Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 17% 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?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
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 the applicant's background, motivations for pursuing medicine, specific interests in healthcare, reasons for choosing the school, and experiences in research or community service. Some respondents mentioned a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, which may involve questions on various scenarios and ethical dilemmas, potentially under a nondisclosure agreement.
Anything you want to highlight for the admissions committee?
Tell me about your research. (My faculty interviewer actually had done some clinical trials on the drug I had done research on, so this was initially intimidating, but turned out to be a great conversation)
the second interview had some questions, but mostly was an on-going back and forth about what i thought about brown and how it would fit into my ideal future as a med student. he talked a lot, but wanted to know exactly why i thought brown would be good for me. he was very specific in explaining that (as associate dean) he was interested in recruiting people to brown that would make it a diverse and unique place filled with people who had "extrodinary" experiences between undergrad and med school. he is not happy with the lack of diversity that the plme crowd has provided the school, and as such, wants to really make sure that any amcas students that they accept will really add to the overall life experience diversity of the student body. he was very excited about my international public health work and told me that in his opinion, moving brown towards a more public health/dual degree focussed school---in direct opposition to moving it towards an md/phd/academic medicine school---was the best thing for brown.
why Brown? (spending the whole day there prior to answering this question was really helpful, esp. because i liked brown more the more i learned about it)
Why clinical if you are so involved in research? Most of the questions were inspired by what they saw in my application. we tried to talk about interesting things mostly, but there were a few standard questions.
Students said most interesting question asked at Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School discussed a wide range of topics, including personal interests, career choices, unique hobbies, and views on healthcare challenges. While some mentioned a conversational approach, others delved into specific applications or research projects. Notably, some responses suggested the interview format may have been an MMI, with mentions of nondisclosure agreements and questions tailored to individual applications.
Obesity is a big problem in the US, especially in the south and midwest. How would you deal with this from an economic perspective (I'm an econ major).
Students said most difficult question asked at Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School discussed a wide range of topics, including challenges faced, motivation for medicine, handling tense patient situations, impact of healthcare disparities, and personal attributes not in their application. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format and possible nondisclosure agreements, while others highlighted more traditional interview questions like explaining poor grades or discussing research experience.
Tell me about a challenge you faced, how you overcame it, and what supports you use?
I suspect you will be accepted to medical school, and you already may have been. So what qualities do you look for in choosing a medical school to attend?
Does it bother you that Brown is ranked so low in scientific research? (He then went on to explain how the hospital research is calculated separately from the school, so the rankings don't reflect reality.)
Unfortunately, neither interviewer had ever heard of my elite, private liberal arts college (third oldest in the nation). And they had never heard of my company either, a major international firm.
see above. that was pretty much my entire first interview. just a conversation about my life. it unfortunately seemed as though he had not read my file beforehand though.
As I'm interested in Emergency Medicine..."If you were treating a patient in the ER but were unable to figure out the cause of the patient's symptoms and forced to admit them to the hospital, what steps would you take to both ensure the patient's successful treatment and your knowledge?"...good thing I watch a lot of Discovery Health...
What do you think of the deficit (gov. spending vs. trade not specified, though he wanted trade). This was tough because I only now I taking international economics - I'd have a much better answer today =).
There is increasingly a divide between those with access to good medical care and those who do not have any medical care at all. These problems are exacerbated by the increasing diversity of the American population. What measures would you take to improve our health care system to address these issues?
Do you plan to pursue a residency? (I was confused because I assume that to translate benchside medicine to the bedside and be an affective academician, a residency can only augment your skills and allow you to do just that...)
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?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by reviewing their application materials, visiting the school's website, reading brochures, and utilizing resources such as Student Doctor Network (SDN). Many also practiced answering potential interview questions and sought advice from current students or advisors.
Reviewed my application and secondary essays. Reflected on my interests in medicine. Decided on some talking points for major questions (why medicine? why MD? why Brown?)
looking at SDN, practicing generic interview prep questions, looking at their viewbook and website, looking in the news for their school, talking with a student prior to the interview
Practiced speaking and telling my story of the things I have done that led up to me wanting to be a doctor. I had many interviews before so that also helped. Also studied the website and materials from the mail, and all essays I submitted.
read up on the people who I was interviewing with (they have a binder of their CV's out before you go in for your interview), talked to a friend at the school, read the economist to brush up on current events
I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised since Brown has neither a graduate business school for collaboration nor a history of exposure to the greater academic community.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the warm and welcoming atmosphere at Brown, with a strong emphasis on individual attention and personal connections from both admissions staff and students. They appreciated the genuine interest shown in each applicant, the collaborative and supportive community, and the numerous opportunities for customization and personal growth within the program. Suggestions included continuing to foster this supportive environment, maintaining the strong connections between faculty and students, and further promoting the diverse range of opportunities available at Brown.
Everyone was so happy and friendly and seemed to really care about student success/choosing students that would be a good fit for Brown and vice versa. It was also great that ODMA and financial aid were included in the agenda for everyone, rather than being something we had to seek on the side.
EVERYTHING. All of the students were so nice, relaxed, and open. Everyone seems to have a really healthy work/life balance. The admissions staff were SO nice and genuinely wanted us to be there--like, before they "let" me leave, the dean came out to shake my hand and make sure all my questions were answered. During my interview, my interviewer commented that I would work really well with another clinician and kept saying "oh I wish you got to meet him!". After my interview ended, she tracked down his contact info and gave it to me. That genuine attention doesn't happen everywhere.
The admissions staff and my interviewers seemed to all know a lot about my application; they referred to specific items in my application. This made me feel that they were truly interested in me as a person rather than a generic applicant. I was also impressed that so many students came to the lunch to share their experiences. There were more students than interviewees.
How well everyone knew my file! From the moment I walked in, the admissions staff and faculty knew who I was and seemed genuinely excited to meet me. Students were happy and also very enthusiastic and willing to answer questions candidly. There seemed to be a real community vibe here.
The community atmosphere, how well the admissions staff knew my application. I was also very well matched with the professor interviewers, both of whom were very honest.
Hands down--the intimacy within the school. Doctors and students all seem integrated and totally interested in pursuing various opportunities together. Almost every student I talked to had interesting research, travel or some other crazy opportunity totally backed by the school and worked into their curriculum.
Also Barbara is amazing.
barbara was super nice, dr. weiss was chill, the tour guide at the hospital knew his stuff, the school seems to be on the upswing with alpert's money and new emphasis on improvement
how nice everybody was, the small-town feel, hospital was legit, everybody talked about how valued and respected the med students are in the team, individualized attention from faculty, how welcomed i felt. it's BROWN guys! ivy league, in a nice location, got a good feel to it
I think this school is up and coming. The last Dean definitely made it a priority to make Brown a national powerhouse, and the new Dean has vouched the same. the faculty is so warm and caring, the matchlist is unbelievable, everybody at brown values the medcial student, and the clinical training is truly remarkable. once the new med school is built in the jewelry district, and once the merger between care new england and lifespan is complete, the new brown university medical center will rival those other new england medical centers of high eminence. i would be proud to be an alumni of this school
The niceness of the admissions staff, how well the interviewers knew my file, the amazing matchlist, excellent clinical exposure as the only med school in RI, ability to pursue anything you want, small class size, can go to Harvard for MPH. I was very impressed with this school!
EVERYTHING. The dean of admissions knows each person's file in its entirety. She caters the presentations to your specific interests. The students all seem extremely happy. The hospitals are very nice. The schools is willing to fund independent projects in any discipline.
The fact that you can do ANYTHING and I mean ANYTHING that you can dream up. I asked them about a project that I wanted to pursue and they said YES!! They encourage students going out and doing community service and starting new projects! Amazing hospitals and supportive staff. The studen's opinions count!!! I love this place!
how considerate and amazing the administration was, open to student ideas, how happy the students were to be there and how enthusiastic they were about the school.
on campus, connection to rest of university community, newly received $100 million, faculty and staff very friendly and open, MPH and public health opportunities
Great facilities, normal/friendly students, and faculty was super-excited about students. Brown seems to really make an effort to facilitate students in doingwhatever their interest is (many schools say they do--e.g. create-your-own-sub-internships, etc.--but it actually happens at Brown).
I was very impressed with how nice and friendly everybody was. In fact, absolutely everything about Brown is "nice." I didn't meet a single person with an edge.
the hospitals, the students are incredibly accomplished (most competitive program to get into as a high school student is Brown's PLME, and a lot of the standard admits last year had other graduate degrees and lots of life experience)
The hospitals were awesome, esp. Hasbro childrens, the students were incredible diverse, everyone was friendly, new construction, momentum in the school def. moving foward
The people were amazing, as were both the PLME and standard admit students, both in their accomplishments and their attitude. Brown really seems to care and want you to be an individual. Can pick the order of the rotations and electives in 4th year(really helps out when getting residency LOR). The INCREDIBLE Match List. My two interviewers were amazing. Rhode Island hospital is great, the ER is one of the best in the US...lots of pathology in the 7 training hospitals.
The staff was nice and the day was well-planned (which reflects positively on the administration at the school in general, i hope). The hospital was very nice and state-of-the-art
Clinical monopoly on the state of RI, freedom of students to follow own path, abundant opportunities for research, independent study, and international study, the responsiveness of admin, exciting changes taking place at med school, match list is awesome
Everyone was extremely helpful and friendly. The facilities seemed excellent. Providence is a beautiful city that has both a small-town charm and a metropolitan bustle. I would have liked to go to the doctors when I was young if we had as cool a children's hospital as they have. The interviewees were interesting people.
the vibe (very laid back, they emphasize giving their students a lot of freedom), small size (60 students a class, 1000's of MDs, so great student-faculty ratio), great town, surprisingly diverse population, emphasis on clinical training and socially responsible medicine; extensive tour of hospital facilities
the school, its student and faculty were wonderful and very encouraging. regardless of where i find myself for my undergraduate medical education, brown will always be a great school in my mind. i was truely impressed. my fellow applicants were also a great group of doctors-to-be. i would be proud to have colleagues such as them, and wish them the very best. everyone was very thoughtful and sincere. a wonderful community and school.
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the small size of the library, lack of dedicated space for the medical school, the high proportion of PLME students, limited study areas, the competitiveness of admissions, and the mixed perceptions of students and staff professionalism. Suggestions included improving facilities, reducing the reliance on shared spaces, and enhancing the overall student experience and engagement.
Nothing specifically negative; although in the time after my interview, I felt that I didn't know as much about the specific class schedule at Brown as I did at other schools.
The medical school doesn't have its own space- it borrows lecture halls and study areas from the graduate school! The school feels a bit unfocused, perhaps because it's relatively new, and like they're still trying to figure out how to run a medical program. They seem to think that they will be a respected med school just because of their ivy name. In fact, one of my interviewers told me that their only real draw is the Brown name (how's that for honesty?).
Nothing really. Sometimes Brown undergrad students can be a little pompous with their 'ivy leagueness', but really the med school didn't have that vibe at all.
i think the plme program is what is holding alpert back. in no other university is the 8 year program so valued, and in no other place are there no gpa requirements for the program. this makes a lot of the students, in my opinion, no where near as prepared as the standard route applicants. although racially diverse, this maeks a very experientially undiverse student population. also applies to those linkage programs.
well i dont like the idea of PLME taking up 60% of the class. I dont think PLME kids are prepared for med school. I think they are the ones who are bringing down Brown's reputation and ranking. I hope in the future Brown cuts down PLME to about 10. then it's elite!
Nothing really. It was cold/icy but obviously no fault of Brown's! Thought I'd be turned off by the high number of PLME kids but students said that there really isn't any division/tension between the PLMEs and standard admits.
Lack of sole medical education building, BUT great facilities solely for medical students and faculty are being built thanks to Warren Alpert's $100 million donation to Brown Med.
Nothing really. During the college application process, if anything I had been negatively impressed by the undergrad (I wanted at least a little structure, and the bizarre grade system), but I was really impressed by the med school.
The administrators and the students. The students seemed boring - I mean they were typical med students but not especially interesting or engaging. I was surprised by this since it's an "elite Ivy" school.
Certainly not the medical school for me but I enjoyed the visit and meeting all the nice folks. At least as much fun as the other Ivy visits (see my reports).
they dont give tours anymore (apparently due to "too many bad weather days"). i wandered around the brown campus myself, but i couldnt really figure out which of the brown buildings the med students would use (the med campus is integrated into the undergrad/grad campus).
Lecture halls are a little older and shared with undergrad departments, no merit money, Providence isn't the cheapest place in the world (especially the area around Brown)
The students were strange. One told me that he had no idea what the "Nine Abilities" were all about and how they fit into the curriculum (he was a third year!). Another student told me the administration often mistreats students and many are unhappy.
5 minutes into the introduction the presenter tells us that there will be about 7-12 slots to fill from a pool of 300 applicants. Brown only takes a small number of applicants from standard MD route. I thought they were exxagerrating.
Applicants commonly wished they had known more about the specific aspects of the school, city, or interview process ahead of time, such as the small adcom and interview pool dynamics, the limited spots available for standard admission, the unique characteristics of the school campus, and the laid-back atmosphere of the school. Many also suggested preparing more thoroughly for the interview and being aware of the location and weather conditions.
There wouldn't really be an opportunity to slip into my sneakers - I wouldn't have brought them!
Very small adcom and very small interview pool makes for a bit of a cliqueish atmosphere on interview day. I felt like if I didn't charm Barbara it would weigh against me a lot.
I could have bought more food with the money they gave us for the cafeteria! I had read on sdn that it wasn't very much money so I made sure not to get too much food so I wouldn't spend too much over, but then I had tons left and threw on cookies at the end but I could have gotten lots of good things :)
Make sure that you take your suit and personal items with your carryon. Don't put any important items on the bag you will check into the airport. Mine was misplaced and had to be delivered late at night!
How cool Providence was, and the great feel of Brown in general. Also, that most of the negative comments on this feedback are probably more reflective of the difficulty to gain admission (small number of spots) than the school. The school is awesome.
nothing that i wished i had known. but lots of interesting things were discovered during the course of the day, for example, providence has a substantial hispanic population!
That only 10 spots are available to standard route applicants although they interviewed 300 people. And to make it worse, they had already made offers of admission!
Applicants generally found Brown to be a welcoming and supportive environment with a laid-back and conversational interview process. They appreciated the well-organized interview day, the positive interactions with faculty and staff, and the emphasis on showcasing the school's resources and unique opportunities for students.
The interview is VERY casual. My second interviewer did ask one or two *slightly* "tougher" questions--about failures,--but it was done in such a way that it just felt very conversational.
This school is wonderful and very unique. We were told 30% of students are accepted outright and by the end of the cycle, about 50% of students who interviewed are accepted (through waitlist and general acceptance)
The interviews were very laid-back and conversational. Brown seems like an incredibly supportive and flexible environment. The interview day was also VERY well organized.
Brown is an excellent school with lots of mentoring available. Though the school is already incredible as it is right now, there's a lot of money and effort being pumped into making the school even better. I would love to go here!!!
I can't say enough good things about this school. I've read some of the other comments and I truly think they are more reflective of the individual who wrote them than the school itself. Brown provides you with the resources to do absolutely anything you want to do with your education. The people are super friendly and the cultural life here great. I can really picture myself living in providence. It isn't huge like chicago. But there is plenty of stuff going on to stay busy and have fun!
A breakfast with current students and admissions staff, then meetings to discuss new changes in the school and curriculum, lunch and then two interviews at the admissions office, followed by a tour of the Rhode Island hospital and a tour of the campus by the director of admissions
morning talks going over curriculum, facilities, different options for research etc. tours of campus, tours of hospital, 2 interviews in afternoon, with admissions staff. Was really impressed all around, everyone was so helpful and eager to promote the school.
Got there for breakfast, very fancy, everyone in suits trying to eat crumbling danishes. Tours of Mariam hospital and the school, checked it out but not that interesting. Met with admissions staff who are super friendly. Two interviews, one with student which went very well, one with a senior faculty member which was a disaster. Short, they really knew your information
Great faculty/staff, one of the admissions directors stayed with interviewers throughout the day to make sure things were going well. Very easy to talk to. Day was from 8 am to 5 pm, with all interviews after lunch.
Overall, the interview day was well organized. The weateher was a bit cold for me. I'm from CA. Despite the weather, the facilities looked good and the med students seemed a lot more relaxed than I expected.
I really enjoyed the two faculty members who interviewed me. They had clearly read my application carefully and did not shy away from asking direct questions. Maybe it was the early morning meeting time, but the students we met didn't strike me as particularly interesting. I was really impressed with the amount of resources Brown has to offer.
Summarized it mostly below. Overall, I was definitely impressed. I was worried that the ''standard'' admit students might feel awkward with all the BA/MD and postbac students, but the standard students said it's not really noticable...that the 8-year students often don't even know each other until they get to the first year of med school, so it's not like they've already formed tight cliques.
The interview experience at Brown is really nice. First you have breakfast at the Hope Club, this old hotel right near the campus. This is where you get the fin-aid and info about the school presentation and meet with some current students who answer your questions once the admissions staff leaves. From there you take shuttles to RI hospital, and the tour there is amazing, they have a great ER and an incredible children's hospital. Then you return to campus and have two interviews, both with voting members of the committee. Both interviews are low stress.
Well, I enjoyed it and the hospitals are fantastic. But I was surprised at the extent to which they complimented and praised me. I was told things like "I think you'll definitely get in," and "your recommendations are the strongest I've seen." I've been rejected at plenty of schools and this type of language seemed highly inappropriate, especially since it's a committee decision. Don't insult my intelligence...
really really great. if i get in, im definitely going. i wish they had given us a tour, and there were quite a few questions that i ended up emailing my interviewer with (he had invited me to email him with any further questions) cuz the info sessions werent all that complete, but all in all, i think its a pretty incredible school. and for reference, ive already gotten into 7 other schools, so its not like im desperate or anything.
Best interview day yet! Brown does such a good job showing off their program and making you feel welcome. Because they interview so few standard route students, they know everyone's file by heart. It's now one of my top schools. Breakfast with students in the morning followed by curriculum and finaid briefs. The finaid people seem like they really work with you and the debt load is way below average. Then you go to RI General, which is a wonderful hospital. You do lunch and a tour with a 4th year and a Brown Doc. I thought having the alumnus on the tour was really great. You get alot of information even 4th Year students can't give you. Brown really owns the RI healthcare system and you have so many options for clinical rotations. You can even do rotations away to try out other places for residencies. Alot of students do international programs and independent study. You can even create your own electives. The interviews were very mellow and nothing to stress about. Brown just got a new dean and I think the direction he is taking the school is the right one. Unfortunately, not all of his ideas are fully in place yet, so there may be some growing pains as the school transitions. I suppose that's my real concern. I was worried about alot of the students being PLME, but after meeting a few of them, it seems like the student body is pretty diverse and accomplished. Grading is H/P/F, but there is no class rank. This is definitely a school on the way up and a place that I could really see myself being a part of. If you like the freedom of the Yale System and the New England/Ivy atmosphere, I would suggest you check out Brown.
I was surprised to hear so much negative stuff from students and the medical school facilities amounted one lecture hall, a shabby lounge and an anatomy lab that we weren't permitted to see.
Both interviews went pretty well. My first interviewer kept complimenting my record, which was actually difficult for me. He would say, "well, you've got good grades and a good MCAT," and I had a tough time deciding whether he wanted me to thank him, add to his list of good features about me, or be humble and suggest he was praising me too much. He was a businessman along with an MD, which is a field that interests me as well; I was slightly unaccostomed to the informality of it. The second interview went flawlessly; I was relaxed, warmed up, and able to answer the "interesting question" I've listed here cleverly since I was relaxed. We got along really well too. Normally I thought I would've been in because of it, but the first interview was slightly rocky and there are SO few positions available.
Didn't learn very much as far as new info. Intervieweres were very positive and full of complements. This was not like normal interviews where you get challenged a little.
Laid back conversations. A shuttle had to be taken to the hospital because the med school is on the main Brown campus. Providence is VERY New England (a la The Family Guy).
Hospitals are very nice but the medical school is mediocre. As a result, they kiss your butt a lot on the interview. Students selected to make presentations were inarticulate, slow and appeared to lack any energy. Also beware Brown Medical was cited for mistreating students according to their latest accreditation report.
people were really nice and enthusiastic about the school. interviews themselves were stress-free, laid back and conversational.
the campus itself is literally part of the undergrad campus, which is nice. interviewers really knew my application well.
day begins @ 8:00. standard talk given about admissions, financial aid, etc. student tour of brown's campus (med school on undergrad campus); lengthy tour of RI Hosp and Hasbro Children's Hosp; return to campus for interviews- 2 30 minute interviews--1 w/ MD, 1 w/ admissions officer
very helpful staff. seemed concerned about helping you fund your med school experience. 12 co-interviewees in my group so really liked the more intimate experience. went on tour of school (very short, and the student tour guide was less than impressive). great tour of 2 of the hospitals where students would do rotations and clerkships. very nice children's hospital. lunch at the hospital with a student guide, then went back to main campus for interviews. met with the dean of minority affairs and the assistant director of admissions. one interviewer only asked me one question about myself and the other two questions were about health care. the second interview was much more comfortable and standard because she asked about specific things about my background.
Overall, my interviewing experience at Brown was very positive. The medical school is very small, but the facilities are very nice. People seem pretty happy here.
Great setting, Providence is a really nice place to go and colloberate with so many people. Watch out because I hear that if you apply for a neurosci PhD program some professor interviews you and asks you ridiculous questions like what is e^-pi and derive the formular for a harmonic oscillator... etc. etc.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest providing students with a pen in their interview pack and extending the interview duration to 45-60 minutes. Some students also recommended increasing the meal voucher amount to better cover cafeteria expenses and allowing tours of facilities for 1st and 2nd year students.
