How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

2 out of 10

How long was the interview?

45 minutes

Where did the interview take place?

At the school

How many people interviewed you?

2

What was the style of the interview?

One-on-one

What type of interview was it?

Open file

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?

"What is your family like? How would you describe yourself?" Report Response | I was asked this question too

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 2)?

"What do you do for fun? What do you do when you're stressed out?" Report Response | I was asked this question too

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 3)?

"How would you deal with the restrictions in patient care imposed by some health insurance companies? Frustration will be inevitable, but how do you plan not to sucumb to it?" Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most interesting question?

"If you could listen in on your friends gossiping about you, what would you hear them say?" Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most difficult question?

"What would you do if you saw a fellow medical student cheating on an exam? (there's an honor code in most medical schools strictly against cheating, so think carefully on this one)." Report Response | I was asked this question too

How did you prepare for the interview?

"SDN website, MSAR, talked to current students." Report Response

What impressed you positively?

"The students were really nice and friendly. Also, some of us had interviews at Hillcrest (teaching hospital and medical facilities off campus), but my interviewers walked me to the shuttle stop." Report Response

What impressed you negatively?

"Apparently, the good weather clouds over in May and June, but for the rest of the year, it's pretty nice. Also, there is significant classroom time in the first two years (Some students opt not to go for some of the classes because they feel they have enough material to get by on their own or with tutoring assistance)." Report Response

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

"There are three campus-affiliated housing complexes which are relatively cheaper than off-campus housing, but they have very long waiting lists. It's sometimes possible to find housing there by hooking up with current residents looking for roomates. Also, you most likely need to have a car as the public transportation system is not all that great." Report Response

What are your general comments?

"I know everybody says this, but San Diego is absolutely gorgeous and the weather is very pleasant indeed (although it did get cloudy while I was there). I had 2 facutly interviews, but some people had 1 faculty + 1 student. The interviews were very conversational and quite stress-free. They really just wanted to get a feel for who we are and why we think UCSD is a good fit for us. I felt very much at ease while talking to both my interviewers. Also, the staff were very friendly and they didn't oversell the school to us. I have discovered that it's best not to have too high expectations about schools when we go for interviews (that way, you won't be too disappointed if it's not what you imagined it to be). In any case, my experience at UCSD was quite good, and I think it's a really good school. Many of the students told me that they chose UCSD because they wanted to stay in CA and UCSD was the only school that they got into without being waitlisted. I'm not sure if they would have picked it if they had gotten into other UCs. But, I think the students were happy and they all seem to get along quite well. There's not much racial diverstity at UCSD, but the students have very different and interesting backgrounds. The most impressive part of my visit was a tour of one of the student-run free clinics (sign up for that if you can). It was amazing to see all the dedicated students (medical, dental, and pharmacy school), physicians and other volunteers working hand in hand to bring free healthcare to a very needy community. There are three different community-based clinics which are open to anyone who wants to volunteer their time and effort to working with the medically underserved. " Report Response

Who was the tour given by?

Student

On what date did the interview take place?

01/12/2004