How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.97 | 88 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 80 |
| Negatively | 6 |
| No change | 3 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.67 | 88 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.08 | 74 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.94 | 72 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 6 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 0 |
| 25 minutes | 1 |
| 30 minutes | 5 |
| 35 minutes | 2 |
| 40 minutes | 7 |
| 45 minutes | 16 |
| 50 minutes | 15 |
| 55 minutes | 3 |
| 60+ minutes | 43 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 81 |
| At a regional location | 1 |
| At another location | 6 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 87 |
| In a group | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 81 |
| Closed file | 7 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.97 | 88 |
"What was your favorite class during undergrad? What course would you say was the most difficult?"
"What is your understanding of rural medicine?"
"When is a time you have had to work as a team?"
""You completed your virtual master's program here. Why did you not ask for a letter of rec from one of your Mercer profs""
"What kind of books do you like to read or who is your favorite author?"
"Specific questions all focused around application (volunteer/work/hobbies)"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years"
"What would make me a good doctor?"
"What are your strengths?"
"Where do you generally think you will plan to practice?"
"Why medicine"
"What are your study habits?"
"Why do I want to go in surgery?"
"Do you enjoy teaching others? Why?"
"Why did you fail this course?"
"What was the last book I read?"
"Tell me about a patient who has influenced you."
"Why do you want to become a doctor?"
"What was the most recent book you read for pleasure?"
"Do you see yourself practicing in Georgia in a rural/underserved area?"
"All of my questions were specific to my file."
"What do you think about cap and trade."
"What separates you from other candidates?"
"I am interested to hear your reflections on the current healthcare crisis and legislation."
"Explain your extra-curricular activities"
"Mercer has a specific mission. How have you demonstrated your commitment to that mission?"
"How'd you arrive at the decision to be a doctor?"
"Where do you want to live when you complete your medical training?"
"Why do you want to stay in GA if none of your family lives here?"
"How do you study for your classes- very specifically... "
"How did i prepare for the MCAT"
"Do you play any instruments?"
"What makes a good doctor?"
"Please explain your grades and why you want to be a doctor"
"Why Mercer?"
"What was the last book you read?"
"tell me about your research."
"Do you plan to practice in Georgia?"
"If you had to choose today, what would you specialize in? Why?"
"What is the role of a general practice doctor in rural areas?"
"How do you think America's healthcare can be fixed?"
"Why did I choose medicine? What do you feel is Mercer's mission?"
"Whats the difference between Allopathic and Osteopathic?"
"What type of practice do you see yourself going into?"
"Tell me about why you want to be a physician."
"Tell me about your family."
"What is your country of origin? - Bruce Innes. Does it occur to him that Americans come in other colors besides black and white?"
"Tell me about you. (Be prepared and practice this, it will happen)"
"Do you think there is a problem with the American Healthcare System?"
"You were rejected last year, did you even make the wait list?"
"Describe an ideal town for you to work in."
"Tell me about your self, your school, and your family. What do you like to do in your free time?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Tell me what you know about our problem based learning system?"
"Why med school/Mercer and how do you feel about the presidential candidates, policies towards health care. (before the election)"
"Tell me a little about yourself?"
"When did you know you want to be a doctor? Since when did you think about coming to Mercer?"
"Why Mercer? Why do you want to be a physician? "
"What will you do if you don't get into med-school?"
"Would you fit well in a PBL environment?"
"What do you know about Mercer?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Why medicine?"
"What type of books do you like to read?"
"See above. What was the most recent book you read? "
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"What is professionalism and how does it relate to the practice of medicine?"
"After shadowing a doctor, what qualities do you think make a good doctor?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"What is your connection to Georgia?"
"About my ECs and interest in rural/underserved medicine"
""What failures in healthcare have you seen personally?""
"What is your understanding of rural medicine, and how do you plan to incorporate that into your career?"
"The most recent book I had read and listened too (i listen to audiobooks during my commute)"
"What weaknesses do I need to work on?"
"What are your weaknesses?"
"How can you prove your commitment to staying in Georgia?"
"Why do I want to stay in Ga?"
"They mentioned a class I struggled at and asked me to explain what happened."
"What do you know about MUSM's cirriculum?"
"Do I know the history of Savannah?"
"Where do you intend to practice medicine (type of area, what state, etc)"
"What do you like to do outside of school?"
"In light of the fact that you've been out of an academic setting for several years, how have you kept yourself informed of the current climate in medicine?"
"Are you happy with your MCAT score?"
"What's the last book you read?"
"What do you believe is a good repair for health care? Why? (Be prepared to debate)"
"Have you ever participated in a problem based learning environment?"
"Will you stay in GA?"
"Tell me about all of the places you've traveled to."
"What do you do in your spare time?"
"Why did you do X and how has it influenced your decision to pursue medicine?"
"What are your extracurricular activities?"
"What makes you want to come to this school?"
"Why do you want to come to Mercer?"
"What issues have been the most complex in bioethics?"
"Why did i choose to learn electric guitar instead of acoustic (go figure...)"
"What do you feel you will contribute to the PBL?"
"What do you see as the biggest challenge you will face as a physician?"
"How do u intend to carry on the mission of the school?"
"Why not get a PhD instead of an MD"
"Do you have any family in GA? (they also asked about all the places I've lived since I moved around a lot)"
"How do you handle stress?"
"Do you have family living in Georgia? (ie: How strong are your ties to Georgia?)"
"what was the last book you read?"
"So, what are your hobbies?"
"How did you get interested in medicine? "
"Do you like to read?"
"Why should Mercer choose you, what do you have to offer? "
"Describe an instance where you observed an allopathic strategy to medicine? "
"What do you know and why do you want to go to mercer?"
"Tell me about your parents and how they have influenced you. "
"What do you know about Mercer?"
"What do you have to offer Mercer?"
"What do you feel is the biggest problem facing healthcare today and what sort of solution would you propose?"
"Have you read any books lately. If so what? (They want to see that you read because this curriculum involves alot of reading)"
"Do you like to read? If so, what types of books do you enjoy?"
"Tell me about your Grandmother's Grand Piano."
"What other career can you see yourself in if you weren't a doctor?"
"Tell me about the leadership positions you have listed in your application. (She asked questions about each individual position)"
"Why Mercer?"
"What is Mercer's mission and how do you fit in it?"
"Name something that makes you happy. (also very broad)"
"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"What are some things about medicine that concern you?"
"What books have you read? Hobbies? "
"How will you fit into this PBL curriculum."
"I am from Atlanta, so they asked me what types of small town experiences I have had. This was mostly to make sure I had a good idea of how small towns operate. "
"Why Mercer? Are you familiar with the Problem-Based-Learning curriculum? How do you see youself functioning within this curriculum?"
"What do you know about PBL?"
"What do you do when you are not working?"
"You get to write down one question that you want the interviewer to ask you (obviously write down something that you feel passionately about and have a great answer for)."
"What do you know about Mercer's Curriculum?"
"What do you like to read?"
"How do you think your undergrad years prepared you to be a successful physician?"
"If a patient came in and was unable to pay, what would you do?"
"What do you like to read?"
"What non-science class during my undergrad, did I think would help me as a physician the most"
"Why medicine?"
"Questions about ECs"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Why medicine and why not nursing?"
"Basically convince them that you will stay in Georgia and work in a rural area."
"Who originally planned Savannah?"
"What path of medicine did I want to go in?"
"Describe a difficult experience you've been through and how you dealt with it."
"What kind of medicine do you plan on going into?"
"What do you plan to do if you are not accepted to medical school?"
"Do you like to read?"
"What's your favorite painting from the Tate Britain?"
"Prove to me that you want to reside in GA - for a long time if not your entire life."
"Who are you? Tell me about yourself."
"Asked about my experiences as a volunteer and the population that I served."
"If you were in my position, what would you consider to be the credentials of a strong applicant?"
"What was the last book you read"
"Why Mercer?"
"How do you see yourself providing health care to the underserved?"
"How do you prepare for a test?"
"What type of medicine do you want to practice?"
"Please explain all your clinical volunteering "
"What do you do in your free time?"
"Tell me about your family."
"How do you think you are prepared to handle the curriculum?"
"I really want you to come here, what can I tell you to get you to attend this school next year"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"Tell me why you feel that you did so poorly on the MCAT?"
"how did you get through p-chem (or any tough class)? "
"What is your back-up plan if you do not get in this year?"
"Tell me about your family, where they grew up, and where they live now."
"As a doctor, what's going to wake you up or drive you every day?"
"Tell me about your time at Massachusetts General Hospital"
"Explain why I had a C in Organic I. "
"What do you read? Did not like the answer that I read suspense novels. Guess I should have said I read JAMA journals all day. Cant have a real life outside medicine I guess."
"What do you feel the role of a rual doctor is/ should be?"
"Where do you want to work in the future? In what area of medicine?"
"Where do yourself living/practicing?"
"What is your ideal practice setting?"
"How would you prepare for an exam?"
"Do you have experience with Problem-based learning? What are some pros and cons of such a system?"
"Since I attend college in AL, they asked what is keeping you from returning to AL when you are completed."
"What do you have to offer Mercer?"
"Tell me who you consider your hero and why."
"what books do you read, what do you do for fun?"
"What do you know about PBL? Do you think you would do good in this type of learning environment? Why? How do you study, will PBL work with your methods?"
"Tell me about your abroad experience."
"Besides an interest in science or people what has driven you to be a physician?"
"Who is your best friend?"
"What if you don't ever make it into medical school?"
"If a book could be written about you, what kind of book would it be? Would you be the hero? If a movie were made about you, who would play you?"
"In one interview we discussed active research, both my past experience and Mercer's current research. "
"What do you do for fun? "
"What specialty do you intend to practice? (Mercer's a school dedicated to graduating primary and rural care physicians)"
"What do you know about Mercer?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"What do you know about the Mercer Problem Based Learning Curriculum?"
"As a future physician, what are 3 things that you would like to change or improve when it comes to rural health outcomes?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"If you could be a musical instrument, what would it be?"
"What is one question you had an answer prepared for that we did not ask you?"
"They wanted to know a lot about my family and my roots in Georgia"
"How would I tell a patient they tested positive for HIV?"
"If a patient came into your office unable to pay, what would you do?"
"(In line with the current conversation)"What would you do if a bear was chasing you?""
"None. All were generic."
"Why would you choose Mercer over MCG?"
"After 20 years in medicine, what would make you say you were successful as a physician?"
"Which campus do you want to attend and why?"
"Do I know the African American history of Savannah? (I am an African American studies minor)"
"So how about that Georgia - Florida game last weekend?"
"Tell me about your hometown?"
"What experiences and lessons from your career as a high school teacher do you think will be most influential in your practice of medicine?"
"Tell me a time you had to do something difficult or had no idea how to do, and how did you handle it?"
"Which of the seven deadly sins is the worst? (Relative to my file -- I worked on a play festival with this theme.)"
"How did you study for the MCAT?"
"Asked about my conflict management skills and really investigated my interpersonal skills to assess potential fit with the PBL approach."
"Who is your favorite professional tennis player? (I am an avid tennis player)"
"Why mercer?"
"Why is X your favorite author"
"What kinds of adventures have you been on in your life? (In reference to a statement I had made about my parents supporting me through all my adventures.) "
"He quoted a part of one of my rec letters & asked me to interpret why I thought the writer said that."
"Tell me why you want to come to Mercer."
"What do you know about problem-based learning?"
"What kind of echinoderms did you study on your study abroad trip?"
"How did i think the curriculum would enable me to be a good physician"
"What do you feel you can contribute to the PBL curriculum."
"Tell me something that isnt in your application."
"Do you know how to hit an inside curveball?"
"''Lets talk about those grades and why you did so poorly when you knew you wanted to go to medical school''"
"Why do you feel you would fit in with problem based learning?"
"''You play guitar? Oh, awesome, what kind of music do you like to play?''"
"How will you deal with the stress and amount of reading required in medical school?"
"what events did you swim in high school? tell me about high school?"
"How do you plan to incorporate travel into your career as a physician?"
"As a paramedic, what were the most memorable and difficult experiences you've had?"
"Do you like Macs or PCs?"
"Do you like to read?"
"What influenced me to minor in religion? Various questions about my extracurricular activites."
"Would you support a system in which all med students were forced to attend a medical mission say in Indonesia to help with Malaria?"
"What the last book I read was."
"Do you feel like doctor's today are considered compassionate by their patients?"
"Why would you want to stay in GA?"
"Do you think there should be a medical school in the southeast region of Georgia?"
"Name some books that you have read."
"What do you feel is the biggest problem facing healthcare today and what sort of solution would you propose?"
"Why should Mercer accept you over anybody else?!"
"How far in advance would you begin preparing for an exam?"
"Tell me about your Grandmother's Steinway Grand Piano."
"What do you see as the worst aspect of medicine?"
"Would you ever be able to empathize with a blind person?"
"What do I think of the "political" situation and the US involvement in Iraq?"
"None were out of the ordinary, mostly talking about my self. Very conversational. Examples: Tell me about your school? Why do you want to be a physician? What will you do if you don't get in this year?"
"Pick a current event and talk about it in your owns words. (I picked the tsunamis and got asked which ocean and which countries were affected! Luckily I knew!!)"
"Describe what you would like to be a typical day in your life 10 years down the road."
"Nothing really. All we did was talk about myself and why i wanted to come to Mercer"
"One of my interviewers asked how I would participate if I was in a group discussion to solve a problem. Once I answered he then asked me to give him a specific example in which I applied my answer to the previous question in real life. Kinda caught me off guard with the specific example."
"Discribe the difference between my generation and my parents/grandparents generation."
"What would an ideal physician be like? How do you compare to this ideal physician?"
"Nothing really interesting. All the usual questions."
"One of my interviews led into a few questions about "study habits and methods." It was an opportunity to provide insight about test prep and self discipline. "
"What was one of your most important experiences in a medical setting?"
"Questions specifically about my background"
"What do you like to do in your free time?"
"None were really that interesting."
"The interviewer told me that the LCME uses four words to describe/evaluate qualities that med students should have -- he made me guess what those 4 words were."
"Do you like the Nutcracker? (My interviewer played it during the interview.)"
"Describe a time in your life when you taught yourself how to do something (without any help)."
"Why are you interested in practicing in an underserved community?"
"What do you think success will look like as physician?"
"What did you struggle the most on your MCAT?"
"How do you think you would be as a medical student?"
"Explaining rural medicine when my county is not classically rural"
"The interview was very conversational so nothing to difficult"
"How would I tell a patient they tested positive for HIV?"
"What parts of our curriculum would prepare you to be a doctor?"
"If you were a physician, how would you handle the following scenario: After determining a patient has X disease, and only 3 months to live, the family asks you not to tell the patient. What do you do?"
"Nothing was terribly difficult."
"What are the problems of heatlhcare today? What can we do?"
"Have you looked into which primary care fields have shortages in your hometown?"
"Why become a doctor rather than a nurse?"
"What do you think about healthcare? What do you think the problems are in healthcare?"
"If you are committed to primary care, why doesn't your shadowing experience reflect exposure to primary care clinical settings?"
"Explain past grades."
"What do you think about cap and trade? Greenhouse gases (bluff?)"
"What do you do for fun, for yourself? (I don't, I have a wife, 2 kids, work 72 hrs a week, go to school, and sleep. I have fun with my kids-I don't have time to go have fun by myself-so this was hard to answer for me."
"Asked how I was going to deal with sharing tragic news regarding a patient to the family."
"Tell me something about yourself that is not on your application."
"None. All pretty general, laid back questions."
"What will you do if you don't get accepted"
"So then what are you going to do when your pediatric patients grow up? (It was strange - Like a challenge, but confusing, because it didn't seem like a problem to me...)"
"Demonstrating the commitment to Mercer's mission."
"None - interviews were both very casual, comfortable, and more conversational than I expected."
"Prove to me that you want to stay in GA (not in those words though)."
"There weren't any difficult questions."
"How do we know we will stay in Georgia?"
"What were the specific activities that got me interested in medicine"
"Specific questions about how to educate physicians on modern medical technology and research."
"How can you handle all of the reading in medical school?"
"First question/statement of the day (9am): Interviewer leaned back and said ''I see you have met Clinton, I hate the Clintons''. "
"Why should we choose you? (but they asked it in a nice way)"
"Basically any question concerning a less-than-stellar grade on my transcript."
"If I told you that you needed to go back to school and take additional science courses and reapply next year, how would that make you feel and what would you do?"
"do you plan on returning to atlanta when you finish medical school?"
"What are your hobbies? (only because this question can go in a million directions if you want someone to really get to know you)"
"What happened in Arabic? (I got a poor grade in this class)"
"Where do I see myself in 15 years?"
"What is a difficulty or fault in my personality that I would have to overcome as a physician?"
"Who is the most altruistic person in the world? Describe an instance where you observed an allopathic strategy to medicine?"
"Why do I think I would be a good fit at Mercer."
"What is the most important medical discovery in the past 200 years? The answer...sanitation"
"Is there something on your application that you want to point out that we have not yet covered? (makes you think--Oh my gosh! What did they not like?--but they are really just taking the extra time out to make sure you have gotten a chance to talk about everything you wanted)"
"none---really straight forward questions"
"Why did you score poorly in the science sections of your MCAT?"
"What do you have to offer Mercer? (Why should we pick you?)"
"None."
"Tell me what other schools you are also applying to and why?"
"Do you think there is a problem with the healthcare system in America?"
"I see you applied last year, did you even get wait-listed?"
"You are from a big city, how do you feel about small towns and why?"
"Why should we pick you? (What will you bring to Mercer as a student and future physician?)"
"Can you name any Pulitzer Prize winners?"
"None were very difficult. Make sure you know their mission and understand PBL."
"Suppose you are an OB/GYN and have a pt who finally got pregnant after years of trying. During the pre-natal care, you discover that she runs a 50:50 chance of dying is she has the baby. She opts for an abortion...what do you do?"
"Name a person who has influenced you. (Just so broad)"
"Again nothing extremely hard but this one caught me off guard a little too. "It's the night before your Bio. chem exam and you've not studied at all. How are you going to study the night before to be prepared the best you possibly can"?"
"no really difficult questions. see interesting question?"
"Nothing really. Very conversational. "
"Although it's not a difficult question, but "why rural medicine?""
"No question was extremely difficult. "
"Do you see yourself having any problems in your future and what are they?"
"none were really difficult"
"What is the biggest medical problem facing the US?"
"How well do you see yourself functioning in our problem-based curriculum? Will you be a leader or a follower? Why?"
"One interview pounded me with all kinds of questions about serving on a city council in a small town, or how to get physicians into those counties that don't have any physicians yet. I feel I did well answering them, even though many of the questions I had never even thought about before."
"What have you done in the last 3 years that shows you are altruistic?"
"What do you want to tell me about yourself? "
"What was the most difficult thing you have ever experienced in your life?"
"No difficult questions."
"What are your views on the current health-care system in Canada?"
"Having my parents ask me questions Answering questions by myself"
"Practiced alone"
"Practiced most commonly asked questions."
"Practice with a former doc ADCOM and reading Dr. Gray's books"
"Reading the website and preparing answers based on student doctor network interview feedback."
"Mock interviews through undergraduate institution"
"Read the mission statement, and really look through their curriculum the PBL style."
"Read the information on the website (mission, values, etc.) and just had a time of introspection of why I truly want to be a doctor"
"Previous interviewing. I didn't do any formal preparation beforehand."
"Lightly reviewed website, campus options, curriculum, and school mission"
"Did a mock interview, read Mercer's website, read SDN threads, watched youtube videos about interviews"
"Went through school website"
"Reviewed application"
"Read materials, talked to students"
"I just read over my primary and secondary applications, as well as researched the school."
"Looked at SDN (very, very helpful)"
"Sdn and interview feedback and practicing a lot of questions."
"Visited SDN, reviewed AMCAS"
"Read through the school curriculum (which they email you), thought about possible interview questions, didn't stress too much."
"Mock-interview and practice certain questions"
"I read various articles about potential interview questions. I also asked one of my recommenders to perform a mock interview with me. This was definitely a huge help because he cultivated a very realistic interview environment, and he gave me feedback on my responses."
"SDN Interview Feedback, reviewed their website and catalog."
"I reviewed my application in detail. I prepared a list of questions I thought I be asked, and I thought about my answers to each question."
"read over supplementals"
"Writing prototypical interview questions down and kind of doing a loose outline of what I would say. Went over my app."
"Reviewed my submitted essays, and my application. Reviewed the schools mission."
"SDN, AMCAS and secondary app, healthreform.gov, pre-med advisors, outside sources (students, current physicians, and students who have interviewed in the past couple of years)"
"SDN. Pre-med advisor. Careers Counselor at school."
"read healthreform.gov, reviewed primary, secondary and school website"
"Mock interview, read AMCAS and supplemental, practice questions "
"SDN, read AMCAS and secondary application, healthreform.gov, NY Times"
"website, information they sent us (curriculum), AMCAS, secondary, studentdr interview feedback"
"Found general questions on the internet."
"SDN and read my application"
"glanced over application "
"Read SDN, school's history, mission, grading system, style of teaching, etc. I also made sure i knew every detail of my ps and secondary essays. Lastly, i read up on all the health care aspect of the upcoming election (that never came up though) "
"Secondary, AMCAS, school website, spoke with faculty, and previous interviews helped me prepare. Came down the night before and got to the interview early to get familiar with the area."
"SDN, lots of thought/prayer, mock interview"
"sdn, amcas"
"Mock Interviews, meeting with 1rst year student. Learned about PBL."
"SDN,Mercer website, reviewed PBL curriculum, messaged Mercer students on SDN and meet with one before interview."
"First of all, this was my second interview at this school, so that helped me a LOT in preparation. But besides that, just read up on the school and any news concerning it. Also, I made sure I thought of good questions to ask the interviewers the night BEFORE the interview, not while I was sitting there on the spot. I wanted to make sure I asked questions that showed I was not only interested in going to medical school, but I was interested in going THERE."
"Student doctor network, Mercer website, 2006-2007 medical school bulletin, internet med school questions, rural health statistics, spoke with 1st year student"
"sdn, schools website, researched rural medicine"
"SDN, Read my AMCAS, researched rural medicine, talked to Mercer students"
"Talked with several current and former students, SDN website, informal mock interview with another applicant from this year."
"Read over SDN, talked to a friend who interviewed there, skimmed some articles on rural medicine and some stats on medicine"
"Read up on Mercer School of Medicine. Read latest stats on rural medicine in Georgia. Also, read stats on Georgia's public health stat's"
"Mock interview; student doctor; read up on Mercer; relaxed!"
"Looked at this site and read Mercer Mission State."
"Reviewed my file the day before...that's it. You should be yourself, don't rehearse...they see right throught that"
"SDN, school website"
"SDN, read my app, talked to other pre-med kids"
"SDN, two med school interview books, research on socialized medicine, ethical issues, mock interviews."
"Student Doctor website, read AMCAS, read secondary, mock interview"
"Shadow physicians and ask lots of questions relating to issues in healthcare and how it affects them."
"Studentdoctor.net, read the mission, Kaplan prep book"
"I reviewed my Amcas and Supplemental applications, as well as read up on the PBL system."
"Read over my AMCAS and secondary statements. I've interviewed at Mercer twice and have both times been shocked by how well the interviewers prepare. One interviewer last year actually quoted from my personal statement. "
"SDN"
"Reviewed Mercer's mission statement, looked at this website, reviewed my application, studied a few sample questions, and talked with my pre-medical advisory committee."
"Read AMCAS, SDN."
"Read SDN & AMCAS"
"Read SDN, mercer website, self analysis. Consulted many professors, advisors, and other students who have interviewed."
"Read over my file (trust me...they read it too!) and looked at SDN for Mercer."
"SDN, website, thought a lot about typical q's and a's"
"SDN, Online reviews"
"SDN, read mercer websight, read my application over again, brushed up my knowledge on PBL, read some interview books."
"Mercer web page, application, SDN"
"Read Mercer's website, went through my application, thought a bunch. "
"SDN, amcas app, reviewed secondary essays, read some news online"
"Read over the school's web sit and mission statement. I spent some time learning how the PBL curriculum worked. Read past experiences from this website."
"looked over application, you have to know it good because they ask you several questions directly from it"
"read mercer bulletin"
"I just mentally went over some of the questions that I thought I could have answered better when I interviewed last year."
"Read over the information sent to me by Mercer, review Mercer's Mission Statement, familiarized myself with PBL/Mercer curriculum/teaching methods, review AMCAS application."
"This website, the school's website, talking to doctors I know who teach there, and talking with current med students."
"This website."
"this website, reviewed current health care news, familiarized myself with my application, brainstormed interview questions and answers"
"Stayed with a friend who's a 4th year student, read the website, knew my AMCAS and Mercer apps cold."
"looked at interview feedback, read over my AMCAS and secondary, looked in some interview and getting into medical school books for sample questions."
"Interviewfeedback.com (although it's now down), researched the school through their website, and talked with current first-year students."
"Everyone was friendly, and the faculty made sure to give us pep talks before we went into our actual interview. They created a very relaxed environment in such a high stakes situation."
"Very kind and affable."
"Everyone was incredibly affable."
"Their phone call and comments when accepted. They were nice and pleasant. They do not grill you."
"All of the faculty was very nice and laid back. The students seemed to actually enjoy their time and all of the staff and students at the interview day seemed very normal and relateable."
"Mercer culture (friendly, relaxed, enthusiastic)"
"The interactions with staff and the student ambassadors were very welcoming."
"The ease of the environment"
"How chill the day was. Everyone was SO nice and encouraging and the day went very smoothly. I never felt rushed or stressed."
"The facilities are great and the faculty and staff were very nice. The hospital is only a few steps away from the main building."
"Faculty/staff/students were very friendly and were a very tight knit community."
"Location in Savannah...and that's about it"
"Everyone at the school is like a family. The students and the professors have a wonderful relationship, and it's very inviting. The student tour guides were very funny and made me feel at home."
"Both interviewers were extremely nice. Also, they recalled many things from both of my primary and secondary. It was nice to know all of the hard work put into the apps was worth it."
"I enjoyed getting to spend time with the current students at the school."
"Very laid back, relaxed feel"
"The BMP curriculum. I went into the interview with a negative-leaning opinion of it and came out with a largely positive view of it and with a strong desire to want to attend the school. Also, the M2's who gave the tour were extremely friendly and helpful."
"The school's location (proximity to the hospital) and the problem-based learning"
"Both of my interviewers were very collegial in their approach to the interview and made me feel as though we were having a conversation rather than an interrogation."
"The family atmosphere among students and professors."
"It was more of a conversation about my file and my life, my goals, etc. I actually had a nice conversation with both of my interviewers. The 4th year were open and nice, happy to give advice, etc. Everyone on campus was really welcoming and happy to have us."
"Class size and friendliness of everyone"
"How long the interviews were and how nice everbody was. Very layed back interviews. The students that toured us around were really cool guys and gave us alot of info."
"Small class size and the PBL approach."
"The cordial nature of everyone, from faculty and staff to students. Everyone was very accommodating."
"Pretty campus. Good relationship between students and Faculty."
"The small, close community and the willingness of the faculty and staff to assist students whenever/however possible"
"The friendliness of the staff and students and the PBL curriculum"
"The enthusiasm of the students was contagious. They really seemed to enjoy Mercer, its program, their success within the program, the supportive faculty, and the independent study style."
"The students were REALLY passionate about Mercer and the curriculum. They looked at everything positively, but still answered our questions very honestly. Small class size, so all the students know each other and their profs fairly well. Also, they showed us a real cadaver. It was awesome."
"The environment is very low stress. Everyone is nice and really seems to enjoy the school. The students made me believe that thay love what they are doing."
"The laid back atmosphere and how nice everyone was."
"The students were friendly. "
"The friendliness of the staff/students. "
"Friendliness of the staff and students, the facilities and hospital were very nice, the classrooms stood out as unique compared to large lecture halls I've seen, and the genuine happiness of the students there. They seemed to be a community there...all smiles."
"The atmosphere was positive 100% of the time. Everyone is overwhelmingly friendly at this school."
"I absolutely loved how friendly everyone was. The admissions staff and my interviewers were wonderful."
"The students seem very happy and content here. Small class sizes, access to faculty and just the team spirit amongst students They have a Problem based learning curriculum for 1st two yrs and either ul love it or be scared to attempt it because its heavily dependent on the student to learn materials which is a habit any physician should have anyway plus ive been to schools with a more traditional lecture format and students have told me they dont attend lectures cos they learn better studying alone or with groups The hospital"
"Recently renovated hospital"
"Interviews were so relaxed that it actually threw me off guard. But still be prepared for them. All the students seemed happy to be there as well. I also liked that the school is by Mercer University instead of being isolated. The university has a great food court in one building, so you have more areas to hang out or study if you want."
"How friendly and encouraging everyone I met at the school was, including the students. They make you feel like they truly want to accept everyone and they really calm you down if you are nervous."
"Friendliness and Biomedical Problems"
"how much patient interaction there is for 1st year students, adopting a rural community, pbl and group centered classes "
"Everyone was VERY nice! The students seemed to really love Mercer."
"It seemed that the students I met had a genuine relationship with one another. I didn't detect any superiority complexes. Basically, they liked and helped each other."
"I really liked the PBL approach to learning and the faculty's involvement in the process as tutors and faculty advisors in this process. "
"Friendliness of everyone. Openess to questions. Mention of the highest mean board score in Georgia"
"The friendliness of the students and how willing people were to answer your questions. Also the intimate environment of the campus and the closeness among the students."
"The students were very nice. Admissions staff was very personable also. "
"All stud. and fac. seemed to be friendly and had a postive non competive family feel to it."
"It was extremely laid back. The small class size and the PBL curriculum is great. The faculty has an open door policy that really is an open door policy. I know it's cliche, but it's like a big family."
"EVER SINGLE PERSON is down to earth and very willing to help. I had a break before one of my interviews and students actually came up to me to give me advice about my interviewers. "
"everything! Everyone was incredibly friendly, and they took the time to listen to what you had to say. The students are really positive about their school and the PBL curriculum seems like it would be a great fit for my way of learning."
"Everyone seemed genuinely nice and the students seemed to enjoy the problem-based learning approach."
"Everyone at the school was extremely friendly and the interviewers were very laid back."
"Small close-knit class. Focus on Problem-based learning and self-study opposed to a mass lecture. Nice people and nice area to live in."
"The friendliness of EVERYBODY"
"The interview was very low stress, the interviewers were not intimidating, the facilities are great, and everyone was incredibly friendly."
"I love the problem-based learning, small class size, student cohesiveness, and dedication to Georgia."
"The friendliness of everyone, the interviewers, admissions staff, dean, etc. My first interviewer actually took me on a side tour to meet a couple of his students."
"Everybody was so friendly."
"I actually enjoyed discussing things with my interviewers. I could tell that they were thinkers, and I think (or hope) that we hit it off well."
"EVERYONE is so NICE! Students, faculty, etc. The PBL program and resulting board scores. Also they offer a very strong support system."
"The preparation of the interviewers; the kindess of everyone there; the PBL system linked to their higher than average board scores"
"Everything- small school, very close knit,PBL, everyone is SO friendly"
"Student faculty ratio and the hospital"
"The students were really cool. They appeared to have created a family type relationship amongst their peers. A great way to approach med school considering a medical education is so challenging. The library staff seemed like they would go way out of their way to help you if you need them. The faculty did a good job of calming any jitters we had going into this."
"the Medical Center, students, admissions staff, both interviewers"
"The friendliness of the staff, faculty, and students. The curriculum. The HOSPITAL was excellent. They sold me on PBL. The small class size. Their teaching methodology. Their clinical experience. "
"The people were amazing! I figured everyone would be cheerful, but not to this extent!"
"I am convinced that Mercer's PBL methodology is effective at "improving" the acacemic quality of a student. "
"the friendly staff, there seems to be a lot of support available for students and the students all seemed very down to earth and happy"
"The faculty seemes to really care about their students."
"The genuine concern of the faculty and staff and the closeness of the student body."
"The camaraderie among the student body."
"Friendliness of everyone, supportive administration."
"The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year students that we met were awesome. We got to spend a lot of time with them."
"the admissions staff is super friendly. the class size at mercer is very small (app. 56) and with the pbl curriculum, you work in even smaller groups (between 6-8)"
"The sincere friendliness of the faculty and staff and their desire to help the students learn and progress through the program, the happiness of the students, the time students have available for recreational interests, the resources available to help students in the PBL curriculum, the size of the Medical school buliding on the inside (it looks small from the outside - but man its huge inside when you start hoofing it around in there)."
"I was impressed by everything the school had to offer its students. The friendliness of the staff and students was very impressive."
"The PBL curriculum and the general happiness of the student body."
"Nothing, honestly."
"The student ambassador session should have been short. It was an hour but 45 minutes would have been better. It was in a group and several students in the group didn't ask questions so other folks were required to fill in the silence."
"I wish they asked harder questions."
"It felt like I was being grilled rather than getting to know them and them getting to know me. I also had a hard time understanding my interviewer which made things difficult."
"Some students had an interview in the morning and one in the afternoon while others had both in the morning. While I understand it was because of available staff knowing beforehand would have been nice to know."
"N/A"
"Asked sexist/ probing questions. Were grilling from the start. Don't even have a histology lab."
"One interviewer, seemingly, was trying to discourage me from the school."
"Both interviewers seemed to have social interaction issues (so much so that student tour guides apologized on their behalf without prompting), Savannah "campus" is much less a campus and more a couple of rooms at a hospital, value for the money seemed incredibly lacking, very cagey when asked about success of PBL"
"The facilities, though new (they've recently moved into a new building in Savannah) feel a bit disconnected. The individual study/classrooms are nice though. The Dean also said they are hoping to start construction on a new med school building in the next 4 years."
"Honestly, nothing."
"The only negative experience I had was with the cafeteria at lunch time! I was given a voucher for a specific amount and the cashier gave me a hard time for purchasing something that was LESS than the amount of my voucher."
"Nothing."
"One interview was blind - and confrontational. I almost believe I was set up for sabotage - but held strong."
"Can't think of anything right now."
"The size of the school is unimpressive, but other than that, everything was really amazing."
"Savannah satellite campus doesn't have all their own faculty, so they do video feeds from Macon (and on few occasions vice versa)."
"The facilities seemed a bit old and lacked technology"
"The facilities were pretty underwhelming... And my second interviewer kept interrupting me. I could hardly answer her questions. "
"The facilities were unremarkable. For such a high tuition, I thought they would have more technology and nicer facilities. The library was unimpressive. We never saw the anatomy lab."
"Nothing really. We didn't get a tour of the hospital, which would have been cool, but the hospital cafeteria food was good at least!"
"Nothing, I really loved the school. "
"The financial aid packet is not ver informative, otherwise nothing."
"The hospital is separate from campus, cadaver lab not til late first year, and you switch small groups every 6 weeks so studying partners have to change. "
"Macon is not the ideal location but the students seem to make the best out of it."
"I was late for my first interview because the scheduling was off."
"The tours were not very detailed."
"The medical school is small but so is the class size so i guess it evens out. Library seems old."
"Macon isn't exactly the hot spot of the world"
"At lunch, the 3rd and 4th years write an evaluation on you later. I was a little annoyed when I first found out about it on SDN, but it's not a big deal. I tried to use it to my advantage and still felt I could open up to them. Additionally, there isn't a cafeteria, but students just seem to eat out or at home. And as I mentioned, you could always walk right over to the university and grab something."
"Well, let's face it, Macon, GA isn't exactly a social hotspot. That's about it though."
"There was no enough time to tour the school."
"that a large portion of the class is married and has kids (could be a good thing if you are ready to get married)"
"The school only has one building."
"That they wouldn't let me enroll that day....just kidding! Nothing about the day was negative at all."
"The tour was kind of short, didn't really give me much of an idea of the facilities. "
"Immaturity of one of the 4th year med students!"
"The medical school itself was slightly small but wasnt a big deal, still nice. Interviews were in various locations downtown, but everyone gave great directions and only took about five minutes to get there. "
"The small PBL rooms were absolutely disgusting. I know people spend alot of time there but I couldn't. The interviewers did not look at my file at all so the interviews were very impersonable. "
"One interiewer was a little negative but the other was better than I could have hoped for."
"If anything negatively impressed me it would be that it was too laid back."
"Macon--different from where I am currently going to school--but still not so bad. "
"the rain...nothing about the school"
"I wish we could have gotten a tour of the whole campus, not just the medical building."
"The average MCAT is 26-27, even though the avg. undergrad GPA is 3.7ish."
"The fact that I had one hour of "free time""
"The Yr-2 students who toured us around the basic science campus seemed a little disinterested, but the Yr-4 students who toured us around the hospital were great. Also, my second interviewer was changed at the last minute due to an emergency and so I felt like the replacement didn't really have a chance to read through my file. Also, she had a meeting to go to twenty minutes after I arrived for the interview so it was very rushed."
"Not the most modern facilities. Also, during Clinical years, some students have to go to Savannah as opposed to staying in Macon. I was told that most students volunteer to go, but occasionally a lotery makes the decision."
"I wish we could have spent more time touring the hospital. However, we did get to spend a good bit of time with the fourth year students. (Try and ask LOTS of questions, you'll learn a lot of interesting information.)"
"Not crazy about Macon, although I didn't get to see much of the city."
"Just the 28000 a year tuition."
"Not enough time was spent discussing financial aid...if I'm spending $27,000 a year to go there, I'd like to know how I can pay for it!"
"Not much really"
"small library"
"Not a whole lot. I came away with Mercer as my number one choice. They did a good job promoting their program."
"Too little time to see everything."
"The location was boring with not a lot to do. They didn't show us the cadaver labs. They made us take a 1 hour personality test that was really annoying. "
"The hospital tour was about 5 minutes away from the admission's office. So, we had to drive over there. NOt really a big deal though."
"Not really any negative aspects. This medical school is smaller than most. For me that is a plus because I come from a smaller undergrad and I enjoy close relationships between faculty and student. "
"nothing, it was as great of an experience as I expected it would be"
"We didn't get to see the cadaver labs."
"Having to drive over to the medical center for the hospital tour."
"Both of my interviewers (but especially the second one) seemed rather confrontational, even hostile at times. Instead of the "getting to know you" vibe I got at all of my other interviews, it seemed like these two were more interested in calling me and/or proving me wrong on every response I made. I knew it would be bad when the first question I was asked was why my "science" recomedations came from Chemistry and not Biology professors."
"Nothing really. I live here in Macon so anything that might have negatively impressed me would have done so a long time ago and I just don't remember it. "
"Lack of diversity."
"you were on your own for transportation to get to the lunch site. it wasn't too hard to find, but it is a little stressful during interview day to be driving in unfamiliar territory. and who wants to feel like you can't follow simple driving directions?"
"Small school & Class size - It's a Positive for me, but some might view this as a negative - depends on what you're looking for."
"Nothing"
"The hospital tour."
"I didn't exactly understand how the interview would be conducted. The real interview took place after about an hour long welcome and introduction. This happened in a break out room with two interviewers. The breakout room is only open for 45 minutes."
"How long it takes to hear back for ED"
"Prepare a fun fact or three! :-)"
"About their different campuses"
"Know the mission and make sure you reflect that mission."
"N/A"
"They do not care about grades or honesty"
"Who the interviewers were"
"Directions to the building/meeting place were a bit vague."
"Not much - it was very relaxed and well organized. I was surprised to learn that, though the average grades/scores of incoming students may be a bit lower than other schools, their board scores are well above average - shows that the curriculum seems to be very effective!"
"Relax. Do a mock interview, just to get yourself in the right mind set, but RELAX. The interview is non-stressful. Just remember, be yourself."
"I wish I'd known to prepare for a good bit of walking because I would've worn more comfortable shoes!"
"Bring a couple extra dollars cash for lunch in Savannah. They give you a $5 certificate to the cafeteria, but it's easy to go over with a drink.."
"I looked on this website, so I was pretty well prepared. I think the most important thing is that the 4th years are reviewing you, too, and you will have to drive to the hospital and back, sometimes even for your first or second interview."
"Nothing. I loved the school and the PBL format. Will definitely reapply EDP if I don't get in."
"Can't think of anything right now."
"As far as the process of the interview goes, they were very good about detailing it to us. But, in regards to my interview, I'd say I wish I knew that they were going to pick out certain weaknesses in my application (including something from a letter) and asked me what I thought about each thing."
"None."
"If you go to the Savannah campus then make sure you bring a cell phone and the phone number they give you in the email. You will need this to call the secretary to let you in the door."
"I felt I was well prepared"
"Nothing in particular. "
"Nothing, any questions I had were answered in the welcoming time."
"That the interview truly is laidback and one shouldnt prepare for a grilling but rather a conversation."
"That the interview was going to be a conversation. There was literally no questions asked during my second interview. "
"Nothing really. Some interviewers are tougher than others...I had a surgeon..."
"One interviewer seemed interested in my volunteer work and leadership experience. I've heard from other interviewees that volunteer work is focused on."
"Well, this sort of applies. In my first interview, I wasn't told that the little lunch with the 4th year students is most DEFINITELY part of your interview. I mean to the point where these random students you think you are just eating with are actually writing evaluations of you after lunch. They didn't tell us that my 1st time and I sat there like an idiot chatting with another applicant. This wasn't because I am anti-social, I was just relaxed thinking the interview was over! This year though, they made sure to remind us of that before our interviews began for the day, so that helped a LOT. I made sure to be as friendly and talkative as possible, and ask a lot of questions to the students."
"Nothing. With the preparation that I have done for the interview, I had no surprises. I still had questions, but nothing that I wish I had known ahead of time. Some people finished before lunch, interviewing at 10 and 11. Others had an interview after lunch."
"that there is some wait time b/w interview s "
"They have tons of student support mechanisms (leadership innitiatives, health checks, big brother/sisters for 1st years, book clubs etc.)"
"Nothing I can think of...I was well-prepared."
"nothing really suprising. i was warned about the 3/4th year students are still evaluating you at lunch. "
"Nothing. I knew everything"
"The exact format of the day, but nothing really surprised me."
"Interviewers seemed out of touch with medical doctors (they were both Phd's). Expected me to go on medical missions and solve all the worlds problems. "
"1st off if you want to get into Mercer you need to atleast appear to be interseted in rual medicine...do your home work on what the probs. facing rural medicine are! Also there are good and bad parts of macon...when I was driving to the interview all I saw was the crappy part but now I know macon has a none ghetto side as well."
"I wish I would have understood how the PBL system worked at Mercer."
"I should have known that the day would not be stressful from other comments that I read. It's hard not to get stressed out a little though."
"They focus on volunteer work much more than research. Beware Bruce Innes, he's not nice to most people. If you are unlucky to be most people, he'll try to make your interview miserable."
"There is no longer a personality test that everybody has been speaking about!!!"
"It is really just a fun day, so I wish I would have known their was no need to be nervous."
"I was told by an admissions counselor that if you apply early decision (which I did both years) the committee will not re-evaluate your application if new, better MCAT scores come in. "
"Don't Stress!!"
"I wish I would have known that the interview was going to be as stressfree as they said it would be."
"They tell you the personality test is not used in their decision but it really is so take it seriously. Also some of the med students that give you tours write evaluations so don't let your guard down."
"More "general" questions for the admissions director- he will meet with everyone as a group first"
"Nothing"
"Their avg. USMLE step I score is 237 with the rest of the nation having a avg. of 216. Really says a lot about PBL"
"How strong the PBL program was and the exceptional training the students receive."
"The interviews are low stress if you are lucky to get nice interviewers. This was my first interview so I thought they would grill me about the weak points on my app. "
"No cadavers. They use a simulated anatomy program."
"That the store my new suit was bought from forgot to remove the "anti-theft ink device." A little engineering and my hotel door jam took care of that problem."
"nothing, just relax and enjoy the day, it goes by very quickly"
"no real surprises"
"The fact that the school is located so far from its affiliated hospital."
"Nothing."
"they also give you a personality test. my interviewer told me it is not a factor in the admissions process, but they may use it in the future for research purposes. it just caught me off guard and was a little surprising to have to answer 200 questions rating things like "people like me," "i cheat at solitaire," and "i usually like to work alone." Also, the first time their board meets is not until January, which was sort of disappointing, just because it adds to the waiting game. Also, you are given a sheet of paper to give to your interviewer with a sample question to get you started. So, know what you want to sell about yourself."
"Relax! Be yourself."
"I wish I would've known that the interviews were going to be as relaxing as they were. Really guys, don't stress out over this one. You'll regret it later."
"I was happy with how my interview day went. However, I did seem to get interviewers that were a tad bit newer to MUSM. They tended to just ask questions, opposed to what I heard about it feeling like a conversation. Throughout the interview, we all seemed to get a more comfortable, so everything still went fine."
"Wonderful staff!"
"Most people seemed to have a good experience, but I was unhappy with my interviewer and how things unfolded. I did not perform well, and I usually perform under pressure, but the specific interviewer I had was blunt and made me uneasy."
"Overall, really enjoyed my interview day. There was only 5 total for the interview day which has been the smallest group I have experienced so far."
"I was overall impressed with the Interview Day at MUSM. They provided such a laidback environment that even if you went into the interview full of nervousness, you wouldn't leave that way!"
"Definitely the least stressful interview day I've been a part of"
"This school seems like a perfect fit for me."
"Faculty and staff were extremely nice"
"Better than going outside US"
"My experience here was very poor. If it were my only option for medical school, I may have viewed it more positively. Considering it wasn't, between the lack of a real campus, horrendous interviewers, and lack of value for money, this clearly was not the place for me."
"The admissions people try to make you as relaxed as possible"
"Very positive experience, especially for my first interview."
"I left my interview experience even more excited about Mercer than before! Everything about my experience was positive, and I left knowing that it is where I want to complete my medical education."
"Great school."
"I enjoyed the experience and was impressed by the program."
"Wonderful school, and I really hope I get in!!!!!"
"Overall impressions were great. I was told that one of my interviewers had a history of grilling their interviewees, however I did not feel that way at all as both my interviewers were extremely nice and I thought I had two good interviews."
"N/A"
"Overall, I was impressed by the interview. It was low stress and VERY informative. They give you every opportunity to have your questions answered. I really would have liked to see more of the hospital. We ate in the cafeteria, but it would have been nice to take a tour. "
"I think this was a perfect example of how important the interview process is for both the student and the school. So much of the application process is abstract, and an interview really makes things tangible and realistic. The interviewee truly gets to see if this is where he/she wants to study medicine. "
"The staff was very nice and willing to help with anything. They all kept saying to be nice to everyone, including custodians, because word gets around!"
"The interviewers will be looking at your application before hand so make sure you read over it again. The process is very casual and expect to just chat some. They will definitely ask you about staying in GA. Also, when you go out to lunch with the student(s) make sure you realize that it is an interview and they will be writing a review about you."
"Facilities were old and it is not worth the massive amount of money they charge for tuition"
"The entire experience was very laid back. You definitely have no reason to be stressed for everyone genuinely seems to be rooting for you. "
"It's difficult to pin point specific questions asked during the interview because they are formulated based on the info that you submit (AMCAS, secondary, LOR). I tried to put in a few of the general ones that were asked, but make sure to thoroughly review all of your submitted materials to see where questions will come from. Definitely know about the PBL curriculum."
"Always ask questions to your interviewers."
"Be able to carry on a random conversation for one hour. Also, make sure you know how to get from the Medical School to the Hospital quickly and efficiently. I had one interview at the school and one at the hospital."
"I enjoyed my time there with the students and faculty"
"Overall, Excellent. Don't stay at the Marriott that is recommended, it is too far from the school. Stay as close as possible because a lot of interviews take place at the hospital and not the med school."
"I'm always nervous at interviews, but this was the lowest stress one yet. But still be prepared for them. I had one interview on campus with an immunologist (PhD) and the other at the nearby hospital with a 4th year student on the committee. We were given a tour of both the medical school and some of the hospital. Mercer wants doctors who will practice in GA so keep that in mind. I thought I might get a strike against me because I haven't lived in GA my whole life, but there are other students there who haven't either. Not everyone is specializing in primary care either. One of the 4th year students planned on pursuing ophthalmology. Overall, it was a great experience and I'm waiting to hear back from the committee which should be meeting before Thanksgiving some time. Acceptances are given by phone calls and certified letters, which I think is so less stressful. Additionally, Mercer wants to know that you will fit into their entire PBL curriculum. Everyone has to adjust to it so don't worry about having some difficulty at first."
"Mercer's interviews are probably the absolute least stressful interviews you will have. Everyone there is VERY nice and really makes you feel like you just belong there from the moment you walk through the door. It was a great day. I interviewed August 21st, and got the acceptance phone call September 5th =)"
"Low stress, informative"
"really great. the dean comes in to talk to you about general stuff and then the financial aid people come to talk to you. this was actualy a very informative finical aid talk so listen. then i had two interviews - one with a faculty member and one with a student. both were really laid back and non-stressful."
"The interviewers truly wanted to know how (and if) I would fit into their school and its curriculum. To do well in the interview, you MUST read up on Mercer's PBL and curriculum. Look at the website and talk to students there if possible."
"Knowing a lot about the curriculum, I had high expectations, yet the entire experience was still more than I expected. I was lucky and had both interviews on campus. Some students had to travel from place to place. So, be prepared. One interview lasted 45-50 minutes, and the other lasted 70 minutes. Having an interview go long can be good, but it might make you late for the next meeting. Everyone was understanding, and it didn't seem to count against me. The interviewers DO have access to your file. However, some may choose NOT to look at it. Although both went extremely well, I thought the interview went better for the person that had a chance to review my file. So, be ready to start from scratch."
"Mercer's overall campus (undergrad and grad ) is really nice. I like the rural location of Mercer. I especially like the accessibility of the faculty and the PBL approach leading."
"I arrived at 8:00 a.m. I stayed on campus with a friend. In the morning, Dean Inniss gave interviewees a great background summary on Mercer. They mentioned the board pass rate and the boards scores as the highest in GA. The Financial Aid people came to talk about the debt that we will incur. After the introduction each student was given a file about their interviewers. Each interviewer had an opportunity to look an applicant's file before the interview. There were two interviewers, one in the morning and then perhaps one in the afternoon. My first interviewer was a 4th year med student, the second was with Dr. Sipple. Both my interviews were in the morning. The one difficult question I had was about how to fix the healthcare system in America. After the interview, there was lunch at the MCCG. You must have a car to drive to the medical center. There was a tour of the MCCG and then lunch with a bunch of 4th years. One of them lacked any sort of compassion and repsect for his patients. Parking is free and the lunch at the hospital is not bad. You are free to leave once your interviews are finished."
"Great, just relax b/c everyone is very helpful and laid back. "
"Met as a group in conference room. Had interviews in the morning and some had interviews after lunch. I had them both back to back so I got to leave after lunch."
"About as laid back as a med school interview can be. Just be yourself. "
"It was great. Very laid back. You interview with one committee member and one non committee member and both of my interviews were in their offices. Neither one of them had looked at my file and interviewed me. Not numbers and all of that crap. They interviewed me. It was an excellent experience and I got accepted!!!"
"We began the day with a meeting with a Financial aid consultant and the dean of admissions. We were then given our interviewer names/locations and escorted to our first interview. We had lunch with the 4th year students and then finally went back to the school for our last interview. "
"Stress-free and straightforward."
"We first met with the associate dean of admissions, followed by financial aid. We were then given the names of our interviewers and times of interviews, along with driving directions. Some interviewees were done by lunch, others had interviews after lunch. We were all done by 3PM. Lunch was provided at the hospital and we ate with 4th year med students who also gave us a brief tour."
"The day started at 8:30AM with the dean of admissions. After discussing the school with us for a bried period financial aid came in to give us the bad news. After that we were shown around the facilities by second-year students and taken to our first interviews. Some of us had back-to-back interviews at 10 and 11 while others had interviews at 10 and 2. We had lunch with fourth year students at the hospital and returned for interviews after a short tour of the hospital."
"I applied twice since I was rejected the first time. The interview with the committee member 1st cycle (Innes) was really awkward, but all of the other interviewers were really nice. Of course the 2nd time I interviewed I had spent the past few months mentoring students and working in a hospital."
"Dean and finacial aid rep spoke with the group (7 of us in my group); Quick tour and Q&A with 2nd yr students; Had one hour of free time; Had first interview; Lunch with 4th year students at hospital; Had last interview; I LEFT HAPPY "
"You arrive and meet with the Dean of Admissions and the Head of Financial Aid for about one hour. The you recieve a brief tour of the basic science campus before attending your first interview. Some people had back to back interviews at 10 and 11, but others did not. At noon you go to the hospital and eat lunch with fourth year students and get the chance to ask them questions (they are also evaluating you, but they are so friendly that you don't even notice). "
"My experience has been very positive both years. You will gather in the actual room the admission committee sits in to make decisions. The admissions councelor will give a talk about the school and the process. She gives you the names of your two interviewers and tells which is the committe member and which is the non-committee member. Then, Financial Aid comes in to give the really bad news. Finally, second year students come in to "candidly" answer questions (though I don't know how candid they really are). They give a short tour of the school and then guide you to your first interview. At least one interview will be at the school. The interview is one-on-one and lasts up to an hour. The second interview may be at the school. Both of mine were downtown at the hospital where clerkships take place. The drive is short, however, and everyone being interviewed winds up there for lunch. After interviews, you eat (free) lunch with third year students. The cafeteria is good enough to chose Mercer right off! Then, you are given a tour of the hospital. Finally, you return to the school for one of those cheesy personality tests. "
"Just be sure to answer questions about PBL and you have own the mission statement. The interviewer basically is there to see whether you will fit into Mercer's mission of serving rural GA and being in primary care! "
"This interview was nothing like I expected. It was very laid back (as they say). Everything went great! I just received my acceptance letter yesterday!! I am very excited about attending such a great school."
"Everybody was laid back, faculty and students. I felt very comfortable with everything."
"I just wanted to clear this up. Another student and I took our personality test earlier than the other students because of scheduling issues. We specificly asked if it would be used to determine admission and she assured us it would not. When we met with the fourth year students they all warned us to take the personality test seriously because it is actually used in determining admission. We informed them that we were told otherwise and they assured us that the tests are in fact used to determine if you are the right type of person for Mercer. So the advice I gave was legitimate whether it is ethical or not."
"First off, I must mention that I was told specifically that the personality test is NOT considered in regards to your acceptance. The previous poster says otherwise. It seems pretty unethical if Mercer were to outright lie about this, and in MUSM's defence, I am 99% sure that this is NOT the case. If it was the case, how did this person really know? I don't get it. Further, the fourth year students that took us on a short tour of the hospital, told us (the pre-meds) to relax and ask us anything because you are NOT being evaluated. I for one believe this to be the case. Anyway, overall it was a good experience. Just relax, get plenty of sleep the night before, and be yourself."
"Once you get there you wait with the other interviewees in the lobby. Make sure you are friendly and talk with the others because you are being watched. Then you meet in the conference room with the dean and discuss Mercer and its mission. Financial Aid comes in for about five seconds and gives you forms. Next the second year students answer any questions, give you a tour, and escort you to your first interview. After that we took the personality test. Once completed we carpooled to the hospital and spent two hours there eating lunch and touring with the fourth year students. After this break we were escorted to our last interview."
"Great school; great learning environment; Macon sucks but Atlanta is only 1.5 hours north; Mercer has made it to my top choice school now!"
"Very easy going- first meet with dean of admissions, meet with 2nd year students, interview, lunch with students, interview, go home. One of my interviewers really got going on some strange questions, but I know that I did fine. Just answer all questions very honestly and remember there are tons of "right" answers. Sometimes I think they just like to see you squirm a bit and see how you react."
"Overall its very good and Mercer is on my top list as of now."
"The experience was great. I went in a little nervous but within the first thirty minutes of arriving and meeting the faculty I was as calm as could be. My fellow interviewees were really cool too. The interviewers were relaxed and mostly just trying to get to know you...I did not feel like they tried to corner me any. The hospital was really cool...They just rebuilt their ER and it looked top notch. Like I said all and all the experience was great. I found out today that I was not accepted but that's cool...It's not the end of my medical road. I still had a blast visiting Mercer and I encourage everyone to just relax and have fun. If you get it you get it and if not then try again. If your making it to the interview stage then you've made it to far to turn back now. Good luck to everyone!!"
"Fantastic experience. "
"Went in thinking this will be boring. Came out sold on the school. "
"All in all, I was very surprised. Going in, I didn't expect too much but leaving, it turns out that I would be very very happy attending school here. The students were speaking highly of the education they were receiving. It's a tight niche class and the prof's knows everyone by their first name. Basically, I was going in looking for gold and I came away with a diamond!"
"When the interview day was complete, I was sold on this school. This was my first med-school interview so i didn't have any idea what to expect. Since then I've interviewed a couple of times and I've been comparing everything to Mercer. The admission's staff and faculty were wonderful. Mercer has some very distinct attributes such as class size and curriculum. This is certainly "my kind of med-school." "
"It was great! They try very hard to make you feel comfortable. Considering how nice every one is, it is very difficult to get nervous or worried."
"Relax guys! I know that you'll be nervous beforehand, but once you get inside you'll see how great the faculty treats their visitors. Both of my interviews were mostly conversational. We talked about current events, football, and a little about me too!"
"Interviews were the most stressful part for me. Some interviewers there do a wonderful job, but some are very confrontational and increase stress levels dramatically. Overall, I found the students, staff, and atmosphere very impressive."
"Hard to say...the people in the admissions office are WONDERFUL, and I really admired how close the students seem to be both as a student body and with the faculty. But I was really discouraged by both of my interviewers who really seemed to make it apparent that they were doing me a favor by taking time out of their schedules to interview me. (One even made me sit across from her in her office and wait - in silence - while she finished checking her e-mail!)"
"First interview went well even though I was drilled with question after question about very specific details of my future life. This was odd because so much of my future is still very vague. I mean, how can I say if I will be in a group practice or not? Or how large my practice will be? My second interview was incredible. We just sat and talked and I got to present myself the way I wanted to in a conversational atmosphere. It couldn't have gone better. Luckily my second interview was with my adcom member. Things must have worked well because I got a waitlist letter this last Saturday (3-29-03) and my acceptance letter on Thursday (4-3-03)!! Mercer, here I come."
"The interview day was very organized and I didn't feel bored or rushed at any point. Students were awesome, very helpful, and they answered all questions candidly. Admissions staff was extremely helpful. My first interview was with an admissions committee member and it went pretty smoothly. The second interview was tough! It took a while before he relaxed a little and started talking. At other interviews, I could always tell if things went bad or good, but at Mercer it was tough to gauge what they thought of me."
"The staff is very friendly, which is comforting and relaxing. They also let you know information about your interviewer beforehand, which is nice. Altogether, the day went smoothly and stress-free. "
"Awesome! I loved the it! Its a small class of 56 students, and the curriculum is Problem Based Learning. This creates a very collegial environment where the students work together to help each other achieve success in medschool. The students were very happy and outgoing. The PBL curriculum causes them to have to work more diligently than students at a traditional curriculum school (TONS of reading), but it pays off with high board pass rates and high board scores. Also the students begin clinical experiences within the first week and continue this throughout the curriculum - generating very competent students when they begin their 3rd and 4th year rotations. The students do have ample time (with time management skills of course) to have a life outside of medicine, thanks to not having lectures (the students are in tutorial sessions on MWF 9-12, and lab either Tues or Thurs afternoons). Definently a great school for students looking for a high quality program with a warm and collegial environment. ALSO - students are not forced into primary care. Many of the 4th year students that I spoke with were going for specialties (Ortho, Dermatology, ENT, Radiology, Rad-Onc., Anesthesiology, as well as Int. Med. at top programs to be followed up with a Fellowship)."
"The faculty did their best to put you at ease."
"Overall, the Mercer interview experience was very laid-back. The students, professors, and office faculty did everything in their power to make sure you had a relaxing day. Surprisingly, my stress level decreased as the day went on. After a morning interview session, we took a tour with 4th year students and then had lunch with current 3rd and 4th years. These students all seemed very happy, and this was a great opportunity for questions. After lunch, we had a second interview and then filled out a psychological survey. Applicants were then free to leave. I was offered an acceptance approximately three weeks after my interview."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 69 |
| Faculty member | 4 |
| Admissions staff | 11 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 59 |
| Neutral | 8 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.41 | 70 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 68 |
| Out of state | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 18 |
| 2-3 hours | 31 |
| 4-6 hours | 11 |
| 7+ hours | 6 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 3 |
| Automobile | 60 |
| Train or subway | 2 |
| Other | 2 |
n/a
atl
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 2 |
| Friends or family | 8 |
| Hotel | 37 |
| Home | 5 |
| Other | 0 |
Hilton Garden Inn
No
Yes
Hilton Garden Inn
No
Yes
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 37 |
| $101-$200 | 16 |
| $201-$300 | 1 |
| $301-$400 | 2 |
| $401-$500 | 1 |
| $501+ | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.22 | 73 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.64 | 73 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.54 | 72 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.67 | 46 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.00 | 47 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.07 | 44 |
"The admissions office has been great so far! Can't wait to get to know them better."
"You all are pretty great. Genuinely appreciate the time put in to make the interview day feel relaxed."
"Try to explain the admissions process of the school in more detail, if possible. Such as committee meeting times, how decisions are made, etc. Thank you for being so friendly!"
"N/A"
"They were fantastic and replied promptly to emails!"
"Give better directions"
"Especially at the Savannah campus, put your best faces forward especially with interviews. My entire interview process was awkward, and that came from the demeanor of the interviewers themselves."
"None. Everyone in the admissions office was helpful and very friendly."
"I would prefer an up to date finacial aid packet. The information they gave me seems to be the same"
"I could have used some help getting to and from my interviews. There were a couple of awkward momen"
"Hand out more info because the website is lame and they don't give out info about curriculum"
"I enjoyed the how up front Mary was about the process. They advise you that the students eating lunc"
"None! Keep up the great work."
"NA"
"Financial aid talk could have been better"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?