Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 26% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a low stress level, and felt they did okay.
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 personal motivations for pursuing medicine, experiences with professionalism and ethical dilemmas, observations on unprofessional behavior, alignment with racial stereotypes, interest in specific medical specialties, decision-making processes, and future career aspirations. Some respondents also mentioned questions related to their research, extracurricular activities, challenges faced, advocacy for patients, and views on diversity and inclusion. Notably, the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format was prevalent, and respondents may have been subject to nondisclosure agreements due to the nature of the questions asked.
Tell us about a time when you observed unprofessionalism from a coworker.
Asked several questions about the various competencies and asked me to explain some of them (what I thought they meant, why they were important, give an example, etc.).
standard why medicine questions but since my interviewer had thoroughly reviewed my file he basically told me my answer -- which sounds weird but was actually really comforting.
What has been your most important experience in college? (This led on to a thorough discussion of that experience and my role in it, so I'd make sure to have a lot to say about at least one experience.)
Something along the lines of: If you were out at a restaurant and saw a doctor with whom you have worked that was visibly drunk, would you say anything to him? Follow up: If you saw him at the hospital the next morning and he looked worse for the wear, what would you do?
Something along the lines of: In 50 years, technology has gotten to the point where a complete physical work-up can be done w/out the aid of a doctor, and cheaply. Do you think people would embrace this or shun it?
It's supposed to be an open file. But one of the interviewers directly said, "So I haven't read your file yet, so tell me about yourself to get me caught up." Hmm where do I start....?
A patient can't afford a $300 med you gave a prescription for but can get it for $50 in Canada. Do you write her a prescription for the Canadian meds if you really care?
Look up stuff on ethical questions...heard some interviewees got some really tought one, e.g. working w a schezophrenic (sp?) doctor, doctor w alcohol on breath, etc etc.
What would I do if I blatantly saw another student cheating, and then after I answered, they asked how my decision would influence that person's career.
what was your class rank in high school? What was you SAT score? (I thought these questions were kind of unnecessary given the extensive AMCAS application)
If you witnessed, but didnt participate, your friend defacing the dean's new sportscar and the dean saw you out of everyone and called you into his office the next day, what do you do?
The standard give three weaknessnesses and three strengths, but also what three traits I thought were most important for a physician to have and what my biggest weakness would be as a doctor.
What would you do if you and a fellow third-year student were doing rounds together and had come to different conclusions about a patient? (Yeah, I had no clue how to answer this one)
Everything basically stemmed from the Amish school shootings. The rest was an friendly conversation. (As sick as that sounds from the topic we started on)
A bunch of ethical questions- what would you do if you caught another student cheating? suspected another physician was stealing and using narcotics? a dying patient wanted to increase their pain meds?
Do you plan on retaking the MCAT? Answer: No, because I do have an acceptance somewhere else (only took the MCAT once). Had that not been the case, my answer would definately be yes.
She asked me several probing questions about medications I took during an illness. I was uneasy by this line of questioning because I am no longer sick, so it seemed less relevant to my candidacy.
What would you do if you saw the person sitting next to you cheating off the person sitting in front of him during a final exam where each person's grade affects the other?
Why do you want to be a doctor? Plus many other questions already posted (catch a student cheating, drunk cardiologist, high school rank and SAT, professionalism, etc.)
Did you look over our website? Did you read about the compentency based curriculum (see "Nine Competencies"), and what do you think about this?
It is your fifth marraige anniv. and your wife is waiting for your shift to be over and you promised to take her out for dinner. As you are handing over your patients to one of your close friends, you smell alcohol. What would you do?
How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop? ( I went with the owl and said three. Consequently I was labled a follower)
Students said most interesting question asked at Indiana University School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including ethical scenarios, personal experiences, cultural competencies, and future aspirations. While the questions varied, some respondents mentioned scripted interviews, while others highlighted engaging conversations about their backgrounds and motivations for pursuing medicine.
Scenario-based questions about cultural differences and medical decision-making
What will you do if you don't get in this cycle? (they asked this as a segway into reminding me that they are one of the few schools that will give you concrete feedback on your application if you are not admitted).
None, this was by far the worst interview experience I have ever had. My interviewers did not understand the point of an interview. They spent the entire time 'grilling me' rather than getting to know me to see if I would be a good 'fit' for their school. Combative.
What would you do if you were talking to a patient, and they thought they were telling you everything you needed to know as a doctor, but you felt they were holding something back? (Something like no matter what you said, they would not tell you any more information)
What do you think about the current changes in healthcare? (This was very open ended, but I feel it let me show that I was informed about current events in medicine.)
I guess asking my SAT/ACT scores was interesting, good thing I knew it was coming and called my high school guidance department before the interview to look them up
Started with classical "what would you do if your classmate cheated?" But then he switched it up on me and asked what I would do in the professor's position if I caught one of my students cheating.
We spoke for a while about the current state of health care and possible solutions. It was interesting to hear the opinion of a practicing doctor instead of a politician or news analyst.
What did you do in high school (it's not all that interesting of a question but I didn't know they cared that much what my class rank, GPA and SAT were!!!)
If prior to surgery, your patient denied being possibly HIV positive, and then during surgery you cut yourself, then found out a week later at lunch that your patient lied, tell me step by step what do you do when you find out.
In regards to the bridge collapse in Minnesota, how would you go about inspecting bridges around the nation and what would you do if they were deemed unsafe?
What percentage of medical students admit to cheating at some time during their medical education(after they have graduated)? The answer was high, like 60%
There have been widely varying published reports on the death toll in Iraq. Why do you think this might be? If I put you in charge of finding out the real number, what would you do?
''are you sure you wanna do this?'' - im wondering if this is protocol or because im non-traditional? - it almost seemed insulting - i mean i obviously wouldn't have come this far if i was not sure!!!!!
Two people start out at the same spot. One person walks 3 miles east and four miles north. The other person walks 4 miles west and 3 miles south. How far apart are they?
What would you do if you saw another student cheating? (That was the only prepared question I think I was asked, the rest just stemmed from my application and conversation).
I was asked a lot of public health-related questions because I'm currently working on an MPH.
Would you recommend BCG vaccination for all infants? (I mentioned my interest in Infectious Disease)
I voiced an interest in pursuing a joint M.D./M.P.H. with a professional focus on public health and community-based prevention. My interviewer asked me the other schools I applied to, which included several bigger name private medical schools. She asked if I would go to a private school over a public school, given that my interests were in public health. I missed the boat with this question... I thought she was asking me whether I needed a private university for the sake of a prestigious name (which is not of concern to me), when she really wanted to impress upon me that it might be better to pursue a public health focus in a public institution (although I don't understand why that has to be the case).
If you saw one of your colleagues whos your senior fudging Medicare forms, what would you do?
if you said you would confront him, he could tell you that you wouldn't be working for him anymore, what would you do?
As a doctor practicing international medicine you may find yourself working over 70hrs/week. How would you find time to balance family and professional life as well as keeping up to date with the latest innovations in medicine?
Where is Swaziland? Then the guy really quizzed me on my research, but it was in a nice way. Then, at the end, he asked: "Is it more important to be committed to your cause, or to have a cause to be committed to?"
An 89 year old patient that you have told that they have three months to live and is under so much pain asks you to help them pass to alleviate the pain, what would you do?
Why do you think Kenyans are not supporting President Kibaki? (the interviewer helped start the IU-Kenya project and knew I lived in Kenya for a while)
All of the questions that I was asked were standard: Why IU, why medicine, and specifics about my application. I was not asked any ethical or hypothetical questions, although students who interviewed the same day but with different committee members said they were asked some ethical questions (pregnant teenager who wants an abortion, an ER doctor is drunk, etc.).
An illegal immigrant comes to you and asks for treatment, he has no way to pay for it. Do you fudge the forms a little so he appears to be a legal immigrant and can receive care (paid for by the federal gov't)?
Tell me about high school. (This one was a weird one for me because I graduated from high school eight years ago, so it seemed kind of random to ask about it. Asked what my SAT scores were and what my class rank was.)
You are on duty in the Emergency Department when you evaluate a patient with acute appendicitis. The oncall surgeon arrives and after a while you notice they are drunk. What do you do?
Pre-interview question: After the MD commented that he had Subway for lunch and was asked by the PhD if he had had an Atkins Wrap, the MD asked me what I thought about the Atkins Diet.
I am and HIV/AIDS educator and in my school's state there is an abstinent education only policy so knowing this they asked my how we get around this fact and teach safe sex (which we do)?
What do you think are the issues that will affect medicine in the next ten to fifteen years? It led to a interesting discussion of medical economics and tort reform.
Have you ever done Third World medical work? (This was followed up with the comment, "When you come here, you should go to Kenya with my group")
Ethical Question: You tell a family you believe their baby has Down's Syndrome and send off the appropriate genetic tests. Then, you discover that the baby also has a disorder where the esophagus is not correctly attached and the baby cannot eat. Surgery is necessary, but not urgent; however the baby will die if you never do surgery. Along with this disorder often come heart and lung defects as well. The parents are young and only want healthy children. They tell you not operate until the results of the genetic test are returned. If the test is postitve for Down's they do not want you to operate, and instead wish to let the baby die.
In USA how can we fix the problem of providing medical care to those who are not insured? Should seniors receive prescription medicines at reduced cost or free?
If you were in the ER doing a residency and were about to go off shift with a major trauma coming in, and your relief resident came in smelling of alcohol, what would you do?
Many new doctors tell me that narcotics are overprescribed for pain relief. What do you think?
He is a rheumatologist who treats a lot of arthritis patients in mucho pain.
with the rising hispanic population in indianapolis, is it the doctor's responsibility to know spanish or the immigrants to learn english. (this is an increasing health issue in indianapolis)
If I would be interested in joining the Gary pistol team (I was
commenting on how well my undergrad institution'
s pistol team was doing. My other interviewer literally almost
fell out of his chair laughing,
which is a great indication of how nice and laid back
my interviewers were.)
If you had an 87 y/o patient that had a terminal illness and was in a severe amount of pain, and she asked you to help her die quicker, what would you do?
Tell me about things that you have done that are non-medically related and what do you like to do for fun. This is an open-ended question which allowed me to direct the topic of the interview. After this point I began rambling about my passions and then I had the chance to tie it to medicine. The interviewers really seemed interested in getting to know me and their attentiveness was very much appreciated.
Students said most difficult question asked at Indiana University School of Medicine discussed various scenarios involving ethical dilemmas, clinical decision-making, and personal reflections, with a particular emphasis on ethical scenarios and questions related to professionalism. Many respondents also mentioned encountering multiple ethical questions, indicating a focus on ethical decision-making skills.
Tell us about how you have been involved in or observed medical decision-making during your clinical experiences.
You are a pediatric physician and two parents are concerned about their 6-year-old boy because he likes to play dress-up and thinks he is a girl. What do you say to them?
Two ethical questions: You have a 56 year old male patient with extremely high blood pressure who has told you he stopped taking his BP medication. What do you do? AND You are a 3rd year medical student and you see the attending surgeon break the sterile field. What you do you?
What would you do if a patient had an incomplete history and you could not obtain any further information? (No specific situation was indicated, just the general idea)
"Well what would you do as a medical student (question asked angrily by the interviewer) if your very best friend's family; his mother, father, brother, and sister were all killed in a fiery car crash by a drunk driver. And he couldn't deal with it so he went drinking that night and the next day didn't come into rounds because he was hungover. And he texts you asking to cover for him. What would you do?
I was asked if I consider medicine a business and if so is the patient a customer. If they are the customer does that mean we don't serve them if they can't pay?
the question about experiences with people who were different from you culturally, how their culture made them difficult to work with, and how you overcame this. just kind of weird phrasing overall.
If you weren't going into medicine, what would you do? (I had prepared for a different form of this question, i.e. if I didn't get in, but the way it was phrased made me have to come up with something on the spot.)
really nothing difficult-I was all prepared to talk about the competencies, ethical dilemmas, healthcare, but they really weren't trying to stump you with a question like that
They didn't ask me any. I was expecting some ethical questions, or questions about health care, but I didn't get even a single one! All they asked me about was my ECs.
If you could be anything, what would you be? Hard to know how to answer this one, because I still have a childish dream job in mind that would never pan out, and I do want to go to med school.
Why medicine? (mostly because he already made up his mind about why I pursued medicine and tried to make me agree with what he discerned from my application instead of accepting my response)
about 10 minutes after the interview, the interviewer asked me "do u have any questions for me?" which caught me surprised.. but after i asked one question, he went on interviewing me...
You pass an elderly man in a hospital. He falls down, isn't breathing, so you bring him back only to find out this man had a DNR. He is only alive on a ventilator so what do you do now?
Nothing really..
Oh yea, look up the core competencies (like everyone says), and other stuff about the school. Make sure they know that you'd LOVE to come there..really..
If you saw two students cheating in your first med school exam, what would you do? (And then I was asked with follow-up questions based on my response).
A hypothetical about end-of-life issues for a cancer patient. I struggled through a response, stating that my mother had just died two weeks prior due to cancer. Yeah, a bit rough.
You are from the northwest, you are a white male, and you are unlikely to serve in an underserved community. Why should we accept you? You are exactly what we are not looking for.
A boy comes into the ER and he has a bruise on his head. You realize he has bruises all over his body, he is being beaten. What would you do? Then you come to realize that the mother's boyfriend is responisble for this. What would you do? Then you notice the mothers bruises. What is your role as a physician and when should society's role begin?
''what do you know about the 9 core competencies?'' i was not sure if i was supposed to repeat them all at this point or what? i didn't remember them all anyways, so i just mentioned one that i remembered and thought was important
How do you think that we (Indiana University) could assess whether or not our students are learning all the aspects of our competency-based curriculum?
So what do you know about IUSM? (Just felt like I didn't get a whole lot of experiences to fully talk about their campus and facilities, tour was minimal and after my interview)
My interviewer pointed out that I was lacking in recent, long-term volunteer experience. It was hard to explain my reasoning for that without sounding like I was making lame excuses.
Let's say you have a patient who's eighty-nine years old and is dying of cancer. You have determined he has three months left to live, and he tells you that he thinks he's lived a good enough life and that the three months do not make a difference to him. However, he does complain about the pain and tells you he doesn't want to go through three more months of it and wants to know what you can do for him.
As a doctor practicing international medicine you may find yourself working over 70hrs/week. How would you find time to balance family and professional life as well as keeping up to date with the latest innovations in medicine?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I know it always shows up but for some reason it was difficult to answer.
Another: what is professionalism? I would answer and the second interviewer would say "ok but what else can you add?" by the way, we can find different answers in one of the school's brochure that they send you ahead of time: i saw it a week after my interview!!!!!!!!
if you were a student and noticed that a patient was wheezing and the resident came by and brushed the patient off, claiming nothing was wrong, and something ended happening to the patient, what would you do?
No difficult questions. We just basically went through my file in chronological order, starting from high school and covering why I chose my undergrad school, why I chose my majors/minors, extracurricular activities, work experience, grad school, why medicine...up to the present day.
Nothing to hard, just the usual. Why do you want to be a doctor? What made you decide you were interested in medicine? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
None really...we started off with ...."So what brings you here"....I am out-of-state so I knew this question was coming.....next was as usual "Why medicine and why now" ... I am non-traditional so I knew that would be asked too....
Where do you see yourself in 20 years...thats like when i am 40!!!! i dont know....in a living room eating doritos and screaming at the 10 kids 'I plan to have' to keep it down.....???
The committee is interested in knowing more about how students deal with ethical situations...describe a time when you've had to make an ethical decision.
Lately, many physicians have decided to change their profession because they do not enjoy the field of medicine, how do you know that this will not be the case with you?
Do I believe in the fact in USA major diseases occur because people have poor nutrition, such as eating fast, fatty food and do not exercise, e.g. diabetes and heart problems?
If you were about to leave for the night and one of the patients you had been caring for took a turn for the worse, what would you do? Take into consideration that you have already worked the mandated 80 hour work week and if you stay you may jeopardize the hospitals accreditation.
The above narcotic question was the hardest,but all of the rest were routine with no surprises. I did hear one applicant complaining because her interviewer showed her a slip of paper with about 10 fractions written on it and asked her which was the smallest fraction. After a few seconds she couldn't come up with an answer and he took the paper away, then continued with the interview. She said it totally threw her off.
None of the questions I was asked were that difficult, although a couple of friends mentioned getting questions about their views on abortion/euthanasia/gene therapy.
The questions weren't difficult, although I felt there were definitely right and wrong answers. Being from Indiana, I was asked if I would stay in the state after medical school. They obviously want their students to remain in Indiana, and answering the question was difficult to do while still be honest.
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?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by reading Student Doctor Network (SDN) interview questions, practicing common responses, reviewing their application materials, and researching the school's website and curriculum. Additionally, mock interviews, practicing speaking responses out loud, and staying updated on current events in medicine were common preparation strategies.
Read SDN interview questions for IU, wrote out responses to commonly asked questions, practiced speaking my responses in a mirror and with other people
SDN, mock interviews, IUSM research, refreshed on EC's and application flaws. Several common interview questions (why medicine, tell me about yourself, why IU) were asked.
Practiced the basic questions (Why medicine, greatest strength and weakness, background information, hobbies, extracurriculars, etc.). Additionally, I researched the school beforehand and watched the YouTube videos they have posted online. Overall, the interview was very conversational and my preparation did not help much in this instance (other than "why medicine").
I read articles online which gave possible lists of questions that could be asked in interviews. I also tried to come up with situations I've been in that could fulfill questions such as, "Tell me a time when you overcame adversity/helped someone/etc., ..."
Practicing answering questions on SDN and other sources (beware though, a lot of the questions more than a few years old on here don't seem to be used anymore, at least for me, e.g. define professionalism, if you saw a classmate cheating, etc.), Reviewing my application, Know some general info on curriculum (I wasn't asked directly about this, but I was given an opportunity to show that I knew some of the competencies)
Read this website. Read a little on the core competencies. I felt that they liked that I knew a little about the curriculum and the different regional campuses. Have a good reason for why you want to attend IU, whether you are IS or OOS.
Read through SDN feedback, though I was not asked any questions about ethics. I suspect this is because they were more interested in using the time to talk about my life experiences.
Read their website, looked at my AMCAS application, talked to a friend who's a first year there to get advice, and watched the IU competencies video online (make sure you mention that you know these!!!)
I read over my amcas application, looked over the most recent interview feedback on sdnet and wrote up answers, caught up on some current events, browsed a medical ethics book
I studied the IUSM Core Values and Guiding Principles. This is a big focus of the school. IU is really emphasizing professionalism. Most everyone I spoke to had something related to this theme.
Being my first one, I may have went over-the-top:
Aside from SDN, reviewed AMCAS and several essays from apps and my History of Medicine seminar, FeedForward, practiced interview questions with Steph on the drive down.
Went through the StudentDoctor.net questions, talked with friends who had already interviewed, reviewed my high school & college activities/SAT scores/HS GPA (none of these were ever discussed)
IU Med School website was very helpful. I read lots of other StudentDoctor.net reviews, but I was not asked ONE SINGLE QUESTION that was listed on this website. (So don't be fooled... be prepared for anything...). I also read "Health Care Meltdown" by Rober LeBow before the interview... this book was IMMENSELY helpful in putting some current challenges of the U.S. Health Care system into context.
I just tried to be prepared for any basic questions they might ask, I looked at this site for questions other people had been asked, and I tried to be relaxed.
Read IU brochure and website; thought about how I would answer questions that were bound to come up like "why medicine" and "why IU."
This site, went over other standard questions, and extensively searched Indiana website.....They were pretty impressed with the "in-depth" questions I was asking about curriculum and school.
I tried like crazy for over 2 hours to get thru Indianapolis traffic/construction! Between the construction and the wrecks on the interstate, I was doomed from the beginning. (typical day in Indy)
Read the information sent to me by the school, looked at school's website, reviewed AMCAS application, talked to othre friends who had already interivewed at IU.
Not much.....read the SF chronicle that I brought with me on my flight and I watched CNN in the morning as I was getting dressed for the interview. However, I did not get a single question abotu current events. Go figure.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendly and conversational nature of the interviewers, the welcoming and enthusiastic attitude of current students, the high-quality facilities and resources available on campus, the multiple campus options, and the emphasis on creating a low-stress environment during the admissions process. Suggestions include continuing to maintain the positive and supportive atmosphere, highlighting the diverse opportunities for students, and ensuring ongoing improvements and expansions to facilities and programs.
My interviewers explicitly stated that they wanted the interview to be low-stress. They answered my questions intelligently and graciously and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to ask them. They appeared very engaged and curious about my thought processes and responses.
Everyone was extremely kind and transparent. The interview itself was very conversational and the first thing my interviewer did was introduce themselves in-depth and do some ice breakers. Overall, very kind people at the admissions committee.
The student panel was an M1, M2, and M3 so you had many perspectives. They also emphasized that they wanted this to be as stress free as possible, and they are really trying to see if you are a "normal" person and can get along with others
The interviewers, the regional campus' dean, a community physician, and a lecturer, were very kind and answered many questions that I had. The dean was also very honest about how difficult classes were and that many professors might try to put students "on the spot" which is stressful, but helps them learn material effectively. Also, I love the fact that I can choose among nine campuses, all of which have different benefits.
Nothing. Unbelievably atrocious interview experience. This school should be ashamed of its admissions process. I am absolutely disgusted by their treatment of pre-medical students during the interview day. I'm sure my experience would have been completely different had I been interviewed by a decent, reasonable, intelligent person. Unfortunately that was not the case. Good luck everyone.
My interviewer was extremely friendly and made me feel comfortable right away. I'd heard that IU has pretty relaxed interviews, but everyone says it depends on your interviewer. My interviewer was phenomenal and conducted a very conversational interview. I was really relaxed, and she talked to me too (instead of just firing questions at me with no feedback). I was very impressed with my interviewer. Also, the med students there were really friendly and mingled with us, answering questions and giving us advice/insight. They were extremely helpful and candid.
The interview was very laid back, very conversational. My interviewers were more interested in getting to know me than in making the interview difficult.
Compared to other interviews I have had, this interview was great. It was really just a conversation and they both had read my file and were prepared to ask me insightful questions.
All of their hospitals were, literally, on campus. Also, I stayed with a student host and he had nothing but great things to say about the school. Above all, what was really impressive is that you can select which campus you want to attend. IUSM has 1 main campus is Indy, and 8 satellite campuses throughout the state. Each campus constructs their curriculum off the same format, but each campus have differences when teaching the material. In general, Indy campus is more problem-based learning, while South Bend is more group oriented (group base learning).
numerous affiliate hospitals and the excellent board scores at all campuses. The med students, even the random ones we talked to on our tour, seemed to like the school a lot.
The buildings are all very new and the med students were all nice except for the one interviewing me (well i'm sure he is nice too, just not professional)
Hmm good question..lol jk...its a good school, and the core competencies thingy is a step in the right direction.
Cost of living is really cheap in Indianapolis
The fin. aid session was kinda long in my opinion...but everything else was nice n quick! Thats how I love it.
Seems to be lots of medical opportunities in the city.
And yea, the students do amazing on their Step 1...
The facilities are awesome, Indy is a perfect city (good things to do without the crazy traffic and crime of other large cities), IU's amazing board score and match stats
The campus is pretty nice and compact, which I find nice since it's not directly IN the city. There are some amazing hospitals that you would get to be a part of as well.
The faculty were all very friendly and helpful. The students seemed to really enjoy going to school here. Overall it seemed as though everyone was very approachable.
The facilities and the wide array of options for rotations and the proximity of all the hospitals. The friendliness of the students was almost surprising. They were very helpful and encouraging.
The interviewers seemed friendly and genuinely interested in what I had to say. We had lunch with three med students if different years, and we could ask them anything about IU, med school, life as a medical student, residencies, etc.
Everyone was really friendly. The tour guides were enthusiastic. Their facilities are great. They had a record-high USMLE pass rate for this past year's second year students. They just got streaming video to re-watch lectures online.
The facilities are awesome. Riley's hospital is wonderful. The clinical experience seems very worthwhile because your exposed to many different hospital settings right on campus.
I enjoyed the amenities available to students (student center, nice medical science building). Wide range of opportunities to rotate through several excellent hospitals.
The faculty was really interested in the prospect of meeting and educating new students. It seemed like they take a lot of pride in making sure their students are well prepared for residencies and medical careers.
Everyone I talked to seemed really nice. I like the hospitals, especially Riley, and how close they are to campus. I liked that they focus on the human aspect of medicine...I don't think the competencies will actually teach people to be compassionate, but it's nice to know that they think it's important.
The students were friendly and very realistic. They were positive about the school and gave honest and helpful advice. Dr. Beckman was friendly, professional, and interested in me as a person. I really feel that he is an advocate for his prospective students.
The facilities are certainly great; most of them are quite new, the school is expanding in size. The students that I met there are very enthusiastic about the school.
Students were really enthusiastic, and my interviewers were really laid back and joking around during my interview. My interview did not seem like it was 45 min long at all.
Indianapolis: city is tight! Great restaurants and mall area; all entertainment is within walking distance of campus (if you're not lazy); there's a Shula's (best cheesecake ever).
Riley is lovely - I got to meet with an endocrinologist the night before my interview; he gave me a tour of the clinics/neonatal ward/etc.; specialty departments at least at Riley seem to have NO understaffing problems.
IU: expanding...eventually will be largest medical campus in U.S. Facilities, with exeption of the cadaver lab, are top notch, including library system. The ''skywalk to everywhere'' is nice. THE most organized MD/MBA program I've encountered is at IU.
Personnel/interviewers: Friendly. Very nice receptionist in the microbio dept. Interviewers were a couple of jokesters...good attitudes, kept it relaxed, no complaints at all.
My interviewer was one of the coolest guys I've ever met. The Indy campus is an impressive facility, especially if you're interested in pediatrics since Riley is right there.
the students were helpful and encouraging. i interviewed with dr beckman and he was one of the friendliest people i have ever met. it was just a good atmosphere.
There is a lot of construction and new building on campus including clinics, research buildings, hospitals, ect. I also like how there are so many hosptials in close proximity to the campus. Lastly, the people at IU are super nice. They have that welcoming midwestern attitutde.
Everyone was very friendly and willing to answer questions. There were a lot of medical students around willing to give their opinion and answer anything.
The facilities and hospitals were fabulous and very up to date. The students were helpful in answering questions and were interested in trying to answer them.
All the facilities are very nice, all the students I interacted with were very willing to answer questions. There was a reception for underrepresented minority students that was very nice.
Every student I spoke with was VERY positive about the school. The interview was with a physician, in a casual atmosphere. There is a large focus on expanding IU's research capability, which should increase the prestige of the institution in the near future.
My interviewer was VERY nice, and since I am a minority, I got to meet with other minorities and everyone was really cool. Students came to talk to us and most seemed like they really liked it.
The school and its facilities seem top-notch. Lots of famous people have either worked there or were treated there. The facilities are newly remodeled. The hospitals and campus impressed me as well.
The admissions staff and my interviewer were all warm, friendly people. The Indianapolis campus is surrounded by hospitals, most of which are within reasonable walking distance from the medical school.
I really did not expect the facilities to be that nice, especially comparing to my other interviews. Going to the Indianapolis campus would be pretty nice I think.
There was the opportunity to talk to current students and they were really nice and answered any questions we had for them. From questions about the classes, the application process, the social life, anything.
I enjoyed talking with my interviewer and all of the staff were very helpful. I am excited about the option of satellite campuses (though my first choice is Indy) and how they all have something different to offer.
The facilities were really nice, I was impressed with the competency-based curriculum and the progressive, forward-thinking nature of Indiana. I also liked the connectedness of the hospitals.
Everything was very laid back. The interviewer went out of his way to try and make me feel comfortable. It was just like chatting with someone in their office for a little while.
The Indianapolis campus is affiliated with many impressive hospitals, giving great teaching potential. The students seem happy at IU and indicated that there is a cooperative atmosphere.
The professor I interviewed with was very impressive. It was not stressful, but rather conversational.
Very nice facilities/buildings/campus grounds. I like the fact that the school offers a monorail between different hospitals--makes it easier if you are doing your residency in Indianapolis. Faculty and students were very nice and helpful. Interviewers tried hard to make me feel comfortable and welcome. The pediatric hospital at IU is supposed to be #1 in the nation.
the exposure students can get because of having a V.A., private, county, and children's hospital. IU is doing a lot of building and improving, esp. with research facilities, but also in the anatomy lab. they also have a great financial aid office.
The school is on there way up. Their facilites in biophysics and biochemistry were amazing. The state clearly is putting a lot of money into the program.
The students were extremely friendly and excited to be at IU. Also, the close proximity of a variety of hospitals provides many clinical opportunities. They are also building more research facilities in a push to become one of the top med schools. Also they have opportunities to go to Kenya!!
IU SOM in Indianapolis has some very nice facilities, and I didn't know there were so many hospitals right next to the med school campus. The students seemed nice and friendly, but all they talked about was medicine--no outside interests.
Relaxed atmosphere but still professional. Everyone was nice and helpful. I thought the 1/2 hour information session on the school and the optional financial aid information sessions were nice. I felt like they were trying to sell the school to us, not that we had to sell ourselves to them.
All of the students I encountered were virtually ecstatic about attending this school. The financial aid director was extremely informative and very respected by the students.
I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed this interview. The doctors that interviewed me were both extremely animated and compassionate people. They were both really interested in who I was and what makes me tick as a person. It felt pretty good also to have them tell me they hoped I would come to IU! It was very nice to feel that they were trying to sell me on the school.
The friendliness of the interviewers. How well maintained the school is and the facilities offered to students. You have a choice of nine different campuses for you first two years.
Everyone was very enthusiastic about the school from the admissions officers to the students to the interviewers. As an in-state student, I thought that I would not be impressed by IU. I was actually feeling mostly apathetic on the drive to the interview. Instead I found myself thinking that I could really see myself as a student. The international and research opportunities for students are outstanding. I also met several other interview candidates that I could really see as my future classmates.
EXCELLENT resources and facilities. It is a large institution with tons of cutting edge medical and scientific programs. I'm not interested in research at all but it's neat to have all of that information and technology available.
Campus is really nice, have their own hospital and easy access to others nearby.
the student lunch was sweet---they even tried to sneak us in the anatomy lab, but they change the codes every year :)
very professional, organized, and low stress
It was my first interview, so I was just stoked that everyone was so friendly and doing so much to welcome me. Also, other applicants seem to be great people. Facilities were fantastic, and though it's in the Midwest, Indy isn't shut off from civilization.
The hospitals surrounding the school seemed well-developed and very busy. In addition, the student who ate lunch with us was awesome. He was very positive.
How much was being built around the campus. Lots of
funding coming in now and over the next couple years.
The research is already really good (lots of projects
involved with Purdue and their new Biomedical engineering
department) and is only going to get better. The people are
really nice, too.
the curriculum has a lot to offer in terms of meeting your specific learning style. they have a campus that has lecture from 9-3 or a campus that has lecture from 10-noon, small groups, every sort of style--but it does mean that your class (which is rather large) gets split up
The campus is clean and many buildings are either new or newly renovated. The new monorail system is also amazing (when it's complete in a few months).
The campus is very nice (compared to my home school) and the student were very helpful. They had things plannedl for all day (a meeting with everybody at lunch, financial aid meeting, group lunches with students (I had ~6interviewees and 2 med students), they provide breakfast and lunch, and campus tours. It was nice to meet the other students being interviewed.
I enjoyed walking around Riley Hospital because I was amused by the environment of the children's hospital. I have never seen a barney or a curious george that huge. I was also amused by the fact that they are constructing a monorail to connect their hospitals. The only monorail I have ridden is at Disneyland.
Applicants commonly expressed negative impressions of the lack of personalization in their interviews, feeling like just a number in a large pool of applicants, the disorganized or uninformative tour experiences, and concerns about the school's facilities, campuses, and student body diversity. Suggestions included improving interviewer engagement, providing more personalized experiences, enhancing tour quality, and addressing concerns about campus locations and class size.
The Zoom interview module closed automatically when the interview time was up, making a proper sign-off difficult.
The zoom interview did not have a time extension and abruptly ended at 40 minutes. Fortunately we were in the process of concluding and my questions had been answered.
Not much to be honest. There were a lot of individuals interviewing at once, so questions were quite difficult to ask during the student and financial aid panels.
The interview showed up 10 minutes late to the interview, and left about 10 minutes early. She asked standard questions off of a piece of paper, and asked absolutely nothing about me, my hobbies, or my application that was not written for her to ask. That aspect felt very impersonal.
The interviewer didn't seem like she cared about me. There were no follow-up questions based off what I said; it was not a 'conversation.' It's different from a lot of other med school interviews in that way. It almost seemed that my interviewer was reading off a script
Didn't have enough time to get through the full financial aid presentation which was a shame because the guy really knew his stuff and had some excellent content in the slides. Would have loved to hear his full presentation.
I'm from Indiana, and it truly is a fly-over state. I don't love living among nothing but cornfields and cattle, so of course, the location is not ideal.
My entire experience with IUSM was horrible. My interviewers were combative, disrespectful, disinterested in my answers. They had made up their minds from the moment I shook their hands.
I have very high stats, and my first question was: "Why did you even apply here?"
This was followed by a long list of ridiculous ethical questions including:
"Well what would you do as a medical student (question asked angrily by the interviewer) if your very best friend's family; his mother, father, brother, and sister were all killed in a fiery car crash by a drunk driver. And he couldn't deal with it so he went drinking that night and the next day didn't come into rounds because he was hungover. And he texts you asking to cover for him. What would you do?"
Very little information provided during the day. No tour of the medical school. Hour long brief about financial aid, but much shorter brief about the school, curriculum, campuses, …
The interview day seemed "factory-like" because of the number of applicants and the whole day had a stressful feel to it since the interviews were all at the end of the day.
I hate to criticize, but after a number of other interviews, this one was very unimpressive. Some applicants got lost finding their room, there was a lot of wasted time (downtime), the sheer volume of other applicants made you feel like student number xyz, when asked what they liked most about the school, 3 med students gave very generic answers and I had to push them to get something specific. Not exactly the heartfelt passion I was hoping for.
No tour?? Seriously?? A couple of us ended up taking our own tour.
everyone said they were super friendly, and I guess I was just expecting them to treat me like royalty, b/c i didn't think they were over-the-top friendly. they were not mean, just normal. Although, I'm from indiana, so maybe everyone just behaves that way here?
Some students were left to their own devices to find their way to their interview rooms. I was lucky as my interview was in the main building, but I heard stories of other students getting lost.
The med student that interviewed me, he was yawning, came half and hour late to the interview and asked a political question. My interview ended up being longer than an hour which could have been bad. Also there isn't much diversity in the school (reasoning I was given for this is because the State of indiana isn't very diverse which really isn't a good answer). Mostly fast food restaurants and burger places, no ethnic cuisine.
Ok a couple things...and not tryin to beat down on the school..
1) Very lil or no diversity. I'm international, and love meetin pple of all races/color etc., but Indiana is VERY VERY HOMOGENOUS. An indianapolis, and ya the med school itself is idk very homogenous if you catch my drift ie. very white. If thats how you like your coffee, then go for it. But ja that was idk not too cool..
2) Idk I talked to just a few med students...and unlike the other med school's i've interviewed at, I just didnt feel the vibe and excitement from the med students to be there. I just cldn't feel it at all. Mayb it was cos they were havin exams or something, but it just wasnt there. And ja, just a few of them came to sit n chill n talk w us. Kinda weird, but no real excitement to be there at all...
Maybe it was just me tho'..
3) VERY VERY EXPENSIVE for out of state..just ridiculous. REAL turn off, I was like what the heck!??
My interview was the very last of the day on the first full day of interviews. Since IU interviews about 100 students at a time, I'm sure my interviewers were tired. However, that is not an excuse for one of them DOSING OFF during my interview. Basically one of them asked questions while the other was literally falling asleep. That definitely reflected very negatively on the school and their representatives.
That where you interviewed and saw might not be where you end up going since there are 8 sites where med students are sent and you won't know where you're going until after you have accepted.
The class size... 330 and growing. Also, they have eight (I think) regional locations, which I'm not a fan of, although you would find out your location in ~April (so before you had to make a decision).
Also, the interview day was one of the worst I've been on, which is a shame because it is a great state school. I had an immense amount of downtime and also I was not a huge fan of ~100 people interviewing.
The tour guide was horrible-she just read a bit off of a piece of paper and didn't even tell us her name. Also, there was a lot of down time during the day, probably because there were a lot of people being interviewed at different times.
Based on the other interviewees I met and my interviewer's reaction to my file, I am guessing I am pretty non-traditional for Indiana. Most people who attend IU have lived in-state their whole lives. I fear the class would not be very diverse not just in terms of race, but also in terms of world view, life experiences, etc.
Most of the questions were asked by the same interviewer; the other one typed everything we said. And I had a wee bit of trouble finding the room I was interviewing in.
Lunch was a bit cramped in some small rooms. Yes, it was intimate, but with a dozen nervous people wearing suits in a small cramped room on a hot day... well.. youget the idea...
For out-of-staters, the school is very expsensive! Otherwise, nothing much- I just felt that I could have used greater interaction with some actual docs there.
A few of the other interviewees, actually. I know we're all technically competing, but some should show a little humility and be open to stimulating conversation.
I don't really like the prospect of going to one of the satellite campuses...this is probably what will be the ''turn-off'' (if any) for most applicants.
Minor complaint: my interview was scheduled at a time that interrupted a talk by the Med School big cheese (this happened to a few of us who were scheduled in the afternoon). Would have liked to stay for that.
There were a lot of interviews given that day, so you feel like a drop in the bucket. But the groups were split up so it wasnt really that big of a deal.
Where do I start? There were 100 students interviewing that day (99 to be exact), and so the students didn't click like on my other interviews. The person interviewing me didn't smile, and read questions off the page. It was as if he had made up his mind about me and just had to do the interview for the sake of it. It totally turned me off. I wanted to withdraw my application right there. I probably will because I will not go there even if accepted (already have 2 acceptances in hand from schools that I actually like, don't even know why I went to IU). I truly disliked the experience.
The immaturity level of the students at the lunch was astounding. They directed us to go around the room identifying our favorite body part; one med student said ''inner thigh''. Highly inappropriate.
they ran out of veggie lunches (apparently for the first time in history) - they should have made sure that vegetarians got first pick or had some way for us to notify them beforehand of our dietary restriction or let us know that this might happen and to bring food - also, the city is tiny and seemed totally deserted even during their so-called ''morning rush hour'' - it was pretty depressing - also, the lack of diversity but that was expected given that indiana is not exactly a diverse state
For being such a large campus the students don't do a lot of research currently. The thought of satelite campuses has it pros and cons. The cons are that you are more or less sent to a random campus around the state for your first two years. Although you fill out a preference, only half the campus gets to stay in Indy. They creates a disconnect between the satelite students and those at the main campus in Indy.
Everything on the tour day was very unorganized. The interviewer was 45 min late, I was late for lunch and no one was directing us. When two other applicants and I finally found out where to eat lunch only vegetarian lunches were left and we had not place to sit so we just found an empty room. Also, no guides were around to assist in finding interview locations. My interview ended up being in the Children's hospital (far from the original meeting spot) in a psychiatrist's office. Overall it was a bad day.
The building that the anatomy lab was in was kind of old and not very nice looking. It was certainly functional, though, and appearances aren't the most important thing. I'm also not sure how I feel about the 9 different campuses throughout the state.
$64,000 out of state is high. It has a great program and if accepted I'll go, but that's a big price tag. No guarantee about what satellite you end up at.
The students seemed like they were just trying to sell med school instead of selling IU. They kept telling us how they never have to go to class, which I guess was supposed to impress us.
out of state tuition and the fact that they are looking at 11-20% tuition increases and that may not be just for one year...:( Also, the whole day seemed like very on your own for going to your interview and the various sessions. There were a lot of people interviewing at once though.
In the interview, I would have liked to have had the opportunity to talk about my interest in medicine more (as opposed to my background in public health).
I'm from Los Angeles, so the culture shock of living in Indianapolis would take some adjustment. I stayed an extra night so I could explore the city, but it was pretty deserted once it got dark. The idea of spending my first two years at an even smaller satelite campus is not appealing.
I REALLY don't like the satellite campus. Being from California, Indiana is already a culture shock. Don't really want to be stuck in a tiny-tiny town.
I really didn't like the interview. I seemed very nonpersonal. The interviewer just asked me questions straight off of a piece of paper and really did ask any detail questions. Also there was a very large group of people there.
Two things: going out to check out Indianapolis. It almost seemed like a ghost town to me cause for some reason, there weren't too many people out. Also, there were SO many interviewees so everyone was just looking at each other as we waited, and it was kinda weird.
Everyone said how "laid-back" their interviews were, but mine was not laid-back at all. I felt like it was more of an interrogation than a "conversation" like some said.
As everybody says, the tour. Also, one of my interviewers was quite aggressive while the other one was very nice, overall the only negative impression was the number of people who interviewed on the same day! that was scary!
There were at least 100 people interviewing the same day. Also, I felt somewhat out of place since there was an overabundance of minorities interviewing (probably 85% minorities). I don't really know why.
Out-of-state people don't get residency ever, also the fact that you don't get to find out which campus you are going to be at until after you accept. Also there is no on-campus housing and parking seems hard to find.
On interview day, there were many applicants (50+), so the day was not as personal as at other schools. The student that I ate lunch with admitted that she was accepted at IU after being denied the previous 2 years, and the student giving the tour said she does not attend class often. These didn't seem like great representatives.
the guy never asked about my research. this would normally be OK, but I have more than the typical person. he never even brought up my publication record as well (I made sure to, though)
Everything else! Lousy tour that amounted to "here is a lecture room.... the library.... student union" (wow! photo op!). Also, the information session was nothing more than a summary of the website. At the end of the day, I knew exactly what I knew going in (and I still have [at best] a vague notion of IU)
IU will admit 280 students this year. Although the faculty and staff seemed very friendly and interested, it may be difficult to distinguish yourself from 280 other students. Additionally, not all students will attend IU at the Indianapolis campus for the first year (this may not appeal to some students). I was told by other students to absolutely avoid the Gary, Indiana campus (lots of violence, gunshots, etc.). I was especially turned off by the exorbitant cost of tuition for non-residents (average cost of attending IU for 4 years, including tuition/books/supplies and cost of living, as a non-resident: $273,000). Ouch.
The attitude toward non-indy residents. The students we had lunch with basically told us that it's not worth it unless you're from indy. Not very encouraging right before my interview!
The M.D. admissions staff were a little late getting started, and I had a Ph.D. interview at 8:30 am, so I was really pressed for time to get registered. The combined degree staff were very organized and helpful
The tour wasn't very organized. It was pretty much just someone pointing to the different buildings. Also, there were TONS of people interviewing on the same day.. it was a little overwhelming.
There were tons of people interviewing on the same day as me. Plus, parking was insane! I got there 30 minutes early and it took me most of that time to find parking in the lot they said to park in. We did not see any of the hospitals on the tour, which I would have liked. Luckily, my interview was in one of the hospitals so I got to see a little. ALso, I do not like the fact that I could be placed in Podunk, IN for my first two years.
Absolutely no interest on the part of students or faculty in anything other than medicine. No medical humanities, few international rotation opportunities. The class size is huge if you get assigned to Indy, but you could end up in Gary or Terre Haute with 16 other people in your class for the first two years. Also, although there are many married students and even a significant number with children, there is no childcare facility in any of the hospitals that med students can use.
The fact that the interview was so impersonal. My interviewer basically filled out required forms during the interview while I just answered questions so he could fill out the form. Most of the information was already on my AMCAS application. I also didn't like how many students get interviewed on the same day.
I did not sense an open atmosphere from the current students or faculty. My interview was at 9:00am so I had a lot of down time during the day. Also my second interviewer did not show up because he wanted to interview a MD/Ph.D perspective student
The parking garage I parked in (eventually) was apparently not on the campus map. I wandered around til I was about to pass out before finally arriving (late) for my interview. UGH!
The organization of the day was not impressive. The tour was a fifteen minute walk outside basically to get us to a location for a presentation. The lunch was not well organized to ensure there were enough medical students to speak with the interviewees.
Although Indianapolis is nice, I am uncertain as to if I would like to live there for four years seeing as how I have become accustom to the mountains.
The student panel/lunch seemed to be unorganized. I got the impression that rooms had not been reserved and students available to serve on the panel were kind of last minute additions.
Large and impersonal. It is a typical large university setting where you have to cut your own path without a lot of personal attention from your instructors. I have no problem with this environment but it is certainly not for everyone. You are but one of thousands of squirrels trying to find their nut. Don't go if you can't handle that.
Tour sucked!!! Given by a med student and lasted a grand total of 10 minutes.
The fact that I was interviewing with 100+ other applicants that day. Although the Med School staff is super nice to the applicants, by cramming so many interviews into one day, I really felt that I wasn't given as much personal attention as at other places or a chance to see what the school was REALLY all about.
The size of the school, probability of getting placed in places like Gary, uniformity in the student population, location of the school, age of some of the buildings at which lectures are held, and the waiting time during the interview day. I also feel that my interviewer did not take the time to read my file before my interview. Maybe he did, but he did not make any references to my personal statement and he asked me questions that were directly answered in my file. He was also late.
Medical Student tour was rushed and felt thrown together, I interview right "after" lunch which ment 10 min to eat, then run to the correct room. Some students complained about first 2 years, some campuses tougher than others, would like to see standardized exams across all campus locations.
I grew up in Indiana but lived the past five years in Boston,
so Indianapolis impressed me the least. Its getting
better, but I'd rather be in a more cosmopolitan area. Plus,
the winter is cold in Indy.
#1 The large nunber of people being interviewed (about 100).
#2 The current med students. They acted as if we were total idiots with no self confidance, quite insulting.
#3 The large class size (280). About 750 med students on campus.
#4 Expense for out of state applicants $3500+ for all four years
#5 How easily Hoosiers are impressed by a mono-rail (reminds me of the Simpsons episode)
The regional campus setup is unappetizing to say the least. Having grown up in Indiana, I know where I would like to study and where I would not. I don't need to be placed in a remote location in Indiana for two years.
The fact that you might have to go to one of their campuses other than the one at Indy. Your given choices, but if you get stuck in one, you can't really appeal the decision.
The lack of diversity definitely concerned me. I also got a few ignorant questions from some of my fellow interviewees. I hope this was in no way a reflection of the mentality of the area. In addition, I was not to thrilled about the manner in which they accomodate such a huge entering class. I do not want to be place on one of their campuses in boonsville. Apparently, they have several campuses and you don't neccesarily get to choose to remain in Indianpolis.
that students have the 'option' of spending the first two years in 9 different campuses...gary, terre haute, muncie, evansville, fort wayne, west laffayette, bloomington, south bend, and indianapolis...if you don't get indianapolis or bloomington, you may get stuck in gary...also, i was not impressed by the lack of diversity among the current students and interviewees...but such is indiana...
Many applicants wished they had known about the downtime between check-in and interviews, the conversational nature of the interview with questions from a scripted list, the importance of competency-related experiences, and the emphasis on ethical questions. They also recommended preparing for scenario and ethical questions, staying relaxed during the interview, and being familiar with the school and its campuses.
There were about 40 minutes of down time in between the time when I checked in and the time when my interview began.
To prepare more for scenario questions. I had prepared somewhat, but my mind was blank when she asked me what I would do in specific situations. Just to remember basic things that would apply to all scenarios, and really have those down.
Interview questions were scripted and the location on google and apple maps was incorrect. I ended up in a empty field at first. The actual building was a quarter of a mile away.
Definitely brush up on your knowledge of the ACGME competency categories. See http://mse.medicine.iu.edu/curricular-affairs/curriculum/competencies.html
How much of an asshole my interviewers would be. Focused completely on one minor alcohol-related incident that occurred during my undergraduate career. My interviewers were bullies. Took advantage of the power difference in the interviewer-interviewee relationship.
It's ok to bring a big purse. :) I brought a little one that was just big enough to fit my mini travel umbrella (just in case it rained) and I also brought a padfolio. But honestly, no one really cares what you bring, as long as you look professional. So don't bring a backpack or something, but make sure you have a nice looking folder to hold the papers they give you and paper if you want to take any notes.
They provided some snacks at the beginning but I was too nervous to eat, so basically I didn't eat between breakfast and 5pm. I wish I had eaten or packed a snack.
This had a much more laid back feeling than I was expecting. I definitely over prepared, especially being able to spout out the 9 competencies and their definitions at all 3 levels-not necessary.
Ask the interviewers about the 9 competencies before they can ask you. I did this, and so, escaped a 9 comp. question. But I did prepare to discuss them in depth if they wanted to.
Get there early because you are on your own to find your interview location. Mine was a good 10 to 15 minute walk away, through two other buildings and upstairs. Luckily, I was early to check-in or I would have been late to my interview.
The the interviews would be running so late. I appreicate that they took their time talking to individuals, but got out of my interview 2 hours later than expected. If I were flying, I would probably have missed my flight.
That I would miss the info session and the financial aid session and be asked thoroughly about my high school experiences as opposed to anything else I ever did.
Be prepared to play the waiting game after your interview. I interviewed in October and did not hear back until mid-April. Also, follow-up thoroughly (I cannot stress this enough) after submitting any information. The admissions office mistakenly input my committee letter as a single faculty letter, which was not caught until I called to verify its receipt.
That I would not get asked at all about the core competencies, I spent a great deal of time memorizing and formulating answers for any questions they might have had about them.
I wish I had known the wide range of questions they would ask. The interview consisted of talking about myself, to talking about current news, to talking about future theoretical situations.
Lots of downtime if you didnt have the sweeeeeeeeeeeet schedule that I did. You cld interview at any time of the day, from 9am, or even at 3pm...so be prepared.
I had a sweet day, and had stuff back to back till 2pm, was done then. But many were not soo lucky.
Since I've done this once before, I knew to expect a lot of downtime. I asked the greeters if I could go on my tour and financial aid sessions at different times than I was scheduled so I wouldn't have to miss things for my interview and could leave earlier.
That no one else was bringing any guests/parents to see tour the school. Also there was a very high number of interviewers interviewing on the same day.
there are 8 satellite campuses all over that state of Indiana that are affiliated with IU. There is no guarantee that you will spend your first 2 years in Indianapolis.
Lots of downtime-I'm glad I had a campus map, because I just walked around myself to make up for the awful tour. They don't seem to expect you to just go back to the check-in place and sit between things, which a lot of people did. I was at least able to do something in between.
That although they offer an MD/MPH, most people do not complete the MPH while they are in med school (according to my interviewer). They are likely to wait until they begin residency.
There were 100 people interviewing that day and we had some unstructured time where we just sat around. I wish IU had narrowed it down a bit more ahead of time.
With all the walking I did downtown the night before, I wish I had brought my AND-1s...
Many interested applicants may be disappointed to find out that the tour does not go through Riley, but merely showcases the lobby and McDonald's. I'd suggest you get the hookup there and get a tour the day before/after your interview as I did.
that just because they offer an interview does NOT mean they are really considering you (I received my notice of my interview before I sent in my secondary)
I wish that I had known that you could have two interviewers at once. I was under the impression that even if you had two interviewers they interviewed you individually- this definately changed the dynamic of the interview.
I wish I had known how much construction there was going to be on campus! It was kind of difficult to find parking. They're doing a lot of building right now (which is good), but it makes the IUPUI campus kind of a madhouse.
The hotel situation. I got ripped off at a piece-of-junk Marriot hotel. It was "close" to the school but not walkable. Might as well borrowed a car and drove there.
Even though they say out of state applicants have a hard time getting in the class is about 15% Out of State (and only about 15% of the people being interviewed seemed to be from out of state)
There can be a lot of down time - bring a book or be prepared to talk to other interviewees. Plus, the interview was so relaxed, and I heard that everyone else's was too. Don't stress about it or about the ethical questions.
The satelite campuses are not that bad. It gives you a chance to study in the best environment e.g. Gary campus follows PBL, etc. Also, if you really want to impress them, name drop the 9 competencies early in the interview. Just a suggestion......
Not to park where they said to!! Also, there was a lot of down time, so I wish I had brought a book or a magazine to read. The other interviewees were friendly, however, so it was easy to strike up conversations during the long waiting periods.
They give no type of in-state support to out-of-staters. Unlike most places you cannot apply for Indiana residency even after stayig 1 year over there.....you have to move one year prior to the admission to claim in-state.
there's so much to do and see in indianapolis... i would definitely recomend staying there for 3 days and walk around downtown. it is a relatively safe area of the city.
I was pretty prepared. I went a day early to check things out and to make sure I was in the right place. They admissions office had to change my interview time and location due to grand rounds. Nothing was too surprising. I would suggest leaving your info packet in the lobby when you go on the tour. If you feel you need a notepad, which you don't, use a pocketsized one so that you can use both hands taking your coat on and off.
You have one interview--one chance to state your case and that's it. The "panel" you're assigned to interview with will not necessarily be a panel.
Your interview can be located anywhere on the medical school campus including hospital locations that are hard to find from the directions and map they give you. Leave early to find the location of your interview or check it out earlier in the day.
That there were so many people interviewing that day. There had to have been more than 100 people on campus interviewing for the med school. I would probably have tried to make myself stand out more or something, like with a clown nose or a pink tie. I definately felt like I was in a large pack of tourists
Applicants accepted to the IUSOM can be placed at any of several regional campuses for the first few years - Indy (Great!) Bloomington (Even better!) South Bend (Good) Fort Wayne (OK) Lafayette (ehhh...) Terre Haute (Hmmmm...) Evansville (Decent) Muncie (Ewwwww) or Gary (God no!)
I wish I would have known that almost every in-state applicant gets interviewed. I also wish I would have known that IUSM interviews countless out-of-state applicants, yet they accept only 15 or so (is it just me, or is this a waste of time and money for the nonresident applicants?)
I wish I had known that it was humid and it was going to rain. I was soaked by the time I got to my interview not because of the slight drizzle, but because it was so damn hot. Defintiely the wrong environment to wear a long sleeve shirt and suit.
Indy doesn't really have a huge rush hour, Unless there's some sort of freak accident like a bunch of pigs fall out of a truck in the middle of 465 (which seems to happen all too often).
Applicants generally found the interview experience to be relaxed and conversational, with friendly interviewers who were interested in getting to know them. Some applicants appreciated the informative sessions and campus facilities, while others expressed concerns about the lack of personalization, disinterest from interviewers, and the overall organization of the interview day.
This interview was actually quite fun and relatively low-stress!! I had very intelligent and kind interviewers.
I think they ask all of the interviewees the same questions. Some of them were traditional questions and some were MMI-type. It was hard to think on my feet. I would practice both traditional and MMI-style questions for this one. The interviewers seemed nice and they technically had my file, but they didn’t ask me about anything in my file. It felt more like a closed interview and not conversational.
the virtual interview platforms logs everyone out after 40 mins, kind of felt like rushing at the end but it was nice that we were basically at the end of our conversation
Relax! Try to talk about something you enjoy. When I mentioned playing violin we talked about music and instruments for about 5-10 minutes. Prepare some questions to ask them. Their answers to my questions made the interview very informative.
Try to relax as much as possible beforehand. Watch some funny videos or listen to some music. Whatever you want to do in order to be in a good mood. The interview was extremely conversational and relatively informal. I truly believe they want to "get to know you" more than they want to ask you specific questions. So above all else, be yourself, and let your personality shine through to the interviewers. They are all very kind, so try your best to not be nervous.
I interviewed at one of the regional campuses. Did not particularly enjoy the interview itself, but the rest of the day was fine. Lunch was also decent
The interviewers I had were excellent. They clearly stated at the beginning of the interview that their main goal was to talk about any weak points in my application so that they could defend me as well as possible when I came up for discussion by the admissions committee. They asked some probing questions, but genuinely seemed to have my best interests in mind.
I highly recommend that anyone who is 'on the fence' about applying or interviewing with IUSM to not attend. If my experience is any predictor or indicator of how the faculty interact with students then this is not a medical school you should attend. By the way, I say this as a pre-medical student with siblings and many friends who attend this school.
If interview days are like hotels, this would be a Red Roof Inn while most other interview days are more like a Holiday Inn or a Hilton. They herd you through with minimal guidance, get you a money brief and an interview and send you on your way. No lunch, no sim center tour, no obligatory walk through the anatomy lab or student lounge or library. My overall impression was that the education you get here is probably decent, but it's just too big to be personal and friendly. It felt like an assembly line day rather than the small, personal interview days most schools have.
Very well organized day; I wish there was a tour though, but I was able to walk around the campus myself during downtime between events. I left feeling confident and impressed by the school.
Overall I enjoyed the people I met (interviewers, faculty, med students, etc..) but they didn't have enthusiasm. "We're huge and good" without much vigor or many specific details.
Interesting interview, not sure how it went to be truly honest. This is the school I want to go to and I am committed to reapplying here if I do not get accepted this cycle. The interview was mostly low stress, but I managed to get myself very nervous.
thought the interview would be more about my personal story, past experiences ect. but spent a lot of time on my opinion on ethical dilemmas/ healthcare issue
I hope I get in. My interview day was amazing and I can really see myself as an Indiana medical student. The medical students, faculty, and admission staff were polite and honest.
Its a really great school with great facilities and great students. Has a nice group of hospitals associated with it, but once again... its in Indianapolis (a very boring place to live... since i've been here for the past 16 years). I got accepted yesterday, so may be a little biased :)
Tour guide, financial aid meeting leader, and inverviewers were very friendly and willing to help. Bring a map of the campus in case you end up alone, because the map they give you is a tiny photocopy and difficult to read.
The interview was very short, and I am not sure I was able to convey myself well in only 30 minutes. We went through quite a few questions on their sheet because the two men did not ask very many follow up questions.
At IU, I think the interview is more of a chance for the admissions committee to meet with you and make sure you can talk in complete sentences, sit upright and wear a tie properly. They didnt ask many questions specific to my application nor do I feel like the interviewer could really "vouch" for my abilities in front of the committee. The best thing you can do is to be likeable, polite and thoughtful in your answers.
It would be nice if they offered computers for us to use as guests during free time. I know some people had down times around an hour. Also be very very happy if your interview is early, 9:30 AM was the earliest (which was mine).
Overall pretty hectic as there are 100's of people being interviewed. Also my interview was during a presentation that I ended up missing which was poor planning on the admissions part.
The day was confusing with over 100 students interviewing and it felt like you received little attention. The interviewer was more interested in seeing how I dealt with his constant barrage of ethical questions. Every answer I had for a question was quickly followed by a, "Well... what if..." comment in which the question was changed so I needed to respond again. For example, the number of times I caught the doctor drinking was increases and multiple possible excuses from the drunk doctor were posed to try to trip me up.
Make sure you write your feedback too when you're done, esp if this helped you. This is my own way of sayin thnx to those that wrote before me....
any questions, hit me up...i think my sdn name is chiz2kul...i think..lol
Oh yea one more thing...if you're into saving money, try stayin w a student, cos hotels there are really expensive.
I stayed w this md/phd kid that had his own house, and I got my own room and free dinner and transport to the school of medicine.
oh shoot i gotta mail.. him a card or something later lol
And ja, public trans is not soo good, taxi's can get expensive, costs about 30 bucks or so to the school, so try using carey. Or you can split w a student on your ride back to the airport in a texi...;) Thats what I did, and ended up payin like 10 bucks lol
you gotta do what you gotta do..
From my experience, all reapplicants should be totally on their A-game. The people I met last year who were reapplicants and had my interviewers thought the interviews were impossible, and I thought mine went very well (but obviously not too well since I'm back here again). This year, other people's were easy and mine was ridiculous. Hopefully I was just able to prove I'm a fighter and that I'm not going anywhere by being able to handle their questions... hopefully.
Over all the interview was very, very laid back. The people are IU are all very friendly. My two interviewers and I just kind of chatted about things in general. It does worry me a little there there were not more directed questions about me, most of it was just general chit-chat. My interviewers probably talked more then I did. I was pleased to discover that class attendance isn't really mandatory at the Indianapolis campus (this from the med students). DO NOT SWEAT THIS INTERVIEW AT ALL.
I had a positive experience overall. I was surprised how laid back the interview was. There weren't any ethics questions, just stuff about the curriculum and the values of the school.
Interview day wasn't great, with 100 interviewers and lots of down time... but the interview was extremly laid back and one of the most enjoyable I've had. They typically have just one typical ethical question and something about the core competencies, so make sure to look at that.
Overall everyone was very nice and interesting, but above all honest in their answers to our questions. They like IU, but didn't try to convince us it was perfect or anything. The only really negative thing was the tour- our tour guide seemed to not want to be there, but hopefully we were just unlucky.
The committee question really threw me through a loop, and I had a bad mark against me as far as behavioral from my sophomore year. They spent between 5 and 10 minutes of a 30 minute interview on that, which kind of shook me as well. Many kids said that their interview was a conversation, mine wasn't. It was very much an interview, but all said and done, they were friendly and helpful. I walked out not sure how I did, but looking back, I am pretty confident.
Overall it was a great experience. My interview was my first destination of the morning, which was definitely a good thing. By the end of the day, you will probably be exhausted.
Overall, I left with a good feeling. I would be happy to go to IUSM if I should be accepted. I have no doubt the education and training will be excellent. My only reservation would be the diversity of my classmates.
I was really impressed. The day lasted from 8:30-2 and it was not stressful at all. I had my interview the first thing in the morning and everything else was smooth sailing. IU has a lot of great stuff to offer!
My interviewer was very friendly and made me feel very comfortable. It didnt feel like 45 minutes at all. I felt prepared but not for the amount of scenerios he gave me. They seemed to never end; he kept elaborating on each one after I had already given him an answer. But overall, as nervous as I was, it wasn't bad at all.
The questions they asked very typical questions, why medicine, why IU, etc. It was very conversational and my interviewers were very encouraging and kind.
It was very positive. The resources for the school are amazing. The Indy campus has everything you would ever want. The professors I spoke to were enthusiastic and the support staff was friendly. I would love to go to this school.
Overall, I had a very positive experience. The staff and facilities are this school's strongest points. I felt that the interview experience was fairly well organized, and there was sufficient interaction with students and some staff to have all my questions answered.
It helps to have a familiar face there with you. One of the interviewers complimented me, while the other agreed a lot with what I was saying. It was more like a conversation.
Everything was shut down because of the snow storm. . . and I was simply grateful to get an interview since I had driven quite a distance through bad weather. I was hoping for more insightful questions about my research, experiences, etc. But mostly we just talked.
It was extremely laid back. Two people were supposed to interview me, but one was not available for the day, so I had one interviewer. I did not get asked any ethics questions, while everyone else there that day said they were asked those questions. Everyone was extremely enthusiastic and helpful. The day was very informative.
Being an out-of-stater...and a white guy...facing IU's preferential policy toward Indy residents, I was told to expect to be grilled a little harder. And grilled I was. In the end, I took it as ''they musta liked me.'' Other non-Indy residents MIGHT expect a similar experience of tough questioning. For me, ethical scenarios and one of my interviewers playing devil's advocate for most of what I said made for a...stimulating...interview. I was even asked about a topic a second time, likely to see if they could get me to change my answer. Just being honest, sticking to my beliefs, and having an appropriate sense of humor kept it cool for me, and I gathered at least one of my interviewers appreciated that.
Overall, it was painless, though a bit tough. I'm a tid bit jealous that others on SDN had such an easy interview. In the end, I got in everything I wanted to convey through them to the Committee. Good first experience for me.
Overall, it was a great experience. The interviewers aren't there to hurt you; you don't have to change who you are; be yourself, smile, make eye contact and relax.
dr beckman approached me and basically came off as a guy id hang out with. the interview was just a conversation basically about my application. we started with high school, and went through college experiences. in the middle he asked if i had questions about iu, which i thought was kind of odd. eventually he asked me the 1 ethical question...and it came across as ''look, i have to ask this but i know you know how to answer this so lets just do it.'' it didnt feel like a ''are you good for our school interview.'' it was more just to get a flavor for my personality or something.
I was assigned 2 interviewers but I only had one. She was pretty friendly and conversation was mostly casual. Interview process was very relaxed and fairly enjoyable.
IUSM was top of my list before and after the interview. I didn't let a couple of immature students cloud a good experience, but I would suggest that the admissions committee talk to all the students about properly representing their school in this forum.
My interview started about 20 minutes late. When it was finally time, I felt welcomed. Both of the interviewers were nice overall, but there was a rude comment about my research and I got a negative vibe from them about a couple of mission trips that I'd been on. There were a couple of tough questions. It definitely felt like an interview, not a conversation like many others have said.
first 20 minutes or so was casual conversation. for the most part, only one of the two guys was interviewing me... not sure what the other guy was in the room for, just to listen?
A really laid-back interview, which made me feel really comfortable. However, after some reflection, I'm not sure I did so hot (I'm not really sure what they were looking for). The school seemed like a great place to be, but then again, I didn't get to see the 9 other sites that one can get stuck at.
also, apparently the student hotel rates are only available for a super short time, i booked my room just a week after getting the email for an interview, and i didn't get the reduced price
Interview day can be intimidating because they interview a lot of students. It seems like they do interview days every two weeks and each interview day has 50-100 students it seems. As an out-of-state it was intimidating. However, most of the interviewees are Indiana residents, because the state guarantees interviews to all Indiana residents who have mediocre MCAT scores and GPAs. So if you are an out-of-state student, don't stress too much because you are obviously qualified if you have made it this far.
They day is staggered with everyone on different rotating schedules. Some will have interviews in the morning. Some will have their interviews in the afternoon. There may be some down time between meetings and interviews. However it goes by pretty quickly. Usually you just chat with the other applicants around you.
I had my interview with one of the retired faculty members. It was super laid. Most students that I talked to had the same experience. For the most part they just ask about your past experiences and extracurricular activities. They will occasionally slip in one or two ethical questions dealing with cheating or working with a drunken surgeon. Just go over your personal statement and AMCAS application and you will be set. If you can go over the competencies, then do it. (After talking to 3rd year medical student, the competencies are really just a joke on campus. They try to integrate it into the curriculum, but it not as important as the school makes its up to be.)
The facilities were very nice and the students I spoke with were welcoming as well.....However during the interview one of the interviewers seemed to be not listening to me and doodling on her paper. For those out of state applicants..word of advice, be careful about accepting an interview and wasting money on the trip. They basically told me I had no chance because of my mcat score was lower than they usually took....which is fine. However, they shouldn't have even wasted my time by having me fly all the way out there if they were just going to tell me that. I guess I was just another out of state minority applicant they can chalk up that they interviewed for the benefit of the institution. They preach about the nine competencies, one of them being Professionalism, maybe they need to think about what they are teaching, being that they are NOT very professional themselves.
The interview started out OK, but my interviewer wasn't very friendly (never really smiled or joked at all). He asked questions straight off the page, then got sort of confrontational about several parts of my application (and also blankly stared at me during my responses). He asked me why I indicated myself as disadvantaged (and didn't seem to agree with me). Overall, he just seemed unenthusiastic about me as an applicant and I didn't get the impression that he would represent me well to the admissions committee. I am going to call the admissions office and request another interview.
Everything was very relaxed, and my interviewers tried to make sure that I was comfortable. Everyone else was very friendly and helpful as well. The only complaint I have is there was a lot of time spent waiting around with nothing to do.
Generally a good experience. It's a two on one interview and very laid back.If you are an out of state applicant, with a strong application, make sure you have a good answer when they ask you
Under negative impacts. It was a bad day and eveyone there seemed uninterests in personal interactions since there were 100+ interviewed applicants. Plus its way to expensive for out-of-state residents and they basically focused on Indiana residents.
during the interview day there was a financial aid talk and a talk about the application process. We also had lunch with current medical school students which was excellent
I have a very positive experience. The day was well organized by the staff and I had extremely little time just waiting around. The Financial Aid sessions was a bit long considering how little they actually had to tell us. My interviewer was probably in his late 70s and was the nicest guy ever! We just had a casual conversation with some "standard" questions thrown in. I'd definitely be happy attending IU.
My interview was one of the more intense ones but probably because it was a 4th year medical student. He was nice but he wrote a lot, which was a bit distracting. It was a pretty good interview overall though. He seemed to really want to know WHY I wanted to be a doctor.
It was a really nice day, really relaxing and very informational. The students were a great resource to learn more about the school. The interview was very relaxed and conversational.
The interview felt very rushed, probably because I was the last one of the day. Every time we started to get into a conversation outside of the questions, one of the interviewers would cut it off. The questions themselves weren't hard, except that I didn't know exact numbers for high school information (class rank, class size, SAT score). Why high school stuff matters anyway, I have no idea. All of the questions are exactly the same as those listed on SDN (they've been the same questions for like three years).
It was pretty much a laid back conversation starting with. "Tell me about yourself" Not really a lot of questions directly but a lot of good conversation about stuff that I had done in the past and how I felt about my experiences.
It went well. One of the interviews was very congenial and eager to talk and ask questions. The other interviewer was standoffish and didn't seem interested because he kept getting paged. I suppose that is why they have two interviewers.
I was also asked by several other applicants why I would ever wear a black dress suit with a light blue shirt. I agreed with them though. While appropriate it looked afwul and was a bad choice for any occasion.
The interview was relatively fast-paced. One interviewer asked the majority of the questions, with the other interjecting every now and then. Even though they were asking tough questions, both interviewers were friendly and laid-back.
I was interviewed by Dr. Duoung (sp). He is a very nice anatomist. I was an in-state applicant and was invited for an interview despite my low MCAT. I was told flat out that it would probably be detrimental to my acceptance. I was told this in a very tactful and nice way. He said he would still present and argue my case with the admissions committee. I appreciated the honesty and the professionalism offered to me. Everything else on my application seemed A OK. In a way, it makes me wonder why they invite candidates who are in-state with low MCATs for interviews if they really don't stand a chance in being accepted based upon the MCAT alone--unless it some agreement b/w the state for funding. Either way, may the best man or woman win and if it comes down to the MCAT, guess I'm out. :) I would still have to be fair and honest to say, that IU is a great school and the admission staff is very nice and welcoming.
I was interviewed by 2 people; one fourth year and another a physician. They asked the questions that were posted on this website so it wasn't too difficult.
My interviewer was a child psychiatrist, which was good and bad. She had a very calming demeanor, that quickly eased my anxiety over the interview (this was my first medical school interview). I have a complicated background because I withdrew from a school due to an illness, took several years off and worked in another profession, then transferred to another school. My interviewer seemed VERY interested in understanding every aspect of my chronology, so she could place all of my accomplishments into context. I felt relaxed with her, and I was able to let my personality show. We even laughed at times during the interview. We ended up speaking for over 90 minutes, with her taking EXTENSIVE notes, and when I left I felt that she had really invested in getting to know me as a candidate. I was impressed by this. I am glad this was my first interview, because it was very low stress and some of her questions highlighted areas where I need to make stronger arguments in future interviews.
There was a large group. They tell you a lot about the university but nothing about the satellite campus. Since half of the students end up in the satellite campuses, this is a very LARGE issue.
All in the day was pretty relax. Like I said, I wasn't really impressed with the interviewer. I seemed like I was just one more person they had to get through.
It was very laid-back. They're really there to get to know you and make sure that you are personable. It's not high stress at all. There's nothing to worry about. Just be ready for the questions that everyone's listed on this website. None of the questions I was asked was a surprised since I had seen them here on this site.
As I mentioned above, my two interviewers took a great deal of time to ask things such as how much I was working while I was going to school. They spent much more time on what I was doing with my life now and were able to sit back and listen while I talked about what led me to this point.
There are supposed to be 2 interviewers but I only had one, who was very nice and very interested. We had good conversation. The students were really pushing the school. I did not feel too stressed and the interview was a lot more relaxed than I had thought it would be.
The two people who interviewed me were very nice, but at times it was difficult to know what the one guy was really asking me. Some of the questions were confusing. And sometimes it was like he was telling me things, instead of asking me what I thought...kind of weird.
My schedule worked out nicely in that I was able to go from one thing to another with no lag time, so I was able to leave relatively early. The interview was very relaxed and my interviewers were definitely interested in just getting a better sense of who I am.
The interview was more of a comversation. I wasn't nervous during my interview, which made it easier to be myself. The entire day was just chill. Everyone had their own schedule and mixed whenever they could. Nice school.
I had a very good first interview experience. Everyone was positive and really wanted to help me relax. The interview was more of a conversation. I didn't know if I really wanted to go to Indiana before this interview, and now I know I do.
Overall it was a positive experience I guess: they accepted me, so the interview went better than I expected.
But they have 9 campuses to choose from and you might not get your first choice.
My interview was laid back, comfortable. My interviewer was really interested in getting to know me. We had a very pleasant and interesting conversation.
Interview was very predictable since almost all the questions asked I had read on SDN. The tour was pointless because there were like 40 people going at the same time and it was impossible to hear, or see (since I'm short). I wish I hadn't applied so late, because my interviewer told me if I had applied earlier, I would have gotten in no problem. She said I will most likely be on the waiting list. :( I already figured that would be the case though.
It was fairly relaxed, the questions were mostly about things I had put on my application. I was prepared because several of the questions I had read on this website and knew how I would answer.
Terrible. I heard other people had great, relaxed interviews. Mine was stressful and extremely unwelcoming. He asked me things about high school and I've been out of high school for almost 10 years now. He didn't seem to care about any answers to his questions and waved me off to let me know my interview was done.
Overall the day went by very fast. My interview was later in the day, which was good because I got to do all of the other stuff first and learn a lot more about the school before I had to go in an interview.
Overall, the day was relatively low-stress considering it was my first interview. The interview was laid back. I feel the interviewer really got an idea of who I am and what drives me to medicine. I was impressed with IU and its facilities.
Very laid back and potentially fun if you meet the right interviewers and students. As long as you know yourself and can answer most of the questions on this site, the interview process will be simple (the 45 mins flew by)
The day starts of with you arriving at the campus and seeing another 40 or so interviewees. There are times when you can take tours and go to financial meetings. The interview is very generic, in that many questions are asked to every applicant. I would advise that if you have a later interview time, try and ask others what questions they were asked and prepare answers to those questions because you will most likely hear the same questions.
You show up relatively early in the morning for interviews. There were over 50 students interviewing the day that I did. We had interviews scheduled all day long (mine were early in the morning, other students' weren't until 3 or so in the afternoon). There were several financial aid and admissions presentations scheduled throughout the day to ensure that students were able to attend at least one, no matter when their actual interviews were. A box lunch and tour was provided by some of the medical students. The students and especially the interviewers are very welcoming and kind. The interviewers appeared genuinely interested in learning more about me as a person, and they listened attentively to what I said. The day lasted from about 9 am to 3 pm for me, longer for some students with later interviews.
IU is a good school, but it's really big, which gives it the possibility to be impersonal. the 8 other centers around the state where they do years 1 & 2 are pretty diverse in their make-up, character, and method. some are all lecture, some all PBL. the competency-based curriculum is a big deal to them; pretty innovative and big-picture, but maybe hard to explicitly implement. the class is big enough that the students don't all know each other, especially since they are split up the first two years. but they are well trained and get lots of patient contact. faculty seems accessible, but it requires student initiative. the invterview day is pretty flexible because they have the financial aid session and tours at multiple times. the financial aid session seems a bit overwhelming with the amount of info they give, but it's really helpful. and the student body is pretty diverse.
The interview was really good. The whole atmosphere was relaxed and the interviewer actually just wanted to get to know me. Anybody interviewing here should not sweat it at all.
The interview was very laid-back and conversational. My two interviewers were extremely nice and just wanted to get to know me as a person, asking about my travels, extracurriculars, etc. It was more like a conversation than an interview, even though they seemed to be filling out a form at times. I also was not asked anything about my high school experiences, GPA, and SAT, which I had expected from this website (which I think is good- who cares what you got on the SAT??).
IU was my safety school coming into the interview, and it's still my safety school now. I'm in state so it's my cheapest option, but if I get any other acceptances I probably won't be going to IU.
All in all it was a great interview experience....my first interview and I could not have asked for a better begining of the interview season. I did not have time to go around Indianapolis but did look at the facilities and hospital. Their revised curriculm is great. The interview was pretty laid back and was mostly conversational. We were laughing and the whole situation was pretty light... get-to-know-you kind of stuff.....One interviewer was more interested in how I came to the decision of going into medicine and the other one asked mostly ethical questions and hobbies. We talked about a lot of topics from hobbies to sports i play to what schools I have been to (have been to a lot of schools)....
All in all, I felt that the interview was not one that can be easily judged. The interviewers seemed either indifferent or impressed. I could not really tell. The whole process just seemed to take palce for the sake of taking place.
IU is still my number one choice because it is my state state (the cost factor), but the hugeness of the school makes it a little bit of an impersonal way to get a medical education.
my interviewer showed a genuine interest in getting to know me in order to present me to the rest of the committee. she was honest about my application. she told me i was a strong applicant, and that she does tell students (as she interviews them) when they have weaknesses in their applications.
It was the most laid back interview so far...it was a conversational interview and at the end, my interviewer, Dr. West asked what schools I was looking at and if i had a specific criteria for selecting when the time came!! They are nice people up there!
An excellent day. I was thoroughly impressed by nearly everyone I met; students and staff alike were friendly and helpful. My interviewer was very intelligent, but put me at ease enough that I could be myself. He was very positive.
The day was truly a disaster from beginning to end. Luckily, I was able to interview in spite of the fact that I arrived about 15-20 minutes late. But, I did wait until everyone else had finished first. I went in already off my game and exhausted. The "panel" of interviewers I was scheduled to interview with was ONE person--the other had decided to interview the MD/PhD students. The secretary at the front desk seemed more interested in me than the interviewer. I don't expect to be accepted and I really don't care. I had a fairly high opinion of IU until I went there. The interview itself was such a negative experience, I didn't even bother to stay for the rest of the day. I really felt a lot of negativity related to my age, but maybe it was just because I was already p***d off by the whole experience.
Very positive experience. I took a year off after graduating, and considered IUSM one of my backup schools. I physicians interviewing me were very nice despite the fact that I nearly missed the interview. They seemed interested in what I was doing during my year off and were very encouraging. The interview was very informal.
The student ambassadors were genuinely excited about attending IU and said the staff was very supportive. One MS1 was allowed to take his finals a week late so he could fly to California for American Idol auditions. He said all his professors were very laid back about making up the tests.
The financial aid officer was very informative and actually walked me to another building on campus to make sure I didn't get lost.
IUSM is now near the top of my list.
I didn't go through the whole "interview day" since I am an IU student (although I go to school in Bloomington), so I just came up for the actual interview. Coming into it, I wasn't too excited... this is my state school, and I know that all it takes is a 22 on the MCAT and in-state status to qualify for an interview. But the guys who interviewed me were fantastic! I just found out a couple of days ago that I got into IU, and I've accepted my spot (to hold the place), but I am not sure if I will go.
I'm was an out-of-state applicant and thought I had no chance of getting accepted based on their past statistics, but I decided to go to the interview and just be myself. It turned out to be more of a friendly conversation than an interview, and I really had a good time. I also initiated a follow-up meeting with the admissions office a month later. I got in.
Although the organization of the day was not great, I left more impressed with IU then I thought I would have. Everyone was very nice and was very honest about life at IU.
There was an orientation meeting with info about the school. Basically, a reiteration of the website. You can skip it. An interview, lunch with students and a very very rushed tour.
The interviewers were very friendly. This was the second time interviewing with the school as the first time I was not accepted. On my first interview only one of the interviewers showed up and the one that did was only interested in filling out a form and not understanding who I was. The second time was much more eventful.
I really love the school. I have a couple of beefs that I noted above but it is really a great school. There were a ton of non-residents applying, but in-staters have the edge for sure. I enjoy the hustle and bustle of the large campus and really hope I get in. Beware, it's tough to get in. I heard multiple med students tell me that it took them 2 or 3 tries to get in.
Staff and interviewer were very nice and accomodating. However, I couldn't help but feeling a little bit like "just another applicant" with so many others there and only one half-hour interview to make myself known to one person.
One interview conducted by a doctor (OB/GYN) and an admissions committee lackey. Great experience, friendly people all over the place that really believe in their mission to serve others: their campus reflect this. Too bad I didn't get in.
I don't know if I would attend this school. The faculty seem a bit out of touch with the students, probably because there are so many students. For being the only medical school in the state of Indiana, they should be both better ranked and better in quality of education, since all of the state's medical education funds are allocated to one institution, i.e., IUSM.
Not bad at all, my interview was very laid back, they really wanted to know about me. I started the interview a little early and we finished a little late.. I actually lost track of time.
It was a good day. Administration was friendly and profs
were more than willing to talk to me. I have a feeling this
school is going to really step it up in the next couple years
(so much funding and good people flocking to IU/Purdue. Cancer
research is already one of the best and I see it being undoubtedly
the best in the next decade.)
It was a very laid back interview experience. There were medical students with us most of the time during the day which helped ease nerves and allowed us to ask questions.
Disappointing school! If you want to be a number, this is your school. Being an out-of-stater(thank god)the school would be very expensive and the surroundings would be depressing (no matter what campus). Certainly my last choice. However, knowing my luck it will be the only school that accepts me. See you soon, I'll be the poor depressed person up in the corner whispering "only four more years" to myself.
the interviewers were really nice. they made you feel comfortable, not an interagation, just a get to know you kinda chat. i think this is dependent on who interviews you and how competitive an applicant you are though.
I felt that IU has done well with their interviewing system. The date was a mass-interview day with about 100 people, although interviews were conducted individually with two interviewers at once. The day was well structured and I didn't spend much time waiting around for the next event. My only complaint with my experience was that the campus tour (guided by students) was half-assed. We saw the lecture rooms and walked around the outside of the campus. However, we didn't see the hospitals (the hospital system is quite large), labs, etc.
Indiana just left a bland taste in my mouth. While I liked the city (smaller, seemingly quiet, but very attractive, well layed out, and easy to get around) the school itself left some things to be desired. First, the interview class the day I was there was about 150 people, including nearly 10 people from my undergraduate institution alone. Indiana takes a different philosophy to the interviews, and I think they try to interview as many as possible. That said, the interview itself was uninspiring. It was a 2-on-1 format with a clinician and a PhD, and the PhD did 90% of the talking. I felt pressured in some instances to find a way to involve the clinician in the interview -- basically I directed a few questions his way, and I actually enjoyed my interactions with him more -- it was too bad most of the talking seemed to be from the other direction. The interview was not stressful and quite easy, but didn't really leave me with much of an impression that these people are sold on their school's medical education. The students were very nice, outgoing, but CONSTANTLY complained about the regional medical education system - they are randomly assigned (allowed to state preferece) to one of 9 campuses in IN for their first two years -- much was raised regarding different difficulty and DIFFERENT GRADING SYSTEMS! in place at different campuses. The students also complained about the difficulty of the first two years, something which I had not encountered before or since at any of the other schools I have visited. Overall, it was a fine experience but didn't leave me with a feeling that it was a place I would realy want to be. The out-of-state tuition (around $53k) was another huge turn-off.
I was kind of nervous because it was my first med school interview but overall it was a good experience. The interviewers were great and I felt very relaxed.
If you are from out of town, please do not stay at the University Place Hotel. It is the Doubletree hotel, which really really sucked. The admissions office reccomended it because it is near the interview site, but I could have easily stayed at another downtown hotel and paid five bucks for a cab to get to the interview site. My linens were soiled with menstrual stains and they tried to make up for it with a free complimentry breakfast. Give me a break! I went back after my interview and bitched about it and they refunded my money, which was what they should have done in the first place. Anywho......besides that ruining my stay in Indiana, the overall interview went well and I enjoyed the friendliness of some of the people I met throughout the day. There is massive consrtuction going on everywhere, which is nice to know that you will have brand new facilities if you get placed on the Indianpolis campus. The med student I chatted with was honest and she flat out said that she ended up at IU because she did not have as many choices of schools to pick from as she would have liked.However, she admitted that IU grew on her. Getting the pros and cons from an actual student was helpful and the honesty was very much appreciated.
I think the interview was excellent. My interviewers made every effort to make me comfortable, and the med students were really helpful when answering questions.
The interview kind of sucked. the one guy seemed to be asleep until he decided to ask random questions about anthrax and racism. the student giving the tour seemed too busy trying to impress us with his pager than giving the tour. If you're from IN, you'll almost definitely get in. If you're from another state, I really wouldn't bother unless you're stellar. The improvements look like they'll be awesome when they're done, but I got a feeling of blah when I interviewed (even though I liked the place when I had gone to the library to do research for undergrad). classes.
The interview was held with one clinicl and one non-clinicl physicians. It was very laid back with a "get to know you" type of atmosphere. They concentrated a lot on the future of medicine and how well I as an applicant understood what medicine would be like when I began practicing it. There was a great deal of stress put on my ties to Indiana as well as my father's position as a physician. Tours where given after the interview and IU has an awsome campus. Every building looks like it is 2 years old and the research going on there is amazing. Next came a presentation by some of the faculty and finaly a question and answer session with current medical students. IU is the second largest medical school in the nation and was quite impressive. The worst part was that there are a million other people interviewing with you and they take very few out of state students (i.e. 15 out of ~280 for '98)
This interview was very laid back. They started out saying they weren't going to ask hard questions at all. Repeatedly said I was a very competitive candidate and wanted to hear about my extracurricular activities. No questions about the medical industry.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested that the admissions office provide more specific details about interview locations and ensure interviewers are enthusiastic and engaged. Additional feedback included improving organization, communication, and efficiency throughout the admissions process.
More specific detail about where the interview is. I came one day early and asked the office where I should meet them for the interview so I wasn't lost/confused. But some applicants were a few minutes late because they didn't know where to go.
I'm sure it is difficult logistically, but it would have been nice to have the option of staying after the interview day concluded for a campus tour to see some of the facilities.
My interviewer made some potentially racist comments that made me think twice about wanting to go to this school. Also, on the interview day a lot of my time was spent sitting around doing nothing. At my other interviews we were always occupied. I didn't feel like IU was trying to get me to come to their school. I was very disappointed with the interview day.