Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 23% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview mixed with a low stress level, and felt they did well.
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.
have you had the oppurtunity to work with a patient that was scared (in reference to me saying that dental appointments can be nervewracking and scary for patients)
We talked about health care reform, but in a conversational way. We talked about the "individual mandate" passed previously in Massachusetts and how it compares to the Affordable Care Act.
I was given an ethical scenario and asked to discuss what I would do. I was also asked to describe an ethical dilemma I had been confronted with recently and how I resolved it.
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?
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?
What is good about US healthcare? What is bad about US healthcare? What can be done to improve US healthcare? You are a doctor and have 6 months to change healthcare, what is your plan?
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?
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.
Californians once passed a proposition to ban health care services to illegal immigrants, and the court overturned it. What is you stand on this issue?
You develop a treatment to a rare disease. You have two patients who need the treatment and you only have enough for one. How do you decide who to give the treatment to?
If there is anything you could change about your application/credentials, what would it be? (prepare to defend any sub-par MCAT scores or course grades)
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?
Ethical Question (you'll def. get one of these). You're patient is a 50 year old man with three children. He makes a living as a bus driver and his wife is a stay at home mom. This man comes in because he has had seizure. There is a law that anyone who has a seizure needs to be reported and they cannot drive for six months. If this man cannot drive he will not be able to make a living and his family will have no money. Would you report this man?
Our conversation led to: How Pres. Bush is an idiot (!), the kind of care they provide the community both indigent and affluent-the free care they provide the indigent community, my childhood, and lots of little stuff I can't remember right now.
Older but vigorous lady comes down with cancer. She agrees to go through chemo, aware that it is going to be hell. She survives and tells her family and doctor that if she doesn't want to ever do it again, even if she relapses. A year later, she is back in the hospital and the doctor is hooking her up to machines to keep her alive, despite the protests of the family (who are present). As a doctor of the same level of authority as the other doctor, what do you do?
Some years ago, Californians passed a proposition denying health care and education to illegal immigrants. (It was eventually overturned by courts). What do you think about that?
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?
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).
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.
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.)
Think back 6-7 years. Discuss the activities you were in and highlight 2 that had the most significant impact on you and somehow changed the way you view life, or others.
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?
What do you think of the current US healthcare system? Who is responsible for fixing it? Why are those people responsible, how do they affect it? (This question was rough, I was clueless for the most part, but my interviewer seemed to have some pretty interesting ideas about it. I was happy to hear his viewpoints because gave me some great insight.)
Hard to remember (I was very sleepy). But I do remember the tone was very conversational and not intended to "weed out" or intimidate. Just to get to know me better.
your grades are competitive, do you study all day and do nothing else ( basically alluding to question 1)? (Please, there is more to college than just study. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out)
What's your opinion on war with Iraq? (I don't think it was possible for me to have disliked George W. more than this interviewer did, basically that's all she talked about the entire hour).
Does BU med school really need a gay and lesbian support group for adults? (he wasn't being mean here...he just was curious...he really felt that things had gotten so much better for glbt folks that he couldn't picture people having difficult times coming out these days)
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?
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.
Why medicine because it sparked a whole conversation about medicine as serving the community and advocacy which Boston University feels very strongly about.
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.
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.
My interviewer read through my file VERY thoroughly and made connections tying together different aspects of my application, leading to a good conversation
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.
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?
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?
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.
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?
"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."
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?
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.
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?
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.
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?
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."
(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?
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?
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.
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!
nothing really, only because I walked in and basically had
a great 75min conversation about my education, research,
interests in medicine, family, hobbies, etc.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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
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.
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)
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.
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)
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
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.
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?
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.
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.
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!!).
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.
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)
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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
Lots of mock interviews, researched the U.S. and Canadian health care systems online, researched biomedical ethics (University of Washington website), SDN
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. ;)
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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 :)
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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
The hospital is really nice, the students are awesome!!! the whole experience was great, faculty, staff, students, interviewer, buildings, classrooms, well ventilated anatomy lab . . .
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Students really seemed to love being there, the school is really focused on serving underserved populations, success of students in matching for residency
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
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).
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 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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The people I met at the school were very pleasant and personable, especially my interviewer, who was very encouraging.
Great transportation system in Boston.
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
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 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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
That the admissions staff and my interviewer were enthusiastic and specific. Boston is a great place, and the school's history is actually interesting.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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).
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 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.
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!!
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 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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).
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..
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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..
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
very positive overall. i don't know if they match interviewers with applicants with similar interests and experiences, but i felt i was matched very well and connected well with my interviewer.
Overall, my interview experience at BU was very good. The introduction talk in the morning had a bit too much history for my taste (and I like history), but besides that it was very informative. The interview is either at 9:15, 10:15 or 11:15, and during this whole time presentations are being given about financial aid, school characteristics, etc. and people filter in and out of the room. You have to find your interview room so make sure to leave with plenty of time. My interviewer was very nice and I really got the feeling that he was trying to get to know me as a person. During lunch you have the opportunity to speak with medical students and after lunch a student led tour is given. After the tour there is a wrap-up. The dean of admissions was very nice and really seemed to care about the students that interviewed there. I had a great day.
As this was my first interview, I was really nervous the day before. The dean's talk in the beginning, although a bit long, really put me at ease. My interview was relaxed and informal, mostly because the interviewer was venting about the election and healthcare policy and some containment facility that BU is going to be building. Lunch with the 1st and 2nd years wasn't all that informative, but the tour, led by 4th years, was awesome. It was probably the best part of the day for me, because they answered all of our questions and also took us around to see different areas of the hospital and the anatomy lab. I have nothing to compare BU with, but it seems like a school with solid clinical training and a good reputation.
I felt that my interviewer was matched well to my interests. I've heard other students comment on this, but I can't say that BUSM does this specifically. If you were a GMS student, you will interview with an M.D., not a Ph.D. (as you may have had them as faculty on a previous occasion). The interview was extremely low stress, was highly conversational. I was told by my GMS advisor, that all interviewers will need to know 2 things, though they may ask these questions indirectly: your ability to and history working with diverse populations (because of the unique mission of Boston Medical Center) and your experiences with teaching because as a physician, you will be an educator.
First day was very relaxed. We had a brief orientation, a tour, and then had dinner with several current students. No interviews at all until day two. Interviews were spread out and allowed time to wander around the campus a bit. Day two ended with a session on financial planning. Everyone was very helpful. This was my least stressful interview by far.
The interviewer worked to make sure this was a conversation, not an interrogation. He started with a summary of the application process and gave me his card, so I could contact him if waitlisted. He offered to tell me where I stood on the waitlist (which the admissions office won't do!) Overall, it was great.
Early morning orientation, followed by an interview at either 915 or 1015. Then an informal open-disussiong with an attending. Then lunch with 1st and 2nd years, a tour with 3rd and 4th years, then a closing session.
The majority of the students who interviewed on my day had relaxed, stress-free interviews. My interview was nothing of the sort- he played Devil's Advocate with every answer I gave and certainly didn't try to ''sell'' the school or anything like that. The applicant who also interviewed with him before me had the exact same experience. It seems like most interviews at BU are conversational, but be prepared for the off-chance that you interview with this guy who was quite abrasive.
long introduction in the morning. it is given by one of the deans of admission (?) and he is an excellent public speaker who made it interesting. then i had one interview with a faculty member. She was very very nice and the interview was more like a conversation. They give you a blurb about your interviewer beforehand, so you might want to gear a question or two specific to their specialty. t
The school provides you with a lot of information, such as financial aid info, housing info, and overall school info. They also give you an opportunity to talk to a faculty member that is NOT interviewing you, so you can ask any questions that you may have, or address any concerns. The interview was very conversational. I was nervous for the first five minutes, since it was my first interview, but I quickly relaxed. The interviewer asked some basic questions, such as why you want to be a doctor? or why you want to go to BU?, but nothing too difficult or unusual (all the hard questions were related to my research or extracurricular experiences).
The Dean talks A LOT int he beginning about the history of the school. I wished he had gone over the curriculum more than how and when BU School of Medicine was established. But he was really sweet. My interviewer on the other hand was just boring!!! Very disappointed because I spent a grip on going to Boston. He was not interested in what I had to say, and pretty much cut me off whenever I did say something.
Excellent! Dean Witzburg is a really nice guy! The day was not stressful at all (besides the weather complicating transportation) Once you're there, it's really great!
Overall, I had a great experience. I loved the school- they seem very proud of their school of medicine. Breakfast is not all that substantial so if you are a big breakfast person, eat before the interview.
The interview day was what others have posted here. Morning the dean talked to us, then we had a QandA with a faculty member. Talk about housing and financial aide. Then interview with faculty. Lunch, tour, then a wrap up inspirational remarks from the dean. It was anice one, especially because I got to meet with some BU students the weekend before and get a real good flavor of what the school had to offer.
We got there and they gave us breakfast and had us sit in for a kinda long presentation. The presentation by the Dean really impressed me and I liked learning more about the history of the school and its role in healthcare in Boston. Then there were a couple of question/answer sessions which got a little redundant but tried to be helpful. Then I spent over an hour with my interviewer. We had a nice conversation about medicine, public health, why Boston, why BU, my nontradtional background. No ethics questions and nothing hard. She really really read through and knew my file, which was a great comfort. In the end I didn't get in-- I was suprised I got an interview in the first place-- but my interviewer was really great and in general, I had pretty good feelings about the school. Not a perfect fit but my interview day was a good experience overall.
I had a very positive experience. There were about 30 of us interviewing that day and interviewers seemed to be well matched to the interests of the interviewees.
The Dean (Witzburg) is a very entertaining guy who spoke to us in the morning and then at the end of the day. He seems like a very good storyteller, and he makes anything he says sound interesting.
The interview itself was pretty low-stress, but my interviewer kept coming back to ''why did you decide on medicine as a career choice'', because of my previous background.
I had a great experience. My interviewer didn't ask me any truly difficult questions. He just wanted to get to know me. I was also very impressed with how familiar he was with my application.
It was actually very pleasant and I learned a lot about the school. It was very relaxed and the dean kept reiterating that it was just a way for the school to meet us and see if we were a good fit for BU, not an interrogation. My interviewer was so nice and put me completely at ease. We just chatted for over an hour about my activities and experiences, he never asked one ethical or health care question.
Started with a lengthy intro by the dean of admissions (great guy), followed by an informal group chat with a faculty member, one interview, a housing/financial aid info session, lunch with first and second year students, and a tour with a third year. At the end of the day was a wrap-up session with the dean.
It was good. They give you a little cheat sheet on your interviewer so you can have a feel for that person before you meet them, which was good. They were really trying to sell the school to us. Really enjoyed the lunch with first and second years, and getting to just chat with them
First, school history
Second, informal talk
Third, Interview
Fourth, informal talk
Fifth, lunch
Sixth, tour
Seventh, wrap-up
The day lasted from 8am-2pm.
A good school, but not sure it's worth the money. Boston looks fabulous the first time you visit, but after living here a few years you can see through the gloss that BU tries to put on it in the interview day. It's expensive, crowded, cold, old, and segregated. Good school, but not sure the amount of debt you'll have when your done is worth it, though the dean went out of his way to convince us it is. A great school for some people.
A wonderful interview with a very devoted and interesting physician. She was well versed in my application file and spent about 75 minutes truely getting to know me.
We started with a too early in the morning historical introduction to BU. We met with our interviewer, the fin. aid officer, and housing coordinator. We had lunch with med students and had a tour. The day ended with a talk by the dean about procedures and Q&A.
BU is a great school! Their match list is really excellent, as are the clinical facilities. (BMC gets 1/3 of the city ambulance traffic even though there are 10 teaching hospitals in Boston!) The dean is really nice, as are the students who eat with you and take you on the tour. the downside is that BU only accepts like 1/3 of their interviewees, so the process is still really selective even after interview. All in all, a place I would really like to be.
the interview day is pretty typical. everything starts with a presentation by the admissions director on the history of the school and the curriculum. unlike most schools, you only get one interview, so its a little hit or miss. like i said before, i think they might match applicants up to interviewers based on shared interests. my interviewer is on the admissions committee, which came out during the course of our conversation. that was a little forward, but we got along very well. after the interview you have lunch with students and tours. the tours are a lot longer than most but you have to stick around because they go over the admissions process in a talk later in the afternoon.
The interview was a super pleasant experience. My interviewer seemed really interested in what I had to say and was easy to talk to. BU seems to prepare students very well; it's definitely one of my top schools.
I had a wonderful interview. Instead of asking me the traditional banal questions, we spent a majority of time discussing issues related to healthcare and the development of my interest in those issues.
Overall it was a better experience than I anticipated. There were several things about BU that became appealing to me through the interview and I dont think their appeal would have held up without my experience there. The day was a little long and boring at times.
I had a great interviewer who was experienced in letting you take control of your interview and getting your story across. He's a psychiatrist so it matched my primary area of interest. He wanted to get to know me as a person so I wasnt asked any ethics questions like others.
The medical students seemed packed with work but overall everyone seemed satisfied with their choice in selecting BU. I felt like BU really liked students with a broad range of experiences and it was nice seeing different personalities in the room besides rigid pre-med students.
Mostly good, although some better than others. Had an interview in which I was told one room and the doctor told another, which was a huge disaster, but worked out okay in the end.
Honestly, I was truly looking forward to going to Boston and seeing BU. I quickly realized Boston is nasty, the college students there are real cool, but the Bostonians are horrible. I called a cab in the morning, the guy asked me for my number, I asked him if I could give him a long distance number, he said "i only asked for your number its not that difficult" and hung up the phone. The attitudes of this city is pathetic. When I walked into the admissions office the lady at the desk didn't greet me, just pointed to the room beside her with her head down reading a book. The process is extremely impersonal, if you like people and are social the staff here isn't who you want to be around. My interview was cool, till the so called "ethical" questions. First thing you learn in an ethics course is how to think ethically. Ethical questions should make you consider many aspects of a situation and the outcome of every possible solution. Learn to branch out of an answer, instead of conventional convergence to an answer. Point is, interviewer asked questions that had nothing to do with ethics and told me the answer was consult the ethics committee, which does not help him assess my intellectual thought. He asked me a question, I answered it, he then told me I wasn't answering the question in the "correct" way. A few minutes of me explaining how that wasn't the question he asked led to him apologizing and that he did ask something else and I did answer correctly. If you're confused by what I just wrote, imagine how I felt. He then asked me if I had any questions, I said no and he said "not even about blah blah blah." A few times of me sayin no i dont have questions, led to him telling me about how boston differs from other schools. I told i know how boston differs from other schools, he asked what, I began talking, a few words into it he cut me off and said no thats not it, I said i'm getting to it, he apologized for cutting me off, I said serving underserved patients and wealthy patients with the same quality of medicine, he said yup. Horrible experience. Oh... he then askd me several times in several different ways if i thought I could handle medical school. Mind you the head of admissions clearly states "if you got an interview it means we know you can handle the work in medical school and the interview is just for us to meet you and you to meet us." All in all GREAT SALES PITCH... HORRIBLE PRODUCT.
It was ok. I'm kind of neutral about the school. I REALLY liked some things, and then I was turned off by others. Some of the students seemed kind of down...kind of negative about how much work they have, which I hadn't really experienced anywhere else. The interview itself was ok, but the rest of the day was pretty annoying. I just felt like it was a waste of money afterwards, basically. Nothing amazing was revealed to me over the course of the day.
Like all the other summaries the day proceeds like so: 8:00am, the dean of admissions gives an hour long lecture on the history of the medical school and tells you about the day. 9:00 everyone goes into a small conference room and sits and listens to various people come in and chat about the school. People interview at 9:15, 10:15 and 11:15. Basically lots of waiting until your interview and after until everyone is done. At 12:00 lunch is served and you get to talk with students followed by a tour. 2:00 return to small converence room and listen to the dean speak again about what goes on in the process from now on. 3:00 day ends
The Dean's speeches at the beginning and end were helpful and interested but sounded very very rehearsed. Then we sat in a room and had speakers come present to us on the curriculum, housing, student support services, and financial aid until lunch. We left when we had our interviews or when students came to take us to their anatomy class. My interviewer was very kind, conversational, and helpful, but he seemed out of touch with most of the current curriculum (classroom and clinical) so he couldn't answer most of my questions and actually sounded surprised by some of the good things I'd heard about BU. The most enthusiastic person I met was the 4th year who gave our tour and sounded very pleased with his time at BU. Otherwise, most of the students were just okay with the school and their experiences so far.
My interviewer was great. We chatted about family, health care, golf (he is an avid golfer)and other get-to-know-you stuff. He painted a realistic picture of my chances for acceptance. After 12 interviews it was nice to hear someone speak candidly about the admissions process.
Oh my interviewer was wonderful, we had a pleasant conversation about my traveling experiences and our families. No ethical questions which surprised me. (but other interviewees did get some tough ethical questions, beware).
The interview day was very low stress, and the dinner the night before is very nice and on the school. The cost of attending Boston U is very high, but the clinical education you receive may be worth it. Average finishing time according the MD/PhD office is 7.5 years, which is on par with other MD/PhD programs.
My interviewer set a conversational tone and carried on with leading questions instead of specific ones. It was good and showed preparedness and skill in getting to know someone in such a short period of time
Breakfast in the morning. Dean's welcome. Then people randomly left for interviews throughout the day. They have a hodge-podge of peole come and speak informally. However, everyone missed a session because they had to leavve for interviews. The interviews should be at the same time so people get to hear all lecture sessions
The interview day was a bit long, with the Dean speaking a few different times, meeting with a member of the faculty, lunch with medical students and a tour. Interviews were staggered throughout the morning so you had to excuse yourself when it was your time to interview. The interview was relatively laid back and conversational.
This was my first interview so of course I was nervous and on very little sleep but when I arrived the welcome by the Dean helped me to relax. My interviewer was really nice and it was more like we were having a conversation. It didn't really feel like an interview at all. I had my interview at 9:15 so I really got to enjoy the rest of the day. We had a chance to sit in on an anatomy lecture and then during our tour we saw the anatomy labs. Over all it was a great experience.
It was very pleasant. I felt like we covered all the important aspects of my application, without being an inquisition. The interviewer was relaxed and seemed happy to talk to me.
I kept my interviewer talking about her interest in education nearly the entire interview. It made the interview more pleasent at the time, but was ultimately a mistake as we barely talked about me.
Very laid back. BU really seemed like a quality institution without the pompous attitude of some the other med schools. My interview was with a Ph.D. who was so enthusiastic about his research, my research, and, of course, the school. On the tour we got to see the anatomy lab: my first time seeing a cadaver! The faculty seems really tight-knit. And Boston is a great city to study and live in!
Very similar to everyone else's feedback. The Dean is a smooth talker and did not miss a beat at all in his talk. After his intro, a faculty member answered questions for us while we waited to go to interviews. Interview itself was really casual, just talked about my activities/personal experiences, then shifted the conversation to some of the interesting things my interviewer did (helped by the school giving us the interviewer's bio beforehand). Lunch, then tour, then closing talk (where he says that 1/3 of all ppl apply to this school, and that they interview a lot of ppl).
I thought my interviewer was very nice and he really cared about what I had to say. The administration seems a little phony. Clinical training looks great.
8-9 presentation by the dean, few hours of down time depending on the time of your interview. one professor stopped by, then 1st year students offered to take us to sit in on a class. Lunch with students- a great opportunity to ask questions, followed by a tour and closing remarks by the Dean.
The interview day was productive, informative and encouraging. The dean was really nice (although a bit garrulous) and the faculty that dropped in during the day with us were as well. I left feeling like they spent a lot of time with my application before I got there and really wanted to know me and how I would contribute to BU.
Presentation about the school from 8-9, people came in to talk from 9-12 (my interview was at 11:15), lunch from 12-1, tour from 1-2, wrap up afterward
my interviewer was great; we just had a conversation for an hour, and we had a lot of similar philosophies and opinions on medicine and its future.. it seemed like he was just getting to know me...
my interview was with a faculty member who didn't laugh at all or really smile much. it was difficult to get feedback through facial expressions or reactions (because there weren't any) which made me nervous. it wasn't really like a conversation. it felt more like my interviewer picked out random or tangential subjects and then asked me about them. since i wasn't expecting this and the interviewer was pretty serious-looking, i was uncomfortable.
Start with an intro to the school from the dean (seems like a nice guy), then meet with various faculty/office members to discuss their perspectives on the school or services they offer to students, interviews are staggered every hour for 3 hours so you spend time with other interviewees for a couple hours when you aren't interviewing, lunch and tour of the school end the day
It is a great school in a great city, but it is a little expensive and the interview seemed more like a grill then it did a conversation to know one another.
The day starts at 8:00am with pastries, coffee/tea and a presentation by the Dean of Admissions. Interviews happen at 9:15a, 10:15a and 11:15am. While you wait, people from Student Life, Financial Aid, etc., come in to chat. (This waiting period is very informal, and you can hang out and talk to other interviewees). I had an 11:15 interview in the hospital around the corner. My interviewer was very organized and pleasant and told me his interview format up-front. He went through my file, making sure all the important stuff was correct, and getting updates on things that had happened since I applied. We then went over things brought up in my personal statement. There was time for questions from me and then he asked me the questions below. I was very comfortable, and felt like my interviewer and I were having a real discussion about health issues. He seemed very satisfied with everything I said, and I left my interview in a really good mood. Unfortunately, I missed most of the student lunch, but got there in time for the tour, which was short and incomplete---we didn't get to see the hospitals at all.
My interviewer was wonderful. We chatted about our personal experiences, and life choices. It was trully a two-way dialogue. What's great is that they get it over with early on the day, so that the rest of the tour is so much more relaxed.
There was a lot of free time to just sit and talk or whatever before interviews. There was only one interview, but I was asked several questions that really made me think and I was asked several questions about some of my specific experiences. I felt like he was very interested in getting to know me personally as well as test how I think. There were 40 people interviewing so the rest of the day was pretty impersonal and almost boring. The student took us on an unorganized tour and didn't know a lot about the facilities.
I felt pretty relaxed during the interview, although at times, I felt my interviewer was rushing me while I was answering the questions. I felt he was really trying to get to know me as a person. Out of all the interviews I've had, I felt this was fairly easygoing and not really intimidating.
I had a very good day at BU. Starts w/ coffee, pastries, and an extensive overview by Dean Witzburg. Sorta long, but he is a great public speaker, engaging, and very friendly! Then I had my interview. It was long, but the doctor was very nice and really wanted to talk to me. He asked a lot of questions about my research, job, etc. but was genuinely interested, not grilling me! We had a great conversation. Then, there was a lot of down time w/ other applicants, some reps. from housing/financial aid talked to us. Then a good lunch with a lot of students, who answered a lot of questions and were really friendly. Finally, sort of a long tour, then wrap-up by Dean Witzburg by 2:30!
my interviewer was a psychiatrist so after finding that out i got really nervous bc i hear all these horror stories of how they play mind games but actually she was super cool and we just had a friendly conversation
Stayed with a friend who is a BU MS2 the night before, so she knew exactly where to drop me off - otherwise I would have been a bit lost. Arrived at about 7:45, just in time to grab some coffee and scarf down a yummy muffin. The Dean gave an hour-long talk about the history of BU med, and an overview of the curriculum. He's clearly a very GREAT teacher and dynamic (if not eccentric) person, but speaking to a bunch of people -- who are sitting in the dark -- at 8 am -- is just inviting them to nod off! I had my interview at 9:15 (other applicants were scheduled for 10:15 or 11:15) and it lasted until about 10:25 (oops). My interviewer was intelligent and thorough, and I really felt like I got to talk a lot about my experiences - and that by the end of our conversation she knew me as a person. Post-interview there were a couple of useless informational sessions (pretty disorganized) and then lunch - which was good. I had to bail after lunch (to catch a flight), so my friend (BU MS2) gave me a tour of the facilities. All in all, a really nice, pleasant, relatively stress-free day.
The Dean's talk is good and informative. You get scheduled for an interview at either 9:15, 10:15 or 11:15. There's no choice there. Students come and go, inviting you to visit classrooms, etc. There seemed to be an overall feeling of having had a good interview, although some weren't so sure about it. You'll get to see a lot of the school, chat with a lot of students. There is coffee provided all day long, don't over do it, I did!
Overall I got a very good sense of the place. I left really believing that BU is a good-willed, friendly, personalized place which offers a top-notch education. I'd be thrilled to go there. My interviewer was a sweet guy who asked good questions and also gave me the room I needed to tell him about myself. I had a lovely day.
Arrived and greeted by the Dean in a small auditorium. Then he delivered, without missing a beat, a hour presentation about BU, its history, what we could expect as a med student and also what our day would entail. He highlighted some things that BU has every right to be proud of....first school to recognize the importance of allowing women to practice medicine! We then moved to a conference room, and for the next three hours interviewees came and went for interviews, while other members of the BU faculty and staff came to answer any questions we had. Then we had lunch with some 1st and 2nd years. I had a great chat with a first year who was very happy with his dicision to come to BU. Then we had a tour, awesome! I think the hospital would provide superpurb clinical training, but very challenging as well. Then the dean gave closing remarks and the day came to a close.
Well my interview was with the Director of Admissions so I was a little nervous. He was very familiar with my file, and his questions were very detailed and "hard-hitting". He was very nice about it though, not an interrogation-type interview, but he did ask many questions that I had to sit in silence for 30 seconds or so to think about.
The dean talked to us for an hour. The 25 or so applicants were split into 9:15, 10:15 and 11:15 interview slots. While we were not interviewing we went to classes, talked to profs that dropped in, and chatted amongst ourselves. 11:45 we had lunch (I pretty much missed it because I had an 11:15 interview slot). Then we toured with a fourth year for about an hour. The dean then wraps it up and we are out of there around 2:30. BU did a very nice job organizing the day. I learned what I felt I needed to about the school. Everyone was friendly and very positive about the school.
Overall, this was a fairly pleasant experience. It was my 4th interview and it was the same old tour at a different school. The thing that did intrigue me about the place was the potential for great clinical work. The students seemed quite happy to be there and were fairly social, definately not the geeky types I ran into at other schools. The financial aid is decent as well which is important since Boston is ultra-expensive (3rd most expensive city in the US behind NY and SF).
Early start, long Dean's talk covering the history of the school and the curriculum (all of which you can get by reading the viewbook, or being in any way familiar with the school). Inteviews interspersed with "informal" discussions from random faculty members/students/finaid & housing reps (which are all boring and unorganized since there is no set schedule and people are walking in and out of the room the whole time). Lunch, tour (great anatomy lab tour, I have to say), wrap-up when the Dean tells you they get 1/4 of total number of applications nation-wide and the final selection procedure is basically random, so yeah, good luck with that. ;-)
Boston is a great school. I heard they reject ppl with high stats so I didn't know if I should feel insulted or jump for joy when I received the interview invite. I'd like to thank them for giving me mock interview exp (I am within driving distance). Not much deviation in the day from what has already been posted.
I had a wonderful interviewer who really viewed medicine as a calling and assured me I was making the right choice with my life. It was reassuring to have someone validate my choice to pursue medicine rather than ask me to defend it. The tour of the hospital was very nice, and overall it was a positive experience
BU is definitely one of my top choices now. Their interview day was long but very organized and allowed the students to meet a variety of students, faculty, and staff members. The hospitals they are associated with are some of the best in Massachusetts.
The day was packed with activities from 8-2:30. Suprisingly, it wasn't boring though, and I actually had a really good time. The talks by the dean and the admissions staff were actually informative. My interviewer was extremely nice, and seemed like she really wanted to get a complete picture of me to present to the rest of the committee.
My best interview to date. The interviewer made me feel very comfortable. He posed his questions to me in a manner that didn't seem as if they were being fired at me. It felt more like a conversation.
The day started promptly at 8am, which may be excruciatingly early for the californians who flew in. The powerpoint presentation was given in darkness and may put one to sleep, if not for the somewhat uncomfortable laughter prompted by occasional Gary Larson cartoons (loosely relevant to the presentation of the med school). However, the presentation was not given by Dr. Witzburg, who wasn't present at the day. Nevertheless, his substitute made a good effort to inform and reassure us. Interviewers were scheduled at 9:15, 10:15, or 11:15, and in the meantime we were greeted by a vascular surgeon ($$) and a staff for financial aid. The interviewer I met was incredibly genuine and was fun to talk to. The first-years began to trickle into the applicant lounge as they have only about an hour to spend with us before going off to class again. Despite their 8-5 schedule they still seem cheerful, and anxious to answer our questions. Lunch (soup, luncheon meat, bread, soda) was given in a small classroom. The upperclassmen also came into the room but gathered into a side of the room on their own. A few mingled with the applicants but the others probably came just for the free food. The tour was done in three groups, with visits to the library, computer lab, anatomy lab, student lounge, cafeteria, lecture halls, and locker rooms. The facilities were generally above par, as one may expect for the price of attending BUSM. The final presentation covered what we may expect to receive from the admission committee in the following weeks, and how we should respond to a waitlist decision (submit a letter of intent). Good overall interview experience.
i liked the school and the people very much, boston is definitely a great place to study medicine. definitely a bit too expensive for four years, especially when the cost of living is so high in the area.
Overall I really liked BU. The people were friendly (with the possible exception of a certain secretary), and the area made me feel comfortable. I didn't realize it would be difficult to own a car in Boston since parking is so bad, but I can live without a car. From what I heard, public transportation is pretty good too. I guess I'll know in March whether I'll be going to BU or not.
I felt like this was an interview where I really got a sense for the school. All in all, it was laid back and well planned. There are a lot of opportunities in Boston from research to patient exposure to culture and social life. I could see myself very happy at BU.
Overall, this interview went really well. My interviewer was very easy to talk to, and consequently, my interview took much more the usually alotted 45 minutes. The presentations were all very interesting, and the Dean seemed to really love what he does. All students and faculty seemed to love the school.
I'll admit, BU was not my #1 choice going into the interview. However, after meeting the staff and visiting the school, I realized it is the perfect school for me. I love how they are a school for the community. I love that they provide medical care for the insured and uninsured and how everyone seems to really care about reaching out and providing care to EVERYBODY!! That is so important to me. By the end of my visit... BU had become my #1 choice.
In spite of some of what I have heard about BUMC, I was pleasantly surprise on my visit here. The city of Boston in very chic, cool, thriving, and very much a fit for the young professional/student. The curriculum at BU does leave something to be desired- students readily admit that although there are only 4 hours of lecture per day, you still have PBL, grp work and other classroom-based "things" that result in a 8/9 am to 3/4 pm day on most weekdays. However, clinical exposure at BUMC gets a good grade from what I saw, as it starts early in the first year and continues with intensive rotations during your 3rd and 4th years at a public hospital. BUMC also has a strong commitement to social causes and community-- at least that what came across and on the surface seems to be that case. One example is the program where students spend time doing home visits for geriatric patients. Whether r not this social concern permeates thru all aspects of the school, I probable could not tell until I was actually a student. To summarize, all-in-all it was a very pleasant experience, and it goes to show that you really do not know if you will like a school until you go for the interview day-- the feel in actuality is often so much different from the feel you get on paper. Just like us interviewees I suppose!!
BU is a good place to study medicine because regardless of certain issues I had with the school, the students still get a better education than they would get at many other places, and BU's name still carries good press for residencies. Unfortunately, I believe the school does a lot just for show and rides too much on its rep rather than its actual program. The school looks nice from the outside, but is that really where all the student's money goes?? The library and labs were very sorry looking. I just kept thinking all day--where does all the money go??? But I have to say that my interviewer was very pleasant and not antagonistic at all. He even sent a letter later to thank me for my card and to wish me luck. I don't know who those other posts had, but with 40 students on each interview day, there are bound to be some tough nuts.
I had a great time. I was really apprehensive considering some of the feedback on sdn and the fact that I was coming all the way from the east coast. The interview day started off with the dean giving us some history of BU, which was mildly interesting (or as interesting as it can be at 8 in the morning). Then, we had an informational talk with one of the doctors (not very informative, though). My interview came next: the doctor interviewing me was really nice and it was much more like a conversation than a q&a. We had the financial aid talk next, which all sound the same by now. Lunch was next with 3rd and 4th year med students, who were really willing to talk about their experiences at BU and seemed happy. The tour was given by a 2nd year med student, who was great - very enthusiastic about the school and very honest about it as well.
Positive. My interviewer was a real advocate of the school and the curriculum changes. She said that the admissions committee is focusing more on compassionate individuals now, as opposed to just GPA.
Overall a good visit. It was my first interview so I was quite nervous in the beginning. I got a very friendly doctor but I know a few people got doctors who were more confrontational.
Intro, 1 hour interview with person on admission committee, talking to staff, lunch, tour, and closing statement. Campus is nice, most people that I met were very helpful and nice. Boston is a great city but it may be a little to impersonal for me.
The day began with a informative talk on the history of BU wih the Assoc. Dean. After that, I had a single and short 45 min interview with a faculty member. We were then given an informal financial aid and housing talk, followed by lunch with current 1st and 2nd year med students. After lunch, 3rd and 4th year stuents took us on a tour of the campus (not that impressive). We closed the day with yet another speech by the Assoc. Dean and went on our way.
I had a positive experience at BU, and although I have chosen to another school I am glad I went. This is a great school with a lot to offer, especially as far as clinical experience goes. They have a very traditional curriculum, with less problem-based learning then most schools. My tour guides were excellent, by far the best tour I've had thus far. The interviewer did in fact ask me many medical and science based questions in addition to the standard questions, but it was done in a non-stressful sort of way.
I had a great day, after being worried by some of what people posted here. My interview was incredibly friendly, although he did comment that with my GPA and MCATs, I could probably go to a lot of schools. Then he asked me why I wanted to come to BU. I thought that was a fair question. But you should definitely have a good answer for it.
The interview day started early with a presentation from the dean of admissions, which was actually pretty intersting and informative. I can't remember if my interview was before or after the tour/lunch... I think it was before. The interview wasn't very stressful, and my interviewer did a good job of making me feel comfortable - he seemed like a very nice guy. The day ended with another brief talk by the dean about how we should choose what school is best for us. BU has great facilities and the people are great. I really really like this school!
BU interview was overall very pleasant. I was matched with a great interviewer, who started off by saying "you'll have to excuse me 'cause I might explode if I don't get to the john". The tone of the interview seemed set for me right there. My overall feeling of the school is still unformed. The students I spoke with weren't overly enthusiastic and I didn't really sense any energy.
My interviewer was very laid back - he just wanted to clarify my activities and academics. He was honest about the process though and how difficult it is to gain admissions, but he said that all of his interviewees get into some medical school. The school's facilities were fine, not great, not bad either. The dean of admissions kept on stressing that if you had a bad interview, you should let him know and he'll set you up for another one. I'm not sure if he read the previous person's comments on their interview or what...But it seemed like everyone there had a good, laid back interview and I think bad interviews are uncommon. The day is long and everyone has to wait until all the interviews are over before going to lunch and the tour so there's alot of drag time. there's plenty of food though throughout the day. Overall, BU was better than I expected.
BU sux period: To be paying that kind of a tuition i know there are definitely better schools out there for less. And i agree with the previous post. To be applying to a school that only sees others attacks others weaknesses and never commends others on their achievements is not worth anyone's time and energy. Their inmature behaviors only show how pathetic the school is. Interviewer is barbaric, admissions office is inefficient and lacks motivation, and yes the noon "snack" is distasteful. I spent all this money flying from the west and only to get mocked by the interviewer. BU, you'll never change: a school that has the shell that lacks the content. Why not try to build yourself up instead of talking BS about other med schools in the area? You can't can you?
I was actually looking forward to interviewing her. That was until the actual interview. My interviewer made me feel horribly after I left. Here I was, travelled so much, spent so much money and was full of hope and excitement about this interview. My interviewer did not make me feel like they valued my presence or for the kind of person I was. Instead they attacked every weak part of my application, and in a very untactful way. I was dissapointed by my experience, especially since I kinda liked the school. We'll see what happens I guess. Plus the admissions office staff are rude and ignorant. They are not proactive when it comes to the student's needs and are apathetic as well as unmotivated. A few more things: the food was horrible!! That doesn't seem like it would be important, but after that long day, you kinda look forward to it. The dean was nice enough. You can tell that he's done this hundreds of times, and I appreciated his honesty. Good luck everyone!
oh my gosh, this has to be the worst interview and administration i've seen so far...the admissions office people introduced themselves and proceeded to be the rudest people i have ever encountered. and my interviewer thought it would be cool to try to "wear" me down by acting like the stereotypical med school interviewer--give me a break...I'm trying to be a physician, not a politician.
I would never go to BU. People's passion for medicine can't and should never be questioned by their volunteer experiences. Some people hae better opportunities then others when it comes to access to resources. BUt this doesn't mean one lacks the passion or understanding what one is getting into. The way the interviewer questioned my character and made me feel very uncomfortable. Lastly i would say that the interviewer is very shallow for the interviewer lacks respect for me as a person and what i've contributed to my school's hospital. I would like to give future interviewers a heads up. I hope you folks will get a good interview and won't end up like me. BU is a great school but the interviewer's provocative questions shattered its image.
Overall, it was a long but informative day. I liked that second years (instead of first years) had lunch with us and fourth years gave the tours. They had good insights into the school's pros and cons and were very frank about them. All interviewers are part of the admissions committee. My interviewer was very up front with me. It was more like a discussion with a mentor than an interview. The dean of admissions is great - he gives a great intro and wrap-up lecture. It's obvious that he's very vested in the admissions process and he really cares about students.
I actually mis-posted a critique of BU that was actually supposed to be for Tufts! So here's the real scoop on my BU interview: It started bright and early at 8am, but they had plenty of food and caffeine available throughout the day. We had a few speakers come and talk to us about the programs, finaid, etc. Then all the interviewers sat around a conference room table and either waited for our interview or chatted with current students.
The interview day began at 9am with three hours (literally!)of presentations about financial aid, the various organizations, and the different combined degree programs. It was very formal, and we actually clapped after every presentation. I felt like I was at a conference! The two interviews and tour occurred after lunch.
The interview was formal, but conversational, it was nice to have someone to talk to who has actually read your application. Just one interview and it is with a member of the admissions committee. The rest of the day was just talking with students and getting a tour of the hospital and student areas. Students seem happy and the facilities are nice.
The interview was one faculty member, another prospective, and me. The faculty member was very nice and basically just gave us a tour and tried to sell us on BU. He talked at length on BU and touched on each of our applications, and asked us if we had any questions. There was not literally ONE SINGLE QUESTION during this so-called "interview". That having been said, it was a very positive experience because it was really a chance for us to see if BU would be a good "fit" rather than an opportunity for us to "sell" ourselves.
Dont stress. the interview is really just a chance for them
to talk to you and get to know the whole you--academic and
outside of class. this seems to be a place where one receives
a first rate clinical education. i'm not too sure this is
the place to go for research buffs, but thats fine for me.
people complain a lot about the cost, and it is bad but i
still feel strongly that BU is a great place to study
medicine.
I think the pep talk from the dean of admissions at the beginning was impressive. The history of the school is outstanding. Residency Placement is also very impressive. Lunch was good. My interviewer and I hit it off and we just sort of chatted away. I was relaxed with him and not stressed at all
They really try to persuade you to like BU, but at times they're trying too hard and they're going for a specific audience of students who seem to be choosing between a state school and BU. On the other hand, my interviewer was great!
pretty low stress. conversational. i did not get any crazy difficult questions, although fellow interviewers said they got more challenging health policy type questions. i liked dean witzburg's pep talk in the am. found a student host that was very accommodating and lived very close to school. had my doubts about bu, and flat out addressed them with the med students. impressed at their unflagging devotion. blew my mind when 8 or 9 4th yrs came out to tour us (lots of walking so dress comfortably). internet access available throughout the day.
They need to work out something for more reasonable housing costs for their students. Also, the tour was confusing, I had no idea where I was the whole time. Some of the students spent more time tearing down Harvard then building up BU for us. Can we say defense mechanism??
The interview was fine. Very friendly, get to knw me through my experiences. The Associate Dean for admissions is very well spoken, sincere, and frank. He loves to talk but just be patient as he is making some very salient points. There is a ton of down time during the day b/c you only have one interview. Do with it what you will. I liked the tour by 4th year students, often times you only see first and second years. I wouldn't put to much empahsis on other "negative" opinions posted on interview feed back. Use your judgmetn with these things and understand that BU may hve simply not been right for them. It doesn't mean your experience is going to be bad.
Also I heard of two people recieving the one heart two people question posted in other feed back. And the question regarding selling a daughter in to sexual slavery. So some of what is posted here is really true.
I interviewed at BU in Fall 2001, at which time they told me I would hear a decision from them in Spring 2002. When a letter failed to come, I called to ask about my application only to be told my file was still "under consideration." The story was the same in the summer of 2002. I have since started medical school elsewhere, but never heard from BU. What did they do with my $95 application fee? Don't they have the courtesy to tell me what they decided about my application for admission? The level of professionalism at this school is seriously lacking.
Really good school but not much better than other schools for the high cost. Even their own students say they would've went elsewhere for cheaper tuition if they could've.
The day started early, we were talked to a while by the dean, not bad, and then went to respective interviews over a 2.5 hour period. there was a lot of downtime, which was alright, but it got old.
I did not care for the guy that interviewed me. He just asked the standard interview questions and appeared to have very little communication skills. He was very emotionless.
Really loved the students and faculty. The city is awesome. Overall the school is extremely expensive but the dean said the average debt was 132,000, which is close to other schools I've interviewed at. I think too many people emphasize this too much, unless you have the option to go to a Texas school, it shouldnt influence the descion. I was impressed with how confident the students were that they would get their first choice of residency.
I came out from my interview with mixed feelings. The school is pretty standard and for the kind of money they are asking for, I would expect it to be little better. My interviewer asked me pretty standard questions, although he was not totally conversatinal. Think really hard about the cost when you make a choice in going to BU.
my interview at BU was by far the best and most friendly interview i've had to date. he was totally friendly, really interested in my background and what I had to say, and we had a terrific conversation. he asked me about stuff that pertained to my application, but we also just shot the shit about people and music and life in general. towards the end he began to actually congratulate me on all of my accomplishments, telling me that he was confident that I was gonna become a great doctor. the introduction to the day (given by the dean of admisssions) was fantastic. funny, informative, and inspirational. left a really good taste.
Overall a good, low stress day. Bagels and coffee provided in the morning during an hour talk by Dean Witzburg. Then, interviews scheduled in 1-hour blocks, one interview for each applicant. Met informally with other faculty and students to talk and ask questions. After lunch we toured the campus, which could have been better.
Really impressive, great interview. My interviewer was very intense and provocative, but in a good way, not being mean. Some people might be intimidated, but I love to debate, so the whole thing was the perfect interview for me.
Overall, my experience was good. My student hosts were AWESOME and everyone at the school was courteous. Other interviewers weren't being show-offy or snooty. Everyone was relaxed and friendly. It was just the interview itself that shook me up pretty badly. Search under the pre-allo forum under "Blown BU Interview?" for details.
My interview went very well. He was a very chatty guy, hence the long time. I impressed him with, of all things, my knowledge of the state of the movie theater industry. Somewhere in there we talked about my application and medicine too. The tour went into a ward and through the whole ER. While this is interesting, I felt like our little tour didn't really belong there, out of respect to the patients.
Overall, VERY positive. Interviewer asked questions in such a way that I felt I'll be able to answer questions better in future interviews. Not stressful.
I had an extremely positive interview. I wasn't planning to be impressed with the school, but I really grew to like it, in spite of the high cost. Students were friendly and open and the faculty seemed genuinely interested in teaching, not solely in research.
BU loves to hear that you want to be there. They are very sensitive about other schools, esp Boston ones. They feel as if people settle for them and don't want to go there. So if you want to go there, tell them that! I had a great time though. Interview was very relaxing and enjoyable
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest that the admissions office should offer personal tours of school facilities during the student panel and provide prompt replies to applicants. They also recommend standardizing the interview process, improving interviewer interactions, and enhancing the overall applicant experience with small touches like better catering options and friendlier staff.
Include a personal tour of the school and hospital facilities in the student panel to add a touch of real-life :)
Standardize the interview better in terms of who is giving the interview, how long the interview should be for (30-45 minutes is a huge range...), what questions are asked. People are flying across the country not to be met with an interviewer who gives them a substandard 20 minute interview.
During the interview day I would suggest doing away with the hour long faculty lecture. Within 10 minutes the faculty doc had digressed to rambling about personal musings.