Boston, MA
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 23% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about ethical scenarios, personal journey into medicine, leadership experiences, specific activities or research projects, academic performance, motivations for pursuing medicine, challenges in healthcare, and reasons for choosing a particular institution. Many respondents mentioned being asked ethical dilemma questions, indicating an MMI format with potential nondisclosure agreements.
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Ethical situation
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Describe your leadership roles
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Asked about an bad semester academically
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Tell me about yourself.
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Ethical dilemma question
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how did you show resilience?
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Tell me about your research
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Why did you choose to attend your undergraduate institution?
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Why did I choose my undergrad institution specifically?
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Tell me about this specific activity that you did.
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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Asked me what I thought the biggest problem in healthcare today is
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Question about a specific activity
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What is your greatest failure?
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Asked about a particular EC
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Three most meaningful experiences
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Tell me about experience X
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Clarification of an EC
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How did you come to medicine as a career choice? (why medicine)
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very conversational, tell me about...
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Tell me about yourself (asked in a conversational way).
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How are these three activities connected?
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Do you have any questions for me?
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Tell me who you are outside of class
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why did you choose your undergrad?
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what do you like to do for fun
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Why BU? What do you want to get out of your education at BU? Name 5 words that describe you.
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Flowed like a casual conversation. Very few direct questions.
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How did you handle your immense responsibilities as an undergrad?
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Tell me about volunteer experience.
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Why BU?
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State an ethical dilemma you were in and how you overcame this.
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Tell me about your research.
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How did you decide you wanted to go into medicine?
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Tell me about your undergraduate experience (very nontraditional)
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From where does your interest in medicine stem?
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What is your proudest moment?
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Let's say you are an emergency psychiatrist. A patient, who may be HIV positive, may not be using safe sex (he was raped while in prison). His wife is sitting in the waiting. What do you do?
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Why medicine?
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What kind of medicine are you interested in?
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Tell me about yourself; conversational questions
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This is the only interview where I actually got an ethical question. Basically, the question was if you had limited resources, how would you decide which people will have to die? How do you decide one life has more value than another?
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Tell me about your upbringing...
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The interviewer reviewed my file before the interview and basically asked me to talk about specific parts of my application.
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what does a typical day in you rlife 10 years from now look like?
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What were some bioethical issues that came up in your research?
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What was it like to grow up in Alabama?
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What do you think will be your greatest challenge as a physician?
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Who is (my name)?
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Why do you want to be a doctor
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Tell me about this experience... a few questions were like that.
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
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I have read your application essays, but please tell me about your experiences in your own words.
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Tell me about your family.
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see above
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What was your most significant healthcare volunteer experience?
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My interviewer was way more intense than most. He was a psychiatrist and I had no idea what he was thinking. Do you have any regrets about undergrad?
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Describe your current research (what MD/PhD program doesn't ask this?).
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Tell me about yourself...
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Why did you take a year off?
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Please describe your most important volunteer and research experience. How did you choose them, why were they important, and what did you learn from them?
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Why BU? Why medicine?
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Why should we accept you?
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tell me about X experience
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Tell me your story... (thankfully I didn't get far before the interviewer started asking more specific questions).
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Explain the discrepancies between your undergraduate and graduate GPAs.
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nothing specific
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Where do you live? What's the cultural life like?
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what was the best/worst class you ever took and why?
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Do you think you'd be ok living in Boston?
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I wasn't really asked any. Toward the end of my interview I jokingly asked my interviewer whether she was supposed to ask me an ''ethics question''. She had me come up with one and answer it.
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How do you plan to juggle being a good wife and mother while being in medical school?
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Specific questions about my volunteer and research experience.
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What do your parents do?
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Discuss the U.S. health care system.
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What do you do for fun?
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can't remember any out of the ordinary questions
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Tell me about activity X.
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Please talk about the ethical decisions in prescribing drugs.
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bioethics question
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Where do you see your life seven or eight years from now (family, career, etc.)?
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Tell me about an ethical dilemma you faced.
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Tell me about an ethical situation you have encountered.
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Tell me about yourself (not what is in your application).
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How do you like [undergrad college]? How did you pick it?
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what have you done during your summers during undergrad?
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Tell me about your family life growing up.
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How has X contributed to your interest in medicine?
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Tell me your story. Why MD? Has anyone ever convinced you NOT to go into medicine?
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tell me about activity x
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Tell me about this Forensics class you took.
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Tell me about yourself?
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What do you feel is different about the US health care system versus the health care system in India? (I had been doing some clinical shadowing there)
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Many questions about file concerning grades, MCAT scores and experiences (volunteering, research ect...)
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Why medicine? Why BU? Why come back to Boston?...The usual.
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The dreaded Tell me about yourself
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Biggest struggle in life, as a psychiatrist, why would I ask you this question? Why is important for a physician to know this about a patient? Why is it important for you to know it about yourself?
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Research specific questions.
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the immigrant one
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Why do you want to go to BU?
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Tell me about the ___________ program you're in.
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Why do you want to go into medicine?
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Why did I choose my major.
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What are you looking for in a medical school?
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Do you feel healthcare is a right or privelege?
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What are the major problems of healthcare in the US today?
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Tell me about XYZ experience.
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amcas stuff
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how i would fix the health care system? what is better canadian system or US?
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Tell me about your undergrad. school...
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talk about two diff research projects in specific
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tell me about yourself-- your heritage, where you're from, college, etc.
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just questions about my application, who i am, etc....
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tell me about growing up in your family.
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my background/childhood, mcat score, etc
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What do you think of how healthcare is delivered today? Do you think that the system works, needs a litle fixing, or should be thrown out in favor of systems like the ones in Canada and England?
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Tell me about your domestic partnership.
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He went through my undergraduate history with me.
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what do you like to do in your spare time?
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Do you know the effects of oral contraceptives on the risk of developing breast cancer? (In relation to my research, and he wasn't grilling me, just curious).
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Tell me about your research (and I was totally grilled on it. Down to the nuance.)
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Tell me about your family
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What do you do in your spare time?
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why are you interested in BUSM?
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After I described a time as a paramedic when I had to report errors of my supervisors, we talked for a while about preventing mistakes in medicine and taking pride in reporting errors.
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All were very specific to my personal experiences.
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What have you done with you time after graduation?
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I was asked a whole freakin lot of questions!
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Why do you want to be a physician?
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Would you like to be a medical school teacher?
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Tell me about yourself, why you want to be a doctor, and why you want to come to BU. (Yes, they were ALL asked in one breath, 7 seconds after I sat down.)
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Would you really come here if accepted?
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Why do you want to give back to your community using medicine?
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What kind of leadership have you exhibited?
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what would you do if after treating a drug abuser for renal failure he returns 3 months later with irreversible kidney failure. Your only option is dialysis to which the patient later acts disrespectfully towards the nursing staff. The nurses approach you voicing their anger and want to leave. What is your responsibility to them, to the patient, and what would be your steps of action to address the situation?
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Describe the research you are currently doing.
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What is the worst thing about BU? (This one was easy, COST!)
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Tell me about your family
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Tell me about so and so on your application.
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Talk about yourself.
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Tell me about yourself. Tell me about some of your volunteer experiences.
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Describe your research.
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Where do you see yourself personally/profesionally in the future?
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Why did I choose my undergrad college?
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What is your favorite thing to draw?
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What else would you like us to know about you?
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Tell me about xyz activity.
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Why BU
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What are you looking for in a medical school?
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Why medical school?
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What do you want to tell me about?
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why did u pick ur major
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Tell me about some of your non-medical extracurriculars during high school and college.
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So, what's so special about you?
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Your services don't quite demonstrate your passion for medicine, why don't you get more involved?
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What do you want to talk about?
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Describe your clinical experiences.
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How well do you get along with people younger than you (I'm 27)?
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Tell me about yourself
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Where would BU rank academically compared to other schools you're applying to?
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address uneven academic performance.
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Why medicine now? I'm significantly non-traditional
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hypothetical situation involving indonesia family
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Why you gotta be such a punkhead?
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is there anything in your application you wish you could change
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Why do you want to quit research and pursue dentistry.
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See above
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Have you been to Boston before?
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Why do you like BUSM?
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What did you do during your year abroad? What have you been doing since graduating? (clarifying confusion he had about my application)
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Describe your research experience.
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If the hospital CEO wants to switch to a lower cost but possibly less efficacious hip prosthetic replacement because these people are older and not worth spending the money on, what do you do?
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What do you think of the bilingual education immersion debate? (a current MA question for elections)
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Tell me about yourself (to start things off).
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Boston University School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including ethical dilemmas, personal motivations for medicine, and the impact of diverse backgrounds on medical practice. The interview format may have been MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) based on the variety of questions, but respondents also noted standard questions alongside engaging conversations on topics like ethics, healthcare advocacy, and personal experiences.
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Asked about my mcat and if I planned to retake
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If you were me, what you want me to ask about that I haven't yet?
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Talk to me about your research.
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Ethical dilemma question
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How might a background in math/engineering enhance a career in medicine?
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How did (specific EC activity) affect your way of thinking?
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Everything was standard
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No interesting questions, just standard interview questions
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Ethical dilemma I may have faced
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What drives you?
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No questions stood out as being particularly interesting.
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How do you deal with people who see 47% of the population as victims?
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Questions about my experiences
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all of them are pretty blend
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Talked about bribery in medicine
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tell me about someone important in your life
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What are some of the risks of going into private practice versus working in a collaborative setting?
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Does your goal-oriented attitude make you competitive in nature?
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talked about personal items in my application, biggest growing experience in my life
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the whole interview was very engaging and interesting
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Talked a lot about multicultural things
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What would you do if a child's parents refuse to vaccinate him?
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Why medicine because it sparked a whole conversation about medicine as serving the community and advocacy which Boston University feels very strongly about.
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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Ethical question about a patient's right to know
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The first question asked.
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The ethical dilemma. I love those things though.
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none really, the interview was really conversational.
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What do you like to read?
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Discuss an ethical dilemma.
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how is the healthcare system like an ecosystem
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What are the the most controversial issues in medicine today?
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If you were leading a team of surgeons, and treated HIV patients, how would you respond if one of the doctors on your team refused to perform surgery on the patients.
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Tell me about the baby you nanny for.
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A man is HIV positive, he wants surgery so he can ride his Harley, you are the orthopedic surgeon, what do you do?
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They are all standard questions
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What are some ethical problems you haved faced in your research?
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What do you think about candidates' health care plan w/o telling me who you're going to vote for?
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Do you think the HPV vaccine should be required for all girls? Talk me through your answer.
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What was a difficult time in your life?
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Why do you want to come to BU?
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none
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Who was the actress who played the orignal Becky on Roseanne? (I'm serious)
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How did your parents meet?
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So you say you want to work with the underserved. Have you ever done it? What did you learn?
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Research Specific: How I would compare my research to the research done by a PI in a similar field.
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If you could change anything in your file, what would it be?
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What do you think about setting caps on medical malpractice lawsuits?
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Why did you take a year off?
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Hypothetical situation in which I am a orthopedic surgeon and have a HIV+ patient who wants surgery to get medical clearance to ride a Harley motorcycle.
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Very conversational interview, questions were about my life in general.
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How do you feel about using animals for research?
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What makes you special? Why should we choose you?
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ethical question about handling a difficult patient.
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What do you think about pharmaceutical representatives and their relationships with physicians?
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What do you think are the main risk factors for suicide?
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What book have you read recently?
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nothing specific
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nothing
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Do you watch American Idol? This was due to the fact that I sang in high school.
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there wasn't one specific question that stood out. the interview was more of a conversation about my past experiences and my background.
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what are your views on PAS?
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How do you think your multicultural background will help you in medicine.
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Tell me about your work...
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My interviewer read through my file VERY thoroughly and made connections tying together different aspects of my application, leading to a good conversation
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I wasn't really asked any questions. My interviewer and I just talked.
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What brand of training shoes do you prefer? (Very conversational interview- we talked about my upcoming marathon)
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Questions about my upbringing.
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Do you like going to art museums?
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Ethics question about performance-enhancing drugs
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Tell me about your family. Tell me about something you had to overcome. Why not be a pub. health person. Why not be a social worker. What are you currently doing. Tell me about your research. Explain the changes in your grades.
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None in particular
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None, the interview was a laid back conversation about my activities/experiences
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Your an orthopedist, you like a particular company's joint replacements the best but they are twice the cost, you use them exclusively but the hospital calls you and says you are losing them money and need to start using a cheaper joint that doesn't last as long in all patients 80 years old and above, what do you do?
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What's another indication for the use of Wellbutrin?
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He asked specifically about a social aspect of my undergrad school
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What does your religion mean to you (info from application and conversation)?
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Some question about what was a challenging ethical situation I had been in.
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What do you think can be done about the California health problem?
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What can I do to convince you to come here?
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what is an ethical issue you feel strongly about? what is your solution?
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nothing out of the ordinary.
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Why did you become interested in service?
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Tell me about an ethical dilemma you have experienced.
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Describe an ethical situation you've faced.
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Talk about an ethical dilemma you have faced either personally or in your work environment.
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How did the notion of medicine as a career start for me?
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What do you think is the best attribute of RNA?
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Do you have any questions?
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Where outside of the US have you travelled?
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What do you think about the New Hampshire supreme court case?
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Ethical question regarding organ transplants and the factors that determine who receives them.
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As a psychiatrist, why would I ask you this question? (About biggest struggle).
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Ethical decisions regarding the separation of conjoined twins. Basically, when would the risk outweigh the benefit.
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How would you make healthcare available to everyone?
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How do you feel about removing all state funding for treatment of illegal immigrants?
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Nothing really- he just asked about my AMCAS application.
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What are your thoughts about stem cell research?
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(In response to explaining my clinical experiences) Have you ever faced an ethical dilemma in your clinical work?
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What about your psychology major will be beneficial in the field of medicine?
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What was the one thing during your college career that has inspired you the most and the one thing that has frustrated you the most?
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What is an ethical dilema you have faced?
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What are the ethical considerations of using a fetal pig for dissection purposes?
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He didn't ask me anything specifically - it was more of a conversation.
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Cultural challenges of medicine?
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Tell me an ethical situation that you went through and how you dealt with it. [You'll definitely get a ethics question, so bring your morals with you]
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Name a current problem in health care and suggest a way to solve it.
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ethical question about nephrologist and giving patient care to younger non-compliant aggressive man vs many elderly compliant individuals
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Given the current state of the medical system, what will you do to change it?
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it was more of a conversation than specific questions... very laid back
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my interviewer asked me about my sister's job and wanted details regarding motivations and purpose.
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In rural areas of Indonesia, subsistence farming is the norm. Families often depend on an ox to provide for their livelihood; if the ox were to die, families usually don't have the resources to replace it since it costs $35, which is equivalent to $1,000,000 for us. Without the ox, at least one member of the family will certainly die. The only way to get this money is to sell your daughter to become a prostitute in the city. You are the father in this family, so what do you do?
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Discuss my actions as a physician if I witness a doctor treat a patient who verbally informed her family and doctor that she does not want to be treated.
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If you were a farmer that needed $35 to pay for a ox, or one of your family memembers would die, would you sell your youngest daughter?
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All very personal questions. They were relevant to my specific experiences.
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I was asked several ethical dilema questions.
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What motivates you to get up in the morning?
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What was a time you had to make an ethical decision and what did you do in that situation?
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what was the most difficult situation you had to overcome/ how did you handle it/ etc... what were your teaching techniques at this hifgh school etc
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Why do you want to be in Boston?
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Has working with AIDS patients changed your view of the disease? Erased preconceived notions?
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I was asked an ethics question regarding an HIV patient who was promiscuous and didnt care that she was infecting others. I was asked what I would do.
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If I had to chose between using a more expensive, longer lasting hip replacement vs a cheaper, older model, on a limited budget, which would I pick and why?
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Who is your role model?
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what kind of teaching style i found most effective.
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"I'm supposed to evaluate your ethical platform but I think scenarios seem forced. Describe a time you had to make a difficult ethical decision."
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The interview was very conversational and all questions were specific to my profile.
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Can you please discuss some ethical issues from you clinical experiences?
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Give me an ethical dilemma.
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Proposition 123 was voted on and passed in California denying illegal aliens access to health care. The proposition then went to the supreme court and it was reversed. What is your view on the issue?
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What will your wife do in Boston?
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Asked about travels that I have done.
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none were interesting, all were the typical cliched interview questions, however I think I got to make an interesting point contrasting the number of uninsured and the number of people covered by medicaid that don't have access to health care, probably the most interesting comment during the whole interview, and it wasn't even in response to a question, but rather me desparately trying to say something meaningful.
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Why is someone with your credential applying here?(Cause you are my safety! good prac interview too)
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What are some of the traditions at your undergrad school?
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How have you acted as a leader informally?
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What would you say was the most stressful time in your life?
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In life our goals may sometime represent flames. With some people these flames can be blown out with the gust of a wind while with others they persist in the midst of a tornado. What events have represented the "winds" in your life and how do you feel you have grown from them?
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If you had a young adult comatose patient and the family unanimous about taking him/her off life support, would you as a doctor pull the plug?
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What kind of political conflicts exist in [my homeland]?
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What would you do if, as a primary care physician, you had a 60 year old, HIV positive patient who still had promiscuous sex with unknowing partners?
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If you had to perform an operation on an AIDS infected individual, which could possibly infect you and/or your staff, would you perform the operation?
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compare us healthcare system to another
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I think most of the interviews incorporated a prepared ethics question. By nature of the question, the issues are difficult to grapple with and there is no right answer, but... we are facing a career full of such situations.
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Discuss the religious implications of in vitro fertilization in the context of patient treatment.
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Scenario question: if you had a disruptive patient who was a drug addict and needed regular dialysis, but threatened you and your colleagues, how would you handle the sitation?
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The interviewer had reviewed the wrong file, so since he did not know what to ask, his one question was "I am giving you open forum to tell me what you think I should know about you."
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(Briefly) You are an orthopaedic surgeon and have had 100% success with hip replacement X. The hospital administrators would like you to switch to hip replacement Y because it is 60% cheaper. What do you do?
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What do you see your career being like in the future? (How do you plan to balance your interests medicine, as well as personal life)
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A young woman has recently given birth and is now is a vegetative state. The family is thinking about stopping life support and seeks your advice. What do you do?
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nothing particularly interesting
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Don't you think that your mission is more political than medical. (I want to help homeless people get quality medical care.)
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What do you like to draw?
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pretty standard questions
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Nothing too interesting. Every question was aimed at clarifying my activities.
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ethics question..be prepared!
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a couple of interesting ethical questions.
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How would you change our healthcare system?
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Have you been a mentor? (You have the file, does it say I've been a mentor?)
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What can you tell me about the current situation involving the administration of BU med. (paraphrased)
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Tell me about your musical experience
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How does the hypothalamus communicate with the anterior pituitary? (this wasn't a random question, it came up in conversation)
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If you were a colleague of an attending who intubated a woman whose family said she never would want this, what would you advise the attending to do?
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What are you looking for in a medical school.
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NONE: all questions asked were rude and disrespectful.
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So, what's so special about you? (I'm not kidding--he said it just like that)
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Don't you feel you'll come weak when it comes to competing with other applicants for research positions? ( i'm non-science major)
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So what do you want to talk about? (this was pretty much the only question he asked, and then we proceeded to talk for an hour)
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What was the unknown aldehyde and ketone in your Orgo II lab experiment? (I had no idea anymore)
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Should university-based research be eliminated?
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Are you a RedSox fan or a Yankees Fan?
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An ethical question about an orthopedic surgeon who wrote during the early years of the AIDS epidemic. Basically what level of risk is too great when operating on a possibly HIV positive patient.
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Let me start with, I applied for the DENTAL school. I guess they have a hard time filling their classes at BU dental. There were no questions asked -- the "interview" was a sales pitch!
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nothing really, only because I walked in and basically had a great 75min conversation about my education, research, interests in medicine, family, hobbies, etc.
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What unique qualities makes me stand from other med school applicants?
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Questions were good, but nothing stands out.
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how are your parents doing?
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What's your opinoin of health care reform led by Majority Leader Frist? (I did not know the details of this and had to ask why it was controversial)
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How have your interactions with various cultures and diverse communitites affected your perceptions of the communities.
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he set up a hypothetical situation involving a family in indonesia whose only source of income was farming. the ox used for farming dies and a man offers the cost of another ox ($35) for the farmer's daughter to go into commercial sex. how would i handle the situation (any perspective)
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Where do you *really* want to go to medical school?
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What will be some of the problems facing medicine for your generation?
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Twenty years ago an orhtopedic surgeon wrote an editorial on whether or not physicians should be required to operate on patients with AIDs since at that time, glove punctures were common during orthopedic surgery. Give me both sides of this ongoing ethical debate and tell me which side you would take.
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If you had two patients and one heart, what would enter your decision?
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As an older applicant do think you would have trouble interacting with your younger classmates?
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most questions were about my ECs, but posed in a way to see your thought process.
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What i thought about the english immersion program.
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What's the biggest problem in healthcare? This lead to a discussion on the Mass. Healthcare System.
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Suppose you are the Chief of the Orthopedics Department in a hospital. Would to switch to a cheaper prosthetic hip replacement for the elderly if the management threatens to cut funding is case you do not.
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Just questions about my background, opinions about certain relevant areas of research, etc.
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What would you do in your free time if you got accepted in BUSM?
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If you have to perform an operation and there is a 10% chance that you will contract HIV from the patient, will you still operate?
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How are gays and lesbians discriminated against in our society?
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If you matriculated to BU next year, how would you spend your free time?
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I want to know all about the "insert name". The "insert name" of childhood, the "insert name" of high school. The "insert name" of policy work. The "insert name" of graduate school...and the family of the "insert name". I asked him if he was telling me he had a few hours to kill.
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Would you withold treatment from a 28 year old female in a vegetative state?
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Who do you take after?
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A medical ethics question: A 28yr. old woman is in a veg. state. The family wants to pull out her feeding tubes. What do you do as an attending?
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Some ethical questions, but nothing hard -- I had a very nice interviewer. That was the best part of the interview day.
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Nothing very interesting
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What has been the most difficult period of your life? Why was it difficult and what did you learn about yourself in going through it?
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my interviewed liked to talk about the history of different ethnic groups in Boston---AFTER he finally showed up an hour late
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Where did I see the US Healthcare system going over the next 30 years and what would my role be in that change?
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I was basically just asked questions about my ECs.
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What kind of research did I do in the lab? How will it help me in Dentistry?
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The interviewer went to my high school. So we talked about that. Not an interesting question, but an interesting conversation!
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Boston University School of Medicine discussed various ethical dilemmas, research depth, and healthcare challenges, with some facing MMI format inquiries under nondisclosure agreements. Common themes included ethical decision-making scenarios, personal research exploration, and reflections on the healthcare system.
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During your shadowing experience, were there any patient cases that particularily impacted you? (I found this difficult because I was taken off guard by the question but I was able to answer it well).
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Talk to me about your research.
-
The interviewer really did a deep dive into my research, and he asked me a way I could improve my research project... Had never thought about that
-
N/A
-
Asked me what I thought the biggest problem in healthcare today is
-
Ethical Dilemma that I have experienced
-
What is your greatest failure
-
Considering the great (and cheap) state schools available to you, why did you apply to BU? This question was difficult because it was asked after a discussion of medical issues and opportunities in my home state.
-
Talk about an ethical situation you experienced, and how you dealt with it.
-
None.
-
None
-
none, by far the epitome of conversational interview
-
none, very stress-free conversation
-
What are some of the risks of going into private practice versus working in a collaborative setting? Also, naming 5 words off the top of my head that describe me.
-
Ethical question - pregnant woman on life support, baby in jeopardy and needs to be delivered, husband won't agree, what do you do?
-
the ethics question: Would you operate on a patient that needs a small knee operation and has HIV? cost vs risk
-
Interviewer asked no questions about any of my extracurriculars - medical or otherwise.
-
Anticipated challenges.
-
What is your proudest moment?
-
None.. the interviewer was so relaxed and nice, it threw me off. But I had a great time.
-
The first question asked.
-
Nothing too difficult.
-
There was one random ethics question. Not really too difficult because I think they just wanted to see how you would reason through a situation, but be prepared for one of those.
-
The ethical question for sure. I felt like I was stumbling all over the place and contradicting myself.
-
what does a typical day in you rlife 10 years from now look like?
-
To name specific details from research I conducted many years ago.
-
The same ethical question
-
A man is HIV positive, he wants surgery so he can ride his Harley, you are the orthopedic surgeon, what do you do?
-
A patient you care for stuck you a needle of his, and he might be HIV positive, would you continue to care for him?
-
No difficult questions, it was a relaxed, friendly conversation. The ethical question could have been difficult, but it was late in the interview and my interviewer had already set the conversational tone so it was more like expressing our opinions to one another.
-
None really
-
Why do you want to be a doctor?
-
Tell me about an ethical dilemma you have encountered and how did you deal with it?
-
Why boston University? (Like I give a shit where I go, i just wanna go somewhere.
-
What do you think about the state of healthcare?
-
How do you deal with the grief of the loss that you experienced?
-
Questions about various roles of BH4 in enzyme function (vaguely related to my research, interviewer published a paper on it).
-
Nothing too difficult. The interviewer was a PhD researcher, and was not intense or very inquisitive.
-
Come up with an ethical dilemma and then identify its parts.
-
That malpractice question...
-
Explain the research you did that just got published.
-
Why do you think no changes have been made yet with regards to health care coverage in America?
-
How would I fix health care.
-
Questions about details of my research and its applications
-
Lots and lots and lots of ethical questions. What is wrong with the health care system today? Won't you be feeding in to a broken system by becoming a doctor? Why are we pumping billions of dollars in to Iraq when we can not feed our school children?
-
Tell me about an ethical problem you've faced.
-
Why do you think schizophrenics respond different emotionally?
-
What do you think is one of the biggest problems in healthcare?
-
no difficult questions
-
nothing
-
What was/is your most memorable experience?
-
the interviewer asked me to describe an ethical dilemna that I had to deal with.
-
How would you change the current health care system?
-
ethics question about treating an AIDS patient in 1980's
-
Describe an ethical situation you were in.
-
What are the protocols for patient transport? (I'm an EMT)
-
Nothing too hard. And I didn't get an ethical question which I think a lot of people do
-
When I mentioned that my older sister is pursuing a Ph D in medical microbiology, my interviewer asked very detailed questions regarding my sister's research
-
What I thought of the US Health Care System and how it can be fixed?
-
What really made you decide to [leave the entertainment industry and] study medicine?
-
I was asked a difficult follow up question about my research.
-
nothing too bad; what research do i want to do in the future
-
nothing, although I heard some kids were given an ethical situation to analyze, which was: a spine surgeon in 1980s san fran when AIDS was first appearing wrote a letter to a national publication saying that she would no longer do the surgery on gay men, as there was a 10% chance the bone would puncture her glove...what would you do? glad i missed that one.
-
Same.
-
What do you know about psychiatric meds?
-
have you encountered any bioethical situation in work?
-
What should I tell the admissions committee about you that is not in your file?
-
What's the deal with your undergraduate school?
-
what do you think constitutes "excellent" care? where have you seen examples of this?
-
What kind of specialty do you see yourself getting into and why?
-
Question 3.
-
Why should I tell the admissions committee to admit you?
-
Tell me about an ethical dilemma you have experienced. What were the pros and cons of both sides. (they want you to really think so they will most likely challenge anything you have to say)
-
None were difficult.
-
I see you Withdrew from some classes ...why?
-
Why MD/PhD? Why Boston?
-
As a physician, what would you do if you had a patient give birth and have a seizure leaving her in a persistent vegatative state and her family asked you if you thought you should stop feeding? Apperently the answer is consult a ethics committee... I tried to answer how I felt about the ethics behind it, but apparently those are irrelevant. The ethics committee shall answer.
-
Question about how I felt about illegal immigrants receiving medical care. (I have a DEFINITE opinion on it, but it was hard to vocalize it.)
-
How would you break bad news about a condition to a patient?
-
How do you deal with disappointment? (Not too difficult).
-
If I refused to do the above surgery, but the parents insisted on it and would leave the country to get it done elsewhere- what would I do? (granted i am the top surgeon)
-
Research specific questions.
-
same
-
What are you going to do if you dont get into medical school? (it is my second time applying)
-
What is an ethical dileman you have faced in medicine?
-
see above
-
What is an ethical dilema you have faced?
-
Do you feel healthcare is a right or privelege?
-
Tell me about the findings of your research??
-
Cultural challenges of medicine?
-
Same as above.
-
Tell me about an ethical dilemma and how you dealt with the situation.
-
talk about my research in detail
-
Why is it that when my daughter is out of school for three days, she gets a phone call from the school, but when I don't see a doctor for three years, nobody cares?
-
my interviewer said that he had to ask an ethics question, but didn't seem to care since it was hypothetical in nature.. but you will probably have an ethics question
-
nothing difficult but hardly anything about me
-
same as above
-
The above question and Opinion on a poor family dying from starvation whose only hope for survival was to sell their 13 year old daughter to prostitution.
-
Same one
-
I wasn't asked anything difficult
-
Why do you want to be a doctor. Not that this question is difficult.
-
16 year old wants abortion, doesn't want parents to know, what do you do?
-
ethical question: Decide between giving $4000 treatment that was well-researched and known to work vs. giving a $2000 treatment that was not as well known or researched. Which treatment would you give your patients, given that the hospital CEO was pressuring you to give the new, cheaper treatment?
-
See above question.
-
nothin was too hard
-
explain your grades
-
Do you think it's ethical to have studies that offer a placebo? Why?
-
above
-
What sorts of ethical issues have you been following? Tell me your story, what makes you special?
-
specific questions about past research that i was unprepared to answer
-
"Aah, so rugby is what led to your famous 'incident'; tell me about that." OOPS!
-
Questions that pointed to some discrepancies in my record.
-
None were very difficult. More like a conversation....I know this doesn't really help, sorry.
-
Can you think of other examples of the type of dilemma you've given?
-
Tell me your viewpoing on managed health care. Before you answer that question do you think US health care is very good and should not be changed, is oaky but has some problems that need to be fixed, or is a total disaster and we need a new system. None of the questions were too challenging or unexpected.
-
Why medicine?
-
If you go into medicine, you'll be giving up all these other options. Are you willing to do that?
-
again, all were the typical questions that we've all heard/prepared for/are sick of by now
-
All pretty standard stuff
-
How have you taught informally?
-
What ethical issues have you faced?
-
how do you feel healthcare should be fixed? Do you really think the government has the peoples best interest at heart?
-
Projecting the U.S. healthcare situation ten years from now, what ethical problems do you predict that physicians of the future will be facing?
-
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
-
What do you think of the current US healthcare system?
-
Apparently, the interviewer asked "Why did you choose BU?" What I heard was "Why did you choose to be you?" It was one of those akward moments where I looked at him with an expression of 'what are you talking about?' and he was looking at me with an expresion on his face that said 'who is this bozo? this is a standard question' After repeating the question, I caught on. Whoops.
-
See above.
-
"SO tell me about growing up in Argentina..." I did not grow up there. He had the wrong file.
-
What is your relationship with your parents like? (I did talk about my background etc. in my application. The interviewer explained that because this question was so personal, I did not have to answer it if I didn't feel comfortable with it... I answered his question anyways. I didn't feel uncomfortable talking to him about anything... he was so nice!!).
-
Tell me about an ethical/moral delimma.
-
what ethical situation have a dealt with?
-
Choose an ethical dilemma in medicine today and explain what you will do in this situation.
-
What are you looking for in a medical school?
-
Asked about a C I got in a structural biochem class.
-
Again, nothing difficult.
-
ethics question
-
No difficult questions--it was very conversational
-
How would you change our healthcare system?
-
What do you want to tell me about yourself? I know you get this all the time, but I really don't like it.
-
Why BU? After a day with the students and obnoxious admin people, I had a hard time faking that I wasn't going to a better school I'd already been accepted to and was just coming to visit b/c I had the plane tix booked earlier.
-
why medicine
-
None, really.
-
None, really
-
What I'd do if the hospital I did surgery at decide to switch to cheap prostheses that didn't last for as many years.
-
What makes you think you're ready for medicine?
-
hmmm, you have excellent grades but your mcats aren't spectacular--tell me about that...didn't you study enough? (by the way, my mcats are in the mid-30s)
-
IF you say you have devotion to medicine, why didn't you get more involved in school? ( the interviewer felt that my volunteer works were miniscule and lack quality)
-
Your parents aren't in medicine - how do they feel about you doing this? (not a difficult question, I just wasn't prepared for it)
-
Tell me how you would design an Orgo experiement. (My interviewer REALLY loved Orgo)
-
What are you expecting to get out of medicine?
-
What personality traits or life experiences have best prepared you to be a physician?
-
Why President Mbeki of South Africa has such a backward view on HIV and AIDS. (My work deals with South Africa)
-
Like I said, no questions.
-
There was a specific ethical scenario, but it wasn't a difficult question or even that revealing.
-
have you encountered any ethical dilemmas?
-
Talk about an ethicl dilema you have personal grappled with.
-
How would a friend describe you? (Difficult because I have no friends :( )
-
Trace your life for me and tell me how the "you" of the big picture translates into the "you" of today and how that makes you want to be a doctor.
-
What are your worst qualities?
-
How I would fix health care?
-
Same as above. Most were questions about my background and application.
-
The questions were all easy. My interviewer is really nice and laid back. It seemed like he was there to help any medical applicant.
-
Why BU, b/c like most of us, I didn't really know
-
Describe a situation in which you or someone else faced an ethical dilema.
-
I didn't really find any of the questions difficult.
-
Look above.
-
all were easy (relaxed atmosphere)
-
The most interesting was also the most difficult.
-
Nothing too difficult either
-
is this school your first choice---it wasn't my first choice and so I said it was "one of my top choices" but that didn't cut it and I was rejected
-
What do you look for in an medical school?
-
The classic 'What, if anything, would you like to improve on in your approach to school' ...or something along those lines.
-
None, very casual conversation. It was just a conversation and not a Q&A session at all
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of more than 50 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 1 person.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 4-6 hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by airplane to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent less than $100.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Logan International Airport (BOS)
-
PVD
-
None
-
Logan Airport
-
Logan
-
LOG
-
Boston Logan
-
BOS
-
Alaska Airlines
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either at a hotel or with friends or family.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
-
radisson
-
my apartment
-
Ramada
-
N/A
-
Marriot
-
I stayed with student host at Tufts, grouped the interviews so I wouldn't have to fly across the country twice
-
Holiday Inn Express Boston
-
Holiday Inn Express
-
Hampton Inn, Mass Ave.
-
Hampton Inn and Suites Crosstown
-
Hampton Inn and Suites
-
Hampton Inn and Suite Boston Crosstown
-
Hampton Inn & Suites, Boston Crosstown Center
-
Hampton Inn & Suites
-
Hampton Inn
-
Hampton
-
Courtyard Marriot, South Boston
-
Courtyard Marriot
-
Comfort Inn, ~3 miles away
-
Best Western Roundhouse Suites
-
Best Western Plus at Longwood
-
Best Western
-
BW Roundhouse
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
The most common feedback and suggestions shared by applicants on how they prepared for the interview include reviewing their application materials, practicing with mock interviews, studying the school's website, researching current healthcare issues, and rehearsing answers to common questions. Many also sought feedback from Student Doctor Network (SDN) and engaged in discussions with current students or alumni of the program.
-
Sdn, studying the site and mock interview
-
Looked at this page, looked on reddit, practiced my questions with friends and by myself to make sure I spoke in a relaxed and realistic way that wasn't robotic. Made sure to know why bu, why dentistry
-
Re-read my application and publications, attended the school's information session, reviewed this page
-
Mock interviews
-
Big Interview mock interview, rereading my application
-
Completed mock virtual interview with my alma mater, reviewed my application, re-familiarized myself with my research
-
SDN, practicing alone
-
Reviewed application, practiced virtual interview on Big Interview and Interview Stream and read about the school
-
I just used the questions here and wrote up a few bullet points for each, also did a mock interview
-
Read through primary/secondary, read books about healthcare
-
SDN Interview feedback, school research, rereading application
-
Researched school, re-read application, SDN
-
Read my application and PS. Practiced with others.
-
Mock interview session with a medical school professor/interviewer
-
Reviewed my app and researched school
-
Reread app, research school
-
SDN, school website,
-
SDN interview feedback, lists of interview questions, rehearsals with friends
-
Read over AMCAS and secondary, read questions on SDN.
-
Read my secondary and found questions on SDN.
-
Sdn, looking over application, talking to Busm students and faculty.
-
SDN, school's website, mock interview
-
BU's website, my secondary, my primary, my friends who have been to BUSM.
-
flash cards, practiced interview questions with friends, SDN.
-
SDN, reviewed AMCAS application, did lots of practice questions with friends, read up on ethical issues
-
SDN. Rereading my AMCAS.
-
SDN interview feedback, reviewed my primary and secondary apps
-
SDN, BU Admissions website, relaxed
-
SDN, reviewed my file and relaxed!
-
SDN feedback, read healthcare reform stuff, BUSM website
-
Reviewed application
-
AMCAS, secondary, current events, student doc
-
Reread apps, school's website
-
SDN and mock interview
-
Reviewed AMCAS, secondaries, news, prep questions, & a few mock interviews
-
Looked up ethics questions on SDN and with my health advisers, and with a close friend who is knowledgeable.
-
Read website, read SDN.
-
reviewed my app, SDN, school website
-
sdn, read about the school, definitely plan for an ethical question i would say. not nec anything specific, but how you want to answer/handle it in general. definitely think before speaking.
-
Read school's viewbook, website.
-
Stay up-to-date on health-related legislation, global health crises, and slowly growing health risks such as MRSA and the mutation and spread of flu virus from Eastern Asia.
-
Didn't really prepare.
-
Read BUSM's website, SDN, went over US healthcare topics and primary application
-
SDN, Doctors at work, other people who has already gone to interviews, parents
-
SDN, BUSM website, read my AMCAS and secondary apps
-
sdn, health policy book, read research. This was an MD/PhD interview
-
Came with an open mind.
-
SDN, review own research/primary and secondary applications
-
SDN interview feedback. most effective was thinking about my answers to common questions and doing mock interviews with friends.
-
Read my AMCAS application, feedback sheet from mock interview, interview sections from a few admissions prep books I had copied, school website
-
this website, read over my application
-
Website, SDN, AMCAS app
-
Compiled a list of BUSM specific questions from SDN (about 50) and answered them outloud. Read a book on health policy. Read a few ethics documents. Read 2-3 current events articles. Went over a few questions I was concerned about with an academic advisor, but did not do a mock interview.
-
SDN, website
-
Read research interest summaries for my interviewers, reviewed PS, etc.
-
Skimmed the school website, read AMCAS, secondary application. Thought about research.
-
SDN, AMCAS, website, viewbook
-
I looked at their viewbook, read SDN feedback, and tought about how I would answer some standard question (i.e., why medicine, tell me about yourself, etc.)
-
I read ''Who Killed Healthcare?'' by Regina Herzlinger (highly recommended for people not too familiar with current healthcare problems), reviewed AMCAS, sdn, secondary, common questions
-
reviewed application, SDN, BU Viewbook, spoke with recent graduate
-
SDN, reread my amcas and secondary apps, practiced some questions
-
SDN; looked over my app for BU
-
sdn, school website
-
Read SDN, BUSM website and literature, and my application materials.
-
looked over AMCAS app, researched health care issues, school website, prepared answers for list of interview questions, and SDN interview feedback
-
read AMCAS and BU applications, sdn, interview prep book, BU website, mock interview
-
mock interviews, read SDN
-
Didn't really need to prepare.
-
this website, BU's website, etc.
-
mock interview, four previous med school interviews, SDN, school's website, AMCAS, MSAR, secondary app, reviewed ethics, healthcare, ect.
-
sdn, internet (healthcare, ethical issues), bu med students, and mock interview.
-
review AMCAS application, mock interviews with faculty, online research, review of previous and current research.
-
SDN Interview feedback, school's viewbook
-
Reviewed all my materials. I also hung out with a bunch of medical students throughout the weekend before my interview and got a good sense of what it was like to go to BU.
-
Read though SDN interview feedback, career center interview workshop
-
read this feedback section, the BUSM website and my secondary essays. I also talked in-depth with a graduate of the program and considered life as a med student and as a med student in Boston/at BUSM
-
SDN, mock interviews, researched health care policy, went over my essays.
-
I reread my personal statement, purused their website, and relaxed.
-
Reading SDN, health care issues, application materials.
-
Read over application essays.
-
Lots of mock interviews, researched the U.S. and Canadian health care systems online, researched biomedical ethics (University of Washington website), SDN
-
sdn, website, amcas, secondary
-
reviewed online stuff, looked at my amcas and secondary
-
SDN Interview feedback, healthcare policy reading, went over primary
-
Mock interview, school website, SDN feedback.
-
SDN, school website & viewbook, mock interview, AMCAS
-
studentdoctor, reviewed notes from an ethics class i took, reviewed secondary and AMCAS
-
SDN, personal statement, current news, thought about ethics dilemmas
-
SDN, BU website, lived in Boston 3 years
-
Read this site and go through their booklet.
-
SDN, moch interviews, reviewed AMCAS.
-
SDN, Reading through AMCAS application.
-
AMCAS, SDN, BU website, mock/prior interviews
-
reviewed secondary.
-
Looked over student doctor, AMCA practiced questions with family friend physician
-
Reviewed potential questions, BU materials, college thesis, newspapers and articles re. current health issues, application materials
-
SDN, website, reviewed priamry adn secondary applications.
-
this site and bu website
-
Read the BU website, read up on current events.
-
SDN, called BU medical students, Hung out in Boston a few days before to relax and get a better feel for the city.
-
SDN, reread AMCAS and secondary app, read book on American Health Care System, reviewed information on the school
-
site, this site
-
Read feedback on here
-
AMCAS, BUMC website, SDN, Wikipedia (for healthcare questions)
-
SDN, school website, mock interviews (back before my first interview), reread AMCAS
-
Other Interviews
-
SDN, Interview Feedback, Mock interviews with a professor
-
SDN, BUSM website, other interviews, ethics sites...
-
Reviewed my secondary application and AMCAS, SDN, school website, interviewer bios
-
amcas, BU site, SDN
-
READ OVER YOUR AMCAS APPLICATION
-
Read my application, schools web-site, interview feedback on SDN
-
Looked over practice questions, BU essay and personal statement
-
my supplemental and AMCAS, BUSM website, healthcare website, MSNBC health website
-
looked at the school's website, looked over my application, studentdoctor.net
-
BU website, this website.
-
Read my personal statement, activities list, my BU essay, the BU website and the BU viewbook.
-
researched their website, reviewed my application.
-
school's website, AMCAS essay, SDN
-
Other interviews, read Boston's viewbook online, reviewed own app
-
SDN interview feedback, looked over my amcas
-
Read BU website, viewbook, reviewed my AMCAS app., my supplemental info. I sent to them, relaxed and reminded myself that they wouldn't bother interviewing me if they didn't want to know me better (DON'T forget that! This is not supposed to be something you leave crying from--they like you already or they wouldn't have exerted themselves in an email or letter inviting you!). Oh, and I went out in Boston the night before. ;)
-
reviewed amcas and bu apps, looked at sdn interview feedback, learned about bu
-
SDN, read application, other interviews
-
website, brochure, sdn
-
AMCAS, website, SDN
-
SDN, reviewed AMCAS, read viewbook, talked to friends who go to school there
-
SDN, School Website.
-
website, nytimes.com, application
-
1) Reviewed my AMCAS and secondary applications 2) Read the BU viewbook 3) Read up on universal health care plans 4) Thought about ethical questions
-
BU brochure, SDN, reviewed secondary app./amcas app.
-
Reviewed application, made sure I knew how to get to the school without being late.
-
SDN, read school website, application
-
SDN, reviewed BU website, BU bulletin, reviewed my AMCAS application, practiced interview questions.
-
read the BU website, SDN, health care policy
-
amcas app, web site
-
Read studentdoctor.net, BU viewbook, AMCAS/sec apps.
-
I didnt.
-
read this site, read the viewbook and BU's website, re-read my application.
-
I read a lot about the school from the web site, journal articles. Talked to students before the interview. Revisited my application file. Avoided mock interviews, I say just go with it, be yourself. Don't prepare canned answers.
-
the BUSM website
-
Website, reread application, sdn, talked to 2004 applicant.
-
Read SDN, looked over website and prospectus.
-
SDN, BU website, reviewed AMCAS
-
Read AMCAS
-
SDN, BU website, mock interview at undergraduate school
-
SDN, BU website, MSAR
-
Read application, reviewed school stuff, SDN
-
this site, BU's website, other interviews
-
This is my prep for the real deal so i didn't prep
-
SDN, read AMCAS, website
-
BU website, SDN.
-
sdn, bu website, materials sent to me by admisssions committee upon being invited for an interview
-
read my own application
-
Previous interview preparation, read up on BU-specific information.
-
website, applications
-
Read my AMCAS application
-
be yourself
-
SDN, BU's website, AMCAS
-
Read interview experiences on SDN. Looked over school website.
-
sdn, school website, talked to student host
-
I reviewed the website.
-
SDN, read my AMCAS, and my secondary (I had to write a letter explaining why I stopped out of college for 1.5 years).
-
SDN feedback, catalog, secondary, AMCAS
-
Read about the school on their website. Read the other posts on this website.
-
sdn, bu website
-
BU website, this site, read through my essays
-
Read SDN, made sure I could talk about my research experiences in some detail (I was asked about my research.)
-
read over my AMCAS application and learned about the school's curriculum
-
SDN, reviewed my file
-
Interview feedback, mock interviews (I stress the importance of these), read up on the school
-
this site, eat good food, looked over materials and sample interview q's
-
website, SDN, bulletin
-
website, here.
-
Read over some BU material
-
Read interview feedback, BU website
-
Read SDN, school website, talked with student host the night before.
-
Previous interview experience, school website, SDN.
-
practice interview, looked over materials relevant to research and AMCAS
-
SDN, read my AMCAS, read the paper, read about the school
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read Interview feedback.
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just read up on BU website.
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Apps. SDN, read up on current issues on ethics.
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AMCAS, school website, AMSAR.
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Website, AMCAS application, AMSAR
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The ususal. read SDN interview experiences, read everything about the school, kept up on current events.
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SDN, BU's materials, reviewed my application
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Rehearsed some common questions, looked over information on the school.
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read essays to other schools. got some sleep--7:30 is early
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BU site, this site, AMCAS file and chatting with 2nd year students.
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Talked to the students I stayed with the night before, looked at the materials they sent me and the website.
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this website, bu website, rereading my personal statement
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read my AMCAS app. looked up some stuff on Boston and BU, check out their match list, pretty impressive.
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read Interview feedback. Slept.
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website, amcas, this site, etc.
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Read the school's web site and brochures; talked with current BUMC students.
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Website, looked over questions, watched tv, played video games, stayed up late...
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This site, BU website, read my app.
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amcas application, essays for other med schools
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Read SDN and the BU website.
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sdn, interview feedback, bu website
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i slept a lot
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Mock interview, Read the website and interview feedback
-
Read SDN, my application and prepared for the anticipated questions.
-
Went over my AMCAS, read the school info online, went over the HMO,PPO, typical ethical questions, and read the SDN interview feedback.
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read over amcas, school website, i can't remember
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read brochure
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Perused my application, read Dean's report for BU, mock interview with my advisor.
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Asked my brother (who attends a program there) what on earth the school was about.
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Checked out school's sites, read up on ethics, read over my primary/secondary/transcript/CV.
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SDN, read up on current events etc...
-
Read website, looked over the materials they gave out.
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Read over BU's web page, chatted with some friends-of-friends who go there
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Read up on school, this site, practiced interview questions.
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read over AMCAS app
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I read the prospectus (available in the waiting room) and looked at the website.
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Read BU website. Went over my AMCAS application.
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Very little. It was my 3rd interview.
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Just read over my personal statement
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Read BU's website, asked around, the usual
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the conversational and friendly nature of the interviews, the genuine passion and commitment of the faculty and students, the emphasis on community health and service, the diverse patient population at Boston Medical Center, the strong clinical training opportunities, the positive atmosphere on campus, and the enthusiasm of the Dean of Admissions. Suggestions for improvement included more focus on ethics and healthcare-related questions during interviews.
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How conversational the interview was
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It was a casual conversation and I appreciated that the interviewer was very nice and didn't seem to mind even if I stuttered or faltered a little.
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The interviewer complimented specific parts of my application and went out of his way to tell me that he thought I was qualified and that he cared about the obstacles I've overcome
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The opportunities and passion at the school
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Back and forth conversation was natural and not stressed
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Chill students, kind and vibrant dean, definite commitment to community health, chatty + fun interview
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Answered most of my questions and was very honest
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Interviewer was knowledgeable about my application
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The conversation flowed so well! I think BUSM does a great job at matching people up that have a lot in common.
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Interview was mostly about behavioral questions, nothing about ethics or healthcare.
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How conversational interviewer was
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The faculty were all so passionate about working at the school/hospital, the mission of the school
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Their openness to answer my questions about the school
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Very socially conscious med school, committed to service, excellent clinical exposure and opportunities as a student
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The med students were extremely excited about the populations they serve and the school in general.
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seemed like students loved it, everyone i met was incredibly friendly and helpful, amazing location in boston, really seems as if students voices are heard, great focus on community service
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Excellent school overall. There are opportunities here to do pretty much whatever you want. Location is pretty good, and Boston's a great city. Also, the medical student residence is a big plus. I think this would be a great place to be a medical student.
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The school has such an amazing history. The medical centers is incredible.
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Boston medical center is unlike any medical center in the nation, will provide a premier clinical education.
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The setting-- it's awesome!
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diversity!!!
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really friendly director and interviewer, both obviously extremely happy and proud to be at BU. most diverse patient population of any school in Boston due to safety-net teaching hospital. great global health opps. lots of renovations being down for the student spaces and new swanky looking graduate housing for incoming students in 2012 that is supposed to be more affordable than other options
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The students were amazing! They were so helpful and so friendly and they put together a dinner the night before my interview for the interviewees to meet them and ask them questions. The faculty was amaizng, the director was so wonderful, and the clinical rotation sites are great. The city itself is awesome too :)
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Very enthusiastic, friendly staff. Everyone had lots of BU pride.
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Their commitment to health care for everyone, their clarity about the program, and the passion of the speakers.
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hospital facilities are fantastic, Dean Witzburg was exceptionally eloquent and friendly.
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I loved the school's mission to serve everyone and its special focus to serve vulnerable populations. BMC is awesome and Boston's diversity is great. I would love to attend BU!
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The BMC definitely impressed me most while on the tour. It's got a great philosophy and seems to be an excellent hospital.
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The philosophy: I love that BU is committed to exceptional care without exception. I also love the location--Boston is great! My interviewer was very nice and the interview day was great. The students I spoke to at lunch were awesome.
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Facilities -- though old, they are many and large. The hospitals are nice as well.
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The dean of admissions is amazing! He's super passionate and its kind of impossible not to get excited. I came to this interview thinking I wouldn't like Boston University or the city that much. It's still not my top choice but this school still really really impressed me. They are 100% committed to improving the quality of life of ALL different types of people. The school's a safety net hospital meaning they don't deny anyone service. Consequently students really get a lot of excellent clinical experience. BU students do extremely well on the boards and when they start residency hit the ground running because of their excellent clinical prep.
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Dean Witzburg, my interviewer, campus, city of Boston
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Clinical experience that the school offers. And their mission to care for all. They seemed genuine in that regard. No one is turned away.
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Everything is basically in one building - library, anatomy lab, study group rooms, test taking rooms, lecture halls
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The school's commitment in serving the underserved. Listening to Dr. Witzburg talking about that aspect of the school and it quickly became my #1 school.
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My interviewer was a kind, talented, personable professional. It was both educational and enlightening to speak with him. He obviously feels very passionately about his profession and about the school. And it's not as expensive as everyone makes it out to be on SDN (though it is expensive). The curriculum is traditional but unique and impressive. From my teaching background, I could tell they put a lot of thought into planning their curriculum and could really appreciate that.
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Almost everything. Everyone is so enthusiastic about BU. VERY approachable, down to earth faculty. Students seem very happy. Boston is a great city and GREAT place to study medicine. The school really did a great job of trying to sell itself to us. Dr. Witzburg's enthusiasm is infectious.
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No ethics question! However this is probably not the normal interview experience at this school.
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Current students at the school were cool, happy, and personable; Nice area/location; combination of safety-net hospital and strong research program
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The clinical training (one of the most important aspects when it comes to picking a med school!!). BMC is a safety net hospital meaning they can't turn anyone away. As a result, they tend to see cases that you would normally only read about in a book because much of their patient population is poor and does not get regular care. They are also one of the largest level 1 trauma centers in New England (maybe even the largest?). I think there's even a trauma surgery component to the surgery clerkship. Some of my friends who are residents at other Boston hospitals have commented on the preparedness of the BU students because they get so much hands-on experience during clinical training. You really get your hands dirty as opposed to some private hospitals where your patients might ask the student to leave the room. Also, because it's Boston, there are loads of opportunities for research, outreach, and enjoying life outside of school when you're not studying.
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Awesome city, great match list, nice student lounge. The BMC is amazing because they treat everyone equally and you get the feeling they really need the med students, you get your "hands dirty" and are "in the trenches" not standing around like an idiot like in some private hospitals. So really good clinical training. Geriatric home visits sound like a great experience. Pass/fail. Class seems not cliquey. The Dean is cool. You get patient contact right away. Lectures are online.
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The school's flexibility to change the curriculum. The international programs.
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friendliness, BMC, food, anatomy lab, my interviewer and what he had to say about BMC
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The faculty at BU that I spoke with were the most collegial, literate, eloquent, and serious about their work of any medical school I have yet interviewed at.
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The diversity of the student body was great, and it seemed to have a very good MPH program, which you can easily get into as an MD student.
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early clinical experience, physician mentors for students, the dean was very honest, we met the anatomy professor and he seemed amazing
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BU seems to offer a great clinical training with a diverse population of patients, Boston is a fun city with a lot to do.
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Dean Witzburg is awesome
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The city is amazing, pass/fail first two years so no competitiveness between students, integrated curriculum, match list is incredible, friendliness of students, campus feel even though in city, research, Dean Witzburg is great
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students were very friendly, Views of Boston from the school
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The city itself
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BU has a strong clinical focus and a strong commitment to the community it serves, which includes all socio-economic backgrounds.
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BU's affiliation with a hospital that serves very socioeconomically diverse patients; my interviewer was great; i really liked the time for open discussion with a faculty member.
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The people were all very kind and easy to work with. The tour was great and we got to see a lot of the hospital.
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the hospital, anatomy lab facilities, how happy the 4th years seemed, the supportive faculty
-
the girls
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The history of the hospital associated with BUSM and their commitment to treating individuals underserved individuals. Now being a 1st year student there, I see that this is absolutely the case.
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The curriculum is super innovative and constantly evolving,moving more and more to small group work. The dean of admissions is great. Students seem really happy. Boston is an amazing city.
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The students were absolutely amazing. There was also an excellent opportunity to work with both underserved and more affulent patient populations, and the city of Boston was amazing. I also liked the proximity to other schools in the city.
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The school's mission to serve the underserved and the uninsured, and the ability of the school to do that while providing high level care. The students were also happy to be there.
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The attitude of the school about patient dignity and equality regardless of insurance or socioeconomic status.
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The fact that BU does not give any special treatment to people with greater status, income, etc. All patients are treated equally.
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The dean of admissions, the boston environment, the number of resources available as a med student (hospitals, health centers, etc.) Candid answers of 1st and 2nd year students to our questions.
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The faculty. The director of admissions (Dr. Witzburg) is warm, accommodating, and obviously loves the field of medicine. My interviewer was also wonderful and I got a strong impression of the involvement of the faculty.
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Everyone at the school seemed so enthused and excited about the school.
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They don't really get a lot of people with insurance--so not only are you helping to make a difference in poor and immigrant communities, you are also seeing a wide variety of illnesses and people. Also, they hire professors that are solely there to teach and tend to pay them better. Might mean more dedication to students?
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The students were extremely friendly, the facilities were nice, and almost all of the faculty I spoke with were quite friendly.
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BU is very into providing healthcare to EVERYONE.
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Everyone was very nice and accommodating. Dean Witzburg is funny and very genuine.
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the hospital and its ability to care for people from all socioeconomic backgrounds, regardless of insurance
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The clinical curriculum is incredible. The students seem really happy. The location and number of opportunities are great.
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That doctors at Boston Medical don't have to stress about a patient's insurance or lack thereof. Patients receive the same standard of care - rich or poor
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The Dean was super nice. And the students were awesome.
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This was the best interview that I have ever had. The interview went an hour over scedule. I talked to him for an hour and a half.
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The hospital is really nice, the students are awesome!!! the whole experience was great, faculty, staff, students, interviewer, buildings, classrooms, well ventilated anatomy lab . . .
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low stress interview.
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overall enthusiasm of faculty and students, campus, dean, interviewer
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the focus on clinical medicine, the international opportunities, the flexibility in housing in that students can live wherever fits their interest
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Students are so happy to be there and proud to go to BU. Also, students are trained to be very good clinicians and are ready for 3rd and 4th years and also do well in matches. Boston is a great place to live.
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BU hospital (BMC) treats a lot of underprivileged patients. The doctors seem to be trying to make a bigger difference. it's also located right in Boston.
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The presentation by the dean, the warmth of my interviewer and how thoroughly she read through my application, all the opportunities for students at BMC and the preparation students get during clinical years, preparing them for residency (I heard a lot about this from a graduate of the program)
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The current students seemed very happy. The residency placements from BU were very good.
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Great anatomy lab, friendly staff, great location.
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Friendly staff members and interviewer.
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Anatomy lab is sunlit! and there are so many hospitals in the Boston area.
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Almost everything. Boston is an amazing city! The students at BU were extremely warm and friendly, and I really like that BU is committed to serving underserved populations.
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the two very different hospitals, one priv ate, one public for the un/underinsured
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Clinical experience. Strong FP, EM, ID research.
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research; they have great research stuff going on, particularly the infectious disease laboratory
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The enthusiasm of the dean and professors that we met, the diversity of the patient population and extensive medical center facilities/campus
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The diverse patient population and excellent clinical training.
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facilities and positive stats
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third and fourth years are really good training. Faculty and students were very interactive, laid-back and comfortable with each other
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the people, curriculum
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Dean was very friendly and helpful, lots of lovely advice.
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The school seemed really dedicated to helping the underserved community, students were cool, some of the facilities were nice, and more...
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The size of the campus, the clinical facilities, diverse patient population.
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Boston is beautiful! The students were excited to be a part of a great program. Additionally, the faculty member I interviewed with was very interested in getting to know me and explaining why I should choose BU.
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The school's clinical facilities. Boston Medical Center is the public hospital for Boston, so you see everything! and the match list
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atmosphere amongs students was positive and friendly. my interviewer was interested in the same stuff i'm interested in. i think they might match applicants with interviewers this way because a couple other applicants i talked to had the same experience.
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The schools devotion to treating the underserved and preparing students.
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Pro-student attitude of the administration, quality of clinical training, diversity of patient population, focus on the underserved
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facilities, the dean of admissions
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My Interviewer was very sweet and very endearing. She genuinely wanted to know about me and who I was and listened very intently to what I had to say. She was receptive to all of my questions and offered words of encouragement - I really lucked out this time. Also, the dean was a really great guy. His speech(es) were well thought out and very genuine,even though they sounded rehearsed a bit. He is a great guy who will answer anything and everything you want to know, and he really emphasized the whole application process as one which can lead to a better understanding of yourself.
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Board pass rates, Match List, Diverse patient population, pass/fail (kind of) system.
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the students were close and felt well taken care of by the school. 1.6 billion dollar new research grant was just received.
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The interview was early in the morning, so I left without the tour cause I disliked the school so much.
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Location is better than I expected, diverse patient population
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Decent facilities, great teachers, seemed like a place to get a great education.
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The school's explicit dedication to providing excellent care to underserved populations.
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Graduates seem to be sought after by residency programs. No east-coast snobbery that was prevalent at some of the ivys.
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The dean was quite a character that added to my experience, my interviewer was extremely friendly and helpful, the amazing location!
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Nice campus, Boston seems cool.
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Boston is a really nice city; there's lots of things to do and the public transportation system is very effective. The actual program is very flexible about allowing you to change your mind about your research area or what program (MD, MD/PhD, etc.) you wish to be a part of. Boston U students perform very well in the match, and the clinical training you receive is excellent.
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Dr. Witzburg gave some great talks and really set the school in a wonderful light. Clinical training is definitely tops.
-
The Dean of Admissions was really nice.
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How happy the students were to be there and how well the school prepares it students for the future.
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BU is extremely big on serving the urban poor. Their hospital is one of the best I've seen in terms of serving ALL populations without bias. It's actually really amazing that 45% of the care going out to the underprivileged in the whole state of MA happens right at BMC.
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USMLE scores, rate of graduation statistics, overall prestige of the medical school; vast opportunities for clerkships and clinical study
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All of the people were so nice and helpful throughout the day.
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I got the impression that the school works hard on their curriculum and cares about the students. First two years are mediocre, lot of students don't bother to go to classes (lots of powerpoint). But clinical years seem excellent.
-
My interviewer was extremely passionate about the school and the student body. The school cares greatly for their students.
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the students were really relaxed and fun, the amount of clinical exposure right away, the communtiy outreach programs available.
-
The dean of admissions was extremely personable and charismatic. He emphasized not playing games in admission (only write us and tell us you want to go here if you are certain you really want to). Also faculty who came in and chatted while we waited for interviews were very informative and unafraid to give the straight story on the strengths and weaknesses of the school in comparison to other schools.
-
BU's emphasis on being the "people's hospital." The down-to-earth no frills, no bulls*#t attitude of the admissions staff and the students. Dean Witzburg's motivating words!
-
the Dean's talk, the fact that they give you a bio of your interviewer before you go in (so you can gear it towards a convo if you'd like)
-
Looks like a great place for clinical training (diverse patient population)
-
students, very enthusiastic
-
The facilities were great, the administration seemed human (always a plus!) and receptive to the needs of the students, the area is great--wonderful patient exposure at BMC. They also give you a bit of time to chat with other interviewees rather than passed on from BU faculty to Fin. Aid to...etc. It was nice--they applicant pool there was really cool (and VERY quirky) and we had good conversations.
-
one universal system of care for all patients--not divided by city vs university hospitals after merger; focus on clinical work
-
People were interesting, facilities are great, they really seem to emphasize clinical medicine.
-
general vibe of the school; the fact that it's a city hospital; loved boston
-
the school and hospital are very nice
-
Students really seemed to love being there, the school is really focused on serving underserved populations, success of students in matching for residency
-
Outstanding facilities, program, faculty, and staff. All were friendly. Students loved the school!
-
Clinical experiance and the dean of admissions
-
The Dean of Admissions is well spoken and gave a good orientation presentation. The focus on community health is very strong and sincere. The anatomy lab is on the 10th floor, so you get natural light. You also get early clinical exposure---real patients from the first week, instead of standardized patients. Students are well prepared for their rotations and USMLE tests.
-
how happy with their choice all of the med students seemed. Every one was very content with the level of education and amount of experience they were receiving at the school
-
Boston is totally sweet. The campus seems cool. Early clinical exposure.
-
the dean was great--a bit eccentric but entertaining. the 4th years were also great--they gave a lot of useful advice and information about the school. the whole day was very well structured and organized.
-
Dean Witzburg is very friendly, very nice faculty and staff, friendly students who seem to work hard/play hard. The students seem like a diverse group. Cute campus! Boston seems like a great city, small city but a lot of fun bars/clubs/sports events. Good public transportation in Boston as well. The hospital seems really nice and you get a lot of good exposure b/c they serve all types of patients (rich, poor, insured, uninsured).
-
lots of diverse cases/exposure, faculty and dean seemed cool, students were really nice and boston is a great city
-
everything! loved the environment, the city, the hospitals, the students, administrators
-
The students, my interviewer - tough, but incredibly intelligent and engaging, the advisoral system, the breakfast/lunch combo, the Dean.
-
The school's philosphoy of helping the underserved and it appears as though they actually do carry it out. Students were friendly. The pass/fail grading the first year helps decrease any competitveness among students. Seems to give students string clinical training!
-
I loved the school. I prefer the more traditional lecture classes, but they have good integration classes as well, good opportunities for clinical rotations, everyone was serious but friendly, students seem happy, the school buildings themselves are nicely laid out, and I like that one of the required clerkships is making house calls for the elderly. Lots of other opportunities, like with the MPH program, etc.
-
The faculty members are all very nice and interesting, supportive too. There are a ton of amazing programs going on there, they will clue you in, just ask them.
-
the people- all very friendly and generous with their time
-
The Dean of Admissions gave the best schpiel I'd seen and it was really nice to have a broad sense of the school and its history before heading off to interview and ask questions of students. The students charged with chatting with us at lunch were SUPER nice and down to earth. I wanted to stay and hang out. I was impressed by their public health department and how established their MD/MPH program is. Boston's awesome.
-
Emphasis on underserved patient populations, diversity of students and patient pop.
-
The tour was really great, very informative, and we got to see a lot. Our tour guide really seemed excited to share his experiences and talk to us about our questions or concerns. It was nice to get information without feeling like you were being evaluated. The dean is just great! He really makes you feel at ease, one of those calming voices, and he is a wonderful speaker. He was happy to hang around and answer our questions when the day was over. The two women from the registrars office were super nice, Loretta and Susan (I think) and they answered questions in a very informal manner. The med students I met seemed like very diverse and interesting people. Also the physicians I met were enthusiastic. This is a great school if you are interested in underserved populations and uninsured patient issues. BU's hospital serves something like 90% of MA charity care.
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1. the best tour I've had so far - given by a 4th year who knows a lot and showed us everything - the hospital, the ER, the anatomy lab, the lounge etc. 2. the dean who can clearly talk a blue streak 3. the city environment 4. the emphasis on primary care/being the hospital for the city of Boston 5. students seem ridiculously happy
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Everyone we met through the day tried to draw the pressure of the applicants. It was a much more relaxing environment than I expected. Also board schools are well over the national average, and students do very well matching with resident programs
-
The great clinical opportunities in a county hospital.
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The school has two hospitals right on campus
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the urban area of the campus/hospital pretty much guarantees a wide variety of exposure during medical school
-
Boston is nice but you better have a good map if you plan to travel around or you'll get lost in their illogically designed roads
-
Very laid back interview, emphasis on social medicine, tour of the hospital
-
very organized, the associate dean spent a lot of time with the candidates, we met students from every year, great lunch
-
I liked the school way more than I thought I was going to. The dean of admissions is really enthusiastic. He was also extremely open and honest about the way the admissions committee makes its decisions, and about what to expect. The admissions staff who spoke to us were all extremely friendly and forthright. I really enjoyed the student tour as well--the fourth years seemed very happy with their time at BU. When we visited the hospital, there was a genuine camraderie not only between students, but between students and doctors as well.
-
the interviewer - very friendly and offered great opinions. He made me feel very comfortable. the tour guide - very enthusiastic about BU and her experiences there. Also, the location of BU in terms of access to diverse and prestigious medical institutions. The dean of admissions - His wit and genuine personality made what could have been a stressful day more bearable.
-
friendliness, openness of the admissions staff and students.
-
The initial 8am information session was filled with Gary Larson cartoons and vibrating text to stimulate your consciousness if not your interest. Staff was very sincere in explaining the issues the students face (namely debt) and the entirety of the admission process. Other applicants and the med students all have a good sense of humor, albeit a bit worn down by the weather and schedule.
-
friendly people, nice facilities, good atmosphere for medical experience
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Boston is an amazing city!!! I think I would love to live there. The facilities seemed comparable to every other school I've visited, no big surprize there. My interviewer was a great guy, he kept coming up with all these hypothetical situations. Dr. Witzburg is a awesome guy too, I can't leave him out.
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interviewers are overall nice...dean is an excellent speaker and motivated u to want to become a doctor
-
Nice facilites, friendly students, a general sense of satisfaction with the school amongst the BU community. I felt like the administration took time to structure a day that would let interviewees get to know BU. They made sure that we were able to speak to students in both the basic science years and the clinical years, they had faculty members besides our interviewers stop by to answer questions, and they had an organized intro. presentation and a dean who popped in throughout the day to answer questions. They also let you do as much or little as you wanted in the day... go to classes, talk to students/administration or just veg in the lounge. This may be just a coincidence, but I noticed that myself and several of the fellow interviewees were paired with an interviewer with whom we had common interests.
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Boston Medical Center was phenomenal. The facilities at the school were really nice and the campus was beautiful. The student were pretty nice and laid back. Boston is a great city.
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The people I met at the school were very pleasant and personable, especially my interviewer, who was very encouraging. Great transportation system in Boston.
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I was very attracted by the attitude of the deans and doctors and students with whom we had contact and the overall atmosphere of the school.
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I was so tired because I flew in from Missouri and my flight was delayed. I only had 2 hours of sleep before my interview. I was also sick from an allergic reaction I had to something in Missouri. I was miserable for the interview, but the people were so kind and relaxed. There was no stress at all and I made it through the interview feeling very confident. They are extremelely professional and they offered plenty of food and there were always people around to answer your questions.
-
Quality of clinical experiences-- unlike many other schools we actually had the opportunity to talk with students from all four years, and fourth years talk very highly about their experiences at BU
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The history and class of the school is clearly apparent. The medical center is very very nice. I like how they see patients from all walks of life--both upper and lowerclasses are represented.
-
the dean/staff was very nice. everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there. we had a great student tour who was honest and upfront about the pros and cons of BU.
-
The students are great, at least the ones that came to chat with us. They are very enthusiastic about the college and their lives now.
-
The Dean of Admissions seemed sincere, even though his speach came across as a bit practiced. The students were friendly. Doctors came in voluntarily to talk about their practices and answer any general questions about medicine/life as a doctor while you waited for your interview.
-
the fact that BU is centrally located in between 2 hospitals which were part of a public/private merger
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Boston students like the school a lot. All medstudents that I met were interesting, funny, and intelligent.
-
The sudents that attend BU are so happy to be there, despite the cost. The Assoc. Dean, Dr. Witzburg, is great, although a little rehearsed, and the diverse environment is sure to transform even the most sheltered person into a capapble and adaptive physician.
-
that this school was the most service orientated school named by AMA and that this is an inner city hopital (i want to go into urban healthcare)
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The dean of admissions is very enthusiastic and well spoken
-
level of the faculty. happiness of students. boston.
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Clinical experience, traditional curriculum, location
-
Students and faculty, contrary to some things posted here, seemed very enthusiastic about the school. I didn't feel they put down other schools a lot or anything like that.
-
Boston is an awesome city.
-
Excellent interview/er, students seemed to genuinely appreciate the school, faculty accessibility, Boston.
-
Dean Witzburg's laid back and understanding nature
-
Boston is a very fun city to live in. The interview day was very well organized, and faculty members would drop by the conference room where we were waiting, and talk to us about the school. We got to see the anatomy lab, which was very cool. The teaching facilities are all very nice. Lunch was good.
-
my interview, the admissions dean
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The great clinical experience that students get and the access to all different kinds of patient populations. The strict Pass/fail system of the first year. It was kind of cool seeing the anatomy labs, but I don't know how appropriate it was especially since the faces were uncovered.
-
negative image totally obliterated its pluses
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the city
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The school environment is great. THe program that they had to offer seems to be very strong. The 4th year tour guides were extremely helpful. THe dean was extremely friendly yet abit "fake." Sounded like reciting a poem when he gave his talks.
-
My interviewer was fantastic. The admissions staff is extremely helpful. I had anticipated that the school was in a bad location in Boston, but it's really not.
-
Solid intro presentation from the dean. The students who talked to us as we were waiting for our interviews were very candid regarding the pros and cons of the school. Facilities were great.
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The interviewers were very friendly and interested in what I had to say. They also did a good job selling the school. The students seem happy and have lives outside of school. Very collegial atmosphere.
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Boston is one ROCKIN' city to live in...and the opportunities for clinical care in the first two years of med school are great....the school is located between two huge hospitals and they have a Trauma 1 center.
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The hospital, community and students. The admissions director gave alot of good insights. The hospital has a mission of service to the people of Boston. Lots of great clinical opportunities and international opportunities
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The students were HAPPY!
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The clinical opportunities, the hospital, the faculty, the attitude of everyone i met. BU has a $200M for providing care to the homeless and uninsured people of mass. which means you really see a bit of everything. Boston is a fantastic city.
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BU has a lot of international affiliations, you can go away to other countries during your fourth year, you can learn languages while there, e.g Spanish and go to a spanish camp during the summer. I liked the fact that you start to get clinical exposure from the first year. you get a chance to shadow in the speciality you are interested in thus could decide if you really hate it or love it. I also think this prepares you for residency.
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That the admissions staff and my interviewer were enthusiastic and specific. Boston is a great place, and the school's history is actually interesting.
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the medical center is expansive and cares for a diverse range of patients. south end is an interesting neighborhood...a mix of trendy and sketchy.
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The match list, the dean's opening and closing remarks, the 4th year students' ability to eat all the food before I even got to lunch!
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The clinical opportunities
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medical center serves all populations in the boston areas
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The other interviewees were friendly, cool people; the urban campus has a lot of energy.
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Campus is nice, facilities, anatomy lab, pass/fail, clinical training, faculty/students
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the friendliness of my interviewer. He seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say and getting to know me, rather than trying to trip mr up or ask hard questions
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gym in hospital (didn't see it , but supposedly it exists)
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Kevin, the interview guide had a great personality. The campus seemed nice.
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The interview experience was by the far the best I've ever had. The interviewer was extremely interesting to talk to and knew everything about me! you could tell that the person had prepared really well. i liked boston, the public transportation, friendly admissions staff
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great city, really awesome students
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The energy of the Dean of Admissions and the students. If you have to work your butt off and still like the program there has to be something said for that.
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Nothing in particular.
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My interviewer is super nice.
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Boston. I like it a lot. The air was really crisp b/c it was already getting chilly.
-
friendliness of the interviewer and all admissions staff.
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Dr. Witzburg, the Associate Dean of Admissions, is very friendly and fun to listen to. He and the other faculty that we meet seem to really care about making the school the best that it can be for students.
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How into the school the faculty was. They seem to have a loyalty to the institution that I'd previously only seen at small colleges and Big 10 schools.
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Everyone there was very friendly.
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The clinical experience and opportunities available.
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My interviewer was wonderful
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The many, many opportunities for clinical exposure in the first two years.
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Very well presented. Emphasis on how strong clinical years are at BU
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Boston is a great city
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The students were incredibly friendly and raved about the attention of the faculty to their teaching duties.
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The city of Boston. The diverse patient population. Excellent trauma center. Easy to use subway and bus system.
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The amount of clinical experience you can obtain (if you want to) at BU.
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The school itself
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The students seemed pretty psyched to be there and I know it's their job to say that stuff but it seemed genuine to me
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the high cost of attending BU School of Medicine, the expensive cost of living in Boston, and the dated facilities. Suggestions included providing more insight into the school's value for the high cost, improving the interview experience by ensuring better interviewer preparation and reducing the number of applicants interviewed in a day, and enhancing facilities and student experiences to align with the tuition fees.
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Not really that negative, but I got the vibe he didn't really like one of my answers to "Why BU" because he said well thats the point when I talked about how integrative the curriculum was. Also, the conversation flowed somewhat well, but he would just throw questions at me normal interview style.
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Nothing, it was wonderful
-
repeated question about research and understanding of my particular projects
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Completely unstructured interview
-
The interviewer's attitude... guess I had a bad one
-
Short time to prepare (got invited 7 days before their suggested interview day)
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Nothing
-
Interviewer started my interview late. Interviewer had a commitment right after my interview and cut my interview shorter than the standard 30-45 minutes they say. Interviewer didn't seem to know much about the school. Interviewer variability is huge here. Several friends of mine had the people high up in the admissions committee as interviewers, while some had random physicians who didn't know what questions to ask. Questions differ greatly depending on who you get and since it is 1 interview, that can make a difference.
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Early start to the day
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Literally everyone I talked to warned me about how expensive Boston was. Seriously, I don't think I went more than 15 minutes all day without a warning about cost. We even spent around 20 minutes of my interview discussing how my interviewer was still and debt and how expensive it was to live in the city. Also, we didn't see any of the actual teaching areas besides the cadaver lab.
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The way they stopped me during my response to my greatest failure and told me I was wrong, that they perceived another part of my application being my greatest failure.
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COA
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The cost of attendance is very high. Fortunately, the medical student residence is bringing this down a bit.
-
The tour didn't really show us anything.
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Interviewer would interrupt answers with follow-up questions and/or ask 2 or 3 questions at a time. Generally a rude/aggressive attitude.
-
Cost
-
The cost of tuition and housing
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facilities, but tbh i kind of liked the worn down aesthetic feel of things there
-
nothing really other than the price!
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Some of the interior was a little out dated, but they are working on upgrading :)
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Boston's lack of parking/bad traffic. Granted it was VERY snowy at the time.
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My interviewer was very monotone and emotionally flat throughout the interview. Had an hour long faculty discussion, which evolved into a random faculty doc lecturing on random things for an hour. No student housing...yet, i believe there will be in a few years
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The cost is very high, the weather is really cold and the minority students I spoke with seemed really unhappy but they were primarily unhappy based on the location of the school (away from home) and happy about UBSM as a whole.
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Little to nothing...the current students were helpful and genuine and the admissions staff was very friendly!
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The library and the fact that some of the students walking around the building did not look terribly happy...
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I was an MD/PhD applicant, so I was with the current students the evening before interview day. I thought they were pompous and condescending towards the regular MD students and applicants.
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It's really expensive. I''m not in love with Boston but I could make it work. Cambridge is great.
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There seems to be a sentiment of "we're not as good as Harvard, but..." which was a big turn-off.
-
Cost, and the fact that the school is losing money and wrapped up in a lawsuit with the state over reimbursement.
-
We weren't shown around campus much on the outside - just shown the one main building then BMC
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N/A
-
If there's any catch to BU, it's the cost, of course. But to their credit, they addressed this concern head-on. We were given the straight financial aid facts, and Dr. Witzburg explained WHY BU is so expensive. I really appreciate their honesty and realism, plus it's good to hear that they're concerned about the cost too and are trying to find solutions.
-
Cost of living in Boston is rough; tuition is high like other private schools (though still several thousand dollars less than tufts)
-
Aside from the school being really freaking expensive, it's also very pricey to live in Boston. BMC is easily accessible by bus, but not the T, so many people choose to live in the South End to be close to school. The South End is a trendy, up-and-coming area that carries a huge pricetag when it comes to rent.
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Expense. Housing is ridiculously expensive. So is food there. People here were a little catty - got weird looks from both a student and another interviewer when I smiled at them! Seems the most challenging of all schools I interviewed at. Didn't really see any comfortable study spaces. Probably need a car later on, which will be really expensive.
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School is not near the T. Facilities.
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The interviewer was very unenthusiastic and seemed like she just wanted to quickly get the interview over with. She was also a bit elitist...but from what I hear, not all the faculty are like this...maybe my interviewer was just having a bad day...
-
rundown buildings, tuition, weather,
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The facilities at BU (and I hear this is true of many northeastern schools) are run-down. The lecture halls are scuffed and dingy, there are exposed pipes, cramped elevators, and out-of-date institutional looking interiors. Don't come here for a psychologically pleasing academic atmosphere. Also, the cost of this school plus the cost of living in Boston are far higher than some of the medical schools I have applied to.
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The location of the medical school is very out of the way, and I don't think there is housing close by.
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very expensive... and so is the area around the school, some of the facilities are old
-
The cost, would have liked to see a lecture hall and library and study area during the tour, interview was tough (felt like I hardly had a chance to finish my sentences).
-
Dean Witzburg talks in a lengthy manner
-
Some of the facilities are pretty old, tour guide seemed rushed
-
The buildings are kinda old, the neighborhoods around school aren't that nice, the tuition.
-
The price, holy moly!
-
Only the price.
-
i think, like most people, I was negatively impressed by BU's high tuition and in such an expensive city....
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The neighborhood isn't that great and the school is far from the subway network.
-
the price tag, the claustrophobic building where all 1st and 2nd year lectures take place
-
The dean of admiss pretty much came out and said admission is a crapshoot due to the amoun of applications they get. That really makes me think the adm committee is donig its job.
-
The facilities at least externally leave something to be desired. However, they have just built a new state of the art auditorium, though 1st year students do not really use those facilities.
-
The facilities were not that great considering what you are paying to come here. Cost.
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Cost of living, the fact that the MD/PhD program is not fully funded.
-
The school's cost and some drabness of the facilities. The curriculum isn't anything special.
-
The lack of a T stop near the school.
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Number of students interviewing that day (about 40). They interview 1000 applicants total.
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The students. They did not seem that well informed about the program and thus were unable to answer many of my questions. They did not seem very enthusiastic about BUMC.
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Old facilities, trash in the hallway in some places, price
-
My interviewer was a PHD and honestly seemed to hold a grudge against the medical profession. Not sure why he was on the admissions committee.
-
curriculum wasn't what i am looking for. seems too traditional
-
Thirty to forty prospective students interview each day (usually three days a week). It felt a little like a cattle call at times.
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nothing...
-
The cost of attendance!
-
cost - they're expecting a 10% (can't remember exact percentage) increase in tuition next year. When the tuition is already over $40K, that's a significant increase!!
-
Expensive school. My host was kinda weird.
-
The interviewer!!!
-
besides the obvious price of tuition and living expenses, nothing!
-
Old facilities, cost of school, number of people they interviewed this year (1000 accepting about 320).
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Nothing, really. Great school.
-
The location of the hospital/medical school, cost, some of the other interviewees (but not all!)
-
The weather.
-
cost of living is considerably more than where I am from
-
Nothing.
-
Neighborhood is not perfect, but then this is the case with many med schools.
-
too many people in the interview group (40)
-
Price. Yah. The people seemed uptight. The Dean was kind of histrionic too.
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the students were less than enthusiastic; they seemed inconvenienced by giving a tour; the price is outrageous
-
The lack of parking in the area
-
The lack of a campus feel, that area of Boston is not very nice, the large applicant group (37), the price.
-
the price
-
facilities were a little less clean than i expected for so expensive a school
-
cost of attending/living
-
Dean talked forever, a little pretentious, school is blatantly expensive and a little stuck up about its location.
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The location is expensive.
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A large percent of the class is derived from BU undergrad programs. No housing, or comporable arrangement for living arrangements; students pay market value in rent. Also, the total debt accumulated at graduation is very high.
-
the cost - a $60k budget for 1st year, then it goes up. yikes!
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the school is not in a very nice are and is away from the undergrad campus. there is absolutely no campus feel to the school.
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Cost and location of campus
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The cost of the School, the area. The students mentioned that mugging is not uncommon in some of the nearby areas. Also, the 1st year students at the lunch were not very enthusiastic and had no real reason why they chose BU and like (or dislike) attending it.
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I dont see myself enjoying the city life of Boston but I know enough people in the area to counter that.
-
the tuition is in most cases only partly provided.
-
Boston is horrible, I'm from NYC, but DAMN, the people here are rude. The school is more worried about ethics than medicine. They spent the day trying to convince me their school was great, but never showed us anything that made them great. The head of admissions openly admits the school is the same as other schools, while also admitting he hasn't seen other schools... therefore he doesn't know what he's talking about.
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The cost (of the school and of housing close-by), seemingly lacking technological edge, finished interview at 10 and then had to basically sit around until 2:something
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Price of living and going to school in Boston is exorbitant.
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The speakers who came while we were waiting for our interviews didn't seem to be able to answer a lot of our questions. The school seems to talk itself up and not really follow through: it makes a big point about its integration of cultural awareness into teaching medicine and then doesn't have it included anywhere in the curriculum and the students I talked to hadn't seen it in the clinical teaching either. The buildings looked much nicer from the outside than the inside. I love Boston, but even I wasn't excited about living in Roxbury. Also, the students didn't seem that happy.
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Somewhat poor ventilation in the anatomy lab. Cold for a Californian.
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Cost, but it's part of the process and was explained to us by the Dean.
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Bostonians can be hella rude. I grew up in NYC, but gees.. these people try to be rude! (not at the school, but in the city)
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The cost of the school and of living in Boston. I heard one of the students say that for a 2 bedroom apt in the area around the school, the rent per month was $2400. Only 3 students in the MD/PhD program receive full tuition and a $5000 per year housing allowance, but no stipend during med school years. Everyone else in the program receives half funding during the med school years. The curriculum is also set up with classes running from 8 am-3 pm, and multiple classes being taken at once.
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Students don't seem crazy happy. South End/Roxbury is pretty crappy area though.
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The city, how unorganized the interview was, and how expensive the school is. A student told me histology is really difficult and unnecessary. Most other schools don't have a histology course that detailed and long. Taxi driver took advantage of me not knowing where to go. The location is bad and people are rude.
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The lack of scholarship money from the school and that they consider your parents finances in their financial aid package.
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The med facilities aren't AMAZING. It's not the best I've seen. But the location is definitely there.
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poor location, not near downtown Boston and in the uninteresting area of Roxbury. Unimpressive facilities, longer class times than other medical schools, no emphasis on problem-based learning, extra time spent on histology and biochemistry than other schools which a second year student said was "difficult and irrevelant" to her continuing medical education, infrequent use of standardized patients
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Some of the facilities looked really old, the library didn't look like it would be a place that I would go to study, 8 people to a cadaver.
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The south end/Roxbury area is both pricey to live and dangerous. Not very accessible to the rest of the city since there is little parking and no T stop nearby.
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The cost.
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the cost
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the neighborhood of the school was even more run down than i had heard it was
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Because the students live all over Boston, they didn't seem as integrated as the students at other schools I looked at. The library seemed a bit old and not that good and the student tourguide said a lot of times she has to go to Harvard to find materials.
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Facilities are old, really high tuition
-
Facilities seemed old, out-of-the-way location in Boston, unusually expensive
-
One cranky lady in the admissions office.
-
facilities seemed a bit outdated
-
BU is not in a great neighborhood, the price of tuition
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nothing really
-
the interview was tense and how people come from around the country to hear the dean tell everyone that the chance of admission after interview is small (the interview to acceptance ratio is much worse than other schools i interviewed at).
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Difficulty of finding housing nearby
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Nothing...it was a perfect school. The onl negative feature is the average student debt is a bit higher than "normal".
-
the tour was unprepared, cost
-
The dinginess of the labs/classrooms, and the lack of transcription services for lectures. Many other interviewees sounded dismayed by the cost of attending BU and living in Boston, but after awhile, I got sick of hearing about money.
-
twenty minutes explaining the highlights of the medical school, FROM LAST CENTURY! Cut it to two, and give me the current events.
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Some facilities didn't seem that nice. Cost of living.
-
the tuition
-
BRRR! I'm from California, so Boston is really cold to me! Umm, some other applicants (there were 40 on my day) seemed socially inept. But others were cool, so I guess there were all kinds of people. Tuition, room, board, etc. comes to a grand total of....nearly $60,000 per year! AAAH! I didn't see student housing, but it seems like it is limited. And apartments around there are expensive and don't seem too great..housing seems like kind of a problem, but doable.
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10,000 applicants 1,000 interviews 140 spots!! also some of the facilities were grungey and run down anatomy lab- 8 ppl to a cadaver! wtf
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nothing! loved it!
-
The students - some just seemed a bit too fratty, and a bit vapid. Others were great. The facilities, the school's location within Boston, the construction, the uselessness of the informational sessions going on throughout the day. the price!
-
The cost. Both for the school and to live in the area. Also that there is really no parking.
-
The interview day is a little disorganized, you wind up missing out on parts of the day because you're coming and going a lot.
-
The other applicants, some of them were a little annoying, but only some! Sometimes, the day felt rushed, exhausting.
-
the cost of the school- but i already knew that before i went
-
8 students to a cadaver. The facilities were good, not great, I thought.
-
Emphasis on expense and fewer resources available for cost as compared to similarly priced programs.
-
I guess the idea of the cost of living + tuition is really scarry, but 100+ students do it every year, so there must be ways to manage the debt. I think it sounds like the curriculum is very lecture heavy in the pre-clinical years, but they said there are alterntives if that isn't your learning style. Sometimes my iterviewer couldn't answer my questions.
-
1. buildings etc. are a little old 2. cost of living and city environment means there's not much of an on- or off-campus student community
-
I'll go with everyone else and say the cost. The dean's explination for why it was so expensive was pretty weak.
-
The traffic and the cost of living in Boston.
-
Boston is a city full of one way streets, and getting to the school is a real task with all the area construction. Leave early to get there on time.
-
almost everything else. The 1st and 2nd year students were not impressive (although the 4th years seemed competent). I am always wary of a school who's students think a selling point of their school is that about 50% of students go to class at any one time. The curriculum is old-school, making me think they are not open to advances/changes in current medical education (our 4th year tour guide admitted that medical information is better taught in PBL/clinical situations rather than lectures, while BU is steadfast in their "lecture heavy" curriculum.) My interviewer was rushed and unengaging during our "conversation" (which was nothing of the sort, but rather a litany of unconnected questions with no interesting follow-ups or additions on the part of the interviewer). Honestly, this is the first school I've been to that I will NOT attend if accepted.
-
That fact that it's not tier 1 school.
-
costs, neighborhood
-
the other candidates were really annoying
-
BU provides extremely limited housing, and is also very expensive.
-
the facilities weren't the best. The lecture halls were kinda shabby except for one (the one they made sure to show on the tour).
-
cost -- tuition and cost of living in Boston
-
Students are scheduled to stay in class from 8am to 5pm each day!
-
cost, admissions dean was weird, $15 to park
-
The other interviewers. They weren't nearly as friendly as people I'd met on previous interviews. This was probably due to the fact there were about 30 of us!!! If you ask me, that's way too many to interview on one day. The cost of living in Boston is also a major drawback. The tuition is understandable, but housing is ridiculous. Alas, that's not the schools fault.
-
It seemed that there was quite a bit of "waiting around" time. The cost of living is VERY high.
-
Painfully cold weather, especially if you go in a suit skirt. Take the cab! Rent is sky high, and you have to look for your own apartment.
-
The interviewer was completely unprepared.
-
Its a bit expensive..
-
The library is small and seemes like it could use a face-lift to be more of a comfy-cosy place that you wouldn't mind spending 10 hours in. Also, the Med Student lounge was dirty (messy) and barren, but tolerable.
-
Everything about the school is so ridiculously expensive. Super cold already in October. A ton of lecture hours. Although the school is technically a PBL-based curriculum, it is still very traditional and heavily lecture based. They had a very sorry looking library. I felt it was very inappropriate to take a group of students through the ER during the tour. I also didn't feel they gave as much respect to the cadavers having us trapse through there as well (may it was just my tour guide). I don't like that there are 2 groups to each cadaver because each group does not dissect the entire body; they rotate with dissection days and "bone days." (You spend the lab period in a room full of bones...)
-
the cost. the location isn't easy to get to if you don't know your way around.
-
The snow wasn't shovelled around the campus and my shoes got snowline. Plus two students fell down on the road. I wish they'll have better snow management.
-
The Dean of Admission's speach came across as practiced and lacking in spontaneity or passion. It was also veerrrrryyy cold...
-
man, it is really expensive
-
South end Boston is very expensive. East coast snobbish mentality is there, but all the students I met were nice.
-
Ave. student debt: $138,000. The applicants I interviewed with were about as interesting as toast. Come to think of it, toast was more appealing to me than they were at that time. Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Purdue, and Brown... I guess a top-notch education comes at the expense of personality.
-
cost of living, in class time is longer than other schools
-
$$. i knew tuition was high, but EVERYTHING in boston is pricey.
-
Cost, although they have held tuition steady over the last four years.
-
The cost, obviously. I was specifically disappointed BU doesn't do more to offset housing costs.
-
The students are nerdy and snotty, the price is ridiculous, they're not the best in Boston and they know it.
-
they charge applicants $15 for parking in their own lot.
-
Costs of: school (although, really, it's more expensive than many other private universities), parking, city.
-
My interviewer seemed a bit sarcastic and dry. Not exactly encouraging for a first interview.
-
The cost of living in Boston - it is insane!
-
8 people to a cadaver...seems like a bit too many, especially to other schools I've seen, which have said 4/body.
-
surrounding area is a little dreary and tuition and cost of living are so high.
-
All started when i contacted the admissions office to reschedule my interview and the 'coordinator' replied me 3 times in a rude tone telling me to speak up because she can't hear me. (That day i made 3 calls to 3 different schools and only BU had this problem). No wonder the previous post says that admissions staff were ignorant and not helpful to the applicants. Get that ear problem solved before trying to assist others if you don't know sign language.
-
the students seemed kind of fake and pretentious. I just kept thinking that it was an ivy dumping ground. and the administration doesn't seem to really care about the students.
-
Everything up until the interview was great. Why do they have to grill me like that? There are tons of residence and fellows who need the clinical experience, hence premed volunteer exposure is VERY LIMITED. It wasn't my fault that my school's volunteer services were managed like that. I gave me effort to apply and work as a volunteer at my school's hospital and only to get mocked and questioned about my genuine passion for medicine. Maybe there are other ways to get involved not just through the school volunteer system, but the fact that a school acutally sets up such a dept to manage volunteers should reflect the school's focus to help out with students. Was i wrong to have chosen to utilize a school funded resource? I personal don't think so.
-
Our tour guide made a few too many references to Harvard. No flexbility to take electives during third-year rotations.
-
High tuition! I'm sure that's why everything looks so nice.
-
The high tuition and the three hours of formal presentations that started off the day.
-
The cost of living is outrageous. And I was a bit concerned about the fact that by attending BU you'd be competing with schools like Tufts and Harvard...kindof scary.
-
A traditional curriculum, the staff was not all that enthusiastic about the school.
-
There wasn't enough clinic space, and it's in a not-so-nice neighborhood.
-
the cold--a 6-7 min walk to my interview at 7:30am in -18 degree, windy weather. the price. my tour guide was a very conceited/dorky M4 but this was not typical
-
the Cost!!! Goodness, I have never seen a more expensive place. I don't even think NYC is this bad. Everything, I mean EVERYTHING is expensive! including food!!! Also I felt pretty good about the interview and love to go there despite the cost but at the end, the dean now says they interview 950 students for 100 places! what happens to the other 850! I hated that, it made me nervous
-
That they kept saying "above average" as though trying to justify that they're a good school though they're not ranked very high. Also the cost of tuition and housing. Also, they have an inferiority complex with Harvard nearby.
-
unbelievably expensive to live and go to school in boston. curriculum seems uninspired.
-
My tour guide was too cocky.
-
The other interviewees. They were the most somber, unenthusiastic groupd I have seen. Hardly a smile out of them and very little conversation.
-
cost of tuition, cost of living, no parking (even in residential areas)!
-
Admissions office staff basically introduced themselves and then ignored us all day.
-
Cost of tuition, nothing truly exemplary about the school
-
cost, and we didn't really get to talk with the students for very long
-
price, started too early (8AM!), no T stop nearby, only one interview
-
The cost. The interviewer was very emotionless. It was difficult to carry on a normal conversation with him. BU uses DVD instead of books. I do not care for that.
-
stressed students, high tuition, disorganized tour
-
the cost of the school
-
The public transportation is a pain in that area.
-
Getting around in Boston especially if you are from out of town could be changeling. Make sure if you are driving to Boston to allow yourself enough time. If you have never been to Boston, try to get a feel for the town. I was not particular impressed with the facilities either, which seemed standard at best and same goes for the hospital. The impression I got from talking to the students there was that they would probably gone to a cheaper school if given the choice. The tuition and Boston are pretty expensive. Finally, most of the people that had an interview with me seemed pretty snobbish and uninteresting. However that’s only the first impression. Sounds like I have painted a grim picture of the school, but I must tell that about 25% of the total applicants apply there and that should indicate something.
-
People often mentioned about the high cost of tuition, but I don't think it would make any significant difference if you go to another private school. I got bored by the introduction of the Director of the Admission. It seemed like he was lecturing us about the history of his medical school. I felt sosososososo sleepy.
-
the tour and the students. They seemed rude, and kindof weird. The tour lasted for sooooo long, i wanted to kill myself in the ER. I thought it was really inappropriate to show the dissection rooms as the lab is going on. And i thought that walking through the ER was also unnecessary. If you are a med school bound student who's never seen an ER, maybe med school is not for you.
-
very expensive. the hospital also wasn't the most beautiful space.
-
Tuition! Housing is expensive too...
-
Holy bejebus, the cost.
-
My interviewer. We did not have any chemistry.
-
the cost!!!
-
Expensive housing in the area.
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The school was awful. The students were not happy. This is the first school where the students pointed out many negatives. They don't have time for fun. They mentioned that there were negatives, but were reluctant to point out any specifically -- probably because they work for the admissions office. It was the biggest waste of a day. The Dean doesn't stop talking. Then we were locked in a room with admissions people who read sheets of paper about the school. Instead of exploring and talking to students, we had to listen to this lady go on and on. It was so boring, I could barely stay awake. The only time to talk to students was during lunch and kind of during the tour. The tour was awful. They brought us into an anatomy lab and we had to see all of the cadavers, right after lunch.
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Lack of housing in the area, especially since the university-owned building charges market rates.
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Cost (of school, of city, of parking during interview)
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the students seemed to only be there because it was the only school they got into and were not very excited to be there
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The cost...
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BU is an expensive school and Boston is an expensive city to live in.
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The dental students never showed up for lunch like they were supposed to.
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The Staff
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not actually at the interview, but the price is very high
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time to be prepared for curveball questions, done more research on the interviewer, and brushed up on ethics. They also highlighted the importance of reading the interviewer's biography, being aware of the long interview day, and understanding the emphasis on ethical and healthcare questions, as well as the unique aspects of the school such as seeing dissected cadavers and the focus on urban healthcare. Additionally, applicants emphasized the relaxed and conversational nature of the interviews, the need for early contact for student hosts, the high cost of living in Boston, and the lack of public transportation access to the campus.
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To be prepared for curve ball questions
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I wish I had known it was OK to have water available since I was sick for my interview
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Done more research on the interviewer.
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Wish I had brushed up on my research a bit more
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I wished the student panel and Q+A sessions with the admissions officers were on the same day with the interview, because it would give a better overview of the school
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Interviews are sprawled across campus so try to get the information about your interviewer as early as possible and race to the interview location.
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The school is in an underserved area
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You may have to walk outside for your interview if it's in a different building.
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That I would have to walk across campus in the rain.
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How LONG the day was going to be
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That we were going to see dissected human cadavers during our tour. Right after lunch, our guides took us into the gross anatomy lab where fully dissected cadavers were lying out in the open. At other medical schools, the tour guides usually don't take you into the gross anatomy lab if there are dissections going on. It was fine with me, but one person in our tour group seemed a little queasy.
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How inspiring the day is. Made me excited to join medicine.
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that tehre would be like a million interviewees, and that no matter what they say, the deans of admissions dont know your applications that well.
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that there would be almost 40 other interviewees there. that my interview would be SO stress-free!
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Having 4 15-20 minute interviews is stressful! Its hard to get everything across that you want and it makes it tough for the interview to feel conversational (though 3 of the 4 managed to feel that way).
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How much I would LOVE the school!
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That very early contact was necessary to get a student host
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I did not need to stress about the interview but I am glad I read a bit on ethics before going. That it was going to be sooo cold!
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That I wouldn't need to worry so much about the "ethical dilemma" questions.
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That my interview would be about a block away in a building that I had to swipe into.
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That NEIDL might never open.
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That applicants have the opportunity to interview with another faculty member if they feel like their first one went horribly wrong....
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That my interviewer would be SO down to earth. Awesome guy.
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That we were going to get the tour of only one side of the BMC.. and not the trauma side.. I didn't really get to see the BMC that I have heard so much about.. and really one of the most important reasons why I want to go to BU. I also wish I had more sleep the night before..
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I was a little overwhelmed at first by some of the prestigious universities some of the interviewers attended (Harvard, Yale, Brown, etc). But I just relaxed, told myself there's a reason why I was invited, and just enjoyed the experience.
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How awesome BU would be!!!
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It seems like everyone had a pretty relaxed interview
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That Boston is so freaking expensive. That my interview seemed to have decided he would write me a good review even before I talked to him because he liked my app so much
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How truly extremely bone-chillingly cold it was going to be that day.
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Take the subway, not the bus. I was 15 min. late.
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The interview would focus mostly on ethical questions and healthcare questions.
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Gone to the bathroom before Dean Witzburg started talking
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Interviews are in the morning. Not a big deal, just nice to know when you're interview takes place before you arrive at the school.
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That the school isn't in the best neighborhood.
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that BU is focused on urban healthcare and community outreach
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see above about crapshoot comment
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You will get a biography of your interviewer the morning of. Be sure to read this while they are giving you the morning speech, etc. I read mine in the 1 minute I was walking to my interviewers office. My interviewer asked if I had any questions about his background based on his bio. so I wish I had known to read it more thoroughly.
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BU is not close to a T stop. While this seems minor, it means that the possible areas in which you can live is limited by how much time you want to spend commuting. Boton living is expensive. Having a car here is a bad idea, but necessary for years 3 and 4
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How amazing students and faculty were.
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That driving to the hotel near the school would be stressful (and I am used to driving in NYC!!!)
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That the tour would be all inside, and that I should've scheduled more time to tour on my own.
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There is basically no student housing available (a total of 60 apartments and 155 beds for all BU graduate students.
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They took us into the anatomy labs!!--this is my fourth interview and none of the other schools have done that. I was not really prepared to see a real human being totally ripped apart. It wasn't just so much the shock factor, but it almost felt disrespectful to go in there and gawk at these people. Like they were using them as a way to sell their school or ensure we had a memorable experience or something. I don't know, maybe I'm crazy and should have loved it.
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nothing
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I didn't need to stress out about the interview as much as I did.
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how strong their clinical curriculum is
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How expensive everything is in Boston.
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The BUMC is not a transplant center, while there are others in the city, this school doesn't do them in the MC, so if that's something you want to see during clerkships, you'll have to go to another hospital
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That they don't send out letters until the end of march!
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How easy it is to get around Boston. You can walk anywhere and the public trasnit is not bad. Taxis are also easy to get as well.
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Wish I had known they served food there. I wouldn't have ate beforehand.
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I wish I had known 1- How laidback and personal my interview was going to be but also 2- that the school wasn't exactly convenient to the T
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there were at least 30 other students interviewing the same day as myself
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More about the socialized medicine.
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There is no T stop close to the campus, so be prepared to take a bus or a cab.
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nothing really
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There is food. The room is too small.
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That the BU Medical Campus is not on the BU Main Campus by the Charles River, it is in the South End
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How expensive parking would be.
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There is no T stop close to the med campus
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prepare for long traffic delays if you're driving in.
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N/A
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How the rediculously expensive rent and cost of living.
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How expensive a plane ticket would be. I wish I had stayed longer also!
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not too much; that they interview 1,000 students for about ~300 acceptances overall
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The interviewer mostly wanted to know about me and knew my application very well.
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make sure you know your application backwards and forwards!!
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Parking was raised an extra $10 from $20 to $30.
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I wish I knew that they wanted transcripts from EVERY school I attended in undergrad. I had to scramble like hell to get them all before my review.
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know the address of the medical school in advance because the taxi driver probably will not know how to get there
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The school was so..... fake. The people there were like salesman.
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The interview was not stressful at all, it was more of a conversation. If you meet the cut for an interview keep in mind they are really just trying to get to know you not see if you are academically qualified.
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This was a long day. At one point the dean said "I don't do brief". He wasn't kidding. That said, he was very friendly and informative.
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Can you say snow?
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That I was going to get grilled on multiple q's regarding the ethics question above.
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The subway is a little bit sketchy; if you are planning to ride public transportation from the airport, I would recommend during the day.
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That the interview would be more conversational
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I shouldn't have gone on the interview because the I don't want to live in Boston and the school is outrageously expensive. The school is raising tuition for next year.
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BUSM is not close to downtown Boston and does not have the city feel I expected.
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The interview wasn't that stressful!
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that the school was in such a cool area.
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You get only 1 interview. So you've got to make your mark there, esp. with them inviting 1000 ppl.
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that the school is far from the closest T station.
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need to send them all transcripts
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The heavy emphasis on lecture (and less on PBL) in their curriculum.
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How cold and snowy it was! and how early we had to be there (8 am)
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that it's low stress
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Personally, BU went from being a middle level school to one of my top choices
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Mainly scenario questions
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There is an open house in April for people who get accepted, so don't worry if you don't get spend a time hanging out with students.
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Don't try commute via car.
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You need to mail all your undergrad transcripts to BU, so if you can, bring it to your interview so you can just give it to them there. Also, BU got 10,000 applicants this year! Seems super hard and sort of random to get in, regardless of stats, etc.! Oh, and the admissions office is NOT at 715 Albany Ave. That is Talbot Hall, the public health building. Go to the School of Medicine building BEHIND Talbot Hall, which is technically located at 80 E. Concord Ave.
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i wish i had known about the system of universal healthcare that boston has created for its citizens
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You have to wait a long time to find out if you got in.
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They will make every effort to make you feel at ease, they just want to get to know you better, and show you what they are all about.
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leave extra time for parking/traffic
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The Orange Line T stop on Mass Ave is a good hike from campus...not awful, but not as close as I thought...was almost late.
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Nothing- it was very laid back.
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I can't really think of anything, I was pleasantly suprised by BU. Oh, they have a long-standing elderly homecare program that the dean said most students remember as a highlight of their time at BU. They feed you well, but bring water for the morning.
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the emphasis on primary care, the underserved etc.
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The interviewer was there to learn how he could be an advocate for me when he goes to the admissions committe. He wasn't trying to trick me or really challenge me, but rather learn how to best present me to the admissions committe. The interviewer was on my side.
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Nothing really.
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The admissions office is not actually on Albany street, but tucked away behind it.
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That I didn't like it at all.
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the admissions office is in the building behind the school of public health, come early its easy to get lost, wear comfortable shoes
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The office of admissions isn't exactly on Albany Street but rather behind the school of public affairs (which is on Albany). So you kind of have to walk THROUGH the underpass of the public affairs school before you see the O of A. I would never have figured this out if it wasn't for an individual who I asked for directions.
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BU is a school on a level of its own (in both price and appearance)
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md/phd is not fully funded at BU
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How much I would love the school. It was in the middle of my list pre-interview, but my visit to the school definitely moved it up to the top few.
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Wear pants instead of a skirt.
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Better directions to the school. It took me forever on the bus!
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They seem to be a bit worried about Mass residents (which I am NOT) who may get accepted to UMASS. I suppose they are afraid of losing their best applicants to UMASS because it is such a cheaper school.
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That I would like the school so much.
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According to our tour guide, the PBL system is a joke and the schools is very heavily lecture-based. She admitted that she likes it because it focuses a lot on basic sciences, which works for her, but that's not something I am looking for...
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how to get there - the directions online were useless. I was coming from cambridge - if you're doing the same: take the red line to Arlington Station and then take rt 10 bus or the ct3.
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It's a good idea to spend the night before your interview very close to campus, because the night before/morning of my interview, there was a lot of snow and ice, and the traffic was horrendous (People were five hours late to work, etc.). However, everything started on time and everyone else showed up. You don't want to worry about traffic the day of. Also, you go into the anatomy lab, FYI.
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i thought cost of living was high, but i didnt know it was THAT high
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That the rest of the applicants were going to be so dull. I wouls have brought some literature to keep myself entertained.
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The building is not actually on Albany street but behind it, get there early bc they start right at 8am.
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That it is next to a psychiatric hospital. So the people who walk around the campus are quite interesting.
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If you're going to drive in Boston, make sure you have terrific directions. This is not an easy city to navigate.
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Don't plan on driving around Boston proper. The traffic is awful and parking is non-existent.
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I shouldn't have wasted the time or money for applying/visiting.
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6 am flights are early.
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Can't really think of anything.
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the bestwestern roundhouse was worth the money- made me feel not so guilty about staying in a hotel once I realized that it came with free breakfast and free shuttle service to the airport and around boston.
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Getting there and leaving by bus to get to the T is a little confusing. They could do better about giving directions, but I guess Boston is big so that would be difficult.
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That they had no respect watsoever for its applicants. interviewer was mean and down-right shallow. Talked only about my weaknesses and kept only drilling me until i said,i don't understand/ nor do i know how to answer your question.
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that a school that strips me of my dignity at an interview is not one i should have spent time applying to in the first place...i want my money back.
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Don't get fooled by all the "positive" experiences about BU interview. There are sharks out there ready to strike. And if you get the same interviewer as me, you've got alot to explain. Be ready to defend your volunteer experiences if you fall in similar "categories" of volunteer services.
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I met some people who spent the whole weekend in Boston and didn't even explore! It's a great city with easy public transportation. Just bring warm clothes and you'll be set.
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The emphasis on research. I thought it was a very clinical heavy school, but it also has alot of research going on.
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That Boston is so freakin' expensive to live in. Additionally, I wish I had researched the neighborhood more - it might deter me from attending.
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how small Boston is and that it was not just housing that was expensive but food too
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No big surprises.
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lots of downtime sitting in a conference room staring at all your fellow interviewees. had to wait for all the interviews to finish before tours, etc could start.
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The T goes everywhere in Boston except to BU Med. I'm now broke from paying for cabs. And there is no more expensive place to go and live in the whole U.S.
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One and only one interview
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how far the hotel really was (website said 3.7 miles)
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The medical school classrooms are sub-par and the bureacracy at this school is completely assinine.
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It's definitely worth the trip for an interview regardless of whether you decide to go there.
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no T stop nearby
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Be prepared for a long conversation instead of an interview. I wasnt asked many questions mostly asked for my opinions and just talked about different topics.
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That the interviewer as well as the admissions people are very relaxed and friendly.
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How hard is to find directions in Boston if you are from out of town.
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The weather was freaking cold.
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How very expensive the school is and how extremely ANNOYING the dean is. He has his speech completely memorized and he just sounds aweful as he is reciting it for the nth time.
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Read up on public transportation before you arrive. Check out www.mbta.com. Don't try to park at the school, or in Boston.
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Nothing, really.
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Read up on local taxi service.
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BU is the worst school! I'll never go there.
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The need for a car in the last 2 years -- something I wasn't expecting from a city school.
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"discounted" parking is $15!
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make sure you say they are your first choice!
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The APEX program (an opportunity to do a paid position at a dental office in 1st and 2nd years)
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The Simulation Lab
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally provided feedback on various aspects of the interview day at BU School of Medicine. Some found the experience positive, appreciating conversational and relaxed interviews, informative presentations, and interactions with students and faculty. Others expressed concerns about unstructured interviews, high cost, lack of enthusiasm from students, and interactions with interviewers or admissions staff. Suggestions included more structured interviews, consideration of cost, and ensuring positive interactions with staff and interviewers.
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just know why dentistry, why BU, and if you don't know a question, take a second and then just answer it to the best of your ability. Do look over more questions than what is provided here since I got some that I was unprepared for. Also, it was conversational but he did still throw question after question to me.
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Wonderful experience overall
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LOVED! Felt like I let the interviewer know about me. No rush, and the interviewer was professional, kind, and receptive
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Overall, not too sure how to feel. The first half was very research and ethics-based. The second half was more about volunteering and hobbies.
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Casual and conversational w/ seamless Zoom interface. My interviewer was easygoing, welcoming, and knowledgable about BMC. The flow was unstructured but organic. No questions except 1 ethical dilemma were prepared by my interviewer. I wish that maybe there were questions prepared so I didn't have to guess on the points that interested my interviewer, but I think we connected well in conversation and I found our most relatable points that way. The dean is so generous, and the students at BU have given me the best vibes of all my interviews!
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Overall the hardest interview I've had so far, but almost certain it was because of my specific interviewer
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Very smooth experience despite online format
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All in all, unimpressed with BU's interview. It's definitely one of the easier interviews, but I think that's just because they don't see the interview as a huge part of the application. Some interviews are well structured and have clear questions. I did not have that. I think one interview means you really have to be lucky with who you get because some interviewers are just bad. I pray that those in the admissions committee pay attention to this.
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This school is now one of my top choices because of the interview.
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Very old school interview style, limiting because of one interview with one person. They should consider adopting a more modern interview technique like MMI or at least an additional interviewer.
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BU is an excellent, well-rounded school that is unfortunately more expensive than a lot of other schools. The awesome medical student residence will hopefully ease the cost of attendance in coming years.
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I don't think all interviewers at this school are this poor, but this one was. I hope your day goes better.
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Fantastic school. My number 1 choice
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Great school with solid reputation. Students seem happy like any other places I've been to.
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i loved BU, i was very surprised. My fellow interviewees, on the other and, were the weirdest group of kids I have ever met. First of all, half of them were from Yale, and let me just say that Yale CLEARLY has some work to do in teaching communication skills. It was amusing.
-
this really became one of my top choices after my visit!
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Great school, great city, great program!
-
Overall the interview day wasn't bad, lunch was great, the dean was fantastic, and the school is large with lots of resources. I think the things that impacted me negatively were just bad luck.
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I left very impressed with the school, I was pleasantly surprised about it mission and emphasize on serving the most vulnerable members of our population. The students seemed happy (with the exception of the minority students) and it seems that the clinical and educational experience would be excellent.
-
Awesome school, fun interview day. Stressful because it was my first.
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I like the school and the faculty, but the students did not seem to enthusiastic. They were just there.
-
Take a deep breath and relax. The interviewer was very disarming. Smile. Have confidence in you app. because it's solid, and you worked your ass off. They know that, but you have to show them how everything you've done has convinced you to be a doc.
-
Pretty laid back interview. Boston is an awesome city!
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I felt I didn't have enough time to ask my questions.. While I did loved the session with the faculties, I wish it wasn't so formal Q&A format.. the questions were so forced..
-
I had a great experience! Keep an open-mind, and see it as a way to explore your options.
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I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to come here. Now I just need to be accepted and see if they can make it semi-affordable for me to attend...
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Dean Witzburg's enthusiasm for the students and BUSM is palpable. Share a taxi to airport with other interviewees to cut costs, bring small bills!
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BU is unique in the combination of research, education, and safety-net hospital. P/F first 2 years, so highly competitive people (gunners) might prefer somewhere else. Current students seemed well adjusted, well rounded.
-
The interview was very conversational, with one random ethical question that he abruptly shoved into the convo (bc he had to I think)
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BU would be my top choice if it weren't for cost. This appears to be a school that is very serious about its academics and research and expects impressive results from all of its students. The faculty are very involved in students' success and it seems that it would be easy to identify an informal mentor. The curriculum committee is by far the most responsive to student input compared with those programs I have interviewed with so far.
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The interview was overall a pretty relaxed affair. I enjoyed the student tour because the tour guide was really funny. I liked the people who interviewed with me, and I enjoyed seeing so many diverse students when I walked around campus.
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Dean Witzburg comes off as an extremely energetic, friendly guy, but I can see through to the fact that he's superficial and lacks empathy. He may have a strong medical career, but he should not be a component of the admissions committee. I will not be attending BUSM if accepted at any point.
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The interview was very conversational. The tour was a bit disorganized, but the 3rd year student was very friendly and eager to answer questions. You have to wait till January or March for an admission decision.
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The interview day is very relaxed and a lot of fun. Dean Witzburg is great and will alleviate any anxiety in the first 10 minutes of his introduction.
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Nice faculty/staff/students, Not very stressful interview.
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Take time to see Boston.