Columbia, MO
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 27% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
7.7
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 426 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.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
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
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools cover topics such as leadership style, handling stress, defining success, ethical scenarios, and motivations for pursuing medicine. Additionally, respondents mentioned questions related to their MCAT scores, personal experiences, diversity contributions, healthcare opinions, and family background, with some interviews conducted in an MMI format under a nondisclosure agreement.
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Mostly asked about different activities listed on application
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What is your leadership style?
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explain your MCAT scores
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Define success.
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How do you handle stress?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Missouri School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including preferences on patient interaction, challenges in healthcare, ethical dilemmas like cloning, and hypothetical scenarios on team dynamics and patient care. The interviews seemed to cover personal traits, ethical considerations, and healthcare system perspectives, with no clear pattern suggesting an MMI format or nondisclosure agreement.
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Would you rather have an ethical doctor or a moral doctor
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What do you think you're going to enjoy least about being a doctor? What will you enjoy the most?
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what is your favorite patient interaction
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What's your opinions on international volunteering trips?
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Which class that you have taken so far has been the most difficult or challenging? Why was it so? How did you handle it?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Missouri School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including scenarios related to healthcare systems comparison, handling stress, facing inequality, ethical dilemmas, and personal weaknesses. While the questions varied, some responses indicated an MMI format with nondisclosure agreements possibly in place, focusing on assessing critical thinking, ethics, and communication skills.
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"Is there anything I missed that you think I should know?"
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describe a time you dealt with inequality
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Justify your [insert stat here].
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Recall a time you did not handle your stress. What happened and how did you fix it?
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Compare the healthcare system in the US to that of another country
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of more than 50 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
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.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one 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.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by reviewing their AMCAS and secondary applications, reading school websites, browsing SDN for interview feedback and questions, practicing mock interviews, and staying informed about current healthcare policies and issues. They also emphasized the importance of being confident, treating the interview as a conversation, and knowing their own application well.
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SDN + reviewing basic questions
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Reviewed AMCAS app, SDN
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browse MU website, sdn, and prepare why med and MU answer
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SDN, google doc with stereotypical interview questions and possible responses, talking to other current and past applicants about their experiences, bulleted list of key points I wanted to touch on, some questions to ask the interviewers, etc. Remember to dress the part and be confident! For me, it helped a lot to think of it more as a conversation than an interview. They are trying to get to know you.
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Know the Tell me about yourself > Why medicine > Why this school like the back of your hand. Mizzou loves hearing about PBL so dive into that (even though interview day will tell you a lot more about it)
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the friendliness and warmth of the staff, students, and interviewers. They also highlighted the school's emphasis on getting to know applicants as individuals, the positive atmosphere of the campus, the innovative PBL curriculum, and the impressive facilities. Suggestions included improving faculty enthusiasm, ensuring student tour guides are engaged, and maintaining a focus on student well-being and balance.
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the friendliness of the interviewers and staff! They really just want to get to know you as a person
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Current students were all very humble, genuine, and knowledgable about the school.
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interviewers knew my application very well
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Most the interviewers were extremely pleasant.
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That the interviewers are really trying to get to know you as a person, it is less about your achievements (academic or not) or standouts on your application. You can tell that they care about who they will be inviting into their community and want to make sure that those people will be a good fit.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed negative feedback about mispronounced names, short and rushed interviews, uninterested interviewers, lack of diversity, outdated facilities, disorganized tours, lack of lunch, and high tuition costs. Suggestions included improving interviewer engagement, increasing diversity, updating facilities, providing more comprehensive tours, and addressing financial concerns to enhance the overall applicant experience.
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mispronounced my name
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Had one really intense interviewer that was faculty.
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Compared to interviews at other school this one was very short, so the time crunch is palpable. Sometimes questions and responses will be rushed.
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My faculty interviewer did not seem particularly interested at some points. Very one-directional, the interviewers did not seem to want to talk about their experiences.
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nothing
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the intense interviewers, the focus on personal qualities over application details, the importance of clinical experience, the lack of diversity in the class, and the ease and low stress of the interview process. Additionally, feedback highlighted the need for preparation on specific topics, the location of the building, parking details, financial aid discussions, and the emphasis on the PBL curriculum.
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How low stress the day would be
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interviewers will pick apart your application
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I had one interviewer who was really intense and rapid fire asking questions -- it can throw you off.
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That the school focuses more on learning who you are as a person and less on explaining "hiccup" grades, or standouts on your application.
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You can drink coffee and water while on zoom call. They tell you this throughout
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview process at the school to be relaxed and conversational. Some mentioned the friendly atmosphere, the emphasis on patient-centered care, and the importance of being genuine in responses. There were mixed feelings about the interviewers, with some finding them welcoming and others feeling indifferent or disappointed.
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Very relaxed, fun interview
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i liked the school a lot, presentations were rushed
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Great school overall, and the interview process is pretty laid back. If you are doing Zoom (virtual) interview, please realize that they monitor you the whole time.
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There is a moderator in the room, normally an administrative staff who is a non-voting member of the interview committee. They will keep time and intervene if needed. Also, every applicant receives a numeric score for their interview and other portions of the application process, those who rank high enough at the end are extended seat offers.
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Conversational great interview. Everyone warm and this school is top of my list
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest sending information earlier, extending interview times for a more conversational atmosphere, ensuring bias-free interviewers, spreading out acceptance notifications, offering more engaging facility tours, and making interview days more exciting to showcase the school better. Overall, there is appreciation for the organization of the admissions office and a desire for continued improvement in the recruitment process.
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send information earlier so we have time to prepare questions
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Please consider making the interview slight longer, maybe 20 minutes, so there is less of a rushed atmosphere. Also so both the interview committee and the student interviewing can continue to have a conversational like interaction.
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Bias-free interviewers
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Make your acceptance schedule less stressful (a couple each month and a bunch in March)
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Have more activities planned for tour of facilities and opportunity to engage with students.
📍 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.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are in state students.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 2-3 hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by automobile to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent less than $100.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
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I live in Columbia, so this is not applicable to m
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KCI
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MCI
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STL
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St. Louis
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Friends or family or with friends or family.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
Based on the responses provided by the users, the most commonly mentioned hotel is "Stoney Creek Inn".
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Baymont Inn
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Campus Inn
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Days Inn-Free hot breakfast
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Hampton Inn & Suites
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Holiday Inn and Express Suites
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 are your comments on where you stayed?
Based on the responses provided, it seems that one user stayed at home for the virtual interview and the other user stayed at a place that was lovely both inside and out, with well-kept public spaces and rooms. Therefore, the place where the second user stayed received more comments.
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Interview was virtual, so I stayed home. Tours are available for the school upon request.
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Was lovely both inside and out. The public spaces and rooms were well kept.
All Responses
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