Chicago, IL
Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 14% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a moderate stress level and felt they did okay.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
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 include inquiries about why the candidate chose medicine, their career aspirations within the field, personal attributes, views on healthcare policies, ethical dilemmas, and interests outside of medicine. Additionally, responses indicate that Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) were prevalent, potentially involving non-disclosure agreements due to the confidential nature of the questions asked in those interviews.
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what are your concerns about the future of medicine?
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Why medicine? What specialty are you looking at? Lots of app-specific questions.
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Tell me about yourself and how you got to this point.
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What do you think about the affordable care act?
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Why Northwestern?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including personal mentorship, ethical dilemmas, favorite books, and hypothetical scenarios like being stranded on a desert island. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) structure, as some responses hinted at non-disclosure agreements or confidentiality regarding specific questions asked.
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Who is your favorite mentor and why?
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Do you think Steve Jobs was an innovator?
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What is the purpose of medical school?
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Why should I convince the admissions committee to accept you here?
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Lots of specific questions about my activities
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including personal attributes, ethical dilemmas, unique scenarios, and future goals in medicine. Notably, the interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) with some respondents mentioning nondisclosure agreements, while questions varied from ethical scenarios to personal reflections and hypothetical situations.
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Literally nothing - all very chill questions and conversations.
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If you are accepted to multiple schools, what can we tell you right now that would make Northwestern your top choice?
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What is the purpose of medical school?
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Very difficult questions on my research
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How would your adversaries describe you?
✅ 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 3 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 in a group interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had a closed file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
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 researching the school, reviewing their application materials, reading interview feedback on websites like SDN, discussing current healthcare issues, and participating in mock interviews. Many also focused on understanding the school's curriculum, practicing responses to potential questions, and ensuring they were well-rested before the interview.
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I quickly looked up all of my faculty and director interviewers (MSTP) and made a short Word document listing their recent publications and major faculty positions. I also researched what departments are available to complete the Ph.D. in and what the curriculum timeline looks like depending on the department I choose. Lastly, when the program coordinator sent me the official schedule, I made all of the Zoom links into calendar events so that I could quickly join the various Zoom interview rooms.
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Book, mock interviews, talks with friends, individual research and practice
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Friend, SDN
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Read sdn interview feedback, researched school online
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Read through the website's curriculum and watched promotional videos.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the well-organized virtual experience, flawless execution of the interview day, warm and supportive culture, top-notch facilities, and the ideal location in downtown Chicago. They also appreciated the engaging student events, the Grand Rounds sit-in opportunity, and the enthusiasm of students and faculty. Suggestions included highlighting the unique aspects of the curriculum and the dual degree options, and continuing to prioritize student well-being and involvement in decision-making processes.
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This was the most organized virtual experience I have seen this interview season, and perhaps this entire pandemic year. Everything from the interview schedule, the communications from leadership, and the actual interview day were flawless. One of my interviewers was about 5 minutes late, but that barely registered in my mind because the entire day was executed perfectly. Even the various student events were well-planned and very engaging. And the Grand Rounds sit-in opportunity was a great touch that I haven't seen other programs implement. It gave me a sense of what the students actually learn/do.
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The culture seemed really warm and supportive even through zoom and the research and curriculum impressed me.
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Hospitals, facilities were really cool (except the Anatomy lab was kinda eh), location in Chicago
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Facilities, curriculum, availability of students
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The facilities, LOCATION, student happiness, the food
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants were commonly concerned about the lack of diversity among the patient population and student body, the high cost of living in Streeterville, the long and disorganized interview day, the focus on group interviews instead of individual interactions, and the limited financial aid options. Suggestions included improving financial aid transparency, increasing diversity, and providing more individualized interactions during interviews.
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Absolutely nothing!
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Nothing! I loved it all
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Seems like the school serves a rather homogenous population, but it definitely looks like NU recognizes that and they do have opportunities to work with underserved populations
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Lack of diverse patient population
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Chicago is cold ... especially when you're from California
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time that the interviews were not as intimidating as anticipated, with the panel interview being particularly relaxed and conversational. Many also highlighted the importance of being prepared for the long day, the open-file nature of interviews, the flexibility of the curriculum, and the emphasis on problem-based learning at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
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2 faculty open file interview, 1 m4 closed file
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N/A
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That the faculty 1-on-1 interviews were open file, but the medical student interview was closed
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Interviews are open file
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I wish I knew the panel interview was relaxed and was used to assess collaboration with other students.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview day at Northwestern to be well-organized and informative, with a mix of individual and group interviews. The panel interview, while initially intimidating, was seen as a unique and interesting experience by many, although some felt it could be variable based on the dynamic of the group. The students and faculty were friendly, the curriculum was appealing to many, and the campus and facilities left a positive impression. There were mixed feelings about the financial aid system and the pass/fail grading structure, but overall Northwestern was considered a top choice for many applicants.
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Fantastic school with a really supportive and diverse community that trains excellent doctors that are free to follow their interests in medical school and after.
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Great school and great program, even though they're short on admissions committee members
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FSM blocks off 3 hours for interviewing--do not be intimidated by this large block of time. They go by quickly. Possibly be prepared for some unexpected questions. They're not intended for you to have prepared answers but rather to evaluate how you think in the moment and make decisions. I found that this was my most enjoyable interview but one of the more challenging with the types of questions. I stayed relaxed throughout the day and acted like myself.
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Do not get phased by the group interview.
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Really low-stress... no need to pre-prepare your answers, cause then you sound stupid
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest reducing paperwork, improving breakfast offerings, starting the day later, shortening the interview day, providing clearer directions, and refining the admissions process to include improvements in technology and scheduling.
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Too many papers to carry around in our folder
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N/A
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Breakfast could be better, but was appreciated!
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The tour was a bit dull because of the anemic tour staff
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The start time is too early! 7:30 AM is seriously brutal.
📍 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 out of state students.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 4-6 hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by airplane to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent between $201 and $300.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
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Both
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CHI
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MDW
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MDY
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Midway
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
The most commonly mentioned hotel among the responses is the Holiday Inn Chicago City Center.
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Affinia
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Affinia (paid for by the MSTP)
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Allerton Crowne Plaza
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Avenue
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Best Western
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?
No responses
All Responses
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