Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Miss. State, MS
Veterinary Schools | Public Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 29% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a low stress level, and felt they did okay.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about financial planning for education, reasons for choosing veterinary medicine over human medicine, experiences with ethical dilemmas, contributions to the profession, challenges in the field, personal characteristics distinguishing applicants, future career plans, research background, stress management, leadership skills, and ethical issues in veterinary practice. Additionally, respondents mentioned questions related to MMI format, non-disclosure agreements, specific veterinary scenarios, zoonotic diseases, handling conflicts, and the importance of confidentiality in veterinary medicine.
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How do you plan to afford vet school?
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What’s a case that has stood out to me?
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Why not human medicine?
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Should you be accepted, what will you bring to the school and profession as a whole?
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Tell me about an ethical dilemma that you've faced in your professional life.
What was the most interesting question?
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What’s my favorite wildlife animal?
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What was your favorite research experience? (Based on my file)
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Have you seen a veterinarian you've worked with deal with a difficult situation? If so, how did they handle it and how would you handle it differently?
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How do you think COVID-19 has influenced the field of veterinary medicine, and do you think COVID-19 will have long term effects on the field of vet med?
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They asked a lot about my job as a pharmacy technician, probably 10 or so questions total, and they were interested lol
What was the most difficult question?
Students said the most difficult question asked at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including personal accomplishments, human interactions in veterinary medicine, leadership qualities, ethical dilemmas in the industry, and the role of veterinarians in the community. Some responses hinted at the interview being in an MMI format, potentially involving non-disclosure agreements, as certain questions were not specifically disclosed.
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If you were injured practicing large animal medicine what other options are there for you?
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Tell me about a recent goal you set and accomplished.
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Aside from accomplishing your masters degree, what is another accomplishment you're proud of?
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What is your idea of professionalism regarding veterinary medicine? (the way it was asked was weird and I don't think I answered what she wanted me to)
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Things I had not thought about like what I would go into for a specialty if I decided.
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 3 people.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a in a group interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 7+ hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by automobile to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent more than $500.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Jackson-Evers International (JAN)
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golden triangle
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bhm
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New Orleans
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MEM
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Jackson-Evers International (JAN)
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
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Microtel Inn
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Microtel
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Holiday Inn Express
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Hilton Inn
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Hilton Garden Inn
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
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The road next to the hotel is very busy and loud, which made it hard to sleep at night. Everything else was nice though
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N/A
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by reviewing their applications, practicing questions from Student Doctor Network (SDN), seeking advice from mentors or current students, and discussing potential questions with coworkers or friends. They emphasized the importance of being familiar with their application details and being ready to answer a variety of questions beyond just what was on their application.
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SDN, reviewing my application
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SDN and practiced basic questions
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Interview prep with a mentor, looking at questions on SDN
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I studied possible questions on SDN
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I reviewed questions on SDN, listened to various podcasts, attended the webinar that addressed how the interview process would go, and complied a list of potential questions. I brought this list to work with me to have my coworkers quiz me randomly on the questions. I also asked the veterinarians I work under for their input on some questions.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the welcoming and friendly atmosphere, the personalized attention from faculty and staff, the organized and informative interview process, the mentorship program, and the emphasis on hands-on experience early in the program. Many highlighted the sense of community, the supportive faculty, and the detailed orientation provided, making them feel valued and well-prepared for their potential journey at the school.
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2+2 program, friendliness of the faculty and students, how much hand son experience is given even in the first two years
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The faculty and community
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They really seem to prepare you for becoming a student there, with lab coat fittings, professional headshots, orientation, and all. Really feels like they want to sell themselves to you as much as you want to sell yourself to them.
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It was very casual and we just had a conversation!
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Fantastic process! Even though interviews were online, it felt as though I was in the room with the interviewers. I loved the virtual tour the day before as well.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about lack of communication with mentors, unprepared interviewers, uninformative tours, and issues with the dress code. Suggestions include improving mentorship programs, ensuring interviewers are well-prepared, enhancing tour experiences, and reevaluating the dress code policies to create a more positive impression on applicants.
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Business casual dress everyday, and you’re not allowed to wear jackets to lecture (but can bring blankets??).
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My mentor did not reach out before my interview
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There's supposed to be a mentor pairing that you have and I never got contacted by mine. A lot of the social aspects are reliant on that contact which left me floating around trying to force myself on conversations/groups.
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They told me a major research experience I mentioned during the interview wasn’t on my application, and when I pointed out where it was, they told me “Next time you apply, you might want to make that more clear”. Very unpersonable people. This just went to show me how important having a good interviewer is because it dropped the school to the bottom of my list.
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Nothing.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known that the interview would be more relaxed and conversational, not stressful. They also suggested being prepared for potential downtime between scheduled activities, such as the interview time being assigned on the same day, and being aware of a professional dress code.
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It was very conversational, do not stress about the interview.
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Don't come earlier than what's on your sheet. I finished everything they had set for that block of time before the start time, which left quite a bit of time to just twiddle my thumbs while everyone else checked in
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N/A
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I wish I believed other students when they said the interview was not stressful. I had fun in my interview and was surprised how quickly the time went by!
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They ask if they can record you
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally commented on the relaxed and conversational nature of the interview process, the school's efforts to communicate with applicants, the lack of diversity on some interview days, the importance of asking questions during the interview, and the quality of the program at Mississippi State University. Some applicants mentioned concerns about technology and resources, communication issues, and the town of Starkville.
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A lot of people say that the interview is conversational and that you shouldn't be stressed, but that really wasn't the case for me. Might have just been my particular group of interviewers/ the answers I gave, but everything for me felt very traditional and by the book
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Very casual interview, I felt comfortable the entire time.
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This cycle has been amazing! The school has made exceptional efforts to communicate with applicants despite the pandemic.
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Lack of diversity at least on my interview day, low stress interview and it goes by fast.
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Be confident. Bring water and a notebook/pen to write notes. Bring several questions. Ask about scholarships, opportunities, anything you can think of! it shows you are invested.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested that the admissions office should improve response times to emails and provide more updated and detailed statistics on accepted applicants. Additionally, some applicants mentioned the importance of assigning mentors earlier in the process for better guidance and support.
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Nothing, everything was very well organized and prepared.
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I'd really like to see more accepted applicant stats released after the cycle is over. The stats on the website seem to be the same ones from previous years. How many applied, how many interviewed, got seats, etc. A really cool thing to do would be the class profiles that OSU and Michigan do! Other than that admissions was very speedy in responses of all kinds and very accommodating.
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Respond to emails in a more timely manner. I had to email twice to make sure my RSVP for the interview was in, and then it took more than a month for me to get the actual information about the interview.
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M. Hadaway always told us to contact her if we had any questions regarding the process. I tried contacting her on two different occasions. I sent her 2 emails, and left 2 voicemails. She never responded to me. Also, she never informed me of my interview time, so I had to waste money on a hotel, car rental, and missing another day at work so I could stay an extra night (when I could have flown out that day if she had actually returned my correspondence).
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Absolutely nothing, the admissions office was extremely friendly and helpful
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