How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.50 | 90 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 72 |
| Negatively | 12 |
| No change | 11 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.50 | 94 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.36 | 53 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.83 | 36 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 3 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 1 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 2 |
| 25 minutes | 1 |
| 30 minutes | 9 |
| 35 minutes | 5 |
| 40 minutes | 10 |
| 45 minutes | 15 |
| 50 minutes | 13 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 38 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 89 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 85 |
| In a group | 3 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 40 |
| Closed file | 43 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.50 | 90 |
"Talk about yourself"
"Medical school can be stressful, what are things you do besides academics to relieve stress or for fun"
"Why DO? Why MSU?"
"Asked about my mentored undergraduate research."
"MMI Style"
"MMI format, 8 rooms."
"Why DO? Why MSU. "
"No interview, just tour day after acceptance."
"Why would MSUCOM want you to be part of it?"
"Where from?"
"what three main qualities do you believe a physcian should possess"
"N/A"
"Why MSUCOM? Why DO?"
"Why do you think patients are not compliant with doctor's orders?"
"Where do you see yourself in 5-7 years? "
"What kind of doctor do you want to become?"
"Waht is one social issue that gets you up on a soap box? what is your stance on that issue and why do you think that way?"
"Any doctors in your family?"
"Why D.O. and not M.D.?"
"describe yourself"
"Tell me about yourself and family....how you decided to be a doctor"
"Tell me about yourself. How did you decide on medicine and MSUCOM? What will your husband and family do when you come here?(I like how she said, "when" not, "if". :) ) "
"What is osteopathy to you?"
"I was asked several questions. The most significant are as follows: What one thing have you done in life that has had the most social significance or impact?"
"why DO? why not MD?"
"Why do you want to be an osteopathic physician even knowing that DOs are the minority of the physician population in the US?"
"Describe life at 50?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor? why DO? 1 strength, 1 weakness."
"How do you study?"
"Other than questions listed above...How do you handle stress? Are there student organizations here that you would like to join as an outlet to your stress?"
"Where do you picture yourself in 10 years?"
"Tell me about yourself..."
"Describe your study habits. Say you had just attended a lecture and had to prepare for an exam on the material. How do you study? Do/can you study well in a group? Are you aware that most people have to change study habits when they matriculate to med school?"
"What type of support system do you have (family/friends)?"
"If not doctor, what else would you be?"
"How do I handle stress?"
"see above"
"What has brought you here today; to this point in your life?"
"Why do you want to be a DO?"
"the $5000 question"
"Why Osteopathic Medicine? What made me decide to become an osteopathic doctor? "
"Why DO?"
"Tell me about your summer experience."
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"What started you thinking about osteopathic medicine (first question)."
"A patient dies in the ER. How do you deal with it and how do you break the news to the family?"
"2 ethical dilemmas: delegating between limited resources and girl comes to your office with desire to have abortion."
"Tell me about your experience in osteopathic medicine."
"Talk about my volunteering experiences!"
"Here's my story...now tell me yours (starting from birth to the present)"
"Where do you see the future of healthcare?"
"Why did you choose MSUCOM? Why do you want to be a DO? "
"The one's above and some of the same questions posted by other recent interviewees."
"Why do you want to do this?"
"What is your strength? Your weakness?"
"What difficult desicion did you have to make"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What are the biggest problems in American Health Care today?"
"Name one experience in which you were a leader, one in which you were not the team leader, and one which you helped others."
"About my research?"
"How would your best friend describe you?"
"Tell me how you would explain osteopathic medicine to your family and friends."
"tell me about your family."
"How would you deal with this situation (no right or wrong answer): suppose one of your patients came to you and asked you to put his/her life to an end, regardless of whether the patient had a terminal illness or not."
"How did you learn about Michigan State?"
"Tell me what you know about Osteopathic Medicine?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"How will you handle death?"
"What patients do you see yourself treating in the future?"
"Why Osteopathic Medicine? What do you forsee being your greatest difficulty during medical school?"
"If you get denied what will you do?"
"What advice would you have for other premed students?"
"Tell me about a challenge and how you dealt with it."
"Are you a leader or a follower? What are your most interesting volunteer experiences?"
"What did you choose "X" school for undergrad?"
"How will med scholl effect my relationship with my wife?"
"Convince me I should choose you over the all of the excellent applicants."
"Talk about working as a team"
"So if you are a doctor in 5-10 years, and it is your special other's birthday that day, but you are called to the hospital. This person usually is very understand but this time throws a fit. How would you handle this?"
"Biggest problem in healthcare?"
"Undergrad?"
"do you have a weekness"
"N/A"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What is your religion?"
"What does your mother/father do?"
"tell me about your volunteer experiences."
"What experiences have you had with osteopathic medicine?"
"how do you handle stress?"
"What is basic healthcare to you....What is the future of healthcare."
"Would you consider the DO/PhD program, why or why not? What do you plan to do as a DO that maybe others don't, or is there some reason why you specifically want to be a doctor? What will you do when your patients don't follow your instructions....say the obese man hasn't lost weight in several years...what will you do? How will you handle that?"
"What characteristic have you obtained from your family lineage which would make you an outstanding physician?"
"If two people had the same disease and there was only one option of treatment for one of the people, what would you do?"
"what's the differences between a DO and an MD?"
"What are your strenghts? Weaknesses?"
"What is Osteopathic medicine, why did you choose this?"
"Tell me about this __ patient work experience."
"Why do you want to be a doctor"
"I know you know the philosophy of osteopathy, how do you feel about its place in real medicine, and what is the history of osteopathy (I knew a ton about that) so then she furthered it by asking me about the history of MSUCOM."
"List your strengths/weaknesses."
"Why MSUCOM?"
"Describe a stressful situation (other than the one in your secondaries). How do you deal with stress? Let's talk more about stress..."
"Why DO?"
"Backup plan?"
"Would I describe myself as a leader or someone who keeps to herself and does more observing or both?"
"What appeals to you most about osteopathy?"
"(Handing me my list of experiences) Pick one experience that exemplifies Leadership, one that exemplifies Teamwork, and one that exemplifies a Volunteer experience and describe..."
"the personal challenge question"
"Strengths and weaknesses?"
"Tell me about your exta-curricular experiences. "
"What's the difference between DOs and MDs?"
"(While glancing through my record of nonacademic experiences) "is there one particular experience that you really enjoyed?""
"Toughest class in college?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"What scares you most about becoming a doctor?"
"Did you do any research as an undergraduate (my interviewer told me that the admissions committee does like to see some research from their applicants. Not a requirement, but definitely a plus)."
"My strenght and weaknesses!"
"The prospective abortion situation described above"
"Anyone in your family a physician?"
"How did you find out about DO? "
"How did you adapt to going back to school? Was it difficult? (I worked for a few years and then went back for a postbacc.)"
"1 strength, 1 weakness?"
"How has your volunteer experience helped with your interest in osteopathic medicine?"
"why are you better then others"
"Tell me about a difficult situation and how you handled it."
"Why did you choose Osteopathic Medicine?"
"Topic: Kobe Byrant Case. Question: Do you think athletes are overpaid, and how has money affected athletes?"
"Extensively about OMM and osteopathy."
"Describe yourself in 3 adjectives."
"Tell me how you have shown leadership in your various experiences."
"tell me a little bit about your research."
"Describe a leadership position you have assumed in your extracurricular activities."
"What do you expect from your clinical years?"
"What do you think Osteopathic Muscle Manipulation does for the body?"
"Tell me about a time you assumed a leadership position? Tell me about your time in Kenya?"
"What do you think is the most significant problem with the US health care system?"
"What would you do if a patient asked you to kill him or her?"
"What have you learned about human nature and people through ____ experience?"
"Describe you research?"
"where do you want to go?"
"Why osteopathic medicine?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses? What were your favorite science classes? What did you learn most while shadowing a D.O.?"
"What do you think the biggest challenge of medical school will be?"
"What other schools have you applied to? Allopathic? Osteopathic? Where have you been accepted? (wasn't expecting that one!)"
"The most interesting question above."
"Talk about a time you faced adversity"
"Tell me why I should nominate you, and not the other very qualified candidates."
"Your strongest and weakest qualities."
"Doing now?"
"what is your backup plan"
"N/A"
"How do you handle stress? "
"If two people of the same sex ask you about adopting a child, what would you say to them?"
"Where did you go for undergrad?"
"are you prepared academically and mentally for medical school? how?"
"Any questions about MSUCOM?"
"Did you always want to pursue medicine? What experiences have you had that pushed you towards medicine?"
"how have your experiences on study abroad changed your view of the american health care system? tell me about any topic you discuss frequently"
"What type of a patient are you when you visit your physician."
"How much patient contact have you had and in what capacity? My interviewer was very big on having patient contact prior to starting med school. She was specifically interested in experiences outside of the hospital/clinic...like nursing homes or psych wards. "
"What are you doing at your university?"
"Have you applied to both MD and DO? Why DO? (DO schools are looking for commitment to their philosophy, they don't want to be the back-up plan)"
"how would you deal with a friend or classmate cheating in class?"
"How do you see yourself in 10 years from now?"
"What does the word osteopathic mean to you?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"Pick an extracurricular that you are proud of and talk about it... pick a volunteer or non-paid experience where you helped someone selflessly and talk about it, then choses a time where someone helped you selflessly..."
"General discussion regarding the medical field."
"Did you apply to MD schools as well? How will you choose between DO and MD schoolS?"
"How do you plan to finance your medical education? What did you do to prepare for osteopathic medical school? Why DO? Why did you choose MSUCOM? As a FP, say you had a pt who you had treated for many years and just diagnosed with terminal cancer. How would you tell him and what do you see your role as in his last months of life? Say you had to tell his family that he had died. What do you see as your role in this situation, how would you deal with death, how would you tell them...."
"The "Movie of my life" question"
"There were just two questions. He asked me some other questions about my application."
"How would I handle a patient who only had a short time left to enjoy life d/t terminal illness and how would I involve the pt's family in sharing the news and giving advice?"
"Why do you want to come to MSU?"
"Pick a topic that we can brainstorm, think critically about, and problem solve. (Since I had read a lot on the issue, I felt confident enough to choose spiraling costs in healthcare. Our discussion sparked some of the questions I listed above.) "
"do you have questions for me = research school. i asked questions for 25 minutes of the interview."
"What type of physician would you like to be?"
"Play me the movie of your life. "
"Tell me about some volunteer experiences where you have helped people."
"The above questions were all I was asked!"
"Favorite teacher and class in highschool?"
"Tell me about a struggle you've had in your life."
"Which qualities are important in a physician? I think that was pretty much it."
"Comment on a story I mentioned in my personal statement!"
"What schools have you applied to/interviewed at/been accepted to...how will you make your decision?"
"Do you have any questions?"
"Do you have any other brothers or sisters? Do you have any other questions? Good thing I ask too many questions because my itnerviewer really just talked the entire time. I didn't mind at all. I felt like I was interviewing him for admission. He just kept talking and I just kept listening. The only positive experience I had at this school was that the doctor who interviewed me was great and wanted to offer me a position instantly."
"What makes you a better candidate than someone else? How will you contribute to the school?"
"What if you don't get in?"
"What are your contingency plans?"
"have your studying habbits changed over time"
"Why does MSU / Osteopathic medicine appeal to you."
"What do you like to do in your free time?"
"What motivates you?"
"Why osteopathic medicine?"
"What is the most negative facet of medicine to you?"
"how have you prepared for med school."
"Did you apply to MD schools? If so, how you will decide between the two if you are accepted by both?"
"Do you understand the costs involved in coming here?"
"Have you worked with an Osteopathic Physician?"
"How do you deal with stress? What have you heard about medical school academics?"
"Ok, here's your last chance to sell yourself and convince me you're a good candidate."
"Tell me about yourself."
"If you're not accepted, what is your plan?"
"Have you applied to any other schools?MD?"
"How did you balance your time with all these activities?"
"Tell me about your volunteer experience."
"Why do you want to become an osteopathic physician? What do you know about the osteopathic profession?"
"Where do you see yourself in the doctor/patient/family relationship?"
"Considering you have already been accepted into XXX University, if you were to be denied admission here would you still choose to go to that school even though you have expressed some dissatisfaction with the program there?"
"Do I have any concerns with the course load of medical school?"
"none, cookie-cutter question list, read the ones already listed in previous comments"
"none tbh; very bland interview"
"#3"
"If you had a chance to interview an individual, who would it be?"
"No questions- I am already admitted so it was just the basics."
"nothing"
"I was asked no questions"
"**I was accepted without an interview. Information above relates to the tour I received post acceptance.**"
"What is your religion? and If two people of the same sex approached you and asked you to adopt a kid, what would you say to them?"
"Where do you see yourself in 5-7 years?"
"how do you view medical/healthcare?"
"what are the ethical ramifications of facial transplants?"
"None there were very few questions, it was just a free-flowing conversation."
"How would you deal with the challenges and pressures of medical school?"
"how have your experiences on study abroad changed your view of the american health care system?"
"What one thing would you do for the victims of Hurricane Katrina as a physician?"
"How do you deal with the stress of school and family? How will you deal with it in medical school?"
"What social and medical issues could arrise from face transplantation?"
"I was asked several questions about my upcoming trip to Africa."
"a hypothetical situation with a patient"
"How do you see your life at 50?"
"...So what would you say are the distinctions between clinical psychologists and psychiatrists?"
"How do I study?"
"If you were on a deserted island and could bring 3 people with you (living or dead) who would they be and why? Also...what 3 would you absolutely not bring with you and why?"
"Why Osteopathic medicine (instead of allopathic)?"
"How come I did not have a boyfriend right now. (This was totally out of the blue and I was not expecting anything like this!)"
"How do you plan to adjust your personal life to med school? Also, how do you plan to finance your medical education?"
"Play me the movie of your life up until this point."
"Asked me about some of my nontraditional experiences"
"Michigan State's COM motto is "The Science of Medicine, The Art of Caring, The Power of Touch", what do each of these statements mean to you? "
"What experiences in your life lead you to want to be an osteopathic physician?"
"All standard."
"If an elderly person had a stroke and could not feed herself, and the family did not care whether she stayed at the nursing home or went to the hospital for tests and left the decision up to you, what would you do?"
"How do you help a patient of yours whose claims have been repeatedly denied by their insurance company? Would you personally try to help that person?"
"It is Friday afternoon and you are let out of work early. I give you $5,000. What do you do for the weekend."
"What is a negetive aspect about being a doctor?"
"What is your grade point and MCAT scores? How do you feel about them?"
"What do you think about universal health care?"
"Tell me the difference between an MD and a DO."
"Out of all your experiences, name one that you found to be the most memorable."
"If medicine was not an option, what would you do?"
"The motto of MSUCOM is "Science of Medicine, Art of Caring, Power of Touch": what does this mean to you?"
"You are an ER doc. deciding between two patients that need a liver. You only have one liver. One is young but a recovering drug addict and the other is an old professor. How would you decide?"
"If a patient of yours was struggling with the debate of signing a DNR, what would you do, and how would you convince that family member of the best decision."
"What specifically attracted you to Michigan State and Osteopathic Medicine?"
" How did my volunteering experiences enhance my decision to become a doctor?"
"Two patients with renal failure, one dialysis machine, what do you do?"
"A situation regarding an 18 year old longtime patient with the desire to abort a pregnancy...how would I handle it and how does my background mold my decision"
"What kind of deer rifle do you use?"
"I was LITERALLY asked only three questions the entire time!"
"If, during one of your first clinical experiences, you went to a clinic and saw that the waiting room was full of African Americans, what would you think? (PS I'm a white female.)"
"It's Friday afternoon. I'm giving you $5000. What would you do for the weekend?"
"Tell me anything you consider important that I should know about you (first question)? "
"Given a situation in which your spouse could not take your residency years commitment ("it was his b-day, and you have delayed going out for the last three days, and as you are about to step out of the door, your pager goes off once again"... he is usually understanding - but this time he sais "enough is enough"..) What do you do?"
"Nothing really. Pretty much everything I expected."
"Nothing out of the ordinary."
"Name one experience in which you were a leader, one in which you were not the team leader, and one which you helped others."
"Why osteopathic medicine wasn't as popular as MD's?"
"I am going to ask you a 3 part question: What is an ethical dilema facing physicians today? What is your stance on it? And how did you come to that answer?"
"Tell me about your grandparents. What kind of relationship do you have with them?"
"What's one of the issues going on in the medical world."
"An ethical question was: Suppose you attended a guest lecture by a homosexual male. After the lecture a group of your friends were standing outside the auditorium basically mocking the lecturer because of his sexual orientation. What would you say, if anything, to this group of your peers? (No right or wrong answer)"
"What do you expect from your clinical years?"
"What would you do in a group situation where I was to assign the group a task it has to complete and then left the room?"
"Where does your desire to be a doctor come from?"
"If President Bush decided to close all medical schools because there were too many doctors already what would you do?"
"How do you imagine yourself at age 50?"
"How do you see yourself living your life as a D.O.?"
"Two patients need a transplant: One a middle-aged professor, the other a twenty-something former drug addict. Given your choice, all legality and rules aside, who would you want to give the organ to and why?"
"Given your past experiencem, did you ever think you would be here interviewing for a spot in medical school?"
"If a patient died, how would you break it to the family?"
"Tell me about how this volunteer experience relates to your interest in medicine."
"All were about the same, some I had to elaborate more on than others."
"What is your greatest accomplishment?"
"How would my relationship with my wife be effected by medical school? "
""What do you see as the biggest problem with health care in the US today?""
"What would I do if my significant other was understanding until my residency, when for the third night in a row I got paged as soon as we were about to leave, and he got extremely upset about the time commitment."
"biggest challenge faced in osteopathic medicine today"
"#2"
"above question."
"nothing"
"Day went from 11:15am-3:00pm. Met with financial advisor, had tour given by 2nd yr, had lunch, learned about curriculum, and learned about housing options. Wear business casual."
"In your view, what is the most pressing problem facing medicine today? "
"Tell me about yourself."
"why do you want to be a doctor and not a nurse (one of my letters of rec was from a nurse practioner)"
"Name a time in your life when you faced adversity and how did you overcome it."
"tell me about any topic you discuss frequently"
"Above."
"What kind of clinical experience do you have? (This was hard because I don't have specific experience...i.e. volunteering in an ER.)"
"What questions would you ask a transgendered individual in the middle of his/her transition?"
"What one thing have you done in life that has had the most social significance or impact?"
"an ethical question dealing with a patient and another question on telling on a friend or fellow classmate who was cheating on a test"
"What will you do if you do not get into any universities you have applied?"
"wasn't one"
"Based on one person that I said I would not bring with me to the island...asked if I would ever confront that person and to role play the situation of me confronting them. This lasted 20 minutes."
"List your strengths and weaknesses"
"Do I want kids? How would I handle a husband and kids and med at the same time."
"What do think is an issue you will have to face as a DO in a practice? (very general quesiton, hard to think of how to answer. I didn't choose an ethical answer, though my interviewer said I could do that too)"
"none were very difficult--basically just wanted to get to know me, nothing ethical"
"If you couldn't do medicine, what would you pursue?"
"How are you and MSUCOM a good fit?"
"The diffferences between D.O.'s and M.D.'s."
"What would your family and friends say is a negative attribute of yours?"
"How would an MD and a DO differ in treatment of a sprained ankle?"
"An 85 year old male has CHF and any attempts to save him will be futile at best. Do you use your resources to try to save him, or are your resources better used on someone younger?"
"Explain a personal challenge other than the one you wrote about in your secondary application."
"What were your GPA and MCAT scores?"
"How have you challenged your critical thinking skills? Give specific examples."
"If a stranger asked you what the difference between a D.O and a MD was what would you tell them?"
"How do you think a DO would handle _____ compared to how an MD would handle it?"
"question above I guess....."
"Where are you from? I swear the interview was a walk in the park. No tricky questions whatsoever."
"Do you handle criticism well? (I said no)"
"How would your relationship with family/friends change when in medical school?"
"If she did sign the DNR, and the patient died, how would you go about consoling the family members. He was very impressed by my answer hear of hugging the patient in addition to concoling the patient. He wanted me to stress physical contact which I thought was what any doctor would do."
"Tell me something about you that is not in your application?"
" When volunteering in the hospitals, did you see a difference between a doctor and another?"
"See above"
"Same as above"
"Where do you see the future of health care?"
"NONE!"
"If you got into every school you applied to, how would you decide where to go?"
"Same"
"Walk me through the last 11 years of your life (since i immigrated)"
"Tell me about a difficult situation you were in and how you handled it."
"What were the most important issues in American Health Care today and why Osteopathic Medicine?"
"Topic: Kobe Byrant Case. Question: Do you think athletes are overpaid, and how has money affected athletes?"
"What is the difference between OMM and the osteopathic principles? "
"Same as above."
"I'm going to ask you a three-part question: 1. Name an ethical dilemma that is facing physicians today 2. Describe your stance on it 3. Explain how you arrived at that stance."
"Tell me a little bit about youself?"
"Tell me what you know about OMM (one of the classes offered throughout several semesters at this school)."
"What do you expect to be the biggest transition for you from undergraduate work to medical school? (this question isn't necessarily difficult, it's just that you ASSUME the interview would understand that the coursework is tedious and the level of anxiety is high)"
"Imagine you had two patients; one older, pillar of the community, the other younger, irresponsible and abused his health. They both have the same illness and will perish without treatment. There is only enough resources to treat one of them. Who would you treat and why did you come to that decision?"
"None"
"Your favorite patient asks you to help her die, her diagnosis is extremely debilitatingis however it is not terminal, what do you do?"
"The schools doctrine is the science of medicine, the art of caring, and the power of touch...commment."
"How do you see yourself living your life as a D.O.?"
"None."
"Give me a sales pitch of why you want to go into medicine.."
"Nothing was difficult really; questions were relatively conversational."
"Describe a situation where I had to go above and beyond to comlete a task?"
"I'll give you one last chance to sell yourself to me. (ughhh.)"
"None - both physicians were very conversational"
""Why should we choose you over all the other applicants?""
"Convince me I should choose you over all of the other excellent candidates."
"Went over my primary application, practiced answering questions with someone else"
"mock interview with friends; recorded myself practicing"
"Made sure I reviewed my application."
"Read MMI passages."
"MMI youtube tutorials"
"Read through my application and the school website."
"I read everything on the interview feedbacks, and most of the questions asked were found on this website."
"2nd app. school's web, brain storming possible questions. and SDN"
"AMCAS, resume review"
"SDN, other websites"
"I did not have to "
"AACOMAS submitted 3rd week in August. Complete 3rd week in September. Received secondary 1st week of October. Complete with LoRs Nov 10. Accepted Nov 22."
"No interview, was accepted pre-interview."
"MSU does not interview students unless they have a question about your application. I was unware of this until I recieved an email acceptance."
"SDN, MSUCOM website, re-read primary and secondary application"
"read the history of the school, did a lot of research on osteopathic medicine, read sdn, and looked over my secondary application"
"mock interview and reading my essays"
"read SDN....relaxed!"
"Mock Interview, Read about the school and read Student Doctor"
"Mock interview, read the school's website, read this site"
"school website, sdn, aacomas app, secondary app"
"This Website and MSUCOM website"
"Read this site, read over the MSUCOM site and the info sent prior to the interview via email from MSUCOM."
"I read the MSUCOM web-site and this web-site."
"I read my personal statement, reviewed MSU's website and read feedback from studentdoctor.net."
"sdn, msucom website, read up on current events and medical issues"
"Reviewed my application (specially the personal statement), reviewed the history and philosophy about osteopathic medicine, reviewed the school's website and read a lot of SDN feedback about interviews held at this school"
"Read website"
"read website, this website, looked at the book The DOs, self-analysis"
"this website and other interviews"
"talked with physicians, MSU website, open house last spring, talked with current students, read about osteopathy, student doctor network (read all entries), re-read my application"
"Reviewed personal statement, SDN, talked to D.O. physician"
"SDN, MSUCOM web site, read over app"
"SDN, my file, other interviews"
"SDN, read MSUCOM website"
"Read SDN feedback, read my file"
"SDN, reading about osteopathy, should have learned more about MSUCOM."
"Read SDN"
"Read SDN, looked on school website."
"Studied questions, looked up current medical topics"
"Read interview feedback, talked to previous people who had been interviewed, asked my parents and friends to describe my best (and worst) qualities. Read "Critical Condition" a recent book on the problems in our healthcare system. "
"msucom website, sdn, read primary and secondary"
"This website. Read about MSUCOM. Read about Osteopathy."
"Practiced mock interviews, researched the school,talked with med students about past interviews, and checked this website"
"read this website, read up on their program, reviewed my app"
"SDN, talked to students, read over my essays."
"Read MSU-COM's printed materials, asked current MSU-COM students about their interviews, read through the previously asked questions on this website (although I sure didn't need to!)"
"read about the school, read the posted interviews, and slept"
"this website, looked up some current info about healthcare (it turned out I did not need to know anything)"
"SDN"
"this site, mock interview with roomate, website"
"Not much...be yourself...."
"Read MSU's web site, and read this site as well."
" know the important bioethical issues in medicine nowadays, and don't lie."
"This board, practice interviews, interviews at other schools."
"MSUCOM'S website and links, spoke to staff at MSUCOM, read over application etc etc"
"Review osteopathic lit, SDN site"
"Read this website and the MSUCOM website."
"Read the MSUCOM, osteohome.com, and AACOM websites; talked with my student hosts the night before."
"Read school's website and articles on osteohome.com Relaxed!"
"Visited this website, MSUCOM website, relaxed, got to the school a little early, skimmed the local newspaper, reveiwed articles about osteopathic medicine."
"read SDN, ethics books, thought about my life"
"MSUCOM website, SD.net, read my application, aacom.org"
"Researched the MSUCOM websites, SDN, Osteopathic Medicine Websites"
"Read SDN, my application, MSU website, osteopathic websites."
"THis site and MSU web site"
"this website, MSUCOM's website"
"Researched MSUCOM links, read up on osteopathic medicine, reviewed my application, prayed."
"This website, interview books, mock interviews,etc."
"Read interview feedbacks on SDN, talked to other people who attended MSU-COM and talked to DOs. "
"Studentdoctor, went over my secondary, AACOMAS, MSUCOM website"
"Psyched myself to think positive things about myself. Read up about the school, emailed a current student about his expeirience."
"Reviewed the what I sent to the school, checked out their website, and studentdoctor.net "
"Read the website, read over application, SDN"
"Studentdoctor.net, and practice with friends"
"This web site, bioethics.net, info about Dr. Still, my app."
"Read SDN website, read the secondary application, and relaxed."
"Read MSUCOM website, looked over secondary in depth, and researched Osteopathic medicine in detail, making sure I understood what the profession was all about."
"feedback site, knew myself."
"Read this website, read the school's website, and spoke with a retired prof from the school. Plus I have had a few other interviews, which really helps- the first one was the toughest!"
"Reviewed website, read books about careers in osteopathic medicine, reviewed application."
"SDN, talked to kids i know that go there/interviewed there recently, looked at their website"
"Went to other interviews before this one! As long as you know yourself you should never have to prepare for an interview, except for having a few thoughtful questions about the program and why the school is a good match for you."
"Read books and articles on current events and medical ethics. Listened to NPR daily. Reviewed my own application materials. "
"Looked over this website, reviewed my app."
"It was very conversational and very low-stress! It seemed to me like they truly wanted to get to know you as a person rather than your academic history"
"Warmth of staff and people."
"Very professional."
"Friendliness of staff. 'Family' atmosphere. Success of students and mature curriculum"
"Welcoming mood of everyone"
"Staff were extremely friendly. MMI interviewers were great and were there to support you throughout the process. It felt as if they wanted you to succeed, that they were cheering for you to do your very best"
"How friendly the environment is."
"It was a small group of people and all of my questions were answered. They have a very strong curriculum, although I don't know how I feel about the summer session of intense anatomy...starting 1 1/2 months before everyone else and essentially have class year round to lighten the course load!"
"The range of opportunities available to students (course and rotation electives, international opportunities, academic support, etc), the tour guide was very well-informed"
"The emphasize on medical school education as team work. Gunners are not appreciated group study encouraged. pass/fail system. no record of ranking. classes with allo students. hugh campus"
"Students and faculty LOVE MSUCOM. it seems like a very nurturing and friendly environment, and they make med school as easy as possible (which still aint easy). Strong, friendly, close student community, with study support for ALL types of learners (lecture notetaking service, group study arrangements, helpful faculty, online lecture videos). East lansing is a nice, laid back town UNLESS you like a crazy nightlife, then it can be found as well."
"nothing, i went there for undergrad so I already liked the campus, people, etc."
"The staff and faculty were very helpful during my visit prior to my applicatation."
"Nice faculty, nice students, friendly and cozy environment, awesome student lounge, lots of study rooms, awesome OMM room & instructor, decent cafeteria food--haha."
"How friendly and down-to-earth EVERYONE was. "
"everyone was very friendly"
"How the interview was more of a conversation rather than a stressful interview. Students were real friendly and enthusiastic about the school."
"The staff is really nice."
"all the people involved are the nicest people in the world"
"everyone was enthusiastic and very nice!"
"The curriculum changes constantly made"
"Everyone involved in the process was very laid back and helpful."
"how nice everyone was; current students stopping by the waiting room to give me advice and wish me good luck"
"I currently attend MSU and like the school overall and tuition is reasonable."
"Everyone was so friendly and honest! The students were extremely excited about MSUCOM and answered all out questions."
"The student bonding. Everyone knew everyone, especially 1st and 2nd year students."
"People are friendly. We don't have to spend time on dissection in Anatomy lab. My interviewer was extremely kind, fair and straightforward. "
"my interviewer was one of the best. he was so nice and friendly. he was an MD, who made me feel at ease and seemed like a wonderful professor and mentor to have at MSUCOM"
"How comfortable everybody made me feel. The staff, students and interviewer were extremely nice and I did not feel intimidated or threatened."
"Administration support, strong student feedback"
"Everyone was nice, the students were very helpful who had lunch with us, and the facilities weren't as bad as I thought they'd be, after hearing about how old they are."
"the people were awesome, students, faculty, interviewers"
"financial aid woman was really informative"
"The osteopathic med school is in a major growth phase at the current time; many new opportunities are now available"
"The interview day did NOT impress me...however, I found this out another day (Open House)...nice histo lab where everything is on computer, very friendly students who seemed very willing to work together and help each other out."
"everyone knew everyone; students were friendly, open, happy in general"
"The friendly atmosphere"
"That they don't make you sit through four hours of propaganda about the school, they are very personal, Kathie Schafer is a jewel and makes everyone feel very comfortable."
"The student run manual medicine clinic, the emphasis on OMM all semesters and clinical experience in the first year. I didn't get to stay for the tour and lunch so I missed out on student comments and a look at the facilities."
"The friendly atmosphere. Students also said that their assistant dean is great about helping students with both gross anatomy and neuroanatomy!"
"The interview was comfortable, and the campus outside was beautiful."
"The community/family atmosphere"
"The students were super friendly. After a large lecture got out, a ton of students popped their heads in the office where we were sitting to say "hello" and "good luck." The atmosphere at MSU is very chill compared to other schools. The students there also described being taught "how to be compassionate." For instance, on day one, the students last year learned how to give a good handshake. "
"the first year and second year medical students love talking to you. people in the hallways wish you good luck."
"The students were like family."
"The very friendly staff and students, school has a compassionate atmosphere. Med students who gave tour were great!!!!!"
"The students were amazingly friendly, as well as my interviewer and the director of admissions."
"Very relaxed atmosphere."
"Office staff and students very friendly and helpful--interview very laid-back"
"the people (students and staff members) were very nice. I really felt really good"
"I don't know if I was impressed- I was more surprised. Everyone at the school is super nice. The students are practically running around and hugging each other (no joke). The admissions staff introduced themselves and chatted with me while I waited for my interview (I had an afternoon interview- after the lunch and tour). MSUCOM is definitely a close-knit school. The atmosphere felt a little bit too much like high school though...... Also, MSUCOM is ranked #4 in primary care by US news."
"The school is ranked #4 among all medical schools for primary care. This was the thing that impressed me most. Also, that the D.O. students are not backstabbing and ultra-competetive."
"I didn't really do anything beside interview because of the crappy roads and snow storm. I arrived at 9:15am and was outta there by 10:45am. Financial aide rep wasn't there and I did not choose to have tour/lunch. Anyways, I didn't see much of the school. Facilities are a little run down, but I think the reputation speaks for itself."
"the reputation, and the students.......everywhere we went there were students that were willing to answer questions, and their students seemed so happy...it was awesome...."
"The school does have a strong osteopathic mission, and students really get a lot of clinical contact early. The admissions counselors who met with us at the interview were extremely nice and forthcoming."
" Students and staff are very nice. You feel like being in a family."
"The students were friendly and the town was great; it's not too expensive but has everything you'd want or need. Tuition is a good deal if you're in-state. Pass/fail grading system could be a good thing to relieve stress. Good secondary app."
"The faculty and students were incredibly friendly, tuition is very reasonable for in state students and living expenses are not bad. It is a very laid back environment, and the students are very satisfied with their education. It is a P/F system which hopefully fosters more stress on actually learning rather than competing for a #1 spot. The school focuses a lot of attention on OMM which I am actually interested in. Also MSUCOM was rated #4 in primary care, has excellent board scores and the residents are regarded very highly. I will most likely attending MSUCOM, they took only 2 weeks to determine admission status."
"Everything, the faculty and students were extremely helpful, and you could tell that they are proud of their school."
"The interviewer was very friendly and had told me that he appreciated my maturity level (I thought this was funny since I am the most immature person I know). He was laready offering me a position to shadow him and to work with him as soon as his clinic opened up in the fall and handed me his business card. He told me that he was really looking forward to working with me. I have no idea why he was impressed with me, especially since he did most of the talking and rambled. I merely listened attentively."
"The students are really great and love the school. Also, the faculty appear to be pretty engaged in the students. They also have a great student-run course notes service that seems to be really helpful."
"The people couldn't get any friendlier! Faculty is very open to giving students clinical experience as early as the first semester."
"The enthusiasm displayed by everyone that I met (Admissions staff, interviewer, students). "
"The increadible student enthusiasm, they allfeel like a family, and love the school. Experience of staying with the current student was wonderfull!"
"The faculty / students, very positive environment, pass / fail grading system."
"The people, including students and staff, were SO friendly! It was a very comfortable atmosphere, warm attitudes, and it looks like a great place to study medicine."
"My interviewer was very excellent and I found it a joy to talk with him. The school is excellent."
"This osteopathic college is affliciated with a major plus...rather than the more common stand alone osteopathic colleges."
"The fact that the admisssions staff was real nice and so was the interviewer."
"The admissions staff was so kind and encouraging. The interviewer was also incredibly nice. I appreciated the length of the interview because it allowed enough time for me to calm down and feel more laid back by the end."
"Everyone was very friendly."
"The campus is beautiful. The students are extremely nice and more than willing to help each other out. It's a very friendly environment, and a nice moderate-sized campus city."
"The interview was very conversational. He genuinely wanted to know more about me and he was familiar with the area that I am from in Illinois. The campus is gorgeous; it is THE college town."
"I stayed with a student while I was there (school provides this as a servce to propective students) and learnt a lot about MSU through that brief relationship."
"My interviewer was wonderful! She was very personable and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. "
"The campus is beautiful and the students seem to really love it there. The faculty was very positive and reassuring about the program."
"Everyone was very nice and concerned about my comfort level."
"People were nice."
"Early patient contact, volunteer opportunities, friendly students, very helpful and qualified faculty, in-state tuition!"
"People were just plain old nice. "
"Tuition is cheaper, MD/DO's together for base classes. Its also a Big Ten party town."
"The location. The campus is beautiful and very nice. The twon is also. It's a perfect size college town, with many different things to do to help take away the stress of school, such as athletics, concerts, theater, stores, etc. A student that I spoke with was also impressive. He had only good things to say about the school and the education he was getting, though he said some students tend to goof off sometimes, but I am sure that is true anywhere."
"Finding out that the school operates on a pass/fail system and does not give out grades. This seems to create a more comfortable setting with less competition between students."
"Everyone there was SO friendly. I couldn't get over how nice everyone was. Students, staff and those I interviewed with were all great. I loved it. I also loved the OMM lab...it looks like a lot of fun."
"Attitude of the students towards the program and the faculty - ability for the faculty to provide sound reason for choosing the osteopathic program over the allopathic program at MSU"
"How nice the professors were and how much they seemed to care about their students."
"It was a nice campus and I like the fact that it's a whole university instead of just the osteopathic school. You take classes with the allopathic students there."
"A condescending and impatient interviewer who tried to rush me through the question list and talk down when I needed time to think about an answer, which left a very unpleasant impression. The whole experience sucked!!!"
"none, it was a great interview"
"how boring and uninterested my interviewer seemed; robotic interview (not conversation like or natural at all)"
"Older facilities at main campus."
"Facility tour when compared with other medical schools. But students seemed to really enjoy it nonetheless."
"The length of the day. I was exhausted afterward."
"The admission person ended by looking at me and another girl saying, ''MSUCOM is a great school, but it's not worth it if you're out of state.'' (I'm an out-of-stater!)"
"There wasn't a chance to mingle with students, dorm food for lunch, the general state of he facilities"
"OOS tuition($30+k extra/year)"
"Fee hall leaves something to be desired, but the inside is much nicer, high tech, and has a great community feel to it."
"the VERY old facilities; the fact that everything is shared with the M.D. school; the standard interview questions that did not challange me whatsoever"
"N/A"
"Somewhat disappointed that it was close to finals week so most students weren't around anymore. No student housing within reasonable walking distance to med campus and starting orientation at the end of June are the only downfalls I can think of."
"The facilities."
"How the school is in an old dorm."
"the building is older and not a wireless campus"
"East Lansing, Lecture-Only Learning"
"The only negative that I can think of is that the buffalo wings that I had for lunch were slighty cold."
"tests almost every week"
"Nothing really."
"MSU is a HUGE college town. I've never seen so many undergrads in one place! The med school is a bit away from this, though, so the loud/partying isn't a problem we were told."
"Nothing. I love it there."
"East Lansing area."
"the facilities were not so great; the school is HUGE; not everybody at the admissions office was friendly, especially one person who was really, really rude and almost made me cry "
"How old some of the buildings are."
"Well my interviewer had not read my file or essays, not that its a big deal, just not what I was expecting. "
"my interviewer"
"The tour of the school was informative, but not spectacular"
"A lot! The interview day was VERY unstructured and they did not provide any additional information (except for fin aid) about the COM. Nothing about life in Lansing or information on the school. There was a short tour, but we did not see the lecture hall, histo lab, anatomy lab, or other labs. There was also 2 hours between the tour and fin aid until my interview and they did not plan any activity for me to do. And, seeing that I was the only one who was left before my interview, I was bored sitting in the room by myself! The student said the anatomy lab cadavers were old (the school keeps them longer than they should) and the anatomy lab was very crowded with both COM and CHM students."
"basic sciences are taken in a huge auditorium with MD students (300+ in auditorium for class)"
"The facilities--very old and run-down"
"They don't have any kind of presentation on the school or the curriculum. Its basically an informal meeting with Kathie Schafer in the admissions office after everyone is done with their interviews, Q and A session. After interviewing at DMU where they really sell the school, it came as a surprise. But I had done a lot of research on the school on my own, and have friends there, so I didn't feel like I was not getting enough info (although other people might have felt that way). MSU's reputation speaks for itself, at any rate."
"The tuition cost for non residents!!!! Yikes!"
"The buildings were dingy inside. It was dark and the walls were like being in a tomb. Also the cadavers in GA are disected for you (prosected). "
"The fact that my interviewer was not around at the scheduled time of interview."
"The school is old. Very old. No medical library! Morning classes as a first year are held in a separate (and fairly far away) building then afternoon classes. Histology is on computers - you never touch a microscope! Almost all first, and most second year classes, are held with the MD students. (That could be good or bad)"
"fee hall is a bit old"
"What I ate for lunch at the cafeteria."
"The questions I was asked about my grade point and MCAT scores. My interviewer gave me no feedback and that was stressful for me."
"Fee Hall....but it's not that terrible."
"i didn't get to see the anatomy lab"
"We only got a tour of one building, which is okay... except the students giving the tour told us half of our classes will be in the mystery building (ten minutes away) they didn't show us. If I do end up going to MSU, I'll have to find that building. Also, doesn't MSU have a medical library? I would think so! I don't know... they showed us a room in Fee Hall and called it the 'library.' One of the students giving the tour said she usually studies in the Law library. I simply was not impressed with the campus. "
"The other interviewees."
"Run down facilities, parking."
"the building is a little run down, but I don't really care...."
"Facilities are really run down. East Lansing is not my kind of town, especially coming from big city."
"The overall feeling I had there. The staff/students were kind but seemed bored and didn't seem to get along with each other. I didn't get to see the anatomy department/cadaver lab or some of the other facilities outside of the one main hallway, and it gave me the impression that the school had something to hide. This was reinforced by the way my questions were handled - instead of answering my questions, I kept hearing about an old ranking of MSU in US News and World Report. I got the feeling that the DO program at MSU gets along because of their asociation with the undergraduate program and university in general."
"I am already biased against Lansing (Go Blue!), however getting that out of the way, I've lived there before and the city does not offer me that much. I was not impressed by the facilities, they seemed fairly old. The tour guides were very uninformative, and we were unable to access the "high-security" OMM and anatomy labs which was unfortunate. I also did not appreciate being asked to which schools I have previously applied/interviewed and whether I was accepted, how I would choose what school to attend etc. I was nervous that my personal views on such touchy subjects such as abortion would alter my interviewers opinion of me either way-however I think he truly just wanted to know more about me."
"Too many things. Again, it may just have been the dayI visited the school. I heard too many positive comments on MSUCOM that I think this may have just been a fluke visit. 1) TUITION for out of state residents is exorbitantly high!!! (65k a year) 2) Studendt ambassadors verbally attacked me. I really didn't appreciate this and had done nothing to warrant such a response. 3) School locks up all of their classrooms that I didn't get to see the labs (OMM or anatomy). 4) Building is pretty run down. 5) I waited for 3 hours because my interviewer was 2 hours late! I didn't leave until after 5 p.m., and I had arrived at the school at 9 a.m. The other interviewees all had left by 1 p.m. I sat by myself in the waiting room. Three hours waiting is extremely long, and I refused to stree myself out by staring at an ethics book or my application so I took a 1 hour nap in the comfortable reclining chairs. By the way, since I was unimpressed with the school, I really didn't care what they thought of me at this point and if they rejected me. Being unporfessional and sleeping in the waiting room obviously didn't affect my admissions into the school since I was accepted into the program even though I am an out of state applicant. 6) The students had a chip on their shoulder since they thought they were in the best school. 7) MD and DO students have lecture together the first year which means that the class sizes are extremely large, I can only imagine that this makes learning a little difficult. 8) Rotations are raffled off and you can only do them in the same hospital somewhere in Michigan for the last two years. You are stuck in the same EXACT hospital for tow years. If you're single like me, you're oretty much screwed over in this process. People who are married and/or have kids have priority over those that are single. In essence, it's not really a raffle. If you're single, just expect to get the last hospital that no one wants."
"The administrative staff were not as friendly as I would expect, but it was really not a big deal. The building is a bit outdated adn definitly has the feel of a converted dorm. The out-of-state tuition is scary, but I knew that before going to the interview."
"The building is on the older side, but the technology inside is great."
"The cold weather and the out of state tuition (Note: You have to pay out-of-state for ALL four years!)"
"The building is not too new... but not a big deal either."
"Aging facilities but not too bad. Interviewer was 35 minutes late."
"It was an older building, but many of the classrooms were being re-done with newer accomidations such as the OMM Lab."
"The tuition, I am out-of-state. Also the school goes into the summers (thus year-round)...and this essentially means you pay for 5 years of school versus 4 years."
"Found out that the school was year round and tutions with living expenses comes to about 68,000/year. Also, you're two years of rotations are done at one hospital. with electives that you can take somewhere else."
"Nothing."
"Waiting around for long periods of time."
"My interviewer was not very friendly. She was late for the interview, she didn't introduce herself or offer any sort of greeting, just started firing off questions right away. She was not even a health professional."
"The cost; out of state students should expect to pay about $62,000 a year. Also, the student who took us on the tour didn't show us much and she certainly didn't sell the school."
"I wasn't too impressed with the parking arrangements. The lot was full and I ended up having to park illegally. On top of that, I got yelled at by a lady who was attempting to get out of the parking entrance because she decided she did not want to park there. This aggravated me, I moved my vehicle and then proceeded to drive onto oncoming traffic. This was all BEFORE my interview."
"The cold, abrasive attitude of the front desk woman in the admissions office, the fact that no one was scheduled to give our tour so they just found three random students, the unprofessional attitude of the students giving the tour, and the fact that the students spent most of their time talking about how to get out of going to class. "
"The facilities seem a little old, but it seems that is not a huge factor in getting a qulity education there."
"The students who gave the tour didn't really "sell" the school."
"Battle Axe I had one of my interviews with. Just stared at me and asked me ambiguous questions."
"COLD WEATHER"
"None"
"Admissions staff, particularly the front desk admissions officer. On the phone I knew she had kind a alittle attitude to her, but when I met her I was very unimpressed, if the schools frontman is uninviting it makes you wonder about the school. Also, I been to a few other interviews and MSU did a horrible job of making you feel wanted and getting you information on the school. and of course I can't forget to mention the poor conditions of the facility. PS I went to MSU for undergrad."
"The admissions staff, in part. One of the woman working there was absolutely the nicest and most helpful of any admissions member I have met. The other person I spoke with, however, was extremely negative. I was also not impressed with the facilities. Fee Hall, where the school is at, is falling apart. The basement was leaking when I was there, and it smelled like sewage. The paint is peeling off the walls. The leture room was nice, with a nice mural outside, but other parts of the building were not in great shape. Finally, the retired prof I spoke with did not have flattering things to say about the school. The things this professor told me which really stuck was "if you are looking for a school which is moving forward and advancing with medical education, look at places other than MSU.""
"Nothing"
"The building is a little old but the facilities are updated. "
"Not a long summer break, but hey this isn't undergrad we are talking about"
"The main building (Fee Hall) was a bit old, but they've kept the classrooms and labs up to date."
"The tour was terrible; the students that led us didn't show us hardly anything."
"that they no longer use MMI"
"It would be cold (I should have expected this)"
"The amount of commute necessary to the school from decent off campus housing and the parking situation for students."
"I did know this before I visited, but not before I scheduled the visit...they only interview you if they have questions/concerns about your application. I was already accepted when I visited so the pressure was off!"
"there was an airport in lansing. tickets are slightly expensive but no need for car rental since there are buses to campus or to hotels"
"I wish i knew it was going to be so easy and laid back, i wouldn't have stressed!"
"that I would be interviewed by an M.D."
"N/A"
"No map or parking instructions were sent, so I had to investigate and figure it out before coming. Just call ahead and ask about where you can park and about getting reimbursed."
"Mapquest directions really sucked. There are a bunch of one-way roads when you get off I96."
"how hard the school really is, students said there were exams every two to three days and that it was hard to fly back home to visit family because you always had to study for an exam or quiz; it's an all-year round school, so no summer breaks =("
"I wish I knew how laid back the interview would be, so that I wouldn't have spent hours preparing for it and stressing out."
"Noting"
"nothing...i already knew the school is located in an old crappy dorm..."
"I wish I had known that the school requires a commitment to the school within 1 month of acceptance, as opposed to many others who allow commitment in April or May"
"Planing a new location in MI near Troy. The COM wants to increase their enrollment, and plans to do so starting this year, but admitted that they do not have a lecture hall big enough for the increase in the number of students and the CHM students. All rotations are done in MI and they encourage students to stay in MI to practice. "
"Be prepared for any question... my interview was very, very thorough -- not necessarily hard, just covered everything I could have thought of."
"You can take a dissection class if you are unhappy with having anatomy taught by prosection."
"That students from out of state cannot declare residency at any point."
"The fact that though they do have their basic science classes with the M.D. students, all of their second year(systems) courses are just with other D.O. students."
"That the campus was very run-down for being one of the priciest."
"DO students are in school for an entire semester longer than the MD students at MSU. There is virtually no summer break."
"acceptance decisions come 6-13 days after interview = write emails to thank interviewer"
"That I was going to have my interview after I ate lunch."
"Nothing, I was pretty well prepared. My best friend is a student at the school."
"nothing, it was similar to the previous interviews "
"1. The cadavers are already pre-cut. Students just examine them. Apparently this is beneficial because the students will be spending less time in Gross Anatomy lab... they told us to trust them that this was a goog thing. I don't think I will learn any less by simply examining and not dissecting- I just feel I'm missing out on an important med school experience. 2. I learned this 2 weeks after the interview day: MSUCOM has filled up most of their class in December. Currently students are just being interviewed for the alternate list... as new applicants are added to the waitlist, your rank can and does change. The remaining seats will eventually be filled by people on the alterante list. "
"That the cadavers are already dissected for 1st year students. The current students say this is a good thing because you see many different bodies, but I think the experience of cutting the body and seeing the layers of tissue is better."
"Admissions office staff really aren't that friendly."
"That, starting in January, MSU is interviewing for waitlist spots. This is how it works......since the class was filled in December, they now are either interviewing you to place you on the waitlist or no waitlist....... I was upset by this as it is still January and they are already filling their alternate list......I'm a MIchigan resident too......so I think it is crap that 5 other schools have already accepted me from out of state, and my own state school waitlisted me but whatever......"
"Out-of-state tuition is ridiculously high, but extremely reasonable if you are in-state."
"Limited options for rotations; be sure you ask about this."
"Be prepared to have either a 15 min interview, or in my case over two hours. I did not know I'd need to befriend a student to help "infiltrate" the "high security" OMM and anatomy labs. On a serious note, I recognized MSUCOM's sincere desire to enlist students that appreciate osteopathic medicine, and desire a first rate education."
"Nothing, everything is either described on the website or in the application materials."
"THE COST!!!"
"Nothing, but for those who don't already know, there are two things that are important to know about MSUCOM: 1)They don't do disection in anatomy at MSUCOM - the faculty disects the cadavers beforehand. 2)Everybody goes out to one of their SCS hospitals for most of their clerkships. There is a map on the MSUCOM website."
"That there was only one interviewer. (I knew before arriving for the interview, but not until getting the interview invitation. Its always been 2 interviews in the past.)"
"Nothing! Maybe the fact that the interview was more like an open forum."
"The students do not perform cadaver disections during the first year themselves (and they like that), but could take an elective later on if they wish to disect."
"The year round curriculum, and the total cost to attend. "
"see above."
"There would only be 3 interviewees this morning (not a big deal, but I had been wondering), each interviewed by a different person."
"That non-health professionals also conduct interviews. Everyone I had talked to and all the reviews I read said that the interviewers were extremely friendly, but I ended up with a very rude one....so be prepared for both."
"The REAL cost. I knew it was expensive, but I thought they were including a whole year's tuition. It turns out they were leaving out summer tuition. The school is year-round."
"The parking arrangements were bad. Perhaps some information about alternative parking would have done wonders for my morale."
"The fact that the cadavers are pre-dissected for the students!"
"The length of time you spend sitting around between interviews"
"How badly my shoes hurt my feet."
"The admissions committee meets every Wednesday. If you call in the afternoon on the Wednesday following your interview, they can usually get you your results."
"THE INTERVEIW WAS CONVERSATIONAL!"
"That DO and MD students share in some lectures. (I brought this up to somebody at the school and asked where all the money goes- TWO medical students paying tuition for one lecture hall, one professor, so on, and yet Fee Hall was still in bad shpae. She had no answer.) I am not sure if shared lectures is a very good thing or a bad thing. As future medical professionals, all physicians should have experience learning together. On the other hand, there is a difference between DOs and MDs, and that difference is the reason I applied to DO schools exclusively. Should that difference be celebrated or blurred? It gave me something to think about."
"That the interviews were going to be so relaxed, and not very intimidating."
"Nothing."
"Nothing "
"The interviews were more like conversations than interrogations. "
"Great interview setup. Liked that it was closed file and that I had to think on the spot. Really impressed myself with my answers."
"Go in with an open mind and stay loose."
"Great impression on the school. Very expensive OOS tuition."
"The people are so genuine and helpful. I am looking forward to a community where everyone works together to get better."
"It was a low key day because I didn't do an interview. It began with a talk with financial aid which is depressing if you're from out of state...I'd be in debt by $332,000 by the end of my time there! Then you go on a tour and have lunch, followed by a talk with the assistant dean and someone from admissions who answer any and all of your questions!"
"I am already accepted so I didn't need to interview....Overall, I was very impressed. The range of active student organizations and electives is very impressive. before I visited I knew that I liked the school, but my visit really confirmed my interest. This is definitely one of my top choices."
"Overall, relaxing environment and thorough explanation. Good thing I went to check it out."
"Started at 11:15, which was awesome. Met with a financial aid advisor for 1 hr, toured with a med student and had lunch in the student cafeteria, met with the Associate Dean for 1 hour, and then with the Student Services director for about an hour and a half. Very relaxed, helpful and nice faculty/students."
"the interview was completely stress-free and my interviewer was awesome; however, i don't feel as though the school is on the leading edge of technology compared to other schools...i got accepted, but hopefully i won't have to go there"
"I recieved a letter offering me admission without an interview due to the "completeness of my application and the quality of my achievements." I had visited the school on multiple occasions and spoke with various people at the institution. Good luck to anyone who interviews at MSUCOM."
"Overall nice day at MSU! I look forward to possibly attending :)"
"The people were all great, I felt completely at home there. I totally fit into the atmosphere of the school. They emphasized how they chose their students based on community service and that, due to that, the whole class was very enthusiastic about helping each other and just being a team. There is no competitive atmosphere whatsoever, as all the classes are pass/fail. This is the school I want to go to!"
"Zero stress"
"The entire day was very personalized and stress free. I met with financial aid, went on the tour, had lunch, met with Dr.Falls, and then had my interview. Everyone I met was very friendly and excited for me to be there. The interview was very conversational. Overall, it was a great experience, and I'm proud to say I already got accepted. "
"The interview went very well. Not stressful at all. The interviewer made me feel comfortable, making it more like a conversation, rather than an interview. The students are real friendly and you get results fairly quickly about acceptance. I'm proud to say I got accepted this past week. "
"Not bad. The people that I met were all really nice. Waiting for an hour in the waiting room before my interview was no fun though. The interviewer was really nice though. I just wish that he had asked more straight forward quesitons since that is what I had prepared for."
"The day was the least stress free a day could possibly get. The tour students were so nice the prospective students were so nice, the interviewer was so nice and so on. It was relaxed and stress free."
"the day was great! overall, my experience was not stressful, and everyone was willing to answer all question I had about their school. as for my interview, it was interesting and my interviewer was thought provocking, and it flowed like a conversation."
"It was a very relaxed, free-flowing interview. The interviewer asked me a few questions about my passion for DO and if there were doctors in my family. He then noted a few of my activities and moved from there. When the interview ended I didn't realize I had been interviewed."
"Overall, it was a very positive experience for me. My interview was more of a conversation than a structured interview. Everyone involved was helpful. I was never really asked a question that was extremely difficult or controversial. They were honest with their information and in their discussions."
"my interviewer was amazing. she was so friendly and made me instantly feel comfortable. she runs the medical spanish program, so once I told her I spoke spanish we really hit it off. about half way through she told me she was going to stop asking questions, so that I could ask her some. "
"It was as good as an interview can possibly get. Informal type - just a discussion of some current topics and and a few personal questions. Lady who interviewed me was extremely nice."
"Fantastic! My interviewer clearly had a few ideas of what an MSUCOM student should be able to bring to the table and worked to find out if I fit her criteria. She was enthusiastic about my concerns and questions. This was the best interview I've had since high school. The interview was very laid-back and informal."
"It was a really relaxed atmosphere. The interview flew by. It was more like a conversation rather than an interview."
"I arrived the night before and stayed at the Clarion. When I woke up I ate breakfast and spent about 10 minutes reviewing what I had written in my applications. I then went to my interview, had a group discussion about financial aid and then toured the building. I left directly after lunch. They notify you within two weeks of your acceptance. My interview was long (90 minutes) but the interviewer and I had a lot in common and discussed many things outside of the typical interview. I started the conversation by commenting on a painting hanging in the office. That helped establish common ground and a more comfortable environment."
"i LOVED my interviewer. he was really nice and humble. even though he asked me a lot of tough questions, he asked it in such a way that i didn't feel intimidated or nervous. my interview could have went on longer than an hour and a half, but i was the last interviewee for the day, and i wanted to go already"
"I had a great interview experience at MSUCOM. I waited for just 10 minutes in a little "waiting area" with other students who had their interview today as well. Then when I went to my interviewer's office, he immediately started making easy conversation and I felt a little calmer as the time went on. He smoothly transitioned into asking "real" questions related to the interview. I noticed he had a paper with some handwritten bullet points that referred to my personal statement and I figured out that he was interested in hearing about those points in particular. So, instead of waiting for him to ask me questions, I would answer one question he asked and include 2 or 3 of the bullet points that I could read in my response. This way, the interview felt more like a conversation than a questions and answer experience. At the end he asked what did I want to know about MSUCOM, and I took that as my chance to ask all the questions I had about the school, the program, etc... and we spent about 15 minutes talking about my concerns. Then we had a talk with the financial aid person for about 30 minutes which was informative, but she talked really fast and assumed that we already knew everything about subsidized and unsubsidized loans etc... Then we went on a tour of Fee Hall with 2 M1 and we had lunch. That was a great opportunity to ask tons of questions about the classes, professors, textbooks, etc... I asked everything I had questions on to the students because they were very opened to questioning and they were honest too. Then we were done but I had met another M1 student the day before at a coffee shop, and I was able to know other buildings in the school where the lectures are held for example, and where the exams take place and that was really cool. I wish they would show you the Anatomy Lab during the tour and some of the other buildings in addition to Fee Hall. "
"Great interview, no problems. Interviewer had read my personal statement and asked questions. Being in the medical field, discussions were focused around the hospital settings and how to improve patient care."
"Overall it was a good experience at MSU, I was only there 3 hours but it was just enough to see Fee Hall, have lunch and ask Qs to students and interview. "
"MSU-COM is an awesome school. It feels like a real community. The students were awesome and I loved it."
"When I arrived at the school we waited in the office to be lead to our interview. There were 6 of us (I think). I was the last one to return to the office by over 20 minutes. Then Kathie, the admissions director, talked with us, and next financial aid. Then students came in and took us on a tour, where basically all we saw was the OMM lab. My advice would be to attend an open house, you get to see a bit more. I have also attended the doctor patient relations class with one of my friends, which was helpful. They don't really show you much, and quite honestly if I didn't know this was such a great osteopathic school, I don't think I would have been impressed what so ever. As I said before, my interview was super intense... and I was asked questions that were not posted on this site, and were about as opposite as I have heard from current students at MSUCOM. I was anxious as hell for about a week and a half, but I was accepted last Friday."
"My interview experience was very good. The interviewer was very informal and the interview was relaxed: more like a conversation than an interview. My interview lasted about 1hr 45min because we really became engrossed in the conversations and issues of the discussion. The school also tries to pick its class by the end of December, so interviews after that are usually for the alternate list. The admissions committee meets every Wednesday, so you can usually find out if you are admitted fairly quickly (my interview was on a Wed. and I was accepted a week later)"
"The interview was very stressful because of the person who I interviewed with. I am pretty sure that she was not allowed to ask me about past and present relationships, but she spent a lot of time on this subject. I think that it might have been more of a stress interview, because although the interview was not positive (or at least not as positive as others I have been on), I was accepted a week later :)"
"overall, positive. It was very personalized. The tour was good, they showed me pretty much everything in Fee Hall and surrounding area. I didn't get to go in the Gross Anatomy lab because of some regulations. "
"They do a very good job of making you feel at home, my interviewer was very laid back and interested in getting to know me, it was very conversational. The students all seem very happy there, and a few of them even went out of their way to come in and answer questions from us."
"It was the most laidback interview I have had. It you get Dr. Gorbis (one of the OMM instructors), you are very lucky. This man is very kind and gentle in the interview. In fact, it was so stress free, I had to wonder "whats the catch?" But there was no catch, I was accepted a few days later."
"The interviewer made me feel very comfortable yet did ask some challenging questions. Everyone was so laid back in the office and administrators came to chat with us while we waited. Seemed to be a very liberal environment. "
"A great experience, a great school. It does have a slightly older building, but the students seem to love it there and they had nothing but great things to say about the faculty"
"Overall, the school and it's programs are impressive, but personally I would prefer a school of a smaller, cleaner scale."
"I was interviewed by an MD, which was a little distressing. I had to watch my wording a bit - For instance, saying you want to look at patients as "more than just signs and symptoms" may be a little insulting to an MD... However, don't be nervous if you are interviewed by an MD. I already was accepted, so I know that an MD's opinion is weighted equally with any DO's opinion. "
"everything was conversational."
"Overall it was very positive and the interviewer wanted me to feel comfortable and at ease."
"It was completely stress free. They are very good at making you feel comfortable at their school."
"Of course I came down with a terrible cold the day before the interview, but my interviewer was very understanding with all my sniffling. He wasn't really looking for any answers, just trying to see my thoughts on the profession. It was pretty laid back and he had a lot to tell me."
"It was a piece of cake---I was nervous for the "ethical" or philosophical questions, but I ended up not having a single such question! Make sure that you formulate questions to ask your interviewer---that is mainly what we talked about, since his main question was "do you have any questions to ask me?" That was about the extent of difficulty of my interview (ie very easy!). "
"it was very relaxing. My interviewer wanted to know me and how i think."
"Easy, easy, easy. The day was stress free. The admissions staff truly is really nice. Nothing to worry about at all. Had a tour, lunch, interview... in that order. My interview only lasted about thirty minutes and not the hour I expected (this is normal according to the admission's office). I got interviewed by a pHD so he didn't ask me any questions about why medicine, why DO, or what do you think about healthcare. He asked me straight forward questions like did you do research or do have teaching experience. He wrote down notes from my responses and at the end of the interview, he told me he had more than enough info to represent me to the committee. This is why I think the interview was shorter than usual. My interviewer was so nice- he was casually dressed (sweats and sneakers)... this put me at ease. Also, I could be wrong about this since I can't remember who told me... but I heard the interviewer does not have your academic record (so no questions regarding your mcat score or grade in certain class). But the interviewer does have your secondary application, personal statement, etc."
"I wasn't overly impressed by the school; the only reasons I would attend if accepted are because it is near home and they are ranked well. "
"The interview itself was by far the best experience I have had (i've had 2 others) I was totally relaxed and she actually appreciated my "butt-wiping" jobs unlike other schools. She said I would be an asset to the school and profession! I felt very positive when I left the interview, but being January, I was put on the alternate list."
"It was great...>I enjoyed the atmosphere up there.....Very short day, you should be done by 12:30........If you get Dr. Mohr as your interviewer you are set...he is a great guy.... "
"MSUCOM is a very good school, if you are in-state. You only have one interview, w/ a faculty member, and it runs about 45 minutes. There are ~three people interviewing a day, so you do have a lot of attention on you. The tour is pretty quick, and half the rooms are locked so you can't even see them! I think this school is really geared towards Michigan residents. I ended up being accepted out-of-state, and the admissions counselor who called me to tell me I got in said, "I realize there is little chance that you are coming here since you are from out-of-state.""
"Be yourself, be moderate in answers, be reasonable and rational when explaining your view. The person you are talking to might be so nice, yet don't forget that he/she is there to mark your behaviors, so don't break the barriers."
"Other people seemed happy at MSU, but I clearly didn't feel like I belonged there. Quite a difference from PCOM, UHS and especially KCOM."
"As mentioned above, my overall interview experience was positive. The facilities are lacking as is the city of E.Lansing, however with the funding available I do think MSUCOM has done an incredible job training their students."
"The interviewer was extremely friendly, and it felt like a conversation with an old friend."
"Summarized above in the "What negatively impressed you during your visit?" "
"Interview was great/friendly, school is great. It's a bit spendy, but I could definitly see myself there."
"Great school. You couldn't ask for a better atmosphere. Everyone is willing to help everyone."
"I was taken to a conference room, sat for five minutes, then interviewer came and asked me a few questions, then let me ask questions. She talked for 15 imnutes to ELABORATELY answer my questions. Almost seemed to get the impression that she was recruiting me! But you can never be too sure. "
"It was a wonderful experience"
"Very relaxed interview (mostly friendly conversation), great school, great program, friendly faculty, staff, and students. Would love to come here."
"I loved every part of it. The student body seemed as if they were very close and everybody wants everyone else to succeed. East Lansing is a great city too!"
"Overall, this is an excellent school. I thought the admissions department was very nice (everyone was extremely helpful). The campus is huge though, something like 48,000 students on campus and two golf courses, so if you are looking for a smaller, family environment it may be difficult to find that here."
"The school, staff and students were all nice. great school with a lot of school spirit. the east lansing area is a college town. The interview was laid back...no stress...very nice. It was more of a conversation. we ended up talking for about 1 hr 20 min. The school doesn't really take about its coursework. I had to probe the med students about that. "
"The interview was great; it was like having a conversation. I really hope to get accepted to this school."
"The interviewers do not have your academic record, so it's all about getting to know you and see what you're about. The interviewer I had was wonderful and we got to talk about different topics (like music lessons and Korea) at different points in the interview, which was super nice (not a constant focus on why-do-you-want-to-be-here, very directed, questions)."
"The interview went very well, however I was put on the alternate list. I don't know why."
"I was not terribly impressed by the interview itself. My interviewer asked me thought-provoking questions, but was very brisque and not very welcoming. Other than that, I still have an overall positive opinion of the school because the other people are just so incredibly friendly, and the campus is really a nice place."
"I really though MSUCOM was a great school, but I don't think any school is worth $62,000 a year; especially when they're raising tuition 10% next year. The people were very nice and the campus was great. "
"The overall interview process was so stress free, it was amazing. My interviewer had a kind face and was very friendly and understanding. Her questions were thought provoking and were the kind that had no right or wrong answer."
"In general I was turned off by everything buy my actual interview. All the other school I interview at I felt a sense of welcome and community that was definelty lacking at MSU. In addition, I was not impressed by the facilities, especially with the price of tution being so high. "
"Good interview. Just relax and be yourself. Oh yeah, I was accpeted."
"Would not go here if accepted."
"Very positive, I was accepted and will be attending MSUCOM"
"I had a great time at MSUCOM. My interviewers were real cool. I felt welcomed there. I got accepted and will attend MSUCOM. "
"MSU was a great undergrad. school. The campus is nice and the city/nightlife is great. However, the poor recruiting job done by the admissions staff turned me off from it. I have several friends who have gone through the program and are doing great, the reputation it good for a DO school. However, for being such a strong primary care school, they should think about working on the communication skills. The only reason I am still debating going there is because of the tuition. Not to give a sales pitch for another school but if you are interested in getting a personal touch to admissions, check out university of Health sciences, I've interviewed at 6 schools and it was the nicest. PS I got in at state "
"I think I got off on the wrong foot during my day at MSUCOM. I met one of the staff members of the admissions office, and the first thing she said to me was "Just to let you know, we don't regard your undergraduate school with as much prestige as other people around the country might." Wow- not sure what I did to deserve that. She went on to comment on my research experience and how animal surgery is "too academic" as an approach to medicine and that volunteer experience in a hospital setting is more important. I went on to learn that, in the past, almost everybody interviewed is accepted. I don't care for that system. I think the interview experience is an important part of selecting your student base, regardless of the length of the secondary application and how much information they think they can get from that. In the end, I did not come away with a good feeling from the interview. It was basically from my one encounter in the admissions office, but sometimes that is all it takes. This is not to say MSUCOM is not a good school, because I am sure that it is. It is just not a place for me. This is my fourth interview, and one thing I am learning is that the fit between your personality and the school is a key factor in the decision of where to attend. If accepted, I would not attend this school."
"I had a great experience there. It is an awesome school. The best advice I can give you is to know why you want to be a doctor, and relate everything back to this idea using your healthcare experiences."
"It's wonderful school and the kids and staff are great. Everyone tried really hard to keep you relaxed and able to enjoy your day. "
"Great experience that was MUCH better than interviewing at the allopathic program (interviewed with a first year student there who had been in the program less than two months, whats the point of that?). Informative and low-stress day, enjoy!"
"Overall I enjoyed my interview. Everyone was nice and very open to questions, even tough ones I asked about disparities between MD's and DO's. "
"They sound like they have a really great program. The bad side is that it goes year-round, but that way the course load is slightly less than at other schools. It sounds like there is a lot of student life, which is nice. "
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 87 |
| Faculty member | 1 |
| Admissions staff | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 29 |
| Neutral | 2 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.89 | 36 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 24 |
| Out of state | 9 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 16 |
| 2-3 hours | 9 |
| 4-6 hours | 6 |
| 7+ hours | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 4 |
| Automobile | 26 |
| Train or subway | 1 |
| Other | 2 |
Lansing
DTW
N/A
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 0 |
| Friends or family | 5 |
| Hotel | 8 |
| Home | 2 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 12 |
| $101-$200 | 3 |
| $201-$300 | 2 |
| $301-$400 | 1 |
| $401-$500 | 3 |
| $501+ | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.11 | 36 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.66 | 35 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.80 | 35 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.08 | 13 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.92 | 13 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.23 | 13 |
"Choose interviewers better"
"To choose interviewers that are actually interested and enthusiastic"
"More take-home info. List of COMLEX/USMLE pass rates. Percentage of students who get their first choice residency. Where students go for out of state residencies."
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?