How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.94 | 104 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 91 |
| Negatively | 5 |
| No change | 11 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.94 | 106 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.81 | 80 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.82 | 68 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 1 |
| Virtual | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 2 |
| 25 minutes | 6 |
| 30 minutes | 16 |
| 35 minutes | 9 |
| 40 minutes | 11 |
| 45 minutes | 25 |
| 50 minutes | 13 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 24 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 93 |
| At a regional location | 7 |
| At another location | 3 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 104 |
| In a group | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 95 |
| Closed file | 2 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.94 | 104 |
""Tell me about yourself""
"Define success."
"Tell me about your family"
"How would you solve the current food shortage that is currently affecting Springfield, IL?"
"What makes a good team member?"
"If you were not accepted this cycle, what would you do?"
"How do you feel about PBL? Can you handle it?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"How do you feel about healthcare reform?"
"Tell me about your childhood."
"Tell me about your family, home life, school, etc."
"Why medicine? Why SIU?"
"How did you prepare for your MCAT?"
"Why Southern"
"How did you hear about SIU?"
"Why do you want to attend SIU? (make sure you mention PBL because it's huge there)"
"Since the curriculum is PBL style, they asked me how I do in a group learning situation."
"How did you study for the MCAT?"
"What is the school's mission? How do you fit within the mission? "
"General: Why is SIU a good fit for you? Why are you interested in SIU and how will you do with the Problem-Based Learning system?"
"What sort of social things do you do at college?"
"Why SIU? Why is PBL a good fit for you and vice versa?"
"Tell me about yourself? Explain Grades and MCAT."
"Tell me how you interact with other cultures/about the importance of cultural diversity to you."
"If you didn't get into med school this year, what would you do?"
"How did you prepare for the MCAT?"
"Tell about how you arrived at the decision to go to med school."
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"What do I think about the PBL curriculum?"
"If you could change the current healthcare policies, what would you do?"
"What got you interested in medicine?"
"Why SIU? Why would you want to go into medicine?"
"Why did I choose my undergrad? Tell me about international health care. How will you chose from multiple acceptances?"
"tell me about urself...y do u wana be a doc? why SIU? "
"Same ole stuff, greatest strengths and weeknesses."
"Where do you intend to practice?"
"talk about family, past experiences, motivation to work in medicine, etc. "
"Tell me a little about your family."
"Why do you want to come to SIU?"
"Have you done any travelling?"
"tell me about your family... siblings, parent's job etc. tell me about your hometown."
"How would your best friend describe you?"
"tell us about your family was a common question."
"Why is Southern the right school for you?"
"why medicine"
"What do your siblings do for a living?"
"Tell me about your volunteer experiences."
"How would you approach and treat a homosexual male patient who presented with and STD?"
"Tell me about yourself, they ask you this even though they have your file in front of them. "
"What small group settings have you worked in? (PBL)"
"Did you like your MCAT score?"
"What issuses in medicine or outside of medicine are of interest to you? "
"About my research"
"What specialties do you want to go into?"
"Tell me about your military experience."
"Tell me about yourself."
"How did you prepare for the MCAT? Were you happy with your scores?"
"How will you pay for Med. School . . . will you work?"
"Tell me about your hospital-related experiences"
"What do you think about what's going on with Iraq?"
"When did you decide on medicine?"
"Have I worked in academic groups to solve problems?"
"What and who has motivated you to become a physician?"
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Do you have any questions for me? I was asked this about 50 times."
"What characteristics do you feel a good physician should possess?"
""What was the most difficult part of college for you?""
"Asked questions about my family relations and the kind of support I would recieve while attending medical school."
"What do you know about SIU?"
"Are you married? Would your girlfriend be coming with you?"
"Why medicine?"
"Why SIU? "
"How do you explain some bad grades on transcript? "
"Why did you chose to go to Indiana for undergrad (I'm from IL)?"
""Why medicine?""
"What role does service have in medical school?"
"Explain to me how you decided Medicine is something you want to pursue?"
"Why medicine"
"Asked many questions about my high school"
"How would you solve the accessibility and affordability of healthcare in the United States?"
"Tell me about a time you were a leader"
"Where do you want to practice?"
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years"
"Do you like working in groups?"
"How did you become interested in medicine?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"Describe your role when working in a group."
"Were\are you satisfied with your MCAT score?"
"How did I prepare for the MCAT"
"What do you think of the PBL curriculum?"
"What ties do you have to the area? Would you seriously consider attending SIU and practicing here? (I'm from the Chicago area)"
"Do you have any regrets from your college experience? Would you do anything over or change anything if you had the chance?"
"Why SIUMED?"
"What are your hobbies and extracurricular activities? "
"What do you do for fun?"
"Tell me more about ___ experience."
"What do you think about the state of health care today?"
"What do you think of this country's healthcare policies?"
"Tell me about your leadership experience."
"Based on what you know about the Problem Based Learning Modules, how would you reconcile problems between students? (The interviewer was trying to determine how would you work with people who were more knowledgeable about a learning issue and was very bad at respecting others inabilities) "
"What are your feelings on the healthcare policies of the presidential candidates?"
"Tell me about your heritage (I am a URM)"
"What do you think are your main strengths and weaknesses, why?"
"The nurse question"
"What type of extracurricular activities have you done?"
"How much time do you spend studying per day? How do you manage your time?"
"What got you interested in medicine?"
"Tell me about your study abroad experience."
"What do you think about a national health care plan?"
"What if you could never become a doctor?"
"Tell me about a favorite class of yours."
"What would you say has been the defining moment of your life, and what really makes you tick?"
"How did you choose your undergraduate school?"
"Tell me about a leadership experience."
"Why are you so driven? What did you gain from X experience? What will you do if you don't get in?"
"Tell me about this specific volunteer experience."
"They asked about my research."
"Greatest accomplishment? (caught me by suprise.... I had never thought about that one)"
"What do you know about PBL?"
"what is something you habitually lie about?"
"Why do you want to go to SIU?"
"Would you really move to Springfield; what if you are also accepted to another school with more of a "name" like UIC?"
"Name a situation in which you used self-directed learning."
"What is something you habitually lie about? "
"Are you happy with your grades and MCAT scores?"
"how did you study for the MCAT"
"Have you ever been swimming in the Mississippi? (This was from the second interviewer too)"
"how did you prepare for the MCAT?"
"How would you approach and treat a long-time heart patient who you knew had recently been convicted of child molestation?"
"Tell about your family life. "
"How did you prepare for the MCAT, are you satisfied with your results?"
"Tell me about your high school."
"My goals"
"Were you satisfied with your MCAT score?"
"Tell me about your family."
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What kind of specialty were you thinking of going into?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Why, after getting a Master's, did you decide to go to Medical School?"
"What are your hobbies."
"Tell me about yourself. (A lot of questions in the first interview were like these formal, boring, expected ones)"
"Was there any teacher that directed your interests toward science/medicine?"
"What is my position when I work in a group? (leader, follower, etc)"
"What are some of the ethical issues that face our nation's medical field today?"
"Why rural medicine? You must have a good answer to this question! It's a huge focus of the school."
"Are you interested in working with underserved populations?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Have you had the opportunity to be the leader of a group where people did not want to do what they had to?"
""Why medicine?" (both asked all these immediately) and "Why SIU?" and "Do you think small group learning is beneficial?""
"Discussed MCAT scores, grades and volunteer/work experiences. "
"What was your biggest achievment?"
"Are you interested in research? (Because they don't focus much on research at SIU)"
"Why SIU?"
"Why medicine, where did you get your motivations from?"
"What do your parents do? Tell me about your family. Tell me about yourself."
"How do you handle a problem when you feel you are making no progress? "
"What were your SAT/ACT scores?"
""Tell me a time when you received feedback and talk about what you did""
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What are some of your hobbies?"
"Where I see myself in 10 years"
"Why medicine"
"Questions about my experiences"
"Why did you not take the traditional pre-med path"
"Give me your sales pitch. Sell yourself to the school."
"What is one last thing you want to say to the admission committee. Why should we accept you?"
"What do you think you'll like most about being a physician? The least?"
"What was the most challenging class you took in college? What made it so challenging?"
"Tell me more about your personal history."
"Why be a doc"
"Where exactly is (your home town)?"
"Explain your grades and MCAT scores. How did you study for the MCAT?"
"Ethics Question"
"Tell me about your MCAT experience."
"What do you like about SIU? "
"What is your experience with Springfield? When have you been here and what was it for? How often do you go?"
"Why did you choose medicine?"
"What field(s) of medicine most interest you?"
"How do you do with small-group study?"
"What would you do if [ethical situation]?"
"Have you had previous experience working in small groups?"
"What sets you apart from the other candidates?"
"What are your hobbies outside of medicine?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What don't you like about medicine? What do you like about it?"
"What are some of the hobbies you have that you haven't mentioned in your application so far?"
"What leadership roles have you undertaken and what have you gained from them?"
"Are your parents in the health care field?"
"Is SIU one of you top choices?"
"What do you do when you're not in your lab or classes?"
"What do I do for fun?"
"What will you look for in a medical school when making your final decision?"
"Specific questions about volunteer activities."
"Tell me about yourself. What do you do for fun?"
"Are your parents in the health care field? How would your friends describe you? Why SIU?"
"they asked to tell them about a my typical day, and list all of my interests."
"Favorite non-science class and how do you think it will help you become a better physician?"
"Extracurriculars, leadership experience, some politics."
"how did you study for the mcat/ are you satisfied with your scores?"
"What field of medicine would you like to enter and why?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"What's the situation with avian influenza, and what is your health department doing about it? (Because of my background)"
"why this university? what makes you a good candidate?"
"What role do you see yourself playing in the small-groups of the curriculum?"
"obvious ones: why doctor, why siu, do you plan on staying in central illinois, why should we take you"
"I noticed you keep a very busy schedule, what do you do for fun?"
"why switching career to medicine"
"Why do you want to be a doctor and why SIU?"
"Tell me about your family."
"Describe some patient types with whom you have found (or might find) difficult to interact in a constructive manner."
"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"Tell me about your shadowing/research?"
"Why medicine?"
"What were you leadership, volunteering experiences; did you work while in school?"
"How I manage my time"
"What subjects are you looking forward to studying?"
"What type of doctor do you want to be and where do you want to practice?"
"Can you offer any solutions to the flaws in healthcare?"
"Do you have any questions for me? (ask questions, because they expect a lot)"
"When did you decide you wanted to become a physician?"
"What do you do for fun? With a child and a wife, how will you find time to study?"
"What is one thing you would change about the medical system."
"You went to an "Ivy League" undergrad, why aren't you looking at Ivy League / eastern medical schools?"
"Describe you volunteer work / other relevant health-care experiences."
"Why SIU?"
"What other than the aspects of time and family would be the most negative issue concerning your decision to pursue a medical career?"
"What do you think is the biggest problem facing the medical profession today?"
"What textbook did you use in your Cell Biology course?"
""Have you had any formal or informal research experience?" "
"Decribe a situation that challenged your integrity."
"What do you want to do?"
"Have you had a chance to visit all the Lincoln sites? (They're kind of obsessed with Lincoln down there)"
"What will you do if you don't get into medical school this year?"
"Talk to me about your healthcare experience, research experience."
"Asked specific questions about some of my volunteer experiences."
"How will you handle medical school and being married?"
"What was the last gift you gave someone?"
"What are five qualities you believe a physician should have?"
"Tell me how to make a peanut butter and jelly"
"None of them really."
"What are your hobbies?"
"N/A"
"Discuss how you've demonstrated self-directed learning."
"You are an ER doctor and a patient comes in with kidney disease and alcoholism. He also has HIV. Do you treat him?"
"Pick a controversial topic (doesnt have to be medical) and argue both sides of it."
"What are some learning strategies you use to retain large volumes of information?"
"How will my theatre background help me in medicine?"
"Everything in you application aside, we interview hundreds of applicants for 72 slots. Give me something, a story, a piece of information, that I can remember you by when we go to the committee."
"What's the last book you've read? What is your favorite movie?"
"How would I alter the medical malpractice lawsuit system"
"What is one thing about you that makes your friends complain?"
"If you were a dollar off in your checkbook, how long would you spend looking for the error?"
"Why did you transfer? (I transferred after my freshman year)"
"How to reconcile differences in a learning atmosphere that works to have everyone do well"
"What are some of your goals before graduating from college?"
"Tell me about how you picked your schools. What was your thought process for picking a certain school?"
"Let's say that later in life a physician (not from SIU, of course) comes out of a hospital room, angrily says to you, ''Well, you really screwed up back there,'' and walks away without further explanation. What would you do?"
"Tell me about living/working in New Zealand."
"My interviewer presented me with a situation that happened earlier in the day during her rounds at the hospital. She asked how, as a physician, I would deal with a nurse demanding me to sign a consent form to give an obese man in the ICU an IV drip. "
"pretty straightforward... nothing too unexpected"
"The 'tell me about yourself''. it wasnt general, he literally asked how/why my parents emigrated to the US, their occupations, where I was born, what each of my siblings do, and my full academic history. "
"What is the biggest challenge you have ever encountered?"
"What do you dislike about medicine? Followe by What do you like about it?"
"What do you like to do on vacation?"
"How often do you see your oldest brother? (he lives out of state)"
"My best experience in life"
"Nothing"
"Why this circuitous route to medicine? (Because I'm a non-traditional student). "
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"How should we fix the high cost of pharmaceuticals?"
"The defining moment of my life"
"Why I like "
"What do you fear most as a doctor?"
"What is your sister thinking of studying?"
"If i cant dont become a doc, what would i be?"
"Why do you think you should be given a spot over someone younger?"
"What was your favorite non-science class and how do you think it will impact you as a physician?"
"(I'm an immigrant)Was there anything about American culture that you were uncomfortable or uneasy with? "
"what would you do if you found, after balancing your checkbook, that you were off by 7 cents from your bank statement?"
"Almost all of the questions I was asked were straight forward and predictable. "
"Nothing really interesting."
"See below..."
"How do your parents feel about you becoming a doctor?"
"What are you most proud of in your life? What would you change about your current life?"
"tell me about the orange krush (student cheering section). We talked about sports for 10 mins!"
"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"
"did not feel that any interesting questions were asked"
"Do you know what barometric pressure is??"
"What do you think about the steroid issue facing baseball?"
"How would you approach and treat a homosexual male patient who presented with and STD?"
"Tell me about your family"
"Do you play hockey?"
"Tell me about your high school."
"What do I think intergrity is?"
"What will your generation be remembered for?"
"What can be done to address the nursing shortage?"
"So you reach your goal, you become an MD, what then?"
"What will be remembered from your generation? (Like the older generation is known for beatles, jfk, etc)"
"How do you think medicine will have changed by the time you finish residency for yourself personally and all of medicine?"
"All pretty generic questions."
"Do you think Doctors should be involved in community, local, or even state government?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary. What books are you reading. Why I picked my undergrad. etc."
"Let's pretend medicine is not a profession at all, what would you do?"
"What do you think will be remembered as the defining moments of your generation? i.e. 9-11, war in Iraq"
"What book am I reading? What is my favorite thing I've done in college?"
"Where were you born and what happened after that to get to where you live today?"
"They were pretty bland... Why SIU? Why do you want to be a doctor? etc."
"What would you do if your friend was contemplating suicide?"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Why I would want to come back to Southern IL after living in CA?"
""How can honesty and dishonesty affect the work of a physician?""
"If placed in a PBL group with a dominating person who may be considered rude and overbearing, how do you think you would handle such an individual?"
"What do your parents do?"
"What would you be willing to sacrifice for your education?"
"Elaborate on this specific point in your AMCAS personal comments section."
"How do you think politics effects healthcare in the United States?"
"How do we determine if medical school applicants are ethical people? "
"No interesting questions. It was all a "get to know you" interview."
"What do you think about the PBL (group) learning style?"
"What would I do if I did not get into med school?"
"None-mostly "tell me about yourself" and why SIU kind of things."
"What is something SIU is lacking in and how would you strengthen it?"
"If you were a gnome, what would you look like?"
"Questions regarding how each class/experience directly impacted my view on medicine and my future career"
"How would you solve the current food shortage that is currently affecting Springfield, IL?"
"Talk about a controversial topic, discuss the pros and cons."
"N/A"
"What do you habitually lie about?"
"What do you think about healthcare in the United States compared to other countries?"
"Discussing problematic homelife during college"
"The interviews were both very laid-back and conversational, so nothing too difficult."
"Why are their healthcare problems in the US"
"There has been a recent debate about a possible Texas policy to make HPV vaccines mandatory. What do you think of this policy?"
"Not necessarily a question but the fact that I was grilled so much for coming from my hometown. My AdCom interviewer behaved like he doubted my sincere interest in becoming a physician in the area and I was really offended."
"Why now?"
"Tell me a joke. (This was the very first question asked by a medical student to ease into the interview.)"
"What do you lie about the most?"
"What would you do if you were a surgeon, and you had a patient who was severely injured. You know with surgery, you have a 10% chance of saving the patient. Do you offer the surgery to the family, or do you withhold the information?"
"Do you feel as though you set your expectations too high and that it's just a fantasy that high expectations result in positive outcomes?"
"Tell me about xyz volunteer activities."
"N/A."
"What would you do if you didn't get in?"
"none really. both interviews were pretty conversational, nothing out of left field"
"If everything you wanted came true in the next 10 years, where would you be?"
"None were difficult"
"Tell me what personal integrity means to you."
"No difficult questions, just a few open-ended ones...like ''So, tell me about yourself, something I haven't read in your application,'' or ''Why do you want to be a physician,'' and ''Why SIU.''"
"My negative characters"
"Nothing"
"Throughout all your medical experiences, hasn't anyone discouraged you from choosing medicine as a career?"
"nothing...it was very conversational"
"What do I think about the PBL curriculum?"
"Questions about my research and medical ethics"
"What lessons I've taken from a specific volunteer activity that I feel will help me as a physician."
"What is your biggest character flaw?"
"How do you feel about your MCAT score?"
"none."
"Why do you think you should be given a spot over someone younger?"
"Nothing too hard"
"What do you think demonstrates your commitment to those most in need?"
"You are doing surgery and something goes wrong, resulting in the death of the patient. What do you say to the family? What would you do?"
"My second interviewer asked very specific questions about medical insurance and its history."
"Everyone habitually lies about something. What is it that you habitually lie about?"
"Where will medicine be at by the time you finish your residency?"
"What is something you habitually lie about?"
"What role do you see yourself playing in groups?"
"questions were pretty standard"
"You mentioned in the application about some lower grades, can you explain this and discuss what is different now?"
"What do you think is the most important thing our society is facing?"
"How would you approach and treat a long-time heart patient who you knew had recently been convicted of child molestation?"
"What ties do you have down state? (I didnt have any so I didnt really know how to answer the question)"
"Why Illinois? (I had a different state residency last year)"
"Where does this school rank compared to your other choices?"
"What do I predict will be my biggest weakness in medical school?"
"What is something I often lie about?"
"What is the worst thing that happened to you?"
"In a group situation, what position do you assume?"
"What did you learn from your nonscience courses?"
"Are you willing to sacrifice your family, friends, social life, etc. for this?"
"How do you see medicine changing by the time you finish residency?"
"Tell me about yourself.... They have all of your info sitting right in front of you!"
"What I thought of honesty as a physician. I didn't really understand what she meant."
"What are you going to do if you and your wife fight, or get a divorce while in Med. School? Will you be able to find time for a marriage?"
"I'm going to go back to the admissions committe, what three sentences would you like me to tell them?"
"What do you consider the most important scientific discovery of your time?"
"none... maybe my weaknesses... how i work with groups..."
"If you got into your top 2 medical school choices, which school would you choose and why?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"How has the fact that your father is a physician influenced your decision to pursue medicine?"
"Something about insurance and if people couldn't afford it, would I still treat them."
"None"
""How and why do you think many medical school students select the program for the WRONG reasons?""
"What's the worst thing about medicine today?"
"Could you stand living in Carbondale for a year?"
"Would you be willing to take the MCAT again in order to get in next year?"
"same as above"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"Name a difficult point in your life and how you handled it."
"Why I did not apply to Northwestern?"
"Again no real hard or ethical-type questions. They just want to get to know you."
"Prayed, reviewed SDN page, went through application."
"SDN, interview questions online, practice"
"SDN, Reviewed application, Secondary Essay Questions"
"SDN, reviewed app"
"SDN and mock interviews"
"Reviewing the essays that I wrote, practicing general interview questions, and doing practice interviews."
"Mock interviews."
"Mock interview, SDN, and SIU website reading"
"SDN Interview Feedback; "The Medical School Interview" by Jessica Freedman, M.D., re-read AMCAS application and secondary essays"
"Read website, school catalog and SDN."
"Reviewed the SIU website and my AMCAS and secondary applications."
"Read SDN feedback, prepared answers for common questions"
"Mock interview, looked through SDN interview feedback"
"I prayed. A lot."
"mock interview"
"I read this website; panicked a bit; studied PBL curriculum;relaxed and did something to take my mind off of the interview."
"Read SDN interview feedback questions, practiced answers with friends"
"Read the provided school catalog and thought about sample interview questions."
"I applied last year, so I reviewed my notes from last year, SDN feedback, reviewed my essays and application"
"School website, prepped with mock interviewer, SDN, reviewed my application materials"
"Read SDN feedback, mock interviewed with friends and family, looked at SIU's website"
"SDN, mock interviews, re-read AMCAS and secondary essays, researched school on web. "
"SDN Interview Feedback Reviewed AMCAS Career Center mock interview"
"Reviewed SIU website, AMCAS, secondary info"
"SDN, website, secondaries, AMCAS app"
"Read SDN, reviewed AMCAS and secondary essays, reviewed general info about the program"
"SDN, relaxation, study up on my essays and AMCAS (very important) "
"Looked on SDN, read specifics on the school website"
"Studied here, read the SIU website, reread my own essays and personal statements"
"SDN, read supplemental essays and the SIU information the admissions dept. sent to me"
"Read SDN interview site, talked to current students, re-read AMCAS"
"Read over my secondary, AMCAS app, read the SIU student brochure sent to me, read the SIU website, researched PBL."
"SDN, Read handbook, website, Reread AMCAS and Secondary"
"SDN feedback, reread my amcas and supplemental essays, read SIU guidebook and their website"
"SDN, re-read essays, school's website and pamphlet"
"SDN, School literature, AMCAS app"
"I read SDN interview feedback and the viewbook, went over the website, familiarized myself with the curriculum, and had a couple mock interviews."
"sdn, reviewed AMCAS and SIU secondary apps, self-reflection"
"Visited school website, SDN, Read local newspaper."
"MSAR, SIU website, practice interview"
"SDN, School catalog, School website, Read primary journal articles on PBL, and its effects on curriculm and instruction."
"sdn, amcas, secondary, SIU website"
"Read the school's website, looked over my application"
"Read school viewbook, website"
"Looked over school's website and brochure, SDN, reread my AMCAS and secondary application. "
"Read SDN feedback, primary, secondary."
"SDN, read info school sent, read school's website, kept up with local and national news, researched interviewers"
"Read website, SDN feedback, read up on current events"
"SDN, SIU website, AMCAS"
"sdn, mock interview, read over secondary"
"Researched the school, this web site and review of my application"
"SDN, mock interview, looked at web site."
"SDN, school catalog, researched about PBL, mock interview with premed adviser, school website, read TIME every week"
"reviewed applications, SDN, and school website/ booklet"
"I had done several practice interviews before my last interview in October but did not do any before this interview. I also read Newsweek and the New York Times."
"SIU website, reviewed my AMCAS and secondary apps."
"Re-reading my AMCAS and secondary application essays, self-reflection"
"SDN, mock interview, read brochure sent by school, wrote out answers to questions, looked up interviewers."
"SDN, university website"
"SIU secondary app., catalog and website, SDN, AMCAS app. "
"sdn, read amcas, reviewed info packet sent by school, "
"I mostly reviewed my applications, the college promotional material, and the student interview feedback."
"reviewed some previous sdn SIU interview feedback responses"
"Reviewed application, AMCAS, looked at catalog, read over interviews on this website"
"SDN, school site, NY Times, re-read aps"
"Reviewed my AMCAS, SIU secondary and SDN."
"sdn, reviewed my AMCAS and secondaries"
"SDN, AMCAS application, SIU website, researched my interviewers (you will know who they are weeks ahead of time) and PBL, talked to some students from the school"
"Read over my AMCAS and SIU secondary, AAMC website advice, Went through the Viewbook, researched my interviewers."
"SDN, SIU brochure, re-read my application and AMCAS"
"website, SDN, internet, AMCAS"
"Read Student Doctor interview feedbacks, read CVs"
"Read the catalog, used sdn. "
"Read the school's catalog, read my secondary and my AMCAS essay, looked up tips on the internet."
"SDN, looked over brochure"
"Read online CVs of both my interviewers, since I knew in advance who they'd be. Came to SDN and printed off all the questions in the SIU section: had my wife aske me these questions. Also, I have 2 friends already at SIU SOM, and they've been tremendously informative."
"SDN, read the curriculum guide, talked to friends."
"SDN was great! Reviewed my AMCAS statement and SIU essays."
"SDN, mock interview, read pamphlets"
"SIU catalog, SDN site, current health articles"
"I read through the SIU Medical School Brochure and I also used the interview prep website @ studentdoctor.com "
"Read through the SIU catalogue"
"Mock interview, reviewed primary and secondary application, SDN, talked to people who have been interviewed"
"SDN"
"Read AMCAS and Secondary essays as well as the viewbook they had sent me."
"Nothing, really. Looked in the mirror, fixed my hair. I suppose I went over my AMCAS file, but that's about it."
"Mock interview, SDN, reading school catalogue, reviewing AAMCAS app and SIU supplemental."
"Read their materials and this board."
"Read over AMCAS essay and supplemental materials. "
"Read over viewbook they gave me, thought out answers to general interview questions in Kaplan book."
"Read their viewbook and my application material."
"Read the SIU catalog, researched what my interviewers taught/practiced."
"Read catalog & web site. Practice answering interview questions on the drive to Springfield."
"interviewfeedback.com, reread amcas and secondary app. "
"Interviewfeedback.com, school's web-site plus catalog."
"Re-read my AMCAS and SIU apps and checked out another interviewfeedback.com site!"
"Campus was nice, in my opinion."
"Interviewers were very kind and made me feel comfortable"
"The interest each interviewer had in me the applicant. It really was a conversation and they would ask follow-up questions based on the stories you would tell on how you got to the current position you are."
"Everyone spoke very highly of school and came from various areas to work there and did not necessarily want to ever work elsewhere"
"Both of my interviewers were very welcoming and made me feel very comfortable."
"Student to faculty ratios."
"Students loved the school. Only 3 people interviewed per day. 80% of graduates become chief resident."
"The staff was very friendly and honest about the strengths and weaknesses of the program."
"The faculty, staff, and medical students are extraordinarily friendly and open. The students seem to embrace and speak favorably about the PBL curriculum. New clinical skills facilities are under construction now. The school is technologically modern. Aside from Texas schools, the tuition is unbeatable."
"The friendliness of everyone I encountered."
"There is a very strong sense of community at SIU. I love it."
"friendliness of people and staff"
"Everyone was SO friendly! There was a little mix-up with my schedule but Alicia took care of it right away, and my first interviewer walked me to my next one. The students also seemed pretty happy."
"Very friendly and helpful interviewers"
"everyone seemed genuinely happy"
"The people. Everyone is there for the right reason. Additionally, the curriculum seems very self-directed and non-competitive. I really enjoyed the experience."
"The PBL curriculum and how happy the current students are. Also, the Admissions people are incredibly nice."
"Friendliness of all faculty that maintained a high comfort level."
"Friendly admissions staff"
"PBL"
"I like the idea of PBL and group studying. Everyone was very nice and helpful. The students seemed happy and got along well with each other. "
"The interviewers were enthusiastic, nice and honest. Everyone at SIU seemed to care about producing excellent doctors. "
"Problem-Based Learning Curriculum and group rooms Standardized Patients and practice clinic area Quick responses from all school representatives with questions."
"PBL curriculum, happiness of the students "
"Everything flowed very smoothly, and everyone I met was very helpful and excited about SIU. The problem-based learning curriculum, once explained, sounded very exciting!"
"PBL seems great; lots of hands-on learning starting in first year; everyone was very friendly; tour guide (M2) and other students seemed very happy there; cool student lounge"
"Everyone was happy and wanted me to be a part of this experience."
"I like the medical education building. The students I met were good-spirited and seemed to be enjoying their experience. I like the idea of PBL, but some areas are still a little hazy to me."
"Everybody is genuinely friendly at the school"
"The study-groups seemed REALLY great. I've heard wonderful things about their problem based learning curriculum from former graduates and I was not let down based on what I saw during our tour. Each group get their own ''group-study-room'' and because students are NOT ranked, there is a team atmosphere among students."
"PBL curriculum, happy students, nice lounge, doctoring activities from week 1 in the curriculum"
"The small class sizes and the faculty. Students seemed happy and the professors I met were very welcoming. I could see myself doing well here. Both of my interviewers were very kind and the interviews themselves were relaxed and more conversational than I expected. They seemed to want to get to know me and were interested in what I was saying, which I liked."
"Everyone is REALLY kind and helpful"
"how cooperatively the students work together, how vested the faculty is in the students, and (real) clinical exposure begining first year"
"The director of admissions told us about a study correlating MCAT scores to step 1 of USMLE. The study found that the MCAT is usually a great predictor of step 1 scores, except for at SIU where there are consistently students who had scored lower on the MCAT but above average on step 1. That problem-based-learning must really be something great if the students have that much improvement!"
"The students were extremely laid back and the facilities in Springfield were awesome."
"Just about everything...the people were unbelievably nice (Barb Jones, the Student Affairs assistant in Carbondale, was probably the most helpful person I've encountered in this whole process), the students were very happy and the small group learning style seems to promote a strong sense of camaraderie..."
"The friendliness of the staff, students and interviewers."
"The interviewers and students are very friendly"
"My first interviewer made PBL seem positive."
"The people are really friendly, abundance of patient contact during pre-clinical years, small class size, NO SCUT WORK!!"
"Very little in-class time. A lot of hands-on clinical experiences and patient contact within weeks of starting the program. College is central to the town's healtcare setup. Everyone was highly courteous and geneorus with their time. Did not feel rushed. Interviewers were very open and candidly discussed the negative points of the university. The entire campus is wireless, all lectures are available online, and printouts are free!!"
"everyone was really friendly, students seemed genuinely happy with the school and the curriculum, big emphasis on humanistic medicine, early early early clinical experience, NO SCUT WORK! :)"
"Memorial Hospital was a nice facility (I had an interview there)"
"Friendliness of students and faculty, importance of med school to city"
"PBL curriculum sounds interesting. The PBL group rooms are nicely equipped."
"Both interviewers had read my file. I talked with a group of students in a PBL session, and they seemed really happy with the curriculum."
"My interviewers were well versed in my file and really nice."
"How enthusiastic and friendly the students and staff were, how relaxed the atmosphere was, how focused they are on providing early and thorough clinical experiences"
"The friendliness, warmth, and enthusiasm that everyone showed. "
"no stress."
"Nothing"
"The members of the class seemed very closely knit and gave me the impression that PBL is a great way to learn."
"The student who gave the tour was very enthusiastic about the PBL curricula"
"the intervewers seemed very interested in what i had to say and the prospect of me attending the school. also, the atmosphere seemed very relaxing and personal."
"The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. I really liked that I met with a financial aid officer individually. "
"The tour guide was really friendly and positive about the school. She was able to really sell the benefits of case-based learning and the school's locales. Also, the school seems to try to pair you with an interviewer in the area(s) of medicine you are interested."
"I was originally somewhat concerned about the very strong emphasis on PBL, but after seeing the facilities and how they ensured training was not haphazard (through excellent organization of course subject matter) I feel I would get a better education than at some of the schools still following a relatively traditional lecture format. Also, they really value student input on program format utilizing it to improve."
"They made the small class size and problem-based learning seem very beneficial."
"clinical based program, problem based learning"
"Students are extremely friendly, and there is a cohesiveness not only within classes, but across classes."
"friendly atmosphere, small classrooms, multiple campuses (carbondale, springfield), option to travel 4th year & research grant money to travel during first summer, all books needed are in the library = very low bok costs"
"Everyone there seems extremely happy with the problem based learning curriculum."
"small class size, problem based learning, seems to do a good job of providing a medical education, research opportunities"
"The student that gave the tour had nothing negative to say, and that the program is pass/fail instead of ultra-competitive."
"The school seemed nice, all the students seemed friendly and to love the school. I got the feeling the school was like a big family."
"One of my interviewers showed me SIU's latest Step 2 results, which were well above the national average. I really liked the situational-type questions that one of my interviewers asked. They were thought-provoking and, I think, really helped him better understand my problem solving process and skills--and helped him gauge my ethical/moral compass. Both of my interviewers (one was on the admissions committee) made comments along the lines of "I've been in your chair, so I'm here to make it easy for you and try to help you get into medical school". So even though some of the questions were tough, there wasn't an adversarial feeling to them."
"not much"
"small class size, low stress/ family-like enviroment, PBL sound like a great learning method (especially for part 2 of the new USMLE), low cost, exposure to patients from the first week"
"Dr. Neiumeister was really cool and laid back. He seemed like he had a great grasp on what it means to be a docter."
"The hospital, Memorial Medical Center, has very new facilities. The people I passed in the hallways were very nice - both students, staff, and a few patients. "
"The cancer research center"
"Early patient contact and the medical school in Springfield is connected to a hospital"
"affiliated hospitals in Springfield, facilities, faculty support, finance"
"The curriculum, laid-back atmosphere"
"The facilites are nice, and they are very friendly school."
"I like that they have integrated lectures (resource sessions) with the problem based learning in the last three years."
"Their PBL curriculum, it's a very independent way of learning."
"Throughout the process of applying to Med. School, SIU has been the most "human," approachable, courteous, prompt, and professional school I've dealt with, when compared to UIC and IU"
"It's a strong program...I have a couple friends that have and are going through and they love it. "
"The students LOVE it there. I didn't know much about the Problem Based Learning (PBL), but the way the students talked about it, I was really impressed."
"The school, students, and program sound great. The students said that they like the curriculum and seemed to have a low stress level."
"Everyone was VERY friendly and helpful. I'm from Springfield and I really like it in the town. CHEAP compared to other med schools. ALL PBL with very few lectures."
"I was impressed by the comfort level of both interviews."
"It wasn't very stressful at all."
"The students satisfaction with the PBL curriculum."
"Price... cheapest in Illinois."
"How happy the students are and the cirriculum(PBL!)."
"I didn't have time to go sightseeing, but I must say, one of my interviewers was downright enlightening. Very, very comfortable to talk with. "
"I was able to meet and have lunch with a couple of minority students, who also further introduced me to their fellow classmates. I was able to hear about the program first hand."
"Down to earth interviewers."
"EVERYTHING! PBL, early patient contact, self-directed study, laid-back atmosphere."
"Meeting students and seeing that the small group learning curriculum really seems to work."
"PBL! Their PBL seemed to make the students very happy with thier education. They also commented on how benificial early (first year (day)) patient exposure has been."
"The facilities seemed really nice and the tutor rooms seem very convenient. "
"Everyone was very nice. Even people in hospital not assoc. with medical school were extremely friendly."
"practice areas for procedures (pelvic, intubation, etc.) at springfield. awesome classrooms for pbl. physician "sponsor" for first 2 yrs. "
"Problem based curriculum."
"How happy the students are and the level of interest of the staff and faculty."
"Nothing"
"1/2 interviews was very interrogative and seemed as if they did not have much time to speak with me"
"I interviewed with a female internist for one of my interviews. She seemed very disinterested and like she did not care one bit of what I had to say from the very beginning. She asked me questions that were not relevant to my desire to pursue a career as a physician or to me as an individual. Not very friendly and was a very awkward experience. Hope you guys don't get her for an interviewer."
"My tour guide wasn't completely focused on us and kept looking around."
"school is out-dated, campus is small, city is small"
"nothing."
"the tour didn't show us much"
"I almost got hit by three different cars while visiting Springfield. The school itself was great. I've heard Carbondale can be somewhat dull. I'm not sure how I feel about the aggressive populace of Springfield."
"I felt attacked by the AdCom member interviewer. It's like he was very turned off about where I came from and nothing I said would impress him."
"I didn't get my interview confirmation and information until a week before my actual interview date. I kept having to email and email them."
"N/A"
"The tour only showed us a few of the buildings on the SIU campus."
"I didn't get to see any research labs or hear about any projects they are working on."
"Springfield"
"This school is awesome!"
"Facilities are somewhat old"
"Dreary day."
"I don't like that the first year is in Carbondale and the next three in Springfield. I would prefer to do all four in Springfield, but that doesn't seem to be something the school is even considering."
"Being in a different city for the first year"
"There may be up to 8 people to a cadavre (sp) and 4 at a time disecting. Seems like it'd be too many cooks in the kitchen for that. ALSO-- make sure you cut off your first interview after about 30-35 mins, because mine went from 9am-9:55, which didn't give me nearly enough time to get to my car, drive to the next interview, find a space in the parking garage, and then find the interview room, especially because once I made it to the building of my 2nd interview, I was told by the information desk that the room didn't exist! Uggg-- I was really late and I think that SIU admissions should do a better job of coordinating the transport/directions/timing."
"Nothing, really."
"The campus is outdated and the surrounding area/hospitals are not impressive."
"More emphasis on family practice"
"not much...maybe the city of Springfield itself...i'd never been to the capital, it was a bit underwhelming..."
"Springfield is not like I remembered it. "
"Nothing...but again I'm somewhat biased because I grew up in Carbondale and so had done a lot of research about the school and am very familiar with both campuses."
"The tour was short, but maybe that's because there's not much to see!"
"Disorganized building and facilities don't seem so well. "
"The second interviewer was late."
"buildings are kind of drab, first year is in Carbondale"
"Not much to do around campus. Downtown Sprinfield is growing but is far from offering the urban experiences of even a medium sized town in the midwest."
"the building was kind of drab and depressing, the area around springfield in general is boring. also, the first year is spent in carbondale..."
"The location of the school in Springfield negatively impressed me. The city is small and it looks like there isn't much to do there. "
"Springfield as a town. The facilities seem a bit oudated in parts. Library looked somewhat bleak."
"The disorganization of the day. The admissions staff was very helpful and kind while I was there for the financial aid session and tour, but I was on my own to find my interviewers and their offices."
"I arrived at the Student Affairs office and it was completely empty. It was very disorganized."
"the surrounding area is kind of plain"
"It was a bit unorganized."
"Everything else."
"the question:Why do you think you should be given a spot over someone younger?"
"Nothing really comes to mind..."
"My first interviewer didn't seem very interested in me.She hardly looked at me, instead she was making notes while I answered her questions."
"The facilities are not somewhat lacking, and living in carbondale for the first year seems to cut of M1's from the rest of the school. "
"I did not get to see very much on my campus tour."
"My second interviewer hadn't read my file. I wish I had known this in the beginning of the interview and adjusted my responses accordingly. Also, my first interviewer was pretty reserved, and it was hard to tell if she was excited about interviewing, medicine, me, or anything!"
"The second interviewer didn't know I was coming. He hadn't looked over my application info and only spent about 25 minutes with me before leaving for surgery; he asked a lot of questions that I had already answered in my applications. "
"The campus wasn't great."
"nothing!"
"M1's are sequestered from the rest of the school in Carbondale."
"no anatomy lab at springfield campus"
"Due to the way the grading is done (Standard Deviations), At least a handful of students are required to retake classes no matter what."
"conduct of interviewers, Springfield/Carbondale"
"Only that there is no true lecture or textbook."
"The second interviewer seemed to grill me on my opinion of a social issue, and seemed to be pushing me towards the solution he felt was correct."
"I just can't shake the feeling that SIU is a wee bit "po-dunky"--and Springfield is certainly nothing to write home about. Also, the student who gave the tour kept making disparaging remarks about other schools and how "they just throw you into the deep end--while at SIU, the faculty really cares". Of course, on further questioning, it turned out that her opinion was formed by talking with ONE college classmate who was having a bad experience at ONE other med school. Not exactly a broad platform on which to form her opinion. It almost felt like she had been indoctrinated into the whole "PBL" thing--and was trying to convert us too."
"my first interviewer was fifteen minutes late, and she didn't even give me extra time in the end. The schedule was poorly put together, I had nothing to do for two hours and then in the afternoon, there was no time alloted for lunch."
"first year in Carbondale (but all of the students said it was wonderful)"
"I'm not sure how I feel about the curriculum being all PBL"
"The actual instructional facilities are rather outdated. Although the technology is there (computers and stuff), the research labs and buildings need renovating. "
"Carbondale for one year and Springfield for 3 years"
"First year is in Carbondale"
"Springfield, 1st year in Carbondale, PBL"
"How small the town is"
"Their board scores aren't anything to get excited about"
"The buildings where the school was at was pretty old (although the hospital itself seemed pretty nice). This was in Springfield."
"Going to Carbondale for one year and Springfield for 3"
"Absolutely nothing. At the end of my visit, Dr. Z said "Well, maybe we'll talk with you later." Obviously, i wanted to hear "See you in August.""
"Springfield. Lack of organization. I did not meet any of the other interviewees until the financial talk at 11 am. The school expects you to figure out how to get to where you need to go on your own."
"It's Springfield. . . no college sports. (everyone can't be the Big 10 though, right?)"
"Springfield doesn't have much to offer as far as social life goes. They are obsessed with Lincoln."
"Little unorganized.... trouble finding my interviewers... You have to be a VERY self motivated learner at SIU."
"There were no negative aspects of my visit!"
"I interviewed in Springfield and there was no orientation meeting. I just went to my first interview, which was in the doctor's office. The first interviewer was a plastic surgeon who really didn't prepare questions for me, I basically talked to fill the dead air. "
"Carbondale, Springfield"
"Dull Springfield, PBL, lack of reputation."
"Well, I already knew that I hated Carbondale but I was dissapointed to find out the Springfield is not much better."
"My first interviewer, however, had obviously not prepared for my visit, and the questions asked were extremely vague and lame. "Did you like taking the MCAT?" "How do you feel about your undergraduate college?""
"Lack of student housing."
"The Carbondale deal."
"Springfield is a ghost-town at night."
"An office staff member (unknowledgable, not to mention) gave the tour - that was a letdown. My second interviewer really seemed to want to pursue the possibilities for me if I did not get into medical school - this was discouraging."
"Springfield. I am not sure I could live there."
"The tour wasn't given by a student so it was difficult to get opportunities to ask questions of current med. students there."
"I did not get to talk to any students due to scheduling reasons and one of my interviewers didn't seem very interestd in talking to me and neither had much interaction with students."
"first year at carbondale (as i've since found out, the housing there pretty much sucks. a lot of it is old and run down. undergrads seem to get the best first cause med students find out so late.)"
"First year spend at Carbondale."
"That the new PBL is untested, ie. would like to see the Step 1 scores from a couple of classes first. But I think the PBL is the right direction, even if it needs a little tuning."
"Just reiterating other comments that it's all about just "Being Yourself" and tell your story."
"2 interviews, both open file. One is with someone on admissions committee and other is a faculty member"
"How relaxed it would be."
"That one of my interviews would be a complete waste of time."
"My interview was going to be more of a conversation than an interrogation."
"The Office of Student Affairs is on the 3rd floor."
"I did not have to worry about bring boots, scarves and other winter wear. The buildings are connected and you don't have to walk outside between them."
"That the interviews aren't that stressful."
"I wish I had a better answer for how I heard about the school. I answered honestly (MSAR->State School->PBL=excited), but I could have sworn I saw a little disappointment with my answer. He seemed excited about all my other answers."
"That being from Chicago apparently works against me. Had I known this, I probably wouldn't have attended the interview."
"I felt prepared."
"Nothing. I thought that the interview materials SIU sent were very clear and I followed those directions without any problems. "
"The interviews were going to be more like conversations than pressure-filled sessions. I enjoyed talking with both of my interviewers."
"The admissions committee meets every first Tuesday of the month, so you should schedule your interview appropriately if you want to hear back quickly."
"That I would like SIU so much!"
"That the interviews would not be stressful!"
"That I was the only student interviewing that day. It was really nice to have lots of one on one time with everyone I met, though."
"The building where the admissions office is located is very confusing. Also, the groups of students are very small (we had 4 total)."
"The map they send with your interview packet is on a really small scale, which I didn't realize. Because of my carelessness, I thought that the buildings were mainly within walking distance, so I parked at the main building and put 5 hours worth of quarters in the meter. Turns out, I was only going to be at that building for 15 mins... waste of money. Be sure you have your own form of transportation to get you to and from the interviews. Mine (and those of the other applicant) were both in outlaying buildings."
"Parking. I didn't have time to scout out the night before."
"Not to stress out too much. It was my first med school interview so I over-prepared but it wasn't nearly as intimidating/difficult as I thought it would be. No weird moral/ethical questions or strange medical questions. "
"The way the PBL system works"
"how cool the students were...i was even having a good time with my fellow interviewees...all of them are ppl i would like to go to school with."
"Acceptances are given out in three batches. The higher your score is on the AWPA list, the better chance that you will get accepted. They never offer more acceptances at one time than their max class size. So last year, to get a class of 72 they extended a total of 155 acceptances throughout application season, which is about half of those who interviewed."
"The admissions policy is a little weird. It is non-rolling and you may not know if you are accepted until February."
"There weren't any surprises."
"I wish I knew exact building where I was going to be interviewed so I could arrive on time."
"first year is in Carbondale (I interviewed on the Springfield campus)"
"Take quarters with you for parking. They have metered parking for visitors! Pavments were not deiced, so if your thinking of wearing high heels (ladies) forget it! Good cheap lunch is avaliable in the hospital (under $1.50 for a slice of pizza). "
"that it would be so relaxed"
"Interviews may be 10 blocks apart from one another. Be prepared to drive from one to another or you won't make it on time."
"The amount of down time I would have - there was some between my tour and my first interview, and some between my interviews."
"The first year of school is in Carbondale."
"That i had to find the rooms on my own."
"They are agest"
"If you interview in C-dale, you don't get to take advantage of the financial aid session."
"Hilton Springfield is probably the best hotel in the area, and at $129, it's not much more expensive than the others (comes w/ breakfast for 2 people)."
"my second interview was in a different building in a different part of town. "
"That the interviewers would not have my MCAT scores or GPA. They asked some questions about how I did that I might have worded differently knowing this. "
"The financial aid seminar would be cancelled."
"nothing"
"The guy who was originally supposed to conduct my first interview was out of the country..."
"Springfield is more of a dump than I remember"
"BRING SOMETHING TO READ. It felt like I had more time in between thigns than anything, bring a book."
"A previous reviewer commented on SIU's goofy "Accept when place available" (AWPA) system. If you're on this list, you get a letter stating just that. The only trouble is that last year, I found out that SIU had such a strong applicant pool that they didn't even get to the lower-ranked applicants on the AWPA list. As a result, what should have been a straightforward "accept" turned into a "reject". Not cool. So if you get the "AWPA" letter, you're encouraged to write back immediately expressing your unbridled joy at getting a tentative "maybe" and how SIU is your ultimate dream school--and this is somehow supposed to get you on SIU's "nice list". Can you sense the sarcasm? Good. How this ultimately helps your chances--and how it's in ANY way fair--is truly beyond me. Why would anyone want to jump at the first school if they are still interviewing and weighing their potential options? Unclear!!"
"The admissions's office did not help you find the rooms or parking. Get there atleast 30-60 minutes early, becuase the its hard to find parking, the buildings and the rooms. "
"I'm glad I did a little research about the PBL system. The only questions that could throw you during the interview relate to the PBL system and how you would fit in."
"That I would be the only interviewer there all day long. "
"There aren't many choices for lunch. The med student who gave us a tour said no one really eats in the hospital cafeteria b/c it's not healthy and there aren't other places to eat close to the campus."
"PBL system"
"PBL all over the place"
"The curriculum"
"I wish i knew more about the PBL system...read about it (Problem based learning)"
"My first interviewer said her main purpose was to answer questions, which I really hadn't thought of too many. "
"Springfield is pretty bad...knew that, but being there reminded me!"
"There's a walkway from the Student Affairs building to the Hospital: you don't have to walk outside in the cold."
"That it was really laid back, and more of a conversation than an interview. I didn't need to be stressed about preparing."
"The PBL is so huge "
"I wish that I would have known more about the PBL based curriculum that they use!"
"That I would be the only person being interviewed on that date. "
"I pretty much knew what to expect from the school. "
"The PBL requires that you work in groups with students. I don't really like working in groups. I like to figure things out myself and teach myself."
"Nothing."
"Nothing, I suppose. The two interviews, which began at consecutive hours, were about a mile and a half apart - I was barely on time for the second. "
"How much better SIU is than I thought it would be. Its by far the best Medical School (for me) that I've ever visited."
"SIU asks very pointed questions about academics and scores, even about relatively strong applications. "
"The 1st year is in Carbondale regardless. "
"the first year is at carbondale"
"Overall a good experience. Medical students just passing by would sit down and talk with us and allow us to ask them questions. I don't believe they were affiliated with the admissions department at all."
"Overall great interview, relaxed, simple conversation"
"Great experience"
"Very relaxed but they dig into every detail of your application"
"I spoke to my interviewer in Spanish for about an hour"
"Be confident going in. Know yourself and why you want to attend this school, and you will do great."
"Very close knit, affordable, great school."
"I loved SIU and I liked it more than I thought I would."
"This was a great experience! I'm hoping for an AWPA and an acceptance. I will absolutely attend this school."
"Springfield is not great; food was good and everyone was super friendly; the school is trying to update and it shows; some interviews can be far away from each other, so you may have to drive/shuttle/walk."
"SIU seems like a great place to learn. The admin&staff seem genuinely interested in the students and it definitely shows."
"This seems like a great environment to attend medical school. The students seemed very happy. People would randomly smile at me (noticing that I was interviewing). A couple of MIII's approached me and talked to me about their classes. The school population is really warm and tight-knit."
"One interviewer is an Admissions Committee member and that interview is open file. The other is a faculty member and it's mostly closed file. Other than my negative experience with the first interviewer, everyone else was incredibly kind and really did their best to sell SIU's positive points. PBL sounds really impressive and the med students seem really happy. Also, Homestyle Inn & Suites is incredibly close to the school and decently priced if you're looking for a motel to stay at."
"No interviews are NO stress, but these are definitely lower stress interviews. Everybody's friendly, and make sure you feel at home. The two one-on-one interviews are very conversational and you rarely get off the wall difficult questions."
"The interviews were more of an open discussion than a set list of questions. You will have one with a medical student (open file) and one with a faculty member (closed file). Be prepared for some down time between interviews depending on your schedule; I had an hour to waste and it was raining outside."
"One open-file interview with an adcom member, one closed-file with a faculty member"
"Interviews were very low in stress, and it really just felt like I was having conversations with the two interviewers; one interview is open-file and the other is closed file"
"Some things I like about SIU are as follows: -the small class size -minimal lecture hall hours -the preceptorship that allows students to work with local doctors -the atmosphere at the school because all of the staff and students seemed to know each other by name"
" The first interview is with a member of the admissions committee. They have an open file interview with you. The second interview is with a faculty member who is not on the admissions committee. They only have basic biographical information and your secondary essays. That interview is more open-ended."
"All-in-all, pretty stress free interviews, though certainly NOT stress free travel between interviews. The last thing you want to be worrying about during your med school interview day is finding the right building/room or a parking space. I think the interviewers should be given firm time limitations so that we interviewees can make it to the next interview/meeting on-time. I had a really great tour-guide who was willing to take her time to elaborate on her experience in Carbondale and in Springfield about topics ranging from housing to board scores to assesments to research options. Certainly not an interview-day-set-up that people should get nervous about."
"Day started at 10am with an intro/Q and A session. Financial Aid session at 11am, student tour at noon. First interview at 1pm, second interview at 2:30pm."
"Overall, a great way to begin med school interviews. "
"I really enjoyed this school. They are real individuals and the school is close to home. I would happily go here."
"awesome. i loved it. i had one interview with a faculty member on the admission committee that was open file, and the second with a psychiatrist that was closed file. everyone was very down-to-earth (read: normal) and i left with a very positive impression of the school "
"Definitely a positive day. Totally chill, got to talk to some second years while waiting and they were very friendly and willing to talk to me. Very nice school."
"There were 4 interviewers this day. We arrived to a 30-40 minute Q&A session. The group was broken up and sent to their interviews(different interviewers for everyone). They usually schedule you to interview with two faculty members throughout the day. One person is open file and sits on the committee, the other is closed file and they may not be on the committee. In between the interviews there is an option financial aid session and student guided tour."
"The first interview involved more general, open ended questions (I think this one might have been closed-file, but I'm not sure). The second interview was more geared to finding out about what my specific experiences meant to me (he brought up things from AMCAS and my secondary). Definitely prepare using the SDN feedback questions...a lot of those came up. I interviewed in Carbondale so I got a tour of the main academic building that the M1s use, Lindegren Hall, during the lunch break. Barb took me up to where a few M1s were studying so I got to ask them a few questions and afterwards I had a few minutes with Linda Herrold, the Dean of Student Affairs. No surprises, very relaxed."
"Very relaxed, comfortable; interviewers were friendly and personable; I almost went over an hour in both my interviews because our conversations became so open and friendly."
"It was a nice interview. I was quite nervous before the interview, but the interviewer was so cooperative and it made me feel so relax during the interview."
"It was a long day. The tour guide and finanical aid session were very short. The interviews were good. "
"Overall, I came away with a much better impression of SIU. It seemed like a pretty strong school and the students seem to be really happy with it. Also, the PBL doesn't seem as scary now (they have lectures too, but they are supplementary). The cheap tuition is pulling at towards it right now."
"The interviews were very relaxed and they just wanted to get to know more about what my experiences meant to me. They were extremely well organized and had a very nice financial aid session that was one on one, just like the two interviews. It's a great school and their residents' board scores are up there with the best. They are 100% in-state and competition is tough to get in. Your first year will be in Carbondale and the next three years will be in just the three or four buildings that make up the entire campus in Springfield!!! There is no vibrant community surrounding the campus, so married students may find it hard to do anything worthwhile around town. Springfield is all about the med school and some state legislature buildings! "
"Overall, I didn't expect much going into the interview, but afterwards I actually became really enthusiastic about the school. It seems like a great place to learn and PBL doesn't seem as scary anymore."
"This was my first interview experience so I was a little nervous. However, my interviewers put me completely at ease. The med. student who gave the tour was very enthusiastic about the school. Everyone was VERY nice and the faculty know all of the students."
"The day was very relaxed, almost too relaxed. Everyone was friendly, but I found it uneasy being the only person at the school interviewing that day. I had a lot of free time between my scheduled meetings/interviews, during which I sat in the physician's waiting room with patients as my file was read or the physician was with a patient."
"The day was pretty standard. Financial aid presentation was somewhat helpful, student tour was average, both interviewers were very friendly and conversational. They were the first school to go in-dept on asking me questions about specific volunteer activities and what I gained from each. "
"My first interviewer genuinely wanted to get to know me and spent quite a bit of time answering my questions about PBL and the curriculum. It was very conversational about my application and questions and lasted about an hour. The second interviewer was trying to see how strong my interest in medicine was harsher style of questioning. This one was less conversational, just went through the questions and then I was done - lasted about 15 minutes."
"It was a really good experience, minus the fact I had a lot of time to kill before my interviews because the fin aid session and tour each only took 15 minutes. My interviewers were really personable."
"I guess it went well because I got in!"
"There was no organization. Nobody to greet you when you get there, nobody to show you where you are supposed to go, there was NO minority representation whatsoever!!! I had to drive to the location of the second interview because it was on the other side of town."
"I had a great experience at SIU. My first interviewer was very nice, the interview was conversational and she really directed where she wanted me to go with my answers. My second interviewer asked me if I would object to us going to Starbucks and having the interview there. This interview was also very laid back and guided."
"My interviews, I feel, were rushed.My first interviewer didn't seem too interested in me,the 2nd interview was during the MD's clinic hours so he was in a hurry.I left feeling they didn't really get to know me."
"the first interview went well. The interviewer was an orthopedic surgeon and knowledgeable about the school, although the questions were standard and at one point i was sure he was extending the interview for the sole purpose of avoiding work. The fin. aid session was only slightly informative, but it at least seems SIU takes an active interest in making sure its students are afloat financially. The tour was short, but the enthusiastic tour guide did a good job of playing up the school as probably the best thing this side of the mississippi. the second interview was strangely like the first, except i was tired hungry (be sure to pack a lunch/ find a good place to eat). "
"I thought my first interviewer did a great job of making everything seem very positive at SIU. She really talked up PBL, the simulated patients, and the early clinical experience. I did not get a very good tour of the campus. I saw one of their tutor rooms, the library, and the medical museum. "
"The first interviewer was great! Such a neat person and very honest about some of the less impressive aspects of the school, as well as the positives. He put me at ease, and even looked into what schools would suit my boyfriend's needs if we were to relocate to Springfield for 3 years. I just mentioned his educational goals, and my interviewer started to research what was available during my interview! I was really impressed by this unexpected assistance."
"Very friendly, informal, comfortable. They wanted to get to know me and tell me about SIU SOM. "
"excellent experience. relaxed interview. interviews were in a few different buildings so arrive with enough time to orient yourself with the campus."
"The interviews and tour were great. There were 2 interviews: the first was with the student representative of the admissions committee and the second was with a faculty member. The first interviewer was very well-versed with my application file and asked some of the best and most appropriate questions I have come across yet in my interview experience. The second interviewer was very friendly and I feel that he helped me to learn a great deal about the school."
"arrived at 10:30, interview at 11am (45 mins w/ admissions director. she asked a detailed list of questions) tour with 2nd year student at 12, break for 40 minutes. interview at 1:30 with faculty member. she asked informal questions about personality related items. lasted 30 minutes. went home."
"My experience at SIU was kind of strange. My first interviewer wasn't even there and the school never bothered to call or email and tell me that. Instead they let me find out when I showed up at the guys door for the interview. Then, somewhat embarrased, they looked for someone else to interview me right there on the spot. The people looking for an interviewer didn't even know what I was supposed to be interviewing for (they asked a few minutes later). Eventually, they found a doctor to interview me and three minutes after the interview started, he said he had all the information he needed despite the fact that it was a completely closed interview. The rest of the day went much smoother and the second interview, which was an open interview went pretty well. I really enjoyed talking with my second interviewer. Overall, despite the lack or organization, I really enjoyed the SIU interview experience."
"What positively impressed me about the school (see below) was virtually annihilated by the way the interviews were handled. Perhaps there was a sudden shortage, but I wasn’t able to speak with one physician. I spoke first with a Ph.D. who seemed surprised that he was responsible for interviewing me. He then asked me the standard series of questions (why medicine, etc.). About 15 minutes later, he gets a cell phone call and showed me the door, not giving me a chance to ask questions (not that he could answer them). After a lousy lunch, a tour of the facility given by an M2 was the highlight of the day. I also got some good info on applying for loans. The second interviewer was a social worker who made a point of telling me I was "low priority" because I live in Chicago. Overall, I felt the entire day had been a scheduled waste of time, compliments of SIU. "
"The interviewers were very nice, not stressful at all. My first interviewer had a list of questions that he asked and we talked a little in between some of them. The second interviewer had questions as well, but he didn't really ask them. He pretty much said that he just wanted to talk instead of ask the questions. He was extremely easygoing, and joked around a little, which made the interview a lot less stressful."
"All-in-all school seeemed very intimate, students seeemed to like it and one another, only bad thing was my second interviewer was confrontational, be ready for this."
"Ehh--I'd go here if I didn't get accepted anywhere else. It's just not very diverse (I waited in the main lobby of the medical center and didn't see many non-Caucasian faces), and they're so gung-ho on getting folks from central and southern IL that it's sort of a turn-off (I live in Chicago--but I'm from a rural area in another state). I just think it's rather misguided to assume that rural folk are automatically going to return to their rural communities to practice."
"I had two interviewers, the first interview was 15 min, the second was about 30 min. There was a tour of the school and a lecture on financial aid in between my interviews. "
"Bring something to read and eat, because you will have a little down time b/t interviews. This is a comprehensive but no-frills interview process. You will have to find your way to your interview rooms (unless you are lucky enough to have a student take you), there is no breakfast/lunch set up for you and you are pretty much on your own...but this all probably goes hand in hand with being a self directed learner, which they stress. The interviews are relaxed and stress free. Both of my interviews, one with a student and another with a faculty member who was also an alumni, were more of a casual conversation where they tried to get to know me on a more personal level. They did their best to put me at ease and make me feel comfortable. I stayed at the Best Inn, located 3 blocks from the school. You can go to orbitz and reserve a room for $32...it is not a high class hotel, but it definatley works if you don't want to spend a lot of money."
"Ok, but I had to sit and wait awhile in between interviews, tours, and financial aid stuff."
"Overall, the interview day went well. My first interviewer asked questions that were all on my AMCAS app. That annoyed me a little. He asked about my high school, about my parents, and how I was raised. Also, he was very honest with how my application looks and how the committee would view it. He made suggestions for a plan B in case it comes to that. The second interviewer was really rushed and he didn't seem to care much what I said. In fact, his beeper went off in the middle of the interview, right when I was talking about a really sensitive issue, and he returned the call without letting me finish my answer. That sucked. The financial aid session was very informative - they talked about financial aid as it would apply to any school we would go to, not just SIU. "
"two separate interviews with MDs in the AM and PM with a tour in between. "
"Super laid-back, I had FUN at both the interviews, students seem to love the school"
"The first interview was more serious, but more general questions. He got really specific with the health care system, gene therapy, and kept testing how much i knew about SIU. I liked the fact that he asked about how i studied for the MCATS and he really tried to find out about how i work as a student. The second interview was very laid back and informal and he basically worked off of my application."
"I was really surprised about both interviewing sessions, because they were more like conversations. I showed up 20 minutes early to my first interview, and he had me come in and we started the interview early. We ended up talking until the financial aid session for a total interview time of about 65 minutes. He was awesome and very friendly. The second interviewer was kind of boring. I was also sitting on the world's most uncomfortable and tall chair, so I was fidgeting the entire time. He didn't have a lot to say, so the interview was kind of boring and harder to do. It was still more conversational than question and answer of many interviews."
"The interview was good. The school is a perfect fit for me. After the interview I received a letter that said my status is "Accept When Place Available". It's taken 3 phone calls to the admissions office at the SIU SOM to understand their complex applicant ranking system and acceptance schedule. Here's what I understand (and I may be wrong): In 2003 SIU SOM will accept 73 students. First, on OCT 26 the admissions committee met to accept any applicant enrolled in SIU's special MedPrep program (where they train up their med students from toddler age to acceptance date), and/or any accepted but deferred students from the previous year (you know, they got accepted, but couldnt go for another year . . . yeah right!). This was a total of 3 people (70 more to go). Then, everybody else goes into 1 of 4 categories: 1. Accept when place available: accepted in batches of 20 in November, January, March. Each AWPA student is ranked within this group and applicants are accepted by rank. 2 & 3. They have two alternate categories below AWPA. I dont get it. Surely I'm wrong. But, the lady at the admissions ofc. said otherwise. 4. The "No Thanks" category is self explanatory."
"Overall, the curricular design is very much based on self-directed learning. A good deal of technology is involved and used in both group and pbl. I liked the school (although there are definately few frills compared to other schools, but as one student said the positive of that is that you don't increase your debt to study somewhere "pretty" either), but was a little disappointed with one of my interviews. It was my first at the school...the guy showed up late and then only talked to me for 20 minutes. Nice guy, but seemed to have had me sized up based on my app. It was all positive, but a little different than any other interview I've experienced and somewhat frustrating."
"Before the interview, I was only midly attracted to the school, but the people (students / faculty) made the whole thing look really appealing. If any of you are fortunate enough to interview with Dr. Quinn, relax and enjoy it, she's fantastic. My interview with her lasted half an hour longer than scheduled."
"Financial aid meeting, student tour, and two interviews. It was a fun day, and being that it was halloween the atmosphere was very light-hearted. My first interview was with a PhD in immunology. He asked me questions about my application and we had a fun conversation. The second interview was with an MD. She was very nice as well, although we didn't get as much time to talk because she was in a hurry to go get her kids' costumes ready for Halloween!"
"Very good day. Both my interviewerws wanted to get to know me and were friendly, but still asked all the important questions. I had one PHD and one MD interviewer. Student tour was helpful and the student seem to love the curriculum."
"Overall my interviews were very easy-going and I had a great time meeting the faculty and students at the Springfield Campus!"
"The good was that it was not stressful in the least. The bad was that it wasn't very organized. It seemed like the first interviewer was not experienced in conducting interviews. The second lady (after asking me to tell her about myself) told me that it was closed file interview and half way through my answer told me it was actually an open file interview. In addition to that, I was the only prospective that day, and I didn't get to eat lunch or spend any real amount of time with current students which makes it hard to size a school up. "
"My first interview was closed file and I did not realize it until my second interviewer told me. The first interviewer had two pages front and back of questions to ask me with lots of ethics questions. She tried to make the interview conversational, but she kept going back to her list of questions. She also kept writing down things while I was talking which was a bit unnerving. The second interview was laid back and conversational. "
"Overall good. The interviewers were very nice. The school is in a safe location with the cheapest housing and cheapest price you'll find in Illinois."
"The interviews were very laid back. The first doctor talked more about my application and motives while the second one just talked to me about med schools and Southern IL in general."
"Again, a pretty run-of-the-mill set of interviews. Nothing political or difficult is involved, but they do try and stress YOUR reasons for joining the field of medicine. The two sessions felt much more like a couple of conversations rather than a list of questions. Don't lose sleep over these."
"Overall, I was very impressed with the school. Everyone did an excellent job at making me feel at home and selling the school. PBL seems to be an effective way of learning and I was able to express how I felt I would be able to thrive in that type of cooperative environment. The key is to be yourself because they ask a million questions about YOU (they want to know YOU!)"
"Don't sell SIU short just because its in Southern Illinois. Its really an excellent school if you're a self-disciplined individual."
"The interviewers were nice and straightforward. The facility wasn't to-die-for, but meeting students and talking to them, plus seeing the hospitals, convinced me that SIU is a great school."
"All the interview questions were based on my application. The student's happiness was incedible! that really made the difference for me. Overall, if the school was located closer to a city, I would go there in a heartbeat!"
"I had a really nice day visiting the school and with my interviewers. The 1st interview was more traditional and asked questions like: why medicine, would you want to practice in a rural setting, why not another profession in the medical field other than a doctor, what do you do to relax. The 2nd interview was more laid back and we just talked about having a family and practicing medicine and about ethical issues. "
"It was a little disappointing because I didn't feel it went well & I didn't get to talk to students or faculty."
"pretty much awesome interview. totally laid back. the one doc gave feedback on my chances. the office was great in letting you know timelines for acceptances. the small class (72 students) and pbl seem to make for good learning experiences. from what i've read, you don't spend time learning asinine things that you'll never need again because of pbl. i'm glad i was accepted here!"
"Great interviews. One in the morning then tour and lunch, followed by second interview. Financial aid session in there somewhere."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 84 |
| Faculty member | 2 |
| Admissions staff | 11 |
| Other | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 49 |
| Neutral | 11 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.52 | 64 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 62 |
| Out of state | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 13 |
| 2-3 hours | 28 |
| 4-6 hours | 17 |
| 7+ hours | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 2 |
| Automobile | 55 |
| Train or subway | 4 |
| Other | 2 |
spi
STL
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 0 |
| Friends or family | 12 |
| Hotel | 25 |
| Home | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 27 |
| $101-$200 | 15 |
| $201-$300 | 3 |
| $301-$400 | 1 |
| $401-$500 | 0 |
| $501+ | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.76 | 67 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.14 | 66 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.05 | 66 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.33 | 36 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.49 | 37 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.91 | 33 |
"Discontinue using US mail for communication and purely email/webex for virtual interviews. Portal system is much easier to keep all application information in one spot. US mail adds extra time to process."
"I had a GREAT interview day"
"Perhaps provide precise directions to interviews in other buildings."
"The admissions office is absolutely wonderful. Everyone was warm and kind."
"Just to clarify that all interviewees need a visitor's badge when they arrive."
"Keep everything the same"
"I would have liked to have seen more of the facilities during the tour; particularly other buildings"
"None."
"Alert students to the fact that the building that interviews are held in are very confusing for new"
"PLEASE find some way to make travel between interviews more interviewee friendly-- don't leave us gu"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?