How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.59 | 113 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 91 |
| Negatively | 7 |
| No change | 17 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.03 | 113 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.10 | 98 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.56 | 90 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 1 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 1 |
| 20 minutes | 0 |
| 25 minutes | 5 |
| 30 minutes | 9 |
| 35 minutes | 5 |
| 40 minutes | 7 |
| 45 minutes | 27 |
| 50 minutes | 13 |
| 55 minutes | 3 |
| 60+ minutes | 46 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 107 |
| At a regional location | 1 |
| At another location | 3 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 110 |
| In a group | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 21 |
| Closed file | 91 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.59 | 113 |
"MMI (non-disclosure)"
"MMI: non-disclosure"
"MMI (nondisclosure)"
"MMI"
"Research related"
"MMI (signed non-disclosure agreement)"
"Describe a time when you thought it was better to be dishonest than to tell the truth."
"How do you feel about the HCR"
"Where else have you interviewed?"
"Why doctor? This interview was the most conversational ever. Things flowed smoothly and I cam away with the impression that the interviewer really wanted to get a sense of who I was rather than my capabilities at answering trite questions (i.e. what are your strengths/weaknesses?, where do you see yourself in X years?, etc.) My nervousness prior to the meeting was completely unfounded and I was immediately set at ease. Excellent place."
"How did you become interested in AZ?"
"Why medicine? Why UA-Tuscon?"
"What got you interested in medicine in the beginning? Also asked about my opinion of the current health bill"
""Tell me about yourself." I didn't get very far on this one before she changed the subject. Didn't see that interested in my response to this question. "Why MD? Why not RN, nurse practitioner, or PhD?" She didn't seem to accept my response on this one and I felt like she was leading my response."
"Tell me about your family, yourself."
"Tell me about your family..."
"Explain any difficulties you may foresee in becoming a physician?"
"Tell me about yourself? Why did you choose the schools you did (for undergrad and grad school)?"
"What is your motivation for applying to med school? Why the UA? "
"(One interview was open file and one was closed). -What is the hardest thing you envision having to deal with as a physician? "
"What do your parents do and do you have any siblings?"
"Where did you go to college?"
"Tell me about your school experiences from high school until now."
"Describe a situation where you were a leader in a group, and you had to deal with people not doing their part. How did you deal with it?"
"What 3 qualities are most important in a leader?"
"Tell me about your motivation to enter medicine."
"Why did you choose a career in medicine?"
"a. Tell me about yourself. b. Tell me about your most memorable patient. c. What ties you to Arizona (and not somewhere else)?"
"Any group activities?"
"Immediately: why medicine. why not PhD? (interviewer was PhD)"
"Why medicine? Why U of A?"
"Why medicine"
"Why did you choose medicine over research? (I have a research background)"
"Describe your clinical experience."
"tell me about yourself"
"Tell me about your research."
"Interview was more a discussion than a question/answer session. My interviewer chose to use open-file format (it is their option though on what they use) so I was asked questions to clarify and expand on that. "
"Describe your undergraduate experience?"
"How did you end up in Arizona?"
"Why medicine,"
"Interview was more a discussion than a question/answer session. My interviewer chose to use open-file format (it is their option though on what they use) so I was asked questions to clarify and expand on that."
"Tell me about your research?"
"Why UA?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"What do you enjoy doing outside of work and school?"
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Why a career in medicine?"
"How do you deal with stress, and what do you do in your spare time?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What brought you here today?"
"Where do you work? Tell me about your family. "
"Why medicine, why UA?"
"Tell me a little about your family and your personal life."
"Why medicine? What motivates you? What are your weaknesses?"
"What organizations were you involved in during college?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"what made you decide to pursue a career in medicine?"
"how are you?"
"Why medicine? Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"why med?"
"What kind of clinical research are you interested in?"
"Tell me about yourself... Why do you want to be a doctor? What do you like to do in your free time?"
"see above"
"What are you passionate about? "
"What do you do in your free time?"
"Why medicine?"
"What are some things you like to do in your spare time? or What are your hobbies?"
"What experiences shaped your desire to go into medicine?"
"What field would you like to go into, what do you think about junior colleges, tell me about leadership activities, tell me about working as an xray tech."
"What kind of doctor do you want to be?"
"Books I have read."
"you have done a lot of work as a CNA/PCT....what work have you done voluntarily"
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years?"
"Where in Arizona are you from / how long lived here."
"How did you come to choose this career?"
"describe specifice clinical experiences that are important to you."
"MMI (non-disclosure)"
"MMI"
"MMI (nondisclosure)"
"Ethics related"
"MMI (signed non-disclosure agreement)"
"How do you feel the role of a physician ties into the community?"
"What specialty would you like to pursue"
"What do your parents do (physicians)?"
"What did you do in the military?"
"Tell me about health care reform."
"With what populations do you want to practice medicine?"
"Tell me about your: clinical experience, leadership experience, and research experience."
"Why the University of Arizona over the schools you interviewed at? What are your specific interests in our program?"
""What was your favorite class in school and why?" "Do you know who the surgeon general is?" I say that I do not know. She describes her as an overweight woman and asks if it is fair to criticize her for being overweight when she should be a proponent of health. "What do you do best as a leader? What is the hardest for you?" I was describing a spinal cord injury patient and how he wanted to get a more permanent catheter and she asked, "Have you taken physiology? [I have not] How does the bladder work?""
"What do you like to do in your spare time?"
"Describe your education?"
"Weakness?"
"Experiences in research and leadership? "
"Do you think that your engineering major has put you at a disadvantage when it comes to material of the basic science courses?"
"What is the most memorable moment you hae had while working at the hospital? "
"What problems do you foresee you will have as a doctor that other professions will not have?"
"What three adjectives describe you?"
"What was your major?"
"Did you do any study abroad programs?"
"What are three of your strengths and three of your weaknesses?"
"What was your favorite class in college?"
"Tell me more about your volunteering, clinical/shadowing, etc. experiences."
"What is the #1 reason we should admit you?"
"Give me an example of altruism from your clinical experiences."
"Tell me about a hobby/passion that is not related to medicine."
"What will be your strengths/weaknesses as a physician?"
"a. What is your biggest weakness? b. Is there anything negative from your academic background that needs further explanation? c. What post-high school work experiences have you had? "
"I want you to just tell me anything about why you want to do medicine. Start anywhere. Very broad question..."
"What countries have you travelled to?"
"What are the problems in healthcare today? solutions?"
"Just different things to get to know me. The interview was really conversational"
"See above"
"Where did your dad attend medical school and what does he practice? (My dad's a neurologist in PHX)"
"What hobbies do you have outside of school?"
"What type of medicine do you want to go into?"
"why medicine"
"Tell me about your clinical experience."
"What kind of doctor do you want to be?"
"Why University of Arizona?"
"Have you considered what you're life will be like, having a spouse that you might not get to see?"
"No real questions... mostly we just talked."
"Issues in Health care"
"Why do you want to switch careers?"
"Tell me about your research?"
"Tell me about your volunteer work."
"How do you envision yourself dealing with difficult patients?"
"What makes you unique? Why should the admissions committee choose you over other applicants?"
"Do you have a strong support system?"
"What brought you to Arizona?"
"Tell me about your most recent leadership experience."
"Why medicine? Why Tucson?"
"Have you considered practicing in a rural setting?"
"What do physicians that you work with have to say about going into medicine?"
"Why did you major in political science/religious studies?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What type of medicine are you interested in?"
"How did you decide to go into medicine and what will be the most challenging aspect of being a practicing physician?"
"What do you like to do in your free time? "
"Having clinical experience, what traits of physicians you've seen would you want to emulate and which ones would you avoid? Why?"
"How do you think your minor would help you as a physician?"
"tell me about your various research projects? "
"so why are you here?"
"Euthanasia, community service, hobbies."
"what will be ur legacy when you're old"
"What do you think the biggest problem with healthcare is these days? What do you think will personally be a challenge for you?"
"My community physician interview was really easy because he just talked and I nodded and smiled and couldn't really get a word in otherwise. "
"Why do you want to become a physician?"
"The inevitible "what is wrong with healthcare today and how can we fix it?""
"Clinical / volunteer experience?"
"Why medicine?"
"Have you ever witness anything you would consider unethical in the medical profession? If so, what?"
"Why did you choose your major?"
"Activities related to medicine."
"what leadership activities have you been involved with?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Favorite classes/activities in college."
"What do you do to relieve stress? What are some of your hobbies?"
"tell me about your family"
"MMI (non-disclosure)"
"MMI"
"MMI (nondisclosure)"
"Acting"
"MMI (signed non-disclosure agreement)"
"What is the number one quality of a good physician"
"What attracts you to X specialty? What do you think about Y specialty (it was their particular field)?"
"Where is your family from?"
"What specialty are you interested in and what would you offer to medicine that other applicants could not?"
""If you have a patient who is 83-years-old and has already had one M.I. and she doesn't want to take the medication you want to prescribe, how do you handle the situation?" "Have you had a positive interaction with any physicians and what impressed you about them?" "Have you seen and physicians have to make a difficult decision?" "Have you seen any nurses or doctors commit errors?" "What would you do if a patient did not show up for an important heart procedure?""
"What kind of clinical exposure have you had?"
"Any research? Volunteer experience?"
"Experiences in the hospital, in clinical settings, and what I have done overseas.."
"Describe your research experiences. Do you have any hospital volunteering? Do you have any clinical and/or hands-on experience? What do you do for fun? How do you stay fit? When did you graduate and why did you wait to apply? What are you currently up to?"
"I can't recall. It was all pretty low-key. "
"What extracurriculars? "
"Why do you want to be a doc, etc..."
"What activities have you done?"
"What are you doing now as far as work?"
"What was your least favorite class in college?"
"Why medicine?"
"What field of medicine are you interested in?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"What questions do you have for me?"
"Tell me about your clinical experience."
"a. What are you passionate about, besides medicine? b. What are your hobbies? c. Have you thought about what field of medicine you would like to go into? d. Where all have you been internationally? e. Where did you meet your husband? "
"How did you end up in Arizona?"
"Tell me about groupwork and your personality?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Tell me about a difficult patient you have had (based upon my clinical volunteer experience)."
"Tell me your strengths...weaknesses."
"How do you feel about integrative health care?"
"What are some ethical problems facing medicine?"
"Do you have any free time?"
"Describe your expereince in Zambia"
"How many siblings do you have?"
"remember a particular patient? "
"Where did you go to high school?"
"Tell me about your clinical experiences?"
"Tell me about your leadership roles."
"What is your view on translational research?"
"Why UA?"
"What led you here?"
"What other experiences have you had that will help you become a doctor?"
"What makes you special?"
"How do you deal with difficult patients?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"What was your most challenging course in college?"
"What do you know about the UA medical school?"
"Where do you see medicine going? (I was kind of caught off guard by this even though I knew I should've prepared for it before)"
"What do you do to relax and unwind?"
"How were you involved in the University Community outside of the classroom?"
"What should I tell the admissions committee about you?"
"How did you decide on medicine?"
"What personal quality that you have do you think will challenge you as a physician?"
"have you had any leadership and/or service experience? if so, how did you benefit and what impact did you make."
"What is the first thing you will do when you're a certified doctor?"
"What area of medicine interested me, etc."
"Where do you see yourself in 5-years? In 10-years?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"Describe a family member or patient situation that really made you want to enter medicine. "
"Would you like a tour of the Emergency Department?"
"No ethical crap."
"Who has been an important influence in your life? also Who has been an ideal or model physican to show you what being a Dr is like?"
"What are your hobbies?"
"Who do you go to when you need help?"
"Tell me about yourself (since the interview was closed file this was a very all-encompassing question)."
"what characteristics make a good doc/a bad doc?"
"What subject in school did you like the least? the most? Why?"
"What you do in free time / relieve stress, etc."
"How would you describe a bad/good patient-physician relationship?"
"how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie-pop? (just kidding). like i said, just know yourself and you'll do fine."
"MMI (non-disclosure)"
"MMI"
"MMI (nondisclosure)"
"MMI (signed non-disclosure agreement)"
"What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you?"
"What do you know about the Diamond Children's center."
"Why U of A as an out of state student?"
"The specialty question and why you would bed more suitable than other applicants"
"I guess the one about the surgeon general because it completely threw me off."
"Describe a specific time you helped someone in the last two weeks."
"What class impressed you the most positively or negatively in undergraduate. "
"Describe your undergraduate education."
"It wasn't really a question, but we talked a lot of my experiences in the hospital and how those impacted my desire to enter medicine.. It was a great conversation!"
"How do you stay fit? The interviewer was a nutritionist, so you may or may not get this question."
"Parents?"
"There were no interesting questions."
"If you were able to spend one day with anyone in the world who would it be?"
"How do you plan to juggle your career and your family?"
"There really wasn't one. My interviewer has prepared questions that were pretty standard, more like a job interview."
"Describe a negative interaction you've had with a physician and how that has influenced your views on medicine and your career choice."
"How has growing up in a medical family altered or influenced your view of healthcare and your desire to become a physician?"
"Tell me about your siblings."
"none"
"Tell me about yourself..."
"Where my hometown was (I am from instate)."
"Describe your clinical experience."
"What are your feelings on the very near possibility for parents to be able to ''pick'' their children (i.e. control over genetics)?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary, just get to know you questions."
"Nothing, just standard stuff."
"Tell me about yourself."
"Specific question regarding my research. I was pleased that they actually were interested in what I had done. "
"I was asked about a former football coach that my interviewer knew"
"tell me some of thing you've been surprised by or found culturally different between the US and Zambia"
"Before I'd even sat down, ''How did you end up in Arizona.'' "
"Not really a question, but a discussion we had about genetic research and the promises it holds for cancer treatment."
"what are you most afraid of with regard to medicine."
"Specific question regarding my research. I was pleased that they actually were interested in what I had done."
"Standard questions."
"Why MD/PhD"
"Why UA?"
"The questions are pretty basic and the same for all three interviews."
"How do you feel about translational research and the dichotomy of medical vs. graduate education."
"How do yout hink your travel experiences have broadened your horizons?"
"If medical school did not work out what else would I choose to do. "
"I can't htink of one."
"What other schools are you applying to?"
"Would you be interested in an MD/MBA degree? (I was a business major)"
"What kinds of books do you like to read (which led into a discussion on authors)?"
"nothing but the standard questions"
"In your medical experience have you been around death frequently, and how have you dealt with it?"
"Have you had any doctors try to talk you out of going into medicine? Why do you think they would or would not try do this? "
"How do you feel about the new limitations for residents on the number of hours they can spend at the hospital?"
"What aspects of being a practicing physician will be the most challenging?"
"If I were a patient why would I want you as my doctor?"
"How would you identify with a patient to make them feel at ease?"
"How I felt my religious studies major would help me as a physician."
"If you were to go back to your freshman year, what if anything would you change and why."
"how do you think we can bridge the gap between scientists and clinicians, how can we get good research from the lab bench to the bedside."
"nothing that stands out--I got a guy who mostly liked to speak about himself, so I asked a lot of questions of him."
"If you had a family member that were slowly dying of disease, and they told you that they wanted you to let them die, how would you handle the situation?"
"What kind of clinical research I was interested in"
"The questions were very normal and laid back, nothing too hard."
"What type of practice do you see yourself in ten years from now?"
"Why did you do your leadership work? [I had mentioned one of the organizations I co-founded and he wanted to know the impetus behind it.] Not really a surprising question, but there weren't really many questions asked since we just talked most of the time. "
"Something about healthcare rationing in Oregon, i.e. what programs get funding and how the decisions are made. "
"Nothing really. Very straightforward and conversational based for the most part."
"None of her questions were really interesting. Since it doesn't seem like you haven't had much trouble with what we've been talking about (academics and research), what things do you have difficulty with and/or what things are you working on to imporve? "
"If you were the dictator of a city, what is the first thing you would do for/to the people?"
"What do you do to relieve stress in tense situations?"
"What do think will be the most challenging aspect of being a physician."
"How would you tell the family members if you made a mistake on a patient?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"How does your family feel about you going to med school? (ie. assured that I'd have emotional support)"
"Were no real interesting questions...they were all pretty standard."
"What do you foresee as the most difficult task you face as a physician and what will be the most rewarding?"
"What do you think is the best way to tackle a problem like AIDS? (We had been talking about AIDS during the interview, I'm sure this isn't a standard question)."
"Nothing in particular"
"All the questions were straightforward, nothing too interesting."
"how would i apply my non-science education to medicine?"
"What is one thing about healthcare you would change? "
"Tell me about Zoroastrianism? (I mentioned that I had studied religion in India)"
"None. Typical, non-stressful conversation."
"MMI (non-disclosure)"
"MMI"
"MMI (nondisclosure)"
"Research related"
"MMI (signed non-disclosure agreement)"
"What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you?"
"Is there anything not in your application you'd like to cover?"
"Health care reform."
""Why MD?""
"Tell me about yourself."
"Tell me about your family."
"Explain any difficulties you may foresee in becoming a physician?"
"Nothing was too difficult, I was really prepared for anything :)"
"Do you think that your engineering major has put you at a disadvantage when it comes to material of the basic science courses?"
"What problems will you have as doctor?"
"Three adjectives"
"What college did you go to?"
"Many medical students enter school with these great ideals and then lose sight of those ideals after getting bogged down by classwork. How will you follow through with your ideals and make sure they become realities during school?"
"Describe how you view your life as a doctor- give me an example of one day."
"What are you most proud of?"
"What medical advances do you think we’ll see in the next 10 years and how will you contribute to them?"
"How have you and your spouse prepared for your entrance into medical school on a personal level? (i.e. what steps have you taken, if any, to ensure that your relationship doesn't suffer?)"
"Why did you decide to enter medicine instead of becoming a nurse practioner? (since they see their own patients, etc.)"
"What will be your weaknesses as a physician."
"It was very laid back and conversational, not too difficult. "
"none"
"none, they are all very simple. Just relax!"
"Have you ever had any difficulties communicating with anyone...example?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary or particularly difficult."
"None. The interview was very comfortable and conversational."
"None really, the whole interview was conversational"
"Nothing difficult."
"Tell me about your hobbies. What are your other hobbies? Do you have more hobbies?"
"It always comes back to why medicine, because for me it is more than just ''I have always wanted to be a doctor'' "
"No difficult questions."
"None of the questions were difficult."
"same as above"
"It always comes back to why medicine, because for me it is more than just ''I have always wanted to be a doctor''"
"Why MD/PhD"
"Tell me about yourself (I just hate that question!)"
"Surprisingly, nothing very hard. Interview was very conversational."
"Nothing hard...very conversational interview."
"Why not nursing - this was asked after I had discussed my mother's career as an RN, not just out of the blue. "
"Why medicine?"
"What makes you special?"
"How do you feel about physician assisted suicide?"
"Did working in a hospital with bad patient care and frustrating patients turn you off to medicine? Why do you still want to be a doctor after experiencing that?"
"nothing too difficult"
"What was your best time for the 10K?"
"What should I tell the admissions committee about you?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"How do you feel about PA's and their qualifications?"
"What aspects of being a practicing physician will be the most challenging?"
"No difficult questions just the basic why do you want to be a doctor type thing."
"Do you think healthcare is a right or a privilege? Why?"
"none at all"
"probably same as above."
"What brought you to medicine?"
"See the most interesting question."
"What will be your legacy when you're old?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor - its such an awkward question"
"What contribution can you make to medicine?"
"None. No research or ethics questions. Like other people have noted, the interviewers generally just want to feel you out as a person, not quiz you on knowledge or current events. "
"Nothing that difficult, I guess coming up with an answer for how to fix the health care system, a complete answer could take days. Entire books have been written on this topic all with different answers, as well as their own problems."
"ditto."
"Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years, professionally and personally? (Only awkward b/c not sure myself, but really quite suprised, b/c she was insistent about the latter part.)"
"Tell me a time you were misunderstood."
"Would you like to take your coat off?"
"Tell me about a time when you were misunderstood."
"see above"
"None were difficult."
"what are you going to do with your degree? (private practice...what?)"
"Can you provide me with a recent example where you took a leadership role?"
"The inevitable is there anything else you would like to add to our discussion"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"So tell me about yourself?"
"Again, all straightforward."
"biggest problem facing healthcare?"
"Whats the biggest problem facing healthcare today? "
"What is the number one problem facing healthcare today?"
"None."
"Practiced MMI questions."
"Review my application and practice MMI questions. Not a lot of straight up ethical questions but there were behavioral questions."
"read about ethics, understand yourself fully"
"MMI scenarios online, YouTube MMI scenarios, interview prep book, SDN interview feedback"
"Mock interviews and practiced speaking in front of the mirror."
"Prepped with MMI practice, Dr. Ryan Grey's interview book, online resources"
"reviewed practice MMI questions in order to better prepare myself for this style of interview"
"Read up on MMI's. Found a few good books about the topic."
"Practiced/reviewed questions/scenarios by myself, with friends."
"Reviewed some reported MMI scenarios and discussed the topics with a friend."
"I reviewed a "hit parade" of questions and compiled my answers, read articles on current events and ethics, and looked at the school's website for more information."
"SDN, mock, friends"
"SDN, Mock"
"SDN, meditation, website, looked up stuff on who the surgeon general is, a summary of the health care bill....all totally unnecessary."
"read over my essays and anything about the school specifically I wrote, I went back the website and looked up again. Also, I read one CNN article on health care reform."
"Read primary and secondary applications. Researched program on their website."
"Re-read app, SDN feedback, ethics books, NY Times health section."
"Reread app and secondary essays, health care reform articles, about the UA curriculum, etc."
"Read AMCAS, secondary app, looked up info on healthcare debate, looked up sample questions. None of these things were especially helpful."
"Read AMCAS, secondary application, read about healthcare debate, looked at sample questions. "
"SDN, reviewed my AMCAS and secondary essays"
"SDN, looked over personal statement and secondary, and read a med school interview book. "
"Read a lot of sample interview questions!! Also did lots of mock interviews at my school and with friends as well. I also practiced to myself the morning of the interview. "
"SDN; mock interview with career services at UA (this is available in Tucson even after graduating); practiced answers in front of mirror and with friends; read up on health care reform and watched a couple interesting Frontier documentaries on PBS.org"
"Practicing answers, SDN, reading a book on healthcare reform."
"SDN, interview practice questions from my pre-med school"
"Mock interview"
"I thoroughly prepared for this interview which made the experience that much more painful. I was prepared to discuss medical policy, ethics, current health policy trends or anything intellectually taxing, but alas this was not the case. At the U of A medical school you interview at both the Tucson campus and Phoenix campus in a one-on-one format. They were both closed file and I spent the entire interview dictating my academic and extracurricular background. Approximately forty minutes into the first interview I was thinking that we could have saved a lot of time for the both of us had they sent me a form that I could have put all of my academic history and activities on so that we could discuss motivations or health policy insights or something. And then it hit me, I had filled out such a form, the AMCAS. What a waste of time. I hope that this paragraph does justice to the frustration inherent to answering questions that were already in my file which took a lot of time on my part to fill out. But it was not just the answering of the questions that was the worst part; it was then waiting for my interviewers to write down the answers and the awkward silence in the intervening moments. When trying to fill these silent moments with additional comments or trying to segue to a more interesting topic, I was met with “hold on, I need to write this down.” Wow. Perhaps this had just as much to do with the closed file format, but I have had closed file interviews in the past that did not cover exactly what was in my file. I have a feeling that this was due to the inferior status of this medical school that was manifested through the admissions process."
"SDN, mock interview"
"I didn't do much. Typed up a few questions to ask, looked at other feedback and info on the school."
"Tried to get a good night's sleep."
"Reviewed my AMCAS and research history"
"SDN interview feedback, practice"
"Mock interview workshop, sdn interview feedback, experience (reapplicant), school website, other school/professional resources, books"
"I did 3 mock interviews with the career center at my school."
"I answered the questions in the interview chapter of the book "Essays That Will Get You Into Medical School." They are questions that help you focus on who you are and what you want interviewers to know about you. "
"read SDN, etc."
"SDN, website, prepared general questions, UA website"
"Website, SDN, and reviewing my primary and secondary applications"
"Web site"
"Used SDN, Scrolled the school's website"
"SDN, Mock interviews"
"Read over app, studied UA web site"
"Looked over my AMCAS application."
"SDN, School website "
"SDN, U of A website"
"Looked at the school's info and tried to relax."
"Read over my AMCAS application, looked at the school's website, and created a list of questions to ask."
"Read over school web page"
"Read SDN. Reviewed past research"
"Read Schools website."
"Read school website, talked to current students, etc."
"Answering posted questions on this site."
"Read over AMCAS"
"Reviewed school programs and had questions - not too much preparation"
"I didn't. This was my 3rd and final interview for the U of A, and I felt pretty confident."
"I read up on the school. The end."
"SDN interview feedback, mock interview at my school, practiced answering questions with my wife"
"Read up on the school's information, looked over questions on studentdoctor.net, practiced with my fiance."
"I knew that it was closed file so I wrote up what I wanted to tell about myself which helped me say all I wanted to say about myself."
"Looking over UA interview questions on this website. "
"Read over personal statement, AMCAS application. Answered some interview questions I found on a website. RELAXED."
"Read SDN, my personal statment, info about the school from the web and friends who go there"
"Review Personal Statement, other secondary application responses to essay questions, Review of UA Website, SDN, Mock Interview."
"SDN, mock interviews held at the school, practiced with family members, re-read my AMCAS application and personal statement, read up on current events. "
"Practiced with family, reviewed UofA website and programs, reviewed current medical issues (i.e. malpractice, managed care, etc), and practiced OUT LOUD (so important!!!!!)"
"sdn, practiced with family members and friends."
"Mock Interviews held at the school, website, undergrad office"
"student doc."
"nothing"
"I didn't. I beleieve in being myself."
"studentdoctor.com, interview books, reviewed personal statement"
"Going over possible questions over my head (strenghts/weaknesses, future, etc.)"
"sdn, school website"
"sdn, read AMCAS visited the U of A website and read campus news to get current local issues."
"Website, friends that are med students there"
"Looked over personal statement, current medical and medical ethics issues (just in case), and this site. "
"Same way I've prepared for the rest of my interviews, read everything I could get my hands on, books, newspapers, SDN, anything else I found interesting."
"SDN"
"I read the school's website, read questions from this website, and thought through responces to expected questions. "
"Looked online for possible interview questions, talked to others who have been interviewed, went over my application, then relaxed :)"
"Reviewed info. on the school, looked at this site."
"read up on current issues in healthcare, review sample interview questions"
"This site, U of A practice session, U of A website."
"this webpage, read about the school www.medicine.arizona.edu./ read about latest health news www.nyt.com/ watched CNN"
"SDN, reviewed UofA website, list of anticipated questions"
"SDN, U of A Health Sciences News online, Website."
"SDN, UA website, mock interview with friends"
"Sample interview questions available online and moderate examination of school website"
"Reviewed my application, SDN, website."
"read application and school website, talked to some who've gone through the process"
"Read up on UA at the website, mock interviewed with family"
"I learned about different healthcare systems currently being used in the world and also looked at the University of Washington bioethics website."
"Looked at website, reviewed answers to the standard questions."
"they did a very long comprehensive presentation on their school and curriculum and I got the impression that they really care about their students"
"I loved how laid back the students were. I liked how you have an advisor all four years."
"They are truly committed to diversity and serving at-need populations. They also are very transparent about the interview process and want applicants and their medical students to suceed."
"The brand new bioscience building"
"As of 2019, they just opened up a brand new building for their medical school. The Banner Hospital also has a whole new set of buildings that just opened up in the last year or two, so overall the med school and hospital facilities are brand new and super nice. Also, the students here are very laid back and collaborative. Lectures are mostly optional, there are a few required things each week. My student host was amazing."
"How supported the students felt at this school."
"The positivity of both students and faculty. Everyone really seemed to enjoy their roll in the school."
"Students were really happy about attending here because of the support of the staff and other students. Super laid back atmosphere where everyone wants to help everyone out"
"All the staff and interviewers were really kind and the experience was great."
"People working and studying there are so happy, lots of resources for students, hospital and school in same building."
"It was obvious that the current medical students were friends, not competitors. There was a strong sense of community, and it was clear that each student was supported by their peers. Also - the Office of Student Development was outstanding. I can see how they are a great resource to have available to you, regardless of how well you're performing on your exams."
"The students!! Everyone wanted to talk to us and ask us how it was going and offer support!"
"The doctor conducting my interview was fantastic! She had read my secondary application very thoroughly, and even complimented me on my writing style. I think she was a perfect match for me and she made me feel extremely comfortable."
"Interview was laid back, conversational"
"everything. Tucson is a really laid back town, and the students/faculty are equally laid back and great."
"The people are dedicated and professional."
"students are happy with the program ample opportunities for service"
"The size of school, the happiness of the students, and resources on campus. The histo lab."
"I was very impressed with the small class size (48), curriculum, and usmle test scores, especially for the phoenix track only being around for several years. Everybody seems to know that the phoenix campus is the next big up and coming regional research hub. Even other schools that I interviewed at were really excited about that campus"
"Everything! Everyone is so enthusiastic!"
"The students, staff, and faculty were so welcome and open; the admissions process is very transparent. The capstone project, doctoring program, and scholarly project all seem awesome. I love the small class size."
"The curriculum! Clinical experience and doctoring training from day 1. Capstone week validates just-learned material from previous block."
"The interviewer was very nice and inviting. The facilities were great, although definitely antiquated compared to ASU."
"the facilities"
"Friendly community and pretty convenient locations. Everyone was enthusiastic and very informative. Wasn't as hot as I had expected. It's a very upstart program with a lot of room to grow. "
"EVERYTHING!!!!! The Phoenix campus is a DREAM school!!!!!! I left feeling amazing!! My interview could not have gone better!!!! Everyone was so friendly and I really enjoyed meeting the students, faculty, and staff!!!!"
"The curriculum. I really like that students are given a 1-week break in between academic blocks. I am also a big fan of the longitudinal clinical experience. I am not a research person AT ALL, but the scholarly project seems like a great way to do research that you're passionate about and it will give an edge to your residency application. Students also have access to many of the surrounding hospitals which is cool. Small student body = family feel and easy access to professors."
"The Dean was very enthusiastic about the program and you could tell he was sincere when he spoke to you. "
"Campus tour by student, students seemed very happy, new curriculum offers a lot of early clinical work and test grades were back up for school after a dip the first year of new curriculum."
"Curriculum, students were excited about Phoenix, amount of financial aid available."
"The meal that was provided at lunch was not bad. That is all."
"Everything. The facilities are wonderful, the students are enthusiastic. "
"New program, staff is really interested in helping students succeed. Lots of opportunities for clinical exposure. Staff will help you make connections to get involved in just about anything."
"The updated facilities and curriculum. How happy the students are."
"Faculty, students, curriculum presentation and detailed information available"
"New curriculum presentation with clinical exposure built in from day 1, student tour guide, admissions representative."
"The dedication and passion of the faculty, the friendliness and availability of the admissions staff, clinical longitudinal experience, scholarly project, preparedness for board exams, new facilities"
"The enthusiasm and comradery between students, knowledgeability of staff and students, CUP program, histology lab equipment, proximity of clinical teaching facilities and resources, SOCIETIES"
"The facilities in Tucson are impeccable. The students love the school and the system."
"The med students (MS1) showing us the school seemed very non-stressed. I liked all the talk of border health care issues and the Commitment to Underserved People Program. "
"hightech school. "
"Phoenix campus: high-tech school. very new. only 48 students, so it is very intimate. students get to contribute to the creation of the school. really into bio-informatics... and their new curriculum"
"The atmosphere of the school and how everybody was very laid back and relaxed."
"The curriculum is great. I also love that the school is completely pass/fail with no ranking at all the first two years. The students were very laid back and seemed to enjoy the school a lot."
"Close-knit student body; I could keep my family here in AZ if accepted; admissions department is very well-organized."
"Most of the facilities were excellent. They have new research buildings (important for me) and UMC is an outstanding hospital. The admissions staff were very nice and helpful."
"The facilities are great, the faculty and current students seem friendly and supportive."
"The staff and faculty all were extremely excited about the program. All the classrooms were very high-tech ''smart'' rooms."
"Friendliness of students, welcoming staff."
"The students and faculty were very enthusiastic and happy. It was also an awesome location. Right across from Chase Field."
"The school impressed me more than I thought it would."
"Students, Facilities"
"facilities - all brand new students - seemed to be happy"
"The facilities. They are brand-new, and very high tech! Also, the school seems very accommodating to the students, because they realize this is a new program and will need some tweaking. "
"My interviewer was on the committee that helped develop the new curriculum and was very knowledgeable. He was so enthusiastic about the school that you just couldn't help be excited about it, too."
"facilities at phx are brand new, and the faculty we extremely nice."
"PHX Campus- Faculty, progressive thinking, integration of research into the four years of school, their plan for the future, that the UofA Phoenix campus and program is almost completely separate from the Tucson program."
"Library, facilities in general, school literally located inside of a hospital, service opportunities, clinical exposure woven into the new curriculum."
"Nice new lab facilities in the Bio5 Institute."
"1. Price: This school cannot be beat for the cost. I was accepted by several other private out of state schools, but chose to attend UA because I will be 130K less in debt at the end of 4 years. 2. Campus/Facilities: The Health Sciences campus in Tucson is rapidly expanding with beautiful new facilities for public health, nursing and pharmacy. Also, the second floor of the medical school educational facility has been completely redone and the results are stunning, ie: 4 enormous lecture/study rooms with 16 plasma TVs in each, brand new furniture, new student lockers, new private study room. 3. Integrated Curriculum: Although there seem to have been some bumps in the road for the first year class, the general consensus is that the new curriculum was badly needed and that this type of integration will eventually happen at all medical schools. 4: Small Class Size: Although it might not seem like much of a difference, UA's class of only 110 students, compared to 180+ students at other schools I interviewed at, is significant. This smaller class size lends itself to better student-faculty interaction and more hands on learning. 5. Phoenix 3/4 Years: The opportunity to rotate 3rd & 4th years at the enormous network of Phoenix hospitals which UA has affiliations with. 6. Medical Student Research Program: Within a week of being accepted, I had already been contacted about participating in the MSRP for the summer before school begins! This school is making a concerted effort to improve its own reputation and the opportunities for its graduates. The school knows that the best way to do this is via a significant dedication to research. So far, I have been very impressed with the schools devotion to research and how easy they make it for students to find opportunities. 7. Arizona Health Sciences Center Library: This library is amazing! I attended a top 10 undergraduate institution and our libraries were nothing like this. If I have to spend the next four years in a library, I want it to be a library like this one! 8. Administration: From what I have gathered from talking to students both here and at other schools, the administrators at UA are extremely accomodating to their students' needs. After hearing horror stories about administrators at other schools, I was relieved to discover that they are so helpful at UA. 9. Early Clinical Exposure: Students raved about the CUP program and other clinical opportunities in their first 2 years. Although these types of experiences have become par for the course at most schools, it seems that UA has taken a more active/hands on approach than most."
"I was really impressed with the entire experience on the Phoenix campus (the facilities, staff, curriculm) but less so in Tucson. Although tht students in Tucson seemed to really like each other and apparently study together frequently."
"Medical student qa sessions Facilities, especially the med student lounge"
"New curriculum. UA is organ-/system-based now. "
"enthusiasm of faculty, staff AND students - great attitutes "
"The facitilies up at Phoenix are BRAND NEW, and everyone seems very excited about the new campus location. "
"The food."
"My interviewer was really cool and it was totally laid back."
"The staff and students were very friendly and encouraging, and the other interviewees were very nice and excited, too."
"The admissions staff is really thorough and efficient. "
"The U of A medical center is very large, so great opportunities for an undergraduate medical education."
"The enthusiasm of everyone involved in the process. The relaxed atmosphere of the whole process. Their willingness to explain the selection process."
"Everyone spoke very positively about the school. I had my own views which weren't so positive, but that changed after both interviews."
"Good sense of comaraderie among students, the curriculum change effective for the class of 2006 (going to systems-based approach), the cost is a major plus!"
"Linda, Ann & the Medical Students were incredibly friendly & welcoming. The day is structured appropriately and the schedule runs on time. There is a nice community feel with a lot of comraderie amongst students"
"Relaxed atmosphere; the students at the medical school were all very energetic and seemed to get along very well."
"The environment was really relaxed. I had my interview in the afternoon session so I had about 3 hours to wait, but it was so relaxed that all of my anxiety was long gone before I met with my interviewer."
"everyone was very kind and helpful."
"How low stress it was. "
"the atmosphere of tucson is cool around u of a. if i would have gone there as an undergrad, that might have been different. the admissions staff was very friendly, and you definatley get the feeling that access to the administration is one of the school's comparative assets. the students we met with were funny, honest, and down to earth. i definatley saw a strong bond between classmates. flexibility in rotations was a plus, alon with the other opportunities that are offered to the class. my interviewer engaged me on a couple of topics that weren't generic and came up in the course of my answers. "
"The interviewers were relaxed and casual. One was quite an interesting person, a researcher on the faculty who had a lot of interesting stories to share and was interested in international work (also my primary interest)."
"24/7 lib is awesome. School had a nice family feel. They have a ranked wait list. "
"Everything."
"students, and MOST of staff (see summary)"
"The support that they provide the medical students"
"the students looked so happy and were friendly...even though it was in the middle of exam week. the faculty and doctors seemed really genuine and caring... i liked the hospital and the area...there's a really pretty view from the library..."
"Everyone one the campus was very friendly and helpful"
"Arizona weather, laid back atmosphere, I know a lot of people who turned down higher ranked schools to go here"
"The overall feel was good. The students were raucous in the lounge during lunchtime, but that showed they were all happy to be there and enjoying themselves. "
"Other interviewees. All of them were friendly, and we started up a converstaion fairly easily before the process started. Gives me hope that I'll get along with my fellow classmates. "
"Friendly atmosphere, students had high opinions of the faculty members, small interview group. "
"The teaching and learning facilities. It's apparent that the school invests significant time and resources into developing and maintaining the tools they use to teach. The electronic resources for histology and practice USMLE testing. Also, learning that most of the curricular resources are web acessable (so one could study at home)."
"I liked the feel of the interview. It was less academically oriented but rather focused on getting to know me, what kind of a person i was, what i liked. It left me with an impression that the admissions board is more likely to view the applicate as a whole person rather than a test score or a GPA average. The entire process left me with an impressions that the medical students got a lot of support from the staff and faculty there. Everyone during the whole day was very helpful and positive."
"Strong support for families of medical students."
"People were very friendly, including the interviewer."
"Students seem very happy. The school is very supportive of students."
"Students seemed happy, staff and professors seemed to have student interests at heart."
"student community is very close and supportive of each other"
"The school had a very 'small town' feel to it. Students were walking by us during the tour telling us good luck. Some students walked up and shook our hands. The student lounge was small but very cozy feeling. It felt like my living room."
"How friendly the medical students were. Several times before the interview, current students stopped by our tour group and wished us luck."
"very laid-back atmosphere, people seem friendly and honest"
"The atmosphere, everyone there seemed friendly and helpful. A nice place."
"The laid-back attitude of both students and faculty. The faculty seemed to be concerned with the well-being and success of the students."
"UA environment"
"Friendly student environment"
"I really liked Tucson and the medical school had great lab facilities"
"Nice admissions staff."
"The student-led pre-reception did not impress me. I felt it was a little disorganized and lacking gusto."
"Students must take step 1 earlier than other schools. 18 month curriculum"
"Tucson is a weird place. Also, from what I've read, the Step scores are a little lower here than in other places."
"the weather - so hot!"
"Perhaps a Moreno comprehensive campus tour. I feel like it was pretty short for the size of the school."
"Tucson...."
"Tucson might not be the best city in the world"
"The financial aid talk consisted of the representative showing us all the numbers, and then giving us a list of physician salaries and telling us that "it's ok, you'll be making tons of money anyway." I found this highly unprofessional. Moreover, I think the way this was done is dangerous - we don't have enough PC doctors as is. By presenting your financial aid info this way, you're telling future docs to choose their specialties based on future salary...."
"Small student area"
"The long period of tim, 2h+ of self guided tour on an Ipad. . . started to get sleepy after lunch!"
"Other than the rain, nothing!"
"cost for OOS is a little steep, but what are you going to do? it is med school after all."
"The parking situation."
"the dean couldn't speak to us about the program due to a scheduling conflict"
"Too much concrete on campus."
"Poor excuse for a library and study facilities"
"I wish the school had more of a hustle bustle feel to it, but I really appreciate the small size. "
"The facilities are small."
"The facilities are still being created, so right now things are on the basic and small side (but seems to be more than sufficient!)"
"The med school student tour guides didn't have too much helpful information. "
"My interviewer, he wasn't very nice"
"Campus is a bit smaller than I'm used to. Could use more facilities. Tends to lean heavily on outside areas for resources."
"Nothing, I would be so happy if I got into the Phx campus!! It is a spectacular program!!!"
"The campus doesn't have that "college" feel, and that is a big negative for me. The library is really small (it is the size of about a classroom). The students seemed really nice, but they were a bit "dry toast" if you know what I mean. The multicultural office needs to do SOMETHING to spice up the student body."
"Parkings bad. Economically, it seems the school is pushing away from student friendliness a little bit limiting some opportunities."
"The lack of alot of facilities."
"Interview. Lack of enthusiasm from medical students that we met. One such medical student spent the entire hour long lunch talking about himself and how he was on some student government board. He turned every question asked into something involving what was going on with his life without any connection to the actual question asked. It was a really surreal experience and uncomfortable for all of us that were interviewing that day. "
"Tucson is not exactly a world-class city. But I'm sure it's fine for four years."
"Low test scores on Step 1 for the first group to take boards since the new curriculum."
"That it's a new program. And, I'm not too excited about the Scholarly Project. But, after talking with some of the students, it doesn't seem that bad."
"Last year's board exam scores (from now 3rd year students) were lower than usual. They addressed the issue very well--attributed it to the change in curriculm and detailed prevention steps"
"Limited space for classrooms and studying, very small library, no adjacent teaching hospital/anatomy lab"
"The meeting with the dean lasted about 10 minutes and he didn't seem so care much about us."
"I don't know how much racial diversity is in the student body. "
"rural area."
"How the school is like a little add-on to the hospital, and how I have to do another interview with a physician later on."
"The fact that it is UA, and I am an ASU student. It would be hard to be deep in the heart of wildcat country...gross."
"1st interviewer was somewhat salty...bitter about the state of medicine today."
"I was never a huge fan of Tucson."
"The school is still in its infancy so there will be growing pains."
"Very small class sizes (24 students)"
"Tucson, I thought it would be great, but the city is so spread out and as a result requires lots of time spent in the car. Too many strip malls. Not ped friendly."
"It is brand new and still being built so the library was super small and they don't know where they will have classes next year."
"The tour guides weren't great. It also seems to me that the students at the school didn't get along very well. I specifically asked if they all got along, and the tour guides dodged the question."
"PHX Campus - It is a new location that is still building facilities so things are not clear yet as to where classes will be held, when and how the new buildings will come up, etc. Obviously there will be some growing pains associated with a new program. Location...downtown Phoenix/Tempe. Crowded, hot...and the campus really is just a bunch of buildings. Nowhere to be outside and enjoy the winter weather there in Phoenix. "
"not much of a campus at all"
"inferiority complex from being a lesser ranked school on the part of some faculty"
"My interviewer. She talked almost the whole time and dominated the interview session. Also, I'm not too keen on the scholarly project- it's just not for me."
"My interviewer was late, but only because he was with a patient. So that wasn't too bad."
"PHX Campus - It is a new location that is still building facilities so things are not clear yet as to where classes will be held, when and how the new buildings will come up, etc. Obviously there will be some growing pains associated with a new program. Location...downtown Phoenix/Tempe. Crowded, hot...and the campus really is just a bunch of buildings. Nowhere to be outside and enjoy the winter weather there in Phoenix. "
"Tucson, parking. Both not really that bad though. "
"MD/PhD program is pretty small. Only a few students every year"
"1. Average Step 1 Scores: Scores for the last few years have hovered at or only slightly above the national average. 2. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but there is a large number of students who are seeking to enter primary care fields. 3. 3 Interviews: Having to do 3 separate interviews on 3 separate days is crazy! How is it that every other school in the entire country can schedule all of their interviews for a single day, but UA can't figure it out? 4. Tucson: After living in a large cosmopolitan city for the last four years, it will be a transition to move to Tucson. However, tucson does have several redeeming virtues, including great year-round weather, lots of outdoor activities and a great party scene/nightlife. 5. Residency Placement: Although UA students matched pretty well overall, the number of matches to prestigious programs was low. I suppose that part of this can be chalked up to A) students aiming more towards primary care fields B)AZ residents not wanting to leave the state C) possibly a lower achieving student body in general (although i don't think this is the case) D) Could be connected to average step 1 scores. 6. Older Class: Also not necessarily a bad thing, but there seems to be a higher percentage of non-traditional students here than at other schools. Some students said that having more non traditional students led to some divisions within the class, but I don't believe that this is a big deal. "
"The Tucson facility is a little run down and my Tucson interviewer was on-call and pretty rushed."
"admissions staff"
"Facilities are okay, not great."
"cannot think of anything in particular "
"The fact that there is still a lot of construction going on, and right now the faciliies are limited. Also, 2007 will be the inagural class for the Phoenix campus."
"The students, the construction, the curriculum."
"They started a new curriculum last year and it seemed like they still had some kinks to work out. "
"The facilities are outdated, but they are remodeling the whole second floor. We also couldn't see the anatomy lab- our tour guide said it was because there were students working on a cadaver."
"The place is kind of shabby. They wouldn't let us see the anatomy lab. Just kept telling us how great it is but that we couldn't go in."
"I have been to other interviews and this is the first that made a big deal about not seeing the anatomy lab because the faculty didn't want prospective students to see it, it has NOTHING to do with HIPPA, makes me uneasy about working with such faculty as a student."
"My "community" physician interview was in northwest Glendale/Peoria, almost as far as my interview in Tucson. (I live in Tempe)"
"I feel like there aren't a whole lot of different opportunities compared to other schools."
"nothing!"
"It would have been nice to see the gross anatomy lab during the tour, but I understand the HIPPA regulations that prohibited us from being able to see the lab."
"somewhat old facilities"
"The actual college of medicine is really small and not entirely new, but it is functional and has some newer parts. The students get what they need from it, which is what's important!"
"the classrooms looked old..which they are."
"Interview was during midterms so everyone, especially the students were a little stressed out"
"interviews are blind, so the interviewer knows nothing unless you tell them. the idea is that they are supposed to learn about you as a person, but they ask questions about all the stuff that comes up in your file anyway. my interviewer was easy to talk to and relaxed. i liked him, but had he been able to get some background on me first, alot of my answers whould have made more sense and communication would have been easier. its almost like you feel you have to toot you own horn to let them know what your capable of. some of the classrooms look a little beat up, but he clinical facilities are great."
"Lack of interest in me--I think that because I asked so many questions of them and their interests, the hour-long interview (i had two) was mostly me listening to them."
"Overall, the interview day was a let down. I was interviewed by a pathologist and a radiologist, so we had very little common ground (as I wish to become an ob). One of the physicians told me right off the back that he hates pt's, so the interview went down hill from there. "
"Nothing."
"my interviewer (see summary)"
"small school and seemingly no outstanding opportunities, didn't see very much of the hospital"
"Never been a big fan of Tucson. Had friends who went there for undergrad, they loved the school, but couldn't wait to get out of Tucson. w/ luck I'll only be there for two as I selected Phoenix for my 3rd and 4th years. "
"Student tour was a short and not very informative. I would have like to sit in on a class for a while."
"Tucson and my interviewer. I've lived in a very large, progressive, and culturally diverse city attending college, Tucson is small and much more homogenous. Also, my interviewer was late and seemed to be having a bad day, and I think she was a little curt because of it."
"One negative aspective of the visit came the actual medical school students that gave us the tour. They seemed nice and informative when asked a question, but they didn't have a clear agenda. It seemed like we wondered around the facilities without a real purpose. "
"Nothing really, if anything Tucson looked a bit run down."
"No tour of the clinical facilities."
"I felt the orientation after the lunch and tour was a bit long(1 hour). I was having trouble focusing and really just wanted to get to the interview. They did provide us some valuable stats but I would like to have seen this limited to maybe 30 minutes tops."
"nothing, except that I don't like having to go back and do a community physician interview on a separate date. I'd rather do the whole thing on one day and get it over with."
"Don't get the opportunity to see much on the tour. "
"Nothing"
"The tour was uninformative."
"They have a low rate of acceptance post interview."
"To RELAX because the MMI questions weren't all that bad and mainly depended on being yourself."
"This was my first MMI, so I guess I wish I knew what question types I would get. There weren't really any ethical scenarios which I had prepped for. They were more scenario-based or normal type interview questions."
"Nothing. It was very well organized."
"How fast MMI would go by, how much repeated information there would be from the pre-applicant day"
"Sign up for a morning MMI time slot"
"That the info on the pre-interview reception was similar to the info on the day off"
"How many of each question type there would be on the MMI. It was 2 traditional, 2 acting, and 6 other."
"MMIs are awesome"
"In MMI, how much can you "make up" during the scenarios, eg, can you make up details to facilitate the scenario and if so what is the limit??"
"nothing really. I knew this place was cool, but it exceeded my expectations."
"that no one is involved with helping the admissions committee other than the interviewer. So, you can be relaxed around the med students."
"No surprises."
"That I would have to have 2 interviews because I only interviewed in Phoenix."
"I could have dressed more laid back."
"That the campus is small though newer compared to other schools."
"I wish I had known more about the differences in programming between the Tucson and Phoenix campuses.. "
"Nothing really. I guess I could have prepared more for questions about the validity and relevance of my major."
"Didn't know till a week before that since I was only interviewing at Tucson, I had to do an interview with a local doctor as well. This second interview was EXTREMELY relaxed and was happy to have a chance to do it."
"None"
"Tucson campus: For such a big school the medical school is fairly small. Relatively new facilities but it still seemed awfully cramped. The budget crisis has hit this school hard. Phoenix campus: The three buildings that comprise the U of A medical school in Phoenix are embarrassing. The tour guide showed us all the “nooks and crannies” that medical students claim as their own to study in. One was a desk in the corner of a flight of stairs. The facilities are ridiculous. My junior high school had better facilities. They have such a small space for their anatomy labs that it was deemed hazardous and they subsequently had to spend thousands of dollars on gas masks to protect the students while doing their anatomy labs. Can you imagine, a student was bragging about how the school took care of them by buying expensive gas masks so that they could do their anatomy labs. What a joke. "
"There was a large group of applicants interviewing and for some reason I expected there only to be a couple of us. But everyone was very friendly and lunch was provided! Yay for free food!"
"If you interview at both campuses, be aware that your interview information/performance will be shared between both campuses. This is how you get two total interviews (one from each campus)."
"You can check out the students' webpage at www.collegeofmedicinephoenix.com. "
"That admissions is semi-rolling this year."
"I could have interviewed in the morning and eaten lunch/toured afterwards. I had my lunch before the interview and was so nervous I couldn't hardly eat anything."
"That I was going to run into a massive dust storm on my drive back up to Tempe. I survived it though."
"Nothing, really."
"Nothing negative. Everything that I didn't know about was a pleasant surprise. Some people were discouraged by the scholarly project though."
"I wish I knew how long it would take to get to the interview. Traffic in Phoenix is very busy."
"I wish their were more details on their web-site that show how different and unique the PHX program is, not to mention how qualified and outstanding their faculty is. I really went in expecting a UofA Tucson style program. "
"The anatomy lab is off campus, in another building."
"That we would be eating lunch in a different building."
"I wish their were more details on their web-site that show how different and unique the PHX program is, not to mention how qualified and outstanding their faculty is. I really went in expecting a UofA Tucson style program. "
"How short the tour would be. The overall interview day was very short. Checked in at like 10 and was done by 2 or so. This included the interview, tour, and lunch. I have been to some all day marathons, so I appreciated the brevity. "
"How flexible they are with the design of the PhD projects."
"That I would not hear back until the beginning of February! This is crazy! I submitted my application to UA at the same time as all my other schools and I found out from most of them in the middle of October! It took UA 4 months longer to accept me. This is a really bad policy because some students start to hear from other schools and begin withdrawing from other schools. I bet that UA loses out on some great students because of this and their notoriously strange admissions standards."
"How far the medical campus is from the main campus in Tucson"
"My interviewer was much more laid back than I expected, I shouldn't have stressed so much!"
"No real orientation in the beginning. Seemed kind of weird..."
"It was HOT in the room I interviewed in - especially when you are wearing a suit "
"The only thing is I wish I had been more familiar with the area in Phoenix."
"The outrageous number of separate interviews."
"I wish I had known more about the new curriculum they are implementing, but I learned a lot about it. "
"University of Arizona is launching a new curriculum for the 2006 incoming class. I got the impression that the students didn't know much about it and the faculty weren't really on board for it and that they still didn't have a lot of the crucial plans worked out. They wouldn't tell us anything about the grading system, but later the school put out a flyer about how the new curriculum would have like 5/6ths of the grade based on touchy feely groupwork and peer evaluation garbage. That's a MAJOR red flag. Even at great schools, the first year of a new curriculum is bumpy. At an average school like UofA, it seems like it might be a total nightmare. I mean, I'd still maybe think about going there if they let me in but it fell way way down from being my top choice anymore."
"Wish I would have thought up more school specific questions for both interviewers. "
"U of A is USMLE testing site, this is a nice resource and advantage for the program. 2nd year students have the opportunity to practice clinical skills on an interactive robot model."
"The interviewers didn't have a set of questions to ask me. I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to squeeze all of my experiences/volunteer work into the interview but both interviewers asked me "is there anything else you would like me to know about you" so I was able to talk about all my experiences and wrap up my interview."
"The school doesn't even begin reviewing "complete" files until December and the first notifications are in January, then Feb, then March. So theoretically, I have to wait almost 6 months before I find out if I get in."
"nothing really, maybe just about the blind interview."
"FinAid is sort of a mess. We were told that if we didn't submit our fafsa prior to the feb deadline we would not beable to get aid. Our acceptance would not even be sent out until march. "
"real push to in state people. the biggest thing it has going for it if you're from arizona is that it is in Arizona. Got a good overall impression."
"Nothing. There are handouts given when you arrive. You could bring a pen if you think there's something you need to write down. (I didn't.)"
"Nothing really"
"That there's only so much of Tucson that you can handle. After doing my undergrad there, I think I'm ready for a change of scenery..."
"The itinerary: meet at admissions office, orientation w/ an admissions officer, then a 30-5- min interview, lunch with 2 medical students in a lounge, and followed by a short student guided tour. That there are some bright medical students who have spent time outside of Arizona (lived some where else, borne elsewhere, attended school out of state)."
"I wish i knew beforehand that the separate interview with the community physician was also closed-file. I would've been more relaxed. "
"nothing"
"Nothing."
"I was overall impressed by the school. Tucson is not for everyone, and I think they look for a specific fit (which is why a lot of OOS get interview waitlisted). They are integrating a new research program into their curriculum. Also, their distinction tracts prepare you to be competitive for residency applications."
"Overall, I was very impressed by the students here and their brand new facilities. I'd be happy to go here."
"This seems like a great school and a wonderful campus. They take their student's success very seriously."
"Great interview experience! It is what you make of it!"
"great school, enjoyed the MMI but was slightly more stressful than one-on-one"
"there is nothing you can do to specifically prepare for this interview because it's in the MMI format. you can practice thinking on your feet by reviewing practice questions to familiarize yourself with the process."
"Loved this school"
"I liked the school very much. Yes, its public, but with that comes a lot of resources. Also, it could be cheaper than a private school, if you're able to get AZ residency."
"Impressed by the MMI process and the student body (and the food), felt that the structure of the interview day could have been a little more productive."
"Don't stress; be yourself!"
"This place has quite a particular curriculum and the location is unique in some ways. if ever there were a 'fit' school, UofA is it. You will know if this is your place. good luck everyone!"
"Good school, good people, maybe small facilities."
"I liked it!"
"Each campus has advantages and disadvantages but I think both would be a great place to go to medical school. Out of the nine schools that I've interviewed at, the U of A was surprisingly in my top two choices "
"This is interview 1 of 2. I will enter the 2nd one separately. "
"This was a great interview. This was my second interview because I only interviewed in Phoenix. She seemed really interested and excited to get to know me. Great conversation. "
"I had a fabulous experience. Very committed and personal school- felt like they care about creating wonderful doctors. If you are into a huge well-known research school this is not for you, but if you are want to personally know your teachers as mentors- this is a GREAT school!"
"Still undecided on whether Phoenix or Tucson campus is best for me."
"Both Phx and Tucson are incredible programs!!! My interview at Tucson was a bit more stressful but still had a great day there as well. Good luck everyone!!! "
"I have a pretty low MCAT, but the interviewer didn't seem too bothered by it. He seemed to want to get to know me as a person, so the interview was very conversational and it was nice. It seems like such good school, but the location and campus are really the only down sides for me. We were also told that they are interviewing about 550 students and have received over 1200 or 1500 apps so far (can't remember which one). I'm not sure if these numbers are for the Phx campus alone, or both Phx and Tucson campuses."
"Everyone was really nice. No stressful questions were asked. They just wanted to know who I was and why I was interested in their school. "
"Love UA undergrad, from what I hear the med school is back on the rise after a couple rough years due to new dean (who is currently out and there is a newer dean). Location may be boring for some, lot of outdoor activities if you're into that; great campus feel and good weather."
"I am thankful that I got into another school, just heard today, so that I do not have to attend this school. If you happen to not be so lucky, it is okay as all will be doctors at the other side. You will just have to grin and take it for four years if you go here to the U of A med school. "
"This feedback is regarding the Phoenix campus. Also, I just want to say that if you have to stay at a hotel, I highly recommend The Clarendon. It's modern, there's a rooftop bar, restaurant, and pool. Great staff. Wonderful pillows. I got upgraded to a suite, and had a drink with the owner. Great experience!"
"This was the Tucson interview. I love how short and easy it is. "
"This is for the PHOENIX campus."
"This is for the TUCSON campus. The interview was very casual - really a free flow discussion. Up to you if you want to steer it in a direction that will favor you! So take advantage of this situation if the interviewer allows it."
"Great school, great program (Phoenix campus). It is obvious that the curriculum has been tailored to the students and that alot of thought/research/effort was put into making it a great medical school. Seems like a very well-rounded education experience. A little hesitant regarding the space limitations and that the program is only 2 years old."
"I love this school (Tucson campus). The best aspect was seeing the students interact and hearing from them at the lunch hour and campus tour. They all have so much enthusiasm for the program and truly love every bit of it. The adjacent teaching hospital is also a big plus for me. "
"We did not get to see the hospital on the tour. Lunch was a brown bag lunch and there was only 1 vegetarian bag available. About 7 other students were on the tour/information session. Every student is supposed to have 2 interviews, either with a MS4, PhD, or MD (from the community or faculty). "
"The interviewers get to choose if they want open/closed file. Mine chose open. She did a lot of talking in the beginning about the new curriculum.She told me that I had done well in my application, but that doesn't guarantee anything, since there are so few spots."
"Tucson closed file. "
"Very relaxed atmosphere. The interview was very comfortable. It included lunch and a tour. "
"I love this school. Before the interview, I would have never thought I would even consider attending UA, but now I think this is where I will choose to go over most other schools I have applied to."
"This entry accounts for BOTH interviews...the on-campus and the community physician interview. My community interview was much more laid-back and relaxing. My interviewer and I shared some experiences / philosophies that made it very easy to draw examples and express ideas. Overall...I feel very good about my community interview. On the other hand; my on-campus interview began with the interviewer telling me that he had been in medicine for over 30 years...he has seen the best...and NOW he is seeing the worst. What a way to kick off an interview! He challenged me time and again (pretty much the topic of the entire interview) about my intentions and dedication to medicine (based upon the fact that I am a "returning-student", and have enjoyed other careers before coming to medicine). The GOOD news is that I handled the challenges well, and stepped-up to the plate in addressing his concerns effectively. PLUS, we were all forearned that some of us may be challenged, and most of those who MEET the challenge earn better recommendations than those who went unchallenged during their interview. Nonetheless...he openly questioned - because of my age (I'm in my mid 30's...not that old) - the probability that I would make a significant contribution to the field of medicine, compared to my younger contemporaries. I really do not know what to expect of his recommendation...if he touches on that point he could possibly come-off sounding age-biased. We'll see what happens. Getting accepted here would mean that I would not have to re-locate my wife and kids accross the country."
"I was very impressed with my state school, after interviewing it was my first choice and now that I am accepted I will definately attend here over other schools. The interview itself was very casual, closed file and a bit generic (he read questions off of a sheet and then wrote the responses down). Overall, everyone I met was very friendly and I enjoyed the day."
"Overall a great experience. The campus is very new and everyone is very friendly. There are plans for expansion of the campus with its own hospital (which of course will take 20 years), but it is all very exciting. The day starts at 8:45am, with a 15min orientation. then from 9:00am-10:00am we get a overview of the curriculum, UA-phoenix works in a block schedule format. Faculty interviews are from 10:00-11:00am but, the curriculum overview went over by about 20min. Which wasn't a big deal because interview. normally only take 30min. We then took a tour of the campus (really small since there is only 24 students), and had lunch with a current student. "
"The Univerisity has great opportunities for rural and immigrant health care in Nogales and other areas around the state. The staff and community are really dedicated to underserved populations"
"The interview went well. The whole day went well. It was very organized compared to Tucson, which really surprised me because it was so new. "
"It was a positive experience. I liked that the day was kept short."
"I have reposted this from my posting under the UofA Tucson heading now that they have created a separate entry for Phoenix. SDN still hasn't added the UofA Phoenix program on here, so this entry only addresses Phoenix. Day starts are 845 with check in. Their is a short presentation on the curriculum and future plans for the school. Top notch stuff. Half the group interviews at 1000, the other half at 1100. While one group interviews the other one gets a tour of the campus, then they switch. There is tons of space for research facilities and the facilities they do have are brand new. I felt like I was in an IKEA catalog too by the new decor everywhere. My interviewer was outstanding. The best that I have had in 8 interviews thus far. After the tour/interview you have lunch with the students. Since they are in their first year of the new program (and they are the first class at the Phoenix campus) they were pretty excited about anything. A common theme that came up was that they had ''faith'' in the faculty despite all the unkowns about the new program. I was very impressed with the visit. The PHX campus/program is top notch and will only get better as they flesh out their facilities and work through the growing pains. "
"very relaxed"
"pleasantly surprised by the great facilities, and the students seemed to be very happy"
"It's a very low-key and relaxed day. An intro session about the curriculum and future changes, then a tour and interview (the order depends on the group you're in), followed by lunch with medical students, and that's it!"
"This interview made me even more excited about this school. Everyone seems to feel that the new curriculum is a great, if not perfect, change. The resources seem pretty good, and the students like it here, too. I really hope I get accepted."
"Phx interview was open file, and I was asked several directed questions. However, Tucson interview was completely closed file. Could be accepted to both campuses "
"SDN still hasn't added the UofA Phoenix program on here, so this entry only addresses Phoenix. Day starts are 845 with check in. Their is a short presentation on the curriculum and future plans for the school. Top notch stuff. Half the group interviews at 1000, the other half at 1100. While one group interviews the other one gets a tour of the campus, then they switch. There is tons of space for research facilities and the facilities they do have are brand new. I felt like I was in an IKEA catalog too by the new decor everywhere. My interviewer was outstanding. The best that I have had in 8 interviews thus far. After the tour/interview you have lunch with the students. Since they are in their first year of the new program (and they are the first class at the Phoenix campus) they were pretty excited about anything. A common theme that came up was that they had ''faith'' in the faculty despite all the unkowns about the new program. I was very impressed with the visit. The PHX campus/program is top notch and will only get better as they flesh out their facilities and work through the growing pains."
"Drove from Phoenix to Tucson. For some reason Tucson has most of the I-10 exits closed for the next few years. They couldn't just work on them one or two at a time, so they closed them all. Schedule yourself extra time to navigate the poor city planning. Showed up about 30 minutes early. There were about 10 of us in the interview group and we chatted. Received a brief overview of the day and the admissions process from Tanisha who was very friendly and helpful. Was escorted off to the interview. Interviewed (closed file) for about 45 minutes. Met with a couple of 1st year students and had lunch with them. It was actually very good. Got a short tour of the facilities. This was the only school that didn't let you see the anatomy lab...something about respect for the dead. Then we met with another admissions guy who talked more about the programs and fielded questions. Checked out at the admissions office and went home."
"Pretty Normal"
"The interviews were fairly basic. The Tucson & community interviewers wanted to discuss my clinical experience, while the Phoenix interviewer only wanted to talk about my research experience. It's true what everyone says, a very laid back experience. No ethics/tricky questions like at other schools."
"Extended... three interviews spread out over several weeks and several hundred miles"
"Started out with lunch with two medical students and the other interviewees. This provided valuable q&a time! Took a tour of the facilities, met with admissions for a quick info session and then went to our interviews."
"Good overall. There was a second interview with a community physician which they assign, and then a third interview at the new Phoenix campus. Both of these interviews are mandatory, one-on-one, and closed file. Low stress interviews!"
"Pleasant. I learned a lot and really felt I represented myself well through the questions I was asked. Nothing caught me off guard, it was an overall enjoyable experience."
"It was very relaxed, and everyone was very excited to have us up there and interviewing. It looks like Phoenix has the potential to become a great campus."
"I wished that I had stayed home and slept."
"The interview was very, very relaxed. Everyone is friendly and informative. They also give you a lot of good information at the orientation session."
"The interviews were fine. But the actual future of next year's curriculum for the students left an uneasy feeling in my stomach."
"At the school I thought it was great how quick the day went and compact they made everything. They provided all the material needed for any questions you might have. My interview with the U of A Dr. was 30 minutes and conversational. My community interview was over an hour and was great, I like the opportunity the school provides to sit down with a practicing physician and ask questions. Overall, it was a very positive interviewing process."
"The entire process was very relaxed, the on campus interview doc was very friendly, told me what he thought of how I interviewed. The free lunch was nice, but I wasn't very hungry b/c I had an afternoon interview. After lunch they gave a tour, talked about their admissions process and the interviews followed. "
"Both interview (faculty member and community physician) were very laid back. I was more nervous than I needed to be... both of them were just very conversational. "
"Both the interview with the faculty memeber and the doctor in practice were very conversational and low-stress... just be yourself!"
"This is a very laid back interview. I was scheduled for the morning interview. After checking in there is a short grace period before the orientation presentation to allow anyone running late to get there. The Orientation is about an hour long. You are presented with pertinent information about the admissions process, specifics about the adcom, information as to when we can expect notifications, data for last year's applicant pool, Information about specialty programs for student involvement, financial aid info, name and location of today's interviewer and notification about how to set up the interview with the community physician you are asigned to meet with in the coming weeks. Then you are directed or escorted to your interviewer. The individual interview can take between 30-50 minutes. Then you return for a light lunch with a M1 and a M2, followed by a tour of the facilities. Those in scheduled for the afternoon session initially have lunch, followed by the tour, followed by orientation presentation, concluded with the individual interview. All in all the day is about 3 hours long. "
"Both interviewers (faculty member and community physician) were genuinely interested in learning why I want to be a doctor. They were not intimidating so it was easy to be myself. Just smile and be sure to ask questions about why they went into medicine and what they like the most about their profession (they like that). "
"Both the on-site interview and community physician interview were relaxed. It's definitely a low-pressure situation, but that doesn't mean the interviewers don't take their job seriously. The first interview took 45 minutes, which is pretty typical. The orientation was brief but informative, as was the tour. The lunch was kind of unnecessary -- hardly anyone in the afternoon group even ate, so it was a waste of food!! The community interview, which you have to set up yourself, lasted 2 1/2 hours! I really lucked out to have such an awesome physician, but he went over EVERYthing. It was him talking most of the time, but that's a good thing. He was open and honest about the school and the profession, but he was also very encouraging. Overall I liked this process much better because there are no expectations of the student based on a primary application. It gives them a chance to really see how well you communicate, what experiences you've had and your motivation to become a doctor, which is what they are really after."
"Both my community physician interview and interview at the school were easy. The one at the school was so laid back and we ended up just having a conversation. My community physician interview was a little more formal, but no hard questions were asked."
"laid back for the most part and very informative compared to others i have been to. they went in depth over admissions proceedures, financial aid, cirriculum, etc. it was good, and not too long of a day. no down time like other places."
"I got into medical school with a mediocre science GPA (3.5) and a lousy MCAT score (27). I can only imagine that my admittance was because of good life experiences, good recommendations, and good interviews. The KEY to good interviews is to be interested in your interviewers!! People love to answer questions and they love if you are curious about them, so show that you want to know about them and about the school, without sounding phony (i.e. if you're really not interested, don't bother asking)"
"Prior to interview day, UofA had been my first choice, however after the tour and the interview I changed my mind. I was put off by the "hurry up and wait" mentality of the school. Students were overall friendly, but staff seems distiant. I was accepted, but turned it down. Think carefully before you take their acceptance. "
"It was very laid back. This was my first interview, and I was sick with a fever. Still, I left feeling very confident in my experience. I actually made friends with the doctor who interviewed me at the school, and then my community interview went extremely well also. I was also impressed with the friendliness of the students, and liked that the school would actually count some medical volunteer activities as fourth year electives. "
"A lot of people say that the UA interview is laidback and conducted by the friendliest staff. I am sure most of them are. MOST of them. I was unfortunetly interviewed by one who was not so nice. This man was bitter and distrusting. As I explained about why I wanted to go into medicine, the man stared me down, as if he was trying to pick out my littlest flaws. I did not get any reaction from him (neither a nod or a smile) as I finished my story. Throughout the interview, he seemed to believe that all of my achievements were simply things to say to impress the committee. He told me that getting into medical school is a game, and that people do things to make themselves look good in order to fool the committee into letting them in. "Sometimes, if they're good enough, we get fooled" he said. My reaction was a little bit of shock because the man was practically accusing me of wrongdoing. He then told me straight up, "We're not dumb." The interview continued as I struggled to defend myself. At one point, when I brought up the fact that physicians should love working with patients, he coldly replied "I hate patients." I knew at this point that I had no shot of getting in. There was no point in expressing compassion to a man that hates patients. Eventually, after a grueling 40 minutes, he ended the interview without asking if I had any questions. He walked out of his office and left me to find my way back, alone. I am sure that this doesn't happen to all applicants. After all, there are over 100 interviewers. I just happened to get the prick. How unlucky huh? I hope yours wont be as bad as mine."
"UofA has a two-step interview process: A hospital based interview and a community based interview. I did well on the hospital-based. Did make some mistakes (I digressed from the question), but overall the interviewer was helpful. I rocked on the community-based interview. I clicked with the doctor and we talked about several research topics. He treated me more like a collegue, instead of a candidate."
"I had a great overall experience. My interviewer was late but he was really congenial and we started talking so much that we lost track of the time (it was supposed to be 30 mins). He even asked me to come by after the lunch and tour and see his clinic and told me to call whenever I'm in the area. I got along really well with him and his secretary, and they both tried to convince me to come here. It was my first interview so I was a bit nervous but everyone was so friendly and made me feel really comfortable. My community interview also went well, but not as well as this one. The doctor was very busy so a little distracted, but he was also very encouraging and warmed up after the first 15 minutes. "
"Very relaxed and positive"
"This was my first interview and really with U of A being my state school it is sort of my fall back school. I felt I could be happy there and come out competitive and with low debt when compared to other schools. However, the students said that the best thing about U of A was its laid back atmosphere and not the opportunities it provided. I want opportunities. My community physician interview was a waste because we only met for like 20 minutes and he talked the whole time."
"Most of the questions were usual, but the conversations were really lively. I lucked out with a great interviewer and we clicked right away. I got his business card and he invited me to visit him at the OR. This is my second time applying here. Previously, the faculty interviewer was friendly too. (My community physician interview back then wasn't quite as nice. We'll see how it goes this time.) Bottom Line: Just be you and try your best to relax. "
"All in all a good experience. Sounds like the school really supports the students and the students support each other. The CUP program sounds really interesting, and I like the opportunities available to travel abroad, you get to help people who really need it, and you get to travel which I love. Community physician interview went OK, not as good as the interview at UofA, but not horrible or anything."
"All in all a good experience. Sounds like the school really supports the students and the students support each other. The CUP program sounds really interisting, and I like the opportunities available to travel abroad, you get to help people who really need it, and you get to travel which I love. Community physician interview went OK, not as good as the interview at UofA, but not horrible or anything."
"Great school for a great price. Definitely a great option for Arizona residents."
"My interviewer was plesent enough yet quite direct. Fine I guess, but I can't compare b/c it was my first interview. Seeing the learning/teaching resources and talking with a current student who got his BS form Duke assured me that the school is able to provide an excellent educational opportunity to learn the medical sciences-especially at a state school price. My comments: Just like for any kind of interview, if you try to stay informed, can relate well with people, know yourself, and really have something to say; then you'll be fine. About my community Dr interview: It was very relaxed and conversational. No 'tough' questions, just one on one with someone who wants to talk about you, medicine, and their own experiences."
"Overall, it was not very intimiating, unlike many other medical schools. After the interview, i left with a positive outlook and a feeling that people there would genuinely cared about my well-been as a med student. Unlike other schools, the admissions process was clearly explained and not kept as a close-guarded secret. At no point did anyone make me feel like I was wasting their time. The interviewees were never in a rush and gave me ample time to answer. One interviewee even gave me some advice on med school should i attend next year."
"The community interview (not referenced above) was very low-key and enjoyable. Quite relaxing, actually."
"Both interviews went great (you have one at the school and one at a later date with a physician near you). Both interviewers were very laid back and made it a very comfortable experience. I will definately go there if I'm accepted. Very nice price tag."
"Very laid back interview. Very few, if any, ethical questions or questions about current issues in healthcare. I was asked a lot about my family. Make sure you can talk about the support system that you will have during medical school."
"Very positive and not stessful. It really helped me form an impression of what my years at U of A might be like."
"no worries...just be a little prepared just in case...My doc didn't have any questions prepared...so I was able to direct the interview wherever I wanted...and that made things really nice..."
"Some did not like that the school was an 'add-on' to the hospital but I thought the whole atmosphere was very close knit. The interview itself was very casual and more like a conversation between two equals. The tour was interesting although I would have liked to go in the gross anatomy lab. They even showed us the refrigerators where the students store their lunches that the bring to school with them. It really gave you a feel for what it might be like to be a student there."
"The interview is very low stress. During the orientation session after the interview, the director of admissions has question and answer session that is very helpful. They say that the interviewer should be looked at as your advocate to the admissions committee."
"It was a nice experience. People were very friendly. Tour didn't really show that much, but it was nice to have that time to calm any jitters."
"The interview was pretty normal. Interviewer focused on why I wanted to be a physician, clinical experiences, extra-curricular experiences, etc. There were no surprises and no ethical questions."
"great experience, don't sweat this one, both interviews were conversations where the interviewers just wanted to get to know who i am. "
"Overall a good experience. Tour and orientation were informative and went by quickly."
"Very loss stress. No reason to worry about the interviews. the questions asked are straight forward and the interviewers really seem interested in getting to know the applicants. Just be yourslelf and thing will go well."
"No reason to stress over this. Ask the students questions to find out info about the school."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 88 |
| Faculty member | 5 |
| Admissions staff | 20 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 72 |
| Neutral | 13 |
| Discouraging | 2 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.77 | 87 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 70 |
| Out of state | 16 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 28 |
| 2-3 hours | 30 |
| 4-6 hours | 16 |
| 7+ hours | 11 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 19 |
| Automobile | 63 |
| Train or subway | 1 |
| Other | 2 |
N/A, virtual interview
Sky Harbor (phx)
TUS
Phoenix
Tucson Intl. and Phoenix
PHX Sky Harbor
there's only one in Tucson
TUCSON
mesa sky harbor
Sky Harbor
Phoenix Sky Harbor
ATL-Denver-TUS
phx
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 2 |
| Friends or family | 19 |
| Hotel | 18 |
| Home | 0 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 41 |
| $101-$200 | 8 |
| $201-$300 | 4 |
| $301-$400 | 6 |
| $401-$500 | 5 |
| $501+ | 5 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.80 | 90 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.21 | 91 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.16 | 91 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.85 | 59 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.25 | 60 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.81 | 57 |
"Nothing, they have been very receptive and friendly."
"Post interview decisions seem to take a long time, however, the updates with each release of acceptances was appreciated."
"Hi"
"Provide breakfast on day of interview - especially for applicants in the first session. We're up at 5AM to get ready and packed, so help us out by removing the stress of finding food. Maybe integrate it into your intro talk, and let us eat while you talk."
"Tie the interview day together better, with an "arrival" event and an "official ending" . . we basically walked out of the interviews rooms and straight to our cars without any formal closing discussions. It was somewhat shocking at the time compared to other schools which weaved the day together better, having a meet and greet on arrival and then opportunity at the end to ask questions, etc."
"The staff was great! There was a bit of trouble getting into the conference room for lunch (someone had locked it), so the tour was rushed, but no problems outside of this."
"nothing really. The staff there are excellent and super helpful."
"None. keep up the good work."
"Keep up the good work!"
"I wouldn't have them change anything- they did everything possible to make me feel welcome!"
"This is specifically for the Phx campus! The faculty, staff, students, and program are all AMAZING!"
"Give more time between interviews and talks about fin aid. Some people didn't even get to finish the"
"Just wanted to note that this was for the Tucson campus."
"True rolling admissions!"
"keep doing what you're doing, you're great!"
"None. Keep it up!"
"They were great and very informed about the specifics of the program. Many admissions staff just kno"
"Start the day a little bit later, like 10am. It's just so early, and since so many people drive up,"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?