How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.30 | 30 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 25 |
| Negatively | 4 |
| No change | 2 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.93 | 30 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.39 | 31 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.81 | 31 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 1 |
| Virtual | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 2 |
| 20 minutes | 8 |
| 25 minutes | 3 |
| 30 minutes | 5 |
| 35 minutes | 2 |
| 40 minutes | 4 |
| 45 minutes | 4 |
| 50 minutes | 0 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 28 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 29 |
| In a group | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 11 |
| Closed file | 19 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.30 | 30 |
"Why podiatry"
"Tell me about yourself"
"If you were to struggle in academics, what steps would you take to improve?"
"What was your experience like working as a CNA? and How did this lead into Podiatry?"
"why did you switch from so and so field to podiatry"
"What would you do if another classmate broke the honor code?"
"Why podiatry?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"If you could go back in time, how would you better prepare yourself?"
"Why Podiatric Medicine?"
"What was the a time in which you were stretched thin?"
"Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision"
"Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision."
"Tell me a time when you missed a deadline."
"Provide example of a time when you gave constructive criticism."
"Please give me an example when you had to convince someone of something that they did not believe in?"
"Have you ever had to make a decision that you know others would not be in favor of?"
"What was a time that you have to make a hard decision?"
"tell me a time you gave constructive criticism"
"Describe a time when you had to make someone see the way you saw things?"
"How do you deal with a difficult person?"
"Tell me of a time where you had to deal with a difficult person."
"What was a time you interacted with someone who had different values that you."
"Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way."
"Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead."
"Tell us a time when you had to persuade someone?"
"Can you explain your low MCAT score and what changed when you retook it?"
"What are you most proud of"
"Why DPM vs. DO/MD?"
"how do you manage stress"
"Asked about extracurricular experiences, describe what you learned/gained"
"How would you tell a patient you had to amputate their foot?"
"Why DPM vs MD/DO ankle specialist?"
"Tell me about your favorite extracurricular experience?"
"What was a hard decision you had to make?"
"Tell me about your journey to podiatry"
"Tell me about a presentation you gave and how did you feel about it."
"Tell me a time when you disagreed with someone and how did you resolve that."
"Give an example of a time when you went above and beyond to help out a fellow classmate."
"Tell me about a time where you had to diffuse a difficult situation?"
"Tell me about a time where you were overwhelmed and what did you do?"
"tell me a time you failed at something"
"Describe a time when you attempted something and failed at it?"
"Tell us a time you had to make a quick decision"
"Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done."
"How do you deal with a difficult person? "
"Describe a situation where it was extremely stressful and how did you handle it?"
"What would you do once you become a DPM?"
"explain so and so experience in your resume"
"What would you do if your friend got a copy of an old test?"
"Not a lot of questions were asked, it was mostly a conversation."
"Tell me about a time when you had to give construction criticism"
"Tell me about a time you missed a deadline."
"More behavioral questions I don't remember."
"Give an example of a policy that you did not agree with and what did you do about it?"
"What is your biggest weakness?"
"Tell me a time when you made a mistake in school?"
"talk about time you had to make a quick decision"
"Describe a time when you had to deal with a difficult person and how did you handle it?"
"What was a time where you didn't agree with a certain protocol or directions and how did you respond?"
"Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead."
"What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example"
"Describe a situation where you had to deal with a hesitant person?"
"Where else have you applied?"
"What was the most interesting thing you saw while shadowing?"
"If I was a patient that was stressed, what would you say to them and how would you approach them?"
"What would you do if a fellow student had broken a rule (i.e. honor code)"
"What would you do if a patient wanted you to perform a certain procedure that you thought was unnecessary, but the patient insists you to do it?"
"How would you tell a patient that you need to amputate his foot?"
"What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment?"
"Describe your journey to podiatry: How did you come to be interested in podiatric medicine?"
"Tell me about a time where you had to diffuse a difficult situation?"
"What is one quality that you have that will set you apart from everyone else in the profession?"
"tell me about a time when you had to follow a policy that you did not like but you had to follow"
"None of them were interesting...sorry but I hate these types of questions because all I ended up doing was answering based on experiences that were in my app."
"All of them were."
"All the questions were about situations/life experiences (5 total with time left to ask the interviewers questions). The interviewers have never seen your file and knew nothing about you. It was a little strange compared to all the other schools, but very relaxed."
"There was a question in regards to my transcript in comparison to a letter of recommendation."
"What is something you would do back and do differently ?"
"What makes you a strong candidate for WesternU?"
"What would you do if your assistant gave your patient a wrong diagnosis and then you told the patient the the right diagnosis and the patient started causing a scene in the office?"
"What else do you want the admissions committee to know about you?"
"Is there anything else you want to let us know about yourself that we might not already know?"
"No difficult questions. They were all behavioral and listed previously on this site. Tell me about a time you failed."
"What is your biggest weakness?"
"tell me a time when you had to deal with a person with different values. none of the questions were difficult just listing all the 5 questions they asked me"
"Tell me about a time when you made a mistake."
"none. "
"none, if you look through the interview feedback here you'll have seen most of the questions they ask."
"None of them really -if you know to expect these type of questions."
"Tell me about a time when you had to go beyond the call of duty."
"All the questions were basic, nothing hard."
"SDN and mock interview"
"SDN questions"
"Looked up questions on SDN and formulated my own questions, then answered them all in a word document. Wrote 7-8 pages of questions and answers."
"I reviewed the post's that others had shared on Student Doctor Network"
"SDN"
"SDN, the schools website, and mock interviews."
"SDN feedback, review my application"
"SDN and talk to current students"
"SDN, school website"
"Prepared experience stories applicable to various behavioral questions using the STAR format. Reviewed my file/application. Prepared to discuss any aspects that may require further clarification or may be of interest."
"Had a set of stories that I used as examples and could apply to any question."
"Minimal preparation. Be yourself. Read over my application in regards to experiences."
"No preparation"
"read SDN forum feedback and prepared answers for all qestions."
"sdn interview feedback"
"SDN Interview feedback site. Look up behavioral based questions. Remember my life."
"SDN. Know types of behavioral based questions."
"researched behavioral based questions"
"SDN, School's website"
"SDN, researching sample behavioral questions and having answers for them."
"printed personal application researched on school, the curriculum, and about the dean (his work that he did)"
"Reviewed personal statement, file, etc. "
"All of my interviews were virtual due to COVID. Westerns virtual interview process was by far the most organized and was the only interview process I attended in which there was time given to speak directly to the dean of the school and hear from her and just ask questions."
"How personable and sincere my interviewer was. It hardly felt like an interview at all. Was very comfortable the whole time."
"Everyone at the school was very nice, and made me feel welcome, and wanted!"
"Professionalism and honesty of the students"
"The staff and students were all very friendly."
"Dr Harkless' passion for the field and the future of podiatry. New Anatomage 3D interactive anatomy table/system."
"close-knit faculty and student relationship, technology and new buildings/clinics"
"school, working with DO school, dorms, students"
"The dean is amazing and the campus is unique and has awesome student housing that is pet friendly!"
"Friendliness of professors, admissions, students and fellow interviewees. Prestige of faculty. Dr. Harkless is a very influential individual in the medical world."
"New Diabetes building"
"The friendliness of the faculty and students."
"How prepared all the presentations where and how welcoming all the professors were."
"Staff involvement with students and everyone's enthusiasm for the growth of the school and the profession. The cirriculum for the first two years is the same as the DO students."
"school's curriculum and staff"
"The staff and the Dean are extremely friendly. The curriculum is very much based on problem solving and the hands-on approach."
"EVERYONE was extremely friendly! People on here say it all the time but they really make it seem as though they want you to attend their school. Very professional atmosphere! Dr. Harkless is awesome!"
"The faculty are A+, much more friendlier than any of the other schools I've been to. They really want you to come here and seem to genuinely care about students. The curriculum looks tough, but that is a good thing. Podiatry is changing and I welt that Western might actually be leading that change."
"Finally, a school that really GETS IT! Podiatry is changing and some of the schools are still doing what they did 10 years ago."
"The admin/faculty is an all-star cast of podiatrists and they seem to care a lot about training future podiatrists. The new building is going to be nice, new lecture halls, lab/research space, clinics. The weather was sunny and 85 when I interviewed, just what you'd expect in November."
"The people. They really made a huge effort to let me know that they really wanted me to come to this school. Meet with the Dean, Dr. Harkless twice during the interview. Amazing guy and has a great thing going at Western. They really get the concept of Vision 2015. It is ingrained in everything they do, from the admissions, to the curriculum. The majority of classes are with DO students. the new building looks like it will be great for the pod students."
"The faculty and everyone cared a lot. They made sure that I had met everyone before I left the interview. The curriculum is new and has potential. It is based so that students can be comfortable to take the USMILE which was mentioned that they will pay for that exam. The curricum includes an inter-professional study where students are grouped with other health professionals to solve a case study. The campus only has students that want to become some kind of health professional so its a great way to become a professional that appreciates all other health specialties. "
"Nice campus, new buildings going up, curriculum (all classes with DO students, summers off, not going to waste your time with unneeded extras), early clinics, hospitals that you will be rotating through, Dean and faculty, and they are setting up residency affiliations with hospitals (attempt to ensure all students that graduate a residency program)."
"Dr. Estes aint it"
"The presenter for the curriculum had a very long-winded and stale presentation which made it difficult to pay attention. They kept getting side tract on some of the information which also made it difficult to follow. I also wish they'd gone more in depth on the housing because LA County is very expensive in terms of housing and COL. Additionally, they compared their program a lot to others and claimed they were the best podiatry school. Sure, a lot of schools will do that but I wish they had focused more on their strengths and why students enjoy their school rather than making comparisons to other schools."
"Student panel could have been a little better but not a big deal."
"Vague housing options during post-interview tour. Seemed limited to just recommending the Daumier as a housing option. Did not tour the library or classrooms. No meal plan available."
"I had a very positive experience during my interview and through out the rest of the interview process."
"Interview felt rushed , not enough deep and broad questions"
"The campus does not have a gym. But they do pay for LA fitness nearby and you would pay only 7$ a month."
"Weren't allowed access to the cadaver lab because an exam was being set up. This is unfortunate because one of the tour guides said it was one of the main reasons she chose Western. I feel like they should arrange for interviewees to have access to all facilities or schedule interviews on non-exam days. We also didn't get to go into the main classroom because of an exam. We also weren't allowed into the gait lab room. Lastly, when I asked the interviewer about the school's poor first time board pass rates and 66% graduation rate (34% of students fail out or transfer to other schools) he basically just shrugged it off and said that Western isn't for everyone. He showed no sympathy for those students and didn't express any concern about it on the school's part. I figured he would say something like "yes, we are aware of that problem and are looking into ways to improve those statistics" but all he said was "Western isn't for everyone.""
"nothing"
"potentially not having great externship relationship outside of Southern CA"
"Coursework includes only 1 course of anatomy"
"Small campus in a relatively impoverished area. Traffic surrounding the school is heavy, particularly in the morning and evenings. Students didn't really know how to describe the grading system, so I didn't receive a straight answer to that question."
"The lack of scholarships"
"The lack of energy of one of my student tour guides."
"although the campus is nice, the surrounding area is pretty rough."
"pomona."
"Pomona isn't the greatest area, but luckily there are many other cities nearby for living options, etc."
"The school is not located in the best neighborhood."
"Nothing really comes to mind, I was really impressed. Especially in comparison to the other schools I interviewed at."
"Pomona"
"Students have class 35-40 hours a week, Pomona isn't the nicest area, the cost of living is high, and the anatomy lab is not moving to the new building (same old lab for incoming students for awhile)"
"Pomona is a bit sketchy. The buildings are not that impressive from the outside, but are very nice inside."
"There is only one option for on-campus housing. If moving from a different state where you didn't have a car, you will need a car in California b/c living choices are limited to 15-20 mins away. "
"Pomona is a dump, but surrounding cities are nice. It is 45 minutes away from Los Angeles. Housing is expensive. (I am from socal so I knew this going in). New buildings are delayed until January. Cadavers are shared with 8 students!!!"
"The dean may not show up"
"Don’t be so stressed."
"Clearer directions on where to park and where the HEC building was."
"I wish someone would have tole me to relax, and not be so stressed out over it. To just be myself and have fun!"
"Nothing."
"That the interviewer was gonna work so hard to analyze my answers to his questions and try to make more questions about my specific answers and why I answered the way I did."
"it is open file interview"
"How famous the Dean was"
"How famous the faculty are! After your interview, Google the DPM's you meet. For the interview: The interviewer receives a packet of 6 sheets. The first requires a listing of some general information and a response to the 'Why pod' question. The final five each contain five behavioral questions numbered 1-5. The interviewer selects one at random from each page."
"The whole interview day was very stress-free."
"There is a supplemental form to fill out. The questions asked about your research, teaching experience and volunteer work in under served communities."
"if you look at sdn interview feedback, nothing will surprise you"
"There is a secondary application they have you do during your ~6 hours there. Not a big deal, though."
"To not stress because the day is NOT very stressful!"
"To not listen to all the other schools that bash on Western -just because they are new. Western is challenging the old school mentality of podiatry and might actually become the standard for all other pod schools -who knows?"
"That I didn't need to waste money interviewing at the sub-par schools. "
"That they had no Northwest rotations set up. The DO program has a northwest track so I thought that maybe the pod program could easily jump into some of those place for rotations, not the case yet."
"That I was the only person interviewing on that day!"
"More time to study for the interview, especially the behavioral based question. "
"Unprepared efforts by westernU"
"I didn't quite enjoy my interview at Western. My interviewer tried to tell me that a high CARS score on the MCAT correlates to better success in medical school. I've tried to look this up and can't find any valid studies that support their claims. I know they were just trying to look out for me but it gave me the ick. I also wish they'd put more out-of-state student ambassadors on the panel. California in general is an expensive state to live in and it's important to me to understand why an out-of-state student would chose Western over other options, especially if those options are comparable/better than Western in terms of board passing rates, technological advancements, and curriculum."
"The interview process was great. I felt like they wanted me there. Everything was planned and scheduled out well. Wish we were able to tour the library & classrooms but other than that, I had a great time."
"I was very well impressed with the interview process, the day was very well organized and I had plenty of time to ask questions and meet faculty and students."
"I really liked the school. Pomona has a lot of culture and cool shops. The program is getting stronger."
"It seems like IF you can make it through the curriculum you'll be a great physician, but not necessarily a great podiatrist since the whole premise of the school is equality with MDs and DOs and training as a physician first and podiatrist second. They're definitely paving the way for us all and I'm glad someone's doing it, but at the end of the day they're focusing too much on the future and not enough on the current state of podiatry. It seems like they're training you for the COMLEX or USMLE and not the APMLE, which is probably why their board pass rates are so low."
"Great interview day. The staff/faculty/students were incredibly helpful and really made me want to go here."
"overall easy interview. staff and students are super nice"
"It was a great interview experience. Everyone is tremendously friendly and helpful."
"Great school on the up and up!"
"Great school. Dean can talk forever about podiatry and the where the field is going. Will be the Harvard of podiatry one day."
"great school"
"This school is well on its way to becoming one of the top pod schools. Their interdisciplinary exposure, new facilities and dedicated staff make Western a refreshing surprise. They train you as a physician first, then expose you to the specialty that is podiatry. SIDE NOTE: Contrary to popular belief about pod schools, WesternU actually has a GYN and PSYCH rotations that mimics an allopathic curriculum."
"Apparently Western's DO school is ranked #1 in the country. The DPM students are integrated with the DO, so they will also receive a stellar education."
"Overall it's going to be a great program. If you are from California and want to stay there for residency and to practice (at least So Cal) then GO to Western. They've already set up some great programs at top notch medical facilities. Everywhere is is somewhat of an unknown at the moment and will be until they can provide a list of residencies and directors they have sent students to or have some sort of relationship with."
"Western was not my #1 choice at all (or #2, #3) before the interview -but that all changed at the end of the day. I was very impressed with the school. They have their s**t together. No worries about the accreditation, they are well on their way and are very on top of it. They are opening Dental and optometry at the same time."
"ADVICE: Study and Answer a list of behavioral based interview questions. Also be comfortable and confident in answering those questions. "
"Loved the dean and faculty because they are aware of the residency shortage and actually gave me a decent answer. Talked about the 2015 vision and how their program is geared to train you as a physician first then a podiatrist. Really care about the students and have safety nets to catch troubled students before they are booted from the program."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 17 |
| Faculty member | 0 |
| Admissions staff | 8 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 21 |
| Neutral | 5 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.76 | 29 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 11 |
| Out of state | 14 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 6 |
| 2-3 hours | 5 |
| 4-6 hours | 8 |
| 7+ hours | 5 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 11 |
| Automobile | 11 |
| Train or subway | 0 |
| Other | 2 |
n/a
LAX
Ontario International Airport
Ontario
ONT
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 1 |
| Friends or family | 2 |
| Hotel | 13 |
| Home | 5 |
| Other | 0 |
n/a
Comfort Inn near Fairplex
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Pomona
Yes
n/a
Comfort Inn near Fairplex
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Pomona
Yes
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 8 |
| $101-$200 | 1 |
| $201-$300 | 2 |
| $301-$400 | 5 |
| $401-$500 | 2 |
| $501+ | 3 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.87 | 30 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.73 | 30 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.93 | 30 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.63 | 30 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.07 | 30 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.32 | 28 |
"Use a stronger speaker during the curriculum presentation, include email addresses and links in a follow up email for easier access, more student ambassadors on the panel."
"Wish we should have seen the classrooms and library."
"I wish I got to see more of the library."
"only suggestion is that the tour felt a little rushed. maybe allocate more time for lunch/campus tour. Otherwise it was a great day!"
"overall good"
"Very receptive to candidates' concerns, personable, remarkably accommodating. No suggestions."
"Admissions office did a great job!"
"Continue the great work!"
"Keep up the good work!"
"Admissions office was friendly and responsive!"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?