How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.13 | 23 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 21 |
| Negatively | 0 |
| No change | 2 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.18 | 22 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.74 | 23 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.83 | 23 |
No responses
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 1 |
| 20 minutes | 0 |
| 25 minutes | 1 |
| 30 minutes | 5 |
| 35 minutes | 0 |
| 40 minutes | 2 |
| 45 minutes | 1 |
| 50 minutes | 0 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 13 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 4 |
| At a regional location | 8 |
| At another location | 11 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 23 |
| In a group | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 23 |
| Closed file | 0 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.13 | 23 |
"What is a time you faced an ethical dilemma?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Why do you want to become a doctor?"
"Why did you apply (the first time) when you did?"
"Have you ever spent time away from home?"
"Why do you think we should pick you?"
"Why medicine?"
"Define public health and what challenges do you expect to encounter? Where over seas do you see yourself working and why?"
"What do your parents do?"
"Tell me about xyz experience."
"Why do you want to go to Israel?"
"Tell me a little bit about yourself."
"The first one asked about my volunteer experience abroad and the conversation just carried on naturally from there...just basically expanding on what was written in the application"
"TEll me bout yourself"
"Do you have any questions"
"Detailed questions about Peace Corps service and my upbringing."
"Why tropical medicine?"
"How did certain past experiences form my wish to become a doctor?"
"Why Israel? What do your parents think about this choice?"
"Do you have any ideas on what kind of medicine you want to practice?"
"Tell me about this spiritual experience you had. Do you think it was a truly such this, or perhaps your mind was feeling idealistic and wanted to simply help?"
"Are you applying to American medical schools?"
"What is your interest in global health?"
"Tell me about your research."
"Why should we pick you?"
"Why didn't you get in the first round (as your application is strong), and why didn't you apply here last cycle?"
"Why are you interested in international health?"
"What are some of your weaknesses?"
"Who has made the greatest impact on the public health of the NYC? Answer: The mayor. Please explain how you managed to improve your MCAT scores? I have never seen such a jump."
"How will adjust to life in Israel?"
"How did you come to be interested in medicine."
"What type of medicine do you want to practice?"
"Why do you think Ben Gurion would be a good fit for you?"
"The second interviewer took the same approach as the first to start...but added at the end "Is there anything else I should know about you?" Usually those are golden opportunities to take control of the interview but I only ended up mentioning one major thing, my research. Later I regretted not saying much more but I got accepted so I'm guessing it wasn't necessarily a bad thing to keep it short and sweet."
"Ur interest in medicine"
"Medical school is tough. Can you handle it?"
"What else do you want to know about the program?"
"What do you plan on doing after you graduate in medicine?"
"What would be my dream job as a physician?"
"Why the low mcat score?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"Why International Health?"
"What was a time you worked in a team and faced a challenge?"
"Have you been to Israel?"
"Tell me about your family."
"What are your weaknesses?"
"Where do you see yourself in medicine (what field)? Where can you see yourself practicing medicine?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"What area of medicine do you see yourself practicing?"
"What was the most important medical/psychosocial issue seen at the ER you shadowed in?"
"Can you tell me more about your research?"
"They mainly looked off my application and asked Q from there. So be sure and look over this and be able to add more details about international experiences and medical experiences."
"What are your future goals?"
"Is your family supportive of your decision to move to Israel given the political situation/safety issues?"
"Ur researc...and what u want to do in the future"
"Since you have been accepted into Osteopathic school why do you want to go here?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years? What's your dream job?"
"Explain an ethical dilemma you have faced."
"Detailed questions about where I served as a Peace Corps volunteer."
"Particulars about my hobbies, plans for my stay in New York."
"What books have you read latly?"
"Why Israel?"
"Have you thought about if you will do your residency in North America or Israel?"
"What was your most challenging pre-med class?"
"What kind of medicine to you want to pursue? What interesting movie have you watched this year? What interesting books have you read this year?"
"How did you take your father's death?"
"How will you practice medicine internationally if you have to return to the US to pay off your loans?"
"What is your mother's favorite/least favorite thing about you?"
"If you were in a medical school class, and you saw two of your classmates copying from each others notes, what would you do?"
"I was asked if I had read "My Own Country" by Abraham Verghese."
"What do you think is going to happen in Kenya with the political situation there?"
"Does/will your faith affect how you practice medicine?"
"What courses besides your pre-med/science courses do you think will be most useful for medical school/the practice of medicine?"
"If I really wanted to go to an International school given the strength of my file"
"Nothing interesting per se since they were based on my application/essay"
"Tell me about X experience"
"How does rape in Africa contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS?"
"What were the hardest and best parts of your Peace Corps experience?"
"Just mainly about the tropical medicine projects I do and why I want to go into International Medicine, but that was expected."
"If I got into an American school and Ben-Gurion, which would I choose and why?"
"Why not be a lawyer like your sibling? "
"Mostly about my experences in other countries"
"If a patient of yours liked broncho-dilators for their asthma, but you like a corticosteroid treatment instead, how would you approach this situation."
"How would you fix the issue of cost in the healthcare system?"
"What do you think would make you a stronger applicant?"
"Does your family support you moving to Israel? How are you unique?"
"How did you take your father's death?"
"How do you reconcile providing aggressive and expensive medical intervention in a region where the care is not sustainable? Aren't there more cost-effective ways to improve health in the area?"
"What could you contribute to/gain from a group in an academic setting?"
"Same as the most interesting question"
"There were none. It was difficult being myself at times as I felt slightly intimidated by my second interviewer. I think I was slightly nervous for my second interview."
"Explain your family history, and how that has influenced your decision to work in international health. How you intend to carry this out? Which NGO do you think you might want to work with? (I was also asked if my religious beliefs might lead me to proselytize my patients)"
"What are your thoughts about active euthanasia?"
"Since I am a Christian, I was asked an ethical question about giving an abortion."
"Interviewer asked me to elaborate on ''family problems''"
"To tell the truth, I was barely asked any questions at all. They just told me I was a very strong candidate and asked if I was sure I wanted to go to BGU."
"Nothing difficult either."
"Tell me about passive euthenasia"
"What does empowerment mean to you?"
"Why aren't you going back to your old job as opposed to pursuing medicine?"
"None"
"How do I handle families who have reversed the DNR on their dying family member?"
"Why are there not enough doctors in Canada?"
"What do you think will be the hardest part of Medical Schoolfor you?"
"Why was your MCAT score low?"
"Reread my application, prepared for behavioral and ethical questions, research about the program a ton and Israel in general (patient populations, etc.)"
"Review the program website extensivel"
"Thoroughly reviewed the school website., read up on current issues in global health and medicine, watch Youtube videos on interview prep, read UfWash ethics page, and practiced questions with my sister."
"SDN; went over the school's application as well as secondary questions from all schools I applied to; researched the school and global/international health; went over interview material from my school's career center."
"Researched the school (excessively), re-read my essays, calmed down and got a good nights sleep."
"interview feedback, read website"
"SDN, school website, reading over my application"
"Read about the school. "
"Read extensively on AIDS, malaria, and TB, because I know those were issues in the area I wanted to work and I wanted to be able to speak partially intelligently about why I wanted to work in Africa. I also read up on my applications, WHO and other NGOs. Plus I read absolutely everything I could find about the school."
"The Medical School Interview book, reading interviews on sdn, reading through the U Wash medical ethics site, mock interviews, reading my essays"
"SDN, wrote out common interview Qs and As, read over application"
"Reviewed website"
"I did several practice interviews with faculty at my postbac program"
"Reviewed SDN feedback, mock interview, read up on ethics and my application"
"AMCAS, school website"
"Read the website, read over my Peace Corps COS and prepared a bunch of possible questions about my service"
"SDN, and practice w/ previous interviews"
"SDN, School website, acted like myself."
"Read website, recapped my application, resume etc."
"Website, practice interviews, reading the newspaper for current events, reading over my own application."
"Website/reviewed my research"
"Brochure, web site, friends and family"
"They talked a lot about the MSIH community and how it is like family and how important it is to them."
"Interviewers were passionate about school"
"Everyone was so friendly and genuinely seemed to love the school. They really emphasized the focus on students and I appreciated that."
"Friendliness of the staff and interviewers."
"Both interviewers were incredible people, had gone through my application thoroughly, and cared about me as a person and an applicant. With one I felt as if I was meeting with a fairy-godmother-like premed advisor. With the second, I felt as if I was getting to know my new medical school mentor. The community and support at MSIH is visible even in the Columbia U. office. Very cool."
"the videos and materials about the school"
"The students, the friendly admissions staff, the program itself"
"The curriculum and location make this a very unique experience. You will be experiencing things which no other medical students in the States and Canada faces. "
"Ms Alice is one of the nicest people ever. The interviewers were very congenial."
"That this program really focuses on international medicine and provides many opportunities to work with diverse populations. I also like how the curriculum includes courses which focus on the broader areas of health. It's a nearly perfect fit for my future career goals."
"They had several videos and pamphlets on the school and emails from students answering Qs about the school as well as in-depth booklets on each of the 6 wk overseas clinical experiences. Also, Alice went over a lot of info about the school, and I was able to stay as long as I liked looking at their pamphlets. Interviewers were very nice."
"Alice Mahoney in the office is so nice. The viewbooks in the waiting room have emails that students wrote about their experiences."
"Everyone was very friendly, knew a lot about me, and they were very enthusiastic about the program and the students."
"The admin staff was great, especially Alice."
"The size, caliber, resources, money, hospitals, staff, support, class size of the school"
"That they were so well prepared. They knew everything about me before I came (based on my essays)"
"Friendly staff that tries hard to compensate for the fact that students are not available to talk to. Alice is awesome, and pretty much dotes on you hand and foot!"
"Columbia University and the affiliated Ivy League schools back this program up 300% and give you awesome exposure to great residencey programs at all of the top eastern US hospitals affiliated with schools like Dartmouth, Harvard, Brown, etc. I was also pleased to hear that BGU graduates also can enter residency programs at these hospitals without entering the match system because you are considered an IMG, However, you do not need to take any special IMG testing to work in the US. So if the program you do rotations at likes you, it is possible to lock down an awesome residency program without having to enter the rat race. Also the class size is really small (25-38 people) so you get a lot of one on one time and the class acts like a family away from home."
"How personable my interviewers were."
"The fact that they asked ME to evaluate my interview experience."
"Everyone was very enthusiastic about the school and all of the students. How well the faculty knew the students"
"There was a feedback and suggestion book in the office that talked about what to bring, what to expect, and how to generally adjust to life in Israel."
"MSIH students get the second pick at Columbia for clinical electives 4th year."
"Nothing, great interview"
"Nothing negative, I only wish it were easier to visit the school and see the actual campus"
"There is no food/drink provided. Eat beforehand, the interview day can... extend."
"my first interviewer was rather harsh and called me naive"
"They might have to cancel the two month clerkships abroad, which strongly affects the curriculum"
"Nothing...this school is perfect for me."
"The information handed out and in the videos does not give a great grasp of what living in Be'er Sheva might be like."
"Nothing."
"Obviously it is hard to get an impression of the school campus when you aren't interviewing in Israel."
"One interviewer was incredibly nice, but the other seemed rushed and uninterested."
"You have to sit through three videos about the school. It wasn't really an interview for me, they basically just told me I got in. I felt like I wasted my time and money buying a suit, practicing my interview skills, and going all the way out to New York."
"Nothing really...one interviewer was running late so I waited around a bit but I understand."
"The fact that i couldnt find too many negatives...except it is 5 years."
"Nothing"
"Nothing. This school is awesome if you are truly interested in International Medicine. If you are not sincere about it, don't waste their time applying because they will see right through you."
"Wish there were students around to offer info about school, but understandably this is not possible. "
"The lack of info for Canadian applicants."
"Second interviewer did not know much about the school"
"Not much. I was alone for my time there. It might have been nice to sit amongst some other applicants so we could chat."
"One of the interviews was solely dedicated to hearing my questions. Wasn't sure if she was supposed to interview me or see if I had questions to see if I have done research on the school."
"Nothing, just really review your own application and essays and be confident. The interviews were open file and very conversational."
"How conversational the interviews would be."
"There's no food and nothing to drink. Even though there are only 2 interviews, I was in the office for almost five hours. Maybe bring a snack. They will ask you about languages in detail, as well as intercultural and international experiences. Be prepared to speak at length about anything on that topic. Also, plenty of the faculty and individuals in admissions are comfortable with Hebrew. I'd... not overstate your language abilities."
"I wish that I had a few more days notice about the interview, and that I would need to bring extra water with me (its in the negev!)"
"I wish I had better questions and more questions to ask the interviewers. "
"That the first interview with the dean would be so conversational. I wish I had prepared more intelligent questions to ask her. "
"The importance of learning Hebrew. Your third year clinicals will be virtually all in Hebrew."
"That the Columbia office handles only the interview and admissions proccess and has next to nothing to do with the school itself. "
"That one of the interviewer's was on the ethics board - he didn't actually ask me anything directly pertaining to ethical issues, but it happened to come up during the conversation. Thankfully he didn't grill me and we had a decent discussion nonetheless."
"That they offer an MD/MPH, MD/PH.D. "
"That you're on your own for lunch."
"Nothing, I already knew a lot about this school. "
"That the school has a two month orientation period. "
"What a small program it is, and how much support the students receive, both from the American office, and in Israel."
"The students spend a lot of free time with the faculty"
"Great experience, very friendly! All virtual so there was one information session with the director of admissions and one-on-ones."
"Very positive impression of the school. It is my number one choice so I hope to hear good news!"
"The interview process for me was so positive and optimistic that it's hard to make it through the post-interview wait. I will be crushed if this school doesn't end up accepting me."
"In my humble opinion, this is the best medical program in the world. MD with an adventure. I will be turning down US and Canadian schools to go here. "
"This school is a once in a life time opportunity. I turned down Stateside schools in order to attend. It will be perfect, however, for only a very few people and absolutely the worst possible option for everyone else. You need to be certain you are passionate about international medicine; otherwise don't apply. I look forward to meeting any of you that should choose to come here."
"It was a very relaxed and fun day. Everyone was incredibly friendly and made me feel comfortable. The interviews were pleasant and felt more like conversations."
"Unfortunately I arrived from the airport a bit late, but they were very understanding. Alice ran through info about the school, and I watched a couple of videos. I then had one interview with a pulmonologist (30 min) and then Alice finished going over the school info, and I asked her lots of Qs. Then I had a second interview with a PhD (about 40 min). I was free to go after this but took time to look over some of the informational materials they had."
"Very easy and stress free. "
"I got there way ahead of time but there were already other applicants there for interviews so I just joined the video presentations and such till my interview time. The admin was very accommodating throughout the whole process. The interviewers were friendly and approachable. Ben Gurion interviews are known for being laid back - they're looking for students with motivation and genuine desire to do international health so they won't ask you obscure questions to see how well you handle bs situations."
"Long day, the school is great, the facilities are great, and u will really enjoy ur time at Ben Gurion"
"Amazing"
"The interview is @ Columbia U in NY. You're usually the only one interviewing that day because it's such a small program, but it's kind of nice that way because all the focus is on you and there's plenty of opportunity for one-on-one Q&A. You watch a few videos on the school, the students, and are given a lot of reading material on the uniqueness of the program. If you're into international health, this is the place to be!"
"The Columbia office is wonderful and very helpful in answering all of my questions. The interviewers were very personable and friendly. Both interviews went very well. "
"I had already learned all I needed to about this school before the interview. I had very positive experiences with my interviewers. One in particular was very easy to converse with and applauded my accomplishments. "
"2 interviews, both very comfortable. "
"Positive. Basic, easily answerable questions. I somewhat got rattled in the beginning since I felt the first interviewer wasn't so keen on me. But I pushed past it and answered the best I could. It must have worked out fine since I was accepted that afternoon."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 2 |
| Faculty member | 1 |
| Admissions staff | 10 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 14 |
| Neutral | 0 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.00 | 19 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 1 |
| Out of state | 16 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 6 |
| 2-3 hours | 3 |
| 4-6 hours | 3 |
| 7+ hours | 8 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 10 |
| Automobile | 3 |
| Train or subway | 5 |
| Other | 2 |
newark
LaGuardia
JFK
LGA
LGD
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 1 |
| Friends or family | 8 |
| Hotel | 6 |
| Home | 0 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 6 |
| $101-$200 | 3 |
| $201-$300 | 4 |
| $301-$400 | 2 |
| $401-$500 | 3 |
| $501+ | 2 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.65 | 23 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.13 | 23 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.57 | 23 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.83 | 12 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.17 | 12 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.42 | 12 |
"Most responsive, welcoming admissions office out there! They eagerly welcomed any and all questions"
"Ms. Mahoney is an incredible person. She lives up to the feedback already available about her on SDN. She reminds me of a nice NYC Jewish grandma."
"An online application"
"Perhaps the most personable admissions office out there!"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?