Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 27% of interviews, indicating it is moderately 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 low 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 revolve around personal motivations for pursuing medicine, including strengths and weaknesses, volunteer experiences, and future goals in the field. While some respondents mentioned MMI format or nondisclosure agreements, the predominant focus was on assessing candidates' communication skills, ethical decision-making, and alignment with the school's mission and values.
Not really a question.. but they want to know that your mission in life is to serve people who have less than you do. They like primary care, but it is not the be all and end all.
Asked quite a few questions about information that came up during interview which was nice because I was able to communicate things I may have forgotten.
They got a bunch of basic information. Then asked normal questions about why medicine, what is wrong with healthcare, what do I want to be doing in 12 years etc.
So do you think you will go back to [my hometown]? ... this question lead in to a discussion about healthcare disparity in the state and some medically underserved areas, prompting conversation about how PCMH is the tertiary care center for eastern NC
Where do you see yourself in ten years? (Both interviewers asked this. From what I understand after reading other SDN feedback, this is a trick question designed to see if you are planning on a primary care career. If not, they red-flag you as someone not interested in general practice).
Do you know how ECU Brody School of Medicine was founded? (I interviewed with one of the people that helped start the school, I am glad that I did my research and was able to answer that question)
If you are provided full scholarship at all the institutes you applied to....what factors will influence in picking the school you decide to matriculate?
Problem with healthcare, how will you solve it?
What do I do for fun?
Where would I like to practice and what kind of medicine?
How I became interested in medicine? and Why now? (I am non-traditional)
After the previous question: If you feel that way, why are you trying to get into ECU? Answer: Glad you asked. Of all the M.D. schools I have applied to, ECU's emphasis on primary care and rural medicine seems to mirror these attributes. I've spoken with urologists who have graduated from ECU med school and all say the focus on the smaller class size allows for a more personal approach to medicine. Therefore, ECU meets my needs and is in alignment with my philosophy of medicine.
What do you want to specialize in? Answer: Well most people feed a line that they wanna do rural medicine. I just told them that I used to want to be a pediatrician, an otolaryngologist, a urologist and a ER doc. However, I've realized over the past year that I won't know what the heck I want to do until I do my 3rd and 4th year rotations. I'm leaving my options open and keeping an open mind with regards to that.
Why did you apply to an Osteopathic school? Answer: Osteopathic medicine embodies the principles that I treasure most highly in the practice of medicine. There are three aspects to every patient, Mind, Body and Soul. When any of these are out of balance in some way shape or form the patient's health suffers in some way.
How have you grown since your previous application/interview? What have you done? Did you meet with Dr. Peden and if you did what was recommended by him?
Students said most interesting question asked at Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University discussed a variety of topics, including ethical scenarios, personal preferences like walk-up songs and desserts, challenges in healthcare, and hypothetical patient scenarios. The interviews were primarily conversational, with some focusing on background, motivations for medicine, and future aspirations, typical of the closed-file format, but no specific standout questions were noted.
One or two specific ethical questions that I cannot remember now.
Can you tell me about the racial tensions in (hometown)? What is your ideal vision for (hometown)?
*these weren't random, they had to do with my non-medical service work*
very basic, conversational questions to learn more about my background since the interviews are closed-file. talked about the school's history, how faculty end up there and the draw to training at brody-- easy conversation
My interviewers never really asked a lot of questions- if you can talk and keep a conversation going- you are fine... my second interviewer was a big USC fan, and being the day of the college football Nat'l Championship, we talked about that... so i guess who do you think is going to win the nat'l championship?
1) why doctor and not nursing? (i open myself up for than question)
2) hypothetically speaking, if i was 42 and still trying to get into med school, what will i do or be doing?
If my father called to say that he is lonely, now that the kids are gone, and he wanted to take a piece of hair from me to clone another child, what would I say? ( He said there is no right or wrong answer).
A older gentleman comes into the clinic with hypertension and he supposed to be taking the medicine that you have given him and he is not because he says he has been taking a home remedy for years that has worked for him just find. What would you do to assure that he starts to take your medicine
Students said most difficult question asked at Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University discussed a wide range of topics including ethical dilemmas, personal strengths and weaknesses, future healthcare challenges, and reasons for pursuing medicine over other healthcare professions. The interviews were described as conversational, with some respondents mentioning a focus on getting to know the applicant's background and motivations.
What is your greatest strength and weakness? (had prepped for weakness not strength)
One of the interviewers really drilled me on "Do you have any more questions?" Make sure that you have lots of questions for your interviewer.
Nothing too difficult. I was caught off guard when my interviewer wanted me to list several weakness (I was prepared to give a strength and weakness, but not to list a couple weaknesses).
How is Pitt Memorial Hospital Different than say...(enter duke, wake, unc's hospitals) (its a trick question cause its not any different at all but with all the stress on primary care people have heard about they're expecting you to think it is different)
nothing too difficult-- talked a lot about the idea of training in eastern NC, which is difficult if you want to leave your options for your future open but still try to work into their mission
Interview questions were standard. The first interviewer even assuaged my anxiety by telling me that there were no trick questions and there would be no locked windows to open.
Well they were going to ask me what I was gonna do if I didn't get in but seeing all of the stuff that I've done in the past 3 years he said it was not necessary to ask that. He then turned around and said: "Why ECU? Why after 4 years do you persist in applying here and why should we accept you?" Told him I've jumped through all the MCAT hoops they've set, that I'm a North Carolina taxpayer, I've wanted to go here since I was young.
A reporter from the The Daily Reporter is standing outside and after the interview asks you why you want to become a physician. What would you tell him/her?
Tell me about yourself. (I mean, do you want a short and sweet summary, an autobiography, you want to know the names of my pets? What?? That question is so dicey.)
If I received an acceptance letter to every school I applied to on the same day. What are the factors that will affect your decision on next years admission?
What criteria will you judge schools that accept you to their MD program?/What would you do if you apply and apply and never get accepted to medical school?
Nothing. The interview was bascially just to get to know you as a person. The closed file setup makes it difficult for them to ask challenging questions. They simply are getting to know the basics about you.
Wanted to know if I planned on staying in eastern NC when done. I am interviewing at several schools and I was also asked if accepted would I come over the other schools.
If you are a third year medical student and a patient Mr. X came up to you and told you that he has a history of hypertension, but he felt good because he stopped taking his medications and start using herbal(alternative medicine) instead, what would you tell him?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had a closed file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
No responses
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 2-3 hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by automobile to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent less than $100.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
Pitt-Greenville Airport (PGV)
Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
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?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as SDN, practicing with mock interviews, reviewing their application materials, and researching the school. Many applicants emphasized the importance of practicing answering typical interview questions and being familiar with their own application and experiences.
looked through interview feedback, read through my application materials and essays, reviewed the brody/ecu website and conferred with a current student about suggestions for the interview
Read other people's feedback on ECU and the questions there were asked. I talked to a few friends who already go to ECU. Then I also read about ECU and its mission statement on the ecu website.
Read the admissions brochure, looked up the curriculum and other information on the website, talked to friends that go to school there, read over my application.
I reread my amcas essay and supplemental, i also looked up facts about ecu on the website and in the brochure. I prepared two different questions for each interviewer.
I bought a new suit and read over my application materials.
Prior to that, I obtained an EMT certification, did more volunteer work, got a job running a medically related .com from a urology office, attended Urological conferences around the nation. Basically anything I could to strengthen my application and keep my foot in the door. :)
Knew my application really well (secondary and AMCAS). Also read over the secondary essays from other schools. Brushed up on interview skills and read interview skills websites.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendly and close-knit community at the medical school, where students, faculty, and staff were described as welcoming and supportive. They appreciated the emphasis on primary care, the modern facilities, the low-stress and conversational interview style, and the small class sizes, creating a positive and engaging learning environment.
All the students (mostly M1s) that spoke to the interviewees were very positive about the environment and seemed close knit
Brody is actually a really good school, despite what you may have heard. Of course you can't go to a better school if you are interested in primary care, but if your interests change during school you can match anywhere so long as you do well. Also, this school is just about the cheapest in the country.
Helpful and friendly staff; students giving us the tour were very knowledgeable and supportive; gave us their email addresses and insisted we contact them with further questions. The interviews were low-key, conversational and laid-back.
Friendliness of admissions staff & students, lots of patient interaction starting in the first year, student mock clinic, genuine camaraderie among students
The students and faculty were so friendly! There also seemed to be a true sense of community at Brody, especially amongst students in your class. There are tons of service opportunities at local free health clinics that seem to give BSOM students a leg up when it comes to early patient interactions.
The students are so happy. Plus, the school provides them with great facilities to study...the curriculum has a nice balance between textbooks and clinical. And yes, the school is focused on primary care but it is also advanced in other area as well. It was the first place to have robotic heart surgery. I can totally see myself being at Brody.
Everyone was so nice and informative. The community is really integral and everyone is accepted immediately. Everybody went out of their way to make us as interviewees feel welcome and comfortable.
The friendliness of the students and faculty. The faculty will truly bend over backwards to help you succeed. One thing fairly unique to ECU is there 2 weeks of dedicated board prep offered at the end of year 2 and then about 6 weeks on your own.
the small class, commitment to primary care. I really was impressed with the level of commitment the faculty has to teaching. Professors are there to teach, and most of them have offices a couple floors above the medical school.
The positive attitudes of the students, they all seemed to really like it there. Also the new Brody building it was very nice and wasn't run down or anything like I heard
Everything. The interview was so low-stress. Even with the faculty, I felt like I was talking to a friend. The tour guides were enthusiastic, the hospital is huge and full of opportunity, heck, even the hospital food was good.
how happy the students were; the fact that the pitt county hospital system is the tertiary care center for eastern NC, leading to a lot of exposure as a med student. also, the staff and interviewers were friendly and tried to make the interview as conversational as possible, which was incredibly welcoming
the friendly faculty- they really show their concern for you as a student and a person from day one. Dr. Peden (Dean of Admissions) as well as all the staff and interviewers really do care about you and want people that want to be there.
From what I heard, the faculty are very approachable and are readily available for questions. This with the small class size makes for a great atmosphere and a comfortable learning environment which is important if you are going to spend the next 4 years of your life around the same people.
The open door policy of the faculty and the resources available to the students, such as the summer program before and after your first year of med school. Also I like all the growth that is going on with the medical achool and ECU as a whole.
Friendly staff/students/faculty, nice facility linked with the hospital, good, cheap food at the cafeteria...definitely would be a more affordable lifestyle than at many other schools.
I really liked the comraderie shown between the students at ECU. They are a very diverse, yet small crowd, so you really get to know your classmates and everyone seems to get along really well. When we were started our tour everyone was coming out of anatomy, having fun with one other, joking around about the smell, it seemed like a nice relaxed atmoshpere (for med school!)
Very low stress interviews, great campus and modern facilities. The cafeteria food was good too, and the interview group only included me and one other student.
The students themselves seemed to have a genuine sense of family among them. The learning environment was open and modern, not cut-throat like some other schools.
The proximity of Pitt County Hospital to the medical school (literally next door), the one-on-one exit interview with Dr. Peden, the food in the cafeteria (no joke-you can eat a full meal for next to nothing and there is a wide variety of foods and salad bar. Students receive a discount.) There is abundant affordable housing very close to the medical school.
The school has highly dedicated students and faculty that seem to be hard matched elsewhere. Also they were not pushing the rural medicine as hard as I expected.
Laid back attitude, with the professors being excited about the new changes Brody is going through. Students were excited about the program and are happy with their decision to attend ECU.
I loved the warm, home town feeling I got while I was there. Everyone was very friendly and eager to help. It seems like it would be a great place to study medicine.
Great focus on teamwork, community, and student support. Facilities were nice and there seemed to be a lot of improvements being made. Overall the faculty and students I met were extremely friendly and positive they really sell the school well.
The students that gave me the tour were very knowledgable and super-cool. They answered any and every question I had and seemed really happy to be at ECU. I also liked the small class size. (72)
I was interviewed by a 3rd year medical student and a faculty member. Bother were very nice and my interviews were relaxed. I didn't feel pressured at all. The two students who gave the tour were VERY informative and nice. I also spoke with other students in the building during my interview and they were unable to give me any reasons not to attend the school. The tuition is WONDERFUL
The students couldn't stop saying enough good things about the program. Technology is well advanced for a primary care focused school. Close proximity to Hospital.
Everyone was very nice and had a smile on their face. The tour guides were pretty cool and really enjoyed attending Brody. The classrooms were very nice and up to date.
Everyone was very welcoming and nice. Each time a student saw us coming they would say, "Welcome, how was your interview, who did you have?" Small classes.
the students appeared very laidback and reported only minimal stressed, upcoming improvements with the building, the realiness of the faculty and staff
Everyone is very friendly there. All faculty members are interested more in the character of the applicant instead of just a bunch of numbers on page. Every time I've had a tour by the students, I've never heard any negative comments about the school.
The facilities were very modern and nice. The students seemed very happy there, and assured me that going to ECU wouldn't limit my possibilities as far as residencies go. (not so sure about that one)
The small class size, very friendly atmosphere, cheap living cost. ($600 for two bed rooms in a very luxury appartments with gym, hot tub, many other futures which I can't remember now
The interviewers were very relaxed and layed back, and sincerly wanted to know me. The interview was not to degrade me or to ask me why did I "deserve" to be in their medical school.
The people in Greenville are VERY friendly. Also there are nice apartments in very close proximity to the SOM. Oh yeah, and I learned that Dave Mirra is from Greenville!
The openess and friendly atmosphere. I got the impression that everyone in the administration and faculty was genuinely interested in their students not only as future MDs but also as people.
Applicants commonly expressed negative impressions about Greenville being a small, somewhat unexciting town with limited activities, outdated facilities, and a lack of enthusiasm among students. Suggestions included providing a more in-depth tour, updating facilities, and ensuring interviewers are engaging and welcoming to create a more positive experience for applicants.
Greenville is not the most ideal city (but CHEAP!!!)
Most of the students lacked enthusiasm for Greenville, and it's not hard to see why. There is not much going on there (which is good in some ways; no distractions) and it is very far from any other major cities (1.5 hrs from Raleigh, the closest "big" city/cultural hub). I think Brody would be more prestigious simply if it was located in another town and/or attached to a different university. Personally, I like Greenville because it is a small city and it is dirt cheap.
Both of my interviews seemed kind of rushed because there were other interviewees waiting in line. I felt as though I didn't get a chance to ask a lot of questions or gracefully wrap up my interview. Finally, the tour could have been a little more in-depth; the students kept referring to a cool library and parts of the hospital we didn't get to see. These are all minor gripes though!
The facilities, the tour. Done by M1's who were just there for the free food. Not overly enthusiastic about ECU but they may have been stressed b/c their first anatomy test was upcoming and it was only their fourth week of school. . .
- too rural
- not a P/F grading system
- students not all happy being there
- hard to find things to do there
- hard to get clinical exposure first year
- facilities are really old looking (although not old in age)
Other ppl interviewing not is same place of life as me. by this i mean kind of older and married. I want to be with ppl that are in my stage of life for social reasons. I felt I had to defend going out of state for undergrad and that I wasn't too stuck up for ECU. Which I am not other wise I wouldn't have applied. Also it is a small city, but I am sick of living in a big city and am ready for change
Greenville seems to be a bit boring. I tried to find some places to hang out off campus, but couldn't. I won't have much down time during med school anyway, but a little excitement in the town would be nice.
Nothing really, people always say the location but Greenville is not that bad... I mean its not your NYC or DC but its a nice chill anda relax place, not very busy and not a lot of traffic, perfect place for a medical student if you ask me...
The second interviewer did not seem interested in interviewing me. The first question he asked was what is my gpa and mcat score. I felt as though he had sized me up from my gpa and mcat score alone. He would cut me off while I was in the middle of answering the questions. Kinda rude and condescending. I did not feel welcomed by the school (with the exception of the students).
Greenville is out in the middle of nowhere and there didn't seem to be very much in the town. At least if you went to medical school there, you would have no distractions whatsoever. When I asked one of my tour guides what people do around here she said, "Uhhh... there's a bowling alley. There's a movie theater too I think..."
the isolation of greenville and ECU. the lack of room to consider options outside of NC or primary care post-med school. also, the students were really nice and incredibly happy but my tour was lead by married students, which was difficult to relate to as a possible peer
the facilities seemed cramped and many things were outdated. the rooms where all M1 and M2s have class are so small. we didn't get a tour of the hospital. even though i know ecu has a strong mission, i didn't get a feel for that at the interview.
One of the students giving the tour was spouting statistics that I know aren't true ("over 50% of the students go into family medicine"), so I felt I had to take everything he said with a grain of salt. The other student that gave us a tour/escorted us to lunch was very friendly and helpful, though.
Nothing at all. This was my second time there for an interview and I became more impressed with it this time around. The area may not be a bustling metropolis but thats ok with me.
The closed file interviews were very difficult for me to feel like I was making a connection since every quetion seemed like the kind of cocktail party chit chat you engage in with strangers to fill time: "So where did you grow up?...What was your major" and so on.
The tour was kind of a letdown because there was nothing to it. All the classes except lab are held in the same room so all they could really show us was the locker room, the one classroom and the room where exams are held.
I was not able to get a rejection interview with Dr.Peden before the interview and I knew I was going to be asked about my reapplicant status, so I felt like I was going into the interview a little blind
Greenville is really in the middle of nowhere. However I knew that coming into the interview.
The tour was very brief and not very descriptive. It could be more extensive. Also both the student tour guides has very similar backgrounds. I would have like to talk to some people with different perspectives i.e. older students, students from more diverse upbringing.
The first interviewer was rather dry and I didn't feel like I had a chance to establish a repiore b/c he didn't give me a lot to go on. There was a lot of silence in-between his asking a question and then taking notes on my responses.
It's Greenville. The tour was rather abbreviated and I think they could have shown us a lot more. If adcoms read this, get the tour guides to show us more! (Meaning anatomy lab, cancer center etc!).
-"Closed File" that conveniently has my gpa on it (PFFFT!). It would have been nice if they had at least thrown my MCAT on there too to balance it out.
I had to find my way around the school to get to my interview. I thought the city would negatively impress me...but it wasn't as bad as everyone says it is.
the students seemed like the only reason they came to brody is that they did not get in anywhere else. both tour guides were obviously up all night because of test week, they were a little frazzled.
The school's geographic location is not premiere by far. Out of towners would find a lack of good eateries, entertainment, and shopping... However, RTP is only 1.5 hours away.
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the relaxed and laid-back nature of the interviews, the emphasis on community service, the travel logistics to Greenville, and the need to be neither excessively early nor late. Additionally, they suggested bringing materials to occupy themselves during breaks and being prepared to discuss their commitment to providing medical care in North Carolina.
That it only takes ~1hr and 45 minutes to get to Greenville from the Raleigh/Durham area. Also, it is important to the admissions office that you are NEITHER excessively early or late. They want you showing up precisely 5-10 minutes before your interview day is scheduled to start.
Ignore the urban legends. You don't have to prostrate yourself and chant 'Primary Care' to get in. Mainly, ECU wants students that are committed to providing medical care in the state, in whatever facet you choose. If you, like 85% of those interviewing, don't know what you want to pursue yet, be honest and tell them. They'll thank you for it.
That most acceptances don't find out until April or May. And there's no feasible airport option in town (the airport there would have cost me $400 extra).
That there were many other hotels near the School and that Greenville was actually good looking--not a dump at all like some students here have suggested.
i didn't know how the closed-file interview would go. it wasn't bad, just a little repetitive. what i did appreciate was how their system really helps ECU choose a class that will fit its personality and mission statement, which i think is important for NC
1. its hot in here, even in january.
2. greenville is in the middle of nowhere, yes...but there are a lot of things i didn't expect there (ie, an old navy)
Well, I wish the website would post more information about the curriculum - it's ABCF, traditional class-based schedule, full days. No big deal since I got to ask about it at the interview though.
Lots of physicians in the adjoining hospital do lectures and presentations on their specialities. It sounded really interesting and a great opportunity to get to know the physicians in the hospital.
I made the mistake of letting it slip during my interview that my husband's profession requires he work in a large city. In my post-rejection follow-up interview I was reminded that living in an already medically overserved city "does not fit the mission of Brody." Also, being a relative newbie to NC, I was deemed a flight risk. Before your interview say this ten times: Underserved, primary care, North Carolina.
Many students at Brody have worked dilligently to get into medical school and for several it has been a multi-year process to achieve this goal. This is both frightening and encouraging at the same time. This makes for Brody students to be some of the most dedicated.
Nothing much....I know the strengths and weaknesses of the program from my relatives who are alumnus of the program..so have been visiting the school since '98.
The interviews were very relaxed. The interviewers seemed to just want to learn a bit more about you, not stress you out or trap you into messing up. It seemed like the other people that interviewed that day (with different interviewers) had the same experience.
Face it, it's a state school and they have to have "a class representative of the population of North Carolina." I'll leave you to fill in the blanks there. ;) Also they have sent out 72 acceptance letters already, leaving the other 3 people interviewing me with that "I've got a snowball's chance in hell of getting in" type of feeling. :P I know better though, since half of those letters will goto candidates who will inevitably goto UNC medical school.
They have a great program where 2nd year medical students actually run a minority clinic in a rural community. The first-year students get to volunteer there and get experience. I thought that was a great idea!
Applicants generally found the interview experience at Brody School of Medicine to be laid-back, stress-free, and conversational. They appreciated the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, the emphasis on primary care and serving underserved areas, and the school's close-knit community. Some mentioned the small-town feel of Greenville, while others highlighted the quality of facilities and the school's mission.
Very close knit student body, VERY laid back interview
Only 3 other people were interviewing, and everyone was so friendly and welcoming. The school seems like a close-knit community, and I loved the smaller town feel of Greenville.
Relax! The interviewers are not trying to make your interview difficult. Don't let your lack of enthusiasm for Greenville discourage you, as Brody is an excellent school, as evidenced with Step 1 scores that are just as good as UNC's or Wake Forest's and match lists that illustrates Brody will give you any tools you need to do walk whatever medical career path you choose.
Great school. Loved it. The tour guides insisted that there is a lot more to do in Greenville than you might think. And great beaches are only two hours away.
I really enjoyed my day at ECU. This was my first interview so I was extremely nervous when I arrived but the friendliness of the admissions staff and my fellow interviewees helped me to relax a little. The interviews were great...far less scary than I imagined. The atmosphere is really laid back and low stress. It seemed more like having a conversation with two cool strangers instead of having someone drill me with random questions. As long as you know what’s in your app and why you want to be a doc & why ECU, you'll be fine. This was a great first interview experience!
The interviews were super laid back and conversational--a lot less stressful than I imagined. Overall, I was far more impressed by Brody than I thought I would be. Because I am interested in primary care and working with the underserved, it is an excellent match for me. It jumped from the middle of my list to right at the top.
This was my second time at ECU. Last year, I didn't accept me because they didn't feel that I'd stay in North Carolina just because I went to undergraduate somewhere else. So this time, I was hoping that they wouldn't pick on me abt where I spent my undergraduate years that much. I hope that they realize how much I am dedicated to stay in the state of NC.
My interviewers were a professor and a 3rd year medical student. I wish that I had gotten a chance to meet Dr. James Peden at the end of my visit but he was busy.
Students and staff were very friendly. They also provided us with six dollar vouchers for the cafeteria in the hospital. Overall, I really liked this school.
ECU was great. The environment was very friendly, and the interviews were extremely laid back. The interviews are blind, so nobody has seen your application. The entire thing is them trying to get to know you as a person, so it's an opportunity to make an impression. I really enjoyed it all around.
I started off the day at 10:00 am in the admissions office. It was me and 2 other people. We started out by filling out a questionaire about what specialty we were interested in, and of course, unless you're stupid, you're going to put some kind of primary care/rural medicine as one of your top choices. Then I had two interviews, one-on-one, with faculty members. They are closed file, but both interviewers kept slipping in questions that would've been answered if they'd just looked at my file. "What's your GPA? What's your major? What was your MCAT score?" I didn't really understand that, unless they're trying to double check or something. Both of them also asked me what other schools I was applying to and sending seconardies to. Of course, after we got through all of the questions they had planned to ask me, the tone of the interview became much more conversational and we just talked about whatever. Then after the interviews we had a short tour of the med school and ate lunch in the cafeteria.
I was very pleased to see the atmosphere of a school like ecu. I had always had a negative idea of ecu as a school, but most of that was from the average undergrad experience and shouldn't be used to describe the type of medical school ECU really is. It really seems to be a positive, non-competitive, enriching place. We started in the office of admissions (there were only two of us that day having interviews) and they gave us envelopes with the interviewer and his office number. Each interview was very relaxed, mostly asking questions of family, background, etc. There were many of the typical questions (strength, weaknesses, etc) but they were asked in a very non-threatening way which alleviated some of the stress of the typical med school interview.
Overall a good experience. Really liked the school. Seems like it would be a great place to learn medicine. Even though everyone says that they're all about primary care they're also doing robotic heart surgery research (which i thought was really cool)
I think I've said most of it. I like that it isn't a large group to be interviewed, only 2 or 3. Everyone is very warm and friendly. The facilities are better than other SDN reviewers complain, and there is a lot of construction going on. I cannot say enough about the school, and am anxious to start there (hopefully).
The process began at 10:00. I filled out some paper work and then they gave me two envelopes with the names of my enterviewers. I was interviewed and then students gave the group a tour of the campus. We then ate lunch, spoke with the dean, and went home.
Report to the office before 9:15 and fill out a survey. I waited 30 minutes-1 hour for my first interview. It lasted 30-45 minutes. No drilling--conversation. Met with staff from the minority office for 15 minutes. My next interviewer picked me up at 11:30; very conversational lasted about an hour. At 12:30, lunch and quick tour. Met with admissions staff (told us about the application procedure). The day was over at 2 pm.
A few specific questions. I mainly did all the talking. The two interviews were back-to-back with not restroom break. I might have talked a little too much--my interviews lasted more than 45 min. I arrived there at 9:45 AM, filled out a short survey, got my $6 meal ticket, headed to my first interview at 10:30AM and to the second interview at 11:30 AM, met the M1 tour guides, headed to the cafeteria, ate lunch with them, went back to the adm office around 1:30 PM, set down with Sheila Lee for a brief talk about the adm process, and I was out of there before 2PM.
overall welcoming, friendly experience. the school has a specific mission that they want to fill and i appreciate that they do. the day is set up to find applicants drawn to staying in NC to work in those underserved areas that the state is full of. i didn't see myself fitting in with the student body only because of my background-- i was especially impressed with how happy students seemed, how satisfied they were with the education and how much they felt like the administration was doing all that it could to help the students in any way possible-- collegiality is evident here!
we arrived and filled out a survey, which took all of two minutes. then, we had two 40 minute interviews, going back to the admissions office to wait between them. after the second interview, two first years came to take us on a tour of the med school, which was not very informative. then we ate lunch and headed back to the admissions office to talk with the dean of admissions and after that we were free to go.
My experience was definitely more relaxed this year than last year. I felt more at ease with the interviews (2 professors) than last year. I really felt that my interview went well even though I have read that most overestimate their interviews. The biggest change from last year is the idea to relax and let the interviewers get an accurate picture of your personality.
the interview and tour were both positive experiences, overall. however, i was very disappointed by the fact that i did not receive a single communcation from them (that i did not initiate) in the three months between my interview and my acceptance. for a school that prides itself on personal attention, i found communication skills to be lacking. note: keep calling, or you will have no clue what is going on.
The interview process was relatively painless. I think I was more nervous than those around me since this was my first time applying to Brody and my first interview anywhere. My first interview was truly closed-file. He started off by asking me where I went to school, my grades, my hometown, where my family lived, what I did for fun, etc. My second interview was definitely more positive (a 4th year) since we shared similar interests and similar backgrounds. This made the time fly by. I have seen other's imput on the school making it seem like a ghetto and not that much to do around here. But if you are in med school, wouldn't you rather not have constant distracting activities so you can focus on school? Greenville is not that far from just about anything you would want to do (Raleigh two hours away, beach two hours away, mountains 5 hours away and DC about 4 hours away). In my opinion, this is as good a location as any for med school. The hospital is nice and it is growing at the moment. I like the fact that they are building a new heart center to serve as a research and clinical facility. From talking with the tour guides, the faculty are eager to help and want to see you succeed. The hospital cafeteria is terrific (you can eat for almost nothing there and open 24 hrs.). My second interviewer had mentioned that even up to the 4th year, many students still remain close friends and plan to stay in contact even after school. The one thing that you need to keep in mind is that Brody is focused on doctors who want to practice in underserved areas. This is not a secret from anybody that has read the mission of Brody. Just something to keep in mind when applying and interviewing.
My experience was very positive and I feel that I have a good chance but I also saw that about 50% of the students that got into the program last year were reapplicants and that is disscouraging for first time applicants. I guess they want you to apply many times and give them more money.
When I left for my ECU interview, I had only been admitted to Tulane (obviously a sketchy choice at this point in time). I wanted to do well at ECU to at least have a school on the plate that wasn't destroyed by a hurricane in the last year.
I got the phone call from UNC while I was at the hotel preparing for my ECU interview the next day. UNC was my 1st choice, so I felt I could relax on the interview prep. I still wanted to do well, though, because it's always nice to have choices in the end.
I have one friend who attended ECU as an undergrad. He hated it so much he transferred out, and when I told him I was going there for my interview, he offered one piece of advice: "Make sure you lock your hotel door." That didn't bode well. He was right - I took a mini-tour of Greenville by car the night before, and the city is not friendly. It's mostly rural, and the population is seemingly composed entirely of poor minorities. I don't mean to sound elitist, but I felt like I had been dropped in the middle of Harlem, only without the benefits of a large city like NYC.
The hospital is similarly disappointing. While the hospital itself is relatively modern, it is surrounded by a whole lot of nothing. It's like the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz... a big shiny new thing emerging from a rural countryside, and looking totally out of place. From there it got worse...
My first interviewer was lovely, I really liked her. She was a young psychology PhD, and made me feel very comfortable. My second interviewer was AWFUL. He was the stereotypical old man concerned primarily with my summary numbers (MCAT, GPA, SAT, etc.) than with my personality. He spent most of my hour with him trying to convince me that ECU was probably the wrong place to be if I wanted to specialize, completely ignoring the other evidence that ECU might be right for me. He sat far away from me, making the situation even more uncomfortable. Each interviewer receives an envelope with your basic biographical info; he didn't even bother opening it when I handed it to him, and therefore most of the questions he asked me were those he could have answered by spending 30 seconds reading the summary sheet.
The facilities, while fairly modern, would be hellish to endure. EVERY SINGLE FIRST-YEAR CLASS IS HELD IN THE SAME SMALL ROOM. That means, for an entire year, you'll be spending about 8 hours a day in the same room. Talk about Cabin Fever! The same is true for 2nd-year students. They have a different room, but all their classes are still held in a single room. The school feels like an afterthought to the hospital - it's a big hospital building, and the med school is simply dispersed throughout a number of rooms in the hospital. There's no dedicated med school building, no "college campus" atmosphere around the hospital, or anything else you see at most other med schools.
The tour guide seemed neutral, and was evasive when I asked if there was anything she disliked about Brody. The "tour" was pretty much useless; since all classes are held in the same room, she simply showed us that room for a few minutes. Then we went to lunch, which required walking through the hospital to the cafeteria, but she never gave any info about the hospital at ALL. Everything I know about Pitt County Memorial Hospital I learned while trying to find its address on Google. The cafeteria food was OK, but the Admissions Office only gives you a $5 waiver, so be prepared to spend some of your own cash if you want a drink, yogurt, whatever. It's the only lunch facility in the building, and our tour guide said it gets old after a semester. There are no other restaurants within walking distance of the hospital.
Overall I was wholly unimpressed with Brody. The interviews were bland due to their closed-file nature, the facilities are not good, and the students are unenthusiastic. ECU would be a last-resort option for me, and given that over 50% of their students are re-applicants, it would seem that most of the students are people who couldn't manage to get in anywhere the first time around. Not the place for me.
I was interviewed by two people (one on committee and other not) for 1 hr each. Don't stress! Very laid back and just get to know you type of questions that you should really know about yourself.
my first interviewer made me work a little harder than my second. she wanted me to be more specific with my answer and that kind of caughtme off-guard. she took a lot of notes too. boy! that didn't feel good.
I thought it was a nice, easy going experience. I was interviewed by a faculty member and a fourth year student. Both were very laid back, but especially the one with the student, it was almost like talking to a friend.
This was my first interview, so my jitters were higher than they should have been. Overall it was a very relaxed interview and I loved the school and learning atmosphere. The one-on-one time seemed like a waste.
A great school, at a great price. During the tour we actually had three tour guides when our tour guides invited a friend to lunch. We spent the meal discussing how their first year had gone and what types of things they did to imporve their application and be accepted at Brody. They were highly encouraging and seemed to feel great about their decision to come to ECU. If you want to do family practice, this is the school for you- it scored quite highly in the most recent US News and World Report rankings.
This is the second time I interviewed at this school. I found myself more relaxed and confident this time (better qualifications and more experience helped). The more time I spend at ECU the more it grows on you. Last year my tour guides were not friendly and left us in the cafeteria, making us find our way back to the admissions office. This year the interview group clicked with them and it was very relaxed and fun. Dr. Peden has to be one of the best Dean of Admissions I have met so far. He is honest but with a touch of compassion so as to let you know where you stand and how things are. Also, although their reputation for primary care is their bread and butter, ECU has emerged as a great med school for placement of physicians in EM and regular family practice, and it shows by the compassion of the students and faculty.
Great interview time with my second interview. I had a good experience last year, but this year was much better. I had a more relaxed and confident attitude, and I hope it showed. I practice as a PA in burlington, so I realize it may take me a while to gain admission. Everyone was very nice, and BJ was very helpful. The students had great things to talk about as well.
I really enjoyed the interview, and I sincerely hope I am accepted. If I am, I would need a very compelling reason (full scholarship) to go to school elsewhere.
I am a reapplicant and normally people who are rejected are able to get a rejection interview with Dr. Peden, I was not able to, because he was having surgery. Although that was a little discouraging, out of all of the medical schools that I interviewed at last year, I liked the Brody School of Medicine the best and I knew I didn't want to waste my time applying to a bunch of schools that I don't want to go to, so I applied early decision and I found out that I got accepted a month later! I never did find out why they didn't accept me last year, my application did not change that much, except I had graduated and was working and continued my volunteer experiences.
I started off the day at 10:00 am in the admissions office. It was me and 2 other people. We started out by filling out a questionaire about what specialty we were interested in. Then I had two interviews, one-on-one, with faculty members. They were closed file. I liked the philosophy because that way the interviewer starts off as clean slate without forming any opinions before meeting the candidate. Overall it was a good experience. Tour guides were also trying to give a good feel about the school instead of trying to make a hard sell. I also liked that they provided lunch in the hospital cafeteria, where we would be having lunch as med students rather than providing fancy boxed lunch. Dr Peden made the whole process less stressful by making light of situation about how him and Dr. Hoole (UNC) are at odds because they compete for the same candidates ... and how that was not a problem with him and Dr. Armstrong (Duke) .... ofcourse he was kidding :-)
Overall very positive. The experience certainly bumped ECU ahead of other schools I am applying to because of the satifaction and attitude of the students and faculty.
Going into this interview, ECU was my first choice. Turns out I got rejected but that doesn't change my opinion that ECU is a great school. It was my first interview so I was pretty nervous and perhaps that hurt me. The interviews were low stress, and more conversational then anything else.
Well I came into this interview knowing that I had been accepted at some other medical schools. Basically in both interviews I laid the gauntlet down and said "Hey! Wake up! This 4th time is your final chance, either take me now or lose me forever." I don't recommend this approach in your interview of course but I felt invigorated doing so. I think my interviewers sort of appreciated the fact that I was up front with them and not afraid to speak my mind. After all, your interviews are about getting to know you as a person. Beforehand, I was told in an exit interview by Dr. Peden that my 6 in the bio section of the MCAT wasn't going to cut it ( Hey, it's a valid statement!). I retook the MCAT and got it up 3 points. They seemed to like that and take notice that I was willing to work for it. The only bad part is waiting for them to make up their minds afterwards. The committee meets about 3-4 weeks after your interview. Inevitably you will be waiting till May to receive word from them. Granted I already plunked down 3000 bucks on reserving my spots in the other schools, but since ECU is my first choice, I was hoping I would get some type of confirmation sooner.
Oh yeah, I know for a fact that Dr. Peden also reads this site alot to gain feedback on the interview process. I would just like to say that my lunch was good this time around and that even though I had 7 bucks of food on my plate (the healthy food is expensive hehe), they accepted my 5 dollar interview ticket as a "Paid in Full." So if you are reading, know you get a big Richie thumbs up for that this year. ;) In summary, the odds are heavily stacked against you at ECU due to 68 slots ( 4 of those are already spoken for no matter what) and over 780 applicants. They get alot of applicants, it's a slow process overall from secondary to interview to acknowlegement of the final verdict. However, everyone at ECU is nice, friendly and approachable. The tour is good and the students seem to like it. When I asked a random girl studying in the first year classroom, she replied "Getting in is the worst part, after you get in you'll love it here." Just keep that in mind and never give up.
the interviews were very laid-back and more like conversations, i even talked about basketball for 20 minutes with the dean of the school; I guess my interview was kind of late in the mix, but i got an acceptance letter exactly 2 weeks after my interview.
The day I interviewed, I was the only candidate there because a terrible snow storm had hit the day before and the school had actually closed for the day. Those conditions made it pretty stressful as I got a LOT of one-on-one time with both the dean and the interviewers. Then again, I guess that could be considered a mixed blessing...
Very friendly and low stress. Both of my interviewers would be awesome poker players and rob me of all of my money! By this, I mean I couldn't tell what they thought of me AT ALL. I wish I could tell whether or not I was liked or hated or mocked etc. But I couldn't. Everything was standard, from questions to the tour, I think ECU is an awesome school. The price cannot be beat and the area though boring, has a certain charm for me.
My interview experiences was great. This is my second time applying to this school and I felt much better about my interview this time than previously.
I have been a practicing PA (ortho, family practice) for 3 years, and this was my first interview for Med school. The interview was relaxed and encouraging for me. They really wanted it to be a time for us to ask questions and see if this school is a good fit. My questions were a lot more directed towards why I want to be an MD instead of remaining a PA. It was still a good experience for my first time. Dr Levine was the most intense interview of the day.
interview day was pretty enjoyable. first, there were two interviews, then a tour given by two students. lunch in the cafeteria, then a wrap up with admissions staff. this is a pretty friendly school.
One interviewer's opening statement to me was "since you are a Duke student that loves to scuba dive, you have had everythign handed to you all your life and wouldn't understand poverty and wouldn't want to coem to school here". The Dean proceeded to tell us that he didn't expect to see any of us matriculate at his school.
I arrived at 10. There were 3 of us total. The admissions office gave us our interview appointment times and rooms and then sent us off. First interviewer was a little stoic, but I got him to warm up. The second was really nice and we had more of a conversation. Afterwards, we took a tour of the facilities and then had lunch in the hospital cafeteria. Finally, the assistant dean sat us around a table to discuss the process of admission. Explained that we might not hear from them for awhile and then let us ask questions. Very low key.
Overall the interview experience at Brody was a positive one. In fact, at first I did not have interest in attending the school in the fall and considered just reapplying next year but I think that would be dumb. ECU has more than enough to offer academically and will be a great place to learn medicine.
The interview day was overall pleasant...both of my interviews were more like conversations...I was a little bit worried about this at first because some of the things we talked about seemed "taboo" for interview topics (race, politics, religion,etc) but I have since been accepted so I guess the subjects were okay...my advice would be to be yourself, get to know the other interviewees (this can help take the edge off a little) and enjoy the day
This is my 3rd time applying to Brody so I was pretty familiar with the staff and the facilities. This year they served us lunch too (which is surprisingly good) :) Both interviews are closed file and they are basically looking to get to know you. You will spend the majority of your time discussing your experiences and how they relate to medicine. Normally they ask me what I am going to do if I am not accepted. This year they never asked me that, rather they asked why I was so tenacious in my pursuit of a medical career. The majority of the class are reapplicants so I felt very good about my interviews this time around. Both people I interviewed with were quality individuals and I never once felt uncomfortable. This is a great school. Many people say that there is nothing to do in Greenville but it's really just like Wilmington 5 years ago. In conclusion, compared to other schools you'll interview at, you'll find the most comfortable interview environment here.
Overall had a great experience. My first interview was with a md and it was great. She got to really know me. Wanted to know about my interest in primary care and about my desire to become a doc. This was my 3rd time applying so she wanted to know why I was so dedicated. My second interview was with a phd and we just talked about my hobbies. Im in grad school now and he wanted to know if I was sure I didnt want to stay in research. Overall a very positive experience. In my previous interviews here, I was asked what I would do if I dont get accepted. This time I was not asked this question!
Very nice little school. Actually liked it better than UNC. The whole building is wireless, which I didn't know before hand. That's a plus for me. The cafeteria is pretty good, and cheap, too.
An interesting conversation that was brought up was the use of how address the African American/Black. One interviewer hesitated to call me African American so I said, "you can say black". Then we had an entertaining story of how one of his collegues had a problem with being "black".... It was a cool and weird conversation that opened the interveiwee up and we were cool for the rest of the interview.
I loved this interview-- I actually really enjoyed myself. It was completely stress-free, and both my interview with the faculty member and my interview with the med student were more like conversations than a question and answer session. I left feeling very positive and excited about the school.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest showcasing the new health building during tours and implementing a more structured interview schedule with activities involving current students to make the wait time more engaging and informative. Additionally, some applicants appreciate the helpful and friendly staff but suggest providing a more comprehensive tour that includes important facilities like the library and hospital.
Everyone talks about the new health building, I think it would be a great selling point on the tour!