How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.19 | 110 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 95 |
| Negatively | 3 |
| No change | 9 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.42 | 105 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.97 | 74 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.10 | 63 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 1 |
| 25 minutes | 57 |
| 30 minutes | 44 |
| 35 minutes | 0 |
| 40 minutes | 0 |
| 45 minutes | 1 |
| 50 minutes | 0 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 7 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 108 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 109 |
| In a group | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 97 |
| Closed file | 11 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.19 | 110 |
"You seem to have a lot of EM experience. Is that what you want to specialize in?"
"all based on my application"
"What kind of a hospital did you work at? How many beds?"
"What were some of the qualities of physicians you worked with?"
""Where are you in life?""
"What steered you towards medicine?"
"As a reapplicant, how have you improved your application?"
"What is a major reason patients have trouble with healthcare?"
"What characteristic do you think successful physicians share?"
"Tell me about X experience. (from my primary application)"
"Why UAB? (I'm from Tennessee)"
"Tell me about yourself. Tell me about: Volunteer work, how it affected me, what I learned from it, what kind of doctor I wanted to be, what specific event made me interested in medicine."
"Tell me about your research."
"What made you decide to choose medicine instead of the family agriculture business?"
"Tell me about you involvement with (enter volunteer activity)"
"Can you tell me about your three best friends?"
"Tell me more about.....(specific element of my application)"
"If you were trapped on a desert island, what 5 items would you bring?"
"Tell me about your decision to become a doctor."
"Tell me about yourself."
"Why Med School?"
"I had a lot of veterinary experience: What are the differences in veterinary medicine and human medicine?"
"Why medicine? (By all 4 interviewers)"
"See ''most difficult question''"
"Explain your research, papers, and presentations."
"Tell me about your family."
"What are a few words your mother would use to describe you?"
"Tell me about yourself. Why do you want to do medicine. Fill in the Blank: You are most like you mother in that you are ________. You are most like your father in that you are ________."
"Tell me about your volunteer experience."
"What are 3 of your strengths and 1 weakness?"
"I don't actually remember specific questions, all the interviews were more like conversations, and the interviewers asked me questions about the activities i wrote about (one interviewer had all my info, and the 2 others only had titles of activities, so i explained them)."
"What career would you seek out if all the medical schools were to close?"
"What would your best friend say about you?"
"Tell me about yourself and your decision to become a doctor."
"Talk me through your past history. (all 3 interviews)"
"Give me a sense of the timeline of your life."
"Name three of your strengths and one weakness."
"Name 3 strengths and 1 weakness of yours."
"tell me about yourself; is there anything that we havent talked about that you want to discuss?"
"3 qualities that will make you a good doctor"
"What is your motivation for pursuing a career in medicine?"
"What are some pressing problems in US health care?"
"What areas of academic medicine are you interested in?"
"Would you want to legalize marijuana?"
"Describe your greatest failure."
"How would you compare yourself with an apple?"
"What is your medical experience? "
"Would you be comfortable being assisted/tutored by a younger student? I am a 31 year old practicing attorney."
"What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?"
"What should I know about you?"
"What was the last book you read?"
"What do you do to get away from the stresses of your job? Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn't know from reading your application. Give me 2 strengths and a weakness about yourself."
"What books have you read?"
"Why do you want to attend UAB's medical school?"
"what do you like to do for fun."
"If you could sit down with one person in history, who and why?"
"What activities demonstrate your commitment to service?"
"If I could erase anything on my transcript what would it be and why?"
"All the normal stuff...why medicine, why UAB, what do you do for fun, what clinical experiences have you had"
"Tell me about yourself. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"Tell me about your clinical experiences (everyone asked this and the other 2 questions below)."
"What are your strenghts/weaknesses"
"Where do I see myself in 10 years? Most (95%) of the questions related to what I put on my application; this interview was more like a conversation than an interview- extremely enjoyable! "
"Tell me about yourself"
"What was the research project in which you participated."
"Did you read any books this summer?"
"What is something you regret?"
"What challenges do you think medicine will be facing in the next ten years?"
"Why medicine?"
"Why UAB?"
"Why did you lie on your essay by saying that you went to a "top ranked" undergraduate school? (School was ranked #1 by US News and World Report while I was attending. Interviewer disagreed.)"
"Discuss some of the current problems in healthcare."
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
" Tell me what you have been doing since you graduated. "
"Why should we accept you?"
"What do you do outside of studying? Have you been involved with your community? Tell me more about your clinical experiences."
"Why UAB? Why Alabama? (These questions are important to them)"
"Why do you want to be a physician?"
"tell me about yourself (b/c hadn't read application yet)"
"3 worst traits"
"If you had to commit to a specialty today, what would it be?"
"What would you do if medical school admissions were suspended for the next three years?"
"What would you do if there was no health fields at all?"
"Tell me more about your experience with language barriers (something I talked about on my secondary)"
"why are you interested in pursuing medicine"
"Tell me about yourself"
"Describe your meaningful shadowing experiences and any insights into the doctor-patient relationship you have made."
"What are your strengths."
"Tell me about X activity."
"Tell me about ______experience"
"Tell me about activity X (from my primary/secondary app)."
"Do you have any Interest in research?"
"What are your thoughts on the doctor-patient relationship?"
"Name one situation that happened where there was communication problem at the doctors office (where I shadowed)"
"Tell me about your research."
"What would you change about your childhood?"
"Tell me about ...(your AMCAS experiences)"
"Tell me about: research (details), guitar playing, shadowing, what I did as an undergrad, what else do I need to know about u."
"Tell me about your volunteering experiences."
"Tell me about your volunteer experience. "
"Why did you choose to enter medicine and why UAB?"
"Tell me about you publication in cancer journal."
"Tell me more about your reasons for wanting to become a physician."
"How do you think the aforementioned friends would describe you?"
"What characteristics do you have that will make you a good doctor?"
"Tell me about your shadowing experiences."
"Why do you want to be a doctor as opposed to a vet?"
"Explain your research. (By most of the interviewers)"
"What books do you like to read?"
"Start at the beginning and tell me how you got here."
"What would you do if you didn't go to medical school?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Name one of your weaknesses."
"Tell me more about your research. "
"What did you do differently so that your MCAT improved so much? (Asked by all three interviewers)"
"Tell me about this ____(weakness)on your transcript/application. Tell me about your EMT-B experience. Tell me about a time where you have empathized with someone. "
"Is there an experience that has had more influence than others on your decision to become a doctor?"
"Why medicine?"
"Tell me about your volunteer work?"
"Why do you want to go here?"
"If all the medical schools were closed, what would be your next choice career?"
"Tell me more about your volunteer activities/clinical experience and how this has influenced you to become a doctor."
"How do you explain your high MCAT score?"
"Tell me about yourself. "
"What kind of campus involvement did you have at your undergratuate college?"
"Tell me about your campus involvement."
"why medicine"
"1 thing you would change ab your personality"
"What is your best quality?"
"What experiences have you had and how do they shape your career goals?"
"Please tell me about [the weakest spot on my application]."
"What would your enemies say was the quality they hated most about you?"
"Have you ever had to console someone emotionally?"
"What are your biggest fears about a career in medicine?"
"Why do you want to be a physician?"
"What would you do if you did not get into medical school (and did not return to your legal career)?"
"Why do you think you will be a good doctor?"
"How did you improve your MCAT score so drastically?"
"Tell me about your research. "Failure" and "What if" questions from above."
"Tell me about your trip to Guatemala."
"Tell me about your research?"
"why UAB?"
"What is the greatest achievement of your life?"
"Thought about family practice?"
"How does medicine complete me?"
"We were talking about problems in the emergency room and he asked me what I would do to solve them..."
"Explain low grades."
"Why UAB? Where else have you applied? How many other interviews have you had?"
"How you describe yourself? What are three of your strengths? What is one of your weaknesses? Name a time when you have failed. This interview was also very pleasant though- very conversational! "
"How would your friends describe you?"
"What is Pierre-Robin sequence."
"What are a few of your postive/negative character traits?"
"Who are your role models?"
"If you're already an EMT, why do you want to become a doctor?"
"What would be the reason why we wouldn't accept you?"
"What past experience most demonstrates your altruistic nature?"
"Why do you want to leave your current career and enter medical school? (2nd career nontrad student)"
"What are the most important traits of a good leader?"
"What clinical or research experience do you have?"
"What will your sister say is your worst quality....how can that be a good thing?"
"What, in your opinion, is the difference between a physician and a scientist? (My interviewer argued that there isn't any difference... this ended up being the bulk of my interview with him)"
"Know your personal statement, a lot of the discussion comes from this and your AMCAS."
"Why Medicine? What experiences have you had. Tell me about them."
"Talk about some topics affecting health care today."
"where were you when the events of 9-11-01 occured? how did it make you feel?"
"something you regret"
"What do you do for fun?"
"What are some ethical issues that you would like to talk about in the health industry? "
"what is the current treatment for ____ (disease in my research activities)"
"Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?"
"What is one thing you want me to tell the admissions committee?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"Do you have any questions for me regarding the med school?"
"How did you get to where you are now?"
"Tell me about your shadowing experiences."
"What, in my opinion, is the most important aspect of the doctor-patient relationship?"
"Tell me about the tumbling team."
"Tell me about ... (asked about activities from my AMCAS)"
"Describe your strengths and weaknesses."
"Is there anything that you want to tell us about yourself that you haven't yet been able to?"
"Tell me about: Where Im from, church, research, job shadowing and what I learned, volunteer work and how it affected me, Phillies or Yankees, Alabama football, high school activities, Greek activities."
"How involved were you with your undergrad school?"
"How have your shadowing and volunteer experiences influenced your view of the doctor-patient relationship?"
"What are some of your strengths?"
"What is the one thing you would want to change about yourself"
"How does your public health education and practice relate to the field of medicine? [I am an epidemiologist]"
"What is the first thing that pops into your mind when I say hard work?"
"You realized at some point that you wanted to be a physician. Describe that process of discovery to me."
"Describe your medical experience"
"What do you like to do outside of medicine?"
"How do you think we can fix the problem of escalating medical costs and the uninsured?"
"Where do you see your self in 15 years?"
"Who is the most influential figure in your life right now?"
"How was travel, tell us about this or that, etc. True conversations. They all knew our files and seemed genuinely enthusiastic to be interviewing us."
"Tell me a little bit about who you are"
"What clinical experience do you have?"
"Why did you go to graduate school instead of coming directly to medical school?"
"What specialty interests you, and why?"
"Is there anything else the admissions committee should know about you?"
"Where do you see yourself in the future?"
"What do you do for fun, to ''chill out.'' "
"What field of medicine do you want to practice? "
"What are your study habits?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"How would your mother/friend describe you?"
"Tell me a little about yourself. Think about this question alot, it's harder than it seems when you have to fit it in 30 seconds."
"What would your mother say about you?"
"Tell me about your study habits."
"We are the richest country in the world, and yet we have (x number) of people in Alabama with no insurance and receiving substandard care. What do you think about that?"
"What do you like to do with your free time?"
"what volunteer experiences have you had?"
"Tell me about your medical-related experiences."
"why UAB"
"all 3 asked ab Katrina, my personal statement, and lack of clinical experience."
"What is your worst quality?"
"Why medicine"
"Q: Do you have any questions for me? A: Uhhh... No. I think that's it! Doh!"
"Give me a good reason to place you in our class at UAB above everyone else today."
"Which of your experiences has had the greatest impact on you? "
"How is Alabama's football team looking this year?"
"Why do you have some not so great grades in college? "
"Why medicine?"
"What initially interested you in medicine?"
"What can we do about health disparities in Alabama?"
"Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Talk to me about your shadowing experiences. Which one was the most significant in solidifying your decision to enter medicine? "
"Why do you want to become a physician?"
"Tell me about yourself?"
"what are your strengths/weaknesses?"
"What would make you a good physician?"
"Which campus do you think you'd thrive at?"
"What will be the hardest part of being a doctor the first few years?"
"I wasnt asked this but its a good qstn : what makes you a better applicant than others....think about this one, dont come up with the obvious answers..keep it in mind"
"Where else have you applied? Do you have any questions?"
"Why do you want to go into medicine?"
"Why UAB?"
"Pick an issue that you have special knowledge in or have a particularly strong opinion on. I think this guy just wanted to sit an argue about something, and we did: all about healthcare. This was my only slightly irritating experience the entire day; luckily, I'm used to people who like to argue for the sake of arguing."
"What type of medicine are you interested in?"
"What do you see as some major problems facing medicine in the near future."
"Why do feel that we should let you into our schoo?"
"Tell me about a time when you've had to console someone who was hurting emotionally."
"Talk about a situation in which you feel like you failed."
"What do you want to make sure I know about you?"
"What field of medicine do you think you want to go into?"
"What do you mean by "holistic" medicine?"
"Tell me about your volunteer activities. "
"What do you see as the problems of medicine in the future?"
"What are your three best qualities?"
"Would you participate in research here at UAB? Which area would you like to do research in? Why would you like to do that? How does that fit in to your goal of becoming a __________ (for me, it was emergency physician, but I imagine he could have asked this about any field of interest you may have mentioned)."
"If you had to commit to a specialty today, what and why?"
"Tell me about your research."
"What is something you would change about your personality?"
"what was your high school like? (b/c I lived away from home to go to a better school)"
"physician assisted suicide"
"Name the single most important non-academic leadership role you have taken."
"What of your extracurricular activities are you most proud of?"
"What is your PI best known for?"
"What is your experience working with underserved groups?"
"Asked specifics about my activities."
"Have you ever harmed anyone?"
"What medical specialties have you considered going to?"
"How do you manage to do so many different things?"
"If you were a kitchen utensil, which kitchen utensil would you be?"
"What would you have me tell the admissions committee on your behalf?"
"About my research work and traveling experience."
"Why did you choose to volunteer with hospice?"
"Would I rather work as a doctor with adults or children and why?"
"What do you think will be the most difficult part of being a doctor?"
"Question 3"
"Refer to question #1. Asked by two of the interviewers."
"If I were to stand before the admissions committee and try to convince them to accept you what would I say?"
"n/a"
"What is the first thing that pops into your mind when I say hard work?"
"Nothing too interesting...just basic questions."
"In what order do you think/feel/act?"
"Where do you see the future of medicine?"
"What is one word that your mother would use to describe you?"
"One of my interviewers set up this lengthy scenario which basically ended up with me finding a genie and then asked me what my one wish would be."
"See most difficult. Otherwise, they were very general interview questions."
"What would you do if you found out you hated clinical practice? (I assumed he was fishing for mention of research, teaching, etc.)"
"Why did it take you so long to decide to become a physician? [I decided a few months before submitting my application]"
"Nothing terribly exciting."
"Nothing too interesting. General interview questions. "
"Could you talk to your younger sister about birth control?"
"If you could eat dinner with anyone, who would it be?"
"If you could have dinner with anyone alive or dead, who would it be? Also, if you could snap your fingers and be anywhere in the world any time of the year, where would you go?"
"So, I see you did X activity....how do we make our school more diverse?"
"Do you believe in global warming? Do you think man is causing it? Are we out of time to do anything? Also, I went to a class and the professor asked me a question about the material he was covering. I guessed and got it right and was rewarded with a key chain. "
"If you had a magic wand, what would you fix?"
"What most defines you and the person you have become? It can be an experience, a person, or an idea."
"If you could go to bed tonight and wake up anywhere in the United States tomorrow, where would it be and why?"
"What if you think this is the career for you, and then once you're in med school you realize that it's not what you thought it would be?"
"If you could pick two words for your motto, what would they be?"
"What is a weakness that you think you possess?"
"Tell me about a time you were there for a friend."
"If aliens were to come to earth and provide a cure for all the major human diseases, would you still want to be a doctor?"
"There is a growing disparity between the number of family practice physicians in this country and the number of specialty physicians. The US needs more family practice doctors. How would you fix the problem?"
"If your husband was coming home tonight for a special dinner, what would you cook for him?"
"If you could go anywhere in the U.S. for just one day at any time of the year, where would you go?"
"What do you do in your spare time? (not an interesting question, but for everyone who's about to have their interviews, I know it helps to know as many of the questions as possible :)"
"none really"
"Unfortunately my interviewer did not ask any terribly interesting questions. He stated the comment areas on the eval form and asked me to emphasize things that he would be able to comment on."
"Mike Shula is doing a good job down there at Bama isn't he?"
"The interviews were much more conversational and less a series of questions. I can't remember any questions that stand out as interesting."
"What would you tell me if I was a terminally-ill cancer patient in your care?"
"What is your definition of success? Follow up, do you think you have been successful? "
"What are your biggest fears regarding a career in medicine? (This is if you consider the question "How would you compare yourself to an apple?" to be a joke question... it WAS a joke question, right???)"
"Would you be comfortable being assisted/tutored by a younger student? I am a 31 year old practicing attorney."
"What can we do to improve health care in Alabama?"
"Tell what you would like me to know about you."
"What would you want to do with your life if med school wasn't an option?"
"What was a stressful situation in your life, how did you deal with it, what did you learn from it?"
"What is the most challenging thing that has happened in your life and what did you do to overcome it?"
"There were no surprise questions asked. Mainly, the interviewer wanted to know my motivations for applying and why they should accept me to their school."
"If the mirror were turned around, what negative aspects about you would hurt you as a physician?"
"How did you study for the MCAT?"
"How technology is going to change medicine~ it came up in the conversation"
"What's broomball?"
"What was it like growing up on a farm?"
"If you could only pick one of the following issues to address, which would it be: prescription drugs for senior citizens, HIV drugs for countries that cannot afford them, or the cost of luxury drugs? "
"What is Pierre-Robin sequence?"
"If you were able to meet anyone from the past, who would it be and what would you talk about?"
"How would you interact with patients in a way that reflected compassion?"
"One of the interviewers started suggesting future directions for an extracurricular program I run....it was very conversational."
"Give me your thoughts on how doctors should react to patients that do not follow their orders/take meds, etc."
"What do you think is the biggest problem facing physicians in the next 10 years."
"none"
"What will be the hardest thing about being a doctor? Problems in health care, cloning, stem cells"
"Cloning, stem cells"
"Tell me about a time when you had contact with a patient in the ER that positively influenced your decision to become a physician."
"If you were stranded on a desert island, what ten things would you bring?"
"What is your worst characteristic.......How can that sometimes be a good thing?"
"What would your sister say is your worst characteristic? (After I gave my answer, he asked me how my worst characteristic could be a good thing) What would your brother say is your best characteristic? (Again, he asked me to turn my answer around and say how it could be a bad thing)"
"What is something your mother would say about you, and what is something your brother would say about you?"
"What books had I read recently?"
"When you applied to the University of Tennessee what did their secondary look like?"
"Not really that many questions, just had interesting, relaxed conversations with all three interviewers. They make it a point not to stress you out--interviews are just to find out more about you."
"how did you feel after 9-11-01?"
"Nothing really, just general questions about application and then just conversations."
"Why 'bama?"
"How did your parents raise you so that you still want to talk to them and value their opinion?"
"If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you want with you?"
"not sure, all were pretty good."
"Asked me an ethical question about one of the EMS calls I ran that I talked about in my secondary"
"none, very very nice and conversational. Time goes quick!"
"Do you have the stamina for medical school?"
"Tell me a time you were resilient"
"What insights have you made about the doctor-patient relationship?"
"When was a time you harmed someone?"
"How did the patient-doctor interaction from shadowing X differ from shadowing Y?"
"See #1"
"A wildlife survival scenario."
"What are you current thoughts/views on health care reform?"
"Name one situation that has impacted you the most."
"Describe in your own words what I mean by a doctor/patient relationship."
"Probably #3. I didn't know what else to say. Honestly, all three of the interviewers were so congenial that I didn't feel like I was being interviewed at all. I could pretty much control what I wanted to talk about. It was on of those experiences that really make you feel confident in yourself when you leave. "
"How did being an Eagle scout help you in every day life? (After talking about guitar) How do you think music could benefit medicine? "
"Do you think that the healthcare reform bill will pass?"
"What is an ethical or moral problem that you have encountered and how did you resolve it?"
"None."
"Same as above"
"None of them was really that difficult."
"Nothing too difficult."
"Do you have a good heart?"
"What are some problems you see in the medical system and how would you solve them?"
"There were no extremely difficult questions. Everything seemed appropriate."
"See above"
"I had done some work in a CPAP clinic: How would you approach a parent and discuss their child's weight issue?"
"No very difficult questions. One out of four interviews was friendly but conversation was formal and forced. My other three were conversational and relaxing."
"I had bad grades one semester due to family problems, etc and was asked knowing what I know now, and how my GPA was affected, would I go back and change anything."
"So, when you get in everywhere, where will you choose? (How does one answer a question which presumes something which ain't gonna happen!)"
"Explain my research, publications, and presentations in detail."
"Why do you think your high school had such a high incidence of teen pregnancy?"
"(see above)"
"Would you make the HPV vaccine mandatory for young females? Also, there is a shortage of primary care physicians, what would do to fix this?"
"What would you do if you didn't get accepted this cycle?"
"I know you've been around medicine for a while (my parents are physicians), but tell me about the first experience that made you realize that medicine really was for you. "
"If all diseases were cured what would you want to be?"
"No really difficult questions...I guess one could be, ''Tell me something that you took away with you after volunteering at a charity hospital that summer.''"
"Some questions about the weaknesses on my application."
"Tell me about the sexual assault scandal that occurred at your school in 2003. "
"Standard interview questions"
"I'm from New Orleans and particularly questions about Katrina."
"There are x number of people in the US without health insurance. What should we do about this?"
"What is your opinion on providing the HPV vaccine? Should it be required? Should it be paid for by the government or the family?"
"The follow-up to the above, in which the interviewer aggresively advocated a socialized medicine model, while I argued against it and also tried to incorporate the prior family medicine changes at the same time."
"What was your most important clinical experience? (I have several.)"
"If you could have lunch with one person, alive or dead, who would it be?"
"Tell me about something that you did that didn't turn out the way you expected it to."
"tell me about yourself"
"What did you think of the game last night?"
"What invention over the last 50 years has most impacted health care?"
"Nothing comes to mind here, all questions seemed relevant and focused."
"Please tell me about your shadowing/medical experiences."
"What would you tell me if I was a terminally-ill cancer patient in your care?"
"Describe your greatest failure"
"None were too tough, it was more conversational than anything else. Maybe "What one thing would you erase from your transcript if you could?""
"What would you do if you did not get into medical school (and did not return to your legal career)?"
"What should I ask you?"
"What do you consider to me your best and worst qualities?"
"Same question "
"Tell me of a specific situation in which you felt like a failure and how you responded to that."
"N/A"
"Nothing, really. All questions were typical, "to be expected" sort of questions.Perhaps, if I could pick one it would be "Tell me about yourself?""
"Describe a stressful situation and how I handled it."
"Where would you see yourself ideally in 20 years?"
"Explain the duration of your extracurricular activities."
"If I knew I wanted to return to Alabama, why did I leave the state for a college education? What did Georgia offer that the University of Alabama did not?"
"No difficult questions, just answer with what you believe in, don't sound contrived "
"Why didn't you do more shadowing?"
"As an older student, how will you handle the long hours required for rotations and residency?"
"Why didn't you do more shadowing of physicians?"
"How many Americans are currently living without health insurance? (This from the guy who told me that he was going to be my easiest interviewer! Needless to say, he was far from it.)"
"How can you ethically justify spending so much money on treatments for rare diseases when you can cure so many other people for the same amount?"
"Describe a stressful situation you encountered and how you dealt with it."
"When do you think you should ever lie to a patient?"
"Tell me about a time when you feel like you failed at something."
"As an out-of-state student, why should we take you as opposed to someone else?"
"Do you think it is ok for doctors to lie to/keep information from their patients?"
""Why did you lie on your application?" (Interviewer did not agree with one of my statements in my essay.)"
"What is the one thing you don't want me to see in your application? What would your friends criticize you about?"
"Tell me about a situation when you show compassion/empathy to someone other than your friends or family."
"Why does the United States have such a high infant mortality rate?"
"If a patient dies do you regard that as failure on the physician's part?"
"One interviewer drilled me on my personal statement. It wasn't "difficult" per say, but it was a bit nerve-racking. He even began one question with "I'm going to challenge a statement you made in your personal statement". None of the questions, however, were all that difficult."
"Tell me 3 of your worst qualities and 3 of your best qualities."
"..."
"Have you considered going to graduate school? (WHAT?)"
"Nothing really that difficult."
"what 3 words would your best friend use to describe you?"
"none"
"Physician assisted suicide"
"Nothing really. All the questions were pretty straightforward. Most were about myself."
"What do you think we should do about the working people with no health insurance?"
"What is one thing in medicine that scares you the most about entering it?"
"SDN, re-read my application, various online MMI resources"
"This page and online MMI prep. Since interviews were virtual, I practiced to my webcam while recording so I could go back and"
"Sdn, other interviews, read application and secondary"
"Mock interview, SDN Interview Feedback Section,"
"Prepared answers for common questions. Reviewed common questions online."
"Mock interview, sdn interview feedback, looked over my application"
"I practiced every night with a friend in preparation for my interview, video recording my answers."
"Ran through sample questions."
"Re-read primary / secondary applications and practiced possible questions"
"Looked over SDN reviews, looked over secondary/ primary, practiced questions."
"Reviewed my primary/secondary application and the school's website."
"SDN, review other questions, review my PS, review my secondary"
"Average"
"Read over my primary/secondary application. Read over questions on SDN."
"I looked over my secondary application and checked out the UASOM website a little bit. I also had a pre-professional practice interview at my undergrad university. Plus I rocked out to some tunes before, did my devotional, and called my best friend. It's important to unwind right before, especially if you get anxious about these sorts of things (like me). I really didn't do any hardcore preparation. Be yourself."
"Reviewed my application"
"Read every question on this site for UAB and made a Q and A sheet. Listen to stuff u should know podcast and this american life podcast on health reform and read about it in the economist. Knew my AMCAS stuff backwards and forwards and knew every aspect of my research. "
"Reviewed my primary and secondary applications, read SDN interviews, thought of answers to the most common questions asked."
"Went over AMCAS, went over secondary application, read their website."
"SDN, Review all possible questions and prepare answers for all, practice interviewing, etc."
"SDN, interview videos on youtube,went over potential questions and how i would answer them."
"Studied my AMCAS and supplement application, read everything on the UAB website, did some personal reflection."
"Consulted SDN, googled interview questions, and read over my AMCAS application."
"Googled "medical school interview questions" and looked through those, read interview feedback here, talked to friends at the school"
"Read AMCAS materials"
"Read SDN interview feedback, checked the UAB website, mock interview with friends."
"SDN, UAB website, talking to some students."
"SDN, wrote down possible questions and answers"
"Read past posts about UAB here, reviewed primary and secondary, read the school's mission statement."
"Read AMCAS, read my responses to secondaries, sacrificed a goat."
"Read my AMCAS and secondary"
"Read over app."
"Reviews my AMCAS application and my undergraduate reserach notes. It helps to review school information also to develope conversation in interview."
"Read the website, visited the school last year, read interview feedback"
"Made up mock interview questions."
"read personal statement, secondary app., this website, current newspaper articles."
"Application, UAB website, SDN"
"SDN interviews, read their website (reading the ''State of the School'' address and referencing seemed to really impress one of the interviewers), read books/websites/journals about healthcare coverage"
"SDN, read current issues in medicine on AAMC website, looked over statement of purpose."
"SDN, googled ''medical school interview questions'' and practiced, UAB's website, brushed up on recent health insurance policies (some people did get that question), reread my applications, essay, and research papers."
"SDN, other Interview books/websites"
"Reviewed appl materials, used practice questions from SDN, talked to friend who attends UAB."
"this website, reread app and essays, refresh on underg research, listen to NEJM podcasts, news..."
"Reread application, studentdoctor.net, political stances on healthcare issues"
"reread application, created a list of sample questions and answers, read news"
"reading this website, reviewing my AMCAS application, talking with friends who had already interviewed there"
"SDN, review AMCAS and secondary application, UASOM website, newspapers and NPR for current events."
"SDN, reread secondary and AMCAS app, school's webpage"
"this website, read up on current health care issues, uab website"
"Read over my application materials (which was good because one interviewer asked questions based on the AMCAS essay), researched the school, read up on current health issues (it made me feel more confidant going in, but they didn't ask me any questions in this area)"
"list of possible interview questions"
"SDN, UAB website, tried to keep up to date on current health issues"
"Sleep..."
"student-doctor interview feedback, school website, read over my application"
"Student doctor, other websites that listed questions."
"I read over my application, letter, etc, read some medical issues books, followed the news carefully for 2 months prior to the interview."
"SDN"
"SDN, Website, Flashcards of topics to hit for possible questions (made on set before all interviews) "
"Read over SDN interview feedback and my own application, and the UAB website."
"Reviewed AMCAS application. Went over checklist of possible questions. Reviewed school website. "
"Read articles about the practice of medicine, healthcare, etc."
"Read UASOM fact sheet (on website), went over application, read a liitle on HMO's and PPO's etc."
"Read up on UASOM, read SDN, read over personal statement"
"web-site, reveiwed app."
"read my amcas application and made sure that i knew my application really well. "
"SDN, read over application, prepared for the usual questions in advance"
"read this website, read about uab, etc"
"Read AMCAS, secondary, interview book, and prepared with mentor."
"Read student doctor, searched internet, re-read my application, explored school website"
"Read this website"
"Study the school and the profession to build confidence. "
"Read this website and reviewed my AMCAS application."
"Read this website, thought about some of the most asked questions, studied for a test for the day after"
"SDN, UASOM website, AMCAS application, Talked to students who already had interviews there"
"This site, did research on Alabama health issues, statistics, read up on current health issues in the news."
"This site, UAB website, prepared for the standard questions"
"Tried to keep up with current events on cnn.com/health and browsed the school website."
"Read this site, Answered sample questions in a med school application book"
"Read over my file and got enough sleep."
"Read interview experiences from the student doctor network and read my personal statement the night before."
"Read this site, read my AMCAS and secondary"
"read this website, went over potential questions, read my amcas application"
"Reviewed my AMCAS and secondary app. Talked to current UAB med students about their interview experience."
"sdn, website, reviewed app"
"Asked friends in med school about their interviews, SDN, read a little about health care, read my application"
"Read SDN Interview Feedback and UAB website"
"I read this site and reviewed current issues in medicine."
"Looked at UAB website,this website and read over personal statement. "
"Read my personal statement"
"website, MSAR"
"read SDN, went over my essays, relaxed and watched TV the night before"
"Had two interviews on the two previous days, that was practice enough."
"Read application."
"interview at USA day before, interview feedback, read application"
"Nothing, was my first one"
"Read student feedback, read a book on health care issues, reviewed my applications. They're open file, so know your own stuff."
"Looked at lots of sites, like SDN and interviewfeedback."
"Went to interviewfeedback.com, as well as other sites like this one."
"It seems like the admin puts a lot of effort into making a large class size feel smaller/more like a community, which I really appreciate. Students said they share resources despite the ranking system/AOA."
"A lot!"
"The size and prestige of the hospital."
"prestige without cockiness"
"The curriculum is extremely customizable. There are tons of research opportunities."
"Clinical opportunities/sites"
"Everyone's very friendly and the facilities seem very nice."
"I was impressed with how student-centered this school is. They ask for feedback from students, and then immediately make changes to the school to fit what the students request. They also emphasize a great work-life balance, and the school is a very low-stress environment overall."
"The attitude of the students during the provided lunch. The current med students were very helpful."
"Low pressure interviews, school's facilities and reputation, friendliness of med students"
"The friendliness of 2 of the interviewers"
"The interviewers were all incredibly nice, and the interview itself was very conversational."
"Students"
"Overall conversational nature of the interviews."
"The school, the students, the affiliated hospitals, and the clinical"
"Everyone was extremely friendly and all the interviews knew specifics about my application."
"The people. My first interviewer told me that he could tell I had put my heart into my personal statement and into the secondary essays. It meant a lot to me that he had read them in detail, since I worked so much on them. The second and third interviewers also went out of their way to get to know me and convey that they were glad I was there. On another note, I'm kinda an art kid at heart, so the interior design of the building impressed me. (kinda weird, I know.) It's a really aesthetically pleasing place compared to a lot of the other schools and hospitals. A good learning environment."
"Super Laid back and nice!"
"Every one was very laid back, nice, and seemed to just want to get to know you."
"The friendliness of the UAB faculty and staff. Also, the students genuinely seemed to like the school. "
"How well the interview flowed; how excited everyone was about the school."
"The friendliness of the staff and the response time until I was accepted (only one week)!"
"Friendliness of the staff, the low-stress environment, the med students who gave us the tour were great, great facilities."
"Professionalism of admissions staff, size and quality of medical education facilities, the expansive health care infrastructure in Birmingham, the comments from current students."
"The interviewers work to make you feel absolutely comfortable. The facilities were also extensive and modern."
"Everyone was very friendly and really tried to relax us. The hospital system is very extensive and they are constantly trying to improve the facilities."
"The laid-back interview style"
"New building looks awesome. The students were very helpful and friendly, and admissions staff was on top of their game and very helpful. The interviewers were very relaxed, and it was not hard to talk to them at all. This was my first interview, so I'm glad that it went so well."
"How nice everyone was."
"Almost everything. The students and faculty were genuinely friendly, the facilites were amazing, and everything about the day is pretty laid back."
"The laid back atmosphere and the lunch session with current students."
"The facilities. Research money. Beautiful campus and nice surrounding area. Weather. Notified of acceptance <2 weeks later, also."
"Everyone made an effort to keep the environment relaxed and calm."
"They clearly care about their students. Facilities and faculty are top-notch."
"I liked how relaxed the interviews were. You can relax and be yourself. Just don't worry and the interview will go smoothly."
"The facilities, the students, and most of all, the faculty. The area was beautiful, and I could honestly see myself attending school there. My interviewers were awesome! "
"The staff, the physicians, and the students were all very pleasant and encouraging. "
"interactions with UAB personnel, students, and fellow interviewees; well-organized; interview rooms are close together."
"The size of the medical campus. HUGE! "
"Friendliness of the students; new, beautiful facilities; how easy going/interesting the interviewers were; enthusiasm of the students to meet the interviewees and stay in contact if we had questions; better than I expected match list"
"Friendliness of faculty, interviewers, and current students."
"The M4 that lead our tour was very helpful and had nothing but incredible things to say about the school. It seemed to have given him the education, experience, and contacts he needs to land him whatever residency he wants."
"The low level of stress during the day."
"Everything was very organized and well put-together. "
"The students at UAB are very nice and friendly. The interviews were not stressful. "
"The friendliness of everyone there, not just the students and faculty, but the group of interviewees that were also present. It says alot about the type of people they potentially want in their school."
"the students seem to really like the school; the facitilies are very nice"
"the facilities, the enthusiasm of the med students that we met, the enthusiasm of one of my interviewers about the new systems-based curriculum"
"Everyone was very friendly, the interview process was well organized and ran smoothly, and the student tour gave us a good opportunity to interact with students other than the hand picked tour guide - and they also were very excited about the school. Also, the 2007 class will be the first to use an integrated, organ-based curriculum."
"Everyone was super-friendly and helpful. The students seemed genuinely helpful."
"all three interviewers were very nice, the new parts of the hospital are great (they didn't really show us any of the older parts), tons of study space for the students in the medical school building (computer labs, study carrols, lounge areas, study rooms, etc)"
"really friendly people and great facilities"
"school, faculty, students, everything"
"new facilities, students were pretty laid back (not hardcore types)"
"The students that gave us our tour were not *props* - it was obvious they really did like the school and that they were very well treated by the school, faculty, other students, etc."
"The facilities are GREAT, especially the north pavilion, children's hospital, and new rec center across the street from medical school."
"The new student facilities at the school, and the beautiful new hospital."
"Nice hospitals"
"The facilities are great, most of them are new. There's just a wealth of resources around the med center."
"The new wing of Volker Hall was amazing, great living/learning areas."
"Access to UAB's facilities, including new medical buildings, new gym, newly renovated med school, etc. Interviewers were really interesting and interested people. "
"I enjoyed the city of Birmingham."
"The new facilities and the positive attitude of the faculty."
"New facilities and how eager everyone was to help"
"financial aid for in-state students"
"Other than that, the day went well, with three interviews, some that were open disussions of practicing medicine in Alabama and others where interviewers asked preprepared questions. Also, the medical students that I met were actually really nice and seemed happy with their time at UAB. The hospital tour was inspiring - there are so many research and clinical opportunities available to UAB students! "
"the friendliness and hospitality of the staff and students, the variety of clinical experiences and hospitals, and the new facilities"
"The new facilities - very nice, how good the school was, the access to four different types of hospitals, early patient-physician contact."
"The tour and new developments underway in the city."
"The entire experience was impressive. It was obvious that the interviewers really loved medicine and deeply cared about the future generations of physicians. Students seemed to genuinely love their school."
"The new Volker Hall and the NIH rating."
"I learned that UAB is very renowned in the Southeast and nationally. The med students were genuine and helpful."
"The facilities are as impressive as their program. There are lots of surrounding hospitals, all within walking distance from the med school."
"The new building, and the size of the medical center"
"Friendly atmosphere, recycle everything from aluminum cans to name tag covers, Some very nice interviewers"
"A very well organized admissions office - extremely helpful. Nice facilities, incredible depth and breadth of clinical opportunities. Opportunity to choose among 3 campuses for 3rd and 4th years, offering different environments for rotations."
"The quality of the facilities and the friendliness of everyone. B-ham is a nice looking town."
"Everyone associated with the school seemed great; they really make me feel welcome and comfortable."
"The new building is nice and everyone was extremely friendly."
"The many opportunities that are available at UAB and the outstanding faculty. The friendliness of the students was great."
"The new building that they just opened."
"Beautiful new medical school building; all the UAB-affiliated hospitals are connected by crosswalks; top-notch medical school and research facilities!"
"Happiness and friendliness of everyone involved, from the students to the interviewers to my fellow applicants, the superior level of the 3rd and 4th year training"
"the students -- they seemed very happy and were very friendly. "
"Extremely well organized. Student tour guides seemed to genuinely love their medical school experience. The newly renovated Volker Hall (where most 1st & 2nd year classes are held) is beautiful. Laid-back, conversational interviews. "
"UAB is by far the most organized and laid-back school to interview at. The students were all happy with their school."
"The opening presentation was given by the dean. He repeatedly stressed that the interviews were designed only to get to know the applicants better, there were no "high pressure" situations, and any concerns should be addressed directly to him...gave direct contact numbers and email. (Although it was curious to me that he spent so much time talking about how to resolve interview problems/handle concerns or inappropriate questions.)"
"The students seemed content and happy to be there, the staff was friendly and helpful. The hospitals in the area."
"New facilities in the works"
"They are constructing a new building."
"I had visited UAB before so I knew about the great facilities and the new hospital. Everyone was extremely friendly and did everything possible to make me feel relaxed. "
"UAB has an incredible number of facilities. You really need to see them all in person to fully appreciate it, but with the school having so many opportunities at students disposal, it has got to be an excellent place to study medicine."
"Absolutely everything! This school is already really good and you can tell they are devoted to getting better."
"The quality of the school, its facilities, and the students. They were truly high caliber individuals, both personally and academically."
"They are renovating the medical school building, it's going to be really nice."
"Size of hospitals, attitude of interviewers, the city is great."
"New Med School Building and the huge medical center, how friendly everyone was"
"alums do the interviews"
"The people."
"Everyone was very friendly and the hospitals there are wonderful training."
"The variety of hospitals, and the quality of hospitals in the Birmingham area."
"Students are ranked by quartiles using both their clinical grades and nonclinical grades. Also, AOA."
"Nothing really."
"The school's building itself seemed pretty unwelcoming. I didn't get a "camaraderie is important" vibe, either. The students were friendly enough, but our tour guide was unprofessional in how lackadaisical his attitude was. We didn't get to see the cadaver lab or any of the simulation rooms - if there were any."
"lack of info on step1/2 success. 98% match rate, but what about step scores?"
"How long the interview day was."
"The campus and the hospital seemed a little deserted and empty."
"I was negatively impressed by how outdated the facilities are."
"The interviewers were not very conversational. I felt like I was monopolizing the coverstation."
"One of the interviewers seemed less than interested from the beginning of the interview."
"The student-led tour was fairly disorganized. We had a lot of problems getting around construction blockades."
"Urban location"
"It seemed as if parts of the medical campus were older or needed some maintenance."
"The last interviewer kept asking me about the same question."
"Absolutely nothing, to be perfectly honest. "
"Video was kinda boring, the interview rooms are tiny, but none of that really matters."
"I wish they'd stop showing that dated video."
"The anatomy lab wasn't fantastic. The video discussing the various campuses was extremely dated."
"The absence of an anatomy/histology course. I like the new "integrated" curriculum, but it's a shame that new students are missing out on hardcore anatomic knowledge."
"Nothing. Everything was great."
"The diversity of the student body was a little lacking."
"The location of the school. Its in downtown Birmingham and there are alot of trashy areas around it. I'm just not really a city person."
"The grading system. Pass/Fail with Quartile ranking that ''you only have to know about if you so desire.'' Please. It is a highly ranked state school which must show preference to Alabama residents: the competition is necessary to help the superstar graduates attain residencies from similarly ranked institutions. The three campuses and the ''Preference Questionnaire.''"
"I already know half the class from high school. Some of them I don't necessarily want to be in school with again."
"The tour was not interesting. "
"Nothing, really. My only complaint was that every sandwich served at lunch was soaked in mayo, which I can't stand...see how hard I'm having to dig to criticize the school? "
"orientation was a little dull, lunch wasn't great"
"The tour guide didn't seem that excited."
"Out of state tuition is unavoidable and pretty expensive; seemed to focus way too much of the USNews Rankings and their improvement; I'm not a huge fan of Alabama overall after Nick Saban "
"None."
"Long orientation before interviews start...but somewhat necessary"
"The interviews start at 7:50am. Would have been nice to have them earlier so I could drive the day of the interview. "
"with the new curriculum, no more gross anatomy"
"with the new curriculum, anatomy will no longer be taught with cadavers but with computer programs and preserved human models"
"I'm a 34yo non-traditional student with an extremely varied (and somewhat checkered) academic and work history. While I understand that the interview committee needs to address those issues, I was essentially asked about nothing else. Questions like why UAB?, why be a doctor?, what are your strengths/weaknesses?, etc. never came up."
"The clinical facilities were okay but lacked the high volume and bustle that I would have liked to see. Could have just been that I saw some of the less busy areas."
"food was terrible: finger sandwiches. not much of an option for vegetarians."
"Although my interview was conducted with a factulty member at the medical school, he was not a physician or teacher of human medicine. Although I'm sure his experience with the school was extensive, I felt that it was hard to relate my experiences in medicine (ie. volunteering, in-hospital work, issues related to practice, etc)."
"The manner in which the dean of admissions talked about the way you must select either the birmingham, huntsville, or tuscaloosa campus for your last two years. he made it sound like the school was doing us such a big favor to allow us to have some imput on where we will be placed for the last two years, even if it is not our first choice. also, there are three interviews that count for admissions, but if you have impressive research, you get an interview/informational session, and if you are a minority, you also have an inteview/informational session, so i ended up having 5 interviews in a row, while some of my counterparts had 3 and were able to take a break in between."
"The tour guides were friendly & enthusiastic, but the tour was lackluster. How can I believe that your hospital is so great if we never see anything but the lobby?"
"The students seemed very unhappy."
"Tour guide lacked a little enthusiasm, less structured tour than other places. He pretty much asked us where we wanted to go...but I didn't know that much about the hospital, I didn't say anything in particular"
"The older sections of Volker Hall could use a little renovation, but everything seemed very usable."
"Medical students seem to be at the bottom of the totem pole at UAB's health system. Students don't go to class!"
"The students seemed somewhat aloof. They appeared to enjoy interacting with one another more than the applicants."
"n/a"
"1st and 2nd year classes feel like you are in a basement(dungeon)"
"UAB didn't seem to have the research focus that I thought; you could possibly be place on one of three campuses for your last two years (your top choice is not guaranteed)"
"There were quite a few students, about 20-25 students interviewing that day. The medical students' biggest piece of advice was to not go to class and to choose the ones to attend very, very selectively. I feel conflicted about this because it means low student morale, low student participation and faculty interaction, and means that if you do go to class, you're penalized for not spending time doing other stuff. The medical students that led my tour group almost seem to brag that out of a lecture of 160 enrolled students, the smallest attendance was 8. Also, the grading and ranking system sound really competitive. The class of 160 is divided into quartiles and grades are awarded by your class standing, which seems like it would foster much more competition and constant comparision among the student body. Also, filling out the campus selection form within 2 weeks of the interview can be daunting when you don't know much about the Huntsville and Tuscaloosa campuses, other than what you've read from the website and the short video that is shown during Dr. Smith's opening address. It seems like those campuses are better if you want to eventually go into community health. "
"the 1st-year lecture building straight out of the 70s (but they make up for it with their new building for med students)"
"The interviewers were all physicians, which was nice, but they didn't seem to know as much about the school as they could have. They actually answered some of my questions incorrectly (according to the students I talked with later)."
"Not much diversity within the student body."
"Nothing. UAB is an phenomenal school with enormous opportunities in both medicine and research."
"The fact that you could be placed at one of 3 campuses for 3rd and 4th years."
"Parking and safety in downtown Birmingham."
"Nothing much really, a great school"
"Condescending attitude of one of the interviewers"
"The quasi-illegal questions (age, significant other, kids). No clear info about whether one could establish in-state residency for tuition purposes after 1 year. The low value that the students placed on their course lectures, not a well-integrated curriculum."
"Traffic in Birmingham, having to select a campus - Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, or Huntsville - 2 years ahead of time."
"That I only got to talk to two current students, and they were fourth years. Interviewees had very little contact with current students- which struck me as odd."
"The old building is not nearly as nice"
"nothing"
"Nothing - I was really impressed by this school!"
"How very segregated the medical center is: students were primarily white, patients African-American, researchers Asian-American....the whole thing was a bad stereotype."
"one interviewer was a little rude"
"The tour seemed slightly disorganized, but this was not the fault of the guides."
"One of my interviewers was hostile, condescending, and confrontational. He essentially asked me NO questions and spent our entire time lecturing me about how I wasn't good enough to get in. (This was the same interviewer who accused me of lying on my essay.) Also, I was very disappointed to hear the upper classmen extolling the virtues of how you can get through your first two years (including anatomy lab) without attending any classes...you can hire a scribe, study anatomy from a book, and only show up for tests. Why should I pay tuition and relocate when it could just be an online degree???"
"The interviewers didn't seem to have read my application even though they had most of my information and it was supposed to partly open file. I had to travel from New York on less than one week's notice (I didn't want to postpone it)."
"Current construction"
"The school facilities aren't too nice."
"Nothing really"
"The lecture rooms are a little dingy but they are building a great new building. Also, I'm not really keen on not being guaranteed which campus you'll be at for years 3 and 4. Also, students there said that there is somewhat of an overcompetitive atmosphere."
"B-ham was a little small, but a pleasant place."
"We were herded around like cattle from room to room. Each interviewer spoke with at least 5 applicants in a 3 hour period. Only 25 minutes were alotted for each interview and I don't think that that is enough time to get to know someone."
"The facilities are old, but there will be a completely new addition for med students in the fall."
"condtion of volker hall, getting invite day and a half before"
"The relatively WASPish environment"
"the facilities"
"Not much diversity, ethnically or religiously. It really is in the Bible Belt, and is very WASPish. That said, everyone is super nice, and if you've grown up in the south, like me, it shouldn't be a big deal."
"Nothing."
"Not much! I think UAB did a really good job of providing a lot of resources beforehand for us to learn about the school."
"to eat breakfast"
"I wish I had known who my interviewer was going to be. I also wish I had known how lonnnng the interview day was going to be - I was there for seven hours!"
"That lunch was before either of the interviews."
"None"
"That only one of my interviewers would address the fact I was a reapplicant - the other two interviewers did not."
"How to better articulate myself in my first interview"
"There was really no reason to stress over the interviews."
"Bring a pen, they aren't going to supply one."
"That highheels weren't thebest idea"
"That they weren't going to give me a sressful interview. And that there were going to be about 20 other interviewees there alongside me for the day. (I had interviewed 2 days prior in Memphis, and there were only 5 of us.)"
"Open file but they black out GPA/MCAT -- be prepared to answer questions about things in the essays you wrote for the app!"
"How chill everything was so I wouldn't of have to prepare so much and freak out so much."
"How relaxed interviews actually are at UAB. I should have brought an umbrella."
"Before going in for the interview, I had no idea as to what I would talk about for 25min. Turned out 20-25min pass pretty quickly during interviews."
"I wish I had done more mental preparation for how annoying some of the 20 year old pre-med kids were. Some...not all. "
"That the interview day really was as pleasant as everyone on here stated."
"I felt pretty prepared."
"That it is actually as laid back as everyone says it is"
"Bring a pen. If you are driving in for the interview, make sure you give yourself plenty of time; I got stuck in traffic and arrived 15 min. late."
"That it really was going to be so low stress. Also I wish I had gone over the night before to find the parking."
"How the day was structured. Interviews are given in the morning after a general introduction to the school and information about the curriculum. Video and lunch follows the interviews. The day is ended with a walking tour of the hospital. "
"How many interviews there were. Though they were all relaxing and ''easy'', the day leaves you mentally exhausted and very, very glad to be done with the whole thing."
"I wish I would have known that it was going to rain. Other than that, it was great."
"I didn't realize that 23 other students would be there, too."
"That everyone has at least 3 interviews."
"How much out of state tuition was; how misguided everyone is about Nick Saban"
"I wish I had known the name of my interviewers before-hand. The UASOM contains a link several faculty members who are part of the admissions commitee on their website. Their bio's can be found on a web search engine."
"We have to rank which of the 3 campuses we'd like to be placed that day."
"n/a"
"I actually didn't know there are 3 different campuses; starting your third year, 106 students stay at the birmingham campus, 35 go to tuscaloosa, and 35 go to huntsville."
"I think their parking maps are wrong so you may want to check out the parking situation. One of the streets (15th?) is closed as well. I got there early but the staff didnt show up until 7:45am so no need to get their too early."
"The type of interviews that I was going to be under"
"the maps they give are not very easy to follow"
"I made it on time, but just as a tip, traffic can be bad in the morning so make sure you leave with plenty of time"
"The Raddison said i'd get a late check out bc my flight wasn't till 7pm, but apparently 'late' is 2pm, 30min before the interview was over. "
"i pretty much knew everything when i got there"
"The interviews were totally friendly & conversational, not adversarial. I should have been less worried than I was."
"How completely relaxed the interviews would be, and how genuinely nice everyone would be."
"That you MUST select the location where you want to do your 3rd & 4th year rotations soon after the interview. You can choose from Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Huntsville. "
"The number of other applicants interviewing on a particular day. There were like 20 students present."
"The faculty goes out of their way to make the interviews low-stress."
"The three campuses thing"
"nothing, really (This is the heart of the South, so ladies, don't forget to wear hose.)"
"Finding the parking lots they want you to park at is nearly impossible. I would recommend just paying to park in the garage right by Volker Hall."
"To RELAX more...interviewers simply want an idea of who you are as a candidate."
"Location of Volker Hall."
"2 other campuses in Huntsville and Tuscaloosa where you can potentially spend the last 2 years of medical school."
"The weather...colder than expected for Alabama :)"
"Alabama can get cold"
"It's worthwhile to visit one or more of the other campuses (Huntsville, Tuscaloosa) so you can make an informed choice of campus."
"That the shuttle from the Best Western Medical Center Inn is unreliable. Good thing there are cabs."
"How many nationally known faculty are present at UAB and the high rankings that the school recieves in its residency programs."
"Campus selection for the clinical years - either in Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, or Birmingham "
"the interviews are very low stress"
"They have a "scoring sheet" that goes from 1 or 2 to 8 or 9. There are guidelines on the form for where a student must be placed, based on scores. They go strictly by scores (GPA, MCAT). The interviews are essentially irrelevant. "Interviews can only move you up a maximum of one point. Negative interviews can move you down onw or more points."The decisions are based on the numbers with little leeway for personal impressions by the interviewers. This was repeated by all 3 interviewers. Made the trip seem like a waste of everybody's time. "
"That very few students attend class. Most students just study all day from the note taking service."
"Nothing"
"The clinical facilities at UAB are incredibly enormous. There is so much to get involved with professionally."
"the three campus ordeal"
"The area the medcial school is in seemed a little grotty, and the buildings were really old and dingy, BUT they're builidng a huge new hall where most the medical stuff will be that's going to be open soon and looks really nice."
"I wish I had more financial aid info to ask better questions."
"nothing."
"I think the combination of MMIs and 30-minute one-on-one interviews is a good balance between the personal aspect of a traditional interview and the various supposed benefits of MMIs."
"Be relaxed and personable! The interviews are important, but they try to make them as laid back as possible."
"incredible staff and program, 9/10"
"This looks like a great school! Opportunities to care for the underserved, as well as tons of research opportunities. The interviewers, admissions committee members, and students were all extremely friendly and welcoming. Birmingham was also a great place to hang out after the interview. There are great restaurants, shopping, and places to go running/walking/hiking."
"UAB seems pretty cool!"
"I was very impressed with this school."
"UAB did a great job. It was an easy, though long, interview day."
"Nice school, very friendly faculty/staff."
"GREAT SCHOOL!! would love to go there"
"I <3 UAB =)"
"Take the essays seriously if you haven't done them yet. I really think that's what helped me get accepted as an out-of-state applicant so quickly. A great mcat score and gpa only go so far. All they know about you is what you tell them, and you might get an interview based on how well you communicate your genuine passion to them. Also, it helped me to talk to the other interviewees throughout the day. We all opened up and encouraged one another as we went in for interviews. By the end of the day, I felt like I had known a few of them for forever. This really dispels anxiety and puts you in a good mental state for the interviews. "
"Three interviews @ 25 minutes each, one-on-one with each interviewer. The interviewers were incredibly nice and easygoing -- by the end of my second interview I was giving book recommendations to my interviewer. Very low-stress, they simply want to see that you're able to talk as a person. Interviews are open file, but your MCAT/GPA are blacked out, so they can see the rest of your AMCAS (essays/ECs/LoRs) -- they will have read your app and they WILL ask questions about your essays, so be prepared to field questions about anything you wrote in your essay."
"Questions I thought I was gonna be asked but wasn't: Why do u wanna be a doctor? Why UAB? Healthcare reform. My MCAT stuff. My classes and GPA. Everything was basically tell me and elaborate on... Volunteer work, shadowing, research, and how it has effected me and my medical interest."
"The interviewers do not know your GPA or MCAT. "
"Pretty positive experience. Now that I have been accepted I cant wait to start med school next fall."
"The School of Medicine at UAB is definitely an underdog in terms of prestige. The high quality of their educational and residency programs don't reflect that status, though. Also, please realize that there are 3-5 INDIVIDUAL interviews that last for 25 minutes each. This questionnaire doesn't have a good way to convey that fact."
"I love this school!"
"All of the questions were straight foreward, applicable, and appropriate. The interviewers were very friendly and laid back. As long as you prepare yourself for the general questions "why medicine, why UASOM, strenghts, etc." you will do fine."
"Sort of a long day, with interviews, info sessions, and a student-led tour. The whole experience left me with a good impression of the school. I had 4 interviewers, 3 MD's from the admissions committee and one PhD, because I had a lot of research interests. The PhD interviewer does not factor into the admissions decision (supposedly)."
"UAB has a great medical school. They seem very organized and professional."
"The whole interview experience is really laid back and more conversational get to know you type of stuff. Everyone at the school is really friendly and I was surprised that I thourougly enjoyed the whole day. The hot undergrad students didn't hurt my opinion of the school either."
"Nice day overall, great food. Tour was a little disorganized and the students seemed a little dazed and unenthusiastic, despite being on fall break."
"Relaxing and actually enjoyable!"
"Overall, a great school, and the price is right (although the tuition is deceptively low...a full accounting includes many thousand in ''fees'' which bring the total budget to $37k/year."
"UAB doesn't believe in "stress interviews," so I basically had three conversations. I couldn't believe how nice everyone was about my record. I knew that each of my interviewers really wanted to represent me well by the efforts they made to really get to know me. In fact, most of the time was spent trying to recruit me. One interviewer even gave me tips for the next one! I left feeling fantastic."
"Great, could not have been better."
"55 minute orientation, three to five interviews lasting about 25 minutes, 15 minute video, lunch, tour"
"Very Good! One of the best schools in the South and the nation."
"Great school. Three, really low-key interviews. I said that they were open file, however, one is completely open file and two are given only partial files. Didn't seem to matter though since the interviewers I had were far more interested in personal things than they were about clubs or whatever. Like everyone has said, everyone is very friendly and seem genuinely excited about being there. The new hospital is beautiful."
"Pretty laid back interview. Make sure that you know yourself and can answer the most obvious questions such as 'Tell me about yourself' and 'Why do you want to do medicine'. You should also have answers for questions like ' Why do you want to come to UAB medical college' and 'How would you contribute to UASOM' "
"Everything was very impressive. The interviewers were not out to intimidate you at all. "
"I had a great experience interviewing, everyone at UAB is really on task and everything runs fairly efficiently. "
"The interviews were more like 1 on 1 conversations, not intimidating. Each applicant is given 3 different interviewers in case they don't click with one of them. "
"Good experience. If you're from Alabama don't pass up this opportunity. They have also changed their curriculum this year to more organ-based. Oh, and you don't have to do your own cadaver disections so that will reduce your lab time."
"Pretty good, the school really impressed me with their facilities and new cirriculum"
"Overall a pretty good experience; I had a meeting with a doctor to talk about research, and three other interviews. The morning info session was relatively dull, but it provided a lot of info. It took me a long time to find the parking lot from the hotel; I would recommend finging it the night before."
"I was really impressed with the whole day. It wasn't very stressfull and most of the interviewers are on the same hall, so no worries about getting lost or being late. I also really liked how the lunch/tour with med students was set up. There was about five people for every one med student so we were able to get answers for a lot of our questions."
"Overall, it was a positive experience. The faculty and students both seemed to care about the school, and the students that I talked to were pleased about the quality of education they had received."
"Wonderful school. Everyone was extremely nice and helpful, and seemed very enthusiastic about the school. "
"The three interviewers asked mostly the same questions. They had a sheet with about six things to find out on it, and they all basically went down the sheet asking the same questions in the same order. As far as I can remember, the topics were: your strengths and weaknesses, motivation for medicine, volunteer experience, campus involvement, hobbies/interests, and other (which is where the most interesting questions came in) "
"It went very well. I was very stressed going in because this was my first interview and it was late in the year, but 2 seconds into my first interview, I completely relaxed. The interviewers were really enthusiastic and friendly. The interviews are conversational and I even had one interviewer who wished we could have talked longer because we had so much in common! My advice to anyone interviewing at UAB is to 1. know your application materials 2. if you've had research experience, be prepared to talk about it. and most importantly: 3. BE FRIENDLY. They invited you to interview, so that means you're qualified for med school. Now they just want to see that you can carry on a good conversation and are enthusiastic about becoming a doctor."
"Not all the interviewers had the complete file. Each interviewer had to complete a task: one tried to find out how academically motivated i was; another asked me questions about my personal/home life; another asked me about my research experiences and what i want to do in medicine."
"laid back. interviewers were nice, one was very outgoing, and one didn't seem to care much ab anything. talked for awhile ab whether it was a good idea for him to fly into New Orleans and rent a car bc he has a meeting next week in lake charles (no airport)."
"Overall good. My interview with a local physician was not only relaxed and informative, it was actually enjoyable! Be prepared for this interview to be long - mine was over 90 minutes. But, it passed unnoticably."
"overall, a very good experience. facilities are great, the medical students were very informative and definitely were happy to be there. inteviews were quite conversational, very low pressure"
"Really enjoyed interview. The atmosphere was laid back and enjoyable. "
"Interviewing was great, though one of the interviewers was more nervous than I was! The school is great, the facilities nice, the students we met were the kind of people you don't mind having as friends. I felt like I bonded with my interviewers as well as the other interviewees. Kudos to UAB for everything except the hospital tour."
"Very boring day. Nobody seemed really happy to have interviewees on campus."
"Overall, the day went well. It starts out with a speech by Dr. Smith. He kinda lays the day out for you and ultimately put you at ease. All interviewers had at least 3 interviews that were done by the interview committee members. Some students (myself included) had a 4th or 5th interview based on 'special interests' indicated by the student. I made some reference to conducting research in med school, so I had a separate interview with a guy who pretty much talked about clinical investigation. The first interview started slowly, but the second and fourth (the ones that counted) ended up pretty well. Looking back, i could have answered a couple of questions differently (better), but I suppose there's no use crying over spilled milk. "
"Great experience, stress-free, reinforced my decision to attend."
"Introduction by Dr. Smith wasn't that interesting, but it was held in a very nice little auditorium. The interviews were all in the same nice building, which was convenient. Questions were very low-pressure, mostly just to talk about yourself. Lunch was decent, but some of the students who were supposed to answer questions were half-dead from exhaustion. (Reality in advertising?) :) "
"Generally, positive. I interviewed with three individuals, who were all very friendly. They appeared genuinely interested in who I was as a person."
"The day was well-structured and candidates were constantly asked if they had any questions or concerns."
"It was okay. The first interview went horribly, but the other two went well."
"Overall, I really enjoyed interviewing at UAB and being able to get a better sense of attending medical school there. The interview is fairly low stress, with interviewers having different amounts of information from your application about you. So, keep it in mind and don't assume that your interviewer knows all that you've ever written to UAB. "
"The students seemed very happy to be there and were a great source of pros and cons. The interviewers help you feel right at home and simply carry on a conversation with you about life in general. It is very laid back, but still very professional."
"Pleasant over all. This is my first choice, so I definitely wanted to get all my questions answered, and I think I did. I like the school and the area."
"Began with a few breakfast snaks. Then, Dr. Smith talked for a bit and showed us a video. Afterwards, the interviews began. Finally, we had lunch with medical school students and proceeded with the tour."
"Overall, this was a wonderful experience. I had the opportunity to ask questions and they were expertly answered. "
"The interviews were very laid back. Everybody was very nice."
"A low stress experience. They have a wing of Volker Hall dedicated to interviews, so the whole group goes to the same place. "
"Try to visit before you interview so that you wont get lost. It is pretty big. Overall, the interview is laidback and low stress. Also, you eat luch with 4th year med students who are very informative and easy to talk to."
"Overall a very low stress experience, take it easy, they aren't their to grill you, just put a face to your application and you will be fine. Tell the truth too...it always makes for better conversation."
"The intro starts at a little before 8. So get there early. Students seemed to be very happy there. The new Volker Hall is awesome. Be prepare to ask lots of questions to interviewers cuz they ask you that at least 3 times. Overall, it was a pleasant experience."
"Very nice interviewers, all practicing MDs in various types of practice. Relaxed and pleasant. Questions were mostly based on AMCAS (1 interviewer has full file, 2 have a summary of the info). Talked a lot about state health issues, clinical experiences, rural practice, etc.. No ethics questions."
"Two interviewers were great, the third was a little looney. She started disparaging mental patients and psychiatrists in the interview. I didn't know if she was trying to test me or if she was just a little odd. Other than that, it was pretty impressive."
"All in all, a great experience!"
"Everyone made a real effort to reduce the stress level as much as possible so the whole interview experience was pretty low key. "
"Great experience, UAB is my choice over Vandy, Hopkins, Baylor and Emory. This is especially a great school if going into surgery, peds, OB/GYN, or rural med. "
"Overall, the interview experience was very positive. All of my interviewers were nice and seemed interested in finding out more about me."
"Excellent. This is my third interview, and I didn't expect to like the school that much. By the end of the day, UAB had become my number one choice!"
"My first two interviewers were very friendly/ conversational. The last guy was kind of a jerk, and made me think I did not get in -- but I did"
"8:00 - 9:00 - Introduction / Schedule Outline / Short movie 9:00/9:30/10:00/10:30/11:00 - Staggered 25 min. interviews w/ 3 members of Admissions Committee 12:00 - 12:30 - Lunch 12:30 - ~1:45 - Tour Interviewers were not intimidating. They seemed to really want to get to know you. No pressure tactics were used."
"Despite the initially positive impression of the dean, it was overall a very negative experience. I am glad that I went because it confirmed that I did NOT want to be affiliated with UAB...I withdrew my application the next day. One of my interviewers told me that they didn't want "any strictly religious people to become doctors; for example, a Catholic who doesn't believe in abortions." I was stunned at this direct religious discrimination in a state-supported school. Per the dean's instructions re: contacting him about any inappropriate interviews or questions, I emailed the dean the following day (and contacted the equal opportunity compliance officer). After "reviewing" the situation, the dean told me that they had decided to grant me another interview to replace the one in question. I believed this would only be a further waste of my time and was an indication that the dean wasn't serious about addressing problems. I subsequently spoke with other applicants to UAB from various years and found that many had similarly inappropriate experiences. Even though UAB has a good reputation, my advice is to SERIOUSLY evaluate your options and talk to as many previous applicants and students as possible before applying. I want a school that can TEACH me and teach me HOW to learn...not teach me how to get by with as little effort as possible. "
"Stressful for me because it was my first interview at my first choice school"
"The interviews where more stressful than I anticipated. "
"Do not stress at all. The interviewers are really friendly and just want to know all they can about you. Relax and be yourself. Also, before your interview you can ask about medical students that host applicants, I had one and she was really nice, it can also save you some money."
"A great, easygoing interview. This is REALLY just a conversation. One interviewer spoke with me about professional football for over half the interview. Relax and be yourself."
"To be honest, I did not know a lot about UAB before going, but I left with a huge smile. This school has everything going for it. The faculty and interviewers were all nice. the student led tour was great, my tour guide happily answered every question and seemed to really love her time there. It is definitely one of my top choices now."
"UAB is a great school. The people were the nicest I've met, outside of Texas, they were open-minded, and the administration was wholly dedicated to the students. I left very impressed."
"I participated in a program at UAB med school this past summer and I was impressed, so I had high expectations for the interviews. I was happy that all interviews were in the same place, but I think that the interviewers were tired from interviewing so many students at once. One interviewer seemed very disinterested and asked me if I had considered going to graduate school. I took this to mean that she felt I wasn't qualified for medical school. She was hard to talk to and wasn't very friendly. The other two interviewers were pretty nice, but one didn't ask many questions we had casual conversation about non-related topics."
"I had a great time there. Everyone was friendly and wanted to make you feel at home. "
"first interviewer was late, so he hadn't read my file, and seemed as though he really didn't want to be there. second interview was conversational, though interviewer seemed to talk more than me. third was hard to read, she had positive and negative comments about my application."
"If it wasn't raining, I probably would have liked it better. I had a HUGE umbrella and I was still soaked. Don't park where they tell you, and just bite the $15 parking fee for the closer lot."
"In one word, FRIENDLY. Everyone was so nice and so helpful. Even though the school isn't number one in the rankings and Birmingham isn't exactly a wonderful city, the people more than made up for any not so great things about the school. I don't think you could go there and not make friends."
"I enjoyed visiting UAB and was very excited by my acceptance and am looking forward to being a member of the Class of 2006. Everything is low stress and beware, the tour was kind of long so wear comfy shoes. Also, give yourself time if you're driving, B'ham traffic can be a pain."
"I think UAB gives low stress interviews, as compared to other interviews I have had including work and med school. They give a good synopsis of what kind of students the school is looking for and what the school can offer for the student. I do wish that they would structure the tour a little better, but I know its hard for the medical students to find time to tour students every week."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 106 |
| Faculty member | 1 |
| Admissions staff | 0 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 52 |
| Neutral | 11 |
| Discouraging | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.39 | 67 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 51 |
| Out of state | 15 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 26 |
| 2-3 hours | 22 |
| 4-6 hours | 8 |
| 7+ hours | 10 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 15 |
| Automobile | 46 |
| Train or subway | 0 |
| Other | 4 |
Birmingham Airport
Birmingham
Birmingham International
Logan, HSV
ATL
BHM
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 1 |
| With students at the school | 1 |
| Friends or family | 13 |
| Hotel | 29 |
| Home | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
Yes
No
Yes
No
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 23 |
| $101-$200 | 11 |
| $201-$300 | 8 |
| $301-$400 | 2 |
| $401-$500 | 3 |
| $501+ | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.37 | 63 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.42 | 66 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.05 | 65 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.31 | 32 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.97 | 32 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.18 | 28 |
"The virtual interviews are bound to have awkward moment and technical difficulties, but overall I'd say the admissions process went as smooth as I could've asked for."
"Pick more enthusiastic students for the tour."
"include information on what step resources are given by the school, step scores, % of medical students who publish as a result of their scholarly activity would also be interesting"
"Emailing the admissions office my thank-you letter is awkward. Why can't I just email the interviewer?"
"Let applicants know of decisions sooner."
"Make the tour of the medical campus a bit more extensive."
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?