How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.15 | 221 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 160 |
| Negatively | 21 |
| No change | 37 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.14 | 223 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.03 | 156 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.26 | 145 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 1 |
| 20 minutes | 6 |
| 25 minutes | 11 |
| 30 minutes | 74 |
| 35 minutes | 44 |
| 40 minutes | 29 |
| 45 minutes | 23 |
| 50 minutes | 10 |
| 55 minutes | 3 |
| 60+ minutes | 27 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 221 |
| At a regional location | 1 |
| At another location | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 210 |
| In a group | 11 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 182 |
| Closed file | 32 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.15 | 221 |
"NA"
"MMI"
"MMI - signed confidentiality agreement"
"MMI format (signed confidentiality agreement)"
"MMI Questions just started this app cycle."
"What volunteer opportunities would you bring to this school? How would it help the school?"
"Was research published?"
"Ethical question, such as if you know a patient has a terminal disease and their daughter begs you not to tell your patient because it will only upset them, what do you do?"
"What (in your application) do you want me to ask you about?"
"Why RFU?"
"A pharmacist refuses to give a patient her birth control for moral reasons. Is this ethical?"
"What is the difference between an HMO and a PPO?"
"Why Chicago? What is the difference between HMO and PPO? Tell me about your research."
"How would you manage your time during medical school?"
"What are you passionate about?"
"Have you ever received a grade lower than a B- in your graduate school program? (I had not.)"
"What do you think about healthcare in America?"
"What are the moral obligations of a physician?"
"Why do you wana do med? research"
"Have you had any shadowing experience?"
"Student interviewer & very conversational: included "tell me about yourself & various specific questions from there""
"Who has been the biggest influence in your life?"
"Why medicine? How do you know you won't experience burn out/become bored or unsatisfied?"
"What are your views on how healthcare should be managed?"
"You have a patient who is being administered palliative end of life care for whom all pain medications have been exhausted with relief no longer being found. This patient desires you assist in ending their life. How do you respond?"
"Of all of your activities, what are you most proud of/what stands out to you? Everyone has something that makes them stand out, makes them unique, what about you? Tell me about your research"
"Imagine you are a physician and head of an administrative position at a rural hospital. The hospital is lacking funds and is sufficiently far to receive any support from other hospitals or urban locations. What would you do?"
"My interview did not seem to have read my application. All the questions were very general...not tricky...even border line tricky. However, it thought it was incredibly unprofessional to not know anything about the applicant. She asked at one point, "Do you play a musical instrument?" No! Is there anything in my application that indicates that? It's hard to shine when the questions are so generic. "
"Why do you want to be a physician?"
"How did you decide on a path in medicine?"
"Why do you want to go to Rosalind? "
"Why CMS? Why doctor?"
"Why Illinois? "
"Why medicine? What did you do for research? If a person has a condition and declines a treatment that you know will help them, what would you do? Tell me about a time when you were critiqued about your work. Is there a person influential in your decision to go to med school? What's the difference between HMO and PPO? What was your favorite science and non-science course? "
"What did you learn in your clinical experiences?"
"What makes you distinct from the 1000's of other applicants?"
"It's really odd, I had an M4 Student and a Professor and I didnt get asked any of the questions that were posted on other interviewers feed back. I had just a regular conversation with the first interviewer and the only thing really asked me to do is tell him something about me that that was not in my open file"
"With all the challenges in medicine today, why do you still want to enter the field?"
"Do you think there's anything wrong with the medical system, and if so, what can be done to change it?"
"What do you think about cloning? (but he asked this in a very easy-going way; it was obvious that he just wanted to hear what my thoughts were)"
"which jazz musicians do you think have been most influential?"
"What was the last book you read?"
"I but these questions together for the interview based on old feedback. Hope it can be useful to others. 1. What's a significant health care issue? 2. What are some issues patients have with physicians? -->busy 3. Why do you want to go to Rosalind? 4. Do you agree with the Obama Healthcare plan? 5. Questions about activities on my file like community service, volunteering that involved interactions with doctors 6. Tell me about your research. 7. Assuming human cloning was legal, who would you not clone? If you thought a patient wasn't taking their meds, would you trick them into taking it? If a patient didn't want a life saving procedure, would you force them to get it? 8. What are healthcare issues facing geriatric patients? 9. What do you think "interprofessional environment" means? 10. What do you do for fun? 11. Why medicine? 12. If a person has a condition and declines a treatment that you know will help them, what would you do? 13. Tell me about a time when you were critiqued about your work. 14. Is there a person influential in your decision to go to med school? 15. What's the difference between HMO and PPO? 16. What was your favorite science and non-science course? 17. What did you learn in your clinical experiences? 18. Where do you see the future of rural medicine heading? 19. Why do you want to go to medical school? 20. What was your most memorable clinical volunteer experience? 21. Tell him something about me that that was not in my open file. 22. How would you approach a situation in which your hospital, where you are on the administrative/planning board, was incapable of handling a large-scale medical situation which a different hospital, 100 miles away, was capable of handling? 23. What are your personal gifts and strengths and how can you direct that towards your profession as a physician? 24. As a physician, how would you balance your time so that you can be compassionate to patients and still being able to see 30+ patients a day? 25. How would you tell a patient that he has tumor but you can't operate on it? 26. Is there a person that is influential to your decision of going into medicine? 27. Do you plan on doing research while you're in medical school? 28. Tell me about your best friend. Then why do you think I asked you that? 29. What is the difference between a good doctor and a good researcher? 30. how would you run your own research lab? 31. how would you balance your life if you were a doctor? 32. If you were boss, what would you do to fix the current healthcare system? What do you think about Oregon's policy on euthanasia? What is metaphysics? 33. How do you know this is the profession for you? 34. A patient comes in with a mass on their abdomen. You want to perform an MRI or CT scan (which ever the appropriate test is). However, this patient has no insurance, cannot qualify for ACCESS, and certainly does not have enough to pay for a test like this. What do you do? 35. What is your opinion on socialized healthcare? What are the pros and cons? 36. What is the most difficult experience of your life? 37. What do you do to keep organized and to keep up with your studies? 38. What is going on in South Africa now? 39. How did you go about writing your essay? (the secondary application essay on A Life in Discovery) 40. How do you feel about the business side of medicine? 41. How can I convince you to come here? 42. How would I solve the healthcare crisis in America in relation to underserved and improvised communities? 43. How would you personally impact the medical profession? 44. Why do u want to come over over uic? 45. If you had to boil it down, what is ONE reason why you want to be a doctor? 46. ''If there was one question i could ask you that would allow you to impress me the most, what would that question be?'' and then i had to answer that question 47. Who's your role model? 48. Know about Universal health care - Apparently Massachusetts enacted universal healthcare to all residents earlier this year; whereas the rest of the U.S. does not practice universal healthcare 49. What do you think of genomics? 50. So tell me about the people who wrote your LORs? 51. I see from your application that you are a non-traditional student, taking time off after college to travel, work etc -- if you are so keen on pursuing medicine -- why did you take all this time off? How did you hope these experiences were going to make you a better physician? 52. What's your top choice?"
"What do you think is one of the biggest things affecting health care today?"
"What is your understanding of the biopsychosocial approach to medicine?"
"Why Rosalind Franlkin?"
"As a physician, how would you balance your time so that you can be compassionate to patients and still being able to see 30+ patients a day?"
"What do you know about HMOs? "
"What do you think about the US healthcare system?"
"What's a DAVM?"
"I was asked about a specific line I wrote in my secondary essay."
"Tell me about your resesarch. Do you want to do research while in med school?"
"Tell me more about this experience and how this relates to your goals of where you want to be in ten years."
"Why do you think you can handle the long road to becoming a doctor because I see that neither of your parents even attended college?"
"What should we know about you?"
"Have you done any research?"
"talk about your research"
"Qs about my app."
"What do you do for fun?"
"research Qs"
"How did you go about writing your essay? (the secondary application essay on A Life in Discovery)"
"What do you want me to know about you?"
"Tell me all about yourself."
"Biggest problems in medicine?"
" Tell me about yourself"
"Tell us about yourself."
"What are two characteristics you possess that would make me want to accept you into this class?"
"Have you read any books lately?"
"How did you decide to pursue medicine?"
"Tell me about your leadership/ volunteer experience."
"tell me about....(insert experience here)"
"Tell me about your experiences"
"if you're majoring in art history, why aren't you going to become an artist?"
"Why RFUMS?"
"Why Rosalind Franklin?"
"Why medicine? Why Rosalind Franklin?"
"Tell me about your thesis project."
"If you realized that during a major test that the person next to you is cheating in some form, what do you do? "
"What do you think about cloning?"
"Why did you change majors as an undergraduate?"
"Describe two qualitites about yourself that will help you in medical school or contribute to this medical school."
"What do you think about genetic testing of youth for diseases which have no cures? "
"No research?"
"What qualities do you have that would make you a good doctor?"
"How did you find your current research position?"
"Where do you see medicine in 20 years?"
"What is oxytocin? (A specific question related to my research experience)"
"I see from your application that you are a non-traditional student, taking time off after college to travel, work etc -- if you are so keen on pursuing medicine -- why did you take all this time off? How did you hope these experiences were going to make you a better physician?"
"a patient resisting treatment?"
"What made you decide to become a doctor?"
"Do you have any brothers/sisters?"
"problem in healthcare"
"how did you decide to go into medicine?"
"Research questions."
"Why medical shool?"
"After post-Katrina, there were several policemen who found their families were in danger and needed immediate help. However, they have a duty to serve and protect the community. If you were in such a situation, what or whom would you put first, your duty or your family?"
"Why CMS?"
"how did you come to want to be a Dr?"
"See the hypothetical above."
"The first interviewer only wanted to know who I was. He asked, "Tell me about yourself." "Tell me about college." "Tell me about high school." Standard. Easy. Relaxed."
"tell me about yourself"
"Tell me about your research."
"In terms of specialty, physical location, practice setting, and urban setting (urban/suburban/rural), where do you see yourself in 15 years?"
"Tell me about avian flu/viruses in general"
"What books have you read recently?"
"What do you like to do outside of school?"
"Why do you want to pursue academic medicine?"
"What do you think about patient privacy?"
"Tell me about your research experiences and what you learned from them."
"What do you think med school is like?"
"What will you do if you don't get into med school?"
"why med"
"A case study: You Dx an infant with spinal meningitis. The child's condition is critical: you have two options for treatment, (1) the standard method, or (2) a novel, potentially more effective, method which you have just learned about at a recent medical conference. Explain your reasoning."
"just about my background"
"Why medicine? Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Talk to me about your medical research you did this past summer."
"Have you ever done poorly in a class (grade of D or F) or withdrawn from a class? Why?"
"view on Stem cell research"
"Why do you want to enter medicine?"
"Why do you want to be a physician? Why do you want to go to Finch?"
"leadership role"
"Why did you take a year between graduation and applying?"
"Why Finch."
"How would I change the health reform in Puerto Rico?"
"Three famous people you admire. "
"Is there anything else you want to tell me that is not on your application?"
"What do you think about gay marriage?"
"What ethical dilemmas do you think exist in medicine today, and how would you attempt to solve them?"
"They are looking for your knowledge of current issues in health care. Also expect that they will challenge your opion, so be prepared to defend your ideas. "
"Please explain your MCAT score."
"How do you feel about the war in Iraq?"
"specific questions regarding my activities"
"What do you do in your free time?"
"what is your recommender talking about when he writes about the XXXgene PCR amplification? do you understand what that is?"
"why low verbal score?"
"why md/phd"
"motivations- why med, what clinical experience, what reseach and what do findings mean"
"why did you switch paths from what you studied in undergrad to medicine?"
"How I would be able to live apart from my fiance."
"Where and in what type of area do you plan to do your residency?"
"Lots of ethical dillemma questions"
"What would I do if I didn't get into medical school?"
"What type of medicine do you think you want to practice?"
"What would you do if your friend asked you to take illegally borrow some frozen embryos?"
"if i were to take a walk with two of your friends, without you anywhere close, what would they say were your strengths and weaknesses?"
"What sparked your interest in med? What field of med are you considering?"
"How to respond to ethical dilemmas?"
"they give you an evaluation sheet with the type of questions they're going to ask you, so don't worry too much."
"What would I do if I failed to get into medical school?"
"What would you do if you didn't get into medical school?"
"Tell me everything you know about shortcomings in the current healthcare system."
"If you could change one thing about health care, what would it be?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Why are you a suitable candidate for medical school?"
"My opinion on the war."
"Why do you want to study medicine and become a doctor?"
"Just basic questions from my amcas and the one about having a dinner party... what was that? Very easy going questions... no ethical, no socialization questions at all"
"What was the most interesting experience you've ever had?"
"Give an example of a time you were critiqued and tell us what happened (how you handled it)? "
"Specific questions about my AMCAS. I was asked about virtually every extra curricular experience I listed in my application."
"See above(most interesting and difficult)"
"Tell me about yourself."
"why medicine?"
"Why do you want to go into medicine?"
"What would you do if you couldn't do medicine?"
"Tell me about yourself and your family."
"Will I return to CA after med school?"
"NA"
"MMI"
"MMI format (signed confidentiality agreement)"
"MMI questions"
"What is the relationship between art and science? Does having an artistic background (painting, music) help medical students in the field? Why do you think having an artistic background helps? Should schools mandate having undergraduates take artistic programs?"
"Why Rosalid Franklin?"
"Why did you apply to Rosalind Franklin?"
"Basically what my views on the affordable health care act are."
"You're a fourth year resident and you're doing research. You're going to present your data at a global convention coming up soon, and you find out your PI is falsifying data. What do you do? (your dept chair tells you to sweep it under the rug)."
"If you as a physician recommended treatment to a patient, who then refused the treatment, what would you do?"
"How will you handle the stress of being a physician?"
"What is one possible problem that you will face as a doctor? What do you think will be the next big medical discovery?"
"Do you have any hobbies? What do you read?"
"What do you think about the health care debate right now?"
"Would you treat an illegal citizen?"
"Do you think it is acceptable for babies to have genetic testing done for various conditions when they are born?"
"Alot of cali students dont like the cold weather and cant stand it... How are you going to deal with it? You sure this school is for you?"
"Why do you want to become a doctor?"
"Faculty interviewer & very conversational: included "tell me about your research, why medicine, what experiences reinforced your thoughts on medicine, what international experiences helped shaped your world-view of medicine, what are you looking for in a school""
"Why RFU?"
"Would you give a liver transplant to a drug addict?"
"What are two weaknesses?"
"Why RFU? Any questions for me? Ethical: How do you balance the desires of the families vs the patient's desires, if they differ in therapeutic paths to be taken? At the same time, how do you balance what's realistic and in the best interest of the patient with new technologies/methodologies whose efficacies are not scientifically fully proven yet, without giving them "false hopes"?"
"If you had a patient that was about to die, would you tell him/her? Why or why not?"
"Tell me about yourself. Why medicine? "
"Who has been the biggest influence in your life?"
"Tell me more about your research experiences."
"Do you agree with the Obama Healthcare plan?"
"Tell me about your research. Tell me about yourself. "
"What do you think "interprofessional environment" means?"
"If you were taking a test and the person next to you were cheating what would you do? If a person has a condition and declines a treatment that you know will help them, what would you do?"
"If you were me, would you admit yourself to this medical school, and why?"
"Why do you want to go to medical school?"
"The second interviewer asked me if I had any clinical experience. Other than that, we talked about his research"
"If a patient of yours was dying, would you tell him, and how would you treat him?"
"Why Rosalind Franklin?"
"What did you do for the research?"
"which candidate's healthcare plan is the better one?"
"Both interviews were very conversational. So, the only "interview" type of question was the one above. "
"What is something important about you that I should present to the committee that you feel we did not cover?"
"What books have you read lately?"
"What are your personal gifts and strengths and how can you direct that towards your profession as a physician? "
"How would you tell a patient that he has tumor but you can't operate on it?"
"Why medicine?"
"What's a Grigard reaction?"
"Tell me about why you decided you wanted to become a doctor."
"How many schools did you apply to?"
"how would you run your own research lab?"
"How do you know this is the profession for you?"
"Do you know what the 4 basic principles of ethics are? (This was during a conversation about an ethical situation. The interviewer actually went over the principles with me...very laid back, not interrogating)"
"What is the most difficult experience of your life?"
"Why CMS?"
"Tell us about your research projects."
"What hospital experience do you have?"
"what do u do for free time"
"Why MD?"
"goals in career"
"How did you arrive at the decision to pursue medical school and becoming a doctor?"
"Why did you chose Rosalind Franklin?"
"Three questions specific to the research listed in my app."
"How do you feel about the business side of medicine?"
"Tell me about an ethical situation that you might face as a physician"
"ethics question about euthanasia(ended up being a good conversation which really calmed me down while i talked to him)"
"How will you personally impact medicine."
"what book are you reading now? "
"See difficult question."
"If you could have lunch with any person, living or dead, who would you choose?"
"What do you think is wrong with US healthcare today?"
"what do you see yourself doing in medicine (specialty)?"
"lots of questions about my research and my work"
"what do you think is the greatest problem in healthcare?"
"What field of medicine interests you?"
"What makes you a unique applicant?"
"What do you think of genomics?"
"How do you plan managing your time between family and school? (i'm married with a kid)"
"How did you behave in a situation when someone criticized you?"
"Differences between Canadian and American health care system (I'm from Canada)."
"If you friends were sitting here now, what would they say about you?"
"How do you apply public health to medicine?"
"Tell me about your decision to pursue medicine. Tell me about yourself. Tell me about your research. Why CMS? Would you come here?"
"Tell me about your clinical experience?"
"How have you overcome a difficulty in your life/How do you handle stressful situations?"
"What are the biggest problems in healthcare?"
"One of your application weaknesses is lack of clinical experience. Do you have any that are not represented on your application?"
"You say you're compassionate. Give me one example of where you show compassion outside the medical field."
"How long/what kind of dancing have you done?"
"tell me about yourself, failures"
"What famous person from the past would you like to meet if it were possible?"
"Have you ever volunteered?"
"how i would solve problem in healthcare"
"clinical/ethical scenarios. riddles. questions about the state of healthcare."
"Hand coordination/dexterity questions (is this important? what if i want to be a psychiatrist?)."
"What are the most significant problems that I see with our health care system?"
"Tell me about your service experiences."
"What do you do for fun?"
"What are some problems in health care today?"
"The second interviewer wanted to know about my current research."
"why doc?"
"What do you think of Chicago Public Schools? I've attended CPS in grammar and high school."
"Is there anything else that I should know about you?"
"What do you do for recreation?"
"What is your greatest weakness?"
"What would you do about the 45 million uninsured?"
"What are you most proud of? "
"How do you feel about genetic screening?"
"Name two qualities you have which would make you a good physician."
"Tell me about your research."
"Ethical questions about a patient that could not afford health care and what I would do as his/her doctor?"
"Tell me something about yourself that is not in your file."
"Any interest in arts/music?"
"Tell me about your research experience. What was the most significant?"
"what do you look for in a school"
"Riddle -- sorry, I don't want to spoil it for you."
"What would you do if you did not get into med school?"
"What kind of doctor do you want to be?"
"Ethical questions (two different ones)"
"why do you want to be a physician"
"Do you know what you want to be? "
"What do you think of the role of genetics and genomics in the future of medicine?"
"What is your favorite book?"
"exp with music/ art"
"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"Please see most interesting questions asked..."
"Tell me about your current research activities."
"most difficult expreince you ever went through, wat learn from it"
"Tell me about your personal characteristics. (Second interviewer obviously was trying to just jot down stuff on his interviewee sheet in as little time as possible.)"
"What was my favorite class science and nonscience "
"Tell me about health care in PR. "
"What brought you to want to study medicine?"
"What books are you reading (incidentally, no one else in the room had even heard of the most influential book of the last century--Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, which was dissapointing)."
"What do you do in your spare time?"
"They really want to get to know you as a person. I was asked about what I do in my free time and what books I've read recently."
"What kind of medicine do you want to practice?"
"How do you feel about what happened in Spain?"
"what are you doing now?"
"What was your most interesting class in college?"
"Problems in the current health care system."
"sprechen sie deutsch?"
"why do you want to go into medicine?"
"how do u expect to be a good doctor whe u do research"
"extracurriculars- what have you done, how long"
"what are you doing in your time off?"
"Why did I get the MCAT score I did."
"If you didn't go to medical school next year, what would you do?"
"Tell me about the employment of your father and mother and how they influenced your decision to go into medicine?"
"Why Finch? (It was particularly hard to answer this one convincingly since I thought the school was lame.)"
"Where do I see myself 10 years from now?"
"How would you compare the Canadian health care system to the US'? (I'm Canadian)"
"Nothing"
"Why Chicago? Any questions for me?"
"What do you do when stressed? Latest book read..."
"Specific questions to my master's program."
"Tell me about yourself."
"Which school were you accepted to?"
"What careers have you considered other than medicine?"
"What did you do in the research lab?"
"Why did you decide specifically to apply to Finch?"
"Tell me about your research experience."
"Why medicine? "
"What do you think makes you stand out from the other applicants, why should we choose you?"
"What is your single biggest strength."
"Why have you decided to apply to American schools?"
"What is the hardest decision you ever had to make?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"What does your fiancee do? Is he supportive of your chosen career path?"
"What are your interests? What do you do to relieve stress?"
"what is your research in?"
"Why do you wanna be a doctor? "
"Why type of medicine do you want to practice?"
"Tell me about your past experience as... "
"What are your strengths/weaknesses?"
"How do I handle stress?"
"NA"
"MMI"
"MMI format (signed confidentiality agreement)"
"MMI questions"
"What makes a good leader? What skills does a leader need? Any examples of you being a leader?"
"Why CMS/why medicine/what field would you like to go into and why?"
"You have a physician who has excellent metrics; her patients love her, she handles difficult cases, and her position earns the hospital big bucks. She's rude to her staff, (nurses, etc.) however. What do you do?"
"What's a weakness of yours?"
"Where else did you apply/interview?"
"A pharmacist refused to give birthcontrol to a patient with a valid prescription. What do you think about this?"
"What is the difference between HMO and PPO Insurance"
"Are you a crammer or do you study a little each day?"
"Why not go to your state school, where tuition is cheaper?"
"What other schools did you apply to? Did you get in? (are they allowed to ask this?)"
"Why did you chose your major?"
"Tell me about one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses."
"What is the most pressing problem in medicine today?"
"What was you most memorable physician shadowing experience?"
"Have you had any international experiences? Describe your path to medicine. Specifics about my activities"
"Questions about my activities on my primary."
"Why do you volunteer? What do you do for fun? "
"If you knew a patient had depression and could be suicidal, would you tell them they had cancer or lie to them?"
"What do you think about the president's health care reform?"
"Questions about activities on my file like community service, volunteering that involved interactions with doctors"
"Assuming human cloning was legal, who would you not clone? If you thought a patient wasn't taking their meds, would you trick them into taking it? If a patient didn't want a life saving procedure, would you force them to get it?"
"What was your greatest achievement? Do you have any questions?"
"What type of books do you read casually?"
"What was your most memorable clinical volunteer experience?"
"What do you think the greatest challenges in medicine are currently?"
"How would you approach a situation in which your hospital, where you are on the administrative/planning board, was incapable of handling a large-scale medical situation which a different hospital, 100 miles away, was capable of handling?"
"Questions about my AMCAS activities."
"Why our school?"
"asked about amcas stuff"
"Why medicine, why CMS, etc etc..."
"Describe an experiment with lab mice to determine the credibility of coffee causing a pre-disposition to lung cancer?"
"Is there a person that is influential to your decision of going into medicine?"
"Tell me about a time you helped someone, something not medically-related."
"Do I know about the situation in Myamar?"
"What do you think of Hillary's healthcare plan?"
"What do you think about the state of medicine today?"
"how would you balance your life if you were a doctor?"
"Where have you traveled?"
"If you don't get into any medical school ever, what else would you do for a career?"
"Why do you want to go into medicine?"
"Who do you admire and who do you not admire?"
"Clarify your experience at [place I interned at as undergrad]."
"What do you do when you're not in class or studying for class or applying to medical schools?"
"Outside of working, what else do you do in your free time?"
" What are some of the unique characteristics of this schoool? (no hospital affiliation, etc)"
"tell me about the process and education of being a primary care physician"
"Several questions in a conversion about universal healthcare."
"What do you think of Americans suing companies like McDonald's for them getting overweight? "
"Where else have you interviewed?"
"Why RFU?"
"What should I tell the admission committee? (This one actually threw me off a little but turned out ok.)"
"if you had to boil it down, what is ONE reason why you want to be a doctor."
"questiobns about my work"
"if you want to be a surgeon, how do you plan to connect psychologically with your patients?"
"Was it hard to study in college and play a sport?"
"Who's your hero?"
"What will be a challenge for you in medical school?"
"What's the U.S.'s stance on universal healthcare?"
"As a physician, how do you decide when to stop treating a patient? Get ready for some ethical questions from this school, this seemed to be the consensus from the interviewees today."
"What is your strongest quality?"
"Why do you want to be a physician?"
"As a doctor, would you provide genetic testing for a disease that has no cure? "
"What are some of your hobbies?"
"Why not Ph.D?"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What method of treatment would you give a patient if you and your attending physician had different plans for treatment?"
"Give me two reasons why you should be accepted over the other aplicants."
"You gave me reasons why medicine is a noble profession. Tell me why YOU want to be a doctor?"
"What kind of things did you see when you were in the ED?"
"why this school?"
"What is the biggest problem in healthcare today?"
"what i thought of pharmaceutical companies and their high profits"
"what are your hobbies? what are your medical interests?"
"Questions on family (see above - once again, not sure about the importance of this)."
"What was your childhood like?"
"Tell me something that's not anywhere in your file."
"Do you want to go to school out of your home state?"
"Both interviewers were interested in my desire to attend CMS/RFUHS..."
"where would you want to work?"
"Why medicine?"
"Why did you take a year off?"
"How would your best friend describe you?"
"What do you do for enjoyment?"
"Tell me about your research"
"Do you like your job? "
"A lot of questions from my secondary essay."
"What is the biggest problem facing medicine today."
"What questions do you have for me...one interviewer only asked me what questions I had for her"
"What type of medicine are you interested in?"
"What specialty do you think you will go into?"
"Questions about my work experience."
"I was asked about HMO's and PPO's affect on a physician and practicing medicine."
"I want to see that you have sufficiently contemplated a career in medicine: describe the setting and type of medicine that you envision yourself in. Be specific as to why."
"See my hardest question."
"Ethical questions/riddles like the one stated above."
"Personal questions about my work, hobbies, etc."
"what makes you feel prepared to handle the stress and difficulties that a medical eduction presents"
"What do you think about what Jack Kervorkian was doing?"
"What changes do you foresee in the healthcare system of the United States and Puerto Rico?"
"He made up a clinical case and want to see how I respond."
"What do you do for fun?"
"A patient of yours has metastatic cancer and is tired of treatment. She asks you to help her die...what do you do?"
"What was your most interesting leadership experience? Would you want to be involved in leadership activities during medical school?"
"wat are ur veiws on stem cell research, would u donate embryos that were no longer required to stem cell research? "
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years."
"Three famous people in history that I admire and why"
"What is an HMO and how does it function."
"What else do you like to do with your time?"
"Have you even taken any science courses? -yeah, that was a funny one."
"What do your parents do?"
"Why should we pick you over another applicant? What else would you like me to know that isn't in your application?"
"What type of ethical dilemmas exist in medicine today?"
"Read any good books lately?"
"would you really leave your sunshine state to come here? (by this time I was thinking I hope I don't have to)"
"If you have interests in other subjects, why did you decide to major in biology?"
"What do you do when you are not studying or working."
"how did you come upon finch?"
"is there anything else you want to tell me that isn't on your application? (he said this 25 times)"
"why do u want to go to finch?"
"Discuss an problem facing medicine today"
"what do you like about finch/why do you want to come here?"
"What would you do if you were treating a patient, and after seeing the patient several times, his/her symptoms would not go away? (Don't be too proud to ask for help)"
"What are you interested in specializing in?"
"Have you ever lived alone?"
"What do you do in your spare time?"
"Do I think the MCAT score is good judge of success in med school?"
"Are you interested in working with the 'poorer' communities here in Waukegan?"
"Nothing"
"Is there anything about yourself that you'd like to add that is not in your AMCAS?"
"Strenght/weakness?"
"What areas of medicine are you interested in and why?"
"How did your parents influence your decision to pursue medicine?"
"Do you play any sports? What do you do outside of academics?"
"What do you do when not studying?"
"Tell me about _____ (one of the people who wrote me a letter of rec)"
"If I asked 2 of your closest friends what your greatest strength and weakness was, what would they say? "
"Who has influenced you & how?"
"Which specialty and why?"
"Tell me 3 famous people that you admire and why."
"What is your backup plan if you don't get accepted into med school? Where else did you apply and where have you gotten in?"
"Where else have you applied?"
"Tell about a time when you had to negotiate for something?"
"What is your favorite movie of all times?"
"What do you do to relieve stress?"
"Why the M.D. route? Why not research?"
"what will you give back to medicine? (besides giving your greedy school tons of money?...)"
"How would your friends describe you?"
"What d you consider your strengths? Weaknesses?"
"Tell me about your clinical experience."
"NA"
"MMI"
"MMI format (signed confidentiality agreement)"
"MMI Questions - Will you report a domestic abuse case if the wife and spouse are both of your patients? What if the wife doesn't want you to report it."
"Discuss patients who are conflicted to take evidence-based medication vs. medicine from their hometown (Puerto-Rico) which is recommended."
"What does beneficent mean"
"You have a patient with Alzheimer's disease, and their family has been caring for them. The family comes to you exhausted and stressed by caring for this person, and asks what they should do. What do you tell them?"
"ethical questions"
"What was a difficulty a physician faced during your clinical experience?"
"Nothing particularly interesting :("
"What books are you reading now?"
"You are on a student honors committee that handles academic dishonesty. A student was caught beyond reasonable doubt cheating on the anatomy final using an iPhone. Which of the following would you suggest to be a proper punishment and why: A) Allow student to retake the final B) Allow student to retake the course C) Allow student to repeat the year D) Expel the student"
"What is your opinion of the current economic climate?"
"Have you ever heard of this riddle....________? (I was the only one that had, but then was called out for knowing the answer beforehand. Doesn't really matter if you have or haven't)"
"If there is a community physician and there is no MD within 100 miles, and a patient comes to them asking for birth control, what is their moral obligation to provide one, if they do not want to?"
"Why are the muslims messing up iran (im from iran)? What is the president doing such shady stuff... (How was i suppose to answer???)"
"How have any international experiences you have had shaped your world-view of medicine"
"How do you balance the desires of the families vs the patient's desires, if they differ in therapeutic paths to be taken? At the same time, how do you balance what's realistic and in the best interest of the patient with new technologies/methodologies whose efficacies are not scientifically fully proven yet, without giving them "false hopes"?"
"At what point do you (as a physician) stop devoting time and resources to a terminal patient? What if while you were spending more time with an elderly, terminal patient, you spend less time with a sick child, miss a diagnosis, and the child suffers/dies?"
"How do you feel advancements in gene therapy will affect the future of medicine?"
"What was it like working in an Alzheimer's ward?"
"None. "
"If you knew a patient had depression and could be suicidal, would you tell them they had cancer or lie to them?"
"What's a significant health care issue?"
"What are healthcare issues facing geriatric patients?"
"What do you do in your spare time?"
"How would you solve the crisis in Israel? (i lived in Israel for a summer so the question wasn't totally random)"
"none, pretty standard interview"
"He asked me a riddle."
"Healthcare policies."
"What is your favorite History Channel documentary?"
"Nothing too interesting. They were both pretty conversational. "
"What do you know about the patient-physician relationship?"
"What will you think of a scientific study that reported that coffee caused a pre-disposition to lung cancer?"
"Who should never ever be cloned?"
"Who's your favoriate piano composer?"
"Just some questions in reference to my personal statement"
"A series of ethical questions about a family genetically predisposed to breast cancer."
"Do you plan on doing research while you're in medical school?"
"Tell me about your best friend. Then why do you think I asked you that?"
"Tell me a good science-related joke to tell to my physiology class."
"A patient comes in with a mass on their abdomen. You want to perform an MRI or CT scan (which ever the appropriate test is). However, this patient has no insurance, cannot qualify for ACCESS, and certainly does not have enough to pay for a test like this. What do you do?"
"Why international medicine as an interest? "
"What are the three ways an interview can go? (This was interesting because the interview was looking for a specific answer. I answered the question and he said, ''Well, I guess you could look at it that way'' and then he told me what he was looking for...an answer that didn't even come close to answering the question.) "
"So, what do you want me to know about you?"
"Why have you volunteered at ''xx''?"
"Do you feel there is racism toward hispanics in the United States as far a medical care is concerned?"
"Pretty easy"
"Why do u do (sth in my research)?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"It's been in the news recently that some parents with certain conditions (e.g. dwarfism, deafness), are going to fertility clinics for assistance in assuring that their children have the same condition. A physician in France refused to carry-out such parents' wishes, recently. How do you feel about that?"
"Tell me all about yourself."
"I was asked a math riddle. He prefaced the question by asking if you had heard it before so I won't bother repeating it."
"What is my middle name."
"What would you do if a person with cancer, who will die in about 3 months without chemo but would live 6 with it, declined the treatment but the family very much wanted the patient to go through with it? "
"How can I convince you to come here?"
" How many years are the different residencies? (surgery, ob/gyn, pediatrics, internal med etc). "
"If a man is terminally ill with cancer and has little hope for survival, would you try to convince him to go through costly chemotherapy and possibly leave his family ''penniless and fatherless''"
"How I will personally impact the medical profession."
"What did you learn non-academically from the research you did in the Bahamas?"
"why do u want to come over over uic? truth be told, i dont!! but i made up some bs"
"Let me (the interviewer) tell you about medicine and the educational process - this was the nice faculty interviewer."
"Did you realize our school was not right in Chicago?"
"Tell me about your volunteering experience outside the US."
"none, I somehow missed all the ethical questions"
"nothing too interesting. pretty general interview questions"
"''if there was one question i could ask you that would allow you to impress me the most, what would that question be?'' and then i had to answer that question"
"About my research."
"Who's your role model?"
"What do you see your impact in medicine being?"
"What are some positives of the U.S. healthcare system, in your opinion?"
"If you had a patient who was dying and wished not to have extreme measures taken to save his life, but his family wanted him to live, what would you do?"
"If you had 13 months in the year, what would you do with the extra month? "
"What do you think about cloning?"
"The first interviewer asked questions regarding things from my application which was nice"
"Tell me about religion and medicine? really weird question I thought. "
"How do you stay aware of what's happening in the world? We got into a great discussion about books, politics, etc. It was great!"
"What are some ethical issues in research?"
"Over the course of the past 30 years, there has been a great increase in the knowledge and use of molecular biology. (Human genome has finished being mapped recently.) What are the implications of this knowledge on your daily work as a doctor?"
"Young infant with a severe case of meningitis -- parents very emotional, want to save the baby -- the standard treatment protocol does not provide good results however a recent intervention has made good inroads in its treatment. The chief of staff is against the new treatment because it is not the hospital protocol. Time is running out. What do you do?"
"What kind of dancing do you do?"
"question on drugs and young people"
" What ethical dilemmas have I faced?"
"nothin really.. all pretty standard... but i guess it would be same as most difficult question i was asked."
"a hypothetical question about an urgent care scenario (I won't give it away). also some riddles."
"There were quite a few oddball questions, some bordering on inappropriate. I was asked if I was estranged from my father (my parents are divorced), whether I was a jock, whether I enjoyed working with my hands and had good dexterity."
"What is the most interesting life event you have had so far?"
"The riddle, although I already knew the answer, so I admitted I knew the answer...he was impressed with my honesty and said some students have just sat there and pretended to not know and then said the answer. "
"Nothing too original here"
"What do you think the physician – Dr. relationship should be like?"
"I was given a hypothetical about a four-year-old who was pretty developmentally disabled due to injuries at birth. Parents brought the child in with pneumonia and asked for me as a pediatrician to not treat the child aggressively. The question was, What do I do as the doctor?"
"I was asked to "talk about high school." I didn't expect to ever discuss anything that happened to me before college, but this was a plus for me since my high school record is fairly strong with regards to activities."
"What do you think about politics now?"
"ethical q's about euthanasia. personal q's, LOTS of Questions!"
"None really"
"How are your analytical skills? "
"Which sbject in college was your favorite?"
"You are on a rural town council and the council has just determined that your town does not have enough money to build a much needed public hospital and the closest hospital is 60 miles away, what would you do?"
"You are the surgeon general of your home state, and you have a fixed budget (it cannot increase or decrease). You need to increase spending to pediatric and pre-natal care, where do you cut to support that?"
"What would you do if the avnian flu epidemic started in the USA?"
"How do you feel about patient confidentiality?"
"Tell me about a difficult situation that arose during one of your travels."
"Where do you see the future of genetic testing in 25 years and how will that impact how medicine will be practiced?"
"What do you think about requiring newborn infants to be tested for genetic disorders that are untreatable? "
"An interesting riddle. "
"Nothing out of the ordinary"
"ethical question concerning tests that are run on newborn babies that can account for genetic disorders that would have no treatment or cure currently- are the ones not required by law good to run or not?"
"Ethical Dilemmas re: genetic engineering"
"ethical scenario involving four year old in vegatative state and parents asking to not treat illness agressively."
"An interesting riddle!"
"Decribe a situation in which someone did not agree with you about something and how did you deal with it. "
"see next question"
"Various riddles that were used to test problem solving abilities."
"I was given a riddle and asked to solve it."
"If a mother has breast cancer and is found to have brca1 and brca2 genes and wants her 18 year old daughter tested for it, but daughter does not want to know, how do you advise. Then, during daughter's regular physical exam and blood workup, family friend working in lab decides to go ahead with gene test, finds positive, tells you as doctor, what do you do now."
"So you know who Jack Kervorkian is, right?"
"What is your opinion of the Spanish government pulling its military forces out of Iraq as a result of the bombing of its train stations?"
"The standard questions, but it was conversational."
"what kind of instrument do you play?"
"How I would deal with the following situation: a 4 y/o patient with severe cerebral palsy was brought in with pneumonia unresponsive to antibiotics and the parents asked me not to treat their child aggressively."
"What would you do if you had a Mexican migrant worker who devoloped cancer and only had one month to live, but his family didn't want you to tell him?"
"I was suprised that my second interviewer grilled me with these set of questions! I guess he was testing my knowledge (of my major (Physiology) and my problem solving ability. good thing i knew the answers!... so what's the kreb cycle for? how many carbons are at the start and end of glycolysis? even though fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are different, how are they related? what are essential amino acids and how many are there? so, what's the major physiologic cause of diabetes?"
"Most questions were aimed at getting to know me, and it was nice to be asked diverse questions such as my literature background and the books that I have read recently."
"u have a kid with cerebral palsy, he cant see, talk or hear,,,, his has pneumonia and the parents dont want you to use any sort of invasive technique (i.e. respiratory support), what do you do? (he kept pushing the question, basically the kid is a brain stem, and without the respiratory support the kid would die which is what the parents want) "
"They asked if I was nervous about Spanish being the language used in lectures."
"Why does medicine mean to you?"
"Choose either a specific ethical, general ethical, or current events topic which I will provide and discuss. (Really not that intimidating because I love talking my head off about stuff like this. I chose current events and we ended up talking about gay marriage.)"
"There was really not one question that stood out. They were mostly questions you would naturally prepare yourself for, for example: Why do want to study medicine,what do you do in your free time,etc..."
"What is your most interesting experience?"
"What I thought of Bush and Kerry."
"If a man comes to you who's father has Huntingtons Disease, a dominant genetic disorder, how do you advise him?"
"With one interviewer, we got into a very serious discussion about the impact of the human genome project on the future of medicine. "
"Tell me about your experiences in athletics"
"How do you feel about same sex marriage?"
"Why are you so interested in infectious diseases?"
"If you went on a hike for 8 hours and were really hungry and ended up at a restaurant where the menu was in a foreign language and all the waiters spoke a foreign language, how would you order anything to eat?"
"If you travel to a country and sit in a restrant, but you do not understand at all the langauge of the country, how do you order your food? (I have been in many countries.)"
"did you ever stay in a hostel converted from a castle?"
"why did you choose these people to write your LOR's?"
"why do u wnat md/phd"
"Lots about extracurriculars"
"a few ethical questions"
"If I knew about the Mother of all bombs (MOAB) tested in Florida. It was going to be used for the war in Iraq."
"Have you ever been arrested?"
"What kind of movies do you like?"
"Tell me about the origin of your name."
"How does your past athletic experiences influence your desire to go into orthopedics?"
"What would you do if a colleague did [insert something unethical here]?"
"Anything else you'd like to share with me regarding your sanity? your criminal record? I had a very sarcastic interviewer and he was questioning my sanity because I run marathons. and he was just kidding (no, i do not have a criminal record!)"
"Lets talk about the Israeli health care system."
"An ethical question about a CP patient with pneumonia."
"What are the most important problems that healthcare faces today?"
"Will my band play for the public in the near future?"
"No real interesting q's, just the usual..."
"Was Burgos the ancient capital of Spain?"
"What makes me confident that I will succeed in medical school?"
"Can you make sushi?"
"None were very creative"
"If you could change one thing about health care, what would it be? "
"If I asked two of your best friends what was your greatest strength and weakness, what would they say?"
"If you could meet w/ 3 people, dead or alive, who would they be & why?"
"I was asked which three people I would want to invite to a dinner party. I was prepared for this as I had read all of the surveys on this site."
"Different scenario questions, for example: What issues would I consider when deciding whether to go with a high benefit/high risk procedure vs mediocre benefit/low risk procedure. Also, I was asked to explain what I perceived to be going on in Iraq and my views as to how President Bush was handling it (this was the day before the war began)."
"If you could invite three people from three different time periods to your house for dinner, who would you ask? Why?"
"Do you see any cultural differences between Chicago/US and Canada (where I'm from)?"
"Very standard questions"
"Give an example of a time you were critiqued. Tell us about it and what happened."
"Why are you here today?"
"If I could have a dinner party and invite any 3 people, who would I invite and why?"
"if you were in a foreign land and hadnt eaten in two days, didnt speak the language, and walked into a restraunt how would you order food."
"If you could invite 3 people to a party from various periods in time, who would they be and why?"
"All questions were pretty standard."
"My first interview was with a pathologist and he did not ask me any questions that were interesting at all. My student interviewer asked me some basic questions like "Why do you want to go into medicine?" "
"If I got accepted at a school in mainland USA would I still attend their school?"
"No real interesting questions. "
"Who would you give a liver transplant to a young boy or an alcholic criminal?"
"All were pretty basic."
"Nothing too out of the ordinary."
"NA"
"MMI"
"MMI format (signed confidentiality agreement)"
"MMI Questions - Relationship between art and medicine. Do students who study artistic endeavours before medical school, they are more successful. Why are they more successful?"
"You inject too much medicine into an IV line during a procedure. What will you do?"
"Where do you see yourself professionally in the future?"
""if you don't like seeing people suffering because they don't have access to medicine, then who do you think should pay for their health care" (at this point she had me cornered so I just gave up and answered "the rich people""
"When is it okay to lie to a patient?"
"Is Haiti sustainable? (I volunteered there)"
"Considering the current economic climate? Do you think Research and Development should be cut back for the sake of money?"
"An ethical question with only two options. I talked to MD's later about my answer and was told I chose the right answer, even though I got hammered for it. Make sure to stick to your guns if you truly believe in your own opinion."
"Euthanasia question...be careful because some interviewers are very old school and unwilling to accept or at least debate non-traditional answers"
"Do physicians have the right to refuse treatment to a patient?"
"The iran question."
"What do you think should be inalienable rights? What does the Bill of Rights promise us as US citizens?"
"If you were treating a patient who had cancer and there was nothing else to do for him/her, what would you say?"
"How have any international experiences you have had shaped your world-view of medicine"
"What are some of your unique talents?"
"Should society give incentives to those who take care of their body and/or take punitive actions against those who don't? Should the healthy and responsible pay for the willfully irresponsible?"
"Should the government pay for all medical students' tuition and if they did how would this affect the practice of medicine?"
"What makes you unique? There's also the "what's going to be challenging, working in a medical environment"? I think I nailed them, but the strengths/weaknesses questions, not a fan."
"None of them were really difficult."
"What are some issues patients have with physicians? -->busy"
"Dictate to me in third person what you want me to write on your review sheet."
"What made you want to become a physician and not another medical profession?"
"Where do you see the future of rural medicine heading?"
"The question about Israel"
"Nothing difficult."
"None."
"Describe an ethical situation in which you were involved."
"What will you do as a doctor if a terminal ill patient who requests his/her life to be terminated is opposed by the family ?"
"Tell me about a time when you were critiqued about your work and what were your reactions. Did your thinking change after the event?"
"You have a patient with refractory malignancy that you have gotten to know for a while. Nothing seems to be working as treatment for his cancer. The patient wants to end his pain and suffering and his family has agreed with his plan of ending his life. The patient requests that you do the act of ending his life. Would you do it? "
"A series of ethical questions regarding a family predisposed to a mutation in the brca gene"
"Whats a gringard reaction?"
"What do you think about Hillary's healthcare plan?"
"What do you think about the state of medicine? (I don't think my answer mattered much because he proceded to answer his own question after I told him)"
"What is the difference between a good doctor and a good researcher?"
"Not too difficult, but definitely be prepared for these types of questions: If you were boss, what would you do to fix the current healthcare system? What do you think about Oregon's policy on euthanasia? What is metaphysics?"
"What is your opinion on socialized healthcare? What are the pros and cons?"
"ditto"
"Why would you attend CMS? (I was prepared to answer this one, but it was difficult to sound convincing)"
"What do you think about partial birth abortion? What do you think about the ethics of stem-cell research?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Pretty easy"
"Your weaknesses"
"Why MD? (i.e. they saw a mostly research background, and wanted further clarification for wanting to be a physician as well.)"
"Tell me 2 things that will convince me that you are a good candidate for medical and should be considered for admission."
"Tell me all about yourself."
"An ethical question regarding two controversial treatments on a newborn baby."
"What would make you choose RF over other Chicago area schools like UIC?--I had to think for a while because UIC obviously has a better rep."
"What other career options have you considered?"
"How would you propose to solve the problem of having so many uninsured people in the US?"
" None really"
"How would I solve the healthcare crisis in America in relation to underserved and improvised communities."
"a series of ethical questions that built on each other (this happened, what do you do? ok, then say this happened, then what? etc.) "
"do you have good ethical judgement"
"You just received the results of a neonatal genetic screening test and found an untreatable condition. How do you approach the situation and parents?"
"If a colleague was cheating on medical claims, what would you do?"
"Why do you think you applied so late in the cycle last year (I'm a reapplicant)."
"Talk about a diffcult time you experienced and how it may have changed you."
"Why Rosalind Franklin - pretty tough considering the website is not very resourceful and the school does not have a stellar reputation.. "
"what do you think of the healthcare problems in the US"
"Why RFUMS?"
"Do you think your application has any shortcomings? Would you like to explain them?"
"What do you think of the U.S.'s stance on universal healthcare compared to that of other industrialized countries? Does anywhere in the U.S. practice universal healthcare? (Apparently Massachusetts enacted universal healthcare to all residents earlier this year; whereas the rest of the U.S. does not practice universal healthcare)."
"What do you think of genetic testing of infants for diseases? "
"No difficult questions"
"Why Rosalind Franklin? I really didn't know too much about the school before being there so I wasn't sure how to answer."
"How would your best friend describe you?"
"Same as above...just a little wierd. I don't think I had a lot of trouble with it, just strange. "
"So tell me about the people who wrote your LORs? "
"Why Rosalind Franklin? Why Chicago?"
"Where do you see medicine in 20 years?"
"What are two things you can tell me about yourself that will want me to give you this opportunity instead of somebody else?"
"As above. Also I got asked two riddles!"
"Tell me about your research."
"what is the best healthcare system"
" What famous person from the past would I like to meet? "
"Which is better--HMO or PPO?"
"see question #3"
"1. what's your top choice school - be honest! (oyy, way to put me on the spot!) 2. so, what's with healthcare today? (where do i evern start with that one...?)"
"Are you estranged from your father?"
"A mother comes in with a three year old child and it turns out the child has meningitis. There is a typical protocol one follows to treat it, but it is suspected the current protocol doesn't work, for the child becomes mentally retarded as the disease progresses. At a meeting three months ago in the Carribean, you are introduced to a new, FDA approved drug, which is thought to work for meningitis. After asking the mother which drug she wants, she tells you its your decision. Which drug do you use and why?"
"Once again, nothing really"
"Same."
"I was asked why I thought I'd make a good orthopedic surgeon. While this question wasn't really difficult, it was probably the most difficult out of everything I was asked."
"About the health care system.. i don't know much about it"
"Tell me all you know about viruses."
"None"
"Have you ever had any ethical dilemmas in your lifetime? I kind of relayed an indirect dilemma that I have encountered because I couldn't think of anything other than something that I was afraid to discuss, and apparently it worked out pretty well."
"The very first question of the very first interview was, "So how do you reconcile your grades (3.1) and your MCAT scores (35)?" I had figured this would come up, but not as the very first question and quite so directly."
"How do you feel about genetic screening? "
"You are a pediatrician that has treated a low income family with three kids under ten and they just had a new baby. They asked to have the child genetically screened and it has come back that the child has a disorder that is currently untreatable and that will render it mentally retarded by the age of six. Whether conscious or not this will lead to neglect bordering upon abuse of the child by the family because of the time and resouces needed to properly treat the child. Describe the conversation you would have when you told the parents about the results of the genetic screen."
"Where do you draw the line concerning genetic manipulation in humans?"
"Nothing too hard, dealing with genetic testing for newborns necessary if only 4 of the diseases have a successful outcome with proper intervention and what happens if they know but can't afford it."
"Nohting difficult"
"What do you think about malpractice?"
"The riddle."
"Nothing terrible."
"same as the newborn baby question"
"If you don't get accepted, what will you do?"
"Tell me what I need to know."
"same"
"if u had a 3 yr old patient that was severly brain damaged, deaf, blind and acquired pneumonia and the parents really did not want you to be aggressive, would you give antibiotics? or if case needed would you go as far as getting a court order to put the pt on a ventilator."
"An ethical question regarding the use of an untested drug that you believe will work when others pressure you to use a less effective medicine."
"Medical ethics questions... because there is not right answer."
"parents bring in cerebral paulsy child, deaf, blind, incapable of communication suffering from pneumonia and not responding to current antibiotics. Parents ask you please not treat aggressively but child is suffering, what do you do?"
"Anything else you'd like to tell about yourself? "
"Why do you feel you are qualified to be a physician?"
"Do you think you've taken full advantage of the time you've had off since you graduated college? (I had graduated in '03)"
"what kind of instrument do you play?"
"same as the most interesting"
"why medicine? (then I told him)...so then why not a nurse? (then I answered again)... so then why not a social worker? (answered again).. so then why not a teacher?"
"How can physicians put their patients first, to act in the best interest of their patient?"
"see above "
"Nothing too difficult. They asked how I felt about the war. "
"Why do you want to be a doctor, because there are many other fields that you could enter in which you could help people as well?"
"Nothing in particular. I think I asked my student interviewer harder questions than he asked me."
"The only challenging aspect of the interviews was overcoming my nerves, but once I overcame them I felt pretty comfortable."
"Questions about the European Union."
"How do you know that your application medical school is not just a whim?"
"Why in the world I was an Economics Major--I had to seriously defend myself, which was difficult to do because the interview was entirely in Spanish."
"In the newspapers, there is a lot being said about the dwindling funds available for medicare. What do you think is the answer to that problem?"
"To defend my position on physician assited suicide. He asked me about several different scenarios I might face as a doctor and what my reaction would be."
"What are the ethical implications with stem-cell research?"
"What do you know about this school?(I went in not knowing much so I was caught off-guard)"
"No difficult questions, just the basic ones. "
"Would you keep a comatose patient on life support if he/she had little chance of resuscitation if the family wanted to keep the patient alive?"
"why would you want to start your career over when you are already doing something you enjoy?"
"what's up with your sorry verbal score?"
"how do u expect to be a good doctor if u do research all day"
"Why have you continued to pursue med/ why haven't you gotten in ?"
"some follow up questions to the ethical ones (made me defend my position). nothing too difficult though"
"Since I was engaged, how I would be able to live apart from my fiance."
"What do you think about the Public Health system in Puerto Rico?"
"What major ethical issues do you see in medicine today?"
"If you're such an athlete, then why is the one class you did terrible in is Swimming?. What makes you think that you can handle the stress of medical school."
"How do you think the Human Genome Project will change the face of medicine 10 years from now?"
"Lets talk about the Israeli health care system."
"What kind of ethical questions will be asked? (The interviewer worded it weird, but essentially he was asking what kind of ethical dilemmas will the medical industry face in the future?)"
"No difficult q's; what sparked your interest in medicine?"
"None, really."
"What would you do if you didn't get into medical school?"
"If, when you are practicing medicine, a pharmaceutical representative offers you cash to give a speech about and endorse a new product of theirs, how would you respond?"
"SEE ABOVE"
"Same as above."
"Suppose you have an 18 year old pt. who's grandmother died of breast cancer and who's mother had been diagnosed with it and has been screened for the BRCA gene, which she has. Do you advise your pt. to get screened?"
"Nothing was too difficult but the above one could be difficult if it was unexpected."
"I was asked to explain the health policy reforms that were going on in Puerto Rico and the USA, and explain what I thought could be done to improve them. I "
"same as above"
"Some students who come with high grades struggle in med school. What makes you think this won't happen to you?"
"Nothing"
"Tell us about a time when you had to negitiate something."
"How fast do you read? My faculty interviewer then went on how fast he reads and how important it is to read fast in med school. He suggested I take a speed reading course."
"The most tragic experience I have ever had."
"What do you think the hardest thing will be about medical school? about being a doctor?"
"what do you think of Finch ?"
"is there anything you want to add to your file?"
"All questions were pretty standard."
"Nothing hard at all was asked of me."
"How do you handle stress?"
"None were difficult"
"What's the biggest problem in the health care system and how would you fix it? other than that, nothing difficult. i got no ethical questions or hypotheticals. "
"Why not another career that provided the same types of things that attracted me to medicine?"
"Review common MMI Questions"
"Practice MMI questions"
"I researched MMI questions online"
"MMI prep"
"Reviewed my application, reviewed UW's bioethics site, looked up typical MMI ethics questions"
"Reading a lot of MMI scenarios"
"I reviewed RFUMS' mission and website, current hot topics in medical ethics including the arguments from both sides, ACA, and practiced with sample MMI questions found online."
"MMI preparation"
"Read mission statement"
"I read up a little on Rosalind Franklin herself, just in case I was asked about her work (I wasn't). Otherwise, I just checked over my application to made sure I remembered the details that they would have in front of them while interviewing me."
"Looked over my AMCAS and personal statement and the secondary I submitted."
"mock interviews, read sdn feedback, talked to people who interviewed there."
"Reading this, preparing answers to common questions, knowing my application well"
"read interview feedback on SDN, googled interview questions, read over the information packet they emailed us"
"Reviewed application and materials they sent"
"prepared responses for SDN interview feedback questions, browsed Chicago Medical School website, read the packet they emailed, reread primary and secondary applications"
"Thoroughly study all materials given prior to review, the website, and my own application materials including primary and secondary essays."
"SDN feedback, general interview advice, having friends quiz me"
"SDN, AMCAS"
"Studentdoctor.net, questions online, mock interview"
"SDN, asking current students at school"
"SDN feedback"
"SDN feedback, RFU website, etc."
"SDN feedback, went over AMCAS and secondary"
"Visited the school's website, research health care topics on the internet, and prepared answers to several possible categories of interview questions."
"SDN forum, read over my primary/secondary, MSAR, health reform & technologies"
"I looked at their website, consulted the MSAR, and reviewed posts on SDN."
"Mock interviews, read this sight, read up on the school, and talked to a friend at Rosalind. "
"SDN, healthcare reform book, reading over my AMCAS, reading over my RFU essays. "
"SDN, books on medical ethics, Scientific American, news, Wikipedia. Have a response ready for 'tell me about yourself'. "
"practiced questions"
"Read about health care reform, this site"
"SDN, mock interview, read WSJ"
"Read the news, mock interviews with friends"
"School's website, medical school students, and SDN forums."
"Caught up on current events, researched about various health issues that are highly pressing today, looked over primary and secondary, SDN, and looked at school's website"
"read thru SDN, read through my ps and secondaries and also everytings else. also been keepin up on all the stuff in the news"
"This site, read the school webpage"
"I didn't. "
"SDN, read applications, school website, policy and medical ethics reading"
"Read AMCAS, SDN"
"Mock interviews, primary & secondary app, on-line interview tips and Q&A, SDN"
"Read my secondary application and some ethical issues web page."
"SDN, read AMCAS app, mock interview"
"SDN, school website, reviewed interview questions compiled from several websites. "
"SDN, AMCAS app, secondary, mock interviews"
"SDN feedbacks, read AMCAS and secondary application"
"SDN, practice with friends, outline what I need to say"
"Read SDN interview feedback, lots of mock interviews, read on medical ethics issues, read healthcare-related issues"
"read over AMCAS application and secondary essay, SDN, school website"
"Reviewed SDN, Some research I did in Undergrad"
"The school's web site, my secondary essay, SDN."
"sdn, their website, nytimes for recent events"
"SDN, reviewed my application and secondary, mock interview and friends'feedback"
"Slept well, read the SDN forums. Seems they like to ask ethics questions, healthcare questions and reflection questions."
"Visited the school before. Read up on the school prior to going."
"Good night of sleep, strong coffee"
" studentdoctor, read CMS website"
"This site, AMCAS, Secondary app."
"Drinking"
"Mock interviews and read books at Barnes"
"reading SDN, interview books"
"Amcas, SDN"
"SDN, my amcas file, and the like."
"Reread my applications, looked up publications of research/researchers I was interested in, SDN, mock interviews at my home university, sleep :)"
"didn't really prepare since I've been to many"
"outlined potential questions and answers, read my essays, looked at feedback on SDN"
"Reviewed app + SDN"
"Nothing, I had already been to some."
"SDN, review application, practiced mock interviews"
"Read SDN interview feedback, school's website, and talked to other people who have interviewed at Rosalind Franklin."
" SDN, reviewed AMCAS, personal statement, secondary esssay, school website"
"Practicing answering questions, researching about Rosalind Franklin, and SDN!"
"Glanced through AMCAS, secondary, publications and research, and kept up with news."
"sdn, read application, looked at school online"
"read sdn, website"
"Read SDN, primary, secondary, ethical issues, and about RFU."
"Interview feedback, RFU Website, mock interviews "
"SDN, reread my AMCAS and secondary, MSAR, UW ethics site (it's a really good overview)"
"SDN, school site"
"read over my primary and secondary app, SDN, school website, good night sleep!"
"Read over AMCAS, secondary, school website, SDN"
"read website, MSAR, app, SDN"
"Reread primary and secondary applications. Ready school's catalogue. Practiced with general interview questions."
"SDN, school's website, my application materials, practiced interview questions with my school's pre-med counselor"
"SDN, school website, my appl."
"Went over my application, questions from previous interviews"
"Student doctor, practice questions, looked at website, and looked at MSAR"
"read the school website, re-read my own essay and application"
"sdn, primary, website"
"reviewed website, AMCAS, and secondary"
"SDN interview feedback, read about school, and emailed students who were at university through their networking sheet. "
"read some stuff"
"I read through all the feedback on SDN. They asked alot of the same questions."
"SDN, CMS website"
"SDN, school website, emailed students"
"Contacted current students on the "student resource list" (provided in the interview package), researched the school, explored the website, read the "year in reviews" etc, SDN!"
"SDN, review my app, contacted one student with specific questions"
"sdn, primary, secondary"
" The school's website, sdn, and information given when i signed in."
"Read over RFU's website, read some books about healthcare, read SDN's feedback."
"Read stuff online, read the booklet they handed out at interview."
"at this point, i've learned just to relax and that's probably good enough. you learn enough about the school when you get there. don't go crazy."
"Read about current medical events and as much info on RFU from their website as possible."
"school website, SDN, secondary review"
"SDN, read over their website, read my secondary essay, looked over my AMCAS"
"read appliation, SDN, previous interview experiences"
"reviewed feedback and school website"
"Reviewed my apps, read over SDN, checked out the school's website (which really doesn't tell you much about the curriculum, btw)."
"Browsed the feedback for CMS on SDN, read the website, checked out descriptions of the school in the standard med school guides."
"sdn, amcas and secondaries, school website"
"... sdn, website, etc."
"Read SDN, school web site, looked over AMCAS application"
"Previous interview, prepared answers for common questions, school website"
"SDN, School's website, review my primary and secondary apps. "
"SDN, knew my file "
"Reviewed my secondary, SDN, spoke to interviewers I know @ other schools for advice"
"SDN, read the school's mission statement"
"I read the interview feedback section, looked over RFUMS website with fine-tooth comb, asked current students questions that I had, made sure I knew my AMCAS and my RFUMS essay (hey, it's been a while since I filled those out), I skimmed through articles about current hot-topics and medical ethics books, in addition to books on the medical school application process in general. I also spoke with as many MD's as I could to ask for advice, in addition to current MD students I know."
"SDN, website"
"Read over the schools website and SDN interview feedback"
"Read over PS, go over published papers, look up relevant insurance, malpractice, ethics."
"SDN, school's website, reviewed ,my research"
"SDN, practiced answering questions posted on SDN, googled the dean, read through info. on website"
"Looked over my research, this website, practice incorporating my experiences to common questions."
"this site, school's website"
"SDN, read an ethics book, reviewed my AMCAS, practiced questions with friends and family, read up about the school on the school site"
"SDN"
"read over amcas, sdn, materials provided"
"Read my application, researched the school(unique events, who is the Dean, etc.), pondered ethical situations"
"website, sdn, mock interview"
"SDN, AMCAS app, research paper, healthcare issues"
"Read over AMCAS application, SDN, school website"
"SDN, school webpage, current events, reviewed my AMCAS and secondary. I overprepared."
"SDN,Watch tv,slept early for once"
"Did not prepare."
"Mock interview, SDN, read their catalog, looked over AMCAS"
"web site, AMCAS app, MSAR"
"read the local paper, watched the local news, and spoke with 3 first-year students the night before"
"Read about the school on their website."
"Go over the primary and secondary applications, do on-line research about the campus, do mock interview with a career counselor and read SDN"
"Read information posted here and talked to a friend who is at CMS."
"SDN, school's website, school brochures."
"SDN, reviewed my answers to potential interview questions, knew my app very well, been reading a book on medical cases and ethics "
"SDN website, Finch website (know about name change), AMCAS application, mock interview with friends, current events"
"sdn, amcas application, "
"I read about the health reform in Puerto Rico that began under Rosello's term in office. "
"Didn't need to really prepare, I was just honest about everything they asked. (And being on the debate team didn't hurt.)"
"Talked to friends who are students at Finch (oops, Rosalind Franklin), just reviewed some of the material I had used to prepare for previous interviews, not much at all."
"This website,school's website,newspaper"
"This website, school website, info online about the island."
"books on interviewing, Princeton Guide, internet articles, studentdoctor.com, talking to physicians, and practice questions. "
"Read up about Puerto Rico's healthcare system. I had been reading on the internet, gathering any info I could find. Unfortunately, Puerto Rico is a little behind technology wise, and you can't really find much info on the school."
"website, amcas ap review, question prep, newspaper reading"
"This website, school's website, mock interviews."
"Read SDN, kept up on current events, especially in health care, mock interviews with friends"
"Checked online for problems in PR healthcare but couldn't find any much different from those in the US. Important--I checked percentages of non-insured Hispanics in the US so I ;could tie it into my interview... definetly a plus"
"talked to my student host and slept "
"Read school website and talked to students."
"SDN, Finch/CMS website"
"previous interviews"
"read sdn intvw feedback and their website."
"look up faculty background"
"Website, stayed with student, SDN, read questions form other sites"
"read up on school, this website"
"I researched websites, but since I could not find much info about the school online, I just did my best."
"read my AMCAS application and the school's website."
"newspaper, web-site"
"SDN, researched school online, reviewed AMCAS"
"SDN, reviewed AMCAS."
"sdn, chicago med website"
"Took books out of the library on the health care system in the US (indepth essays/articles/critiques/history of), read school's web site, SDN forums."
"I didn't"
"Read the website, read SDN"
"SDN, mock interviews, previous interviews (learning from mistakes), going over commonly asked questions "
"This site, went over application, mock interview with friends (most rewarding)"
"SDN, Interview Feedback, Finch website and materials in mail"
"read this site, practiced talking with friends about typical questions - it helps more than just talking to yourself"
"SDN, read school's website"
"nothing. Just relaxed and tried to get some sleep. talked to my student host - who was absolutely wonderful!!!"
"Browsed interview feedback on this site, read the Finch catalog on their website, and thumbed through a book on interviewing"
"Read experiences here and checked out the school's website."
"I read over my application and looked at this website."
"Review my application, peruse the school's website, talk to student hosts."
"I read all the surveys at least three times over. I had the whole day set up in my mind and so everything was as expected. I practiced every day going through various practice questions."
"Brushed up on my spanish a little (reading Men's Fitness en espanol, watching hispanic TV networks), went over my AMCAS application. That was pretty much it - just tried to be relaxed."
"reread amcas, reviewed common asked questions, looked at website"
"Read their catalog, my application, current news."
"Read interview feedback and website"
"interview books, frequently asked questions, this site. (This was a PA interview)"
"Read previous interview questions on this website, AMCAS application, some secondaries I had written for other schools, current events and health news on cnn.com"
"Read website and amcas."
"Read interview feedback, AMCAS application, school catalog, and a few articles from an opposing viewpoints book on medical ethics (this was my first interview!)"
"none"
"I did nothing"
"Read over my AMCAS application."
"Read interviewfeedback.com and SDN forums and SDN interview feedback."
"It was my eigth interview"
"I read the school information packet, the website, and feedback from other interviewees."
"Spent the entire week before the interview on the beach."
"Interviewfeedback.com, read up on the school, and read up on current health care issues."
"Read the info that was sent, the schools website."
"Resources, candor of faculty"
"The interprofessionalism that the school is able to offer"
"The facility was very impressive along with the different rotation sites."
"The friendliness and openness of the atmosphere from everybody - students, faculty & staff. The campus was really nice and has a lot of perks."
"Great facilities, great people!"
"Generally solid program."
"Modern, clean facilities, friendly faculty and students, laid back vibe, flexibility of curriculum, match list"
"I was greatly impressed by the collaborative atmosphere between the students I encountered. They were all very friendly and emphasized the fact that everyone strives to help everyone else via study groups, sharing of tips and study materials, passing down of materials from one class to the next etc. I think this was enhanced by the house system that they have in place, as well as the fact that they really promote interprofessional collaboration. I was very pleased with the atmosphere over all! Also love the P/F!"
"Students were friendly and laid back attitude."
"The students all seem very tight-knit and the school is small enough that there's plenty of one-on-one time with lecturers."
"the new recreation facilities"
"pretty collaborative feel among students, integrated curriculum, awesome anatomy lab. Good research opportunities."
"The friendliness of the admissions staff"
"students were friendly"
"The facilities; the anatomy lab was very well ventilated"
"The interviewers were incredibly friendly and easy to talk to - felt like a chat rather than an interview"
"The schools suburban location. Each interviewer comes to the waiting room and escorts you to the interview room, which is basically around the corner. Also, Keurig and water in the waiting area."
"Friendly staff, clean newer facilities, inter-professional focus. Nice cadaver lab."
"How new all the facilities are, how happy the students seem to be, how well students do on step exams and how well they seem to match."
"Interest of interviewers to get to you know"
"few schools in one. nice gym"
"Friendly, happy students."
"Very polite staff and interviewers, more easy going than expected"
"- The admissions staff was very friendly"
"Strong emphasis on teaching and learning, students seemed nice, seems like there is a good amount of time for electives"
"The facilities are great, the people seemed genuinely pleased to be there, I do like the second year electives program. It is a solid school. The student housing availability is a plus."
"anatomy lab was nice, facilities in general were good."
"The friendliness of student and staff as well as the beauty of the campus."
"The facilities were amazing. The students and faculty were all so vibrant, energetic, and happy!"
"The great board scores. "
"I like the internal track to do MD/PhD after your first year. I also like the research opportunities."
"Nice and new facilities, sense of community."
"building were beautiful"
"sweet anatomy lab, school looked nice, I liked the location"
"The tour guides were knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their school. I like the environment and the semi-secluded feeling of the school. Their faculty and curriculum strives to make sure their students really understand the material presented. The faculty cares if their students learn."
"Faculty really cares about the students"
"Friendliness of Admissions staff!"
"Great sense of community and the friendliness of the faculty"
"nice people, nice anatomy lab"
"The people are very friendly, there are a lot of services to aid the students. The anatomy lab is very good."
"The anatomy lab had some awesome doors."
"students were friendly, you can enter MD/PhD program after starting MD, good basic science research on campus, a definite sense of community, good USMLE review courses offered"
"There is a great sense of community, the students are happy and very honest about the pros/cons of the school."
"Beautiful campus, great faculty and staff, nice facilities, energetic & hard-working students. "
"student's attitudes"
"The curriculum fits my background well. The anatomy lab was state of the art-each station has a computer over the cadaver which the student can look up how to perform any dissection he/she needs. Also, the 3 students to 1 cadaver ratio is the best I've seen in places I've interviewed. A small school feel was nice. On campus housing and adjacent apt (called Woodlands) make living close to/on campus easy. Great match list. Great step 1 preparation according to a friend of mine who is a graduate of RFU. Current students appear to love the school. Friendly professors. "
"Pretty much everything. I went to the school not expecting much and I came back with a completely different perspective. The facilities were great, it is closer to Chicago than I thought, the students and faculty seemed like they really enjoyed being there, and the day was structured well. I just got an overall positive vibe from the whole experience. The school is right next to Lake Forest, which is awesome and has a small beach."
"Facilities were very up-to-date"
"The students were very enthusiastic about the school. There was a very welcoming atmosphere"
"The enthusiasm of the students and the facilities were impressive and updated. The professors are highly qualified and dedicated. Impressive board scores and match lists. A good place for medical education. I will love to go to school here. Its also very diverse."
"People are really friendly and the interviews were very conversational. Not much grilling going on. As for the tours, the EEC rooms are incredible."
"How nice everyone were. The admissions office staff, my interviewers, fellow interviewees, and tour guide were all so friendly. This definitely helped lower my stress level for that day. The anatomy labs were fabulous. "
"the students seemed to really like it there; the anatomy lab was nice"
"The schools Matches well and scores above national average on Step 1"
"The facilities were nice, the inter-professional classes, and the opportunities to do your fourth year rotations at other locations/states if you like."
"gross anatomy lab, like everyone else says, is excellent, staff is very nice (although admissions is a little disorganized)"
"the attitude of everyone I met, they were all really nice and the buildings are pretty new as well. the dean even came to talk to us in the waiting room to talk to us along with a few M2 students."
"How friendly and laid back everyone was. It seems like a very supportive and productive environment."
"My first interviewer. He happened to be chair of the curriculum committee and also developed the computer system in the gross anatomy lab. Also the gross anatomy lab was superb. "
"Facility much nicer than I thought from this forum. New lounges, lab, classrooms"
"The anatomy lab is nice. "
"Facilities"
"Everything...Chicago..."
"The interviewers were very friendly and charismatic"
"the attitude of students and faculty, growth of the school, response to our questions and requests, snow, chicago"
"the faculty and student relationship, facilities, board results and matching results, chicago"
"The student-faculty relationships, and the students enthusiasm"
"Nice environment, friendly students, nice and fairly new research facilities, professors/researchers were fairly easy to approach and talk to. MD/PhD students were knowledgeable, friendly, and seemed to care. University seemed to care about research and were putting significant resources into research."
"students and faculty truly interested in students, closely knitted school, growing school (60 million added in the next 5 years), state of art instruments, the hotel was very nice!"
"The interviewers were both very friendly and laid back and tried to ''sell'' the school to me. The anatomy labs were impressive as well as the virtual microscope that is used for histology."
"I liked the dean a lot and I thought the facilities were pretty good. "
"The faculty seemed very encouraging and unintimidating. The students were incredibly enthusiastic and easy to speak with. Facilities are outstanding."
"Basically brand new dorms and newer buildings. Get to do rotations at all the big chicago hospitals."
"The facilities were new. Their frequent use of technology/computers to aid the curriculum was nice. The students seemed pretty laid back. "
"The facilities have been updated and Dr. Ross comes by to talk to you before your interviews. Also, they try to make it as relaxing as an interview can be. "
"Quite honestly, I was not impressed by much in the school. I suppose the anatomy labs are nicer than the other schools I interviewed at."
" Nice facilities, students were super-nice, even the other interviewees were super chill. The faculty are really nice, they sincerely care about their students. The interviews were more of a conversation than interviews. Anatomy lab is amazing!"
"How well I answered some of the questions"
"Countless....the campus is beautiful and secluded to make studying during the first two years easier. The staff, administrators, and doctors all genuinely care about the education and happiness of medical students. The interview process was streamlined and provided the opportunity to meet with future classmates. The dean of the school came around and talked with each interviewee for several minutes just because he wanted to be personable. Technology is artfully incorporated into the med school, from interactive computerized histology slides to LCD panels in the anatomy lab. "
"the students truly advocate for the school. they seemed to feel that it was a good thing to go to the area hospitals for their rotations instead of an on-site teaching hospital. "
"good facilities. students try to sell school but you can tell the schools feels inadequate without its own hospital system. good facilities."
"The facilities and enthusiasm of students. One of my faculty interviewers was one of the nicest guys I've met and really impressed me."
"The facilities are beautiful! The students were very enthusiastic and kind."
"Even though we were in the midst of the first huge snow storm of the year interviewers still show up to interview us."
"the students were VERY enthusiastic. All faculty was down to earth and so were the students. other students, not part of the guide stopped by and said high, some joined us for lunch and talked to us about the school."
"The facilities were actually pretty awesome - everything was very new."
"the students were very down-to-earth. they don't let medical school consume their lives, they still go out, have fun, relax"
"The students all seemed really happy. The Match list is AMAZING. Didn't go in with too many expectations but was pleasantly surprised!!! "
"The location is in North Chicago, which is nicely tucked away 30 minutes from downtown. But at the same time, downtown is so close and a great getaway for students."
"the facilities, the ability to collaborate with all the other health professional schools"
"Dr. Hawkins, a wonderful interviewer. The beautiful towns just south of CMS (Lake Bluff, especially)."
"Facilities are newer and everything looked nice"
"Nice facilities, modern technology, students and faculty with positive attitude"
"The facilities at the school were amazing, the anatomy lab was really cool and everything looked new and nice."
"The students, anatomy lab, USMLE step 1 scores, and faculty "
"positive attitude of the students, modern facilities - especially gross disection room"
" Chicago Medical School has a teaching hospital right next to the school-the VA Hospital"
"facilities are nice"
"Facilities and technology that is incorporated into it. Also their average step 1 scores...15 points above the national average!!! Very impressive. "
"the computer histology lab and the anatomy lab, lots of technology, really friendly students"
"Nice school, a little more rural in feel."
"friendly interaction with admissions staff, interviewers, tour guide. They were also very accomodating of my travel schedule."
"The facilities were a lot nicer than I expected. The students were very positive about the school as well."
"The energy of the staff and the students. Everyone seemed friendly and lively. They portrayed med school as a fun experience. The food was good too! Plus, the campus is far from downtown Chicago which is a good thing because there are not too many distractions in M1, M2 years. Matching rates are pretty high too."
"The school has been going through a lot of positive changes over the past couple of years, and you can sense it. The faculty/staff are really enthusiastic about their new beginnings and seem to be quite unified in their vision of being a solid and reputable medical school in the near future. On a different note, use of technology is pretty big there, wireless all over, computerized histology/anatomy..."
"Facilities are really new. Students very driven and love the school. Board scores are high."
"Everyone there is sooo nice! I really liked my interviewer. The students were great too! "
"How friendly everyone at the school was and the fact that they had dormitories."
"Free parking, the fact that students move into the city during their 3rd and 4th years, the video screens walking you through anatomy lab, and the amazingly high board scores positively impressed me."
"brand new facilities, friendly environment, their match list"
"facilities, student residency placement, friendliness of admissions staff, enthusiasm from the students i spoke with, other interviewees (prob the coolest bunch i've met yet)"
"The students were easily approachable for questions/concerns."
" There is a misconception concerning Rosalind Franklin University's affiliated hospitals.Right next to the University,in North Chicago,is the VA hospital.The VA hospital and the Great Lakes Naval Hospital have merged.The combined facility is a major teaching hospital for RFUMS."
"student and interviewer enthusiasm and friendliness"
"The plasma tvs in the anatomy lab for each tank, showing the days disection, step by step. The 24 hour, on campus gym."
"Friendlyness of students and staff, diversity of student body"
"nice students and faculty"
"Everyone was very nice, and the anatomy lab has computer setups for each group where you can watch guided/instructional videos! Also, histology is all on computer."
"The interviews - they were totally relaxed and conversational. I wasn't asked any difficult questions (I like easy interviews, obviously). I'm not sure whether this was good or bad, though - why didn't they want to know what I thought about challenging ideas?"
"the small environment, the friendly students"
"not a whole lot."
"They are building new apartments for the students"
"The interviewers, although very intelligent and accomplished, were easy to speak with and made the interviews comfortable."
"The cirriculum- early hands on patient experiences, the facilities and the friendliness of students. "
"The facilities looked nicer than I expected."
"Everyone is incredibly friendly. The tour guide seemed to have a bad attitude at first, but he really was just putting on a show and turned out to be a great guy."
"The students were SO enthusiastic, they obviously loved their school, they had the energy to make jokes and really sell the place."
"The overall friendliness of the staff and students was amazing. Current students are very helpful and want to answer all questions you have about the school that they genuinely seem delighted to be attending."
"The schools facilities were nice, the large amount of interaction between the various programs at RF, and the students seem relatively happy for being isolated in the middle of nowhere."
"The facilities are very modern and the anatomy lab is the nicest I have seen with each cadaver having a computer to help with the disections"
"Very supportive staff"
"The students were very enthusiastic and friendly as was the admissions staff and interviewers. "
"The enthusiasm of the student tour guides, the friendliness of the faculty and dean, the nice facilities"
"Great facilities. Very nice people (administration, students, etc.)"
"they are making a lot of positive changes in response to the accreditations issue"
"The faculty is extremely nice, the interviews were extremely laid back, and the facilities great, they have really made improvements in the past 2 years"
"Facilities are heads above the rest; community environment--students helping students; away from city of Chicago--few distractions the first tough two years; student dorms that are very nice."
"nice people, some pretty newish facilities"
"The Dean of the medical school held a Q & A session with all of the applicants: shook everyone's hand, engaged each applicant in sincere conversation."
"the nice facilities and the on-campus apartments were HUGE and cheap. and the students that i met there were pretty cool, mostly from LA (where I'm from)."
"how kind everyone was in the admissions office, student tours and other students were very excited to be there. "
"The enthusiasm of the students that were at the school and the passing rate of the USMLE's. Also, the dean of the medical school took the time to meet with and talk to each and every one of the interviewees, very approachable person."
"The students, the facilities and the FOOD!"
"There is an overall welcoming and friendly attitude at the school as well as new enhancements and technology being implemented. Students seem non-competetive with each other, rather friendly. New online histology lab seems interesting. "
"The interviews were fairly low stress, and the facilities are new."
"It is a very nice school with high tech facilities. Also everyone is really really friendly. They are very warm and make you feel really comfortable. "
"the school is really nice and they've spent alot of money updating everything and trying to impress the LCME."
"the small class size and strong sense of community among the students"
"Great facilities, happy students, great faculty."
"quiet neighbourhood"
"The new lecture hall, the updated anatomy lab, the standardized patient center. I liked that the interviewers gave me their cards."
"The facilities are very nice."
"finch ( oh excuse me Rosalind Franklin University) is pretty big despite its only 2 buildings. The use of space is awesome. Housing and educational facilities are very modern and clean and very professional looking. Housing off campus is reasonably priced, and it's really quick to get to the school because of the main roads. Student body is really diverse. Impressive Match list."
"I was very much impressed with Finch's residency match list, their passing rate on the boards, and how the school is making efforts for improvement. Also, staying with a student host was very beneficial in that I gained a student's perspective of the school. "
"the school , awesome new facilites, new library, new dorms,, very nice and quiet area, students there seemed really nice, diverse student body"
"The people of Puerto Rico are generous, helpful, and kind people. "
"The new building and the improved technology. I also did like the fact they had such a strong neuroscience program."
"Supportive staff and administration, friendly professors, nice new facilities, good environment for the first two years (on old golf course, far away from distractions.)"
"The student's and faculty seemed friendly."
"How friendly the staff was. And how happy everyone seemed at the school."
"new high-tech facilities, promise of tuition freeze and possible future decrease, friendly helpful staff."
"The students who showed us the ropes were awesome. Seriousely some of the nicest people my wife and I have ever met."
"That you get to live in Chicago proper the second two years of med school"
"The school is really working hard to improve their reputation and make life better for the students. Students do very well on their boards and match well."
"The school has been newly rennovated. Also, CMS has high board passage rates, and impressive residency matches."
"The overall attitude of the faculty, staff, and students. There is no hierarchy as in other schools where the administration looks down on everyone like they are Gods. Everyone is an equal at this school. The weather is also AWESOME and you do get to work with a Hispanic population which is critical for the future of medicine. Rent is also very very CHEAP (I'm from NY)"
"you can move to the city after second year"
"The friendliness of the students."
"The amazing match list of last year; the very friendly staff and faculties; new student housing building. "
"nice anatomy lab. pleasantly surprised by match list."
"friendliness of the faculty"
"these people ARE SO NICE!!!!!! they care for their students a lot"
"The school has amazing facilities new labs and mock patient training centers"
"really nice and convenient student housing, students seemed laid back. the new facilities are really great, they have a high-tech anatomy lab so you don't really use an atlas anymore, it's all online. the interviewers were so friendly."
"Not too much"
"The staff was very nice"
"new facilities, friendliness of people/admissions staff, laid back interviews, new student housing"
"The cleanliness and how the school continues to rise in its development. The faculty was fantastic and seemed genuinely concerned about students becoming successful. I found there was a lot of freedom in how students wish to pursue their training. I was impressed by the wealthy neighborhood just nearby."
"Not very much."
"The staff and the interviewers were extremely nice."
"The faculty is VERY involved with the students, students seem happy, great facilities: library, computer lab, anatomy labs. FUHS/CMS seems to be a tight knit community and everyone knows everyone else. My student host was VERY nice and her and her friends seemed happy with the school. I actually LIKE the location, because its in a nice quite suburb of Chicago, it feels safer than downtown Chicago."
"The newly renovated teaching wing."
"The admissions people and the representative from the office of multicultural affairs were very nice. The students that I encountered were great and answered all of my questions"
"the schools facility is fairly new and very nice. finch has great hospitals affiliated with them. the faculty and staff tried to make everything as comfortable as possible. "
"Facilities are recently built; everything is new and clean. New computers, supportive staff, friendly people."
"Really nice, new facilities, great diversity, access to many Chicago hospitals during M3 and M4 years."
"new facilities"
"Facilities are brand-new. Dorm housing is close and new."
"nice clean new facilities. the peace and quiet in the surrounding area"
"The fact that half of their buildings are less than 1 year old. They have a model of a a doctors office for practicing clinical skills with tapings of your conduct for self-review. Campus housing is less than a two minute walk from class."
"Cook County Hospital Clerkships, the fourth year grads received pretty good residencies."
"The building and facilities are very nice and new. Finch is a little far from the city of Chicago, but the surrounding suburbs are beautiful- nice houses, little shops, etc. Also, despite what I've heard, the 2 students I met seemed very happy with the school."
"The facilities are realtively new and quite nice. We were taken to the faculty lounge for breakfast and to wait for our interviews, which was also nice and comfortable."
"The students seemed geniunely happy with the choice. They were especially proud of their board scores and passing rate which were much above average. The new building is very nice and bright and yet not too large to be intimidating."
"The amicableness of the administration, faculty, and students. There seemed to be a very relaxed family environment."
"they just added on a new building which was very nice. They are also adding new apartments next to the school. The affiliate hospitals in Chicago are great hospitals."
"Everyone was really friendly, and a nice breakfast was provided. They also get to do rotations at a great hospital (Cook County). "
"Nice facilities"
"Students had high regards for the faculty. One faculty member allowed me to shadow her several months before."
"Everyone was really concerned that we should not feel stressed and kept reassuring us that the interview process is very relaxed."
"Everyone was really friendly and our student tour guide seemed to be very happy. I also liked the location since I am from a small town. They also had great board scores last year and a decent match list."
"students can finish first two years at their own pace, students seem happy, affiliations with hospitals in downtown Chicago, new dorms being built"
"hmm. that at least you get an MD for spending two god forsaken years in the middle of NOWHERE. "
"The facilities were pretty nice. The location, albeit not wonderful is just a 30 minute drive from my house."
"The faculty was extremely friendly. "
"Nothing!"
"The women"
"Not alot. The school facilities are pretty good but its in a very rural location. "
"Location, the happiness of the students, and the weather."
"The school is in a safe and good location. The people there are very friendly. The lecture hall was really big, the lounge was GREAT, and the anatomy labs were nice."
"Not much. The visit really just confirmed my feeling about the place."
"NA"
"Seems like an average school, wasn't anything really special that they offered"
"I was not impressed with the surrounding area in North Chicago"
"The price tag."
"No real "wow" factor."
"Nothing at all on interview day."
"The facilities are quite outdated in areas (but this would not affect my decision to attend if accepted, and there were other areas that were brand new). I got the sense that some students are unhappy with having so many different rotation sites instead of one large home affiliated hospital (although there can be advantages to this to). They seemed to express that they missed being around their classmates everyday and that 3rd and 4th year are a lot more independent."
"Chicago Medical School at RFUMS has been on a probation sanctioned by LCME, and they just recently were told that they are no longer under probation but are still being closely monitored. Also, the school is an hour away from the city of Chicago, and the North Chicago/Gurnee/Waukegan area is nothing to get excited about. Not to mention, we went to a nearby restaurant and discovered that sales tax is 15 percent! There's a fairly high cost of living that I think is just not worth it."
"pretty much everything else. The interviewers were inappropriate, the school is on probation, their student services are lacking, and the day was disorganized."
"While there were ample global health opportunities, it seemed harder to get into MPH / underserved / advocacy here."
"The facilities are pretty isolated from any healthcare setting. The students did not seem all that enthusiastic about the school. The other interviewees were not a particularly friendly group."
"The school is kind of in the middle of nowhere, and there is no large hospital/medical facility attached to it."
"The school doesn't appear to be very updated, the tour guides were a little strange (hopefully not representative of the school's population)."
"Not being informed about the optional tour of the VA/Naval hospital. The financial aid presentation could have been more informative. (eg you need to ask about tuition and fees, since those figures are not provided on paper)"
"The surrounding area seems somewhat boring with little opportunity for community involvement or clinic based practicing."
"The lack of a big actual gym or a teaching hospital actually adjacent to the school."
"No formal presentation about the school"
"cold weather"
"The school is quite isolated, and is difficult to reach from Chicago on public transportation. Its reputation for being the only choice of its students is discouraging, even if it is not deserved."
"Long wait time"
"- Tour guides: I feel the admissions staff should really work on trying to recruit more enthusiastic/passionate tour guides. - The idea that the 4th year students were much happier than the 2nd/1st year students didn't seem right - There was a fellow interviewee who was insecure, but acting arrogantly that was not helping"
"Location wasn't the greatest, rotations are 40 minutes away"
"The location isn't the greatest, but it is relatively close to the city. It certainly isn't a deal-breaker by any means. The rotation hospitals are spread out, which makes an automobile mandatory--again, not a deal-breaker though."
""This is the only place where I got in" attitude of students"
"Nothing really. I knew the area wasn't that great, but hey, you're going to be studying your butt off, and then you can do rotations at a bunch of other places."
"The disorganization of the day. My second interview was the last in the group and the interview said he did not have enough time to review my file. The interview was only 15 minutes because he needed to have me back by lunch. I told him I didn't mind missing lunch, but he said he had to get me back. "
"Kinda far from downtown Chicago, but I guess that allows you to be less distracted during first two years. Research is not a focus of this university. "
"super expensive"
"Although it is close to Chicago, the campus itself is surrounded by vast amounts of nothingness"
"food wasnt too great..."
"The location is 30 miles from Chicago (kind of in the middle of nowhere)"
"The gym is tiny. Itty bitty. The students seemed like they only went to the school because they didn't get any other acceptances. "
"buildings were old, no affiliated hospital close by, anatomy lab looked like something out of the Saw movies, students weren't enthusiastic--I heard more than one respond with "this is the only place I got in" when asked why the chose here"
"None."
"No cool places near by the school for a quick meal. Not a much to do near the campus. I didn't mind it since during the first two years you'll study a lot anyway. During the clinical years, students move down to downtown area. So, it really is ideal."
"Nothing really, other than the food at the cafeteria being less than impressive. I think cafeteria food is universally bad though."
"The location is about an hour north of Chicago (which could be a positive, because it takes away from distractions)."
"The location of the school is kind of in the middle of nowhere but that is not such a bad disadvantage. It doesn't have its own teaching hospital but that gives students a wide array of choices for rotations."
"Can't think of any."
"We didn't get to go in the EEC."
"located in the middle of nowhere"
"Location"
"The remote location."
"the school is essentially two buildings where you have all your classes/labs, and it is kind of in the middle of nowhere"
"waiting 4 hours in the waiting room and then only get a 30 min tour"
"The facilities were new and good, but the school itself is very small. And, this school is not affiliated with any one hospital. Most M3s move 1-hr south to Downtown Chicago for their wards, so M1/M2s hardly ever see M3/M4s."
"All the students I talked with I asked them why they attended CMS and not another medical school. They all told me they got waitlisted else, but got in here. For someone who has gotten in already elsewhere, this was not an answer that helped my decision on attending CMS."
"30 minutes solid to Chicago for the first two years"
"Everything else about the school basically...locations, interviewers, lack of excitement from students, facilities"
"Location, Student tour guides seemed less than enthusiastic. One was wearing a torn t-shirt and jeans and said he was there because it was the only school he got into: ''Beggars cannot be choosers'', he said."
"Hotel is expensive"
"No tour was given"
"not enough info about med school"
"nth"
"Seemed very research oriented, did not talk too much about the medical school. (Probably because this was interview weekend for MD/PhD and PhD applicants). Not the largest research institution. Lack of talk about financial support (got three different answers from three different students)."
"the day was not well organized"
"It seemed a little disorganized. My first interviewer got me from the waiting room before the dean came by to introduce himself so I didn't get to hear him speak or meet him. After my 2nd interview, I sat in the waiting room for another hour before they found a student to give us a tour (apparently, most of the regular tour guides were unavailable b/c we were interviewing on the day of a biochem exam)"
"It might not have been their fault, but we waited a long time to have lunch and the tour kinda dragged on even though it was obvious we all wanted to eat."
"N. Chicago is COOOLD!! It snowed about an inch during the morning and the roads were a mess."
"Tour guide kept mentioning that ''despite the fact that this school doesn't have a great reputation'' it's a good school. "
"A lot of the students I spoke with said that this was the only place they had gotten accepted to-But once they were there, they loved it."
"It seemed like everything was put together haphazardly. There was no structure to the tour and you didn't receive a presentaion about important details.....financial aid... housing... grading policies..."
"The feeling I got from the students is that nobody from IL wanted to come here over the other IL schools. I thought the students were nice, but really felt the need to prop up the school because of its shortcomings - no onsite hospital, the quarter system, and very little opportunities for research. I'm not a fan of the grading system either. I've interviewed at 4 other Chicago medical schools and this was my 5th and my least favorite."
" School cost. They didn't get into the different types of financial aid that are available (so all loans, I guess)"
"The price (~58k) per year."
"interviewees just kind of had to sit around waiting to be interviewed, then waited longer for the tour."
"school seems like a glorified board prep course. one of the students said if we get into any other med school, go there rather than rfu. makes sense to me."
"The location in North Chicago, there's not a whole lot going on."
"the 6:1 ratio for anatomy makes me a bit nervous, non-24 hour library (24 computer lab), printing cost money, facilities were mediocre"
"my fellow interviewees were a little stand-offish. "
"not affiliated with a hospital, location is very suburban- you really would have to have a car"
"The school was kind of disappointing. Nothing spectacular, nothing horrible but seemed really disorganized. The students didn't seem too enthusiastic either. The school lost their accredidation a while back, but have since gotten it back...a reason for concern?"
"the location, the lack of hospital affiliation"
"The medical school building is slightly drab."
"Lack of structure to interview day, no presentation of curriculum or financial aid. student body didn't seem as friendly or cohesive compared to other schools i have interviewed at "
"My first interviewer was crazy. Complete racist and never even gave me a chance to speak during the interview. Plus I found that sitting in a room with other candidates was annoying because some people were really full of themselves."
"size of school "
"no hospital affiliation - although they put a positive spin on this by saying they are affiliated with ALL Chicago hospitals, making them unique, I still consider it a negative. They constantly needed to reassure themselves by stating that any area physician would chose an RFU grad over any other area Chicago med school grad, which stuck me as odd."
"the town, and that theres no on site associated hospital"
"A lot of waiting around...just wish we would have had more a presentation by the admissions office, but this is a minor complaint considering they were very friendly and enthusiastic."
"my first interviewer was a little rude, location is tough, but not awful"
"The M4's that were supposed to interview us never showed up, so we were rushed through the second interview by faculty."
"Average Step 2 scores are lower than the national average because there is no primary teaching hospital."
"The gym. Simply awful. The lecture halls are pretty big, and the seats don't have desks. They give you this weird piece of plywood to put on your lap for a writing surface."
"Storied past. Does not have its own teaching hospital. Smaller university/facility and one that caters only to the health sciences professions. "
"School is 30 miles north of Chicago proper. Its really isolated (which is a double edged sword)."
"the gym"
"The tuition."
"Upon arrival, I was *very* turned off by the location, since I drove north from the school to explore that neighborhood. However, the tour guide told us about Lake Forest, a small town just south of the school, and it was beautiful--definitely a place where I could see myself going to study/shop/eat. It would have been really nice if they had a few snacks for us before the interview."
"location... i prefer a more urban environment"
"didn't get to see housing, north chicago is really isolated, environment seemed more competitive than other schools, school seemed really crowded"
"The interviewers' inability to question me on the important events in my application and my motivations behind choosing medicine. One interviewer flat out stated that he didn't even read my application before asking me questions. He may have done a better job if he did."
"distance from Chicago, lack of hospital on campus"
"North Chicago. The student that came in in the morning in between our interviews and preached about the competitive and almost cut-throat atmosphere"
"Low technology compared to other schools I have visited. Facilities are not that great."
"having to move into Chicago after 2 years"
"Not much. "
"The tuition is really, really high. But I guess that's to be expected from a private institution that can't draw much revenue from patients (there aren't any, really)."
"lack of a hospital"
"the location, un-warranted uppity-uppity attitude of the faculty, lack of hospital affiliation. this place SUCKS! Guess its better than the Caribs, though..."
"The school is in the middle of nowhere and some of the medical students didn't seem too happy to be there"
"The interviewers seemed to feel that the University will never have as good a reputation as more "well known" med schools in Illinois."
"The location."
"There seemed to be a lot of disparity among the interviewers - some went consistantly for almost an hour, others went consistantly for under 25 minutes."
"School is in the middle of NOWHERE."
"The location is a bit, well, let us say "rural". One student I encountered had a bad attitude toward some of the faculty, but there are people like that everywhere as every one is different...I was more upset that she was being a drag on what was otherwise a perfect day! To each his own I suppose, but don’t rain on my parade!"
"How far the school is away from Chicago (about an hour and a half drive without traffic) it is actually closer to south Milwaukee, the huge presence of military bases surrounding the school, and how much traffic there was in and around Chicago."
"Nothing!"
"The location, the ABC grading system, several affiliated hospitals rather than one teaching hospital"
"Not much. Maybe the terrible traffic in Chicago."
"it's far from Chicago and the train is not walking distance; also nothing to do around the school"
"just the length of time you sit during the morning, really nerve wracking waiting to be called for your interview.That you dont get out of there when you expect to, book your flights out of chicago late, I missed mine!"
"Sitting in the reception are of the admissions office for 1-1.5 hours with nine or ten other candidates; a conference room where we could all wait would have been nice."
"lack of meat. I saw the facilities, but I didn't really get a feel for what they are all about during the process."
"The lay out of the school looks like an industrial park. The appearance is not as aesthetically pleasing as other campuses."
"there weren't that many restaurants around the campus and the Starbucks nearest the campus supposedly closed at 8:30pm or something."
"i guess the distance from the heart of chicago"
"The distance from the heart of Chicago. Actually in a suburb outside of Chicago, not close to the city."
"That the school is not attached to a hospital"
"not in the actual city, however the last two years are mainly in chicago. "
"The school has no closely affiliated hospital, average student debt is $170,000 (national average is $130,000), the school is in a very rural area (40 miles from chicago), having to sit for over an hour waiting for my interviews, the school's probationary status"
"Not too much research going on at RF."
"was a little concerned about interviewing in Spanish"
"Nothing really."
"transportation"
"Everything that didn't positively impress me. The atmosphere was more like high school than anything, both because of the students and because there isn't a hospital. There are many activities that go on in most medical schools that are closely linked to the hospital. "
"The fact that the school is free standing"
"The campus is about 30-40 min away from the city. North Chicago is really spread out with long "country-looking" roads. Wished that we could somehow toured affliated hospitals. "
"The interview day ran much longer than we expected due to a cancellation of interviewers. We all had to wait a long time, but the admissions staff was apologetic and they did their best to accommodate people with earlier flights."
"the second guy who interviewed me, he was so persistenet with the ethical questions and basically told me to reapply"
"The school seemed a bit small, but so is the class size, so it probably doesn't matter too much. I also was not given a tour; however, I was interviewed late in the year."
"It was about an hour outside of Chicago, but that isn't that big of a deal. Their match results were impress; however, they only had two neurosurgery match, which does concern me."
"A/B/C/D/F grading system. Curriculum is en-route to integration, but is still rather disjointed and dry. Testing and studying tends to be very stressful. Interviewing session lasted from 8:30 until 3:30, mostly just waiting around in the alumni lounge. "
"I didn't receive a tour around the medical school"
"A couple of people told us that some of the teachers were lame. The med school is small and someone made the comment that the facilities remind them of high school. I thought it was nice enough, though. (then again, I didn't interview anywhere else)."
"The facilities seemed very mediocre."
"Our interview day went exceptionally long because they had several inteviewers cancel. I was there until 3:45 and almost missed my plane. However, I don't think interviews usually run that late but make sure you have a late flight."
"CMS is one of few schools that still use an ABC letter grading systems in the nation. Also, there is no lunch or financial aid presentation."
"The facilities are not that great at all. However, do we really need the plushy couches and marble floors when we are learning?"
"that the school is so isolated, that the campus is made up of a few buildings, the suburban location"
"There is nothing to do or nowhere to go unless you drive about 30 minutes into downtown Chicago. "
"None"
"i got there early & decided to wait at a coffee shop--unfortunately i couldn't find one. "
"the -3 degrees temperature and i didn't get a chance to see the student housing or student apts"
"location sucks too much neuro research not enouch CANCER stuff"
"nothing"
"students didn't seem very enthusiastic about the school. and if i hadn't known someone who goes there, i would have only met 2 students (including my student interviewer). my tour guide was so boring, she didn't give a very good impression of the school or students. the students kind of seem like they all go there because they didn't get in anywhere else, and weren't very friendly during the tour (maybe they just didn't like our tour guide, she was so dull)."
"The location of the school, the fact that most of the administrative staff does not speak english."
"The location"
"area (in the middle of nowhere), have to move after 2nd year, cold weather!"
"It's not city life up there."
"The campus is in the middle of nowhere and looks like some weird corporate headquarters; the students are unmotivated and more than one said that the only reason they were attending Finch was either because they didn't get in anywhere else because they sent in their applications late; cost of living is VERY expensive in spite of the fact that the school is in nowhere-ville"
"The shuttle to take you from lake bluff station doesn't run early in the morning or early in the afternoon. So, after taking the train from downtown chicago to lake bluff (about 1 hour), I had to call for a cab to take me the remaining 4-5 miles (no, you can't walk it unless you plan on being late). "
"There is no swimming pool and it would be nice if they had 'traditional' dorms to house students. One also realistically needs a car to get around the city, public transport is not all that convinient."
"The attitude of the student body. Most students seemed unhappy and some expressed their discontent to matriculate there after receiving only one acceptance. "
"They did not serve lunch. My day went long so I was starving the whole time. It would have been nice to eat in one of the two cafeterias that we toured with a few students."
"it is quite a drive to chicago but definitely not a big enough deterrant for me to not want to go there."
"The gym is old and small..."
"Student rec facilities, minimal patient exposure first two years"
"the new simulated clinic - complete waste of resources just to mimic a medical visit. students should instead be working with real people in a real medical setting. All of the beds, furniture, and resources could have been put to use in a clinic or hospital, where more people can benefit from them."
"The waiting time before the interviews. Almost an hour."
"too peaceful and too quiet. also the students who were in the library gawked at us during the tour."
"The campus is very barren, feeling a lot like a corporate campus. The amount of time we waiting in the faculty lounge before and between interviews (about 2 hours of nothing to do)"
"nothing--although the tuition is a little steep"
"Not very much student interaction on interview day and no hospital directly affiliated with the school. Also, too many people were interviewing on the same day (I think I counted 30!). I waited almost 2 hours before my 1st interview and then another 45 minutes in between interviews."
"The school doesn't have a primary academic teaching hospital and many of the clinical faculty are appointed "volunteers"."
"Nothing really. I so desperately want to go to this school. It has everything I need to do well!"
"If anything, I guess I would say the small size of the school. It almost seemed like a highschool in terms of size and building appearance."
"Kind of had a community college feel to it... It is in the middle of nowhere, the gym facility was terrible and wasn't too impressed with the labs either. They have no teaching hospital and the tuition is high."
"The school's isolated location. High tuition costs. "
"It's out in the middle of nowhere and there Doesn't seem to be much clinical exposure during your first two years"
"Felt like cattle being herded. Approx. 40 other applicants there that day. Took a critical tkg exam (1 hr)followed by a 30 min essay writing followed by interview and then tour. The agenda did not allow for a break or an opportunity to compose after the exam and the writing assmt.Interviewed by faculty member and first year student. Both were dead serious and seemed really unhappy and probably as harried as I felt. "
"They have a grading system rather than pass/no pass"
"Lack of hospitals near by..."
"high tuition, and the school is in the middle of nowhere"
"the cost. the administration and faculty being incredibly cold and uncaring toward students. students seem unhappy, competitive, jaded. the fact that the 'facility' has no hospital, is really a box in a field, and yet the students pay an exhorbitant amount of money to go there. "
"Their average MCAT and GPA statistics."
"The school is located in North Chicago - but the name is quite deceiving. North Chicago is a suburb of Chicago an hour away from downtown. Not really much to do around the area. The school itself is a set of two buildings - one which was only recently built. "
"Almost everything, from the location to the faculty. Students do not seem happy at all, but med school is med school I guess."
"Too small"
"The faculty (from what I gathered first hand and from past students) did not seem too intersted in the students. The atmosphere seemed very cold and competitive. "
"The architecture of the different buildings"
"Nothing."
"The school is in the middle of NOWHERE! The facility did not seem particularly exciting."
"NA"
"More about the MMI, but the confidentiality agreement kind of prevents that. (Sorry I can't share more about the MMI)"
"Distance of school from Chicago"
"How far outside of Chicago the school is and that they had been on probation."
"That sometimes its better to say what you know the interviewer wants to hear."
"shuttle to metra doesn't leave till three. If you're going via metra, bring a book to read or something."
"The location of the school is little off-putting, but the nearby town's are quaint and adorable."
"That there was going to be a hospital tour. If you are traveling there via Route 176, budget extra time. There is a surprising amount of elementary school traffic."
"Long wait time prior to lunch. Eat a good breakfast."
"Traffic on the 90/94 is TERRIBLE, ALWAYS. If you are driving, make sure to TRIPLE the estimate on Google Maps. Getting there early is not really a problem. Getting there 5 minutes late will give you unnecessary anxiety right before you go into interview."
"That I should have arrived earlier (the man at the information desk gave me incorrect directions)."
"That both interviews were partial-blind. This would have allowed me to prepare a little differently."
"It's really "semi-open," they don't know your GPA or MCAT numbers. Also, ok, it's not IN Chicago, but it's really not terribly far."
"The school is about 30 miles or so from O'Hare. I took a shuttle from the airport and it costs about 40 bucks each way. "
"that I'd be waiting in a room for 3 hours while everyone else was being interviewed too. Perhaps that was me being naive since this was my first interview."
"nothing. everything was pretty straightforward."
"That it was in the middle of nowhere"
"CMS is not in chicago or anywhere near chicago, it is close to Wisconsin. If you have to travel from chicago to school, leave yourself plenty of time to catch all the trains you'll hop northbound. The "interprofessional environment" they tout is BS. it's just a med school and podiatry school sharing the same campus--no classes together or clinical stuff together with any health professions students"
"It takes over an hour to drive to CMS from downtown Chicago."
"There could be traffic jam around the area."
"I stayed at a motel about 5 min from the school that was in the middle of nowhere. This sorta skewed my perspective on the whole area before I got an actual tour."
"I was apprehensive about the possibility of living in such a boring location for 4 years, but students only spend the first 2 years in North Chicago and move to Chicago the last 2 years for rotation (since the school does not have an associated teaching hospital)"
"The school is very expensive !!! And be prepared to drive about forty minutes from downtown chicago"
"I wish I had prepared more for the ethical questions that were possibly going to be asked. "
"No where to grab breakfast before hand"
"thank goodness for sdn, which told me that the school was going to be in the middle of nowhere, so nothing.."
"Its soooooo cold( even in april)"
"Resist the temptation to eat at the White Castle the midnight before your interview."
"That I should have brought a book. Hanging out in the waiting room the whole day certainly had a negative impact on me. The interviewers would come and go, but all the interviewees had to stay in this room for the whole day except during the tour."
"As I said, I was overall much more pleased with this school than I thought I would be. Happy students, close to the best city :)"
"I wish I would have known the locations was so terrible. "
"North Chicago is the name of a city located about 50 miles north of the City of Chicago and is in no way a part of the City of Chicago. In fact, the only thing near the university is a VA hospital and a Naval training center."
"Most interviewees bring nice leather notebooks to take notes... not just cheap, regular notebooks"
"snow"
"it's kinda cold"
"That is was a combined interview session (i.e. both MD/PhD and PhD interviews) "
"chicago is cold"
"There is no hospital attached to the med school."
"Lunch can cost you more than the voucher they give you. "
" North Chicago is not that bad!"
"We needed a pen for some trivial writing"
"Done more research on universal health care."
"A current student told me that the waiting in the admissions office was not indicative of how the school was run, just the opinion of one admissions officer on how the day should be. "
"the school feels like high school. one building. in the middle of nowhere. "
"That the buildings were larger inside than they look--it looks like a tiny school but it is sprawling. The anatomy labs and histology labs have a lot of technology. The library was very nice too. "
"How bad the traffic really is from downtown chicago! It took me about 1.5 hours! "
"read up on the VA, also you do a lot of waiting around"
"The interview process was disorganized to say the least. The interview group was big with maybe 30-40 students, and they called people in in alphabetical order. I was first, went in for a 30 minute interview, came back into the same conference room, and then had to wait 2 hours for them to go through the whole group and then they called me a gain for my second interview. There were many interviewers, so I didn't understand why things weren't more efficient."
"how far away the school is from downtown"
"I am absolutely ignorant about current health issues and the U.S. health system :)"
"Anatomy lab is shared with podiatrist and PA students. no university hospital so you get sent out to different schools in chicago for 3rd and 4th year"
"It's not actually in Chicago...quite a ways out of the city actually. Kind of in the middle of nowhere."
"very suburban location"
"wish i had read their web page more"
"The limo service from Ohare to the school is cheaper than American Taxi."
"As a private school, I knew the tuition would be on the higher end, but they have a four year tuition freeze until 2010 and they have some money available for scholarships etc. "
"IT'S COLD."
" "Lunch is on us" just means a $5 voucher for the cafeteria. It won't completely cover the cost of a lunch."
"I wish I would have known not to drive north from the school, but instead to explore the area south of the school. "
"to relax, the interviewers are extremely friendly "
"i wish i had booked a hotel in lake bluff rather than waukegan"
"There is lots of down time during the interviews with no presentation from the admissions staff. You will wait until all the applicants go through their two interviews and then head to a lunch/tour with students. Then it's over. Bring a book."
"They don't give you breakfast...not even coffee."
"Imagine a school surrounded by a naval base, and thats Rosalind Franklin."
"Nothing, pretty well-prepared for all that RFUMS is."
"I think I prepared for the interview thoroughly enough that nothing really surprised me. I knew how far it was from the city, and I expected the day to be "unstructured," as they put it."
"it's sooo cold"
"NORTH CHICAGO IS YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE"
"The school is very small and there aren't any hospitals around there. Also, M3s and M4s have to go back to the city for their rotations."
"Nothing. It was all good."
"n/a"
"Wish they would've given a map of the campus. It's easy to find, but when you're stressed and not thinking straight, the building right in front of you can't possibly be the one you want (even though it is)."
"No shocks or surprises, really, as I had seen the school before interviewing and I knew that it was not in Chicago. "
"How far removed it was and how little there actually is within close proximity to the school."
"Bring some snacks, the wait is really long. "
"There's a separate cab agency that deals with travels to the suburbs."
"there is a shuttle from the shuttle to the Metra train"
"nothing, everything was as expected"
"Day runs longer than the 1:30 pm time they promised; get the impression that happens quite a bit b/c not enough interviewers."
"I was not prepared for the riddle, that's it."
"that the interview was so kick back."
"They provided lunch."
"There are SOOOO many people from California! Not a bad thing!"
"That so many of their students come from Calif. "
"Although the school is called the "Chicago" Medical School, it was really far from the city."
"I wish I had known the format of the interview."
"If you're taking a cab from the airport, make sure you contact the company that the school contracts with or else you'll get ripped off badly."
"Committee come together once a month (last Friday)"
"How far away North Chicago is from Chicago"
"It was 40-50 degrees with wind. North Chicago has really spread out roads and 1) it took us forever to find a place to eat.. 2) because interview day DOES NOT include lunch. "
"Renting a car and having a later flight is best, just in case the interview runs long. Be prepared!"
"nothin really,, just how awesome the school really is"
"How long it would take between the first and second interviewers (over 4 hrs!)"
"Everyting was how I had expected it to be."
"nothing, I visited the campus previously, the catalog provided the relevant information."
"I wish I had known that the school really wants science majors. That way, I would have been able to defend myself better when I had to get defensive about being an econ. major."
"That it was a group interview, and took all day...there was a lot of waiting, bring food."
"Definetly rent a car. It will make your trip much easier."
"It would be difficult to get around without a car up there. Also, tuition is really expensive. Cost of living isn't all that cheap either."
"It was a group interview held in Spanish. However, the other kids I interviewed with were from the US. Also, I wasn't too crazy about the group idea, however I think it helped make things stress-free"
"that the school would be so isolated from life and that they use an ABC grading system"
"You really need a car to get anywhere in the area. Also the school. Also, if you want to order a pizza for delivery, expect to wait about an hour for a pizza place to get it to you."
"It was cold than I expected, I did not bring enough warm clothes."
"md program shares facilities with podiatry program. $0.50 toll each way if driving on I-94 from chicago."
"it's cold in chicago"
"finch is a new campus its a VERY GOOD school and its supposedly easy to get into"
"That the school has good facilities, great clinical training , and an impressive match"
"it's really laid back."
"That the school is not regarded as being a good school."
"That without a car you can't get anywhere."
"the area (far from Chicago), housing is very nice"
"I come from a city and it seems no fun to be in the suburbs. I heard some people live more south to get more city life, but the commute looks like it sucks."
"Transit to the school from O'Hare is difficult. I was lucky I had a friend to give me a lift."
"I wish I had known that I needed a cab to get to the school even after taking the train all the way out there. "
"That third and fourth years actually live in Chicago. "
"That Finch is a one hour train ride from downtown Chicago. There are no scholarships offered at the school, only loans."
"nothing, it was a very good experience"
"Grading system"
"it's not in chicago! it's in a suburb, so take the train - it's cheaper."
"The high tuition"
"How much this school totally rocks! Everyone is very friendly, and the admissions staff has really got their act together. It was the most informative and relaxing interview day that I've had all year."
"I wish I had known about all the waiting around."
"That parking is readily available and free. Also, more (and better) travel info, such as how to get to the school using public transportation."
"Nothing."
"Nothing"
"that it's almost in Wisconsin"
"That the current students had bad attitudes and were uppity and that I was interviewing with 40 other people that day. "
"How far the school was from the city"
"that NORTH CHICAGO really means 'almost wisconsin' and is NO WHERE REMOTELY NEAR DOWNTOWN CHICAGO. we're talking $36 cab fare from O'hare. "
"The high cst of going there."
"How miserable and boring my stay in Waukegan was going to be."
"How hard it was to get there and the location."
"The school is in the middle of NOWHERE!"
"NA"
"Pretty standard MMI format interview"
"I added a lot of personal examples to my answers which made me more memorable. Also, I tried not to think about what they would like to hear but rather genuine answers. I think that really helped."
"Loved it overall."
"Walked away from the interview smiling and in a good mood. Would attend, though not sure if it's my first choice because it's unranked."
"Not my first choice, but I would definitely attend and I think I would definitely be happy here if I didn't have any offers higher on my list."
"Great experience. Will matriculate"
"I'd still go here if it was the only school I got into, but my interview day moved this school from high up on my list to all the way at the bottom."
"I like that there isn't much going on in the area, and that housing is cheap. Plenty of research and global health opportunities, but as I mentioned, less of a focus on service / advocacy area."
"Rosalind Franklin has some definite positives, but seeing the facilities and meeting students/faculty did not make me want to attend."
"Very conversational interview, and the interviewers were both very friendly. I only got asked one or two ethical questions, and they were pretty easy to answer."
"Chicago Medical School uses the letter grading system. For first years, exams are given about every two weeks. Anatomy classes have students from the medical and podiatry schools. I had a higher opinion of CMS after the day was finished."
"I believe you would get a good medical education here and have every opportunity to become a successful physician."
"The admissions staff are all extremely welcoming, the school seems really nice. I was pleasantly surprised. Don't count CMS out until you've at least visited - they are certainly looking good these days."
"Nothing particularly impressed or offended me about this school. It does seem like a school that is very much in transition."
"GREAT EXPERIENCE!!"
"School was decent, I wouldn't mind going here"
"This school seems great and doesn't deserve any negative bad press or hearsay."
"A beautiful campus with state-of-the-art labs and equipment. A friendly atmosphere and environment make this school very attractive."
"Loved the school, the campus, the curriculum, the facilities, the resources, the fact that you can do rotations at other schools, hospitals, or even abroad. If you interview here, GET EXCITED!"
"Most people seem to really do well here academically but its not a place where I could enjoy myself socially. "
"My personal interview was pretty laid back. I had very nice, conversational interviews. I really think this is, in part, luck and in part what an individual makes of his/her experience. This seems to be the case at any school. My interview group consisted of 15. They took about half of us first, and then half of us later so there was some waiting around. Bring something to read or get to know your fellow interviewees. There is one thing. Apparently if there is a huge disparity between your evaluation from one interviewer to the second interviewer, you may be pulled after lunch for a third interview. This is so that they can get as fair of a picture of you as they possibly can. "
"Just be relaxed and be yourself. The faculty are most welcoming, and will not try to rip you apart."
"A lot of people complain about the "rural" location of the school, it being 30 minutes from Chicago, but if you're going there for school and studying, you can actually travel the 30 minutes to Chicago when the time comes to party!"
"Don't sweat it. The faculty will do their best to make you feel at ease -- that's what they're looking for :)"
"i liked it over all, i liked it better than UIC"
"I liked the school. The fact that rotations are done in affiliates throughout Chicago is great. "
"My expectations of this school were not high and the visit confirmed my expectations. The school is in the middle of nowhere, but all of the students move to the city for clinical stuff so maybe it is a good undistracted environment to learn in"
"The interviews are low-stress. The interviewers are super friendly and seem happy to be at the school. CMS is quite small, however (we only visited 2 buildings during the tour), but there is a great sense of community."
"Nice school with active students and superb faculty & staff. "
"pretty low-stress"
"The interview was laid back. The staff was friendly. The weather was great (in the low 70's and sunny). The tour guides were very friendly and even showed us their on campus apt. It was the most enjoyable interview day of the 6 I've had."
"This was my favorite interview day of all the schools I've been to. They put you in a room with all the other interviewees and you wait until you are called individually by your interviewer. There is a lot of down time between interviews where everyone sorta just hangs out. Everything about the school is really great, except the tuition. Overall it was a good experience, not stressful at all."
"Overall I was slightly impressed with this school"
"Overall, it was much better than I expected and it made me like the school even more."
"I got to the school just ontime at 8am in the health sciences building. We sat around for about an hour and the interviews started on time at 9am. I had my first around 9:20am and my second interview at approximately 11am. The Dean came in to greet us a few minutes before lunch and he was amazingly down to earth. I felt really at home. Lunch (which was fantastic) is served at noon or a few minutes after depending on interview session. Finally, we are given a tour of the school afterwards, which takes about 45mins because it is pretty small but nice. It was a pleasant experience and relatively stress-free. I will love there"
"Interviews were pretty relaxed and conversational. Although quite some time was spent waiting, it passed by fairly quickly."
"I really stressed out about this interview from the time I was invited for the interview to the day before my interview. I was happy that the interviewers were very friendly and nice, so that helped alot. Plus, the tour guide was very informative and easy to talk to. "
"It was a long day. Took 2 hours to drive in from the southwest suburbs of chicago because traffic was crazy. There was a brief introduction and interviews started around 9:00am. There was a lot of just sitting around and waiting. I didn't get to my second interview until 2:00pm. At around 12:00 we had lunch and then a brief tour. It was a laid back day pretty much."
"School is simple and straight forward, the interview was very laid back and fun. Got along very well with everyone else in the waiting room."
"The facilities were very nice, and the interview experience was laid back. You do spend most of the day in a waiting room, but they did tell us that we could leave the room to use the computer room or watch tv if we liked (no one left the room). The interviews were mostly conversational, but only by two faculty members (one was supposed to be a student). Also, we were told that students would drop by to talk with us in our waiting room, but none did. I was disappointed that the only student we ever met was our tour guide - supposedly their student body is a real strength. We did get in to the anatomy lab (although directly after lunch), and the rest of the facilities were nice. Most students live nearby for the first two years, but move downtown to Chicago for their third and fourth years, to do rotations at Chicago area hospitals, which is really nice. Overall, the school seemed like a nice place, albeit definitely remote from a major city or the resources/diversions of a major city."
"not as disorganized as you may read in some people's reviews, lunch was provided, interviewers were very relaxed and conversational, med students were in and out all day, and very helpful"
"Overall I was pleasantly impressed and would definitely go to CMS if accepted because I think it is the kind of environment I am looking for( not the location, but the faculty and students). "
"Interview starts at 9am in the waiting room of the admissions office. You sit there with all the other interviewees, waiting for a faculty member to come in to call your name and take you away. Meanwhile, you can talk amongst yourselves or to the M1/M2s that drop by to answer any questions (if you get bored easily, you may want to bring a book). Lunch is at noon, and after lunch is the tour of their facilities. Their facility is small, so the tour lasts about 30 minutes. Everyone (from the Dean all the way down to the secretary) seems to be very laid back, kind and pleasant. Overall, I was impressed with the medical school. Everyone was happy to be there, and I think I would be, too."
"I did not like waiting for 5 hours total in the same room. The girl giving the tour of the school was short with us (the interviewees) and really did not seem welcoming. I did like how laid back the interview was and the facility was quite nice."
"I hesitated to attend the interview but was much more impressed than I expected. I would definitely attend this school!"
"The day started off with all of us sitting in a waiting room....where we stayed for hours. Random students stopped in to answer questions and so did the dean. My first interviewer was less than pleasant, but I thought the interview went fine. The second interviewer was nice, but one of the first things he said to me was, ''I am glad students like you weren't applying when I was applying for medical school because I never would have gotten in.'' That was sort of an odd statement and it was also discouraging. He then spent the entire interview trying to convince me to attend CMS because he kept saying ''I know you will get in to multiple schools but...'' The whole thing was a little odd. I left the interview wondering if he had any faith in the school. After the interview, we went on a tour. The tour guides both said the only reason they went to CMS was because that is the only place they had gotten in. They were saying ''We know the reputation of the school isn't so good, but...'' Before we left we were told they would inform us of their admission decision in 2 weeks...and now it is MARCH!!! The interview was in NOVEMBER!! Something is seriously wrong with that. I have gotten in to 5 schools since then and have alread chosen to go to another one. The only reason I have not withdrawn my application from CMS is because i want to see exactly how long it will take them to get back to me. I have called them multiple times only to hear, ''We are still processing applications from the fall''. What? Unless you really NEED to apply to this school, I wouldn't waste your time. "
"Good facilities with excellent opportunities for bench-based research (not clinical research). Good inter-disciplinary opportunities. Poor location. Poor social life around the school. Poorer community outreach."
"Fun and exciting"
"IT's a great school! I love it after going there...the rating is seriously unfair, better than a lot of other schools where ppl are too snobby or laid-back or just stupid"
"it was awesome"
"Awesome!"
"It was a good experience, liked the atmosphere, some of the research going on there was very interesting."
"it's worth going"
"It went well. Both interviews were laid back and unstressful."
"It was quite positive overall. The inteviews were very laid back."
"Overall, it was great. Very low stress. Students were great to talk to, and so were faculty. I left wanting to come back."
"Very calm, interviewees were very nice to talk to."
"It was primarily a positive experience. Before the interview I was neutral about attending this school. But when I was leaving I was eagerly hoping to get in. "
"The interviews were pretty easy and relaxed. I was annoyed that one of my interviewers tried to get me to say I would come to Rosalind Franklin if accepted (he asked what schools I had gotten into so far). When I asked one of my interviewers what he would change about this school, he mentioned reputation. Having interviewed at other Chicago schools, I'm sure the education is good, but I'd rather go to the other Chicago schools."
"I felt i did well..i wish they'd let see the bodies in the anatomy lab, but they had pretty good facilities considered the med school is located mainly in one building"
"The whole day (9-2) was a great experience and the two medical students who gave the tour were more energetic and enthused about medicine than I could have imagined. A great school."
"over all it was a positive, relaxed experience. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the day."
"interview wasn't bad but i just was not impressed with the school at all. the other IL schools are much much higher on my list. i esp liked uic and rush when i interviewed there...havent heard from the other IL schools."
"Was positively impressed by my interview day with RFU. The students were enthusiastic and eager to answer questions. The faculty I interacted with were great - my interviewer is a great person and the dean of admissions stopped by the room of interviewees to talk to each of us while waiting for interviews."
"Great!"
"I'm in the BMS program so I knew the school pretty well before hand. The day was really laid back and I enjoyed both interviews. The interviewers are really laid back and friendly. I was finished with both of my interviews by noon, and the time spent waiting in between the interviews was spent just hanging out with the other applicants and 1st and 2nd years who stopped by."
"Overall everything was great, no hard questions, interviewers were really nice. Pretty much what I expected from CMS, but the students really impressed me. Overall the vibe there was very welcoming and everyone seemed to enjoy being there."
"Overall my experience was positive. My first interviewer was a little dry and difficult to impress, but my second interviewer was really chill and easy to talk to. They each score you and if the difference is greater than 6 points, they will ask you for a third interview which i thought was pretty fair. The dean is really fun to talk to and all the students were really nice and happy to be there. One of my tourguides actually chose to go there over AECOM and hasn't looked back since! The opportunity to do rotations in downtown chicago is actually extremely appealing and removes the school from the semi-rural disadvantages."
"overall, positive. my first interviewer was a stoic old surgeon and not a good conversationalist. the second was really cool- we talked about sweater-vests. everyone is really enthusaistic about the school, but the setting is far from urban"
"The interview was really laid back and I thought it went very well. The tour was great and the cafteria has good food. They give you a $7.00 voucher to spend on food which is really nice."
"It was fine. The interview themselves went fine, but the school didn't impress me. There are no rolling admissions here, so admissions committe meets in December and sends out accptances and rejections in January. I've kind of taken them off my radar after I got a few acceptances. I would not go here if I got in."
"The day started at 9. I had two 25 min interviews between 9 and 12. We went on a tour and had lunch. I was done by 1:30"
"It was fun. All the admissions staff, interviewers, and students were quite helpful and friendly."
"My biggest complaint is a serious lack of structure for the interview day. When everybody got to the waiting room one student got called back by their interviewer before anyone from the school even welcomed us and told us what was going on. It was nice to have both interviews in the morning and get them over with. While we were waiting the dean came in and visited with everybody which was cool. After the interviews we went on a student led tour and had lunch. That was it. No presentation by someone from the school about the curriculum, grading, financial aid, clinical experience etc...nothing. They just handed us a packet of information on the school when we arrived when we arrived in the morning and that all, not even a schedule for the day. Quite underwhelming to say the least. "
"Overall good experience"
"My second interview went great, but the first was really wierd. I'm not sure if maybe it was a test or something to see how I would react. Anyways, it's a long day with a lot of waiting around, but the school is really nice."
"We all sat in a room and waited to be interviewed by various members of the faculty. While we were waiting, the dean of admissions( Dr. Ross) came in to socialize with us. While he was talking, we were called to our first interview followed by another after 5-10 minutes. Then we went on a tour of the school with M1 students followed by lunch. "
"Overall, not a remarkable experience. Seemed disorganized - you start off in the waiting room, then the dean comes in for personal greetings and forced small talk. During this, your interviewers come take you away. After two interviews, you sit and wait in the room...random 1st years come in to openly talk with the group. Following this, you get a tour of the facilities and then lunch...then you leave. There was no formal presentation of the curriculum, Q&A session, financial session, or anything normally found at other interviews. There was not even a timeline of the day presented at the beginning; it just sort of started."
"Seems like a good school with enthusiastic students and faculty, but location and lack of hospital hurts"
"I waited 2 hours before receiving my first interview. CMS should have provided a more structured day."
"It went well. It lasted a lot longer then I thought. We did not get our second interviews until the afternoon and my second interviewer who I think was supposed to be replaced by another interviewer was kind of tired I think but overall it was very layed back and fun. Conversational. It was pretty fun. "
"The day went well. There is a lot of down time, but you get to talk to the others. I learned a lot about the school in general."
"It was a great experience! The students really liked the school, the interviews were good. The only bad thing was that we sat in a room all day until we got called out to interview. We spent a lot of time waiting and not doing much."
"This was the first interview day of the year. The interview day was longer than they had said it would be."
"A lot better than I expected. I've read a lot of negetive stuff about RFU, but when you actually go there you realize a lot of it is bunk."
"My first interview went really well. I not only answered my interviewer's questions to the best of my abilities, but I could also joke with that person. The second interview, in my opinion, didn't go so well. The interviewer seemed cold and didn't really care about who I am."
"On the whole -- I would say a positive experience. As said before, the school is coming together and pushing a newly redesigned product. Faculty seem supportive, students are hardworking and there is an overall community feel with the other professional programs. Match lists indicate that hard work and good boards will land you a residency of choice. The location is a tough one being deep in the suburbs, but the clerkships are done at major city hospitals. "
"Make sure you have breakfast before you get there, and bring something to read, just in case. Once you check in, its really a waiting game for your interviewers. They will come out and take you to either their office or a room in the admissions suite. From there, depending on your interviewer, you'll either have a short or long interview. One of mine was 60+ minutes, because we had a lot to talk about, and the other was just about 35 mins (the std, they say). Afterwards, they took us for a tour around the school, which is housed in building that are linked so you don't have to venture outside during the winter, and then gave us a voucher for lunch. The cafeteria is nice, but bring some cash, b/c the voucher is only $5. I really liked the school because its students are cohesive and driven, and since its a graduate-only institution, there aren't the distractions that may be there elsewhere."
"got there in the morning, sat in the admissions office with 9 other students. no food in the morning. we just sat there and waited til an interviewer came and called our name. while waiting, the dean came to talk to us (very nice person). the interviewer will take you to their office, or the interview will be in a room at the admissions office. after, we ate lunch at the cafeteria (get the philly cheese steak and a drink), and got a tour of the school. this school really left a good impression. "
"It was very laid back. The interviewers had some questions prepared but it was more conversational than question and answer."
"After the interview & tour, I could definitely see myself going to RFU. The students that I met were very excited about how high their grades were, due to lack of distractions & presence of helpful faculty."
"very cool co-interviewees, very cool faculty and students, and the dean of the med school personally introduced himself to each person. I like the school alot more after the interview, and I can really see myself as a student there. "
"I was pleasantly surprised by my visit to Rosalind Franklin. The school seems like a nice place, and students appear happy and do very well with their boards and residency matches. I felt that my interviewers both read my file over very carefully - they knew a LOT about me right off the bat. The interviews both seemed conversational, but at the same time, I felt they got to know more about me than any of my other interviewers at other schools. There wasn't much in terms of an information session about the school (I'm still in the dark about how the curriculum is set up) and there was a lot of downtime. However, I feel like I learned enough about the school to know that it's a place I'd be happy to attend. One thing about admissions - they really do make use of the third interview (in the case that the first two interviewers' scores are dissimilar). I think 3 people on my day actually were called for a 3rd interview. All in all, CMS seems like a great place to go to medical school."
"The interviewers didn't do the school any favors in my case (see the above for more detail). I left the interviews feeling that they had no organization on how to evaluate my person or application with respect to medicine. The interviews were more weird and sometimes inappropriate than stressful. Also, I came into contact with no one who could tell me about the clinical years. All the students were 1st/2nd years, who didn't know much about their next 2 years, and the interviewers had no further information about it either. I felt that this information would be extremely important because this school doesn't have its own hospital like every other school."
"Overall, it was a pleasant experience. The interviews felt more like conversations than interrogations. "
"Short day; we were done at 1:15 which was nice b/c it was before the afternoon rush-hour began. The morning was very unstructured. We were interviewed at random and a couple interviewees were done with both of their interviews when I had just gotten back from my first. Other than that, the day went well."
"OK, nothing too original or outstanding"
"Overall, very nice. The interviews were WAY low stress, and the interviewers did a good job of getting to know me as an applicant through conversation instead of interrogation."
"Being my first interview, it was great. I normally am really nervous at interviews, but the interviewers did a great job of getting to know me more through conversating with me than by grilling me. The day went relatively quickly. I was lucky enough to meet the dean, who is an amazingly nice guy. Lunch was good, and we had a great tour guide who was incredibly informative."
"pretty smooth. walked in and met the others, went to interviews and then tour."
"I have interviewed at a few schools that are in NCMS' tier (ie 'safety') and can honestly say that it pales in comparison to them all ( NYMC, Drexel, Temple, etc)."
"The interview went well but I wasn't too impressed with the school."
"I arrived at the site about 20 minutes early and was the second interviewee there. Getting to know the other interviewees was awesome, but always remember to NOT discuss your interviewers until you have left the venue. We were told that our interviews would be worth 20 points a piece, but we were not told how much these points weighed relative to the rest of our applications. I was the first one interviewed, which was pretty cool because I didn't have time to psych myself out beforehand, so I was pretty calm. I think it all boils down to being yourself, which sounds cliche, but it's a must. You don't need to use big words or act like you're perfect, otherwise they will see through it. Also, don't make the mistake I did if lunch is included in the interview day: I ordered a buffalo chicken sandwich, which was drippy, too spicy, and all-around nasty, so I ended up throwing it out and feared that I would offend the student tour guides. Ask the interviewers some tough questions- make THEM think, too. Although I worried about every little thing that I did that wasn't perfect, my fears were soon forgotten when I received my letter of acceptance the following week."
"The interview is pretty relaxed and laid back. All people are real nice."
"Very positive overall. Both interviewers were extremely friendly and put me at ease--not stressful at all. SDN feedback indicated that many ethical and current event questions were asked, but for me that was not the case--but it depends on who your interviewers are. "
"Not quite as laid back as many tell you, I actually wound up with almost a good cop/bad cop atmosphere between the two interviewers. It never really reached a point of being "high stress," it just wasn't stress free."
"One was nasty, the other was nice. My first interviewer disgreed with EVERYTHING I said. I suggested a solution to the numbers of uninsured and I suggested several ways to contain the avian flu epidemic. He disagreed with everything out right and continued to shoot me down for the whole hour. I stood my ground and finally asked him what HE would do. His answer did not make sense (stockpile vaccine?!). The second interview was just questions about my AMCAS application "
"Both of my interviews were comfortable not extremely stressful. I did not feel like I was in the "hot seat" so that was good. They really just want to get to know who you are, why you are there (why MD and why RFUMS) and whether or not you would fit in with their students. The school is close with the other health sciences that are studying there, so you share anatomy lab with the PA and podiatry students, which I found appealing. It also has a smallish, close-knit atmosphere, which has always appealed to me since I went to a smaller private undergrad. I really liked it there. In addition, they do have some impressive research opportunities if so desired. The location of the school is way out in the boonies, but I am not looking to go out partying in Chicago's nightlife, so that does not bother me on that level. I want to go to med school and learn, so the location is fine with me - BUT, try and find a restaurant, or a grocery store...maybe I was not looking in the right areas but there really isn't much in the immediate vicinity of the school."
"You start out in the office of admissions with around seven other students and wait there until one of four interviewers for the day come and call you out to join them in a sixteen square foot room that is slightly intimidating by itself. There is a lot of down time so you can go play pool or foosball next door to the admissions office in the student lounge, or just sit an wait. Then you are lead around the school for a tour. Though the students seemed nice, their info seem slightly contrived and like they were reading off a tour info sheet, which they were. But overall, it was a smooth day and the campus seems nice."
"I had a great time at the school and was very impressed with the school and how much the students liked being there."
"I had a great time interviewing and touring this school. I did not know what to expect but I loved it and the students there seemed to really like it as well. The interviews were very easy going."
"We arrived at 9, and there were about 12 of us being interviewed- we had lots of time to talk while we waited for our interviews. The interviews were friendly, overall. We finished interviewing around 12:30 and then got lunch in the cafeteria with our meal vouchers. Finally, we got a tour of the school."
"It was very stress-free. All the interviews were held at the administration office and they weren't very long at all. My interviewers were very nice and funny and they are just trying to get to know you."
"everything went smoothly. I was out by 1:30pm, but most people still hadn't had their second interview. Be careful if you are making plane reservations leacing the same day!"
"It was great we got there in the morning, they provided us with breakfast to pass the time, sat in a group with the rest of the people being interviewed for the better half of the morning waiting to be interviewed. The waiting was nerve-wracking but gave us all a chance to meet with the rest of the group and get to know them. I had 2 interviews, one with a student and one with a faculty. They were both really laid back and asked no tricky questions. After our interviews you go on a tour of the school with a tour guide who is a student, that gives you a great idea of what the students think about the school. They provide you with meal tickets, so lunch is on them. After that you are free to go."
"Excellent; I cannot say enough about the facilities. The histology slides are all computerized (no more microscopes); library is spacious with plenty of quiet space. Students seemed to be pleased with their decision to attend CMS. Very pleasant faculty representatives, who appeared to have a genuine interest in the candidates. The dean made a point to come and introduce himself individually to each of the candidates. "
"Finch is a good school"
"Showed up along with 7 others. We sat in the office and waited as four interviews pulled people out. Then tour and lunch. By the time we got to the caf they were getting ready to close, so I couldn't get a wrap. Left around 2."
"All 15 applicants sat in a waiting room while the interviewers would come and get us individually for the interview. Both my interviewers were very nice, but also quite challenging. They asked me the big 3 questions, but also had some very specific questions about my profile as well as some unique questions, indicated below. The interviewers, the Dean of the school, and the students were all very honest about the negative aspects of Chicago Medical School. One being that they do not have a affiliated teaching hospital, exclusive to CMS. The medical students actually do rotations in many of the hospitals in Chicago but there is not a hospital exclusive to CMS. After the interviews, the Dean had a conversation with all of us regarding the accreditation status of the school; again, he anwered questions straight forward. Two first year students gave us the tour, and ate lunch with us. They seemed to be quite content with the school, especially with Chicago accessible(the school is about 40 minutes north of the city center). CMS actually went up a few spots in rank on my list of schools after the interview visit."
"I was very impressed with visiting RFUMS. The admissions staff was very kind and helpful from the moment I walked in. The other interviewers were also very nice. This was really impt b/c i felt that it helped us interviewees relax. In fact I was really comforted that we all wanted everyone else to do really well. We wished each other good luck. I had many interesting convos w/ the other interviewees. I wish them all luck. I also had a great interview w/ Dr. Suskind (who happened to be the former dean of the med school) & Dr. Oltmans and would like to thank them. I enjoyed our conversations"
"Overall a very enlightening experience. I did not expect much from the school especially with the stigma of the probationary status, but students and administration made that fear go away. One of the most relaxed interviews I have had."
"The interview was a very positive experience. The admission office and dean were very helpful and very willing to sit down and talk with you. Very laid back interviw, very informal, students are in jeans and faculty members are easy to talk to. My overall impression of the school is very good, if you don't mind living outside of the city for a while."
"Overall very friendly interviews with ample time to ask my own questions. Ask questions so to seem interested in the school. "
"Interviewed with a researcher and a 4th year medical student. Not too bad, but be prepared for ethical questions, especially when interviewing with the med students."
"It was a very laid back interview. More like a conversation then an actual interview. It felt like I was interviewing them more than the other way around. Gave a lot of time to ask questions. "
"The interviews were really well done because they didn't have time restrictions. You went into a room with the interviewer, and the interview went on as long as either of you cared to continue chatting. It was nice to be able to fully explain things, but I wish I had known that's what it would be like so I could have prepared to talk about certain things in my app. Intererstingly, although the interview is open-file, neither interviewer ever opened the folder during the whole time we were talking. One was a faculty interview, another by a fourth year med student."
"The interview was conducted by a staff member and one of the Gross Anatomy professors. The interview was straight-forward except for a few instances where they would try to rattle you a bit, (e.g., the interview was conducted in Spanish, and at what point a question would be asked in English, but if you responded in English you would be corrected)."
"Great experience, very laid back."
"My day started at 10:30 am with small breakfast and student-guided campus tour. The interview began at noon. Most students got two interviews and very few got three. Follow up to check the completion of the secondary"
"The interview started with us sitting in a waiting area in the middle of the office. I expected that we would be moved to a different location, but we were kept there in the middle of everything. The interviewers came and picked up people. Both of my interviewers were very nice and conversational. In the meantime, everybody else just sat there and waited..."
"As soon as we got there, we started our interviews. We had a brief continental breakfast and then the interviewers started pulling us out. My first interview was with a doctor. The interview was extremely laid back. My second interview was with a M4. He told me all about what he liked about the school and answered questions that I had. The day was really really low stress. After the conclusion of our interviews, there was a brief tour and we were free to go."
"CMS is a great school. I would love to go there. Interview day started promptly at 9:30am with cont breakfast and a quick intro by the admissions staff. There were about 12 of us, and we sat in the admissions office waiting for our 2 interviews. it's a doubleheader! My first interview by the admissions director was a "tell me about yourself" type interview -- which I believe was my most "complete" interview thus far. My second interview was with an Int Med prof and surprisingly he asked me technical questions (please read below). No hard feelings though. :) Most of us were done with interviews by 11:30am-12pm. Tour was given by a goofy 2nd year -- kept the tour very interesting. School is pretty big once you start walking around. Medical students are really busy studying but overall like the school. the first 2 years in North Chicago are really geared for traditional learning and high board scores. Excited about doing clinical rotations in the city. I suggest that if you do interview... take a day and explore the city -- Chicago is awesome. BUT always dress warm."
"After interviewing and learning all about the school, I can definitely see myself as a student at Finch. The students were very nice and encouraging, as were the admissions staff and interviewers. I was very nervous in my first interview (with a professor), but I loosened up with my second interview (with a 4th year MD/PhD student). Also, I can deal with the ABCDF grading system and living in the middle of nowhere for 2 years before moving to downtown Chicago. I had a very positive experience, and I am very excited at the possibility of attending Finch. "
"overall good experience, nice new facilities, very nice staff, told us to relax, my first interviewer really made me feel at ease"
"Overall, it was good. "
"The interview was real laid back, but also stressful because there were 50 other kids there with me interview at the same time for the BS/MD program so it was quite competitive."
"Not a bad school with good match results (especially for CA residents.) Good hospitals to rotate through. Chicago is a great city to live in the last two years. North Chicago is not great, but it's manageable and has a good feel that caters to studying. The facilities are new and nice, the people in general are great. Just a little to stressed out from the A/B/C/D/F grading system and all the tests and non-integrated classes. They do hand out notes to all the classes so you don't really need to buy the books or go to lectures."
"It was an overall good experience. My only advice is to feel confident and sure of yourself even if you are nervous, it really helps and it leaves a good impression."
"Two interviews- one spanish and one english. Many topics were covered, books read, politics, health care in PR, "
"A group of 12 candidates met in the Admissions office. They started on time ( 9:30). There was good strong coffee, juice, and muffins in the office ( these were welcomed as there was no lunch served). There was a brief orientation by an Admissions Specialist. A packet was handed to each of us which had a brochure, an interviewer evaluation form, and two candidate review sheets for our interviewers ; we were told to put our name and date on these before giving them to the interviewers. At the top of the sheet are instructions telling the reviewer to keep the candidate's recommendations, activities, and experience in mind when ranking ( these sheets will give you an idea of how we would be evaluated so be sure to look at them- three categories are rated: poise, problem solving ability, and other; all three are ranked 1 - 5). These three categories will be added up and totaled at the bottom of the sheet. The first interviewer was an M4 who used my supplemental application and accompanying essay. She was very nice and pretty laid back. The interviewer was very engaging and informal the whole time; she was also helpful with my list of questions. Between interviews, the Admissions Specialist held many question and answer sessions for the candidates that were waiting in the office. The second interviewer was an MD that taught at CMS. He was kind and thorough. This interviewer covered most of my AMCAS thoughtfully; he clearly had read the document. He also posed additional questions about my personal life, motives, and future plans. A brief tour came next which included the new Rosalind Franklin Biochemical dept, anatomy lab, realistic practice clinical rooms, workout room, cafeteria/ student union, and the twin-pod/ auditorium area. Half of the facilities are only 2 years old. There are also brand new dormitories near the school which we did not tour. "
"Good, low stress interview. Some of the questions seemed canned (like--"if you like to work with people, why not be a social worker?). Overall it was a good experience. I was a little scared when I first showed up (as were the other interviewees), but as the day went on, the place started to grow on me (and I think the others as well)."
"One interviewer was friendly and personable while the other was non-expressive...she just stared at me and fired questions at me. "
"I learned a lot about Finch on my interview day and I left the day much more excited about the possibility of attending that school. Also, check out their website to learn about their recent name change!"
"Very relaxing experience. Both the student and the faculty members were nice, but they didn't let you know when your interviews were scheduled. Some students had to wait in the office over 2 1/2 hours until both interviews were done"
"The interview was very stress free. I liked the school more and more as the day went by. They have a low passing rate for the USMLE's, however my tour guide explained that it was due mostly to the local kids who attended. Only about one kid from the states per year didn't pass. "
"I liked the school, but not the location"
"Very casual and relaxed."
"Ten of us were interviewed that morning. I was interviewed by one professor and one four-year student. Both were very nice. They did not give me any hard questions. The professor asked many questions that were related to my experiences. The student only asked about three to four questions. The interview ended before noon."
"school was really in nowheresville, IL. one of the interviewers was clearly uninitiated to the world of modern medicine--was confused when i talked about basic transcriptional regulation experiments. he wasn't a prof, though."
"all in all it was chill. student interviewer was super chill and faculty interviewer did not try to initimidate me but simply asked easy questions"
"the people here are very nice and fully fund md/phd students. its an average 6 year program expidited...i love the staff here and interviews were greatq "
"I left impressed and seriously considering the school"
"i can't say enough about how friendly and welcoming the interviewers were. the whole day is really laid back, although a little boring. the area is also pretty suburban, it's in north chicago, not chicago."
"My interview was broken up into two parts. The first half was with the director of the library and it was in spanish only. The second half was with the first semester physiology professor and it was in english. I felt lost between interviewers because I was not told where to go next, so I just went back to the administration building for directions. Overall, I did not feel like the school would give me the best opportunity to fulfill my dreams of being a complete doctor."
"The interview experience overall was very pleasant. The stay-over program helped a lot with costs and seeing the lives of students, the interviewers were very friendly and laid back, the tour was informative."
"Had lotsa fun even though I was stressed and interviewers seemed to keep their eyes out on us all the time. They gave feedback on how they view my application and interview (mostly positive). The Director of Admissions and Dean of Student Affairs were all very cool. Visiting Chicago for the first time was awesome. "
"This is the first time I've thought to myself after an interview: "Even if this is the ONLY place I got accepted, I would NOT go to school here." Honestly."
"Like I said, the staff and the interviewers were extremely nice and enthusiastic about the school. The school itself is almost completely new or renovated. Great facilities - a dozen or so simulation rooms have just been added. The campus, however, is rather isolated and there isn't much near there. You need a car. The student tour didn't impress me much. The student didn't seem particularly happy to be there, although she told me that was the case no matter what med school you went to. I didn't get that impression from students at other med schools. She also pointed out that most people hadn't chose to come to chicago med but rather this was the only school they had gotten into. On the up side, you can move into the city your 3rd and 4th year for your rotations. Overall, the school/facilities/professors are fine - just wish it was closer to the city. "
"The experience was great! the faculty and students seem very nice and the school has some great facilities! I definetly want to go to FUHS/CMS after this experience and hope to complete my MD there :)"
"The interview began very late and required us to spend some time waiting in the admissions office. One of my interviewers kept trying to suggest I apply to the Caribbean as a back-up plan, which I didn't appreciate. The other interviewer talked about 95% of the time. The student tour guide was an unfriendly, boring, prude and didn't really enjoy being at the school. Finch has a ways to go in the marketing of their school if they want to improve their situation. "
"*I stayed with a great student host who gave me a great tour of the brand spanking new student housing units. The rent was a bit high, but the places were spacious and they were right across the parking lot from the school. *I didn't feel very positive about the interviews, but the day itself went well. *About the interviews: Two were conducted in a manner that made me feel quite comfortable. The 3rd interviewer basically spent the whole time critiquing my academic record in a way that made me feel defensive and made me wonder why they even invited me for an interview. I expect to be asked about my grades and MCAT, but not in a such a harsh manner... *I got the impression that most students attend the school b/c it's the only choice that they have. *Finch has great opportunities to volunteer, job shadow, and do clinicals in diverse environments."
"there were only 7 interviewees present. the morning was spent doing interviews. there were only a few interviewers so we all had to wait our turn (I was not use to this) but it went by fast. the interviews were relaxing, and more conversational than all other interviews I had had. they really want to make you feel confortable and really want to get to know you. "
"Overall very positive; the interview was relaxed and more like a discussion. Make sure to rent a car if you fly in; its a lot cheaper as well as convenient, and take some time to visit downtown Chicago - it's beautiful!"
"Depending on your affinity for location and environment, Finch may be a plus or minus. The surrounding area is quiet and calm."
"both my interviewers were tough - they seemed disinterested and sarcastic, but don't get frustrated or intimidated. just keep smiling and be yourself."
"Finch/CMS seems like a great place-- students appear happy, facilities are brand new, and not too far from the city. The actual interview: on my day, there were 8 of us (interviewees). We sat around until 10-10:30AM or so before interviews actually began. Day was over by 12:30-1:15PM, depending on when your interviews started. Very casual, low stress. "
"overall positive experience - the waiting time before the interview was a bit long."
"Interviewers were very amiable and facilities are very modern."
"The first interview was with the director of admissions, and besides making you feel relaxed, she's got a good sense of humor. The second interview was only 15-20 min. long with a professor, and that was pretty relaxing as well."
"Overall a positive experience and I left with a better opinion of the school than I arrived with. The facilities are very nice and new, but too bad they don't have a hospital attached to the school. On the other hand, the last 2 years you move into the city of Chicago and the clinical experience is great. Despite the reputation I had heard about students not being very happy, the 2 I met seemed really to like the school and boasted about the school's high board scores. A good tip is to rent a car because it ends up being cheaper than the cab rides from the airport."
"Overall a good one. I wish that there had been a more formal presentation regarding the curriculum and student organizations/activities."
"I love Finch and think its a wonderful school, definitely on the rise. The clinical experiences are unparalleled and there is no hidden agenda for primary care quotas. They want their students to do well and gain competitive residencies. Many of the professors help USMLE review books and this shows in their teaching. It is a primarily for teaching, not research."
"I was favorably impressed overall. Again, I got a good feeling about the people, the school, and the city. I would recommend just being relaxed and try to turn the interview into more of a conversation - this will make you less tense. Make sure you ask them questions, as well. Contact me at [email protected] if you want to ask me anything or just talk about the school."
"The interviewers were very friendly and it was more of a conversation than a question-answer environment."
"The interviewers really tried to make the experience very relaxing and comfortable. My tour guide seemed genuinely happy about being there. CMS isn't as bad as some people have made it out to be. Although the location isn't ideal, students get to move into the city during 3rd year for clerkship. "
"Wasn't too impressed"
"Good preparation for future interviews. Couldn't have been much worse. Though I was very prepared the environment was not conducive to a good interview. Too many people...too little time. Should have screened the applications better and narrowed it down a lot more for the benefit of all involved."
"This was my first interview, so I didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, everyone was really nice, especially my student interviewer."
"Everything was very laid back and they did their best to keep me relaxed."
"easier than filling out any AMCAS form thats for sure "
"I had an interesting occurance. My first interviewer turned out to know a good friend of my family, and we found out that we attended the same wedding 2 years ago! My other interviewer engaged me in a conversation about Israeli politics. I liked that I was able to get out of there by noon, the down time was minimal. "
"Im current a student at Finch University in the one-year Applied Physiology Masters Program. During this year Ive been taking med school courses and at the end of the year the students are evaluated based primarily on their grades at Finch. We had interviews, which were more of a formality. Overall - I suggest this program - for students who are struggling with med school admissions. Its NOT cheap, but its definitely do-able. "
"Very easy interview overall. As you can see, my interview was the last day of May, and the class was already full. Why did they even invite me? The interview was very ladi back though and was not stressful at all, just know your AMCAS well and be prepared to expand on whats on it. No difficult questions were asked me."
"I thought the actual interviews were very standard with one exception that of which was very open-ended. The place seemed very factory-like in the sense that they just churned out doctors with very little concern for them. One thing that the school did seem to be concerned about is finances (high tuition, partnership with Dr. Scholls podiatry school)."
"The interview at Finch is EXTREMELY laid back. the interviewers all seemed really friendly and just wanted to get to know you as a person. The school is really nice!"
"A pretty standard experience. One student, one faculty interview, a continental breakfast while waiting for the interviewers, and a tour."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 198 |
| Faculty member | 1 |
| Admissions staff | 4 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 114 |
| Neutral | 17 |
| Discouraging | 4 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.60 | 140 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 52 |
| Out of state | 85 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 36 |
| 2-3 hours | 27 |
| 4-6 hours | 48 |
| 7+ hours | 22 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 68 |
| Automobile | 59 |
| Train or subway | 9 |
| Other | 1 |
O'Hara
Midway
ohare
O'Hare International
O'hare
ORD, plus budget rent-a-car
OHR
ord
MDW
MID
?
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 4 |
| Friends or family | 24 |
| Hotel | 67 |
| Home | 9 |
| Other | 1 |
Hotel Melia
Holiday Inn in Ponce
Yes
Hotel Melia
Holiday Inn in Ponce
Yes
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 34 |
| $101-$200 | 17 |
| $201-$300 | 14 |
| $301-$400 | 20 |
| $401-$500 | 15 |
| $501+ | 12 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.38 | 143 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.97 | 147 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.59 | 140 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.54 | 57 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.67 | 58 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.63 | 49 |
"Better/more communication with interviewees pre- and post-interview."
"To give us an applicant portal so we can check our status"
"They're doing a great job, especially considering the huge volume of apps they have to go through. Everyone was great - from responding to emails pre-interview, to how smoothly interview day went, to just being welcoming and frank about everything throughout."
"Keep building up the reputation of Rosalind Franklin! Doing a great job."
"Make the season end earlier and finish IIs earlier. While I'm honored to have been extended an interview and enjoyed that day thoroughly, I'm now sort of stuck, unsure whether I will need to apply again while the AMCAS/AACOMAS are already underway, and am unsure whether to start working on my backup plans should reapplying not work out. It's frustrating to have the next year+ of my life hanging in the balance much later than other schools."
"The day was unorganized, we spent so much time trying to get everyone interviewed and there was no food. Every other morning interview I have gone to has offered some snacks. And after three hours of waiting to finally be done with my interviews, I was shaking for food. Because it took so long to be done with the interviews, we got a shortened version of the tour and I had to stop eating before I was done. My second interviewer was plain nasty. She had be at the point of tears for no good reason except to berate me. I know for a fact I am not the only one she has done that too. I felt overall that the interviewers made their opinions too well known, which I think is inappropriate in an interview when concerning topics so polarizing. Other schools have provided avenues for dealing with inappropriate interviewers, but CMS made no mention of what to do in that case, so I kept quiet. I really liked the prospect of going to school close to home and close to Chicago, but frankly, the interview day completely changed my mind."
"None, really. It was an organized, and well-planned day."
"Super warm, nice people!"
"Better representation of surrounding community"
"I think the staff did an excellent job at trying to put the interviewees at ease and displayed a tremendous amount of friendliness."
"There was coffee provided in the morning, but, as admitted by some of the admin staff, it wasn't very good. Since the interviews are first thing on the schedule (practically), perhaps some better joe is in order. :)"
"Keep up the good work!"
"Provide us with a list of all the possible interviewers' names and titles up front, so we don't have to write them down, it would have been much easier."
"The day I went to interview, the individual who was supposed to talk about the University was sick."
"online application please"
"They are great."
"Try and implement an electronic application system. It is difficult to keep up with everything via e"
"Have a proper discussion about financial aid."
"None"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?