How long was the interview?

20 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 would you bring to the student body at PCOM? I am a non-trad with a prior career so I focused on my maturity and experience working in teams with colleagues." Report Response | I was asked this question too

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

"I am the child of a PCOM grad so they asked about what specialty my parent is in, whether he/she uses OMM, and why I want to follow in his/her footsteps." Report Response | I was asked this question too

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

"What do you see as the greatest challenge facing physicians today and in the future? I talked about third-party payors, insurance reimbursements and increasing administrative hassles like prior-auths." Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most interesting question?

"They asked me how I felt from an ethical standpoint about the "octo-mom" in California (whether fertility practices should be reigned in and should we even do fertility treatments on women with six children who are on public assistance)." Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most difficult question?

"I didn't think any question was difficult, but I heard some peers come out and say they were asked how they would explain DNA to a third-grader and I think had I gotten that question it would've given me pause." Report Response | I was asked this question too

How did you prepare for the interview?

"Read SDN interview feedback and PCOM threads, read every single page on their website, reviewed my app and statements and spent the night before relaxing in a hot tub and doing yoga." Report Response

What impressed you positively?

"The school's history and location in Philadelphia, quality of rotation sites, reputation in comparison to the other 4 med schools in Philly, the athletic facility, the robotic patients (Noelle and Stan I think?) and the beautiful view of the Philly skyline from the hockey deck on the roof of the rec center." Report Response

What impressed you negatively?

"There wasn't much of a presentation to the morning... it was more sitting around and just us asking questions. In comparison to other schools who had more of a formal schedule to their mornings with powerpoint presentations and stuff it didn't seem like they were going the extra mile to impress visitors (although I didn't need impressing because it was already my top choice)." Report Response

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

"How much down time there would be." Report Response

What are your general comments?

"I ended up getting accepted, which I am extremely grateful for because I have a low GPA and interviewed late in the cycle. I actually got a "delayed decision" letter first (ouch!) but then the acceptance followed a few weeks later. During those few weeks I did some more shadowing and had another D.O. letter of rec forwarded in, and I think going that extra mile might have tipped it in my favor because I've since learned that almost everyone else with those letters ended up on the waitlist. Phew." Report Response

Who was the tour given by?

Student

How did the tourguide seem?

Enthusiastic

How do you rank the facilities?

10 out of 10

What is your in-state status?

Out of state

What was your total time spent traveling?

2-3 hours

What was your primary mode of travel?

Automobile

About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?

$101-$200

Where did you stay?

Hotel

How would you rate the hotel?

8 out of 10

What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?

Crowne Plaza

Would you recommend the hotel?

yes