Philadelphia, PA
Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 22% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.5
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 864 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as low stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (92%)
Negatively (2%)
No change (6%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (49%)
Good (36%)
Average (15%)
Poor (1%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview day at Jefferson to be relaxed and low-stress, with a strong emphasis on showcasing the school's community and student life. They appreciated the opportunity to engage in conversations rather than formal interviews, with both student and faculty interviewers. Many highlighted the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of the school, while some mentioned a few areas for improvement such as the length of the day and the quality of the lunch provided.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Come prepared with a lot of questions to ask the student interviewer and the faculty interviewer!
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The student interview was super chill and laid back, I loved talking to my interviewer. The faculty interview, on the other hand...
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Very chilled out interview. They just want to know that you're a normal person.
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I appreciated the lunch break built into the schedule; other schools I (virtually) interviewed at only gave a 15min break to eat.
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Seems like a great school with great students. Nothing really stood out to me, but nothing felt that negative about it either.
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Honestly, I have interviews at schools that are "ranked higher" than Jeff, but the student's attitudes + work/life balance + the exam schedule thing very well could convince me to go here.
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My top choice! I hope to be able to attend.
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Both interviews are very laid back. Prepare a lot of questions so that you can lead discussion and just be personable.
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The student interview is closed file, the faculty interview is open file. The interview day is long, but you're always occupied (in a good way).
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I loved the school. Everyone was happy and well-rounded. Lots of opportunities to get involved in the community, student-run clinics and research. Location!!
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The student interviews seem pretty relaxed overall. The difficulty and style of faculty interviews really depends on your specific interviewer, and after speaking with other interviewees, the questions seemed to vary quite significantly.
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I was very impressed with the school, they seem to genuinely care about their students.
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Very impressed, top choice for sure!
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While the facilities, information sessions, admissions staff and current students all blew me awaypositively, I was very disappointed with my interview experience. At the end of the day I felt like I didn't really have an opportunity to showcase my ability to communicate to my faculty interviewer due to language barrier that existed between us.
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Unlike many others, my interview day actually left me with a negative impression from the school. It's a great school, with a great reputation, but it's not for me.
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Enjoy the interview and show off your passion/enthusiasm. You don't have to let it be a traditional interview, where the interviewer asks you a question and you provide a response. Gauge your interviewer to see how structured he or she wants the interview, but if you can, let it flow like a conversation would. Asks some questions midway through and express how your experiences/thoughts tie in to the interviewer's response. That really helped me spend less time worrying about looking good, and more time feeling good.
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Fabulous school. Everyone was helpful, honesty, and available. Jefferson really seems to know what it is doing and the opportunities for whatever you want are out there.
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Both the student and faculty interviews were very informal, and I felt comfortable the whole time. Don't stress about these!
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Really impressed with this school...hoping for good news.
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I am in love with this school! I was accepted and will be going this fall. Can't wait to start!
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Overall, low-pressure, low-stress, positive experience
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They make a big point about how low stress they try to make the day, and it really is true.
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Great school for clinical preparation. my top choice. should not be just anybody's top choice though.
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Everyone seemed indoctrinated with Jeff love. Kinda creepy but probably fun to be a part of.
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This is by far one of the best school I've interviewed at. The people really make it feel like a family. They have a really cool intramural sports league and powder-puff football tournaments (!). Seems like a great place to spend the next four years (fingers crossed!)
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Great school, laid back interviews and a fun overall experience. Just come to this interview calm and ready to talk about yourself as a person and you'll do fine. Getting to the interview is a huuuuge cut and they accept like 60-65% of the interviewees.
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Jefferson only interviews 800 out of about 10,000 applicants. With a class size of 255, you stand a pretty good chance of getting in if you get an interview..... Dr. Brooks is amazing when it comes to knowing her interviewees. If you interview here, you'll see what I'm saying..... There are two interviews, one student and one faculty. Both should be very laid back. There is 30 minutes allotted for the student and 60 for the faculty. My faculty interview actually lasted only about 10 minutes. But she seemed excessively busy, so I definitely understood..... Oh, and I was surprised not to see this here before I went, but they have one of the best lunches you will get. By far the best I've had. Salad, rolls, pasta, chicken, vegetables, and more. Great balance and not just a cold sandwich, chips and a cookie.
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Overall I am attracted to the city, the people, and the ec's, not attracted to the facilities of the school, or the curriculum, although I do think the clinical training would be very strong. Both interviews were very relaxed, I enjoyed meeting both the student and faculty interviewers.
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Don't waste your time on stressing out about this one, just enjoy the day.
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Good luck!!
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There are two interviews. The first is a current student and is closed-file. This was so relaxed I kept forgetting it was a real interview and had to remind myself to remain professional. The second is with a faculty member and is open-file, but no less relaxed than the student interview. Overall, it was a fun day and both my conversations with my interviewers were enjoyable.
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This school places lots of emphasis on friendliness and community. It is a thoughfully organized interview day with almost no interviewee downtime from 10am to 4pm.
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My interviews were very relaxed. I found as the interviews progressed that the little bit of stress was gone and I was more so enjoying the conversations with my interviewers about medicine/hobbies/etc.
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Great! Loved it. Got a little bit of a shock when the interviewer said he applied, hated it back in the day when he went to med school, but now likes it. Definately and conversation about my life, my interviewer's life, and general stuff!
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Really blew away my expectations. The facilities are really nice, the students really like the school and the entire day really focused on selling Jeff to us!
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I had a great time. We had two interviews: one with a student and one with a faculty member. Both of my interviewers were very relaxed and just wanted to get to know me. They were constantly asking me whether I had any questions for them. It was a lot like they were selling the school and not putting me (or my grades or test scores) under intense scrutiny. Great experience-very casual.
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It was organized pretty well. It was also a large group (about 25) but we were separated for interviews and tours. Both my interviews went well and no intimidating questions were asked. The students in charge led the large group meetings so well that most of us were able to relax. One of my best interview days.
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Great
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Jefferson is in a really pretty part of the city. I recommend walking around and taking a look if you get a chance. This wasn't a stressful day at all, but the presentations at the beginning are VERY long and I felt that a lot of it was unnecessary. The interview group was big, probably around 30. The tour left me wondering what Jefferson's labs/study areas are like, because we didn't get to see them. Still, it was a pretty fun day. Student interview was 30 minutes and very casual. Faculty interview was 60 minutes and also pretty laid back.
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My interview experience at Jefferson was wonderful. I had a great time at the school, loved the people I had the chance to meet, and had a great interview. It's my first choice.
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Amazing, very low-key, very relaxed and welcoming.
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I really enjoyed my time at Jeff. It was on my high priority list since I want to go to school in Philly. Its a little pricey, but the school is really good. The interview I found to be pretty low stress, and my interviewer even hinted I might get some scholarship money, although I'm not expecting too much
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Really nice interview day. Starts at 10AM which is nice. Also, be prepared: the first 2 hours, you spend siting in the board room while different people talk (dean and director of admissions, dean of diversity affairs, financial aid, students). It was interesting and entertaining at times but it is a long time. Afterwards there is a 1/2 hour student interview--very relaxed, we just went and sat outside and chatted. It does count as a part of your interview but they are really just trying to get to know you and decide if they could picture you as one of your classmates. Lunch was great except that the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate. Afterwards, we were broken into groups for a tour. Then faculty interviews (I think most were 30 minutes b/c each interviewer conducted two). Then wrap-up/cookie break/chance to talk to the dean/network.
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Excellent. In the end, I had to decide between my state school (which is cheaper), and Jeff---but my interview experience so impressed me that I have decided to go to jeff.
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At first, I was concerned because the interviewer struck me as a potentially uptight individual. But he turned out to be kind, soft spoken, and said some very interesting things. We really had a candid, interesting conversation rather than an interview.
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I interviewed with Dr. Zager who was the nicest little lady. It was more of a conversation than an interview. My student interviewer was really helpful and laid back. The interview was basically just me asking him questions.
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The day started with an information session given by students, and also staff who came in to present different topics (financial aid, office of multicultural affairs). We then met one-on-one with a first year student before lunch. After lunch, we were broken up into small groups and given tours by a student. Interviews followed. My interviewer was very laid back and we basically just talked about my background, family, school, work and volunteer experience, etc. Then there was an afternoon social hour where we could schmooze a little more with admissions faculty.
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I loved this school, and it jumped up to my number one choice of all schools I applied to.
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It was a good interview.
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Really enjoyable.
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I really liked it at Jefferson and am seriously considering going there
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My time there left me with the impression that it would be a great place to get a good clinical training, have a very high quality of life, as well as have a lot of opportunities both in and outside the classroom
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Awesome. It became my first choice school after the visit and they let you know in 1-3 weeks if you are accepted.
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What a pleasant experience. The Jefferson system is impressive and interview day does a nice job of showing that.
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This was actually a really nice interview. The people are really really nice and the students are uber excited about their school and about medicine in general. I thought it was really cool that some of the M2's stayed at the end to answer questions even though they had a review session for an exam in progress. The interview is really low key. They are genuinely there to see what type of student you are and if you're a fit in their school. You can't really prepare for this type of interview but to be yourself so you're not a nervous wreck.
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The day is somewhat long but informative about the school. Lunch was provdied. It started with an orientation, admissions people speaking, financial aid and students presenting what Jeff had to offer. The interview was a really low key. The student interview was very casual. It was a great chance to just ask questions about the school. We just talked and walked outside. My faculty interview was great. He already knew stuff about my file and didn't refer to it during the interview. It was more like a conversation than Q and A. Overall a great impression.
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Awesome, the most low stress interview I have had so far. My interviewer was very familiar with my file and just asked me questions about my experiences.
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I had a great day at Jefferson and just fell in love with the school. Expect the standard questions: why medicine, why Jefferson, why did you do this or that activity, etc.
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After interviewing at jefferson, the school jumped to the top of my list over more reputable schools i have already been accepted to. i really can't stress enough how comfortable the environment is and how at home i felt.
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Overall, Jefferson is a great college and definitely a place that I can see myself attending. The faculty, students and other workers were all very happy to be there.
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See last comment. Overall, it went really well. Just know how you plan to answer the ''typical'' questions: why medicine, why physician, why specialty, tell me about yourself. I didn't have any curve balls.
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Overall, it was great and stree-free. It was bascially a conversation more than question and answer. We talked a lot about my culture. He knew a lot of about Indian culture so it was easy to have a conversation about that for the entire time.
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My interviewer was really laid back and we just chatted about my experiences for 40 minutes. It's great that Jefferson gets back to you so quickly about your application status.
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Flight was terrible, sat on the tarmac for two hours and circled Philly for an hour before landing. The way back was even worse. The Jeff interview team was fine, all I missed was the large group lecture from the Director of Admissions. After a couple of talks at us (group of 20 or so) we had the very casual student interview, lunch, then a tour. The faculty interview was delayed because he was seeing patients, but he was a calm, friendly dude.
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Pretty solid program with excellent location in the heart of Philly. Some parts of the hopital are pretty old.
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It was cool, some of the other interviewees were very friendly and i think ''Jeff'' student are like that too, they seem to like thier school. the interview day is run by students ( and they like dressed up too, at some other schools the students wore jeans?) its really nice that they let you know your status a week after and not string you along for 6-8 weeks (oh yes, you know i am talking about you SUNY)
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The morning consists of a lot of presentations, but we were able to interact with the other applicants (approx 30) at times. The student interview was extremely casual; mine was held in a lounge near the library. Afterwards, we had a very nice sit-down lunch in the Faculty Club and then went on a tour of campus. My faculty interviewer was the director of a specific program I'm interested in, so the first part of the interview was pretty standard. He basically just asked me to elaborate on EVERYTHING in my application, and then the second half was more specific about my reasons for wanting to join the program. Overall, the interview went well, and at the end, they have a wrap-up session with refreshments and the opportunity to talk with Dr. Callahan.
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Very positive, the students love the school and the faculty all had great things to say. Most students live within a couple blocks on the downtown Philly campus, so there is a community feel even though you're in the city. Interviewers were nice (one student and one faculty) and mostly just chatted and had an informal conversation. Dean of Admissions spends some time talking with the students and she is really nice and very helpful.
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Overall it was good. I came out of my interview with a faculty member thinking that it went well, but the more I think about it the worse I think I did.
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There are 2 separate interviews; 1 with a 1st year student, and 1 with a staff physician. The student interview was a breeze. The students literally came out of their class and called us out by name. The only reason I felt uncomfortable during this interview is because the student was so young in comparison to me...and I was worried about ageism-related discrimination. But this interview didn't even count for anything. It was merely a way of helping me have an outlet for asking questions and gathering information about Jefferson from someone who was a 1st year student. No pressure at all. The second interview was with a family practice doctor who works for Jefferson. He was nice but rather low-key. He even seemed like he was bored. He went through my entire academic transcript. Rather than question any of my grades, he wanted an explanation for why I attended 4 different schools before graduating. I didn't have any great explanation to give him, though. I just made mistakes, and it took me a while before I got it right. We talked for an hour, so at least I was able to carry on a conversation with him, even though he was rather taciturn. But I really doubt that I impressed him with what I had to say...I'm just not good at selling myself.
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Glad it's over.
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Excellent! it began when the doctor asked me to sit in on a procedure he was doing with a patient. i felt special and he was very personable.
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Very low stress, one student interview closed file which was more like a one on one Q&A and one faculty interview which was like a conversation between colleagues.
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The conversation style of the interview threw me off a bit as it was not what I expected at all. It seemed like my interviewer did a LOT of the talking, and I just hope I was assertive enough to state my points.
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Just like a lot of people have mentioned, it was a very relaxed day. The students who ran the whole day were 1st year volunteers. Just goes to show their dedication to the school. They don't play a role or have any influence on the admission committee and so they were free to express their honest opinions. This was very comforting and the fact that they all had a sense of humor was a big plus. As for the interviews, they were really more like conversations. Jefferson takes pride in how their students get along with each other and that's what they look for - students who feel that jefferson can be their home for at least 4 years of medical school.
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It was very laid back from the first minute I got there. The day may seem long but its well worth it.
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The day seemed long but it was arranged efficiently by the staff and provided a great feel of everything the school has to offer. I was impressed by the enthusiasm of the student Admissions Officers, who pretty much followed us throughout the day answering any and all questions we had. I wouldn't have minded seeing more on the tour but it's obvious that the school's location in the heart of Philly offers plenty, both academically and socially. My student interview was not what I expected it to be and kind of awkward at times. The interviewer was nothing but pleasant, but asked me questions that I feel should be reserved for faculty interviews (e.g. why medicine? why jeff? why a year off? etc.). But, I managed to ask the student interviewer some questions about student life at Jeff, which I thought was the main purpose of this short interview. I gained a lot more from my interactions with other students throughout the day, possibly because they were a year ahead of my interviewer. My faculty interview was short and sweet, and in no way uncomfortable or stressful. I was asked some basic questions as well as specific ones pertaining to my current job and application. The post-interview wrap up was a nice touch and gave us a chance to ask any questions we had left, hang out with the applicants to compare notes, and schmooze with the students and Assistant Dean. Overall, it was an excellent interview day experience.
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The interview was very conversational and low key. I wasn't grilled, the interviewer seemed like he just wanted to find out who I was. The ADCOM is very friendly and approachable. The interviewer definatly studied my file beforehand and had specific questions in mind - know your application well.
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Overall, I was impressed. The program seems great and all of the students I talked to were really happy to be there. The location is incredible - the school is right near great bars, shopping, restaurants, etc., and for being in the middle of a city, it seems relatively safe. I was a little turned off by the lack of diversity and the tiny lunch
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Very positive. It was my first interview and I was really nervous until I realized how easy they made the process. My interviews went well. The first one was with a student and it was very chill. The second was with a faculty member and we connected right away.
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Very nice school.
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My interviewer was familiar with my application so that helped the conversation. We basically discussed my experiences in my application.
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This being my 18th interview I was attending I was pretty nonchalant and only went because I had already bought my train ticket and did not want to waste my money. So I was pretty surprised by how much I like the school. The interview day is all student run - literally student run. The only time faculty gets invovled is for financial aid, the interview, diversity speech and of course an introduction to the Dean of Admissions. This impresed me immensly! The admissions coordintors are fabullous, well organized, informed and approachable. They started the day off with an ice breaker which I thought was cheesy but by the time it came around to me I was into it and actually like the fact that they did that. Afer that the Dean comes in. She is personable, friendly and candid. I liked her. Then some diversity and finacial aid stuff (scary - there tutition will be well over $40,00 pretty soon). Then the student interviews - mine I did not like (see below). Lunch (not as great as other places.) Tour with a student they try to match you in groups with (they did not do such a great match for me) and my tour guide seemed to have and aversion to escalators and elevaaors. He made us use the stairs one too many times. I wonder if he realised we would like to go to our interview poised and ready and not breathless. Then the faculty interview (I liked my interviewer) Then a post interview wrap up with the dean and students which was very informal and I enjoyed alot.
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One interview with a student and another with a faculty members. Both interviews were low stress and more like a conversation. The interview group was a bit large.
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I was accepted a week after my interview and will definitely be attending JMC. They are incredibly efficient there compared to other schools where you wait and wait and then get waitlisted. Jefferson will generally let you know within 2 weeks.
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I came to Jefferson with a little bit of negativity. I had already gotten into my state schools and had no real reason to go to Jefferson over them, but the whole day impressed me. I left with a positive feeling towards the school, its facilities and the city in general. The area is great, the best part of Philadelphia to be in, and it is low key, relaxed but with great urban offerings. My interviewer was really nice and very interested in me as a person. He did not act like he had to do this as a part of the whole job, he actually liked meeting me and telling me about Jefferson.
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Really great. My faculty interviewer was enthusiastic and she really sold the school (eventhough i already loved it)
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Though I liked the enthusiasm of the students, nothing really stuck out about Jefferson -- positively or negatively. Both the student and faculty interviews went well. My tour guide was nice, though a bit low-key. The tour didn't seem very organized; it should have been a longer part of the day, with shorter presentations.
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Overall I had a great experience and I left with the feeling that THIS school was the one (I got my acceptance letter 2 weeks later :) ). The interview with the faculty was laidback (a little stressful in my opinion but nothing horrible). But all in all I loved the school and the city!
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A really nice day. I appreciated that it didnt start until 11. It will always be a big group of applicants, since they only interview once a week, but I thought that was neat because I met a lot of people. I would recommend going to the post-interview wrap up because there are lots of students and adminstrators there to chat with.
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Three solid, conversational, low-stress interviews!
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Very laid back and comfortable. i wasnt really stressed. everyone is super nice and willing to answer and questions you may have.
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Extremely laid back. He told me he didn't have any questions for me and just wanted to "chat" and that's what we did.
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My impression of the school prior to the interview was slightly negative, but I left with a very strong impression. It's now one of my top choices, which is shocking to me! I certainly didn't expect that. They give you a very detailed schedule before you go, and they stick to it. The day is fairly long (10-3:30-4ish), and your faculty interviews aren't until the afternoon (2 or 2:30). My student interviewer was nice, but I'm not sure what impression I left him with. The student interview was in an open area with tons of other people interviewing around us, but it worked out. My faculty interviewer was a really nice guy, and we had some stuff in common so that's mostly what we talked about. It was a discussion rather than an interview. The student interviewer hasn't seen your file yet, but the faculty interviewer has it. My interviewer hadn't looked at it, though, because he likes to get his first impression from talking to the person. At the end he looked at it, but just a glance. Overall it was very positive. Student and administrative presentations really characterized the school well, and I believe we received an adequate amount of information about it. Oh, and all students I asked said the large class size was usually good, with all kinds of people, but sometimes can be annoying (like with Jeff HOPE, see below).
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The interview day went fine and was very informative (i really appreciated them for this actually....much better than other schools), but the school kind of sucked. my interview couldnt have been easier.
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My interviewer was a basic science professor at Jeff. Since he hadn't read my file before I arrived he throughly asked me questions as he read through it all. He didn't seem very warm and I chalked it up as a bad interview but in the end but I got accepted 7 days later!
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My interviewer was a nice old lady that challenged me to think critically about my experiences and positions on various issues relating to people and medicine and education
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I felt a little intimidated at first because my interviewer really jumped into it without a lot of smiles or formalities, but I relaxed and felt like he eased up a bit as it went on.
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Very enthusiastic crew. The day is run by students and everyone really seems to love the school. The Dean is very nice and enthusiastic. You definitely feel the "Jeff Pride."
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All and all I was so relaxed during the interview day that I when it was over I couldn't believe that I had worried about it so much before. It started with an introduction to Jefferson and then a meeting with a financial representative. I then had a student interview, which was very relaxed and conversational. Lunch with a few students and admissions faculty followed and then we had a quick tour. My faculty interview was after that and I had to find where it was. (It helps to get a map of Jefferson before your interview day in case you realize that you don't known where your interview is.) The faculty interview was also conversational and other than a few obvious questions (e.g. Why Jeff? Why be a doctor?), my interviewer just asked questions relating to whatever we were talking about.
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It was my first interview, and I have to give Jefferson props for teaching me so much about the school, both positive and negative. I had fun, and I feel pretty good about how I did. I can definitely see myself attending this school more than I did before the interview.
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The whole day was a little rushed as we started late and a lot of people are interviewed at any given time, but that said it is still a wonderful place to attend medical school and all the students and staff were very friendly.
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Absolutely great experience. Amazing school. I will be attending in the fall!
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Everyone was very friendly. All the students love the school and the entire interview day was run by students. They are definitely normal here; one of the tour guides is a DJ at Egypt-a local club- in his free time! They do say that med school is equivalent to having the MCAT every 4 weeks though...
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Very positive. Enjoyed the interviewer and the day. Presenters were very passionate. Didn't get much out of the tour and it was important to me to see the clinical skills lab since other schools I'm considering have really good ones.
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The interview in itself went well and I really enjoyed it, but I was surprised by the facilities and don't think I would enjoy going there.
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I felt like I had made a friend rather than had an interview. The student who interviewed me also invited me to see his place after the interview day; nothing wrong with free beer.
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Day starts around 11:00 in a conference room w/ ~40 interviewees.. deans and students come and talk to everyone.. there are small sandwiches and snacks to eat but nothing big; very relaxed. go downstairs w/ a student for a quick student interview--this is basically a chance to see what the students are like and to ask questions.. go on a student tour w/ group of ~8 people.. then interview somewhere on campus around 2-2:30.. interview is conversational. then back for day wrap-up--they serve cookies and soda, and you can personally introduce yourself to the admissions director if you want--she's very nice.. overall, very easy interview experience
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Interview process is painless- no stress at all, plus the lunch was adequate.
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Everyone was so pleasant to be around. I liked the feeling of camraderie. And there's never a shortage of things to do in Philadelphia to get away from the books for a bit.
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I had a positive interview experience at Jeff. My faculty interview was in the hospital with a doctor who graduated from my college. All we talked about was how I was like him and how much he loved going to our university. However, my student interview wasnt as great because all he wanted to know about was where i like to go drinking in philly. Overall, I had a good experience.
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The interviewer went through bouts of friendliness followed by extreme antagonism. He made me feel pretty crappy.
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I loved jefferson
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This was the most organized and friendly interview day that I have encounted. I was truly impressed with the involvement of the students and the Admissions Office staff. The Director, Grace Hershman, and Dr. Callahan, the Dean, were both so very down to earth and available. Students seem normal and not overly impressed with themselves like you see at other schools.
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I thought my interviewer was great. He seemed genuinely interested in my experiences and dedicated to the school. He spent extra time explaining the selection process of Jefferson - something very helpful for us applicants who are left waiting for most of the year.
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I was matched up with a doctor who works in my field of interest, which was cool and unexpected. The student interview was actually more stressful than the faculty one.
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The day starts with all 20 - 30 applicants sitting in a boardroom, where you listen to several presentations on various topics. The day is student-led, which also helped put me at ease. They give you lunch, a student interview, and then a tour. The student interview is very low-stress. It is probably best used as a time for applicants to ask questions that you wouldn't ask a faculty interviewer. Don't expect a formal, guided interview from the students. As noted above, the tour was lacking. My next stop, the faculty interview, was a great experience. Again, as I noted above, my interviewer was very well prepared. The interview itself was mostly conversational in nature, and was very low stress. After the faculty interview, there is a post-interview wrap up session with soda and cookies. This is a good time to introduce yourself to Dr. Callahan.
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I had a nice time at Jefferson. It seems to be a very good program where everyone gets along nicely. The gym could use some improvements. Philly is a nice city (especially if you like cheesesteaks!) and the cities population is pretty diverse ethnically and socioeconomically providing the type of medical experience I am hoping to have.
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This was my first interview and Jefferson made a good start. The presenters were informative and enthusiastic. The student interview was casual and I spent most of my time asking her questions on the topics that interested me. It was a good opportunity to get an insider's perspective on the school. My faculty interviewer was friendly and seemed to know my file well - I was surprised at the detailed review of my AMCAS application.
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Great day, great people, great school. Morning starts with the very excited happy students telling you a little about the school, and then two admissions committee members telling you why Jefferson is unique and great. There's a 20 min student interview where you just bacially get to ask questions about Jefferson. The faculty interview is a little more formal but still low stress -- much more of a conversation. I got a phone call one week after the interview telling me I got accepted. Of course I didn't have my phone on so I heard the call on my voice mail two hours later. I think I listened to it three times I was so excited. I am thrilled to be into Jefferson!!!!
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Everything was pretty normal. the food is really insufficient, so it's probably a bad idea to come hungry.
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Informative, large group, good experience
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The day began around 11 with lunch and some brief introductions/talks by the student liasons to the Admissions Committee. Dr. Callahan and Grace Hershman each spoke for a bit about the opportunities available at Jefferson, curricula, etc. The student interview is very brief (ie about 10 minutes), and that is followed by a few more talks (life in Philly, etc.) and a tour. Many of the faculty interviews were off-campus, so be sure to ask your tour guide to point you in the right direction. One of the students liasons told me that the student and faculty interviews don't have a huge bearing on the final decision, so don't be too nervous. The day ended around 3 or 4 with a cookies and soda wrap-up, during which time you will have the opportunity to speak with a lot of students, as well as the admissions directors. Overall, it was a rather painless experience.
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This is not an interview review. We are minority students at Jefferson, and we wanted to clarify the diversity situation at this school. We recently read a review stating that Jefferson seems to be a traditional "old-boys school", lacking underrepresented minority students. While the proportion of minority students may be less than average, there are a variety of active efforts, both from administration and student groups to address the situation. Minority students have a strong presence on campus, despite our lower numbers. In addition, many non-minority students are actively interested in minority issues in health and medicine. If you should have additional concerns/questions on matters of diversity at Jefferson, feel free to email us at [email protected].
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Positive, not outstanding.
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Jefferson was already my top choice...going to the interview and seeing the school just made me want to go there even more!
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See above.
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The overall "Interview DAY" impressed me. I really love this school. The emphasis that they seem to place on producing clinicians, curriculum, big class size, location, everything. They really do seem to care about their students, especially Dr. Callahan and Grace Hershman. My student interview was very laid back, in a lounge with others student interviews going on at the same time. It didn't even feel like and interview, just a friendly discussion. I actually started to feel that I was asking too many questions about the school and not really giving my interviewer a chance to speak (The student interview is closed file.). My faculty interviewer was very condescending and criticized my whole application. I didn't even get to respond, because he would go onto something else. He then just started talking about things he didn't like about medicine in general, the school, etc. Didn't ask for my opinions, I just sat there. I felt like my interview was a waste of time BUT I was accepted. Strange as it may seem, my interview did not change my view on this school. I still love what Jefferson is about, what they have to offer and plan on attending. If you don't mind a big class (200+) and living in the heart of Philly, check this school out. The interview day was really well organized and the admission coordinators (4 second year students) were really helpful. They have an informal reception/refreshments thing after, current med students drop by and you get to talk to them, Grace Hershman stopped by.
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Overall, the interview experience was pretty good. The applicants seemed a little competitive. The lunch was not that great, and they only had soda as beverages. The student presentations were very good and informative. The student interview was extremely laid back and relaxed. The whole day dragged on a little too long.
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The faculty interviewer was very talkative, cordial, and easy to relate to in conversation. She talked a lot about herself so it wasn't just a one-way dumping of information from me to her. She ended the interview with, "I hope to see you here next year!" That was very sweet of her to say. :)Also they tend to waitlist a lot of people- don't be discourages if this happens. Just write a letter of intent and most likely you will be accepted shortly afterwards. One third of their 230 person class matriculates off the waitlist. They said interviewees should hear back within 2-3 weeks of the interview. Rarely is anyone flat-out rejected after an interview.
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Very relaxed, my interviewer went through my essay and asked me to talk about the experiences there. I was a half hour late for my interview though - double check the time of your interview! There was a misprint on my schedule, but my interviewer was totally cool with it and talked to me for over an hour about topics as far ranging as carpentry and egyptian medicine.
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Ultimatley, my interview was unusual in that most of my interview time was spent discussing Colorado (my home state) political issues, in particular gun control and concealed weapon permits. It was overall a good experience although I would of liked to spend a bit more time discussing why I want to be a doctor etc.
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Setting up a student host was a little wierd, but worked. Lunch was a good time for the presentations; they had us seated around this big table like the knights of the roundtable. A great "medical meeting" atmosphere; I felt important to be there. Students were also happy to be there, interacting and studying with groups of friends. Everyone had so much respect and admiration for each other and treated me like I belonged there. The student interviewer really cared about what I had to say; I think it mattered.
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I liked the fact that the day didn't start until 11. That made it easy for people flying in that morning. The food was not good. The tour was bad but that was only due to the frigid temperature. My faculty interviewer was a nice guy and I really liked the wrap-up. Having a chance to sit and chat with the students more informally was great. A lot of students showed up for it too.
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The MD-PHD students had to get there earlier and stay there later for dinner. They took care of you as an MD-PHD student, which I liked. The student interview was really laid back. The med school interview was pretty low stress as well. My interviewer asked me mostly about my family and background. The PHD interviewers were okay too...they mainly asked about my research.
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Positive. Jefferson has a great program.
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Very positive and relaxed.
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I arrived at the library and was amazed to see 30 other students interviewing that day. The lunch was ok and we were given a brief talk on Jeff Pride. Students picked us up for interviews which were very relaxed. We returned for more discussion on the curriculum and living in the Philly area. We were led in small groups on tours (I hope other people have better tour guides than I did). Then I had a little time before my faculty interview. My interview was over in the hospital. The interviewer was very nice and was very honest about his experience in the school.
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The day is very low-key. The student interview is very short and is more about you asking them questions. The faculty interview follows the tour so that your guide can point out the building to which you have to go. After the faculty interview there is an informal wrap-up session with refreshments where you can introduce yourself to Grace Hershman, the admissions director, as well as talk with current students and your fellow interviewees.
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The interview was a bit offputting because I was interviewed in the interviewer's apartment. But, once I got to his room the atmosphere was comforting and I felt at ease. The interviewer told me ahead of time that he does not look at the interviewee's file ahead of time, nor does he ask prescribed questions. Essentially he told me to talk and he interjected with questions sporadically.
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The Dean of Students and Director of Admissions both came in and gave a speech about how great Jefferson is and about the school's history. Then each of the interviewees was paired off with a student for a closed-file interview, which was pretty laid-back. Next, they divided us into groups of 5 or 6 and sent us on a tour of the school with a student. After the tour, I had my faculty interview, which was really laid-back. I spoke with my interviewer for almost an hour and she seemed really interested in getting to know about me. Finally, there was an optional postinterview wrap-up, where we met in a room with cookies and drinks and got to talk with more students.
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The student interview (closed-file) was very informal and lasted about 30 minutes, while the faculty interview was open-file and last a little more than an hour. My faculty interviewer was incredible--very friendly and relaxed, probably the nicest interviewer I've had.
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Began day very early, had description of MD/PhD program, tours of labs, then went to med school orientation, they beat you over the head with Jeff Pride and how they dislkie Penn, the med school interveiw went well, he was a family doc who was easy to talk to and was interested in what I said, then had interviews with scientists, this went well too, there is great research going on there, very progressive, and the PI's seem great to work for, hope I get in!!
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There were two intervies, 1 with a student (that i heard doesn't count much) and one with a faulty member. Not many questions were asked. Mostly a nonintimating conversation about my interests in general- not necessarily medicaly related.
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Too many presentations, lunch tasted really bad - sandwiches had the worst stale bread i've ever tasted - and u wonder how bread can taste bad - it can!!! the school i think tries wayyyyyy to hard to sell themselves... it got really annoying after a while, listening to sooo many presentations about how great the school is... tour guide was wayyy too excited about school, seems almost fake
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I had a very good experience, Jefferson is definatly one of my top choices. I wish they started the day a bit earlier though, it was a bit nerve-racking trying to leave afterwards but not being done until 4.
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I really liked Jeffereson and my interviewers were really nice. They made me feel very comfortable.
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Overall pretty low-key. the day starts late, at 11 am and i thought it was sort of annoying that you have to listen to all the presentations and do the tour before the interviews without even a bathroom break. also, the food for the lunch sucks so either eat a big breakfast or look forward to a good early dinner afterwards.
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Good school it seems, I could see myself fitting in there.
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The interview is in the afternoon so in the morning you sit through a bunch of presentations and eat lunch. Then you have a student interview which is really easy and a tour of the campus. My itnerview was with an attending and took place in a doctor's office. He hadn't even reviewed my file but it was really easy.
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Very positive.
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The interviews were relaxed, and the student interview was basically to determine whether you're "socially competent", according to my student interviewer. This is one of those schools that care about students and has strong emphasis on clinical care rather than research. The only thing that holds me back is the old conservative feeling of Philadelphia.
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Wow, do they interview in packs. I think they have one interview per week so about thirty of us were in attendance. The light lunch in the boardroom is packed and feels so formal. It definitely feels like the first of many such meetings with wrapped sandwiches and bags of lays potato chips we'll see in our careers. The day was loaded with impressive speeches by students and members of the faculty that really made me excited about the school. The tour left a little to be desired, but the interviews were both very relaxed. There were no real difficult questions. I liked Jeff a lot and I think I could be happy there. The price tag is a little rough though, but how can you beat its location in philly.
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Excellent! Great school! I hope I get in.
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Very laidback and low key. Enjoy yourself there.
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Great experience! Jefferson moved to the top of my list
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When I first got there we sat in a big conference room for lunch and numerous speakers which became dull. The student interview was not stressful and then comes the tour. I was fortunate to have an upbeat, energetic tour guide and really enjoyed my tour. The faculty interviewer and I had a good rapport so I rather enjoyed my interview, which was much more like a conversation than interview. Center City is a neat place to live and students & faculty are all friendly. Great interview experience.
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It's very relaxed, and the student interview is usually pretty chill. Don't stress for this one.
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The interview really had no formal questions, just an open discussion. I found it really hard to impress upon the interviewer why JMC should choose me.
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I had a good time there, the students were nice. I stayed in a medical fraternity house and the rent is incredibly cheap to live there. The student interview is a little pointless, it lasted about 20 minutes since we were running late and we spent most of the time looking for a place to sit. The post interview wrap up is nothing exciting, they were supposed to have cookies, but I did not see anything. Good if you have questions, not really worthwhile if you dont have any, so its ok to miss.
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Best interview ever!
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Jefferson is a very nice school.
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Great, low-key experience. Lots of student contact and opportunity to ask questions.
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I had two interviewers, one an experienced member of the adcom, and the other was a newbie who was learning how to conduct interviews. The second interviewer basically observed the whole time, saying very little. The Jefferson admissions office said that this situation was the exception to the rule, however- most interviews will be one on one. Overall, it was pretty low stress... i was asked stuff pretty much right off my application... i would suggest that people try to work in some stuff that doesnt show up on the app. though, just to add another dimension to your file. Also, come prepared with questions, my interviewer really seemed to want to help me get to know the school.
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I had a great experience and hope they want me b/c i think it is a really good fit for what I want to do. If you are interviewing at Jeff don't be nervous just try to prepare what you really want to get across to yoru interviewer b/c you will probably have the chance.
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My student interview was short and no big deal. I was nervous about my faculty interview, but it turned out to be great. My interviewer was friendly and seemed to like me.
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The day was very formal - every moment was planned. There are a lot of students since they only interview one day a week. The students seemed stressed, not particularly interesting. Overall its a good school though.
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The day was pretty relaxing. Jefferson only interviews once a week so there were about 25 of us interviewing on the same day. You have a student interviewer, which is really just an opportunity for you to ask them questions and then have a faculty interviewer at the end of the day. There is an optional session you can go to at the very end to ask any final questions. Both of my interviews were very stress-free.
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Great students, my faculty interviewer was awesome.
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A very relaxing experience -- I felt as if I was able to provide them with a good idea of what I was all about. The interviews were very low stress and were designed to give lots of opportunities for me to ask questions of them. Overall, I was very impressed with everything about the school (especially the students) with the exception of the facilities which just look old and well-used.
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It was rather odd; she chastized me about my grades for awhile, and we went into excruciating detail about my experiences and volunteer work...and then suddenly in the middle she pulled out the evaluation form and started verbally going through it and telling me how I'd done on everything, culminating in grilling me about whether I'd come there if accepted and how it compared to the other places I'd interviewed (that sure came back to bite me). Definitely the only interview that had me sweating so far.
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The day was extremely informative, but rather long. They do a very good job of "selling" their school to the prospective students. My interviewer was extremely nice, which made the experience very low stress. The interview was a little bizarre because she spent most of her time giving me tips on how I can sell myself in future interviews to my top choices of med schools. However, she was very persuasive and left me with a very positive view of Jefferson.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
🕐
Length:
40 Minutes Average
🔄
Number:
1.8 Interviews Average
👥
Interview Type (Interaction):
100% One-on-One
0% Group Interview
📁
File Type:
90% Open-File
10% Closed-File
💻
Interview Modality:
0% Virtual
100% In-Person
🏫
Interview Location (for In-Person):
100% At the School
0% Other Location
JMC-COMP interviews are an average of 40 minutes, with an average of 1.8 interviews. 100% of interviews are one-on-one, 100% are in-person, and 10% are closed-file. Of the in-person interviews, 100% are held at the school.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools involve topics like discussing experiences from the application, reasons for pursuing medicine, personal interests, future goals, and suitability for the program. Some applicants mentioned an MMI format, where interview content may be confidential due to nondisclosure agreements.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Tell me about your research
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My interviewer had my AMCAS application open on their laptop with highlighted sections of what they wanted me to expand on.
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Why medicine?
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You checked the box on research, right? Tell me about what you did for research.
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Why did I attend the undergraduate school that I did?
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Just to elaborate on extracurriculars, very conversational.
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What would you do for fun in Philadelphia?
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What would you do if you had a free weekend?
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What's a weakness of yours?
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What have you been doing since graduating?
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Current healthcare & policy related questions.
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They asked me to piece together a linear story of my application; it didn't make sense to them.
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Why Jeff?
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Tell me about yourself.
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What would you do if you had a free weekend in medical school?
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
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Tell me about experience X
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What in your file are you most proud of?
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Why be a doctor when you could be a psychologist?
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Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
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Why did you apply to Jefferson?
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Tell me about X research experience.
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Why apply to the Physician Shortage Are Program?
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Why do you wanna study medicine?
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Why Jefferson?
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Tell me about your AMCAS experience.
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I want to get to know you so I can tell the admissions committee about you, so tell me about yourself.
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Had my AMCAS on his computer and asked me about each activity
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Why medicine? x2
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Tell me more about the activities you're involved in.
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What is different about Jefferson?
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Why did you go to [city]?
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Where is your favorite place at your undergrad school?
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What should I tell the board about you when I meet with them to discuss your file?
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What are you looking for in a medical school?
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What are you looking for in a school?
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Tell me about your family.
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Tell me about yourself/where you have lived.
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Tell me about your research.
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Why do you want to leave Oregon to come all the way out to Philadelphia?
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Who are your friends? What would they say about you?
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Tell me anything and everything about yourself.
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Tell me all about yourself?
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Tell me about yourself
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What was your study abroad experience like?
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How do you feel about increasing costs and the effect of managed care on the outlook of healthcare in the future
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Have you had any international experience?
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Why do you want to go to medical school?
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What is your personal take on the war in Irag?
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When did you decide to be a doctor?
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What do you consider to be important advances in medicine over the last 50 / 100 years?
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So tell me about yourself.
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There weren't any real questions it was more of a conversation about who I am why I want to go to medical schoo, why I applied to the physician shortage area program and whatnot
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Why a doctor?
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What have you heard about Jeff?
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What questions do you have for me about Jeff?
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Tell me a joke.
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What questions do you have for me?
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I elaborated on EVERYTHING in my application.
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Tell me about the conferences you attended
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Why medicine? Why Jefferson?
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What do your parents and siblings do?
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How do you feel about a proposed law requiring every patient at a certain hopsital to recieve an AIDS test?
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I felt like my student interviewer was attacking me by pointing out all the reasons why I waould not be a good match for the school.
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How was your undergraduate school?
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Why English?
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Tell me about yourself...
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Nothing really, we just talked about my life and experiences.
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What do you do in your spare time?
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He didnt want to ask me any questions. he just told me that i had the floor to speak about whatever I wanted, keeping in mind this was a medical school interview. he also chose not to look at my file beforehand nor during my interview. i basically just had to talk about myself for 30 minutes while he took notes and made a few comments here and there.
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When did you first become interested in medicine?
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Why do you want to be a doctor? (both student and faculty interviewers)
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Why do you think Jeff is a good fit?
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What do you think [this character] learned from [that experence]?
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Who's your best freind? If she were here right now what would she tell me about you?
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My interviewer was very challenging, but he made the interview interesting. He had my AMCAS and asked me about absolutely everything on it. I mean EVERYTHING.
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It was more a conversation: we talked mostly about religion.
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Why jefferson
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So what do you want me to know about yourself??
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Do you know anything about the Jewish culture?
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Why do you want to go to Jeff?
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Why do you want to go into medicine?
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What inspires you?
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Why do your friends like you?
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How did you decide that you wanted to go into medicine? Any one specific event?
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Tell me about living in....
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All pretty standard conversational questions derived from my statement.
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The interview was mostly conversational, with questions directed at items on my application.
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I see you're from Erie. How do you like it? How do you like Philadelphia?
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Why medicine
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Tell me about your job? elaborated a lot on this b/c we held similar positions in college
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What is your favorite book?
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How did you get interested in medicine?
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Any questions about Jefferson?
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Tell me about _____ (insert essay-related experience or ec)
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For what reasons have you applied to Jefferson?
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What did you do differently between your first degree and your second that explains the difference in your grades?
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If you dont' get into med school, what would you do?
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What did you learn as a volunteer firefighter?
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Tell me about yourself (I hate this, I never know where to start).
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How did you come to decide on medicine?
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How many siblings do you have?
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What kind of books do you like to read?
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Do you have girlfriend? What does your family think about your decision to pursue medicine? Faculty interviewer had some questions very specific to my personal statement (he knew it quite well) and to some of my ECs, however he said he purposefully didn't look at my grades/MCATs.
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Would you go into practice alone or in a group?
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How do you like Philly?
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Tell me something you're good at. Tell me something you wish you had done better.
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Why medicine? What area of medicine? Questions about my family.
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What skills/talents are you going to bring to Jefferson?
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What do you think of the high tuition costs?
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Tell me about your clinical experiences.
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Explain your bad grades.
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Sorry i know this is no help. But i really don't think i was asked many direct questions. I talked, he talked, we kind of just chatted -- I of course tried to get in their why i want to be a doc, why jefferson, etc.
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What was the last movie you saw?
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What is something you are good at? What is something you are bad at?
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What geographic location do you want to go to for medical school? What are you upcoming summer plans?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College discussed a wide range of topics, including personal hobbies, future aspirations, family support, and ethical dilemmas in healthcare. The interview format appeared to be a mix of conversational discussions and standard application-related inquiries, with some faculty interviews being more confrontational or focused on the applicant's personal statement.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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If you were given unlimited money for one day, what would you do with it and why?
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What would you do if you did not become a physician?
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All of my faculty interviewer's questions were either standard app questions or vaguely confrontational, so none of them.
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Only got asked one question before he asked me if I have any questions for him
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Tell me more about (specific hobby).
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Lots of personal statement based questions.
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How would your best friend describe you?
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What books have you been reading lately?
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So I see that you worked on [research topic, non-medical]. Why would you do that?
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What will you do if you don't get into medical school?
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Why aren't there more opportunities to mentor underserved youth in Philadelphia? Obviously the need is there.
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What was the size of the compound that you spent time researching in undergrad?
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What are your hobbies?
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"Was your undergraduate school cutthroat during your time there? I worked there a long time ago and the administration had to talk to the student body about reducing that." LOL I don't think this was a make or break question, they were just interested. Again, very conversational interview.
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My interviewer really didn't ask many questions; he was far more interested in the questions I had about the school.
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[You said you like to read], What book are you reading right now? What is it about?
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What do your parents think of your decision to try for med school?
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If you could meet anyone, who would you meet?
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In conversation I had mentioned staying with family friends in an affluent area outside of Philadelphia so he tried to test my inclination to live in a suburban, affluent area vs rural area by asking me if I saw myself living in a place like that or not.
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None
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How do you feel about the mind-body connection?
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What is your favorite thing about your home town?
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Um...it was just a conversation mainly...only the questions stated above were directly asked.
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Asked me about the Superbowl.
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What volunteer activities have you been involved in?
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What do you do for fun?
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How would you solve the problem of so many uninsured people in the United States? We talked about this for sooo long. I loved it.
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Name a few Nobel Prize laureates at your research institution.
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Are you a Phillies fan?
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Are you more interested in family practice or internal medicine?
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The research question - it turned into a pretty interesting conversation.
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More of a conversation than question and answer format. Also some faculty interviewers do a closed file interview (mine) while others do open file.
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''Here is a scenario. Say its 20 years from now, year 2028, what woould you be doing, where would you be geographically, what would you be doing for fun, who would your friends be?''
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The student interview was mostly just getting to know each other and them seeing if they'd like you to be a classmate. The faculty interview was really low-key and conversational. We basically just talked about my undergrad school, sports, and philly.
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It was pretty much like a long conversation- no one question stands out.
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Tell me all about yourself
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Nothing too interesting, just conversational
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Nothing unusual was asked.
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Is there anything that we haven't touched on yet that you think I should know about you? (A great question!)
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How do you feel about the large class size?
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How do you feel about increasing costs and the effect of managed care on the outlook of healthcare in the future?
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My interviewer basically started off the interview with ''Tell me about yourself'' (she sida that although interviews were open file, she prefers to just glance at the app and have the student talk) so there weren't many direct questions, just a true conversation.
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Can't remember
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We had a fantastic dicussion about the Iraqi War..he saw from my AMCAS that my brother went to West Poing and inquired whether or not he had been deployed.
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How do you think the Penguins will do in the playoffs?
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Nothing particularly interesting or difficult. It was mostly just a discussion of my background, experiences, etc.
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If I were coming over for dinner, what would be on the menu? (after seeing i was a pro cook)
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What do you think being a doctor entails, apart from treating patients?
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There was nothing too out of the ordinary. I would say ''what do you think is different about practicing in a rural area''
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Who's your best friend? And what would they tell me about you if I called them right now?
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Questions about my current research which showed that he had taken the time to study my file beforehand
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Tell me about your dog.
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Wasn't really interesting but it caught me slightly off guard. ''So, what would you like to tell me.''
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Tell me about your parents.
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What do you think are the problems in health care?
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It was a convo, she didn't ask any questions
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I wasn't asked any questions. The interview started with ''Tell me about yourself'' and continued from there.
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Bioethics questions regarding my interest in speciality.
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Do you dance (Indian dances)?
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It was really more of a conversation, no real point-blank questions.
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So, you're an interesting case...(pretty much just ran from there for the whole time)
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About my background
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What's your claim to fame?
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Why Jefferson?
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Nothing. all standard questions.
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Tell me about yourself... that was the only question.
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Tell me about the current state of the art in orthopaedics
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None, really. It was more of a conversation than anything, without any real "questions".
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Describe your college life
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Why medicine?
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Describe a time when you demonstrated caring/compassion.
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Ethical question about AIDS, see below.
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Nothing that interesting, the interview was more like a conversation
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Faculty interviewer picked a course out of my transcript and asked about it.
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What do you like to do in your spare time. (do premeds have spare time??)
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Strangely enough, I wasn't really asked any direct questions. We just started talking about a photography award of mine and went from there.
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Why were you an English major?
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Nothing unusual.
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Didn't really ask me any questions
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Nothing interesting
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What is one quality that you have, that I can share with the adcoms and tell them that they should let you in?
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Tell me about an experience you';ve had in which ethics was a consideration.
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Tell me about Tom Stoppard (related to my application).
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Tell me about yourself.
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Is your husband supportive of your goal to become a doctor? (faculty interviewer)
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It wasnt a q&a type thing. all conversation about my application and my life. she read through my amcas page by page and we just sort of talked about my experiences and i added in other things where i could. i dont think she ever actually asked me any questions.
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What would you do if I were not accepted to any medical school this year? (kinda intimidating)
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What can I tell admissions about you?
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If everything goes perfectly, where do you see yourself in 10 years? if things don't go well, where then?
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What do you like to do for fun?
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If a friend of yours was here, what would that person say about you?
-
How would you respond to the Katrina disaster?
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Near the end of the interview, my interviewer asked me, "Okay, we have about five minutes left. I will soon be telling the Admissions Committee about you. What do you want me to tell them?"
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Nothing very interesting.
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Where have you traveled?
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Are you engaged (wearing a ring)?
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Some questions about my research and it became a complete different conversation. the doctor i was talking to was reading my file at the same time so we had some moments when he would read and i would just sit there: it did not feel like an interview at all.
-
The faculty member (combined MD, PhD, MBA degrees) started up a conversation before she even sat down in her chair and we went from there for over an hour.
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Tell me about your guitar what books have you read lately
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Do you know anything about the Jewish culture?
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What do you think the biggest problem facing medicine is today?
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"What does sheep blood taste like?" (We had an exchange about different ethnic foods we've tried.)
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I was only asked one question: what inspires me?
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Why do you think your friends are friends with you?
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Why do you like teaching
-
Not a question and answer format. More of a conversation although we discussed attributes of city life.
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How does your culture & family regard your decision to enter the medical profession?
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What do you think about medical malpractice?
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What was most important to you as an undergraduate?
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My faculty interview was very conversational, but the conversation was directed by questions about my personal statement. It was mainly a discussion of things that I wrote about and how I felt about them.
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Tell me about your experiences abroad.
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Not really a question, but at one point, my interviewer told me "Your research ends up being more important than your grades. No one will look at your grades when you are 30, but your publications will follow you forever....kind of like Herpes". It was hilarious and put me at ease. Like I said, VERY LOW STRESS!!!
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What inspires you?
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What will you do if you don't get in to medical school?
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What do you consider to be a weak part of your character?
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What reservations do you have about going into medicine?
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Do you regret going to your undergraduate institution?
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Do you know how to hang dry wall? we were talking about some volunteer experience
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"What do you think caused the shooting at Columbine High School?"
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I see you want to be "this specialty" of physician, but what KIND of doctor do you want to be?
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Nothing really interesting
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What are you most proud of as a Vietnamese person?
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
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Why do you want to leave California for medical school?
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What about medicine will be most difficult for you to manage?
-
All questions were very basic just explaining the info on my application and telling a little more about myself.
-
Tell me about yourself
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Is there anything I haven't asked you, that you think I should have or anything else you want me to know about you?
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I was asked about my Russian history class, my hobbies, and if I knew how to be a mason like my dad.
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None were particularly interesting, I got questions about problems in medicine, and my exposure to the feild.
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Why the switch from education to medicine?
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What do you think of the california recall (because i'm from california and the election was last night)
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How would your friends describe you?
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What is the last book you've read?
-
All the questions were fairly standard
-
What was the last movie you saw?
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More of a conversational interview (Dr. Fred Markham)
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How do you think I should get my kids interested in piano? (because the interviewer knew that I played piano)
-
My interviewer, juding by the patients in his office, a successful clinician, was extremely professional yet engaging and interesting. More of a conversation than an "interview"
-
Questions about my family and my Italian background. My interviewer was an old Italian physician so we talked about Italy, food, family, etc...
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Do you know what the most interesting thing about JMC is?
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Tell me something you are good at. and something you are bad at.
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Is Jefferson one of your top choices?
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If I could describe my perfect/ideal day, what would it be?
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What kind of malaria were they going to give you? (You had to be there ;)
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Do you feel you know what you're getting into in the field of medicine?
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Nothing really interesting, we just chatted.
-
Tell me about your parents?
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Tell me about your family
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Basically, my student interviewer answered my questions, and my physician was really nice and we just chatted.
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What do you like to do to relieve stress?
-
None-my faculty interviewer spent the majority of the time selling the school to me. The few questions that were asked were directly related to what we were discussing at the time and were mostly general questions.
-
The entire interview was interesting. My faculty interviewer was awesome. He really seemed interested in me and my application. We had a wonderful conversation.
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How hard do you want me to fight for you with the admissions committee?
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What is your first choice of medical schools that you are applying to?
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by researching the school, reviewing their application materials, and practicing common interview questions, often with the help of resources like SDN (Student Doctor Network). Many also engaged in mock interviews with peers, read the school's website thoroughly, and stayed up-to-date on current healthcare issues as part of their preparation.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Did research about the school and its programs.
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SDN, reviewing primary and secondary apps
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Mock interview with friends who had my AMCAS application in front of them, standard interview questions (i.e. why medicine)
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Reading the website, re-reading my application, SDN
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SDN, reviewed common interview questions, mock interview
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Read the school's website, selected specific aspects of the school and mission that align with my application.
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SDN interview feedback
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Didn't.
-
I reviewed my application and prepared for many potential talking points. I had mock interviews and read up on the school.
-
Learned about the school, practiced classic interview questions, tried not to overthink it and to be myself.
-
Brainstormed a bunch of possible questions and answered them myself.
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I read a lot about the school and their specific programs
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Read the school brochure and made sure I had my answers for the big questions
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Interview feedback on SDN, school website
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School's website, talked to current students
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SDN, pre-med advisor, met with Jeff students.
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SDN, school website, the interview day info session
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Interview feedback, studied the school.
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The survey summaries on SDN were really useful, especially the sample interview questions. Just read through them and write some notes for each question that you find challenging.
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SDN, reviewed AMCAS and secondary, reviewed standard interview questions.
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Reviewed AMCAS.
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Looked up common questions asked at interviews and practiced them. Also, researched specific areas of the school that set it apart from other schools.
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Review website, application, interview feedback
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By reading through information on Jeff online (google search, school website, SDN), thoroughly reviewing my app one last time, spending a few evenings prior reading through articles on health reform, editorials from medical journals, etc. so these topics were fresh on my mind if they came up.
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SDN, website, host
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Mock interviews by peers and physician-mentors.
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Read SDN interview feedback, read over AMCAS
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Reviewed my application and some information about health policy.
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SDN, talked to others who had interviewed
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SDN, read over my application and essays I had written
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Interview feedback
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Understood myself researched the school thoroughly. felt like most other interviewees came kinda unprepared
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Sdn, amcas
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SDN, mock interview, went over primary app.
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Not much, read about the school and highlighted some points in my mind. Interview thread showed that its a really laid back interview.
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I've been on a few others, so I don't feel it necessary to prep any more outside of glancing over interview feedback here.
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SDN, school website, health policy reading
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SDN
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SDN, talked to med students/residents/physicians from school, read my interviewer's book.
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This site, mock interviews, school's web-site
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SDN, Jefferson website, but really the only thing you need to do is be prepared to talk about yourself and have a good time.
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Reviewed my AMCAS and secondary materials, Jefferson's website.
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This website, mock interview.
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Re-read my AMCAS app, talked with my med student friends, read "Understanding Health Policy" by Thomas Bodenheimer
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Reviewed AMCAS/website/SDN
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SDN, School Catalog, Read Amcas, etc.
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The usual, got a good night's sleep
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SDN, mock-interview, read my personal statement.
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Mock interviews, read Jefferson's website, answered some practice questions, reviewed my AMCAS etc
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SDN, school website, writing out answers to typical questions, rehearsing with friend (all unnecessary!)
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Looked over Jefferson's website and reviewed my AMCAS.
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JMC website, SDN feedback,mock interview, read up on current events in healthcare.
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SDN, read over AMCAS and secondaries, spoke with host
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Their online bulletin, SDN
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SDN, school website, reviewed a general guide I made answering a lot of mock interview questions, reviewed pres. candidate health care reform plans
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Read my AMCAS application, read about JeffHOPE, asked friends who attended Jefferson about interesting aspects
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I arrived at the interview about 20 minutes early and picked up a copy of the school newsletter. Also the usual re-read of AMCAS and SDN
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SDN, talked to a friend at Jefferson, current events, read ''Redefining Health Care''
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SDN, reviewing my application.
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Read SDN, JMC website, email current students, mock interview with friend.
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Read the local newspaper, mock up the questions, watch news
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Looked over my AMCAS, most important health care provisions.
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I just looked at the website, my application, the SDN and a few ethical things
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Going through their viewbook as well as their current students page
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Looked at AMCAS, SDN, asked friends about interviews
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Reviewed my application, research work, Jeff website and student handbook, and tried to answer Why Jeff/Why Medicine
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Amcas, SDN, NyTimes.com, Essays, etc.
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Sleeping, mock interview, practicing my answers, getting there early to get a feel for it
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Read SDN.
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SDN website, notecards with questions, previous interviews.
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Read over my applications, reviewed answers to questions I thought I'd be asked.
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Looked at the website, knew my personal statement and file.
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Website, sdn, reviewed my application
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Read the website, SDN, talked to a couple of jeff alums
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Interview feedback, sdn, prayer, sleep, luck, i was just my ''normal'' self
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SDN, current events
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Reread my AMCAS, read a school brochure
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SDN, practiced answering ?'s to myself
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MSAR, AMCAS primary, school web-site, SDN
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I didn't
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Re-read AMCAS essay, school's history and mandate.
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SDN, read application and jefferson website, visited campus and joined in couple classes with 1st years and 2nd years.
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SDN, Jefferson's webpage
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SDN, read over my AMCAS application
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Mock Interview, MSAR, Web-site, talking to current students
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SDN, Reread my AMCAS app, Jefferson's website
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Mock interview and read website
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Mock interviews, read brochure.
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Amcas application, school's website and brochure, conversations with students
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MSAR, SDN, school website
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Re-read AMCAS and secondary, talked to a current student, brochure, SDN
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SDN, stressed a bit, researched school
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SDN, AMCAS app review, the interview is at the end, so the whole day gave me a good idea about the school, so I felt prepared with enough Jefferson info from the day.
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Read about the school, SDN, practiced with friends.
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SDN, website
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Read over web page
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Read sdn, feedback, school website, read about current issues in healthcare (policy, ethics, etc).
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Interview Feedback, Jefferson's website, talked to a friend who attends the school.
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SDN, Read the Bio's of my interviewers
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Read sdn, amcas, reviewed website, brochure, secondary
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SDN feedback, website, my application
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Talked to students about the school and read their website.
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Sdn, jeff website
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This website, read up on current events on medicine, practiced answers to common questions.
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Jeff website, sdn, previous interviews
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Read up on Jefferson, reviewed website, practiced interviews, reviewed my AMCAS application.
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Read brochure, read my AMCAS, my secondary, got some email communication going with the Student Council President for a student perspective.
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This site and my AMCAS
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SDN, student handbook
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SDN mostly, their website
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Went through AMCAS application, secondary essays that I wrote for various schools....
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School website, talked to doctors who graduated from the school.
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SDN, jeff website and brochure, review application
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SDN, AMCAS and supplementary applications.
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SDN, website, talked with friends who attend Jeff.
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Student doctor network, read newspaper, looked at jefferson's website
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Read the Jeff website, looked over AMCAS, current events in healthcare
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Read about the school, talked 2 my host...
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Read web site.
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I reviewed my application, the school curriculum and philosophy, and also some sample questions. I also read through some reviews on SDN.
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I read about Jefferson on the website, read SDN feedback, and stayed with a second-year friend the night before.
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Kaiser family foundation <www.kff.org>, website, SDN
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I reviewed the Jefferson website, read over my applications (AMCAS and secondary), and reviewed SDN.
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Read the school manual off the website, spoke with a friend of mine who attends the program.
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Read the brochure, researched on this website and SDN, kept up with current events
-
Read SDN, reviewed AMCAS application, read Jefferson's admissions Bulletin.
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Student doctor, read my application, read the new student brochure
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Reviewed the school's website, read websites and magazines for medically-related topics, SDN
-
Review application, studentdoctor.net, etc.
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SDN, read over Jefferson's website and viewbook and my application
-
Spoke to friends who attend Jeff.
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Read up on the school, reviewed my application, checked out interviewfeedback, etc.
-
Read SDN, read school website, looked over AMCAS, brushed up on current events
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Read SDN, talked to my student host. I think it's generally a good idea to stay with a host the night before an interview. She gave me a more well-rounded view of the pros and cons of the school.
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Talked to people I know at Jeff
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Read through information on Jeff's website, looked over my AMCAS personal statement and my Jeff personal statement, tried to relax
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Read the website and catalog. Found some alumni and asked them for opinions, advice, and input.
-
Read this website and the schools website
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Looked over this website, looked over research paper
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Jefferson web page
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Reading my AMCAS application, reading the Jefferson brochure, talking to people who had already interviewed.
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SDN, read brochure
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Got a good night's sleep and just relaxed.
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I read over information brochures on the school, my AMCAS application, and my secondary application for the school
-
Read SDN feedback, Jefferson's website, and my AMCAS application.
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Previous interviews, read the school's brochure, this site.
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Website, my apps, usual
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Read the student brocure online and this website
-
Nothing... so sick of preparing since it was my 7th...
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Talked to people I know who go there, read the information availible on the webpage.
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I read the Jefferson website and read the brochure. I also practiced common interview questions.
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Student host
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SDN interview feedback, website, my AMCAS application.
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Read SDN, read viewbook, reviewed application.
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Viewbook
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Read SDN, mock interviews
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Interview feedback and school catalog
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Interview Feedback, Jeff. Website, SDN
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Read web site, reivewed my personal statement and post-secondary experiences, practiced mock-interviews with friends and family
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Read the website, read my resume (this was for a BA/MD program), conducted mock interviews
-
Knew of the schools reputation, first hand, for producing excellent clinicians from physicians and residents that I worked with.
-
Website, brochures, etc...same as everybody else.
-
Read the website
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Looked at this website, the school's website, read over my amcas.
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Primary, secondary, MSAR, online brochure, talked w/ student hosts.
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SDN - previously asked questions, review prospective student file, TJU website, apps
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Read Jefferson online catalog, reread AMCAS app, rehearsed possible answers to questions, interview feedback!
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Interview feedback, read over application materials, Jefferson's website
-
Read the online brochure, called one of the students they offered as contacts, read SDN, read current up on current health care issues
-
Reading school website, SDN
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Reread application materials. talked to people
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Read their brochure, talked to friends who went there.
-
Downloaded the view book
-
Familiarized myself with the web site, reviewed the brochure and my application.
-
Read the brochure and talked to a few people I knew who attended the school, prepared a few questions that I wanted to have answered, prepared for common questions they would ask
-
Deprived myself of sleep.
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Jefferson website and information packet
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College discussed a wide range of topics, including personal attributes, career goals, academic challenges, ethical dilemmas, and healthcare policies. While some respondents found the interview conversational and casual, others were asked to elaborate on specific experiences, justify academic discrepancies, or explain their motivations for pursuing medicine, with a few questions challenging their decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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No difficult questions at all. I just elaborated more on the activities I did
-
The very first "question": So. You're the one who got the 100th percentile MCAT.
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None
-
Literally none.
-
None, very laid back interview
-
None, it was very conversational and comfortable. My faculty interviewer asked me about health care which could throw some people off but it was very standard.
-
How would your friends describe you?
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Explaining some downfalls in my application. The questions were fair and not altogether surprising, but make sure you have an eloquent and honest way of addressing your shortcomings.
-
They were all pretty generic.
-
Expanding upon a research question that was outside my area of expertise.
-
Upon learning that I was a neuroscience major in undergrad, my interviewer asked me about the direct molecular precursor to the damage caused by Alzheimer's disease.
-
Asking about a bad grade from my freshman year - wasn't expecting that.
-
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
-
Nothing was particularly difficult. Had a very conversational interview.
-
Nothing was really too difficult of a question. I got asked about a few discrepancies on my AMCAS that I was prepared to answer.
-
I don't want you leaving the interview thinking 'Crap, I forgot to tell him this or that.' So, for the second half of the interview, I want you to tell me anything and everything you want me to know.
-
What will you do if you don't get into medical school?
-
What is one of the mistakes you see in your past, and how would you avoid it in the future?
-
There was no individual or outstanding question, he would just listen to me talk about one of my extra-curricular activities and if something sounded interesting, (say, why I only played a sport for 2 years in college instead of 4?) he would ask about that.
-
Nothing really
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
-
Do you want to practice medicine in Canada or US?
-
Have you encountered any conflict in your extracurriculars, and how have you handled that? Is there anything you wish you'd done differently?
-
What challenges you?
-
No difficult questions.
-
Nothing
-
None. The above four questions were the only ones I was asked.
-
Do you have any questions for me? (They do a good job of answering questions so this was difficult)
-
Why do think many students from your high school chose not to attend college? (I was 1 of 12...disadvantaged status applied for).
-
Name a few Nobel Prize laureates at your research institution.
-
None. These are truly fun, zero-stress interviews. The only question I was asked that was medically related was about my research.
-
Interviews are conversational--not purposefully difficult questions
-
Nothing really, they were pretty straightforward.
-
Why do you want to leave Oregon to come all the way out to Philadelphia?
-
None were really difficult if you are able to articulate your desire for medicine/Jefferson. Not a "stress" interview
-
Nothing really.
-
None really.
-
None!!
-
I don't think that there were any difficult ones. My faculty interview pretty much just flipped through my AMCAS and asked about things that were in it. He kept asking me if I had any questions, so I guess it was tough to keep coming up with questions to ask.
-
Same as above. The interview was a conversation, really. Not so much specific questions.
-
Read above
-
See above
-
Whether I looked down on my peers who were ''in it for the money''
-
I don't recall any difficult questions, only engaging ones.
-
How would I fix the health insurance problems in this country? (Luckily I had just finished reading ''Redefining Health Care'')
-
See above.
-
Tell me about yourself.
-
What do you consider to be important advances in medicine over the last 50 / 100 years?
-
So why was your MLD research significant? What would the results allow us to appreciate?
-
Why was your biology grade the first term so low.
-
Why don't you want to be a dentist like you father?
-
How do you go about changing society's perception on diversity?
-
What have you heard about Jeff?
-
None, really.
-
There were no difficult questions since the interviewer only wanted me to elaborate on something that I had already said.
-
Bioethics question regarding my interest in specialty.
-
None of them were actually difficult to answer.
-
What questions do you have for me?
-
About my background
-
How do you feel about your MCAT score?
-
How will you manage the work load in medical school?
-
Can you explain why you attended so many different schools? (4)
-
Why Jefferson? It was hard to answer this because it doesn't appear to offer much.
-
None really
-
What are you not good at? just because it was so out of the blue it took me by surprise.
-
Why medicine?
-
What should I tell the Admissions Committee about you?
-
Why didn't you apply to Penn or Temple?
-
What other schools have you applied to/been accepted to (kind of an awkward question)
-
What do you want the interview committee to know about you?
-
What was the last book you read.
-
Summarize in a few sentences why you would be good for Jeff.
-
So tell me about yourself (Hmm - where do I begin?)
-
Nothing difficult was asked.
-
Where do you see yourself in 15 years assuming everything goes as you plan?
-
My faculty interviewer didn't ask anything hard and neither did my student...but my student was very shy, so be prepared to carry on the conversation.
-
Your MCATs aren't as high as we would except given your SATs...why is that?
-
Or difficult
-
What is one quality that you have, that I can share with the adcoms and tell them that they should let you in?
-
Tell me about an ethical issue in medicine.
-
Why do you want to be a doctor? (I really hate being asked that because I find it difficult to express satisfactorily)
-
There were no difficult questions.
-
Are you worried about having a two-doctor family? (student interviewer; I brought up my husband first)
-
That one probably.
-
What do you think [this character] learned from [that experence]?
-
When did you decide to become a doctor and how have you prepared?
-
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing medicine today?
-
Why do you not want to go to medical school where you are studying now?
-
Nothing really, probably the above question
-
What are your strenghts and weaknesses?
-
Specific questions about my research
-
Why did you choose Jefferson?
-
None-casual talk.
-
It sounds like you may be more into public health and policy than getting an MD (not really a difficult question for me to answer b/c i can easily convey that this is not the case, but the interviewer was challenging me a bit)
-
Why did you decide to tutor high school kids?
-
What other problems do you see in medicine?
-
"One of your recommendation letters mentions that your mother was an alcoholic. Is that correct?" Ugh...
-
What inspires me?
-
Why didn't you apply to osteopathic school? Do you think you'd make a good doctor? No one in your family is a doctor, why do you want to be one? You didn't do very well in O-chem, what makes you think you'll be able to get through medical school? (these were all at once, in a row)
-
None were really very hard
-
Why Medicine? Since this was my 7th interview, not sure how sincere my response sounded.
-
Why Jefferson? (for some reason, this was harder than i thought)
-
How would you deal with the uninsured?
-
I was asked to discuss a couple of bad grades on my transcript.
-
Tell me what your parents think of their health care. We had been speaking about health care services and cost shifting, but this was a little difficult to answer as I have not had really in depth discussions with the folks about their insurance. The question was asked in conversation though and was not a big deal.
-
What are you looking for in a school?
-
What did you think of last night's election results? Not knowing his views, I tried to avoid givig a direct answer, but eventaully admitted I was Pro-Kerry. He was Pro-Bush. Go figure. But it was ok, because it ended up leading to an interesting convo about Tort Reform. I think he just wanted to see if I follow current events and can articulate my views.
-
I wasnt prepared for how laid back the interview would be. prepare to talk about yousrelf and your interests
-
See above. (My faculty interview was very low-stress.)
-
Tell me about yourself. (I didn't know if the interviewer had read my file.)
-
What else can I tell you about Jefferson? (By the 8th time he asked this, I'd run out of questions!)
-
Above
-
What reservations do you have about going into medicine?
-
Where else were you accepted? Where else have you applied?
-
Nothing difficult
-
"Explain why people in Colorado feel they have a need for concealed weapons?"
-
How have you prepared for the curriculum at Jefferson?
-
It was open file so I had to explain my sucky grades. He also asked what my concerns were in healthcare.
-
Why Jefferson?
-
Same as above
-
Tell me about yourself
-
Nothing too difficult.
-
Nothing that difficult, MD interviewer was great, very conversational, wanted to get to know me, the PhD interviews went well too, also not very stressful, had me describe my research and why MD/PhD, the usual
-
Why I decided to take the MCAT again? (i went down the second time)
-
If i would attend XXX school... i didnt know how to respond, because i didnt want interviewer to think that i would attend some other school... also, my grades are not even close to good enough for an interviewer, but my interviewer was too old to realize what kind of scores are need to get into XXX school... and didnt want to criticize myself in the process by saying i'm not good enough...
-
None were difficult, it was a very relaxing experience.
-
None, very casual and easy
-
Why do I want to become a doctor?
-
So you're from california, what are you doing out here?
-
Not really a question but interviewer commented on how even if the 43 million uninsured in the country were insured, they wouldn't seek medical attention. I of course argued this.
-
What clinical experience have you had?
-
Tell me something about health care policy (I mentioned my interest in it)
-
What would you do if you aren't excepted to any medical schools? I hadn't really thought about it.
-
How would you compare the healthcare system in England to the one in the US? (Studied abroad in England)
-
To explain some negative aspects of my application (i.e. - poor grades/performance at the undergrad level)
-
Why would you choose Philadelphia as a place to study medicine?
-
Nothing that I felt unprepared to discuss. Primarily tried to determine if I knew how exacting medicine was ... and basic questions about my experiences.
-
If $$$ is no object, what would you be doing right now? (traveling the Mediterranean)
-
Do you know what the most interesting thing about JMC is?
-
Tell me something you are bad at. (I was prepared for what are your strenths/weaknesses, but this had a little bit of a twist to it)
-
Look above.
-
Why don't I want to be a radiologist, as radiology is OBVIOUSLY the center of medicine...
-
What do you think about what's going on with Pennsylvania's managed care and tort refore?
-
None really. It was a great experience. I loved the school and my interviewer was very low stress which was great b/c i felt as though i really got to communicate all the things I wanted him to know about me.
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Explain your academic discrepancies
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See below. Nothing too bad.
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If you weren't going to medical school what would you do?
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Nothing realy difficult. Most questions related to my application, typical questions about why medicine and why Jefferson. Nothing unexpected.
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What do you see as the future of medicine? I'm not sure there is a good answer to that question with everything so up in the air....
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Where does Jefferson rank among the schools you've applied to?
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Where does Jefferson rank on your list of medical schools tht you are applying to? This was rather awkward because Jefferson was not my top choice, but I answered honestly.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness, enthusiasm, and passion of both students and faculty at the school. The student-led interview day, emphasis on work-life balance, strong sense of community, comprehensive clinical training, and the school's location in the heart of Philadelphia were commonly highlighted as positive aspects. Suggestions for improvement were minimal, with most feedback focusing on the welcoming atmosphere, student happiness, and the school's emphasis on individual well-being and personal development.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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How friendly everyone was. I really enjoyed the speakers and their obvious passion for medicine and the school.
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How welcoming everyone was. Treated you as if you were already accepted and one of the students there
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It was extremely stress-free. Both the student and faculty interviews were so conversational. My faculty interviewer and I talked a good deal about a shared hobby and other aspects about my application that sounded interesting to him.
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My faculty interviewer was so kind and asked me if there was anything else we didn't discuss that I would like to highlight for the admissions committee.
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Students seemed very happy to be there (also seemed like they partied a lot for med students), students seemed happy with the match list and residency preparation, admin seemed like they take students' comments seriously
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The super relaxed setting
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Completely student run interview day, everyone seemed to absolutely love the school and the positivity was clear even over Zoom. They put in a lot of effort to still have us get to know the school despite it being online.
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Adaptability to online platform, benefits of a completely student-run interview day, closeness of the match between my interests and those of the faculty interviewer chosen to talk to me
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Amazing students and staff.
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ALL of the students seemed to genuinely love Jeff and have an INCREDIBLE work/life balance. Every single person said that they have a life outside of school and go out on the weekends or do whatever it is that they like. Honestly, if nothing else, the mindset that everyone has about balance could convince me to go here. YOU GET THE WEEK BEFORE EXAMS OFF!!!
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The school is very tightknit. I loved that the interview day was student-run because it made me feel very welcomed and integrated with the students. This was absolutely my favorite interview out of the seven interviews I attended.
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The number of resources and opportunities for involvement that the school has.
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The location
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Everything. Everyone I met was so laid back and the interview day is student run so it was very relaxed. Talking with my student interviewer felt like talking to my best friend. My faculty interviewer was really kind and put me at ease. One of the best things about it is that you are guided EVERYWHERE-- you never have to use a map to find anything because a student walks you everywhere. This is also great because you get the chance to meet a bunch of students. Everyone is super open to talking with you and gives you their email so you can contact them with any questions. By far my favorite school.
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Faculty friendliness, student enthusiasm, updated facilities
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Students and faculty were so friendly and passionate about Jefferson. Nice campus and facilities.
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Student-led interviews and how kind the students were.
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Everyone at SKMC truly loves the school and the surrounding area is great. The new curriculum is more patient-based and integrated with working in small groups despite the large class size.
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The interview day was student run and well organized, and everyone was very enthusiastic about the school.
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The fact that the entire interview day is student run.
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Smart, outgoing, happy students who all seemed like the kind of people I would want to hang out with.
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The location, research opportunities, and students seemed happy.
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The very welcoming environment impressed me the most, from the students hosting the interview-day events to the friendliness of the faculty. We broke into small groups for the tours, which made walking through corridors and in elevators much easier. Good times were had, probably by all.
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Everything. Great location, students were happy, faculty was happy, security guards were happy, EVERYONE was happy! I was lost on my way to my interviewer's office and a random staff member, without my prompting, came to help me--again, EVERYONE is happy here. A light breakfast was available--not all schools do this anymore so it was great. Lunch was super delicious, cookies and coffee/tea were a nice touch. Students were honest about the strengths and weaknesses of the school and their experience. Everyone seems extremely loyal to the school though, students, faculty, and administrators. Also, this school tried to sell itself. Some schools don't even have the dean show up or think you should know the caliber of their school so they don't even try. Jefferson is already a great school but they made it clear that this process really is a two way street, they want you coming out of the day feeling like they courted you. Honestly, this was a fantastic interview day.
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The people here are awesome. It felt like they were legitimately trying to sell the school and wanted us to want to come there, which is a feeling I didn't get from most other places so far. I guess Jeff is a bit more selective in who they grant interviews to so they really stressed that the biggest hurdle was getting an invite and spent the rest of the day impressing us, whether it was at lunch (best lunch so far), with hosting, or with putting us in a super nice conference room to start the day.
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The entire interview day is planned and coordinated by students (who have no effect on admissions decisions).
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The friendliness and laid-back attitude of the entire process.
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The community, clinical training, and location. The block system of scheduling.
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The camaraderie, almost a feeling of family, among students, who all seemed incredibly interesting, down-to-earth and incredibly friendly and proud of their school. The aura of professionalism, history and tradition that permeated everything. The fact that the school seems to really emphasize the well-being and of the students (exams on Fridays so students can relax on weekends, no curve so as to minimize competition, H/P/F grading), a huge amount of resources available for students to pursue their interests and receive guidance (JEFFHope, research opportunities, CWIC, informal mentoring programs, etc.). An emphasis on driving home clinical skills in students with frequent practice starting from the first year so skills like placing central lines etc. are rock-solid at the end of the four years. A sense of pride and purpose in educating future physicians.
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People, settings, and curriculum
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The whole day was student-run entirely
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Pretty much everything, great location, so many opportunities there, everyone is very happy
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Both the faculty and student interviewers were nice. All the students at the school were kind and enthusiastic.
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The location is fantastic. The students were all very friendly and helpful in answering questions.
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Happiness of students with the location and clinical experience.
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The interview day was run by students who were really energetic and enthusiastic. I liked that we were able to meet a lot of students at the cookie hour at the end of the day.
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Location, friendliness of staff, involvement of students in the interview day
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Super friendly. Nice campus. Great opportunities
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Students were pretty nice, friendly, approachable
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Everyone was super friendly and really really loved Jefferson. They really care about students and encourage them to have lives outside of class.
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They are really responsive. The campus is in a good location. They seem to really believe in their students. Everyone was really happy
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The location, the cooperative atmosphere, the happy students, great clinical training, nice facilities, recorded lectures, friendliness of EVERYONE, Dr. Callahan and Dr. Brooks know your application without looking at it, etc.
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The students faculty and facilities. They have an entire floor that is a replica of a hospital floor. Just the overall feel of the school was awesome.
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A lot of stuff. The school has a lot of trust in the students - the interview day is entirely student led..... The big class size seems like it works, contrary to what everyone at smaller schools wants you to believe. Like they said, how many close friends are you really going to have anyways? You're not going to be friends with the other 254 students at Jefferson. You're also not going to be friends with the other 59 students at Mayo. Learning is lecture and small group based, so you're not missing out on anything..... I liked the block schedule. Focusing on one topic with exams every other week or so would benefit me..... Hmm, what else? Some of the buildings are older, but there are new facilities also. The Hamilton building holds the 2nd year lecture room, and is also where many students spend their time studying..... The school holds community service in high regard. If you want to work with underserved patients, you probably won't find a better school. The school is affiliated with 21 hospitals in the Tri-State area. That gives you the opportunity to work with many different patient populations..... Finally, the admissions office is great, and encourages you to take advantage of their open door policy post-interview. I've found that most schools are very against additional information being added, or you showing your interest post-interview. Jefferson is the exact opposite.
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The friendliness of the students and staff, the students genuinely seemed relaxed and fun. Lots of ways to relax between the city options and what the school provides. The sim labs are very neat. School's commitment to community service. Great board and residency results.
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Everyone is very friendly and the students all seem very happy. Very relaxed atmosphere.
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Jefferson.
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Student body
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The student body; the entire interview day is run by students. You are able to meet a lot of students, and they are all happy to be there and answer any questions. It's obvious they really like the school. The friendliness of the staff. The mentality of the school in general. The interview day is set up as a time for you to learn about the school. There is zero stress, the interviews are awesome with the only goal to get to know you as a person, and my faculty interview knew my application impressively well. More students come out to meet the interviewees than any other school I've been to so far.
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My interviewer shared many interests with me--I felt the school had taken time to match me well with an interviewer. I liked how involved Jefferson's students were with the interview day. I've never seen so many medical students at an interview day.
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Almost everything - great students, faculty, admissions staff. New clinical learning facility, the amazing location.
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The students are very friendly and seem very happy to be there. The faculty were very nice and seem to care about you as an individual. Other students were willing to move all of the way out to Philly from the west and were happy with that choice. JeffHOPE- a student run clinic with lots of opportunity for hands-on learning.
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How compassionate everyone at Jefferson was. They really care about their students/interviewees. The entire experience was extremely low stress and it was great to interact with both faculty, students and other interviewees.
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Diversity of student body, friendliness, the willingness of the faculty to know you for who you are.
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The students seem REALLY happy and really like the school. the new building is awesome.
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The friendly atmosphere, the students being so down-to-earth, the faculty interviewer being so laid back.
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The interviews were very conversational and so laid back. I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone was friendly and wanted to help us as much as they could
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Friendly!! City, campus, people, schedule, helpfulness
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My interviewers were both extremely nice, and the students running the orientation at the beginning were very funny, which made me feel much more comfortable.
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The students, faculty, and admissions staff were all soooo friendly and welcoming. It really took a lot of the stress out of the process.
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EVERYTHING. I really disliked this school before coming here because the website is awful, but the school is fantastic.
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Students ran the interview day, the location of the school
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The students are so happy and such a family. I really believe them when they say there is little competition. Also, they have a new building opening in 2 weeks that seems like it will have great facilities. Also, they served the best lunch!
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The faculty I met were enthusiastic and friendly. The dean of admissions was so personable and really made me feel like she was glad I was at the interview--in fact, I felt this way the whole day, that while I was lucky to have an interview, they were glad I was an applicant---made me feel welcome! All the students were very down to earth and genuine, and they all seemed to truly love the school.
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Everyone at Jeff is remarkably organized and enthusiatic. The entire day was well-structured, interesting, and lots of fun...suprisingly.
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Everything. The students were amazing. They bent over backwards to make sure you had a stress free interview day and had all your questions answered. They genuinely love their school. Kids were always smiling and saying hi when we were on our tour. There's construction on a new building that will be ready in November 2007. Jefferson has the most graduates of any medical school so you'll have plenty of networking opportunities.
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The students were incredibly enthusiastic and seemed very happy at Jeff. They all seemed very supportive of each other and involved in clubs/activities. Also, center city is a fantastic place! Lots of things to do, and the activities office has discounted tickets to shows, plays, sports events.
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The overwhelming happiness of everyone going there.
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People are friendly.
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Everyone was extremely friendly and enthusiastic about the school, especially the med students. Interviews weren't stressful at all (I went for a walk through the surrounding area with my student interviewer). The location's awesome: plenty of good restaurants, music venues, even several open-air markets that sell organic foods and italian deli meats.
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I really liked how friendly the people were and the amount of hospitals that they were affiliated with.
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How happy everyone was there, the balance of academics and outside life, how much the school actually cared about their med students
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Current students enthusiasm for the program, presentation, interviewer, student interviewer, location
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The new building, the vibe around Jefferson, the interviewer, the library, and the Eakins painting, The Gross Clinic
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The recent work towards more international programs and funding.
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The warm and community feel of the school and its students. Focus on clinical medicine.
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The students were all really happy and excited about Jefferson. The school's focus on clinical medicine is a huge plus for me.
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The location of the school and how happy and relaxed all the students were. Everyone was so friendly! Philadelphia is also a great city.
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The people, they really take the school from middle tier to the top in my book. there are other schools with better reps, but none with better people
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The area is not that bad of a location. The T station is a few minutes walk from campus (including commuter rail, subway and buses), nice building, great hospital, and lots of cute local restaurants.
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Faculty, students were very friendly. The traditional program seems terrific. Location is great. Atmosphere is also great: non-competitive, students take care of each other.
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The faculty member that interviewed me, the students, student life, location.
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The students were all so friendly and accesible. They really seemed enthusiatic about their school.
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Students seemed happy and enthusiastic. Philly is still a cool town.
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Jeff Pride! everything was about Jeff, i was wondering if the doctors said ''i need this, jeff stat!'' there are tons of opportunities for early clinical exposure, international rotations and lots of hospitals to rotate at, the faculty seemed very approachable
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Location in the heart of Philly, friendly students and staff, lovely lunch, very nice facilities
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Students love the school. As a health professions school, the medical school is the main focus and thus all the students (even though the class size is 255) get a lot of personal attention
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The attitude of all the students and the location.
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This is a medical school that is very much in touch with the human side of medicine. Jefferson is very big on the art of medicine vs. the science of medicine.
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Go to many different hospitals - get a lot of experience. Students seem to like the place.
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The facilities were really great, the hospital serves lots of different populations, the students were very smart, and my interviewer was great!
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All the students I saw or talked to loved the school. The facilities seemed really good, and the location is unbeatable (Center City Philly)
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Enthusiasm of students - not only the ones involved with the day itself, but random students on campus.
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The atmosphere of the whole place was very welcoming. Students were great, faculty was enthusiastic and everyone was so sincere that it really made me want to be a part of the college.
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The students are a very diverse and enthusiastic group of students. The facilities are amazing. I was pleasantly surprised by Philly as well!
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Layout of the day, students' enthusiasm and camaraderie, university hospital, location
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The history of the school was actually interesting. If I remember correctly they have the most alumni of any school. The campus is relatively confined even though it is in the city. The research program seems exceptional.
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The location is great - I love Philadelphia, especially Center City. The students seemed friendly and personable, and the first year lecture hall is really nice.
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They try to make the interview day as stress-free as possible. The students seem to love the school. I was hosted by a student and we hit it off right away.
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Friendliness of everyone
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Facilities, happiness of students, friendly staff and faculty
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Location, student friendly atmosphere, facilities, the library (I know..weird..but I can't study at home)
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The importance placed on diversity (in metro area, students, and patients) and community outreach. Great introduction to the school's history (past and present) by Dr. Christian.
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Everyone talks about the students at Jefferson and it's true, you really can feel the energy there and it's exciting. The school is in such a great part of Philly...few blocks away from the darn Liberty Bell, etc. The interview day was well organized and I liked that the Admissions Director, Dr. Callahan (she's awesome), took the time to talk with students one-on-one at the post-interview wrap-up.
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The school's location, facilities, historic feel.
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The school is very student-oriented. The students were very enthusiastic. It's in the heart of Philadelphia, which I love. Great clinical experience.
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Students enthusiasm
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All the students seemed very happy. The neighborhood is also very nice -- right in Center City Philly, close to everything! There is also guaranteed housing.
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The city is phenomenal! The people were really really nice (in and out of the school). Lectures are posted in mp3 and they are working to get them videotaped as well. You can walk to a lot of places, and the public transportation system is simply amazing. The administration (despite comments I've seen somewhere else) is very welcoming towards the students. Some schools tell you "don't call us, we'll call you", at Jeff they encouraged us to keep contacting them.
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The Dean and Director of Admissions are so warm and interested in the students. The Director, Grace Hershman, even gave me driving directions at the end of the day.
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The facilities were amazing; Jefferson has many buildings with rich architectural designs which if you appreciate that form of artistic beauty is simply amazing. The labs were also really up-to-date and the people seemed very friendly and welcoming which was surprising to me considering that the campus is actually in the heart of center city Philadelphia.
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How everyone is soooo nice. it's kinda crazy how nice everyone is. the school is in the middle of the city so everything is in walking distance. housing is available on campus and the cheap train to the airport.
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The students LOVE it there
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The location of the school, how happy the students are, their block schedule, and the living arrangments are really nice.
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Curriculum seems good even though it's traditional block system (not my favorite type), resources are great (mp3 audio of lectures posted online, syllabus with notes said to be good, etc.), the students seemed very positive, and student support seems great
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The students all seemed pretty into the school, and the admissions committee definitely has an amazingly well put-together presentation (takes a whole day)
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That the admission interview process is organized by an student coordinators. The truly friendly spirit and enthusiasm of the Deans and students
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Really nice facilities, hospital, location (it seems like it's walking distance to everything). Diversity!!!
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Most of the students don't care about the big class size or even think it's a good thing
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The students were all so nice and encouraging...everyone I saw wished me luck.
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EVERYTHING. Excellent school ,bright students, great facitilies and location. Located in the center of the city, Jeff is a great place to go to school. They also have school apartments right on campus. 97% pass rate on step 1 and students say step 2 is a breeze for Jeff students.
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Everyone's attitude was great. They were all really friendly and helpful. I felt like they wanted to show me why they loved Jefferson so much.
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The students were great. Administration also strikes me as trying desperately to move forward from their embarassing old-white-boy-old-school past. Students sit on every single committee.
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Very friendly student body, great location and a swiming pool!
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Dr. Callahan and Grace Hershman are the nicest people. Very welcoming and receptive to students. Center City in Philadelphia is awesome!
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The location. Temple is in north philly, drexel/upenn in west philly... Central City is definitely the best. Also, the large class size seems great.
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Everyone was so nice. I couldn't believe how friendly everyone was. They all LOVE the school.
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Not much really
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Everyone was enthusiatic to be at Jefferson, you can tell they love where they are.
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Very laid back and low-stress, the admissions directors/deans were very sweet
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Everything- faculty, admissions staff, most of all the students that organized the entire day.
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Really friendly, charming, engaging students! They were super accommodating, all cheerful (despite having a final exam in three days), and very proud of Jefferson. Beautiful main hospital. Helpful, down-to-earth deans and faculty.
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I was surprised how friendly the other applicants were. i liked the presentations and my interview was great. i go to school in philly, so i already love the city.
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The student body was incredibly laid back. The entire campus is wireless. I love Philadelphia.
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The students and how happy they are...the city--i love the city...
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How genuine and happy the students were. I hosted prior to my interview and the student was awesome! Someone I'd really enjoy working with.
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I was pleasantly surprised with my experience at Jefferson. It's an incredibly welcoming & warm community, and I was very impressed with the Dean and Assistant Deans that came out to meet us (Grace Hershman & Dr. Callahan). I felt that the school genuinely cared for its students and the students all seemed exceptionally nice and relatively happy. Their facilities aren't the newest but i don't think this matters so much. The school is located in the most optimal spot in town - right in the middle of center city. The apts are buildings over from the main lecture hall, but other affordable choices are available. Most of all, it seems as though Philadelphia offers great clinical experiences and Jefferson in particular is known to generate awesome clinicians. I also had a good time with my interviewer. He was very sweet, attentive, and thorough. He explained the entire selection process to me before I left.
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The students seemed fairly relaxed and happy, and had plenty of time to volunteer and do extra-curricular activities.
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Student's raved about the very hands-on clinical experience
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Everyone (faculty, staff, and students) is genuinely friendly. They seem to love their school, and it shows. The school is in a good area of Philadelphia, and there is no shortage of distractions around. Also, I was impressed by how well the faculty interviewer seemed to know my file. That really helped put me at ease, and allowed for a very smooth conversation.
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Dean Callahan seemed really super nice and all the students were very friendly.
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Jefferson's campus is integrated into the city and within walking distance to places of interest, the student housing is right next to the academic buildings
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EVERYTHING! Faculty, students, admissions officers, even the other interviewees were all incredibly nice and friendly. The students are so NORMAL (not huge dorks, not stuck up, not ultra competitive). The location near center city is safe, clean, and beautiful. Overall I just had a very strong impression I would be happy there.
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The school pride of jefferson, matching me with an interviewer who shared my interests, the student interviewer and faculty intervewer were really great.
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It sounds cliche, but really everyone was so nice! Dr. Callahan impressed me in particular; she seems to care a lot about her students. All of the students I met were very interested in sharing their impressions and experiences with me. My faculty interview was great -- an interesting conversation about the field of medicine and Philly without any stressful questions whatsoever.
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My interviewer was very excited about the school.
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How friendly and approachable everyone was, both students and faculty. People seem to like being there. Philadelphia is awesome, I would love to live there.
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Everything. They have a receiving line of current medical students who shake your hand as you enter the board room. That really impressed me. Everyone seemed so happy and nice. The director of admissions stated that most students who make it to the interview have a good chance of being accepted or at least waitlisted. They don't commonly reject people outright post-interview. The facilities seem great and I would love to live in that neighborhood of philadelphia.
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EVERYTHING!!!(except for my fac. interview) Dr. Callahan and Grace really are excited about Jefferson and their students.
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The clinical experience, the long and organized schedule of events, the willingness of med students to help/answer questions
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Jefferson is in a prime location - in the heart of Philly. So close to so many fun places to hang out, eat, shop, if you have the time to. Also Jefferson is very well known for their clinical program. They have lots of affiliated hospitals. Early clinical exposure. Student groups like Jeff HOPE are very active in serving the community.Jefferson is a very well-regarded institution in Philadelphia even though it's not as well known in the West Coast.
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The students are very happy there, Grace (Hershman, dean of admissions) is very cool and accessible, plus I love center city philly
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The current med students seemed to enjoy attending school at Jefferson
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Incredible match list. Great programs related to several competative specialties. Location!! Center city Philadelphia: surrounded by great restaurants, concert halls, coffee shops, hospitals.
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How friendly everyone was, how close the dorms were to the academic buildings.
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The many places u can go to for clinical rotation
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Quality of the program and the pride the students take in their school
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The warmth and friendliness of everyone.
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The school clearly gives a very good clinical education (people all around the city would say they loved the hospital), lots of community opportunities, the hospital is great, and Philadelphia is a pretty interesting city and the school is in an area of the city with lots of history
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The rich historical tradition of Jefferson; the access to class materials, old exams, old notes, etc.
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The students and employees were very proud of their school. The facilities seemed up to date and everything was close together.
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All the students there really seemed to love the school and the student's seemed to have free time to pursue other things. The school is affiliated with many hospitals, which allows for excellent clinical exposure. There are a lot of research opportunities available.
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Student happiness and enthusiasm for the school. My faculty interviewer. The area of Philly in which the school is located.
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Nice campus for being right in the middle of Philly, there is so much Jeff Pride by the Admiss office it can be too sugary, has student housing, they have been around forever but are still building a massive brand new research building, and they already have a beautiful 10+ story research tower
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Laid-back atmosphere, in the heart of the city!
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The school is in the heart of philly, close to train station, no need for car
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How nice everyone was! the students seemed really laid back and relaxed, even though they have a repuation for being competative(maybe they kept those people hidden). AND THE LUNCH IS GOOD!! I don't know why all these people complain about the sad lunch, I thought it was great. The hospital was really nice, and that you can do your rotations in many different hospitals in the area.
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I really love the location of the school. It is in a nice part of town. I also enjoyed talking to the first year med student during the student interview because she told me all about her experiences at Jeffereson.
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The organization and the thoroughness
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The size of the class (250), because since it's so big there are many opportunities to do activities/clubs outside of class. also, lots of community service opportunities that are not only encouraged but implied.
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Friendliness of the admission staff and the students, great hospital system, pretty competitive match list, Jeff-HOPE, MD/MPH with hopkins
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The students seem really happy with the school. The interview was really easy and laid back.
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Campus location - right in the heart of downtown Philadelphia. Students and faculty were great.
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MD/MPH with Johns Hopkins, great opportunity! Friendly and energetic staff. Emphasis on clinical care and family medicine
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The student body was exteremely easy going. The whole day was about making the interviewees comfortable and keeping the stress level low.
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The location, the structure of the day, the library, the post-interview wrapup with the dean of admissions
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The interview day was set up to relax the applicants. There were so many speeches/tours/information sessions and lunch that by the time the interview rolled around at 2pm, I was very relaxed and outgoing with my interviewer. Also, everyone seemed to have a really possitive opinion of Jeff, the clinical facilities were impressive and their clinical reputation is impeccable
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The faculty interviewer was enthusiastic, the place was well-kept and organized. The students seemed really happy, too.
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Faculty interviewer, Dr. Studdiford, he was amazing. The student coordinators,who basically run the interview day, are pretty amazing...yet not impressed with themselves.
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The students seem to like eachother and are able to go out and have a good time. The night before my interview, a group of students took me out for "Quizzo" at Fergie's and later to McGillan's for several pitchers. It was a lot fun, although I was a bit groggy in the AM.
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The school has a rich tradition, and the students seemed friendly.
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The students were very nice and friendly. The ones I met all seemed to like it there and did not really have anything negative to say about the school. They seemed happy, had time to hang out and have fun too.
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Center city is AMAZING! Tons to do. Housing is decent and right on campus. My student and faculty interviewers were soooo nice.
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The school is really nice, and the students are very friendly. It is in a nice, upscale part of Philadelphia.
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The interviewer knew the details of my app very well. Everyone is jazzed about being at Jeff.
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The students seemed happy, the hospital seemed very nice, campus has a very cozy feel to it, and center city philly is AWESOME!
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The students' happiness, curriculum design, clinical exposure.
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How close a family Jefferson seemed to be even though it was a large school - People really seemed to both know and like each other. Dean Hershman had the uncanny ability to know just about everything abotu everyone who was interviewing that day. I felt like she was really looking at all of as people not just another round of applicants.
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Community atmosphere
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MPH at Johns Hopkins, International Opportunities, JEFFHOPE program to work in urban clinics
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It was a really relaxed place. And it seemed like the faculty really took their time to get to know the students. Dean Hershman (sp?) has an uncanny memory for faces and names.
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Nice part of Philadelphia
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The positive attitude of the students and the recent changes to the curriculum and the grading system. My interviewer helped explain the on-going process. He was fantastic. I have to admit to re-evaluating Jefferson to the top of my list.
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The kindness and sincere love the students have for their school
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Their commitment to and high quality of clinical training.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants were often concerned about the large class sizes, limited campus facilities, rushed tours, lack of diversity, and some unenthusiastic student interviewers. Suggestions included providing more detailed tours, addressing the issue of class size, enhancing campus facilities, and ensuring diversity and engagement in student interactions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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In-person only interviews make it hard to schedule around school/work.
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N/A
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Nothing. It was an amazing experience.
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My interviewer tbh- he showed up 10 minutes late to a 30-minute interview. Also, large class size.
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30 minutes that is alloted is too quick
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Literally nothing - I would go hear in a hearbeat.
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Wish I'd gotten to know more about my fellow interviewees, but it's really hard on Zoom.
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Very small campus.
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The only negative I perceived was that the library (and potentially more of the spaces on campus?) are shared with OT/pharm/nursing etc students....this could just be me, but I liked at other schools that there was space for only med students and no one else. Also, class size is one of the biggest (275)
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The presentation on financial aid was relatively brief. Jeff is generally not known to be a school that gives a significant amount of merit aid.
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Nothing.
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The school recently swung much too heavily towards embracing social justice/identity politics.
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Nothing, I couldn't have imagined a better interview day.
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Gigantic interview group and class size
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Honestly nothing.
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Nothing!
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There was a language barrier between me and my interview, so sometimes I didn't understand what she was asking, and other times I felt like she didn't completely understand what I was saying.
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Nothing
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My faculty interviewer had a thick accent that made communication difficult. At times I felt like she wasn't fully understanding the ideas that I was expressing in my answers.
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My interviewer seemed a bit skeptical about my academics. My student interviewer was sleep deprived and wouldn't make eye contact, which was a bit awkward. They talked a lot about diversity, but I didn't see much during the interview day.
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The morning introduction to Jefferson could be a little bit long, but that'll just prepare you for the interviews after that. The interview booklet was also from last year. But all this was easily overlooked by the rest of the day's events and enthusiasm.
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While the day was very tightly planned, in a good way (many other schools have you sitting around in a conference room for hours), I would have appreciated more opportunities for a bathroom break. Also, while not particularly negative, more time for the tour would have been nice as it is always great to see facilities, hospitals, etc.
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Our tour was a bit rushed, the guide seemed a bit concerned that we would run out of time, and she was only a first year student, so she didn't seem to quite have a handle on things yet. It wasn't a huge negative, though.
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Not much at all, especially compared to other schools I have interviewed at. The only small complaint I had was that the students who led our campus tour didn't keep a close eye on the time and I found myself a few minutes late to my interview, which my interviewer commented on.
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The cold weather
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It was a very long day, I was exhausted by the end of it. Also, the student who gave my campus tour was below par.
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Didn't like the structure of the interview day, where they brought us up to a boardroom and talked at us for two hours at the start of the day
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I was not impressed with the school's facilities or with the information that we were given regarding research opportunities.
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Not a basic science focused school at all, student interviewer had taken some time off while in school (not sure whether this was school related or otherwise)
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I would have liked a more extensive tour of the simulation facilities, hospital, and other classroom areas.
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Students kind of lazy tuition is a lot but school is missing a lot of services
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Some of the buildings are confusing. I got lost on the way to my faculty interview.
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Few scholarship opportunities.
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Nothing really...
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Not much really, not crazy about the curriculum which is really traditional.
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The gym is pretty small like someone else mentioned.
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One new building - the rest were drab and cramped. The hospital also felt cramped, although the atrium was cool. No innovation in the curriculum, and large class size makes for huge lectures.
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Philadelphia. I stepped in vomit on the sidewalk.
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There was a lot of construction going on around Jefferson. We didn't get to see the anatomy lab or go to the hospital on the tour. The Jefferson Legacy presentation was very drawn out and cut into other, more relevant presentations. My student host was boring and pretty impersonal.
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Wish that the interview group had been able to be smaller--with only one interview day per week, the interview group is 30 people. Student interviewer was not very enthusiastic.
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Minor issues: the large class size; would have liked a little more research focus, but that may change in the future.
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The gym sucked. We didn't get to see the hospitals? Weird.
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Nothing really
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The on campus housing
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Maybe that the research isn't as strong as elsewhere, but nothing else really!
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Can't think of anything...
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Nothing. It was amazing!
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Tuition
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The tour guide was nice, but he seemed like he was in a daze. We spent a lot of time standing in non-descript hallways while he talked, possibly because it was snowing and he didn't want to walk us around outside too much. I felt like I didn't get to see the school's facilities at all, really. The guide said that we weren't allowed to see the anatomy lab. We got to peek inside a lecture hall and a small-group room, and we made a quick run through the ER, and we stood on the library's bottom floor.. but that was all that we got to see. The lunch was great, but it was so rushed that I didn't get to eat more than a few bites before it was time to leave for the tour.
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Student union building is a bit older, but no big deal. LOTS of interviewees in one day.
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The lecture hall wasn't too sexy, and lack of parking
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All of the events were back-to-back. I had to wait until right before my faculty interview at 2PM for a bathroom break.
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Nothing. nothing at all.
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Philly has some incredibly scary 'hoods (coming from NYC and London, btw) but not near the school.
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Nothing particularly.
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The city was huge and the school was not seperated from it at all it was surrounded and spread out in the city.
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It seemed to be a small campus
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The block schedule of the curriculum.
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Tour wasn't very impressive, said a lot of stuff that was already covered.
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Expensive housing!
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My tour guide, he kept pissing and moaning about how cold the east coast is and how much he wishes he was in california
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Nothing. I wasn't optimistic and left feeling great about the school.
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Some of facilities; New building will be nice... once it's finished.
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How much the students skip class.
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Main building isn't built yet (due to be done next year). 6 hours at the school for basically 45 minutes of interview (20 student and 25 faculty)
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255 students sounds more like a fundraising project
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Location in the heart of Philly, expensive parking, expensive tuition
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Construction is noisy and not very attractive, but it means there will be a new building.
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Some of the facilities seem a bit old, but a new building is under construction.
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Honestly, I'm from a small town, so the fact that the school is in the heart of Philly is really disconcerting for me. I know that most others view this as a positive thing, but I find it intimidating.
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The interviewers. Mine had no idea what to do and the conversation pretty much went like this:
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The large class size... I think i'd like some more personal attention/ small group work.
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Large class size
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Briefness of tour. We barely saw the hospital facilities (other than the cafeteria).
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My student interviewer was pulled out of class today because they were a student interviewer short. So it was her first time but everything turned out fine because it was my first interview too.
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I was somewhat surprised by the number of interviewees, but nothing too terrible
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Mixed feelings about the large class size and organ systems-based curriculum. Tour was not very thorough. Some aspects of the student interview.
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They didn't show any labs or research facilities on the tour.
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The lunch they give you is tiny and not that good - bring a snack! Also, the school did not seem very diverse
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Students almost seemed too laid-back so I wasn't sure if it was for show or not
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Martin hall reminded me too much of undergrad living
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Student interview
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The student led tour was not as thorough as it could have been. We simply walked in and out of the hospital and other buildings.
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Nothing really except it was raining and insanely windy but that wasn't jefferson's fault obviously.
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The talks at the beginning were a little too long and after awhile, I just wanted them to shut up and give us the tour. And my student "interviewer" that is really just supposed to have a conversation with you and answer your questions was SOO boring, like talking to a dead fish.
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This school was my first choice before and after I visited. I will be attending in the fall, but I'm a little worried about its lack of diversity. It's not very diverse for a school in the center of Philadelphia and I wonder if they're making a true effort to change this.
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The classes are very large.
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The fact that they are not that much into research (not that I'm a research guru but I'd like to have good opportunities to explore the field and get some experience). As my interviewer put it, getting into research is a matter of persistence, and being at the right place at the right time...Hummm. I'm excited about the new building but it's going to take 2 years to complete.
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Suffice it to say that I wouldn't want to be classmates with some of the people that I interviewed with. I was told before that you should look closely at the people that you interview with because that is likely how your class will be. You could take that with a grain of salt but I felt that many people I interviewed with were either really immature or really full of themselves and found every opportunity to remind you that they were from an Ivy League institution. I really think that's pathetic!
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There weren't many interesting stops on the tour, just going into the lobbies of buildings.
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The school seems kinda small and i wasnt that impressed by the facilities. they are going to build a new academic building but it wont be finished for another two years.
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The size
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Their big class size.
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We barely saw anything on the tour, not even the libary. It may have been because the tour guides were first years who didn't really know their way around too well themselves yet. Also, they tout Jeff HOPE, but according to the students you can barely participate because it is so popular with such a large student body. The lecture hall was nice, but the back was all desks filling in the space where there weren't enough built-in table seats.
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Huge classes, mostly (if not all) lecture based education, doesnt seem to have much clinical exposure for early years
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That the interviewer hadn't even read my file until I was in his office
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Class size-it's huge!
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My student interviewer was a quiet first-year only a couple of weeks into med school.
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The secretaries in the administrative offices on the top floor of the library were kind of mean.
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Some parts of the city are kind of sketchy, and the weather gets really cold.
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I wish the tour took us into more buildings instead of the tour guide just pointing and saying "Such and such happens here."
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Large student body
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Lecture hall wasn't exactly that nice, not sure about diversity of the class either. Tuition is sky high and I've seen better financial aid.
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Big interview group
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The tour. Not very explanatory.
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The tour was not very informative. We didn't see the lecture halls or the clinical skills lab. They just pointed to building and said "and in here we have . . ."
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I was actually disappointed by my visit ( I was sick so maybe I was not in the right mood). Jefferson was one of my favorites I thought but I found the facilities old and most students I interacted with would say that they are not going to class. My student interviewer is always skipping class and did not seem to be very happy there as well.
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No beach.
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The student interview was rushed; tour was short
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Not necessarily a negative, but the 200+ class size is a little intimidating...this could also could be seen as a real plus, though.
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The number of applicants interviewed in one day. didnt like my student interviewer. tour was brief.
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My interviewer was coarse and unfriendly. He also turned the heat up in the office.
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"light" lunch...i ended up feasting on cookies for the day--not very good--i wish they had double the food--im starving!
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Nothing. My faculty interviewer was fantastic, personable and seemed interested in my attending the school. Really impressed with everything about the day, the school, and the students. Jefferson is definitely my first choice.
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Jefferson isn't the most involved with research & it tends to have a more traditional outlook. Also, the student interviewers do have weight in the selection process & this can be helpful or hurtful. I thought that my first year student interviewer was a bit distracted & unenthusiastic about being an interviewer. More than this though, I feel as though that maybe a first year student who has yet to finish one semester can accurately represent Jefferson.
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The facilities were pretty dingy overall, and the anatomy lab was depressing.
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The number of interview day attendees can be daunting... especially when it's your first interview (as it was mine). Kindly ignore those who say, "This is my 6th interview." Also, the tour was not particularly helpful. You basically get a quick glimpse of the outside of buildings. Any improvement in the tour would greatly enhance the interview day.
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Being couped up in a boardroom around a large table with the many other applicants. This environment wasn't incredibly conducive to speaking with multiple other interviewees.
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Hmm....ummm....nothing? The gym was kind of small and located in a dark dingy basement.....but I doubt I will be picking a medical school based on their gym, so it really doesn't even matter.
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The tour was horrible, the student guide sucked. i think that was just bad luck. also, it felt kind of overly formal.
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The students. I know that sounds awful, but honestly every single student that I met said that he or she does not often go to class.
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The school and the students did not overwhelm me.
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The class size is enormous: 220. Its somewhat balanced by the fact that you do a lot of your work in small groups, though. Also, my faculty interviewer was very nice, but ended the interview very abruptly after I had asked him a question. It was a bit odd.
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The tour could use some improvement. Went through Alumni Hall, some MS1 or 2 lab room, that was about it. Also, the Financial Aid presentation was 10 min max, wished I could have heard a little more.
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Day was a little long, there is really no campus since it is right in the city
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Short student interview. I couldn't really say much in twenty minutes. But otherwise the day started at 11 which is nice since I flew in from California.
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I wish they would have had water during the lunch...i was thirsty
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Jefferson is definetly in the middle of Philadelphia. A little too urban for me.
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It's a long way from home. Alot of people interviewed on my day; although I hear Jeff doesn't interview you unless they're serious, there were so many interviewees that day.
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The cold, the price of housing, the size of the class, my student interviewer seemed like he's rather be doing something else, there weren't that many minorities being interviewed that day.
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From what I've heard, the research opportunities are not as good.
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Traffic in Philly
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The school could sell itself a bit better and the student tour guide was almost uninterested in taking us around
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I'm not a big fan of Philadelphia; the students seemed a little pretentious and condescending; our tour consisted of mostly looking at the outside of buildings and the hospital cafeteria.
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The fact that Jefferson medical students do not get much use of Jefferson Hospital, which is only a few blocks away.
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The weather. Being from southern California, I don't experience many days in the 30s.
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Most students seem to avoid going to class like the plague--I'm not sure if this speaks to the quality of instruction they receive. The facilities are definitely old.
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You interveiw with a lot of people, I was in a group of MD/PhD people of 13 for only 10 acceptances, and then we all met up with the MD only applicants, there were about 40 of them
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School has too many students, lunch was horrendous - regret not writing that on feedback survey, student interviewer - she didnt know what the heck she was doing, and felt like i carried the whole conversation alone!
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Sad lunch. Eat before you go.
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None
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The school seemed very concerned with reputation/alumni/ school history, which, coming from the west coast is pretty foreign and seems sort of snobbish to me. also, the curriculum is not very progressive.
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Some facilities not the most modern, the city of phila
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The traditional curriculum. The city of Philly is not my favorite.
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Facilities
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Philly is not my type of city, some buildings looked aged, relatively traditional curriculum, my student host said he never went to class at all
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Lunch, how many people they interview at one time
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My student tour guide was not very good (A gum snapping, platform heel, ditsy type who showed us the pool and told us she did not go to class - though I'm sure you would even find people like this at Harvard. Kind of annoys me that she will share the MD degree with me someday. But hey, that's just one guy's opinion)
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My student interviewer was a little reserved, but otherwise, everything was great.
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Nothing..School has a longstanding reputation ..is in the best part of the city, students seemed happy, administration seems student oriented.
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It was 20 degrees and snowing the whole time I was there...that's the NorthEast in January. Really can't think of any complaints about the school.
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Though the students are friendly, they have a reputation for being the hardest working and most boring students in Philly. It seemed true. Furthermore, the escalators in some of the buildings are all broken!
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Facilities weren't the pretties. I heard that a lot of changes have been made in the last few years. One student said it used to be run by "old white guys" but he said it has changed. The current 4th year students said its completely a different school now for the 1st and 2nd years.
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Introduction location...we had to get moved due to some snafoo's.
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Facilities are aging - relatively low-tech approach
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Not too much... Jefferson is awesome! I wish they had taken us into the dorms though.
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Parking stinks. but what can you do?
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Male dominanted institution, no focus on womens healthcare. The students seemed rather boring.
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You only get fed at the beginning of the day (11am) so eat up. :)
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You have to buy your own microscope.
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The facilities are beginning to really show their age.
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The living situation and costs in Center City Philadelphia, their schizophrenic curriculum which seems like it gives students no free time, no intergrated curriculum first year, half-hearted PBL effort.
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Their cirriculum is in disarray as they struggle to make changes that keep them in step with other medical schools. For example, they just changed from number grades to the honors/pass/fail system.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly shared that they wished they had known how relaxed and conversational the interviews would be, emphasizing the importance of being oneself and engaging in genuine conversations. Many also noted the large number of interviewees, the chill atmosphere of the day, the need to relax and be prepared to talk about themselves, and the minor details about attire or logistics for the day.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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How relaxing the interviews were and how important it is to just be yourself.
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That it would be so chill and conversational
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It is truly a chill interview. The student interview is closed file, and the faculty interview is open file. The student interview is to check if you will fit in with the class, if you are a team player, and if you have interests outside of medicine. The faculty interview is where they check if you can handle the academic rigor, if you truly have a passion for medicine, etc.
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Based on the rest of the interview day, I was expecting a fairly conversational faculty interview, and instead I got a stress interview. RIP.
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That most of the interview would be me asking the questions
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Very close to a bunch of fun stuff downtown.
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The tour takes you outside so be prepared. It was a bit rainy during ours and it didn't make a huge difference, but having an umbrella would have been nice.
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How relaxed it would be.
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The best way to go about this interview is to not worry about having the "right" prepared answers, but to be yourself and be able to talk about why you are a good fit for Jefferson.
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Every male applicant is wearing a blue or black suit, white shirt and tie, do something subtle to stand out.
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That it wouldn't be stressful!
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Nothing.
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That my faculty interviewer no longer worked at the institution.
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Nothing!
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How laid back the day would be, and how everyone is genuinely trying to make your experience a positive one.
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That I would have to curtail and simplify the responses to interview questions to overcome a language barrier.
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That the day would be so cold!
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Given the feedback, I knew this was going to be a stress free day so I would just pass on that this is truly the case. Know yourself, know your application, be ready to just be pleasant and get to know everyone.
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Our interview group was huge, about 30 people. I guess it wasn't a big deal since we split it later, but it was a bit intimidating to walk in on.
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Stay for cookie hour and say hi to Dr Brooks and Dr Callahan so they have a face for your name! Also, relax. It is overall an extremely enjoyable day.
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I wish I had known that the 20 minute interview with the student was going to be so conversational. I would have prepped a few more student-specific questions for them to answer.
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That by the time my interview was done the cookie time was basically over so I didn't get to go
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This is a very large school. For a class of 270, they interview about 800 people. If you receive an interview here, you have a fair opportunity of being admitted.
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That it would be 90 degrees in April when I interviewed.
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That the cookie hour was not useful
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Interviews are held in a lobby and a classroom, not necessary a quiet office.
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It's a really laid-back interview. Don't stress.
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Nothing really.
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The parking prices listed on their website are OLD. I picked out an $11 lot and it ended up being $20. There is an early bird special lot for $10 on Walnut St. near the Scott building.
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There would be such a huge PA bias in the class makeup.
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That they really want to get to know you and not grill you. Relax and you will do fine.
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That my interview would be 65 minutes.
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The only thing you need to do to prepare for this interview is be ready to talk about you, as a person.
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N/A
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Nothing really, it was great.
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I wish I had believed that the lunch really is that small ;-) I brought backup snacks just in case.
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None
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To relax- it was a really low-key interview day.
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Traffic in Philly is really not that bad.
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To relax, these people are very non-stress, no intimidating Q's
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The post-interview wrap-up is optional, so you can leave by 3 if you're in a hurry.
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That my interview might be closed file (which mine was). i was so ready for my interviewer to grill me on the details of my file! Also to relax!
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Jefferson is a great school and you should feel lucky to get an interview.
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Guys, check out the medical frat houses they have a few blocks away. they're really nice, some have full bars and pool tables, and they range from 150 to 250 a month in rent for a pretty large room.
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Nothing really. It was nice to learn that the adcom meets every week starting after Oct. 15th and they offer decisions every week.
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Nothing
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That I was stressed out and they knew it, and tried to put us at ease right away.
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That you don't need to know anything except your file
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The student interview was closed file (or at least mine was)
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The taxicabs in Philly take credit cards so you don't have to carry cash.
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That the school is constructing a new building for the new class.
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This is not an interview to stress about--the people are warm and welcoming.
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Nothing really
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That you can take the R1 from the airport to campus for only $5.50! The trains are clean and frequent.
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The interview was very low-key/conversational. Do not be stressed about this one.
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Airtran Blows
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Burlington cat factory is nearby, i could have booked my return trip much later and gone shopping...
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There is no designated place to leave your luggage for the duration of the day (although we could leave our stuff in a room before the interview).
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That Philly is very easy to get lost in! Bring a map of the city!
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That the interview is really boring. You sit in a room for like 2 hours while they just talk to you. The tour was really dull.
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Not much really. Although, if you wish for a cheap place to stay, the frat houses were surprisingly a very good option.
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The number of interviewees
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I didn't anticipate that the faculty interview would be as short as a half hour, or that the day would be so relaxed.
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They are building a new integrated sciences facility that will be completed for the 2007-2008 school year.
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Jefferson accepts a high percentage of the students they interview and you find out within two weeks!
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You should attend the question session at the end and introduce yourself to Grace
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Strong emphasis on reaching the underpriveledged and focus on producing good clinicians. They interview 30 people at on the same day - once a week! Class size for 2006 is 255 (I have mixed feelings on this).
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Great location right in Center City!
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There really are a lot of folks interviewing at one time...but it's no big deal. Some of them are MD/PHD's.
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The lunch is SKIMPY. You get to a room filled with four tables that are already set. They have a half of a chicken salad wrap and then a little scoop of potato salad. The presentation is nice and they have a table of potato chips and cookies, but overall, very skimpy. And I sat at the table that eventually turned into all the MD/PhD applicants, so it was especially boring, but thankfully, they only allowed like 20 minutes for lunch.
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Should have read the letter that told me to bring a picture
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The student interview was really relaxed!
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Nothing really. You don't have to spend 25$+ in a cab to get to the school, you simply hop in the train at the airport terminal (about 6$).
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How to pronounce my interviewer's name! I found out that some of the other interviewees didn't realize their student interview was being evaluated because it seemed so informal.
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Nothing major but I really was surprised to find that Jefferson really has a "campus" despite its location and that when you are in the buildings you feel very far removed from the hustle and the bustle of center city.
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The R1 train is a much cheaper alternative to taking a taxi from the airport.
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There were almost 30 people interviewing, which was a huge number! But it wasn't annoying or anything.
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How awesome the school is.
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That there will be about 30 other interviewees with me in the beginning. No big deal though.
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All the questions are very conversational-closed file.. He even asked me what school I went to in the beginning. I think he knows they can accept the 4.0s of the world if they want to, but he just wants to see if you're normal.
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I am not familar using the subway system and kept having to ask which train I should be getting on.
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See above
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Where the bus depot was.
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Nothing, previous interview feedbacks pretty much prepared me
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My undergrad advisor had written a letter of recommendation and wrote something about my mother's struggle with alcoholism (I had a rough freshman year). The interviewer brought it up, which really caught me off guard! I just said, "She's doing all right," and he changed the subject (thank goodness).
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Don't make jokes. Whatever you do.
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"light" lunch ;)
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There's definitely 40 students per interview day and the day is quite long. As of yet, it was definitely the most draining interview day for myself. Go prepared to be alert. But the day does start at 11AM so you can sleep in a little.
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The interview day is LONG- they run you around a lot. I was pretty tired by my second interview.
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That I shouldn't have worried so much about the interview. It was an informative and enjoyable experience.
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That the % of underrepresented minorities needs more improvement.
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It's stressful to fly in on the day of interview.
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Apparently Jefferson does its biggest round of cuts before the interviews. If you are interview, you have almost a 50% chance of getting accepted. Basically, as long as you don't really screw up and say something completely unintelligent or offensive, you have a good shot at getting in.
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Interview w faculty kind of have to find on your own
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Jefferson invites about 40 people to an interview day. It's not a problem, but this was my first interview, and it was kind of a shock to see so many people there. Also, the lunch is rather small so eat a good breakfast before you go.
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Don't be discouraged by people who "casually" mention that this is there sixth interview.
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It really is laid back. I thought everyone was just less nervous than I was, but the whole day is very informal and relaxed.
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How casual the student interview is. The students literally come straight from class and just chat with you for a few minutes. Its hardly an interview.
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The school is right in the middle of the city, interviews were pretty short
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That Philly is really awesome. I should have stayed another day just to explore the city some more.
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Jefferson is the only school in Philadelphia right next door to it's teaching hospital. Jefferson has a MD/MPH program set up with Johns Hopkins. I hear Jefferson likes to accept students for whom it was #1. Although it wasn't my #1 pick until after the interview, I wish I'd known how great it was before.
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The lack of diversity at the school
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How very very cold Philly can get!
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I forgot my belt
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Interviews are held on campus, but I had to travel pretty far in the city, so I wish I would have had a better general understanding of the city and directions beforehand.
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How many students would be interviewing on the same day
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The new curriculum allows students to focus on one subject at a time rather than juggling the normal 3-4.
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Jefferson's focus is producing clinicians. Although their research department is outstanding, their main focus is producing clinical doctors rather than researchers. I also learned how few Md/PhD spots there were for next year's class (only 5 out of 229 spots).
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That the group of people being interviewed would be so big. There were over 30 people in my group.
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That I would be in a huge group of interviewees, even thought you dont spend too much time with them outside of orientation
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Student interviewer didnt ask anything about my app... i filled up the 30 min asking her questions, which she answered in a one or two word answer... wouldve prepared many more questions if i had known...
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That many of their faculty interviewers are busy practicing physicians, and that my interview would be delayed an hour because my interviewere was busy. This through me off a bit, and also made me nervous about catching my flight home. Also I couldn't go to the post interview wrap-up : (
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I didn't realize that I should have stayed longer at the end of the day wrap up meeting and talked to the admissions people.
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The student interview is VERY short (mine was only about 10 minutes) and if you get an inexperienced interviewer like me (it was his first time), you may have to direct the interview all by yourself.
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How friendly the people at Jeff were and how nice a school it is.
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I stayed w/a student host and it was great! I even got to go to a Phillies game. It's a great way to meet the students and get to know the school better.
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The large group of interviewee was rather intimidating. Jefferson is affiliated with 18 hospitals for clinical rotations!! Used to rank #1 as a "comprehensive medical school" back in the 90's, not sure what that means though
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That there would be a throng of us.
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Jeff has a new block schedule/organ systems curriculum. Also, they have done away with letter grades and gone to an honors/pass/fail system this year.
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Philadelphia can be very, very windy.
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The Vice Dean of the medical school, Dr. Callahan, welcome's all applicants.and..the Director of Admissions for the medical school, Grace Hershman, is available during the day at the post interview wrap-up. You can just go up and talk to her. Amazing!!Did not experience this at any other interview I attended to date (10)
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During lunch several admissions officials come in to talk to while we were eating. I had taken my suit coat off to eat and was worried I looked a little too casual. I didn't think the admissions reps were going to come while we were eating.
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JMC is probably in the best part of Philly. Of all the schools in Philly, JMC has the best spot in center city.
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The school is downtown, lots of cars everywhere. Not bad, just different. The housing for students is kinda pricey, but you are right there next to the school. They were on probation a while ago. Not very many students attend class.
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That I would come down w/ the worst head cold in history. Thank god I bring Dayquil w/ me for such emergencies.
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There is only food at the very beginning and the very end of the day... so make sure you take full advantage, cause growling tummies during the interview is no good.
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That bringing a coat is a good idea ! It was chilly!
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Very old-boys school. Center of philly which is nice. Tour is outside, bring an umbrella.
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The tour includes outside walking time (the only school of the 6 I have interviewed at so far)
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The campus is located in the most historical section of the city, country. Liberty Bell is only a few blocks from the school.
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None -- I would recommend using the Train system if you need to get around -- it's cheap, efficient, conveinent to just about everything including the med school... it makes life easier getting to the airport, for instance
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Come armed with tons of questions because they stop every thirty seconds to ask if you have any questions.
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
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.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested providing more detailed information on interview day, enhancing the tour experience, and shortening the morning presentations to allow for more breaks and interactions. Some applicants also emphasized the importance of student involvement in the interview process and expressed a desire for more opportunities to interact with students and program heads.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Give more information on interview day. Tours were lackluster.
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Breaking up the morning session with the tour would be nice. It was a long time to sit in one room and I felt I would have absorbed more had I had a chance to reset.
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None. Thank you everyone for being so welcoming and receptive!
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Amazing admissions office. Really passionate, friendly, and want to answer any questions you have.
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The school was pitched as having a lot of "students teaching students" and new diversity programs were given more attention over traditional medical education. The former left me worried I wouldn't have good instruction (how can all students be good teachers?) and the latter worried me that the school was too political and optics-conscious at the expense of substance.
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Keep up the great work!!
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N/A
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None, they seem to know what they're doing!
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Shorten the morning's talk.
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None
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Excellent experience. Only suggestion is to have more opportunities for bathroom breaks and mingling during the morning presentations.
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I would have appreciated a tour of the hospital, if possible.
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Nothing! Dr.Brooks and Dr. Callahan are both extremely warm, approachable and helpful. All other staff I dealt with were polite, interested and helpful as well.
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The student-run interview day was a hugely positive experience. As much as I trust the expertise of an Admissions Staff, I trust the opinions and anecdotes of actual students even more.
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The entire interview day is student run. The school itself needs to coordinate the interview day, as I found it to be somewhat disorganized and was not able to hear about or see everything that I wanted to. There were 30 people on our interview day because the students only have one day per week that they can arrange and hold interview day. A group that size is simply too large for everyone to be able to ask questions.
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Great job!
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Have program heads of dual degree programs give brief talks. have the dean of the medical college give a talk
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No suggestions;They couldn't be more friendly( and they're quick too!)
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Vegetarian lunch option.
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Really nice admissions staff, they did a great job.
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Cut down on the presentation length. Financial aid and Jefferson legacy talks were both longer than
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
✈️
PHL
56% interviewees used PHL (PHL), with 7% using phl (phl) and 7% using PHI (PHI) and 7% using Philadelphia (Philadelphia) and 5% using Philadelphia International Airport (Philadelphia International Airport) and 5% using PIA (PIA) and 2% using phd (phd) and 2% using JFK (JFK) and 2% using phi (phi) and 2% using Philadelphia International (Philadelphia International) and 2% using PHIL (PHIL).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by airplane to the interview.
✈️
39% Airplane
🚗
29% Automobile
🚆
27% Train or Subway
🚲
5% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Holiday Inn Express (average ranking 8.8/10), with some staying at Rodeway Inn (average rating 9.5/10). (Top 3 displayed)
🏨
Holiday Inn Express
8.8/10
🏨
Rodeway Inn
9.5/10
🏨
Holiday Inn Express Midtown
10/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Faculty member (0%)
Other (0%)
Student (99%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Enthusiastic (84%)
Neutral (16%)
All Responses
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No responses found.
| Application Cycle ▿ | Impression | Performance | Interview Location |
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