinner at the director's house with students and faculty, and basically they are looking to see if you are well-adjusted or not. They are great about answering questions and discussing the downfalls of the program."
"This was Mayo's version of a secondary application; Mayo does phone interviews. My interviewer made me state my name and amcas id and then tested the recorder; then read 2 paragraphs of directions and went straight into the interview questions. There were 24 structured questions"
"This was the Mayo phone interview. The questions were exactly those posted here. I reviewed the questions beforehand and scribbled down a few notes that I referred to during the interview but I didn't specifically prepare answers beforehand."
"It was an incredible experience to visit Mayo. Everyone was friendly and there is a real sense of commitment among staff and students to provide good care for the patients. Staff are committed to developing and fostering the students' interests."
"There is a lot of self-guided exploration time throughout the day - make sure to wear comfortable shoes (!) and to take advantage of this opportunity to dig into some interesting places on campus. My interviewers really took the time to learn about me before the interview, and talking to them was a rich and very pleasant experience."
"Fairly good, laid back. This school was much more impressive than its current ranking suggests...liked it better than the Ivy schools I interviewed at. Only concern...the cold...but they have a nice solution :)"
"Long"
"I attended class, had a little presentation by the secretary, then time to explore by ourselves, then an interview, then lunch and tour with students, then another interview. My first interviewer seemed to hate me, like nothing I said was right- he ended the interview after just 20 minutes. I felt like I had no chance after that; at the end, he said that I was really competitive or something like that but it seemed perfunctory. The other interviewer was so sweet. She didn't ask many questions, and those that she did really allowed me to express myself and my motivation for medicine and for Mayo. This is my top choice school, and with my first interview going so bad I really don't expect to get in."
"My interviewers were polar opposites. The first one seemed to have an agenda for grilling me, while the second one was extremely friendly and funny. In retrospect, it was almost as though they had planned in advance to be "Good Cop / Bad Cop" with me."
"Everything was great, facilities, people; nice school. I only wish I knew they had filled their list of acceptances (at least before I interviewed on the 20th) before I spent all that money flying up. "
"Although it sounds like its going to be a really long day when they initially give you your schedule (especially if you get in after midnight the night before, like I did), but it went by really fast. I enjoyed wondering around all the facilities although at some points it would have been nice to have a tour guide to hear a little more about the various buildings. My first interviewer was much more focused on asking me questions regarding my activites from my AMCAS application. This was my first open-file interview and I didn't know what to expect. It wasn't as if he was trying to drill me about what I had put on my application, he was asking informed questions about my history. My second interview was much more focused on me, as a person. We talked about my time abroad and what I learned but also talked about my strengths/weaknesses. Overall it was a really great interview day. The administration was phenomenal, too."
"This was a standardized and structured phone interview given in lieu of a secondary application. There are 24 questions (some are Yes/No) given in the span of 30 minutes. Jane, the interviewer, was very nice and comforting on the phone."
"The clinics facilities, and opportunities available though the medical school are breathtaking. Small class, great learning, lots of doctors to work with. Great day, very relaxed. I was impressed with the interviewees they had, really nice, humble and intelligent (and really diverse!). My interviewers were very nice and stressed that they were my advocates and just wanted to get to know as much as they could about me. Tour guides loved the school, were really honest, and fun. My number one choice, had no idea the school was this great. "
"This was the phone interview (in lieu of a secondary application). All of the questions were found on previous posts on SDN. Will find out 3-4 weeks after the interview if I am granted a real interview or not. "
"It is a fantastic place to visit in person, the beauty of the architecture is amazing. The small class size is an awesome advantage in the learning process. The class I sat in had a jeopardy game at the end which was fun. Students really view the pass/fail policy and no AOA as a plus. There is no feeling of competitiveness at the school, everyone is trying to help each other out. You have every opportunity to do research with the top doctors in their fields which bodes well for residency matching."
"Overall, positive. My interviews were a little dry, and it was hard to see any feedback from them. "
"I am unsure if it went well and if I was relaxed enough... I guess I will see in 3 weeks time."
"I had two faculty interviews. The first went sort-of blah, I didn't really feel like I made a connection with the interviewer and he kept pressing me to go further on a lot of answers that were already fairly detailed. The second interview, which was observed by a new student member of the adcom, went very well. Cindy and Jane in the admissions office are fantastic. Everyone I met was warm and friendly and clearly in love with Mayo -- and I can see why they are. They aren't kidding when they tell you to wear comfortable shoes... the place is huge (and drop-dead gorgeous)!!"
"This was the phone interview. The questions are already posted by others, so I checked those out. What you do need to keep in mind is that you have 30 minutes to answer 24 standardized questions, so keep that in mind. "
"This was the phone interview. I grew up near Rochester so I filled out the other stuff too, plus I just visited there in July and had a tour and met some people- the facilities are terrific. "
"the faculty/staff/students at Mayo are fantastic. my interviewers were outstanding people – super niceee.. the interviewers didn't throw any curve balls. however, i got nervous with my second interviewer. the interviewees were great people too. going up to rochester was super. i got to experience the snow. being from the sunshine state, i understand that it gets cold in minnie, but it IS one of the most prestigious schools in the world. In the end, I got bumped and a couple of wonderful people I know got accepted. Kudos to those who made the cut. oh yess, for all you respectable bachelors and bachelorettes, Mayo has plenty intelligent and terrific people. "
"two open one-on-one interviews with members of the ad com."
"I really left here wanting to come back. The hospital and people here are so great. This is the only place I interviewed where the facilities they are so amazing that random people are just taking pictures of them."
"It's a long day, but seeing the school and facilities is worth the achy feet. The interviews were much less stressful than I thought they would be - no tricks, just getting to know you better. "
"I liked Mayo a lot. The area is not at all big city, so if you are looking for a city, this is not it. See + and - for specifics"
"Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. There were 2 interviews a physician admission committee member was awesome and an M4 student. We received a lot of individual attention that made me feel like they really cared about me personally. "
"It was not the most pleasurable experience in the world but a nice change to the normal secondary written essays. They asked some pretty strage questions, it was nice to know some ahead of time inorder to think about them."
"It was a very informative and positive day. It wasn't nearly as long as the interviews were last year, so I wasn't as tired as I thought I would be. If possible, try to have your student tour guide take you to a lot of the places on the list of things Jane gives you to explore. It's less intimidating to find your way around that way."
"This was the telephone interview. Almost everything you need is found here, but I wanted to give a couple extra tips. Firstly, while this is standardized, they do seem to mix the questions up somewhat. I had a couple questions my friend did not, and that were not found here. My best suggestion to prepare would be to come up with examples for every question found elsewhere here- even the ones that don't specifically ask for one. Also, know your AMCAS ID number- you need it. Good luck!"
"This is my top choice after my visit, as long as I get a good financial aid package."
"This was just the phone interview. Make sure you're comfy and nobody else is home, if possible. Have a glass of water handy."
"This was the phone interview that they perform instead of a secondary app. About 350 applicants are selected for this and about 250 applicants proceed further to a personal interview. "
"This was the telephone interview. Questions are pretty much the same as mentioned in the previous postings, though I listed a couple here that I weren't on this website. Overall, the interview experience wasn't too stressful. Most of the quesitons are available on this website, so you can decide for yourself if you want to prepare your answers beforehand or just answer on the spot. "
"This is a telephone interview which replaces the secondary application. In some ways it is more difficult than writing an essay because the answers are very important but there is little time to think about the answers. That is a benefit in some ways because it is looking for some core values to determine if the candidate is a good match for the Mayo tradition and philosophy."
"The interview was kindof tough, but the school was great. The clinic was amazing! By going to Mayo Med it is easy to get a residency at one of the best hospitals."
"I was nervous because it's Mayo, and I wanted to do well. The office staff (Cindy and Jane) are incredibly nice and welcoming, and all the students I talked to were great. The interviews weren't super high stress, but one of my interviewers really didn't ask very good questions that allowed my application to shine, but that's how it goes..."
"I really didn't expect to be as impressed as I was with the level of education that Mayo offers. I can't imagine anyone not succeeding once they attend school there. There are a wealth of opportunities there that I didn't really see at the other schools. I left wishing on a star that I would be one of the 40 students matriculating there."
"This was the telephone interview. It was standardized so sometimes you just keep babbling with no feedback. It is also recorded so make sure u sound nice! The interviewr, Joan, is great! Very nice. Just for stats, she said they have about 400 telephone interviews this year, and then will call about 250 to come to Rochester for a personal interview. So good luck everyone!"
"Overall, I was nervous going in because I didn't want to come off sounding like I had already prepared my answers since I saw many of them on this board beforehand. Luckily, they were phrased slightly different, and when it came right down to it, these questions are mostly answered by gut reaction. The purpose of this interview is to see if you are a good fit for Mayo, and I think the questions are pretty good at addressing concrete values. I'm not sure there's really a better way to prepare than to simply be yourself."
"This is the phone interview secondary, with 24 pre-chosen questions and no interaction with interviewer. Pleased to not have to fill out another secondary. This took much less time to prepare. Still, it is intensive and I was tired at the end."
"it was a pretty long day and since I was the only one interviewing that day, it got a little lonely. The administrative staff was very welcoming. Everyone was so nice. I had a lot of people (deans, faculty, students) come up to me and introduce themselves and ask me how things were going. The interviewers were really nice too. They asked some tough questions but overall it was an enjoyable experience."
"Everyone was very friendly and the facilities at the clinic and medical school are amazing."
"It was a long day. The admission staff and the students really want to put as much into you as possible about Mayo. My student interviewer was GREAT although she asked me a lot of 'harder' questions. (I interviewed at other places before and Mayo is the most stressful so far.) The faculty interviewer was not that friendly. My interview was cut short to only 25 min. He didn't seem interested. "
"Mayo is a dream school. The Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins are the top 2 hospitals in the nation, and Mayo only has 42 students per class. The facilities are great for the students with lots of places to study, the nices anatomy lab that I have ever seen (surgery lights above each table, a really nice locker room to change into the provided scrubs before lab, and relativly mild smell). The students say that the learning there is great. Their teachers are so good and the students work together a lot, and they are surprised at how easy it is to learn the material and to keep up with the workload. THey seem to be more laid back than other schools- not stressed out and lots of time for sports and fun. Despite that, they rock the boards. "
"I met a lot of great people the day after my interview, had fun with them and learned more about the school from the perspectives of students in different years. Rochester sucks, but seriously, I could live with it I think if I could go to a school that has such a caring environment, such a high success rate in boards and residency, and costs peanuts compared to other schools."
"The interview is a LONG day! Prepare to be tired at the end of it...they provide a lot of information on the school."
"This was the phone interview, it lasted about 35 minutes, was tape recorded, and relatively easy if you don't mind talking on the phone."
"Phone interview. Interviewer called 5 min. late. Interview took 25-30 min. Almost all of the questions were posted word for word on this web site, so I knew what was coming and had prepared answers. (Some questions were slightly reworded)."
"There was a bunch of interviews with the MD/PhD committee members and possible research faculty on the first day. Some of the committee members were pretty dry and really did not react much to any of the things I was saying. It was a pretty long interview day, but overall it wasn't too bad. They kept us there on Saturday for a tour and for dinner. I'm glad they did. I was never so bored in my entire life. We were right smack in the middle of the town, and still everything was closed. Even the underground walkway was closed. It was so bitterly cold I didn't really wanna go anywhere on the surface. That really convinced me that there's no way I could be there. Note that the students are paying attention to how you behave. So don't get super-drunk and dance on a table, tell racist jokes, etc... So thanks for paying my interview expenses and I'm sure it would be a great place to go to medical school, but it's not for me."
"I would, without a doubt, have no hesitation going there. I'm a California girl, but to be able to learn in that type of environment, I'd put up with the Minnesota winters."
"Stayed with a very friendly student host who took me to a post-Anatomy party. The interview day itselfwas very very long. It started out with a helpful presentation from Jane Satre, and then we were allowed to sit in a first-year lecture, followed by a one-hour interview with a retired physician who worked at Mayo. Afterwards, we were taken on a very frustrating, very extensive two-hour tour that made me want to kill myself. Then there was lunch with two third-years, followed by some 'open-time' where we used the computer lab, and wandered around Rochester and Mayo. This was followed by my second interview, with a fourth-year. To wrap up the day, we were taken on a quick tour of the nearby St. Mary's hospital by a first year student."
"Info packed day. Definitely as long as others have said. 8 am orientation. 2 45-50 min interviews. 10-11:30 public tour of outpatient buildings/historical collections/history of the Mayo Clinic. 12 noon lunch with med student. 1-4, self-led tour of facilities (they tell you where they'd like you to visit). 4-5, tour led by medical student. My first interviewer was very conversational, very encouraging. My 2nd interviewer had a more straightforward Q-and-A approach, but offered much advice on things I should consider when deciding on Mayo, being a west-coaster. Oh yeah, for those of you coming from sunnier climates, Rochester is a verrrry cold place. A heavy coat is a welcome travel accessory."
"Overall the experience was very positive. I arrived at the main student adminstrative building at 7:45 am. We were given a brief introduction to our day as well as some general Mayo information. All the interviews for each interviewee that day are scattered throughout the day, so we all had some free time to sit in on classes, walk around the campus, or check out the student areas between our scheduled interviews. We all met again to eat lunch with a couple of third year medical students. After that we all met with the chair of the admissions committee, and she gave us a presentation of the curriculum and the many opportunities available to us as students here. At the end of the day, a student came to give us a tour of the area, but we were all so tired by that time that we just sat with her and chatted for a while. The interviews themselves were very laid back, with the interviewers just asking questions more to get to know you rather than trick you. They have your application in front of them so they simply asked about things that stood out to them."
"We arrived at the school at 7:45 and had a brief introduction to what we would be doing during the day and to the school in general. There was one interview in the morning, and we were able to sit in on a class. Next was a two-hour tour of the Mayo Foundation, followed by lunch with some of the students in a cafeteria. After lunch we sat in on an anatomy class, had another interview, and visited a student resource lab. At 5:00 we went on a student-guided tour of the med school and some of the clinic buildings. There was an optional tour of St. Mary's hospital after that, but by then we were too tired. Overall, it was a positive experience but a very long day."
"This was a phone interview that is in place of a secondary application. The intervie was laid back and had the primary purpose of learning about my values."
"This is for the secondary that takes the form of a telephone interview. "
"This was an initial phone screen replacing the supplemental application. The following questions were asked (to my recollection): Why do you want to be a Mayo Graduate? Have you ever turned a difficult situation into a positive? Is it important for a doctor to have humility? On a scale of 1 to 10, how humble are you? Is it important for doctors to practice what they preach? How do you stay healthy? Have you ever started a new business? Have you ever improved a business or organization? How? Do you encourage others to work harder? Would you spend more time with a difficult patient or one that follows orders? How would you handle a patient that does not want to follow your orders? Would you ever give up hope on a patient? How do you feel about the statement 'anytime someone says they are in pain, then they are in pain... no matter if it's phsycial or imagined? Do you think about your own mortality? What do you think about it? Do you ever spend time alone? What do you think about when you're alone? Do you like working on a project or being responsible for others in a project? Have you ever been a patient? What did you learn? When making a decision, do you consider all possible negative outcomes? Give an example... What makes you most satisfied about yourself? What grades do you get? Would you say you spend a lot of your time working? Are you a perfectionist? explain... Do you expect perfection from others? What's one of your strongest characteristics? What is your history with smoking, drugs, and alcohol? Is there anything else you'd like to add? Do you think this interview described you well?"
"Started off by meeting the two other interviewees that day and a quick orientation by super friendly Jane and other office staff. Then sat in on classes. Then a first interview with one science faculty and one staff -- about a 50 minute interview. Very friendly and conversational. Sitting comfortable chairs -- none of this behind a desk or conference table stuff. Then a tour of the Mayo clinic. Then lunch with students. Then a talk with the dean of students -- very informal. Then another interview with a resident -- again very conversational and pleasant. Then a tour by students. A long day but very pleasant and lots to learn and see. Incredible library, incredible study room, incredible clinic..."
"This is for the preliminary Mayo Telephone Interview. The school scheduled the interview date/time. It was 30 minutes in length and the questions for very general in nature as all interviewees get the same 24 questions."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 67 |
| Faculty member | 0 |
| Admissions staff | 2 |
| Other | 8 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 43 |
| Neutral | 6 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.54 | 56 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 3 |
| Out of state | 55 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 3 |
| 2-3 hours | 8 |
| 4-6 hours | 18 |
| 7+ hours | 20 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 43 |
| Automobile | 7 |
| Train or subway | 8 |
| Other | 0 |
Rochester International Airport (RST)
the airport in Minneapolis
Rochester
Minneapolis
rst
MSP
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 1 |
| With students at the school | 22 |
| Friends or family | 4 |
| Hotel | 22 |
| Home | 0 |
| Other | 1 |
Yes
Yes
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 7 |
| $101-$200 | 2 |
| $201-$300 | 10 |
| $301-$400 | 11 |
| $401-$500 | 9 |
| $501+ | 7 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.54 | 63 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.82 | 60 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.83 | 59 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.43 | 30 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.33 | 30 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.59 | 27 |
"Nothing, they seem to be doing a great job this year!"
"Throw away the stress tests. Stop playing the games via email with your "show me your interest". The reality is that students need to play the admissions game if they want the best chance at admissions. If you want a great yield for your institution, I suggest changing the system rather than using these tactics. Also never forget the fiasco where they accepted everyone who interviewed and then rejected everyone without explanation, and then proceeded to blame the admissions portal software company (which isn't reasonable because thing like this has never happened in the past and the portal literally does not have any control over sending out acceptance letters). The response was not only delayed but also unprofessional. Applicants never received an explanation. When when they called us to apologize, they still played this "you are on the waitlist" vs "you are HIGH RANKING on the waitlist" game."
"Keep doing what they're doing!"
"Not sure what good those highly ranked emails do..."
"Stay amazing!"
"Keep rocking it!"
"Keep doing what you're doing."
"Don't change a thing. Your school and office is wonderful and friendly. You really put me at ease."
"I enjoyed all of it. There is really nothing I would change."
"More info on the pre-interview time line would be helpful."
"Nothing. Perfect day."
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?