Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 40% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a low stress level, and felt they did okay.
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools revolve around the applicant's motivations for pursuing medicine, their experiences, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as their understanding of current healthcare issues. Some interviews were in the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format with questions on ethics, situational judgment, and application details, possibly subject to a nondisclosure agreement as specifics were not disclosed by respondents.
Asked for literally everything that was already on my AMCAS: (since it was closed file, he had no idea what my background was) "So tell me about this activity, then what did you do, okay, and then what..", etc.
I haven't seen anything on your application other than the schools you have attended - I don't know your scores or grades, activities, etc - So is there anything you want to explain or any red flags?
How did you pick your undergraduate school. (I was surprised that I wasnt asked the question "Are there any red flags in your application?"...it seems like everyone was asked that)
What undegraduate schools did you apply in high school?
Tell me about this experience in your application.
What have you been doing since you applied?
What possible hormones, peptides, steroids have been identified in the brain developmental process of the brain (we were talking about my research)?
Do you have any questions for me?
Community service/job shadow experiences (tell me about them- it's a blind interview so they haven't read your file yet so you can elaborate in great detail about experiences that you enjoyed and not feel like you're being repetitive)
Describe your research, your clinical experience, and your community service. Describe your leadership roles. What will you do if you don't get in? ETC. ETC. Questions that could have been answered thru my AMCAS...
All the questions were very standard. Basically the interviewer just went through my file and asked me to explain everything I did (volunteer work, etc.)
How would you tell the parents of one of your patients that their child was going to die in six months? (I told her i was interested in Pediatrics and this was her response).
And the activities-related:
So what exactly is water polo?
What is your season like?
Did playing help you get in? (No - I'm DIII which means no scholarships)
red flags (the interviewers have a basic set of questions they have to ask and are basically just going down the list and jotting things down in the beginning...)
What's the biggest problem facing medicine today? Can you think of anything else? (and who said we didnt have to know anything besides the basics (our apps) for this interview?)
What is the physician's role in physician assisted suicide? (This branched off into a long discussion/debate in which my interviewer was obviously pushing for a specific answer).
Questions you'd expect about your family, activities, undergrad major and experiences, personal statement (which you hand to them right before your interview), and interest in medicine.
Tell me about: a) your family, b) your research (in-depth) and Master's program, and c) your clinical experience (asked me clinical questions relavant to what I discussed in my essay)
How would you fix the insurnace crisis in this country? No, that's wrong. What else can you think of to fix it? NO, that's wrong. You're naive. Any other ideas? NO? Okay, you suck.
What's the hardest piano piece you've ever played? (What, was he trying to test me on my piano playing prowess? This was at the end of the interview when I was visibly upset from his unrelentless beating of my application and credentials).
Tell me about yourself/Why do you want to go into medicine? The rest of the interview was me telling my life story, with the interviewer jumping in now and then to ask more about some of my experiences.
What is your name? (They have closed file interviews. Also, there had been some scheduling changes, and I was the doc's first interview of the day, so I actually brought her the list of her interviewees for the day.)
Is there anything in your personal statement that you want to talk about? (they recieve your statement at the beginning of the interview and so probably won't read it until after, though i heard some skimmed it quickly)
Why do you want to go here? Traditional education schedule (normal 1st year and abnormal 2nd), small group studies 2nd year, progressive-first college to graduate female.
What elementary school did you go to? What did you like most about growing up? How do you feel about sick people? How do you think you will react to sick people? What kind of work do you do at your current job? Do you like working in a lab? What have you learned from working for a year?
What is your role in your family? What does your family think about your decision to pursue medicine? What are you most proud of in your life? What are you most apprehensive about in terms of medical school?
I felt the interview was a bit short. I did manage to say I have a renewed appreciation for knowledge and that I really want to use medical knowledge to help others. I also said that I had a wonderful time at NYMC, and that it was an honor and privilege to interview at NYMC. Then the Dr. escorted me out and the interview ended.
MD: I gave the Dr. my personal statement just prior to my interview. I see your step-father attended here, tell me about that. What was it like growing up in the Dominican Republic? Who raised you? When did you arrive in the US? What was it like seeing you parents for the first time? Clarify the time between your parents divorce and your mother's remarriage. (This was in context of the conversation.) At this point I asked if there would be any questions about my academics, but he only had a list of activities with him and stated that he just wanted to get to know me. (I was so at ease!!)
So your grandmother passed away? Did she live here? (I was very close to my grandmother, but the family divorce was not very pretty.) Tell me about high school. (I moved to the suburbs and went to two different high schools because of my parent's divorce and spoke of my excitement towards biology. When did your parents marry? (My step-father and mother) Why did you attend your undergraduate institution? Did you enjoy your time there. So you've been at the NIH for this long and the we corrected some information on my file. What is proteomics? Tell me about your research. Would you pursue a PhD? (I really want to study human biology and human disease and I'm also interested in " translational research." I answered along those lines. Do you have any questions for me?
* Where do I see myself in 15 years? <br>
* How do I think HMO's will affect where I'm at in 15 years? <br>
* Any red flags in your app to defend?
Students said most interesting question asked at New York Medical College discussed a wide range of topics, including personal experiences, opinions on healthcare issues, and ethical dilemmas. While some responses mentioned MMI or Multiple Mini Interview format, others highlighted questions about family influences, overcoming adversity, and views on healthcare reform, with a mix of standard and conversational inquiries. Respondents may have been subject to a nondisclosure agreement due to the varied nature of questions asked during the interviews.
Tell me about your volleyball club.
I told her I hardly played once I got to college because I wasn't very good but loved the sport. I played abroad at a social club instead. She told me she is just like me. We had a good laugh.
None- it was VERY relaxing. My interview really wanted to get to know me and really wanted to answer all of my questions. This was a GREAT interview experience
A lot of probing questions about my application, since things are totally blind (the interviewer doesn't see your file at all until they adcom meets, as far as I understand it), so they really seem to try to get to know you.
The interviewer was very interested in my current graduate school program and asked a lot of specific questions about the coursework and class attendance.
Was an interesting interview, pretty relaxed and straight forward. Most people had an interviewer who asked questions verbatim from a sheet of paper. Mine was just a conversation and he didn't fill anything out. Not sure what that means...
All the questions were expected and if you read the other interview questions for NYMC, you should be ok b/c since this is a close filed interview, you spend most of the time talking while the interviewer jots down notes.
The interview was highly conversational. However, the most interesting question was: ''How would you integrate public health principles into a medical practice.''
Do you think that mentoring kids in the projects for periods close to 1 year actually positively affect their lives? Or are the relationships too short to have lasting impressions?
I interviewed a long time ago but forgot to post. No specific questions really. Asked about why I minored in sociology, my favorite sociology course. Mostly conversational... constant dialogue with few direct questions.
I wasn't really asked specific questions - I talked a little about my personal statement and my activities. My interviewer and I made sure she understood each of my activities.
I asked most of the questions! The interviewer only asked me a few questions at the end of the interview. They were very basic involving my research I had already mentioned and my involvement in college.
He asked me something about football and how my school's team had a surprisingly good season. I forgot what the questions were, we were just talking about how underappreciated college football is in the northeast.
You are a rural doctor and a patient approaches you about physican assisted suicide, what do you do - (this was done in role play format, my interviewer was the patient and I had to act as the Dr.)
If you had 2 patients waiting for a kidney transplant, both would die without it, were the exact same age, gender, etc, etc, except one could pay for the procedure and one couldn't, who would you give the kidney to and why?
so you're from the midwest? (it seems uninteresting, but it got us started on a discussion of camping since it turns out my interviewer is the leader of a boyscout troupe and i just like camping)
Everything was pretty standard (i.e. why do you want to be a doctor; tell me about yr research experience, extracurricular activities; follow up questions to my answers)
it was a closed file interview...so it was mostly a "tell me about yourself" type interview. the interview was all about my app and my personality/character.
nothing too out of the ordinary, we mainly talked about my extracurriculars and women's issues in Asia since I have a strong background in international service outreach.
nothing surprising; they only see a brief summary of your AMCAS file, which they get the day or your interview, so you spend most of the time recreating your file and going more in depth here or there.
Nothing in particular. Because my interviewer didn't get my file until I handed it to him, we talked about very basic things like where I went to school and what sorts of activities I did.
Since it's a closed-file interview, my interviewer spent a lot of time asking me questions about where I was born, what my parents do, where i went to school etc. i guess that's one of the downfalls of these type of interviews, but then it's a good opportunity to break the ice. the most interesting Qs came when my interviewer started asking questions based on my answers.
I was quite surprised by the friendliness of the admissions staff, the students and my generous hosts. My whole interview was interesting. My interviewer just wanted to get to know me. He made this clear. All of the questions pertained to my life experiences. I'll list the questions below. He also asked me "What is Proteomics."
it was very unstructured..talked about my research and current job. be prepared to do the work and bring out diff parts of your app on your own. some ppl were supposedly grilled by diff interviewers, so really it depends on your luck!
Got into a discussion of ethical concerns regarding clinicians prescribing medications for patients and holding some financial interest in a pharmaceutical company.
From an evolutionary standpoint, why do you think some tribes have monogamous marriages, when humans are naturally inclined to be polygamous? (Obviously, this guy is a PhD, and was referring to a single intro to anthro course I took in summer school nearly 3 years ago...sheesh)
The interview was very low stress. I interviewed with a physio faculty member, Professor Levine(?), who was very nice and pleasant to talk to. We had a infomal discussion about basic questions, like why you want to be a doctor and why this NYMC. I don't recall any interesting question.
"If your dad is a doctor and your mom stays at home, why aren't they paying for medical school?" How did you fund your undergrad education? (I went to a private college.) Is this your first interview, you seem kind of jittery? (When I told her it wasn't she asked where else I had been interviewed.) Why are you here then if you've already been accepted?
Students said most difficult question asked at New York Medical College discussed a wide range of topics including reasons for low MCAT scores, readiness for medicine based on extracurricular activities, challenges in research, views on opioid abuse, and preparedness for medical school. Many responses indicated a conversational tone with questions about red flags in applications, healthcare issues, personal achievements, and ethical dilemmas, suggesting a mix of standard interview questions and inquiries specific to individual experiences.
None. All reasonable. I just couldn't recall my grades when she asked.. so I confused my C+ in Arthurian tradition and said it was in Orgo II... bad call.
What in your extracurricular activities and clinical volunteer makes you think you're ready for a career in medicine? How are you prepared for medicine?
What did you learn about your [humanities major]? I wish I'd prepared more for this question because even though I thought I gave a pretty cogent answer, my interview literally asked this question of me two more times before the interview was over.
Nothing particularly hard, just make sure you know your application inside and out because you'll have to give lots of detail on things your interviewer finds interesting.
We started talking about rural medicine and the interviewer wanted me to check out his calendar to see if I noticed anything. Really nothing was hard, no ethical/state of medicine questions.
Questions were expected. But what was difficult about the whole process was that the interviewer kept taking down notes and I felt I should slow down for him to write . In addition, it seemed my interviewer was trying to gauge whether I would want to go to NYMC considering I am from California, so there seemed to be doubts already.
Nothing too difficult. Asked me the name the professor of my favorite sociology class and it took me a second to remember it. (He wanted to possible contact her about giving a lecture on sociology of health).
Do you think the current medical education system works well for training physicians? Uh sure, how am I supposed to know? I haven't actually taken part in the medical education system...I'm at a med school interview here...
Tell me about your family...any red flags...tell me about your reserach/volunteer...what is the worst problem with healthcare today (I started to give my ansewr and interrupted me to tell me what she thaought...then I continued to give my opnion and she wouldnt let me talk until i agreed with her)
Most of the questions were completely random, pointless questions to which the interviewer expected me not to know the answer. It was a very unpleasant experience.
What do you think is the biggest problem in health care? I felt like this was the only thing my interviewer could think to ask, as if she ran out of things to talk about. As I explained what I thought was an adequate answer to that question my interviewer proceeded to interupt me to tell me what she thought. Aren't we going to the interview for them to get to know us?
questions about medical experiences preceeding college (who does anything more than volunteering in a hospital, really? they don't let you do much more) it was kinda annoying.
Tell me about research. It's closed file, so the interviewer did not know that I had worked in 8 different labs...so almost the whole time was spent recapping what could have been read ahead of time. But that is just the format they choose for the interviews.
Is there anything lacking from your application that makes you a weaker applicant? (basically, What should you have done before you applied, but didnt?)
The human genome project question, I knew the answer but the interviewer just didn't seem to like me and she made the question a lot more difficult to answer because she kept interupting me.
How would you fix the health care system? I started out by suggesting an increase in taxes (one ideas of many); however, the interviewer just snapped "NO THAT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING!" I think she was already against me after I told her where I was employed.
I didn't think anything was THAT difficult. "Name one pressing issue in health care today" was tough for me b/c it was so open-ended. I was prepared to speak about an issue if I was presented it, but I wasn't as well prepared to present an issue if given a choice.
Why did you bomb your genetics class? And why do you work in a genetics lab if you "crashed and burned" in genetics? This was after I had been asked what my worst grade was, and I replied B- in genetics. So I told this guy that at my college, genetics is the hardest class you can take, it's notorious for being ridiculously hard, and I don't consider B- crash and burn. He asked what was hard about it, and I said, the level of detail they expect undergraduates to know was a little unrealistic. He snorted and said, "What do you think medical school is like?" To which I replied, "there's a difference when you're an undergrad and have four other courses to worry about simultaneously." He snorted again, shook his head, sighed, rolled his eyes, and finally moved on.
How do you work in a group setting? (My interviwer noted that most of my jobs/experiences were independent and not affiliated with school clubs, etc. and wanted to know why that was. I felt slightly defensive, as though she was perhaps implying that I was antisocial or perhaps didn't work well with others.)
The first interviewer asked a LOT of questions. It's not that any of them were particularly difficult, but there were simply a lot of them. Be prepared to answer to any inconsistencies/weaknesses in your transcript.
none realy, very conversational interview, he asked me questions about where i was from originally since he had visited the area. My family history is kind of complicated and he asked me to delve into this.
(i had volunteered at a free clinic): how do you feel about people who take advantage of the system, i.e. people that would rather pay for luxury cars than health insurance so they come to your clinic. aren't you encouraging people to avoid the insurance system by offering a free alternative?
to recall what i've done every summer while in college and if there are any red flags in my application (time unaccounted for in AMCAS, particularly low grades, etc)
What is the most devastating this that happened to you? (This was difficult only b/c during preparation for the interview, I had prepared an answer to: what is the most DUMBEST thing you've ever done? So when he asked what is the most devastating thing you've done, I heard what is the most dumbest thing you've done. After I started to answer the wrong question, I was able to turn it around and still save myself.)
none, this was a very easy interview, once we got past the introductions--but introductions took a LONG time, since this was a completely blind interview--he barely even knew my name before the interview.
There were no really difficult questions. I was asked however, if I would pursue a PhD. I have spent three years performing biomedical research in Bethesda so this is a really interesting question as well. I answered by saying that I would like to do translational research or more patient centered research. And that a medical education would allow me to more fully understand the human body and human disease and pathogenesis.
Tell me about yourself (that is a very open-ended question, which can be good if you have thought about it and know how you want to respond and where you want the conversation to go).
I felt the most interview question was why I have no healthcare experience. I felt it was hard for me to explain why I wanted to be a doctor without any real exp. Other then that, there was no difficult questions. He did not try to trip me up or ask me any ethical questions. It really was low stress, except for the fact it was my first interview.
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for interviews by reviewing their applications, practicing with mock interviews, reading school websites, and utilizing resources such as Student Doctor Network (SDN). Suggestions include researching the school, understanding personal motivations for pursuing medicine, and staying informed about current healthcare issues.
By looking through my application, reading through interview prep books, and I tried like two MMI scenarios until I realizedtrealizedthat prepping for an MMI is kind of pointless, just be yourself!
Read all of the previous interview experiences, Read up about the school (but if you dont have time to do this, dont worry...you will learn so much about the school during your orientation before the actual interview), brushed up on medical issues
Read SDN, NYMC website. Btw, the red flags question is really just a question to clarify potential 'questionable' points on your app, as explained by the admissions guy during the info session.
Studied up on the school, their program, curriculum, history...etc. I also practiced the typical interview questions, of which I think I was asked half.
Studentdoctor.net, reviewed AMCAS application essay, practiced answering interview questions, did extensive background research on NYMC from their website.
NYMC website, Viewpoints book on health care reform, University of Washington biomedical ethics webpage, SDN helped so much that it convinced me that I should contribute too instead of just lurking as I had been
i basically sat down and tried to imagine a logical progression for why i wanted to be a doctor in case the question came up. theres so many reasons so its hard unless i prepare but I was allowed to go on tangents while we spoke.
It was my first- did SDN and reviewed AMCAS. Key to go over your app so you can make sure that when they compare the interview info and the file, everything matches up.
Studied the University of Washington website for ethics (this is advice for ANY interview...it's comprehensive enough that it will give you something intelligent to say in response to any ethics question and concise enough to read in about 2 hours.)
Read school's guidebook/website (at NYMC, they are very impressed if you've taken the time to research the school), SDN, e-mailed students, pre-med advisor at my school
website...school catalog...read up on current healthcare issues...sample questions...looked in the mirror for 30 minutes and pretended to answer questions...read AMCAS essay and app
Looked over the school's website, reread my AMCAS application and the additional part of my supplementary, made a list of questions about NYMC I wanted to ask my interviewers
I prepared by reading all of the material I could on the NYMC web site; SDN interviews; reviewed my research; and had some time (2 years and a previous rejection everywhere) for serious introspection about what I want to do with my life and why a career in medicine is most satisfying for me.
This website, read about medical ethics and healthcare issues online, reviewed application material and read the newspaper everyday (which I do anyway).
I was nervous, so I did everything I could to make sure I was ready. I read up on the US healthcare systems vs other healthcare systems (Canada), bioethics, the school, etc. In hindsight, I would still have done the prep, more just to have something intelligent to so, rather then trying to dazzle someone with knowledge. Just have a informed opinion and you should be fine.
Applicants were positively impressed by the facilities, including the anatomy lab, and the campus environment. They appreciated the support and sense of community among students, as well as the opportunities for clinical placements. Additionally, the proximity to New York City and the friendliness of faculty and staff were highlighted as positive aspects.
The facilities, the support for student, the residency placements. Power was out in admissions building but they really made the alternate arrangements work.
Loved the area, students seemed great, faculty members were all very enthusiastic. Tons of clinical opportunities for students. Facilities seemed pretty nice too.
Surprisingly, I was impressed by a lot! I know a lot of people are turned off by the dorm-style environment, but I personally love that most of the class lives right on campus! I got a community vibe while I was there. And of course the anatomy lab is beautifullllllll. Love the natural light, and I couldn't smell an ounce of formaldehyde because of the amazing ventilation system. The whole inside of the school is beautiful really! I was probably so impressed because I didn't expect to like the school, since I'm such an urbanite. But then I realized that as long as I have a car, I'd love it there! If I'm too broke for a car then it's a whole other story..a really bad story but let's stay positive. Oh and I'm interested in Neurology so hearing the Associate Dean talk so much about neuroscience and neurologic rotations made me happy! Havent really heard much about Neuro at other schools. Oh and this was seriously the BEST interview lunchI've had so far. Those wraps were delicious! And we had cake at the end of the day ^_^
Lots of great opportunities, like rotations in NYC. Curriculum. The actual campus itself and the facilities are really nice, there's lots of green everywhere.
The laidback, chill med students who were really nice and helpful about any questions asked. The amazing anatomy lab and facilities.
The fact that the school is 30 minutes from New York City.
There is a strong sense of community and the students support each other in both school work and life, since most of them live on campus for the first 2 years. Also, we had a chance to sit in the back at the lectures for first and second years during the free time on the interview day.
the pretty anatomy lab; the nationally-ranked children's hospital (I wandered there during my free time and a doctor saw me looking kinda lost so he took me on a tour of his floor!)
The children's hospital is pretty neat, and my interviewer was a really interesting guy. The two tour guides were also a nice sample of the student body (not identical people, and pretty open). The anatomy lab is also new and very light and airy, which was a bonus.
The campus was amazing; the brand new pediatric hospital; the students seemed genuinely happy; the anatomy lab wasn't in the basement and had natural lights
Attitude of school was focused but relaxed, they really want to make quality doctors! Their board exams are above average so they prepare you well for residency. Diversity of clinical rotations.
Anatomy Lab, convenient campus housing, very nice and welcoming students even though they were coming out of a test or something. High boards scores, great match list.
Everyone was incredibly nice. The students seem to have a life despite their studies. Their follies videos (shown to me by my student hosts were hilarious.)
State of the art medical education building, beautiful campus with lots of trees. Stay with a student host! Then you get to see how student housing is like.
Many students spend their 3rd and 4th years doing clinical rotations in Manhattan. I spoke to my first year tour guide and she said she knows a few people who live in manhattan and reverse commute to school every day/every other day. Podcasts help.
Valhalla is beautiful, lots of trees and what not. The campus is gorgeous, and I'm assuming it is even more so during the sunny months. I was kind of sketched out about the prison close by at first, but it's not bad at all. There is lots of security on campus. The cadaver lab is awesome...so are pretty much all the other facilities there too. Housing looks nice as well.
New York Med is the first med school to own a hospital, a precedent that speaks volumes toward its dedication to training clinicians as opposed to just becoming a research institute. The school has many famous alums who are now prominent physicians in hospitals and med schools all over the country. Also, since it was established first as a med school, new york med devotes most of its resources toward training its med students as opposed to allocating them to undergrads.
One of their main academic hospitals (St. Vincent's in Manhattan) ranks first in cardiac surgery open heart procedures among New York City hospitals; this prestigious hospital has been treating titanic survivors to WTC survivors to numerous celebs to the avg Joe for 150 years.
the great name/reputation of the school, very high board scores, strong alumni network, and that the student body was very friendly and seemed genuinely happy to be part of the school
the name of the school ("New York Medical College" speaks for itself), impressive board scores, emphasis on training physicians as clinicians first and foremost, on campus housing, friendly students, and easy access to the city; also heard from the tour guide that Sarah Jessica Parker was treated in one of their hospitals
the rich suburban location that is nevertheless part of the New York Metropolitan Area. It is quite close to NYC (20 minutes rail accessible) yet offers a safe, relaxed, and beautiful scenery for the first two basic science years. It is quite a blend of the safety and beauty that a NYC suburb offers and also a short and easy travel down to the nation's media capital whenever one feels like having an adrenaline rush.
The next two years of clinical rotations could well be spent in Manhattan where med students really need some patient interactions.
The students were very friendly, diverse, and the facilities were very nice as well.
This might seem superficial, but "New York Medical College" just sounds a lot more legit compared to other med schools. I am especially fond of the student-run clinic they have in East Harlem; also, I like the fact that the school has educated many influential physicians in NYC.
While not known as a research powerhouse, the school is very reputed among clinicians/practitioners in the medical community. Not surprisingly, it has the same avg board scores as Harvard.
The student hosts were the nicest and most helpful guys I have ever met. If there was one reason to go to the school, it would be because of the great friendships that develop between the students in each class.
Valhalla seemed like a serene & peaceful area compared to a place as LA. We got a free NYMC lanyard. NYMC is very geared towards the boards, so they have good stats for STEP 1.
The students seemed to love the school. The anatomy lab is great (on the top floor of the medical education building, lots of light from skylights and a great ventilation system); everything is right there (medical center, education center, student housing); the student housing is cheap and very convenient; the area seems like a very nice suburban community; proximity to NYC; they offer a cheap dual MPH degree that you can complete within 4 years with the MD degree; medical spanish courses are available;
Unlike some of the other feedback, the people at NYMC really impressed me. Everyone was incredibly helpful, and the second years seemed really relaxed. Can't speak for the first years, however, since they were taking a test. Also, I like the rural feel of the campus. Lots of open space. Also the facilities were pretty nice. Check out the Children's Hospital if you have the chance its pretty impressive.
Diverse and acive students, nice 2nd year lecture hall (1st year not as good), no class on catholic holidays, impressive facilities, numerous partner hospitals.
Overall, I liked the school. The campus is really nice and open, not just a building. WMC is a 1000 bed level 1 TC, and the rest of the network is large and has some great hospitals so the school offers outstanding clinical training. Buildings themselves were nice and the anatomy lab is probably one of the best in the country. The students, staff, faculty were pretty nice and were happy to talk with us when we had questions.
Snow? I hardly ever see snow, but concerning the school, maybe the anatomy lab. Most impressive was the Children's hospital. You should definitley check out the acquarium, the NY Yankees memorabilia collection and the dolls on display. All are geared towards kids but you get a sense of how the school goes out of its way to care of its patients.
Also, the school boast high board scores, specifically for Step 1. They were vague about how much higher their scores were but the guide rounded to about 8 points above the national average.
The area seems safe. My interviewer said only 1-2 major crimes in the past 25 years. The administration is nice and seems to be willing to listen to student concerns and complaints.
The first and second year class was very helpful when I asked questions and there doesn't seem to be serious competitiveness.
Nice facilities, huge hospital, new and airy anatomy lab, overall community feel. A NYMC graduate doing his residency there talked about the school, he gave excellent advice and explained why he liked NYMC, it was pretty convincing.
The students were all very friendly. The anatomy lab is really nice and the administration seems really supportive. It is also really nice how close it is to Manhattan (50% of students live 3rd and 4th yrs in Manhattan). The children's hopsital is gorgeous.
The facilities are all new and very clean. Literally everyone I met was sweet as sugar, including the car rental guys- not what I was expecting for a weathier suburb of NYC. The Children's hospital is amazing, the campus is compact, easy to navigate, and seems like a real community. Parking for all students, including commuters, is free. Great security, saw many even during the daytime. There are so many options for things to do outside of school time: 30 min from NYC, 6 min from White Plains which has all the basics you could ever ask for, less congestion and noise than what would be found in downtown urban area, beautiful scenery, many outdoor activities and opportunities.
the anatomy lab...nice, natural light, ventilation system, the new children's hospital was amazing! The students seemed happy, and the admissions staff were enthusiastic.
The location: the school is in a small, pretty town in a nice area (except for the prison) but still only 35-45 minutes away from Manhattan by train. The dorms are right across the street and are pretty inexpensive; you can do your rotations during 3rd and 4th year at practically any hospital
The facilities seemed up to date, clean, etc. I didn't mind that the dorms were literally across the street from classes, library, and everything else, but they were dorm like. Not bad.
A lot. I liked the students and the facilities seemed relatively up to date. Everyone was helpful and looked happy, which hasn't been the case at all of the schools I've seen.
Everything. The location is great for all sorts of social life. In there are there is rock climbing, running/biking/hiking trails. Skiing is 45 min away. NYC is less than 30min away on a fast train.
The interview itself was very laid back and conversational. Being that this was my first interview, it really helped me ease into the whole process, which I liked.
I was impressed students typically score above the national average on boards, the anatomy lab was very well lit with natural light and well ventilated, and the students were very friendly and open.
I really liked the attitude of the school and the students there. Very easy going and positive. A lot of enthusiasm in talking about the school. Also the new Children's Hospital is INCREDIBLE!!! Doesn't seem like a hospital at all - all sorts of fun things for kids and plasma TVs with gaming consoles in every room. Probably an incredible experience for the kids that have to stay there. I think it would be incredible to be able to work there.
the anatomy lab was VERY nice and didn't smell, really not that far from NYC, pretty campus, the new children's hospital is very nice, students were all friendly, LOTS of California kids
The students! They were so friendly and helpful. Sitting around and waiting for my interivew, many of them came up and asked if I had any questions, if I knew where I was going, or who I was interviewing with. They were incredibly nice and helpful.
Also really liked the area. Don't want to be in a big city, so this is pretty much perfect for me.
Campus was really nice; nice anatomy lab too. I like how students and live in dorms and roll out of bed to class, and the dorms are only $640/mo including utilities.
facilities, housing provided and relatively cheap ($600/month includes everything except phone), free parking on campus, curriculum (trimesters with 2 major classes each trimester)
amazing anatamy lab (best of 7 interviews), exceptional board scores, 19 hospitals in which to do rotations including Westchester Med Center (1000 + bed major hospital serving 5 million people), major academic hospitals in Manahattan if you want, brand new innovative peds hospital on campus, prosimty to NYC, research during 1st summer if you want (research not as lacking as everyone tries to make it seem , 45+ million in funding with a grad school of 200 students), international opportunities for the summer if you want.
EVERYTHING! The faculty, interviewer, students and facilities were amazing. The Childrens Hospital was great. The tour guide was really chill and funny.
The school's beautiful (though I find snow pretty). I feel that the town is suburban and you can easily have a car (which some people would hate). And you can get to NYC with a ten minute (11 dollar) taxi/drive, and a 40 minutes train ride (6 dollar) train ticket. I know some say that's too far away or too much, but good enough for me. I liked the anatomy lab and cafeteria, but I did not get a full tour (long story, I'll explain later). And I liked the dorms.
facilities for sure, great campus, there is a good social outlet if you look. take advantage of things going on "on campus".
medical education is excellent and great exposure to all different types of patients with its extensive hospital network
the chat with the 4th year student - she was fantastic!; the facilities; the fact that nymc and wmc are in this medical enclave (not for everyone, but i really like that atmosphere)
The anatomy lab is very very impressive. Trust me, I've worked in an anatomy lab in college! Also, I really appreciated that the student body was collaborative and that there was a lot of comradrie - the people here are not competitive and work hard together to learn together!
The students...they were very chill and down to earth people. The school had a very relaxing atmosphere to it and the students didn't seem at all stressed even though they were busy studying for upcoming exams. Great facilities and good location.
Students seem happy there and anatomy lab was nice; the first one i've seen that wasn't in a damp basement. It had nice bright windows and awesome circulation.
beautiful campus; affordable student apartments on campus; comradary between students; friendliness and helpfulness of faculty; diversity of student body; location
The anatomy labs are GORGEOUS; on the 4th floor, with cathedral ceilings and skylights - not at all like the dungeon/horror-movie-esque labs at other schools.
Of course the antatomy labs were very nice. The location is suburban and nice. There are a lot of trees, grass etc. Convenient to have apartments available on campus
The facilities were amazing, especially the famously and rightly talked about anatomy lab with sky lights.
The train ride from NYC was a quick 40 minutes, meaning that is close enough for when you need the distractions of city life, and far enough when you need to stap down and study.
The facility, as everyone notes, was great. The students seemed very happy to be there and they were openly friendly and helpful (including those that weren't leading a tour but just sitting around studying)
the facilities were great. and anatomy lab was especially fantastic (everyone says that). skylights and space. such a refreshing experience in contrast to most schools' dank basements
Everything. The anatomy lab is beautiful, the best I've seen by far (It has skylights). The campus is very nice. The dorms, are clean and well maintained.
I loved the anatomy labs, the labs were on the top floor, had skylights and a good ventilation system. I liked that there was on-campus housing something that wasn't available at the other school I interviewed at.
I liked how the campus had a community feeling to it. They have a variety of student organizations and I-play sports that other colleges dont. It was also the first medical school interview where they discussed pointers on getting financial aid.
The academic buildings are fairly new and very clean. Anatomy lab is on top floor with lots of natural light-- very pleasant. Cozy, New England feel to the small campus.
For an old school, very modern facilities. Got to sit in on a lecture, and enjoyed the teacher. The Anatomy lab really is THAT nice. All the students i met seemed quite happy with the school. There is one hour free time during the interview day to walk around campus.
Impressive USMLE scores. I heard some years they get close to 100 percent of students passing on first try. Spend the first two years in an environment that is very condusive to studying yet you are still close to new york. Anatomy room is amazy. Faculty are really friendly. Students are laid back.
Beautiful school; I like that the anatomy lab is not a creepy basement, but the top floor of the main building, with lots of sky lights and windows. The hospital is right at the campus, which is really nice. The dorms are really nice, nearby, and large; everyone gets a single, I think.
Anatomy lab is really nice. Better than all other schools i've seen. But I would'nt pick a school because of their anatomy lab. To me that is trivial. Option to do rotations is Manhattan, good clinical experience i bet.
almost every 1st and 2nd year student lives on campus so very close-knit community, everybody was very friendly, anatomy lab on 4th floor, good food in the cafeteria, Children's Hospital
The students were really nice. I don't understand why every person that writes on this website says that the students seemed unhappy. The tour guides were so enthusiastic, the girl I stayed with and her roommates were happy, the facilities were nice, especially (as everyone says) the anatomy lab. The most positive thing is the opportunity to do 3rd and 4th year in NYC!!!! It is the perfect set up!!!
The anatomy lab, the dorm rooms, the great record NYMC students have on the boards, the poise of the students and admin office staff when speaking; also, Westchester's a nice place to live in terms of comfort and just feeling safe; finally, I really liked the group of students I interviewed with, which I took to be a good sign in terms of the types of students the school attracts and ultimately enrolls
The facilities are very modern (wireless connections,etc) and the gross anatomy is beautiful (lots of natural light, plants, recycled air every 27 min, etc...) They have a financial aid person come speak and it was very, very informative and helpful.
I had very little expectation for this school, but by the end of the day I was really impressed with it. The facilities are really nice, and the students that I met seemed really comfortable and happy where they were. I was initially turned off by the idea of dorms, but the students seem to see it as a great way to develop a community, and it seems like it helps people concentrate to have everyone around them doing the same thing. The other thing I was nervous about was I thought that maybe the opportunities to do your rotations in Manhattan were limited, but all of the staff and students said that if you want to, you can. I enjoyed how the day was very self-organized. I was able to sit in on a lecture, and I felt like I could roam around the school and get the informal sense of what it would be like to go there.
Nothing, really. The students looked miserable, the tour guides were boring and didn't seem happy, and the facilities were nothing exciting. I was also not impressed with the dorms, where every single student seems to live. I can't imagine being in the middle of nowhere and living with all my classmates right across the walkway from the classroom building. Seems like med-school summer camp to me.
1) How well students do on the USLMEs and in matching for residencies 2) The campus was nice, had a New England flavor 3) Students seemed pretty laid back but also take the work seriously 4) Even though the area was very suburban there were a few hospitals and medical university buildings 5) Housing was quite decent, cozy.
My interviewer was very cool. The faculty in general seemed very friendly and competent. The anatomy lab was very nice too. The other applicants there were very cool people as well.
The facilities at NY Medical are all very new. The students seemed pretty happy and I thought my interviewer was great - he was personable and welcoming. The student apts are nice too but not entirely cheap. The campus is nice & quiet too. It's a good environment for study and the city is only a 45 min train ride away.
the student guides. they seemed to be enjoying the school and the life there. People are very genuine and nice housing. everyone thinks the anatomy lab is really cool. given this was my 1st interview, i couldn't compare it to anything else.
My interviewer was great. She had this feminist vibe to her and I asked her about how hard is it to be a female in medicine while managing a family and a career. Needless to say, we really bonded over that question. Overall, i really liked the facilities. The building was built in 2001 so everything is spanking new (the anatomy lab was gorgeous). The staff was really inviting and friendly.
The building was awesome, the housing was great. The students seemed happy and down to earth. The tour guides were very congenial and warm and gave great information.
My interviewer was extremely attentive, took notes, and asked follow up questions. He seemed to care about what I had to say and was genuinely interested in getting to know me. The medical teaching building is in great shape and the anatomy lab is the best I've seen so far being on the top floor of the building with abundant skylights. My interviewer as well as the staff made me feel NYMC cares deeply about its students. Check out the brand new Children's Hospital. For kids and baseball fans (as well as sick patients) it is a true treat.
Very nice campus, beautiful facilities, the faculty and staff seem really oriented toward helping the students, the comraderie between students, the non-competitive atmopshere, the housing is more that adequate, BEAUTIFUL facilities
This is a relatively new school in a very picturesque setting. The facilities all seemed nice, clean and modern. Their anatomy lab is incredible and the students are all very positive, low-stressed.
Admissions staff seemed very friendly. Students seemed pretty friendly also. The campus is very well maintained and pretty in that brick, East-coast, kind of way. A lot of the buildings and facilities seem to be pretty new.
Nice facilities, nice campus, very laid back atmosphere. I could really see myself making NYMC my home for 4 years. We got to sit in on a 1st year lecture after our interview, students all had the powerpoint slides printed out in advance and were following along with the professor.
Facilities are great, the anatomy lab was very well ventilated and modern. The school is fairly small and everyone knows everyone which is nice. The campus is beautiful, and I love Valhalla as one feels like they are in a 'forest' surrounded by trees. Campus seems safe and staff seems friendly. I like how the financial aid office seems informative and quite open to helping students. I also liked how the school gave interviwees a list of phone numbers of current students that are willing to answer questions about the school. I also like the continental breakfast and $7 coupen for lunch! that was very nice....
The facilities are BEA-YOO-TIFUL! The anatomy lab and classroom modules appear to be brand-new and well-maintained. The students seem genuinely happy, didn't appear as frazzled/stressed as kids at other schools. I think NYMC does a good job of selecting ppl who fit the profile of the school (even the other kids I interviewed with were great! We all bonded and even shared rides/took cabs/trains back together.) Although the housing is dorm-like, it's reasonably priced and convenient. The location is also pretty ideal--it appears as though living in Valhalla would be conducive to studying (i.e., avoiding the tempting distractions of city life), but The City is easily accessible when you want it (40 minutes away by train). I was also psyched to hear that a large percentage of 3rd and 4th year students do their rotations in NYC.
first of all, the interview day was VERY organized. The welcome from the admissions office was great, and the presentation by the financial aid adviser is the best I've encountered. Admin and financial aid really look out for their students! I had steak for my free lunch! Housing is nice, educational facilities are fairly new. Students have high board scores. there are various teaching hospitals (city-->subburbs) for your clinical rotations.
the admissions staff was very kind and informative, the students were nice and helpful, the facilities were impressive (especially the anatomy lab!), and the opportunities were incredible (high board scores and good third year)
the facilities are one of a kind, the campus is very beautiful and cosy...i got a very peaceful and homely feeling...not to mention the famous state of the art anatomy lab.
HIGH Step I pass rate (~99%), and a killer anatomy lab (no pun intended). Housing was superb, and the students are quite laid back. Financial aid counselors work closely with students to help them budget properly.
anatomy lab, excellent variety of clinical experiences, student housing (better than the dorms I lived in!), orientation (although students giving the tour repeated a lot of what we had already been told), there's sushi in the cafeteria
Students seemed like a cohesive group and the new facilities are a plus. Wide diversity of clinical sites. Also, students seem well prepared for the boards.
The students were VERY friendly and seemed happy and active in the school. There was a variety of activities they participated in, and community service was a common denominator.
My interviewer was great and had very similar interests in medicine to me. The new teaching facilities are great and the school seems to really prepare its students.
the anatomy lab and the fact that the rates for passing board exams is extremely high at this school. i don't mind the location either, it's not that far from nyc.
Outstanding facilities. Safe and convenient campus. Great hospital affiliates for your clerkships. High Board Scores. Strong campus life (a pro and a con)
the location is cool... very campus like... Though it is isolated, white plains is only a 10 minute drive and there is easy access to the city. If you want city life, its there, and if you want quite suburbs, its there too. Also, quite a few hospital affiliations and therefore lots of opportunities. One of the most helpful financial aid departments I've seen.
Great location -- best of both worlds in being near NYC and in Westchester, which has rich nearby, but also poor, immigrant, elderly, rural). Awesome facilities. Convenient campus. Curriculum prepares you well for boards. Many options for clerkships in 3rd and 4th years.
Nice new teaching facilities, student's seemed to enjoy being at NYMC, friendly administration and interviewer, good board scores, traditional curriculum with good clinical opportunities
Essentially, they get done what needs to be done, fairly painlessly, you go there, you'll get good board scores and you'll get a good residency, in a fairly cush environment.
The facilities are beautiful. There is no EGO at this school. Faculty and students are down to earth. There is no "inferiority complex" that I would have expected. People generally seem happy and the staff seems dedicated to making you a good physician.
Nice anatomy lab. Students are smart but still outgoing down to earth. Some people complain about the campus being away from the city, however half the students do rotations in Manhattan for third and fourth years. Board exam scores and options for clinical work.
*awesome* anatomy lab - you almost couldn't smell the formalin at all and the lighting was wonderful. students say they are very well prepared for the boards because of the preparation.
i had heard a lot of bad things about this school, from this website and other people that interviewed there, but i was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming people were there and how happy the students seemed to be. i like that a lot of students do 2 years in valhalla and move to manhattan for their 3rd and 4th years, so you get a change of location.
They did a really good job "selling" the school to us. The facilities were awesome - brand new. The board scores are really high above average and residency placement is very good. Their hospital affiliations are awesome too.
The students were very friendly and seemed genuinely happy to be there. The facilities were new and clean - the campus as a whole was very nice. Staying with a student was a great experience. The board scores and residency placements are also very impressive.
beautiful area, anatomy lab is spacious, not too smelly and with excellent natural light, the students are very friendly, the financial aid presentation was extremely informative and organized, the school uses a lot of technology, the module rooms are very cool
Anatomy lab is beautiful and open 24/7, there are many options for seclusive study areas, cohesive student body. NYMC has an intimate feel despite the large MD class. Excellent board scores. Fellow interviewees were very friendly if that is any indication of the type of students that attend NYMC.
the student community... everyone seems to get along and it reminds me of dorm life from college. I like how everything is situated on one site, one campus.
The faculty and students seem very happy with the curriculum, and the students appear to get a lot of support in all areas even financial aid advising. Transportation from NYC was also very convenient.
Everyone was very friendly. I liked the student tour guides. One of the students said she interviewed on April 25th, was waitlisted and got accepted on July 3rd. That was nice to hear since I interviewed so late. My interviewer practiced what I want to practice. Coincidence...probably. Good cafe food.
I loved the area...I grew up in "suburbia," so I felt right at home. The school is in a beautiful and peaceful locale. The admissions staff was wonderfully sweet and organized our day without any glitches. The student tour was informative. The gross anatomy lab was very well lighted and ventilated. I loved the "look" of the school and the attitude of the people there. The student housing was also pretty impressive.
My interviewer was very nice, and kept stressing to me that he was my "voice" to the admissions committee, and he seemed to want to "go to bat" for me. Also, I was so impressed with their anatomy lab - the best I've ever seen.
the anatomy lab, location of the school (this will depend on your own personal preference, but I liked that it was outside the hustle bustle of NYC), close to NYC, diversity of patient population and hospitals
the new facilities like the anatomy lab, the students appeared to be happy and not stressed. Nice dorms. Good board scores and match list. The diversity of the hospitals where you can do clinical work.
the anatomy lab is fantastic!! it's so well ventilated that you can't hardly smell the bodies. it is also on the top of the MEC building unlike te basement at most schools. the students seemed very happy. the school is also very diversed. the USMLE pass rate in recent years have been 100%. student housing is almost guaranteed and comes furnished. parking permit (for student housing area) is only $30 for the year. school also has a housing facility in manhattan for 3rd and 4th years who do rotations in the city.
Everyone raves about he anatomy lab - it is great! High ceilings, glass windows for natural light and t.v.s everywhere. It is as wonderful place to study human anatomy. However, I feel that not enough is said about he faculty. The Professors here really focus on teaching the students. In addition, the curriculum stresses bi-weekly exams - which by the way are similar to the boards. Hence the high passing rate at NYMC. The congenial atmosphere is extremely attractive. I also learned that the school really makes an effort the get the best financial aid packages possible for its students.
can live on campus for 2 years (suburban) w/college type housing, sense of community, valhalla/westchester cty is beautiful!
then can live in manhatten during last 2 years while doing clinical rotations-they have tons of cool hospital affiliations
get best of both worlds
Success rates on board scores and matching for residencies, not to mention the large number of students who return for residencies in California. Impressive Anatomy Lab. Short distance from Manhattan. Substantial scholarship for top 30 students.
the closeness of the campus community; that both faculty and students really wanted to be there; that they really want you to succeed and give you whatever resources you need; the diversity of the hospitals where you can do clinical work, from inner city to rural; the anatomy lab, of course!
The high quality of education tht the students receive. Curriculum is geared towards passing the boards and as a result students do really well on them. They seem to have excellent access to professors.
I stayed with student host the night before and all of the students I met really liked the school - they raved about the facilities and the clinical exposure. and of course the anatomy lab.
Housing, spiffy name badges that you get to keep, new anatomy lab is wonderful, friendliness of everyone. My interviewer gave me his card and told me to email him if I had any questions...first card I've gotten so far!
The school is committed to training generalist physicians. However, that doesn't mean that they discourage students from specializing. The campus is green with lots of open space. Student housing is a five minute walk away from the lecture halls and library. The anatomy hall is gorgeous with natural light flooding in. At the end of the anatomy course, the class has the opportunity to meet with the family members of those who willed their body to science. Pretty awesome! Students have the option of staying in Valhalla or moving to the city during the third year. Housing is provided in the city. Student housing on campus is great although it looks a little too much like college dorms. The school boasts its nearly 100% passing rate on the Boards.
The anatomy lab!!! It is friggin' awesome! Beautiful skyline at the top floor, cutting-edge monitors, very clean, great venting...I could live there (j/k)Also proximity to NYC is awesome. Faculty there are awesome!
The campus itself--the classroom buildings and anatomy lab are absolutely gorgeous. I mean, the anat lab has hanging plants and huge glass windowns in it for crying out loud. where else can you find that? the student housing is also very nice and much cheaper than anything off campus. the apts are literally steps from classes, and apparently almost everyone who wants housing gets it. I also like the location, so convinient to the city w/o having to deal with the hassle of living there.
I am a NY resdient and I already wanted to attend NYMC anyway. Compared to other schools I visited later on, by far, the campus was my favorite. I am not a city person by anymeans so I wanted to go somewhere more rural. It still has many places to go, but it helps to have a car. I also liked the anatomy lab (brand new) and the dorms. The other dorms I have seen were not that great and in most cases, you end up with a roommate. I spent the night at the dorms the day before my interview with some students, it is a suite setup where you get your own room. I also liked the way the classes were set up, very good toward helping you prepare for the board.
Applicants frequently expressed concerns about the isolated location of the school, the high cost of attendance and living, the dorm-like housing, the lack of enthusiasm among students, outdated curriculum, and the need for a car to get around. Suggestions included improving campus facilities, providing more off-campus housing options, fostering a more engaging and supportive student community, updating the curriculum with more innovative teaching methods, and addressing the high cost of attendance.
Nothing about the school itself but the weather would be tough
The location of course. I have a very broad edition of rural so, yeah.... I'd still love to go there as long as I have a car. Pretty sure I'd miserable without one. I mean a 10 min drive to groceries isn't far?!? I'm used to driving 3 minutes hah. Also the price/average graduate debt of the school is pretty scary and I am not sure if it would be worth it without a scholarship. Also wish my day was more structured/led since I was in the last Circuit, but it's not like we were waiting around for an hour at all. We had to find our way to a 2nd yr lecture and that was a bit tricky, but because of the lecture we were busy so I can't complain.
Felt like undergrad all over again. Not happy with the location. Very tiny feel, everyone lives on campus. 8+ places for MS3 and MS4, meaning a lot of commuting or moving. In class all day, lectures not recorded. Students didn't seem all that interested in innovation. Didn't seem like a first choice for many.
I had a nurse as my interviewer. She did not know anything about the md program so it was hard to ask her questions at the end of the interview when she asked if I had any questions for her...... my interview was held in the children's hospital, which is 5-10 min walk form the administration building. I was the last to interview so I had to rush after ym interview to get back in time for the tour....they don't wait for you...they come pick you up later but then you miss some of the tour...
the campus location, it seems that without a car it would be very difficult to get by. also the dormitory-style housing, just felt too much like college
My interviewer was very rude, and uninterested in anything I said, didn't ask follow up questions, hadn't read any of my file, and looked down writing while writing on a pad the whole time. It didn't feel like a conversation.
The interviewer. He answered a call during the middle of the interview which took up like 30 minutes. That was really rude. When I asked him about volunteer/research/ec opportunities, he said, "you won't have time for that stuff because you're going to be studying all the time here." That completely turned me off of the school.
Also, there are/were rumors about the Touro system buying NYMC. I wouldn't feel comfortable being at a school that would need to receive funding from a for-profit DO system.
The fact that my interviewer did not shake my hand when I met her or when leaving. Made me feel like she didn't like me.
The on-campus housing looks old and limited options.
The tiny campus: it seemed like the campus only consisted of 4 main buildings (admin office med science building, hospital, children's hospital) and bunker-like student housing. Students at NYMC were nice enough but other students interviewing there gave off the distinct impression that they were just here because it was a backup.
Location is super isolated (just around trees), all the students felt like they needed an excuse as to why they ended up there (clearly it didn't seem like it was their top choice, but ended up there anyway), I felt as if it was a boarding school for high schoolers: tiny cafeteria with not many options, dorm living right across the street that ~80% of the students stay at, takes a ton of time to get to NYC via public transport
Location -- from Southern California so this place seemed like it was out in the middle of nowhere and the small yet busy roads lined with tall trees made me feel claustrophobic.
Basically everything, except the sky lights in the anatomy lab. My interviewers both seemed really dense and kept asking me things like "oh, do you do that for school?" when I graduated almost 2 years ago. Also, neither of them had heard of my undergrad, which is hilarious because it's REALLY well-known and only an hour away from NYMC. The students all seemed like zombies, and it was clear that none of them wanted to be there. Nobody seemed intellectually engaged, and they openly talked about how the school was a lot like high school. Blech.
It does seem in the middle of nowhere. Good for studying...though the students do talk of going to White Plains. Also, 2nd year is largely self-study, which can be a negative depending on your learning style.
While students were happy with NYMC they seemed a bit "under-whelmed" and were not quite making the "hard sell". They seemed happy, comfortable and pleased to be a NYMC but didn't have great enthusiasm.
90% of the students are there because its the only place they got in. Prison and cemetary are right by the school. Its super expensive, and just was not impressed.
Interviewer called B$ on my "why NYMC?" answer - scheduled 30 minute interview went for 55 minute and was almost hostile after that one (at the 30 minute mark). Financial aid presenter was crass "Don't worry about how expensive it is, you'll be rich." And the student presenter made everyone uncomfortable, no one wanted to ask questions, she said she wasn't interested in the things people asked about.
The interviewer did not try to get to know me, instead she had my timeline my life, which she could have easily look into my file had it been an open file interview. Or she could have asked me about what I learned from my life experience, rather than just asking me what I did this year, that year..
The student life during the first two years, most students live in campus housing and i would feel trapped. there is nothing else on campus but the school and a prision
The whole place had a very undergrad/collegiate feel to it. It was very insular, even though it's only 40 minutes away from NYC. There is no life there besides the students at the college.
i'm still debating about the location; a close NYC suburb seems nice but i also enjoy living inside a big city, i guess 3rd and 4th yrs would allow students to do that
tuition and living standards are on the upper end (White Plains is on the top ten list of the most expensive cities in the U.S.), also one of the admissions personnel wasn't very friendly
1. Students seemed drone-like, as if they were just getting by.
2. school emphasized board scores so much as if they wanted to mold a group of average students into something to boast about.
3. Student housing is like a dorm suite...not my thing. I need my independence and more separation of medical school and personal time.
4. The middle of nowhere location, coupled with the fact that there is no undergraduate campus, nor is there other professional/grad schools around make for a very lonely and isolated experience.
The admissions staff was not very enthusiastic and seemed annoyed at having us there. We were their second day of interviews for the year and they are already not hving a good time....very unimpressive
The school is not very diverse, admissions and students did not seem very enthusiastic. Besides our tour guides hardly any other med students even acknowledged our presence on campus.
Quite a lot. The school's location, although far from rural (more like rich suburban- Think sprawling estates), the location is abysmal. There is really NOTHING to do around campus. When asked what they do for fun, the tour guide simply pretended to sip on an imaginary flask and said ''we drink alot''. The atmosphere of the school felt alot like highschool, and the dorms were cramped,and at $660, way overpriced for what you get. Most student there seemed to pretty much have gone there reluctantly due to a lack of acceptances, and the overall feel was that they are overworked and are unhappy. Clinical experience, as I was told, is a function of ''the student's ability and drive to multitask and take it on''. Don't expect to be pushed to become a competent clinician here.
1. Housing (very cramped for 700+ per month)
2. People are not friendly (I smiled at quite a few people to gauge the atmosphere and not one smiled in return - including my interviewer)
My interview itself left much to be desired. Although Valhalla seems peaceful, the area is quite boring. Public transportation is apparently non-existent and a car is an absolute necessity. Without one, you can't even make your way to the subway station to get to NYC/airport. Housing options reminded me of undergrad dorms, which were right across from the school. Because of this, there seems to be very little separation between school life with non-school life. Religion is very much a part of the school, as I noticed a nativity scene set-up in glass display in the building with lecture halls. I was also turned off by the fact that NYMC banned an on-campus club for bearing the words ''LGBT'' in its name (after much protest, the decision was eventually retracted). Even though I'm heterosexual, I'm uncomfortable with this kind of intolerance ''in the Catholic tradition.'' When asked about research opportunities, my interviewer told me point blank, ''you're going to medical school to be a doctor, and that's what we focus on.'' In other words, good luck trying to find any kind of interdisciplinary opportunities here. I've been accepted, but I don't think this school is a good fit for someone who wants a broad medical school experience--I will definitely be going elsewhere.
The medical center isn't as extensive as a lot of teaching hospitals at other medical schools; you need a car; there wasn't much to do in the area right around the medical school (but NYC is VERY close); the library isn't open 24/7 as they are at many other medical schools; it doesn't seem like there are many quality research opportunities at NYMC
The on-campus housing seemed a bit cramped, yet everyone seemed to make due. Their doesn't seem to be anything near the campus, but White Plains is an 8 minute drive away.
Where to begin. Students seem a little ''slow'' and yet really stressed out about exams that are three weeks away. They chose to study all day instead of going to lectures because the lectures are ''pointless.'' There's no student union for coffee, the library has no windows and awful hours, and everyone lives right next to campus. It's like undergrad all over again. Can you say drama? Valhalla has nothing so you HAVE to have a car.
Like some others, the dorms are very small, but if you're living by yourself, it's a decent amount of space.
In terms of financial aid, the school gives grants and scholarships to about 20 - 25% of the class, so hope for the best but expect to take out massive loans in the vicinity of $58K+/year.
Not sure if negative or positive, but I notice only 40-50% of the class attend lectures. Maybe their "scribbs" note taker is THAT good.
the prison located right next to the campus- and the traditional curriculum in the first year- not really hands on clinicals until the second or third year- all of the clinicals in the first year are observational and learning how to talk to patients
The school is selling one of their major student housing facilities in Manhattan. While the fourth year speaker and financial aid officer said that the money will go to improving education, I doubt the results of the investment will be as readily felt as the loss of housing.
The student housing was okay, not a plus for me but for some that might be a draw. The curriculum is rather traditional with some group learning, nothing innovative. Not a huge research school, although it still has a lot of opportunities. The immediate area is just houses, woods, and a cemetary; you have to go to White Plains or NYC to do anything exciting.
Students seemed extremely stressed and borderline suicidal, apparently they had an exam that day. During the financial aid talk, the guy told us to think of it ''as an investment'', great advice and reflective of the school's high tuition.
The on-campus student housing. I checked out other options while in the area, and for a bit more a month you can have a very nice place that would allow pets. Library is not open 24 hrs (I like to study in the library).
The location of the school. If you're used to living very close to a big city, you're going to be disappointed. This place is in the middle of nowhere. All they do is study and I'm pretty sure they don't have any social life whatsoever. Also, the only places to eat close by are fast food places and their gym is miniscule so their lifestyle seems to be very unhealthy.
On campus housing could be a negative depending on your preference, students seemed VERY stressed, library doesn't stay open late, few food options on the campus (cafeteria closes early too)
The housing situation is pathetic. You basically live a small dorm with 3 other students and pay a rediculous amount of money...and that's it, there are no other options. Sorry, been there, done that in undergrad.
The interview people. She was late and rushed through my interview because she had to interview 2 other people. The 3 of us had interviwers who cancelled at the last minute. So the interviwer probably cranky. She didnt seem enthusiastic about us attending there and didnt get to know me as a person. Only what was written on paper.
There were very few negatives that I found. I was a little early to the interview and the door to the administration building was still locked, which sucked because it was snowing. The tuition is pretty expensive as well. The person in charge of financial aid was stuck in traffic so that part of the day was lost.
It didn't seem to be well organized. The student body president came and spoke to us, and he seemed a little scattered. Plus, everything was really difficult to find on the campus. There weren't any signs showing where to go.
the school is next to a prison, everything is ugly, crpay looking brick building spead over a large area, dorms are okay, area is really expernsive, there is nothing close by, the interviews went well but i just didnt feel good when i left the school, the tour guides were not enthusiastic that was what really turned me off about the school
Actually a bit. It is a very on-your-own day, meaning that if your interview is at 9:45am (as mine was), you are free from 10:30-12/12:30 to do ___. Another interviewer & I walked around the children's hospital and generally just explored. It was kind of weird how they had nothing that we could do. Also, a lot of the students live in dorms (or close to it) on-campus which kind of weirded me out. Finally, it seemed like it was a safety school for most people- they nearly admit to this by not only interviewing well into the 1,000s of applicants but also by saying something to the effect of ''40% of our students had another choice & chose to come here''. Obviously then 60% did not... Finally, they do ''a lot'' of MD shadowing, which actually amounts to 1 day a month or something nearly as ridiculously infrequent.
everything else,especially the interviewer. The fact that someone like that is on the admissions school is not a good reflection of the medical school.
The housing is on campus but it's like living at college again. The day of my interview there was not a lot of interaction between the staff/students and interviewees. For breakfast we were left on our own in a back room in the admissions office. It would have been nice to have that time to ask questions to the admissions staff.
The school's location: it's in the middle of nowhere, and NYC is about a 45 minute train ride away. There is nothing to do, and it seems like the students are really stressed and just study all the time.
The fact that there is a maximum security prison nearby is a little disconcerting, but there is tons of security. And none of the students seem at all concerned about it. Realistically how often does someone escape from prison.
very dorm like apartments on campus where most everyone lives, Valhalla didn't seem all that wonderful, most students admitted they didn't get in anywhere else
I think the school is too far from NY to commute during your last two years. Moving to NYC will be very expensive. The tuition for this school is also very high.
location (pretty rural), COST, how slow they said it would take for them to give a decision (10 weeks!!!), capmus housing reminded me of living in dorms in college and I dont want that again
This really annoying girl in our interview group who kept talking about the most useless stuff. Why is there always someone like this at every interview?!
The host students I stayed with were really competitive with me. VERY ODD! I kept thinking "chill out, you're already in med school, I'm just an applicant". weird.
The school's "Catholic tradition" makes for a quite Conservative atmosphere...for example, the tour guide said some of the affiliated Catholic hospitals often won't prescribe birth control.
The school is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. And it costs too much for an okay or "average" private school. Also, the students did not seem too friendly/ enthusiastic, though my pseudo-host (pseudo b/c long story) was a pretty nice guy.
the tour was so werid. i spent who knows how long learning about how there's a security guard but he's not needed, and details like mail delivery in the on-campus housing. at easch location, instead of just looking in, we stopped and even sat down to have a long talk about it. weird.
No taped lectures and a weird scribe service; Valhalla seems fairly boring; Students seemed like the premed robot types that didn't do many interesting things before med school
Nothing really - everyone was really helpful. The directions online were a little screwy and the place doesn't exist on Yahoo! maps but the transportation if you take trains and taxis is pretty easy overall.
the structure of their curriculum, the fact that only 1/2 the class attends lectures first year, and only 1/4 the second year, that they practice on each other and not on standardized patients, the location
The living situation for 1st and 2nd yr. students. Students live in dorms. The dorms were very small and cramped. I would not want to revert back to dormitory-style living like when I was in college.
The campus is in the middle of nowhere. There is no public transportation to speak of and no "campus" to speak of. There is nothing within the community to do (i.e. no coffee shops, no stores, no entertainment, nada!). The facilities/buildings and dorms weren't that impressive to me either (but I come from a private college so maybe my standards are slightly different).
Too pricey. The financial aid presentation mentioned it and so did my interviewer. Around 55-60k for a year including expenses, as opposed to the 35-40k of going to a public school
it's right next to a correctional facility and there isn't much else right on campus or nearby. you actually have to put in effort (and have a car) to do anything.
You basically have to have a car to get around off campus. I was not impressed by the on-campus housing, where almost all the first and second years seem to live. Only one campus building is wireless, but that seemed to be where students would be all the time, so not actually a bad thing.
My interviewer seemed very dry. The interview was question/answer, and he seemed to interrupt my responses. It was not conversational at all, which has been my experience at other schools.
There doesnt seem to be too much to do in the area. There are theaters, stores, etc. But the selection of othe more cultural, nightlife seems to be more limited. The campus has a somewhat isolated feeling. And while students there were very nice, the whole atmosphere seemed very much like freshman year at undergrad school.
the location- if you're like me and used to the fast paced city life, nymc might not be for you. It seemed secluded and there isn't much to do there. But, NY city is only 30 min away so I guess that isn't too bad...
the students didn't seem really enthusiastic, nor did the tour guides. it sort of seemed like a little isolated bubble of a community - very pleasantville-esque with the little brick roads and apartment complexes.
I wasn't that impressed by Valhalla. However, in defense of the school I did not take the time to drive around and see what there was in the town. I will say all of the student's seemed happy with the community. Yes it is close to a prison, and that sucks, but honestly if I were a criminal, and I was about to go on a crime spree, the last place I'd do it is right next to a prison.
There are NO SINGLES AVAILABLE. All on-campus housing is within a single building divided into suites (four bedrooms and a common area plus kitchenette, bath). This means that, if you choose to live on campus, you will always have three roommates. The only exception is "family" style housing, which consists of unfurnished, multi-room/private bath apartments. Theoretically, you could live there alone; however, the increased cost per month assumes shared occupancy. Basic cable, internet, and utilities are included.
Inadequate "gym" (a few cardio machines and some free weights), no athletic facilities.
It was SOOOO cold! I didn't want to go on the tour because I thought I was going to freeze. Also, NYMC is kind of out of the way; it's a pretty significant bus, taxi, or train ride to NYC.
There were 14 other students getting interviewed. Damn, do they give an interview to everyone? Live in dorms with 3 to 4 people in each apt (shared bathroom/kitchen, individual rooms). Students were not friendly (said hello to a few students and they just nodded or said nothing back, kind rude don't ya think?). EXPENSIVE, HOLY CRAP ITS EXPENSIVE. $56,000 per year. $160,000 debt for this school when national average is around $115,000. Damn. Must have a car in an already expensive area, west chester county. Just not impressed with the school.
My interviewer. She was the type of woman who stood her ground no matter what and if she didn't like what you said, then you were told. We sat very close together as well which made the interview very uncomfortable. On top of that, my interviewer didn't show up so I was moved to the afternoon for an interview. They say you will be out by 1:30, yeah right, be careful. I flew from CA and I barely made my flight (6PM) b/c of the interview being rescheduled late, the train to NYC, the subway to the airport (there was nofaster way bc of the traffice, etc). SO BE CAREFUL! I really like the school, but the interview did not go as well as I would have hoped.
I actually did not know that NYMC is a ubiquitous "back-up" school until the end of my visit, and that made me worry that I might have classmates who actually didn't want to be there; Westchester life may be a little too sheltered and suburban; the gym seemed pretty insignificant
The hospital was not included in the tour and the school is located in an area where owning a car is a necessity. However, Valhalla is very close to New York City.
My student interviewer busted my balls quite a bit (see above questions) and also commented that the school was much like high school with the cliques. Also, if your interview is not at the admissions office they don't show you were it is you have a map and are supposed to figure it out.
The library was too small, although it was nice. The students and other interviewees didn't seem particularly excited or happy or articulate. My interviewer kept cutting me off and seemed to disagree or jump on me for anything I said, be it from whether I liked the last movie I saw or using the pronoun "he" instead of "he or she."
1) There is a correctional facility close to the school 2) Thought they tried to play it down, the school does have a Catholic tradition - for example, the Vagina Monologues could not be performed on campus
The tour was awful. We just went back and forth btwn 2 buildings while people kept chirping away questions, stealing away from our lunch time. I don't know if it was the exams and such but the morale of the students there didn't seem too high.
One aspect of NY Medical that I didn't like was the small campus feel. There's 180 students in each class, which isn't all that small, but the cafeteria, the lecture hall, the apts. across the street from the lecture hall made it seem like a high school boarding school. I also didn't get the feeling that the students went to NY Medical because they wanted to be there.
The interviewer. She didnt' seem very interested in what I had to say. Throughout the interview, she maintained her distance and scribbled incessantly.
The only complaint are the directions to the school. I traveled via car from the upper west side and we got really lost once we got to Valhalla (The admissions office officially opens at 9am, so you won't get any help from them). The directions aren't exact - so make sure you know where you are going.
The students. One second year tour guide seemed like he stepped straight out of a frat party apathetically describing the med. school. Many of his discriptions included words such as "dude, crap, shit" etc. He didn't seem to respect or take his medical education seriously. I also talked to students at lunch who seemed somewhat distant and not too excited about NYMC...however, it was only three days before one of their finals.
Although it's not in the middle of nowhere, Valhalla and its surrounding areas aren't exactly vibrant and exciting (but it's only 30 mins. from Manhattan).
Interviewer was very cold, almost bitter, I felt as though she really didn't have much interest in my accomplishments and generally made me feel uncomfortable.
The interviewer's attitude towards med. education was geared only to passing the boards. There seemed to lack an enthusiasm for medicine and future excellence.
There is nothing on the campus except for the med school really (like no undergrad or major graduate schools). Valhalla is only about half an hour from Manhattan, but it feels pretty far away. If people like quiet, pretty settings then this is for you. If you are from a big city and need that environment, this may not be for you.
The attitude of the students. My impression was that it was everyone's back-up school, and it was the only place they got accepted at. There was one exception (the tour guide), and she seemed to choose NY Med for primarily geographical reasons.
Lots of people have commented on the great food in the cafe. I thought it was pretty bad. Maybe because I'm a vegetarian. Anyway, the quality of the cafeteria food doesn't make a bit of difference in how I feel about the school.
The housing in the aparment buildings is nice and furnished. However, there is some housing off to the side of those buildings designed for families and students who want to bring their own furniture. This family housing looks very run down, it reminded me of an old motel and was the only blemish on an otherwise pretty campus.
The cost!!!! very expensive! and its far away from grocery stores, therefore realistically having a car is important, although I suppose one could take the bus and buy food... this might take time though.
Housing is somewhat dorm-like. Students appear to be a little cliquey (even our two tour guides sat at a table by themselves, leaving the prospective students to chat amongst ourselves). The cost of attending NYMC is really high. I hated wearing an ID tag w/my picture on it throughout the day. Our tour guides told us the curriculum wasn't particularly innovative or noteworthy. I also had the chance to peek in on a 2nd year lecture, and noticed that perhaps only 1/4 of the 2nd year students were in attendance. . . and after sitting there for 15 minutes, I could understand why!
It was cold! Also, because the entering class is huge and that the housing is like a dorm setting, I was told that students tend to have their own cliques. Off-campus housing is really expensive.
the interviewer...i've read other remarks here and i've to admit, my interviewer didn't seem very interested in getting to know me...there was a lack of that personal touch taht i've felt at my other interviews...but if accepted i'll defn go to this school..because contrary to the interviewer the faculty seems to be a lot more personal and concerned about their students' success..
all the goose poop on the walkways...haha, just kidding the wandering geese are fun. the only negative thing I can say about this school is the tuition. +53K, as was mentioned in the previous post. This is daunting.
$$$$$$$$$$$! The cost of attendance is over $53K/year. Valhalla doesn't have much of a public transit system besides trains and cabs, so it's very difficult to get around without a car.
I missed half of the financial aid presentation because it started late and I had to go to my interview. I wasn't impressed by the lecture I sat in on.
I have a dog, so I can't live in the on-campus housing which is much cheeper than the off-campus housing in the area. Also, we didn't get to see the new childrens hospital or the main hospital on campus during the tour and I didn't have time to check them out before my flight.
The first interview was by a student, who went through a list of canned questions... the result was a REALLY LONG interview. Luckily the second was by a seasoned interviewer (general surgeon) and very brief; more like a conversation.
The students seemed stressed, competitive, and not particularly "well-rounded". I couldn't really see myself fitting in with them, which is a problem b/c the tough curriculum keeps you on-campus.
I didn't get the impression that students were especially happy there. The tour guides, while friendly and pleasant, were probably the least enthusiastic I've encountered. I didn't get much student interaction outside the tour, actually. Also, while most lectures you sit in on are pretty much the same, this one was horrendously bad.
the amount of apathy from students at the school. the interviewer told us the reason why she was here was that she didn't get into any other school..... but everyone said that once they got to nymc, they loved it.
Grade system. 8 people per cadaver (4 people do each half of the body, but if only one of an organ, such as the heart, 8 people are in the lab at the same time. too crowded).
They had nothing exceptional to say about their curriculum. No innovative methods. Seemed like they may teach to the boards, which is nice that you are more likely to pass, but years 1 and 2 should be more than just jumping over a hurdle.
Overall the caliber of student seemed lower than other schools.
Students were not as impressive/bright/well-rounded as at other schools. I met several great folks, but I also met a few duds who probably won't want to deal directly with conscious patients. I mentioned I was just recently engaged to one student and he said, "Get a pre-nup." He wasn't being mean-spirited. Just voicing his own concerns. Otherwise, the fact that 80% of students live in campus dorms is a big consideration. It saves a bit of money, since the immediate area is so expensive, but it also makes for a continuation of the u-grad lifestyle for most folks.
I felt there are many better school in NY for the same price. The student body is very cohesive, but thats because its a very small campus. I thought their grade system of honors/high pass/pass/low pass/fail is just like saying ABCD,F. I generally don't like it when schools try to look non-competitive by doing this. Just go one way or the other. I was told that there were no opportunites for scholarships through the school in the first two years.
The school is not associated with an undergraduate institution and is seperated from New York City and therefore lacks some of the culture that you might have if these elements were to exist.
80% live on campus in 1st two years. Housing and social life seemed a lot like first year of college. NYMC seems to get a lot of left-overs from the applicant pool. I heard some pretyy
Lack of large teaching hospital (apparent before the trip), small campus, cost of attendance and living (> 50,000/yr), big break between interview tie and lunch time leaving nothing to do except visit classes
it seemed like a laid-back atmosphere, but maybe a little too laid-back. i didn't feel a lot of motivation from everyone, but maybe i was biased by everything i had read on this website
The interview schedule was very disorderly and there was A LOT of waiting around. Granted, it wasn't the school's fault because the snow kept many of the interviewers from showing up on time or at all. I (and I'm sure some of the others in my interview group) felt a little abandoned and a lot bored. When I finally got to do my interview, my interviewer seemed very unengaged, stuck in a perfunctory task.
The water main busted so we couldn't visit the nationally renown anatomy lab. Food is rather expensive...this may seem trivial but there aren't many places to eat around campus.
The dorms weren't all that nice and were just too reminiscient of freshman year in college. The tension! I just got the vibe that students were pretty stressed and had little time for any semblance of a life outside of school. They seemed very serious and not as happy as those I've met at other schools. Just sort of bleak overall atmosphere.
I met a few students who seemed a little ignorant. As a minority student, I was a little offended. A student's dorm room door had some very sexist material posted all over it. Another student seemed subtly racist. 4th year student said he felt limited in terms of instruction in reproductive & womens health.
Dorms look very collegy, tour guides said they "never" went to class (literally), people didn't seem really pumped to be doctors, 2nd year curriculum has a lot of self-study which to me sounds like wasted tuition money; Valhalla really sucks
way too isolated (and no undergrad population), seems just like college, students seemed less than excited (tour guide said she "never" went to class, and her friend said people made fun of her because she did...)
the school seems to be really isolated - i'm not sure if there's anything to do nearby. student tour guides were not particularly enthusiastic about the tour. also, i get annoyed when interviewers ask for family details (like what parents do, siblings do, etc) when there are so many things about you that they still don't know.
NYMC claims to be a Catholic Institution, but students and faculty don't take this heiratige very seriouly. Interviewer described the school's catholic identity in terms of a "buisness" relationship with NY Archdiocese hospitals.
Student tour guides werent too good. Anatomy lab is nice but 8 people to a cadaver? My interviewer did more talking that I did and didnt let me get to convey everything I wanted because he was busy telling stories. High school average debt.
The students don't seem all-too-friendly. The "medical school" is really on one floor of one building. The entire college is really four buildings, plus a hospital with nothing within an hour (besides some kind of jail).
The interviewer (Dr. Felix Wasserman), the unhappiness of my student host. Please read the comment section. Although Dr. Wasserman was not particularly mean, he did not do an adequate job of interviewing me and it irks me that his impression of me decided my fate at the school.
there's nothing within walking distance of the school. no elevators in student housing which can be a pain to do laundry if you're on the top floor. roommates for student housing are chosen randomly.
This was by no means a negative impression as much as it is fact: the expense of the school. However, I feel that the clinical training and education offered by NYMC is outstanding and worth the price! I'm going to be in some serious debt though....ouch!
campus is hard to find so go early or check it out the day before, don't be scared by the state prison, psychiatric ward, and corrections facility (keep going, NYMC is coming up)
Lottery for housing in Manhattan during the 3rd year clerkships. 1st and 2nd year housing new and clean, but will remind you of being back in the dorms.
That the interviewer's cell phone rang during the interview and that she actually answered it and this was as I was in the middle of speaking. Also, there wasn't much to do besides sit around.
How isolated the school is. I actually like small cities (I am from one), but the school isn't even in a town really. There is NOTHING around either, no grocery store, shopping, movies...ie no where to escape to easily. Housing is priced well, but you have to live with 3 others in a pretty small apartment.
Um...cafeteria food? The fact that I could easily get lost since the streets are so small and dark. Everyone always talks about how they work so hard, but it's worth it due to near 100% pass rate for the boards in last few years.
the atmosphere reeked of "back up school" didn't seem like students (like my student hosts) were very happy, and the school is in middle of nowhere
I think it might feel a little claustrophobic living with all the same people and going to class with all the same people, esp b/c the campus is very small. it's only a grad school so the student pop is very tiny, esp for me coming from a big state school. tuition is also very high here as is the cost of living. and it's clearly a second tier school. a lot of the people i talked to said it was the only place they got it in but then again, they have much higher than average board scores, so obviously they teach and prepare you very well.
The students seemed very tired and many told me they had only chosen NYMC since it was their only acceptance. The campus is very far from anything else and you won't be in the city until your third and fourth years.
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the relaxed and conversational nature of the interviews, the significant amount of downtime during the day, the need for a car due to the isolated location, and the unexpected expenses related to transportation, and accommodations. They also mentioned the lack of public transportation options, the unexpected prison near the campus, and the emphasis on research and volunteer experiences during the interviews.
How little time we would actually be outside...Didn't need to carry my heavy coat around
Hmm...that the MMI would be EXTREMELY chill. Sounds intimidating when they explain the whole process to you, but it goes by really fast. Love MMIs more than traditional interviews now!
That I would need to leave the finicanial aid discusion early to head to my itnerview that was in another building. Also that it is quite close to NYC, arrived VERY early.
There's lots of downtime. The interviews are scheduled between 9:45 and noon, and in this chunk of time when you're not interviewing you're kind of on your own
That everyone (students/faculty) would have no clue about what was happening with Touro. I understand that things are up in the air but I felt that they could have at least talked about it more transparently and let prospective students know how it might affect education/the vibe of NYMC.
You have to actively try to stick in details about yourself during the interview, because they are more concerned with filling out a timeline than actually getting to know you.
Apparently, the website said that boots were totally acceptable to wear in the winter. I ended up changing into boots half way through the day, but I would have loved to have skipped the heels all together. :-)
The interview would be structured the way it was. Also, that the interviewer was an alumni who graduated 20 years ago and knew nothing about the school now.
If you are flying in to New York, be prepared to spend a lot of money taking public transportation to the medical school. New York is really expensive.
Admissions building is a bit hard to find. Sunshine Cottage road, unfortunately, does not define a building. It also doesn't help that the building does not contain (or at least I didn't see) a bold sign declaring it's purpose. All of people interviewing that day either 1)were on their first and only interview, 2)were not accepted elsewhere, 3)were reapplicants.
Absolutely nothing in Valhalla, but close to White Plains which is actually a pretty decent city. Also, 1st and 2nd year housing is a random lottery and you may end up rooming with 2nd year students during your first year.
They don't tell you ANYWHERE in the tour books that the med school (isolated from everything by a three mile radius) is next to a correctional facility.
That the taxi from White Plains is very expensive if you are staying in Hawthorn or Valhalla- my recommendation- figure out where you are staying, and take the train to that city, the cab far will be less than half over taking a cab from White Plains.
They will let you do rotations internationally. They have a few programs for this already set up but if you want to plan on your own, they let you propose the project and they are pretty flexible with it.
NYMC is not (or is no longer) a primary care medical school, dont cite that as a reason for why you want to go there. If you're driving there, take some extra time, I got lost in the country side.
ha ha, that walking from the hotel to the medical campus isn't that great of an idea, especially when it's cold out, sure took me a while, but at least i got to see the prison close up :)
nothing really. This was my third and final interview of the medical school application process, so I was just so relaxed and decided to go for it without being nervous, and I think that worked out best for me.
On the interview day there is a ton of time in between activities and they have no place for you to wait, they just want you to wander around campus by yourself or something. I would have brought a book or something to do while sitting for an hour straight.
That they want you to have research and bolunteer experience and be ready to talk about it for the whole interview in case the interviewr has nothing else to ask you...like it happened with me.
NYMC is actually a pretty good school. I think it's only considered back-up b/c of how much it costs. Also, there's big malls and theaters just 15 minutes away, so it's not like we're on a farm or anything.
that the zipper on my pants of my suit was broken! but about the interveiw . . . nothing. it helped knowing it would be only sort of open file. you bring hte interviewer your personal statement and that is all they have.
NYMC is actually a pretty good school. I think it's only considered back-up b/c of how much it costs. Also, there's big malls and theaters just 15 minutes away, so it's not like we're on a farm or anything.
How good a school NYMC is. No one chooses it over their state school because of cost but for those who dont get into their state school NYMC is a great option.
Westchester is a nice small airport, but it is not right next door to NYMC. It was 26 bucks or something to get there. Also, bring just your personal statement to the interview, I had to give the interviewer my personal statement with all the school's I applied to from my AMCAS.
that it was so expensive to travel to and from the city by trains, and that the catholic church has influence over the school to the point that they can't call their gay club a gay club, they have to call it student of every orientation or something like that. i learned that religion and medical school don't mix...
You're definitely not in NYC here, and don't let people tell you its just 15 mins away. If you're taking the train, count on your trip being over an hour.
I would have gone a day earlier just to check out some lectures and the beautiful new children's hospital. I also wish I would have known that when you buy tickets for a train from Grand Central to Valhalla, you don't have to go at a specific time - I would have stayed in the city for a little while to check it out :)
I stayed with a first-year host but they had a big exam the following day. Saw the hosts for maybe five whole minutes then just sat around their apartment all night. If you randomly pick a host, ask if it would be more convenient to stay with someone from the other class.
That there is ample opportunity to study abroad. Had I known, I would have been better prepared for the Q&A following our intro session with a 4th year student.
The school gets alot of unfair bad press on SDN. All of the students I chatted with seemed extremely happy. I found the on campus housing to be very convinient and spacious. The large class size brings a great diversity of students.
how confusing the medical center area is. i roamed around a lot of buildings before finding the administration building. and that there would be no water at the orientation. bit parched.
Don't take the train to the Valhalla station at night in the winter. I waited outside for over 30 minutes for a cab driver. Granted, I take full responsibility for having to wait around in the cold. The web site said that there probably would not be a cab waiting around that station. My cell phone had poor reception so it took about 3 calls before the cab company actually sent a driver to pick me up. My bad.
Alot of the negative aspects were revealed to me on the interview day. Also, if you are flying in go to La Guardia, closer than JFK. And it will take at least 2 hours if not more to get from La Guardia to the school.
should have driven, free parking, and i wouldn't have had to make so many transfers (from airport, had to bus to grand central then took train to white plains and cabbed to the campus)
To really plan ahead. I thought the buses would be consistent in picking peopole up at the different terminals, it took FOREVER for me to finally catch a bus to Grand Central Terminal. The website says to fly into either JFK or La Guardia, if any of you are flying in, fly into La Guardia!!!!!!!!!! JFK is further from Grand Central Terminal, so you may miss your flight or be late.
I had heard a lot about the Catholic tradition of NYMC and rumors of it being ultra-conservative and anti-abortion and all that, and that had put a damper on my enthusiasm before my visit. But I learned that the "Catholic tradition" is more related to funding than the way of life there. The students and faculty I met and spoke to gave me the impression that the community is tolerant, and the administration tries to allow students to partake in whatever activities they wish to, provided they don't try to garner the attention of the mass media.
I wish I had known how nice it is. I think alot of the things I have read have given me a negative impression about he students and the facility, but I really liked it, and I wish I had given it more consideration in the first place.
The interview was semi-closed file... I'm not sure how much of my file my interviewer looked at ahead of time. She was definitely confused about my progress through school... and that made my interview go in a weird direction.
NY Medical has high USMLE scores for a reason. They work you pretty hard and their curriculum is still pretty traditional. But it seems as though this works for them. Also, it takes the school 10-12 weeks to get back to you after the interview.
I wish I knew more about the housing as basically all students live in the dorms on campus. Also, NYMC is a fairly isolated campus. I car will be required.
That the campus was so nice--I for some reason thought that it would be a lot more run-down. The anatomy labs are amazing, with huge skylights and brand new equipment.
It is a Catholic school. I wouldn't have applied or spent all that money to interview there had I known this beforehand. They should be more up front about this on their website. The president and CEO is a reverend, and the primary urban clerkship hospital is a Catholic institution.
When you arrive for the interview, everyone gathers in the administration building until the admissions office opens. Very normal, but then they open the doors to the admissions office and you start filing in one by one (there were about 12 people in my interview group). As you walk into the admissions office, you're told to sign a clip board and take a seat. FLASH! They take your picture and print out a computer generated ID card attached to an NYMC laniard for you to wear around your neck all day. It was a complete surprise and none of us had expected it since I had never seen anything on SDN about it. I liked my picture, other interviewees were grumbling about how they hated theirs. Just be prepared to smile for the camera, the last thing any of us were expecting was to get our picture taken for an ID card even before we had a chance to take our coats off.
Um, that the Sprain Brook Parkway (or whatever that road is called) on the school's map is kind of confusing to find. Allot ample time for getting to your interview if you're not planning on cabbing it!
SDN stated about the "awesome anatomy lab!". Ya i guess, its a nice lab -- compared to other anatomy labs. It's amazing how big windows that bring natural light in the room, and having a large SPACE, makes everyone describe the lab as "state-of-the art". :)
The school was a little tricky to find. I went to check out the campus the night before, but definitely go and see where the school is before your interview.
that route 9A is verryyyyyyyyy confusing...the directions on the school website are accurate, but 9A is called henry hudson pkwy and saw mill river pkwy and exit#23 comes twice on it..(about 15 miles apart) and the school is on the second 23rd exit..i got massively lost..so i'd suggest to go and visit the school ahead of time if u're going to be driving.
The winter storms can be really bad, and taxis are impossible to get. Also, the hotel shuttle takes airport trips as priority over other trips, so my ride ended up getting dropped from their list. Have a back-up plan for getting to the airport.
There is NOTHING else in Valhalla, and it is more like an hour from the NYC and feels even farther. Bring only a copy of your personal statement (not entire AMCAS)
Even though one person had already warned everyone about the bad driving directions, I didn't think it would apply to me since I was coming from a different direction. I was wrong. I suggest printing out directions from Mapquest or something and then using their directions once you get to the campus.
the prison located right by. not that it really bothers me, but i think it's funny how the directions given on the site take you to the school the way that does not go past it.
That NYMC doesn't have such a focus on primary care. I really want to be a primary care clinician. I actually felt like the orientation was trying to talk me out of this.
the driving directions on the website are really bad. as far as i can tell, there are no signs for a "cross westchester pkwy" - it's actually "cross county pkwy." also don't get confused by the blue "h" hospital sign which leads you to lawrence hospital instead (i did this).
i should have been more prepared in listing my activities/classes in chronological order (what did you do during your summer sophomore year?) at this point, i know what i've done but it's hard to attach a year to it.
lots of downtime, presentations ended around 10 am but didn't have my interview till 11:15 am. Wanted to sit in during a lecture but those ended at 10 am also.
That Valhalla is in the middle of nowhere, that you basically need a car. Though it's a "large" medical school, it doesn't feel like it because it's small, space-wise; but it does feel like it because there isn't a cohesive community in the students.
I discovered that my interviewer was not accepting of opposing viewpoints nor was he interested in letting me talk. Had I known this, I would have not wasted $500 to fly out from California.
I had volunteered here some years back. I showdowed my step-father while he was on rounds. I had some memorable experiences. Going back made me realize what a wonderful place it would be study medicine and be trained as a future physician. I also learned (from my interviewer) that there are plenty of research opportunities available around the campus. Some of the latest finding include the Bone Marrow derived stems cells that were used to regenerate heart tissue - Nature. Overall this place is in a nice location. Valhalla is quiet - allowing for focused study time. There are also quite a few student organized activities and clubs to enhance medical school life. And NYC is only a metronorth rail (40min) ride away.
That the interview is completely blind; my interviewer didn't even recieve my name ahead of time. Make sure you have thought of specific points you want to cover.
The Crowne Plaza hotel in White Plains DOES NOT have a free van ride to NYMC-Valhalla. It says it does on the list of hotels given out on the school website, but they don't. 10 minute cab ride for $9 is best option.
That my interviewer was going to ask that interesting ? above. Despite what they say, not all 1st years are guaranteed housing. There's not room for them all.
Applicants generally shared a mix of positive and negative feedback about their experiences at the school. Positive comments highlighted the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, easygoing and conversational interviews, nice facilities, and the school's location. Negative feedback included concerns about the interviewers not being well-prepared or engaging, the closed-file interview format, some interviewers asking repetitive or irrelevant questions, and mixed feelings about the school's location and student body. Some applicants expressed reservations about the cost of tuition and living expenses.
Had a very pleasant experience at the school. I could see myself attending.
the day was relaxed and informal, they make you feel really comfortable about the interview...although one candidate did get a doctor who interviewed him and spent 30 mins asking him how to improve healthcare....depends who you get
Interview was casual, nice facilities, dorms are not so nice and more expensive than I thought. The students were very welcoming. Also while exploring the hospital met an MD working there who was extrememly nice.
Students were depressed to be there, most were asleep or surfing the web during lecture. Definitely seemed that they had no other choice but to be there.
Date of the interview was changed to preserve my anonymity. The overall impression of NYMC I got during the interview day was not very positive. The new education building was very new and nice but other buildings around the campus were unremarkable. The campus seemed very isolated, staff unfriendly, and students not all that enthusiastic or happy at the school. Although it was open-file, my interviewer did not seem to have read through my file. The interviewer basically went down the AMCAS activity list and did not give me much time to talk or elaborate on things I wanted to talk about... often cutting me off mid-sentence.
I have heard many good things about NYMC (such great location, faculties, and cooperative atmosphere) but the interview day left a negative impression. This was the only school where the visit made me rethink my decision to attend the school. I was offered an acceptance but will likely withdraw soon.
As a rule of thumb, if a school has to mention that more than 50% of the students there chose it over another school, it might not exactly be a place you'll be happy at.
Pretty nice students and faculty, but the location and the vibe of the campus just didn't do it for me. This trip really exemplified why it's so important to visit a school not only to interview but to see if it feels right.
I really wouldn't recommend this college. It didn't have a good atmosphere (despite the amazing weather they had today), the students seemed really depressed (not that they aren't at most med schools), but they didn't seem to be happy to be there, while I've seen amazing students with amazing enthusiasm at other schools at which I've interviewed
Nice place, the topic of Touro's sponsorship came up at least 3x during the day with various people (student guides, intvwr...etc) so keep that in mind. School's credentials will still remain as good though.
Though I felt like I had to fill the interviewer in on a lot since they only really had a list of our activities and our AMCAS essay, the interview still turned conversational pretty quickly and it was very enjoyable. In general, everything left me with a positive impression except for how small (and quiet) Valhalla was and how blah my student host was.
Seems like a really good school, focused a lot on providing a good education for students and the close proximity to NYC is a nice balance to the idyllic feel of the campus itself.
Overall I liked the school. I'm also writing this now with an acceptance from this school as well. That being said, I've heard some negative things about NYMC but I didn't see much of it on display during my interview day. The admissions staff, excepting the secretaries, were very enthusiastic and my interviewer was great. I had a very enjoyable day.
I really loved this school; it gave me a great feeling. The school is very easy to get to and it had a beautiful anatomy lab (which was on the top floor so it had actual windows).
The students seemed great and like a close knit group.
Overall, their new building, staff, teachers, housing, and environment impressed me. But it does depend on your own attitude towards that kind of living style.
My host student was fed up with the administration and expressed interest in transferring out due to recent talks about being bought from med school mill Touro. Another student was worried the school would end up a DO school. I think that if this is the only school I get accepted to, I will re-apply next year because my app will be stronger due to my work and pending publication.
The campus is gorgeous. It is nice to be able to spend 2 years in Valhalla/Westchester and then 2 in NYC. 9am-5pm lectures M-F seems really intense versus other campuses I have visited with less "pure lecture" time. The average boards are 6% above national average and the school generally has a very good match. Overall - a good feel, yet nothing that truly "wow-ed" me.
Interviewer impressed me negatively. Definitely didn't care what you had to say. Expressions were neutral and seemed forced. Made me wait an extra 30 min. past the scheduled interview time.
The interviewer was very cheery. He tried hard to put me at ease, but that made him difficult to read. Everything about the process was laid back, but not disorganized.
I interviewed with a faculty member, and then a 4th year. They both had a checklist sheet in front of them and went down asking the same questions. They both wrote down every single thing I said, which was a bit unnerving. The worst part was when they both asked "What did you do the summer after freshman year, the summer after sophomore, junior years?"
They had told me ahead of time that the interviews are closed file and the interviewer will only have my personal statement (provided by me), but my interviewer had gotten a hold of my AMCAS activities as well.
NYMC is a decent medical school. Students seemed tight-knit, but not quite sure if this is the place for me. However, it is located within driving distance to many different places.
good rep, great location, excellent academics, very high board scores, student-run clinic in NYC, and strong alumni network! what more could you ask for?
it's in a quiet NYC suburb, seems like it would be great for basic science studying and also quite close to the bronx and manhattan if you want to meet up with friends who live in the area
New York Med is one of the oldest and largest private health sciences university in the U.S. It was founded in 1860 inside NYC but later moved its basic sciences campus to Valhalla, a NYC suburb, in order to accommodate better facilities.
New York Medical College is truly an awesome place! I love the fact that the first two years are spent in a rich (safer) NYC suburb 20 minutes from Yankee Stadium and 30 minutes from Manhattan, while the next two clinical rotation years are inside Manhattan.
The excellent faculty, the HIGHEST board passing rate in New York State (yep better than Columbia, Cornell etc.), increased research funding, close to 1000 graduates currently serving on an American medical school faculty (18 department chairs), and its special dedication to training medical students as future practitioners (since it is purely a health sciences university) allow it to be a great fit for students who are interested in attending strong residency programs. New York Med is truly on the rise!
NY Med's NYC's hidden gem. If it decides to interview half of its applicants on their Manhattan academic center campus like some other schools, it would definitely attract a ton more applicants.
Valhalla's actually a lot closer to NYC than previously thought, and the school actually has five hospitals/affiliates in Manhattan (one academic medical center, one university hospital, and three affiliates) as part of its 28 overall hospitals/affiliates.
I really don't understand why NYMC seems to get a bad rep. It's a solid school where you aren't in the middle of the madness of NYC, but if you want to grab a train, it's no problem. I'm about 95% sure this is where I'll be going in the fall (I got in), and am extremely happy for the opportunity. And this was the only interview I had where the "no stress" thing really applied. I walked into the interviewer's office with sweaty palms, and they were dry in minutes. He was a really amazing guy who put me at ease immediately, and we just talked about me, the school, my application, the world at large, etc. NYMC is an interview day you really can enjoy.
The interview itself was not a bad experience, but it wasn't anything extraordinary. The interviewer asked her questions, I answered them, and then she wrote down whatever I said.
Not very interesting or enticing, the interview was not difficult at all, interviewer knew nothing about me, I don't favor closed file interviews, you seem to just sit there telling them stuff that they should atleast already know. They don't show interest in the diversity issue in their med class. I asked my interviewer about the demographics of the school and why she thought it was as it is, she said because it is an expensive school and minorities might not be able to afford it. Figures that I recieved a letter inviting me to come and have a visit at their minority affairs office on the day of my interview, in the mail when I got home after my interview-imbeciles
One on one with a professor. She was really friendly. Good interviewer. She didn't know anything about me. I wish she had read my personal statement. But I understand that the point is to see how you present yourself(first impressions are important).
I gave this school a fair shot, I honestly did, but just can't imagine myself there for the next four years. Unless you have not been accepted elsewhere, or they make you an increadible offer you cannot refuse, steer clear of this school.
The interviewer (PhD) was very pleasant and nice (difficult to read). I enjoyed the facilities (aside from the housing). The interview felt rushed as there were people waiting outside to interview. Interviewer mentioned something inappropriate/unprofessional.
Very relaxed interview environ. The students and faculty try very hard to show you a good time. The student body definitely seems like the cooperative (and not competitive) type. Valhalla is kind of dull, but the proximity to NYC takes care of that. Over all impressive school.
My entire interview essentially went like this: ''What did you do the summer before you entered college? ... What did you do during your 1st year? ... Summer of your first year? ... Second year? ... Summer of your second year? ... Third year? ...etc, until the summer after graduation. To be honest, I was caught off guard by this laundry-list style of questioning. When I mentioned an activity, I also had to state the approximate number of hours of involvement, which is POINTLESS because the admissions committee SHOULD have all of that information on my AMCAS app. As I was responding to these questions, my interviewer was too busy writing down what I was saying verbatim to really hold a real conversation with me. At one point she also interrupted me mid-sentence to ask if I could ''slow down'' because she couldn't write everything I was saying fast enough. At the end of the interview I felt like I had regurgitated my primary application without adding any additional insights into who I am as a person (despite my best efforts to steer the conversation to a deeper level than ''I did X for Y hours'')
I had heard negative things about the school and the surrounding area but I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the facilities, the enthusiasm of the students, and the overall feel of the medical school. They boast a 99% pass rate on the step 1 USMLE which a lot of top-tier Ivy league schools and even UC's can't compete with. The average score on the USMLE is also well above the national average. They give you breakfast and a few people talk to you about financial aid and life at the medical school. Then you have a few hours of exploration time and one interview. Mine was with a professor. After the interview you have a tour with students and lunch. The day lasted from 8am-1pm.
I love that this school unapologetically emphasizes primary care instead of research, but it's isolation and stressed out student body really detracts from it's appeal. The interview was extremely low key and unstressful. No tough questions.
it was an overall positive experience. but it was also pretty standard. nothing stood out to me that made this school seem special, except for maybe the fact that in your 3rd and 4th year you can move to manhattan. so if locaation is the most important thing, then it is a strong positive quality. but the students did not seem easily approachable and i could not tell the competitve nature of the school. i would go here if i couldn't get into a school i liked more. valhalla is only 30 min from manhattan so that is really nice. stay w/ a student host, it is so convenient and cheap. the day included orientation, financial aid presentation, interviews then tours. I wasn't the happeist after my interview because my interviewer talked too much about himself. boo.
A well organized, informative day, though I got conflicting accounts of how students are placed in clinical year clerkships. I would have liked some uniform guarantee that I can spend the entirety of my clinical education in the city.
Overall I had a good experience. The interviewer was very nice, and the hour was very conversational. No nasty questions or anything. Just be prepared for typical questions and know your amcas back and forth, although the interviews are blind they do have a list of your EC's and ask you about them.
Overall pretty chill. The introduction was kind of boring, and the room was very hot so it was hard to stay focused. A 4th year med student came in and talked to us about how great he thought the school was, then had a financial aid presentation- very informative. Had our interviews- one on one- and then had a tour of the facilities. Looked at the dorms, which were pretty freshman year of college but very convenient and affordable for NY. Afterwards we had lunch, then we were free to go.
Overall, a good experience considering, I did not get frostbite, was not late to my interview, and did not get lost in NY.
I wish my interview did not go over the alloted time b/c I wanted to check out the anatomy lab.
Also, the closed file interview is tricky, you have to be aware that b/c the interviewer does not know much about you, you have to talk most of the time and be able to do it in an articulate manner. I waited for my interviewer to finish writing down his notes of the interview, but when I think about it I should have just kept on going instead of stopping which disrupted my train of thought. I think there were 2 questions that I forgot to answer b/c I got side-tracked. Overall, the entire experience was fine, can't seriously find major problems with the school. High board scores, housing for the first two years, decent match list...
The admission office opened at 8am, continental breakfast was nice but not tempting since the interviews start early. While waiting for our interview we were recommended to sit in on a first year lecture. Students and staffs were very friendly. Even the applicants were pleasant. It takes some time to adapt to the interviewer, so the session had gone by rather quickly. The tour of facilities followed, then lunch at the cafeteria. A good overall experience.
The interviews are close-file but the interviewers have the choice to read your personal statement and list of activities (without description)...... Mine of course had not read a thing so the interview was spent mostly regurgitating exactly what is on my application. He literally went down the page and as I described each activity he filled it in -- then he says to me ''Sorry, they will be mad at me if I don't get all this information''. Seemed pretty pointless since I didn't get to talk about anything in detail. However, the interview was completely stress free and really the only 2 questions I got were Why Medicine and Why NYMC?
Overall, I was impressed with the school. After the experience, I feel like NYMC gets an unfairly bad rep from some people. The interviewer was a PhD who asked interesting questions and seemed like he really wanted to get to know me. I left with the feeling that I'd get a good education here. That being said, the students were definitely more stressed out than in other places and the place is really out in the country side. You can spend the last two years in New York City for the clinical rotations, so its not that bad. I can see myself going here.
The interview went really well because I had a great interviewer. The student was very forthcoming on his experiences at NYMC and seemed to be very happy with his choice. The people there were really helpful and friendly (even the guy sitting at the information desk who waved when I walked in).
The location is great for the first two years when you have to do your basic sciences. It is a nice community full of land and trees for you to enjoy with little distraction. However it is very close to NYC for you to take advantage of when you have the time and energy to do so.
The single apartments are furnished and very close to classrooms so you can literally roll out of bed to class. Their new Children's Hospital is amazing!
the questions i was asked were the standard interview questions asked anywhere. as i mentioned above - i was asked about my activities, why med school, and why nymc. the interview lasted 45 minutes, but it wasn't stressful.
I had a great interview at New York Medical College, it was very laid back but she also asked challenging questions. Prepare well and you should have no problem.
I was really blown away by NYMC. I have heard some not-so-enthusiastic things about the school, mostly here on SDN, but I really didnt find too many of them to be warranted. I was there during exams, and people still stopped and talked just walking down the hallways. Everyone is super friendly, many would stop and chat on their way to wherever they were going. I loved the community feel that the campus radiates, and the facilities are all you could ask for! They also offer great opportunities for getting a combined MD/MPH or MD/PhD, which you dont have to apply for off the bat but can wait and apply any time before the end of your second year. I hope I get an acceptance, because I see myself as a great fit there!
NYMC is a mediocre school in an odd location. It'd be a good place to study, but I wouldn't recommend taking a long trip to see the school if you've been accepted elsewhere.
My interviewer was the chair of the admissions committee. It was a very low-stress interview, and my interviewer seemed truly interested in what I had to say. The admissions lady that gave an introductory speech was friendly, and the 2nd and 4th year students we met had a lot of good things to say about the facility and the curriculum, and their clinical experiences.
i stayed with a student host, which i highly recommend. the campus housing is literally 150 feet from the admissions office. the interviewees had a light breakfast, brief intro to the curriculum and financial aid, then an hour long interview with a faculty member. my guy was really nice.
Great experience in the actual interview. Kind of tough to be there at 8:00AM, but it was alright because we got out early. Once again, being relaxed was key. I don't think that anyone in my group had an aweful experience. Know why you want to go to NYMC (what appeals to you).
My experience was really bad. My interviewer spent about 30 minutes talking to me about my home town. I had this false sense of security and then the last 15 minutes drilled me on my problems and disagreed and basically made me feel like an idiot. So my advice is to stay confident and dont' break down; its a pressure situation. I ended up getting accepted...so always keep hope!!
I drove through the campus the day before my interview to check it out. Dr. Sullivan (the dean for admissions) interviewed me, and I felt very comfortable with her. Our interview was very conversational, and I felt that she knew me by the end of it. It's too bad it was raining because I would have liked to have seen more of the campus, like the hospitals, etc.
Well, at the beginning of the day they give you your itinerary with your interviewer's name, time, and room number. When I got to the correct building (it seemed like they spread all the applicants around campus which make it confusing and more stressful)I asked the security guard at the front desk where this room was. He proceeded to act very confused and asked me questions about what job I was applying for, what kind of car I drove here, what the extension of my party was, and basically interrogated me....when I finally got past him I looked for an elevator since my room was 300-something. Well, apparently the 300's are on the first floor. After roping some poor student into personally escorting me to my interview room, I was there at exactly the time I was supposed to be, not a second early! Then, my interviewer spent the first 10 minutes of my 30 minute interview trying to figure out my EC's (he had a list of my amcas activities to go off of) and seemed almost angry at me b/c he was confused! After that the rest of the interview went fine. It was pretty conversational and easy going. He seemed genuinely interested in my experiences, feelings, and interests. Let's just say that the interview setup made the entire experience very stressful and the lack of instructions, maps, etc, almost made me late for my interview. A couple of the other applicants actually missed some of their interviews b/c they had similar problems finding their rooms too. I hope that they revise their interview setup/schedule so it's not a crazy scavenger hunt.
We eat breakfast at 8 and then have a few presenations about student life, the logistics of the interview day, the chances of use getting in, financial aid, etc. Then at 9:45 the interviews start. Some of us had the interview in another building and we had to look for the building ourselves. If your lucky, you'll be interviewed in the same building as you breakfast. At noon the tour starts and you have lunch. You're done by 1-1:30.
It was a lot better than some of the recent feedback I've seen on SDN. No, it's not in the heart of NYC but it's easy to live in the city after your first year. Contrary to what I've seen in others' feedback, the students I met were happy and said they led healthy social lives. It seemed like a nice, albeit expensive, place to go to school.
It was good. Comparing it to other schools I have been to there were no smoke and mirrors. My interview ran long to over an hour when it was supposed to be 30-45 min, so I had about 45 minutes to wander the campus/ sit in on classes with the other interviewees. Everyone was relaxed and welcoming.
Overall, I thought the campus was decent looking, although smaller than I expected. The facilities seemed modern enough, and Westchester is really not as bad as I thought it would be. The interviewer was really nice and made me feel extremely comfortable.
I think it was a good place to start for my first interview. It was laid back, informal and very inviting. Yet, it was in the middle of nowhere and I didn't get a that communal feeling that most universities have.
It is an okay school with an amazing anatomy lab. I am sure you could get a great education there but you probably wont be too happy. The interview is not very stressful, so dont worry. Just know yourself and what you have done.
Got there at 7:45am. Waited 20 minutes til the staff actually showed up to unlock the doors. Sat in a room until like 8:45 and had a 45 schpeel, touching on some info about NYMC. Interview for 45 mins with awesome/nice Prof. ~90 mins-2hrs to waste by just meandering. Tour by 2 students of the school, followed by lunch. Good thing is you're done by like 1:30!
When I arrived the admissions staff wasn't even there yet. When they arrived one by one the interviewees got their pictures taken for the school tag you had to carry with you and then we were instructed to help ourselves to breakfast in a back room. After waiting about 45 min. we had some staff talk to us about financial aid. After waiting more, and my interviewer showing up late, I had my interview. After I had to wait for about an hour and a half in the back room until the tour, which was lead by two first year students. After the tour we had lunch and then were free to go.
I hated the school. I felt like the environment wasn't supportive or helpful, and the students seemed to me to be really stressed. A lot of them had not gotten in anywhere else, so NYMC was literally their only choice. If I had known about this earlier, I would not have gone to the interview. The interview itself was not that stellar, since the researcher kept asking me about my clinical experience (or lack thereof). All the interviewers also ask if there are any red flags on your application, and the interview is blind, which I wasn't too fond of.
breakfast 8-8:30. then really long presentation about admissions and fin aid. only 1 very relaxed interview which was nice. student tour and lunch. we were done at 1:30 which was great. it was a nice school but i didn't find anything to make me want to go there soo badly. oh and they take at least 10 weeks to get back to you and the decision is sent to you permanent address instead of mailing. that's annoying.
interviewer seemed nice but at the same time grilled me on my experiences..couldve done better. only asked for experiences and school..nothing really about me.
The overall experience was very relaxed and casual. All of the students and staff were friendly. The day ended with eating lunch with our tour guide and was over by 1:30pm.
The beginning of the morning was an overview by the admissions staff and then a Q&A with an M4. There's a large block of time reserved for interviews, but the interviews usually only lasted for 30-45 minutes. We took a tour and then ate lunch with our student tour guide.
The students I met were nice along with the staff. I don't like the housing for the students and felt the interview was impersonal compared to my other ones. This is def. not the med school for me-- their philosophy does not click with mine.
The interview took place in a physiology professor's office. It was more like an informal discussion than like being grilled or put on the spot. I felt relaxed and it was not scary at all.
Very easy interview day. Not high stress at all. The other interviewees were very firendly. It was a Jewish holiday so there were no classes, which meant hardly any students around. I was glad I stayed with a student host to get to know a few students and see the housing (that I didn't like).
The interview was laid back. I was not asked any moral or ethical dillema questions. There is no fixed length and for the most part the interviewer asked questions about myself, my interests, my hobbies and volunteer/research experiences.
Overall it is hard to say because the interviewer was frantically writing down everything. It was very relaxed because everything she touched on was already in my application. When my interviewer decided to end the meeting it was only because she had no more room on her piece of paper to write anything. I would have liked to have spoken to her more but I walked out of there not being able to gauge how I did whatsoever.
It was incredibly laid back and purely conversational. The guy was really into almost everything I had to say, so we had a lot of talk about and shared a lot of ideas. I had a great time and would have loved to have more time to talk with him.
I think that since it's closed file, you really have to put a lot of enthusiasm in what you say, else it's just going to be a boring list of your activies. Get really exciting about what you're describing and stick in some good descriptions... get really animated. I don't know. I think closed-file is an opportunity to guide the interview however you want.
Anyway, the facilities are nice and the student body seems really close. Overall, I really liked NYMC. I think it's a great school.
Tour guides were real cool and I love the facilities. The person I interviewed with was very nice but I couldn't get the interview to become a conversation, it was just question-answer question-answer. I was the only kid who interviewed with her outside the Administration building, this could be either good or bad I do not know.
The interview took place in a physiology professor's office. It was more like an informal discussion than like being grilled or put on the spot. I felt relaxed and it was not scary at all.
I had a great time with this interview. I had good interactions with the other interviewees and my interviewer made me feel very welcomed. SHe told me she wished one day she can call me her collegue.
45 min interview, times are either 9:45, 10:30 or 11:15. One on one interview, closed file. Asked questions about application and personal statement so know these both well. Some interviewers read amcas essay ahead of time, some read it afterwards. Bring two copies of amcas essay (personal statement) to interview.
It was overall a good day, and the campus left a great impression with me. I liked the closed file because i was able to tell my story verbally, and really emphasize the things i wanted to. I think it gives the interviewer a more real first impression with the candidate. Some people dont like closed file because they have to explain everything, but I think its an opportunity to go more in depth and show what you really have done.
It was a very laid back interview..just asked me to describe myself..talked about amcas activities..and make sure you cover everything you talk about in you personal statement
Overall the experience was pleasant. I like the fact that the campus is off away from the city but close enough to take a trip into Manhattan to enjoy the city life. Students are a little weird in my opinion but the facilities are awesome and the faculty are very warm and approachable.
My interviewer was awesome to talk to...he was extremely laid-back and down to earth. He was obviously asking me questions but I honestly did not feel like I was being interviewed. It's important to know your AMCAS app very well because you will probably have to list them all of and explain them since the interview is closed-file. Also, you might be asked for chronology of your activites/experiences.
I stayed in Manhattan, took the train to the interview-very convenient. It was raining. The school was pretty, very green, and students lived on campus in apartments that were pretty nice. However, there really is nothing walking distance from the school, You have to pay to park your car. My interview was pretty good, it was with a member of the admissions committee- non science background. I wish I had met more of the students, because the ones I met did not seem like very interesting people, and kind of turned me off to the school.
Well, the interview day might have been the most stressful and uncomfortable day of my life BUT it was all my fault, not NYMC's. I kept loosing things, I had missed my flight the day before and was stuck in DC until 8 AM the day OF my interview. So I was really overly stressed and tired. And I missed most of the tour, had a rushed interview, and did not get to really talk to any of the applicants or students. I just hope the admissions staff did not think I was incompetent because of all of this, but I still liked the school.
The woman I interviewed with was rude and bitter. She went down a sheet of questions and wrote down everything i said, then she asked some pretty inappropriate questions.
it's true that it is no one's first choice. it was very strange that every student i met immediately told me that ny med was not their first choice, but that they've been reasonably happy. the whole day basically repeated this theme.
as i said, the tour was loooooong. when we got to the lecture hall, the tour guides directed us to have a seat and each talked at length about the lectures and their experiences and the scribe service, etc. sorry to go on about the tour, but it was really strange to get all kinds of details that really don't mean much when you are choosing a medical school. i mean, it's nice to hear about parking and see the facilities, but i didn't learn anything interesting except that there is way to much lecture time and it costs a bundle to access the notes in case you don't go to every lecture.
The usual suspects - school overview, tour, financial aid talk, interview (though not in that order). As I had heard before, the facilities at NYMC are very nice. The staff and all the faculty members that I met were very nice, as were the students. However, the students reminded me of the premeds who probably had decent credentials (bio major, hospital volunteer, a little research, etc.) but not a whole lot else. Bear in mind that I only met about a dozen of them, so maybe I got a bad sample. I left positively impressed by the experience because it beat my expectations.
I was quite impressed with my visit to this school. The 4th year student (Dina, I believe her name was) gave a dynamite talk and shared her very honest opinions of the school (a rare exerience, based on my visits to other schools). My interviewer was extremely considerate and made a sincere effort to review what little info he had about me before actually meeting me. The facilities are really top notch and the vast range of hospital affiliates seems to give the students the ability to tailor their rotations and electives to their specific interests/objectives. I really like the fact that NYMC is tucked into this larger medical complex rather than some conglomerate research university. Clinical education clearly takes a front seat to research at NYMC, and I know that that's a turn-off for some. But, definitely not for me. Apparently, ~50% of interviewees are ultimately accepted, so I'm hoping for the best! All in all, wonderful experience!
The interview was very laid back, however they asked me where else I had applied and felt uncomfortable answering this question. Otherwise everything was good.
The day was incredibly fun, not stressful. Everyone in my interview group seemed very laid-back and were definitely the type of people I could go to school with. The bad press that this school gets on SDN is so unwarrented. The people writing it must be a bunch of spoiled snots. And there is a TON of stuff going on if you make the effort to look for it! There must be at least 2 or three small suburbs around the school with local events going on every month. The facilities are gorgeous and Valhalla itself is just like a postcard. My interviewers were really nice (one was the favorite prof. of histology, Dr. Larea, and he was AWESOME and so likeable - he seems like a great prof.) and the students giving the tour were very friendly and honest. And no, they didn't just go to NYMC because they didn't get in anywhere else - they had good options and still chose NYMC. It is definitely a top choice for me now!
The interviewer asked me what I did from high school till now. I thought that was a waste of time because she could have gotten all that information from my application (They give the interviewer the list of my activities).
the day starts with a very short presentation by the director of admissions, and then a 4th year student came in and quickly summarized the curriculum and waited for questions, but there weren't any, then there was a financial aid presentation. i had my interview with a pediatrician, and then went over to the children's hospital on my own with free time. we went as a group to meet the tour guides in their lecture building, wen't on a tour, and then ate lunch.
My interviewer did not make any eye contact with me. The whole time he looked down at his sheet of facts on me, and he spent at least half of the time asking me to clarify for him the chronology of my education. It was a frustrating experience.
The interview was very conversational. My interviewer did a good job of putting me at ease. It was interesting to talk to him about his opinions on the medical education system.
Reading other interview experiences on this website, I expected an unstructured interview, but it actually did have some structure. My interviewer had a rating sheet, and took notes throughout.
I loved NYMC! The people were all friendly and outgoing. There is a genuinely cooperative atmosphere which I really liked. My interviewer was one of the nicest people I've ever met. The interview itself was for the most part self-guided. Contrary to what some people think the location is great, personally I feel if people were actually familiar with the area they would agree with me. NYMC definitely jumped to the top of my list after this day.
I enjoyed it overall. Nice school campus, nice flexibility in rotations, very high board scores which may be due to the curriculum, they test in a manner similar to the boards.
The interview was just a normal "who are you" type of interview. My interviewer was really nice and truly interested in getting to me. The school's campus is really nice but small & out in the middle of nowhere. the students seem happy though.
I really couldn't gauge how my interviewer felt about me. He just gave me the ball and let me talk, and I dunno if he liked what I had to say. He looked satisfied enuf, but you never know with these things.
The entire experience was extremely positive. I stayed with a student host and learned a lot from her and her roommates. We were able to attend a first-year lecture, which was nice.
This school is great. The faculty and the students are very friendly and happy to be where they are. The location is prime. The school is 30 min. by train from New York City, 15 min. by car from the palisades mall, one of the biggest malls in America, and close to the Appalachian trail (hikers). So no matter what it is that you like to do in life, you can do it. Moreover, the campus is beautifully green, so if you're in love with nature, this is definitely the place to be. Also, the facilities are the newest and best I've seen so far, especially the anatomy lab, which has a ventilation system so efficient that it doesn't smell bad at all. Finally, they have a new, state-of-the-art children's hospital which I highly recommend visiting.
Pretty stress-free day. Had the opportunity to sit in on some lectures. Interview was conversational, not bad at all. My interviewer was a clinician and knew basically nothing about the school, so he couldn't answer any questions I'd prepared for my interview; he was really nice though. Tour guides were really helpful.
I was expecting to be asked at least one or two ethics questions, and was surprised to be asked only about myself. The interviewer was a female physician, incredibly kind, and seemed genuinely interested in who I am. She did her best to make me feel at ease.
Overall, the experience was good; friendly students and faculty, nice facilites, short interview day. The interview was stress-free and more like a conversation than anything else.
My interviewer asked me year to year of my undergrad what I did. I didn't review my experinces to such detail, so I struggled a bit, trying to remember all the activities I did each year. She would write everything down, and would stop me mid-sentence to get everything down on paper. Since it was closed-file, I can udnerstand why she needs to write stuff down, but I essentially regurgitated my AMCAS. I was put off by her interrupting me and being so focused on jotting down her notes that I grew uninterested. Also, she was late and I was the LAST person to interview. So, she rushed me because she wanted me to see the tour, even though I told her that my host showed me the campus already and it's ok if we go over. Oy, I'd say the whole interviewing ecperience was ok, but the actual interviewer made it worse.
i wasn't overly impressed by the interview. it wasn't bad, and i wouldn't mind attending if i'm accepted, but i wouldn't be overjoyed. the buildings are great, and the fact that there is nature on campus is also a bonus. 3rd and 4th year rotations in nyc is a definite plus, but i just didn't really get the sense that i would enjoy 4 years there.
My interview was not very stressful. My interviewer began by telling me not to worry or be nervous. I've read alot of complaints about the campus and the surrounding area, but didn't see what they were talking about. I guess it's just a matter of opinion. I found the campus to be very nice. The surrounding area is typical upstate NY, and I guess if you prefer a big city you wouldnt like it. I saw the on campus housing as a convenience, not a negative aspect. And as for the prison, I didnt see any escaped inmates running around.
It seems like the SDN community has really came down on NYMC in its reviews. I would like to say, don't believe what everybody posts on here. I was really impressed with the school. The facilities were very nice. I have yet to see a friendlier or more enthusiastic student body at any of the schools I’ve interviewed at. Nearly every student you walked by in the halls at least said hello, but most told you good luck with the interview, asked who your interviewer was, and gave you a heads up on what to expect. Med school is what you make of it. All of the schools are going to give more or less equal tools to attack your USMLEs with. It is up to you to make the most of your experience both educationally and socially. Personally, I think the school was great and I would be happy to be a student there.
I really don't want to be one of those people who blames a bad interview on the interviewer but in this case it's hard not to. I read an earlier feedback and a fellow interviewee described his interviewer as a "demon from the abyss below" I am quite sure that his comment was based on this particular interviewer. She was rude and negative and just really put me down. I'm confident that other interviewees who had her feel the same way as I do. At one point, she asked about my thoughts on how to resolve the HMO crisis. As soon as I started to answer she loudly smacks her hand on the table and proceeds to yell "NO! THAT WON'T DO ANYTHING!" I had barely gotten a sentence out and it also happens to be an issue that the U.S. government has barely been able to solve so give me a break lady.
The Interview went really well. We had more of a conversation than a question and answer session. The interviewer was really easy to talk to. I encourage you to ask them Why you should attend their school. Get your interviewers opinion of the school, it might help you latter on. I did not really know much about the school before the intervie, but I definately think it is one of my top choices.
Interviews are blind (i.e. no AMCAS information is given prior to the interview with the exception of the personal statement, which may be requested ahead of time). My interview was completely blind. Consequently, my background (where I grew up/went to school, why I chose my college, what my parents do, etc.) comprised the majority of questions asked. This provided for a relaxed, conversational atmosphere but did not leave enough room to discuss sufficently my interest in pursuing medicine and impress upon the interviewer my motivation for doing so.
I thought i'd be unhappy with this school based on previous comments, but i walked away very impressed. Get this, they were showing the Vagina Monologues that weekend. The students were all friendly and happy, the teachers and faculty were real helpful. I actually liked the place. It was also nice to hear that the "catholic tradition" is a very very small part of the school.
The faculty and staff are extremely nice. There was one interview with an MD which went well, I hope. The school itself is pretty nice. You spend the first two years in the suburbs and your last two years in NYC. Overall, great school.
The interview was very laid back and my interviewer was nice. The school was alright, but nothing special given its high cost. Location is good because its close to NYC but White Plains is not very nice. Students seemed luke-warm about the school.
The interviewer (Ph.D prof) was laid-back with an . . . odd sense of humor. I wasn't sure how to play to it but I kept my sense of humor. He kept asking questions, I'd start to explain, he'd ask a tangentially-related question, I'd answer, then he'd ask a completely new question. I never did get around to finishing up most of my answers.
Started with an orientation and breakfast, durning which I sat and chatted with about 20 other applicants. We then went off to our prospective interviews. The interview was easy and typical, no hard questions, just "tell me about yourself" questions. The rest of the morning was spent taking a tour and sitting in on a lecture. After lunch, we were free to go.
Overall, I was not impressed with the school and the interview experience. My interview itself did not go well but I would like to not let that bias my judgment on the school itself.
First off, prepare to PAY ALOT for this school. Tuition is $56,000 per year w/ ave. debt after school around 160,000. This school is expensive and West Chester County is an expensive area to live in also. You have to have a car if you want to get around and not take taxis everywhere, adds on the expenses. 90% of class lives in dorms which you share with 2 or 3 other students. Personally if I had to live in dorms I would not mind living in a single but a triple or a quad is ridiculous, plus that is $600 per month/per person. Tour guide said that was cheap in a snobbish way and not to worry about it(maybe if your dad is bill gates). Lecture halls were pretty standard, nothing bad about them but nothing spectacular either. Nice library and study areas. Anatomy lab is realy nice with sky lights and good filtration system. But seriously, don't make a decision on a school b/c of their anatomy lab. I think that is a moot point.
As for the interview, I guess she had it out for me from the start. I've heard other interviewers that theirs were very conversational and easy, but I must have been very lucky and got demon-woman from the fiery abyss below. She woud ALWAYS interrupt to give me her opinion on everything, got very annoying. She first asked me about my research and but got hung up some of the specific antibodies we looked at. I could only remember the abbreviations and she wanted the full names. Plus there are like 20 specific markers that we look for and she wanted them all, no way I memorized the full names for all of them. Next she criticized one of my other studies and said some specific aspects were unnecessary. If she wants to change them she can go right ahead and have a nice chat with the Dr. I work under who has been doing this study for the last 3 years. I could not believe she had the audacity to say that. She then asked me to talk about a hot topic regarding medicine, but she interjected as usual and gave her opinion before I even had a chance to explain both sides and then she went off on some other topic that is only slightly related. I just basically sat and listened for 10 minutes. I talked to other interviewees who had her and they said basically the same thing. But if you are interivewing I think it is basically hit or miss with getting a good interviewer or not.
This is the most well-organized and most efficient interview day that I've experienced and I really enjoyed talking with everybody I met. My interview was very conversational and the doctor even started telling me about a patient of hers she was worried about. The doctor was a NYMC alumni. Lunch was last and with the tour guide and other interviewees which i liked b/c at other places, we ate while admissions staff was talking or lunch was very rushed
Everything but the interview was great. They had a 4th year speak at the beginning to tell us her experiences here, it got me really excited about the school. Then we waited around and then went on our tours and then I had an interview. Usually when I interview the other prospective medical students are so snooty and they act like they are the
!@$%, everyone I met at my interview was SOOO COOL! I would love to be classmates with them. I really wanted to go to a prestigous medical school b/c of the repuation, etc. But, I spoke to a student there who told me that even though he was accepted to many other medical schools, he chose this one b/c they offered him money, which I thought was great. So, after visiting this school and talking to the studnets, I would definitely choose a great environment with friendly students and possible free money than a prestigous, expensive school with arrogant med students.
The day began at 8 w/ a light breakfast and a chance to meet the other applicants. We then got a short introduction to the school and to each other, followed by a little talk by a 4th year. Then there was a mini financial aid presentation (which I actually found to be useful). And then interviews. I had one w/ a 4th year med student and another w/ a PhD faculty member. Questions from the 4th year were mostly about my activities and family and interest in medicine - what you'd expect given it's closed-file. The faculty interview was a little more intense, as my interviewer was not shy at all about sharing his own opinion or disagreeing with me. But his demeanor was almost jovial, so it was not that stressful. Some other students had only one interview. We all met up after our interviews for a tour and then lunch. What I really liked about the interview day at this school was the ample opportunity to at once experience the school and meet my possible future classmates. I didn't realize how helpful it is to have an applicant group you can talk to and share with until my interview day at NYMC.
my interviewer seemed generally unimpressed with me, and was somewhat unenthusiastic about the school as well. he kept questioning my desire to pursue medicine, so i found myself repeatedly defending my decision. he also kept me for over an hour, making me late to the tour, but that wasn't a big deal.
Overall, the school had very nice facilities and all the people I met were very welcoming and friendly. My interviewer was also friendly and easy to talk to. All my interview anxiety disappeared witihin a few minutes of beginning my interview.
Overall it was a good experience, the faculty interview was fairly straight forward, but the student interviewer "was trying a few new questions" which were to test if I was able to think outside of the medical realm. I wasn't expecting that so just be prepared. The girl who interviewed before me did not mention about the student's questions so I want to give you guys the opportunity I did not have to prepare for those type of questions. :)
My interview was rescheduled, so I ended up interviewing with admissions faculty who I had met earlier in the morning, which made it very relaxed. We talked about my family, my medical experiences, and my research. She was really great, and it was very comfortable and conversational.
Eh, I guess you can see above. The day starts early and after the cab drivers rip you off, you listen to a little presentation welcoming you, then on the school program (which sounds largely self-directed), a VERY short part of financial aid (10 minutes, and she didn't tell us the cost of tuition), then you sit around waiting for interviews. I didn't feel like they tried to "sell" their school very well. They did ask for a feedback form, though.
This was my first interview in my entire life, but the faculty interviewer put me at such ease that I thought we must have been speaking for 5 minutes while it was nearly 40! for both interviewers! She was incredibly nice and intelligent and we spoke about so many things other than medicine. student interviewer, great guy, very easy to speak with. I honestly was so freaked out before this, but afterwards...there is NOTHING difficult about this...i honestly actually Enjoyed the conversations very much! Now given that, I dont know how I actually did b/c I hear its hit or miss but I can't say anything but a glowing + about this interview.
My first interview was with a faculty member. The interviews were closed file but the interviewer is allowed to read your personal statement. However, my interviewer did not. A lot of the questions that he asked were answered in my personal statement (which he would read afterward) so it was sort of awkward explaining them since I felt like I should use my interview to flesh out my statement rather than summarize something I wrote 6 months ago. The questions were so easy that I felt more like we were having a conversation in which I was being very egotistical, ofcourse talking about myself. It was nice to not have so many questions because I felt like I was always leading the discussion. He was a very nice man and I think it went well, although he gave me no feedback on how he thought it went at the end. The second interview I had was with a student. I was not so clear on how much weight the student had on the committee. Anyhow, I think it went well except that the student kept asking me if there was anything else I wanted to say (3X) and I kept talking each time since I feel like it is bad to answer a final question negatively. This was not good because at the end he basically cut me off.
interviewer kept interrupting me before i couldfinish my answer. i couldn't tell whether it was becuase i was talking too much or becuasethat was justher "style"
My interview was very standard. The interviewer was quite amicable. She had a list of questions she wanted to cover and would stop every now and then to discuss something of interest. She was responsive and encouraging. We basically covered my resume, and she would ask follow-up questions accordingly.
The interview and orientations were very informative and pleasant. Wish we could have spoken with more students. Being there during mini-boards probably exposed more apathetic students... but I think the school has a lot to offer.
Because this is a closed-file interview, the questions are focused more on who you are and your background, so just be yourself.
The interview was mostly conversational and although my interviewer helped me learn a bit about himself, he left room for me to talk about my experiences as well. Make sure you can handle distractions during a conversation though...my interviewer left his office door that leads to the main hallway open for the majority of the interview.
The interview was great. Be sure that you ask about their Free Clinic Project. It is a group of students trying to start a student-run free clinic for the uninsured.
Overall, everything was very pleasant and I have a favorable impression of the school. They even gave us an opportunity to sit in on one of the 1st or 2nd year lectures. The financial aid presentation was also very helpful.
It was very informative; both with what it had to offer as well as some of its drawbacks. I would absolutely recommend visiting as it is a unique campus; somewhat isolated, congenial, yet only 45 min. from NYC.
It was a very laid back atmosphere with extremely friendly faculty, staff, and students. We began with a continental breakfast, then listened to the admissions director speak about the school. A 4th year student then spoke to us for about 40 mins. and answered some questions. We then received a short (and somewhat pointless) financial aid presentation. Then the interviews began. The interviews were very casual, but the interviewers were writing constantly (I think my first interviewer literally transcribed the session). It was more conversational but there were some definite questions thrown in. Since it was closed-file, they mostly wanted to know about my activities and experiences in high school and college, and what led me to medicine. It was very standard, nothing out of the ordinary. They did ask the infamous "red flags in your application" question but I felt prepared for it because of SDN. Overall a very nice (but long) day.
I think a poor vibe from the interviewer ruined this one for me. Also, they're Catholic/Christian standpoint was a turnoff. This hospital does not offer emergency contraception or believe that abortion should be available as an option to women.
I was pleasantly surprised by this place. There seems to be a lot of comraderie between med students and the facilities are nice. My interview was pretty low stress-mostly conversational with standard, get-to-know-you questions.
Everyone is very nice; the dean gives an overview of the school and is genuine in wanting to know all interviewees. My interviewer was rigorous in her listing of experiences and chronology of my life- gave no real opportunity to engage in conversation. Overall it was a very nice, relaxed day getting to know an improving medical school.
The day at New York Med was not stressful at all. There is a curriculum and financial aid overview, and then a student speaks to you. It is not super organized compared to other schools, but still good. There is a brief tour where they show you the housing, lecture halls, anatomy lab, etc. Since the interview is closed file, you just basically explain your application. For some reason, I didn't get the impression that the students are really happy there...but maybe I'm wrong! Not a stressful day at all!
Overall, the day was organized fairly well, although there was some down time while waiting to be interviewed. The campus is nice, but students didn't seem as excited to be there as those I have met at other schools.
Great, laid back, conversational interview. Nice looking campus. Very friendly people (students and faculty). I was accepted ~7 weeks later, and I will attend.
The interview day was very relaxed. The admissions office has a nice breakfast of bagels, fruits, and juices waiting for the interviewees as you come in. After about 20 minutes of eating and getting to know the other candidates, the director of admissions comes into the room. She breaks down the day for you, goes over your schedule, and talks about the selection process and NYMC. After she's done, she leaves the room and a 4th year student comes in to talk to the group and answer any questions. That lasts about half an hour and after the student is done, the financial aid director comes into the room and gives a very good overview of the financial aid at NYMC. One of the best financial aid talks I've received during the whole interview season. After he's done, candidates start leaving the office to go to their interviews. My interviewer was extremely friendly and laid back, he truly just wanted to get to know me. He didn't ask me any high pressure ethics questions, instead we just had a really good 45 minute talk about why I wanted to go into medicine as a career, what I've been doing since graduating high school and why I wanted to study medicine in NY. After the interview was over, I grabbed a couple of other candidates and we sat in on a first year lecture for about 10 minutes. Standard looking lecture hall, though no wireless access inside the room so students had to bring print outs of the lecture notes in advance. After that we all met up again in the administration building for a tour of the school. The tour was led by two 1st year students and was very good, we saw the library, anatomy lab, dorms, and PBL rooms. The students were good at answering questions and seemed to be happy they were going to NYMC. After the tour, the admissions office gave us all vouchers to get up to $7 worth of free food in the cafeteria. Very good food and a nice way to end the day. After that we just picked up any coats or anything we had left back in the admissions office and then we were done. I left NYMC with a good feeling about the day, 8 weeks later I got accepted. Though I turned down their offer (I'll be attending the University of Miami instead), I had truly imagined myself as a student at NYMC, living in the dorms, going out with friends to NYC after exams... I would have had no problem going there for 4 years.
I enjoyed it--the professor I met with was very amiable, and I felt like he really got a sense of me that may or may not have been all in my personal statement/Amcas
Lady was very rude. Did not let me finish talking and kept interuppting me. Changed topics too frequently, and told me I gave a bad answer. Then she gave me her answer which was exactly the answer i told her. she obviously was not paying attention to my answer.
My interview experience was positive overall. At the beginning of the day, the admissions ppl tell you precisely why school prefers to give closed-file interviews, but I actually felt that may have detracted from my experience a bit (interviewer jotting so many pages of stuff down made me feel a little uncomfortable/nervous--like i was giving a lecture or presentation or something). I also felt like trying to cram my life story into 45 minutes resulted in my going off onto several tangents/rambly monologues, resulting in my appearing (i suspect) incoherent, disorganized, and perhaps slightly off-kilter.
Overall it was a good interview experience and I would consider NYMC as a top choice. The ratings for SDN are both positive and negative. And I think that the negativity may stem from the curriculum that NYMC has. The first two years are hard-core intense lectures and minimal patient contact (compared to other schools with patient care and PBL intergrated into the curriculum). So, ya, some students may be a little "off" or "unhappy" cause they are studying all the time. But hey! their board scores are 6-8pts above average. So I guess even though NYMC is not changing up their curriculum drastically like a lot of schools, I would say that this school really really prepares you for the boards. And if you think the NYMC curriculum is the way you want to learn, then great - it's either for you (positive) or not (negative)!
The interviewer was a couple minutes late, but more than made up for it by providing a few extra minutes at the end. She was very kind and truly wished to learn about me. She took notes during the interview and had trouble understanding me when I spoke quickly, but she was very easy to talk to and made the interview very comfortable, especially since this was my first.
The campus is small and most buildings are the Westchester Medical Center, but the facilities are great and newly renovated. The student housing is very nice and not horribly expensive. The financial aid department is great and helps the students with advice and assistance. The students are happy and relatively stress free (non-competitive) and they do exceedingly well on the Boards.
The interview was relaxed and conversational. My interviewer spent a lot of time asking me about my family, my schooling, my academic courseload in college and offered questions that were in response to my answers. The interview really gave me the opportunity to portray the unique characteristics of my application in my own way since it was so self-directed.
the interview per say was confusing...i couldn't read whether my interviewer liked me, disliked me or if thats just how his style his..i wish he was more personal but seemed like he was just busy taking notes on what i was saying..he had another interview 10 mins after mine so i was a bit discouraged bout that...i don't know how he would particularly remember me while presenting me to the committee...but that was just the interview process...their tour guides were better than any i've to far met..very friendly and informative...the facilities at this school are just amazing...everything looks new and contemporary..and the average of board scores, matchlist etc was also very impressive...
honestly, it really is all about who you get as your interviewer. i watched other interviewees get greeted by their interviewers with a smile...mine seriously shouted out my name from her office and came out looking unhappy. the entire interview i was talking to her hair: i was dictating my whole application as she busily wrote down each word i said. she never reciprocated a friendly attitude which was very discouraging. it's so depressing when you hear afterward how the other interviewers were much more down to earth. guess i was the lucky one.
the day starts at 8 with checkin. from 8:30 to 9:30, there are presentations about the curriculum, financial aid, admissions. interviews are at 9:45, 10:30, or 11:15. tour at noon, then lunch. day ends around 1-1:30.
definitely know your app well...they will ask you many specific questions regarding your activities. make sure you address everything in your personal statement since it is a closed file interview.
It was a great interview, I spoke with Dr. Carl Thompson from the physiology department (a PhD) and he was personable, funny and easygoing. The hardest part was when he asked me what would make me stand out against the other applicants, and when I was done with the self-marketing he replied "well, i'm not sure that's going to do it." Then I spoke some more, it seemed he wanted me to really sell myself and my personal qualities. Good news is after that he said "yeah, that'll definately do it." I felt like he really wanted to know about me, there wasn't anything about ethics or policy. Anyone who interviews with Dr. Thompson in the future will be pleased, he's a very kind man (and also a boyscout leader!).
I stayed with a student host, and was immediately impressed with the housing facilities and the laid-back demeanor of the students. The interview events started at 8 the next morning, with presentations from students and a financial aid counselor. There were 12 interviewees. I interviewed with a pediatrician for ~40 min, and then joined the group on a campus tour (really, a tour of their medical sciences building). The anatomy lab was state-of-the-art, and did not smell like one at all. At the end, we were all treated to lunch.
My interviewer did not seem interested in what I was saying. Not once was I asked to elaborate on anything I said. I had given her a copy of my AMCAS essay (as requested) after meeting her and she said she would read it later. I think that she would have gotten to know me better by reading it first, allowing me more time to elaborate on things she had read. I was not asked about current issues in health care, a topic I think is essential for a med school interview. I would have liked to have two interviews, because I don't like the idea of this interviewer presenting me to the committee.
NYMC is actually not a bad school,it's probably as good as any other medical schools in term of preparing students to be good doctors.I got a very good feeling from the students, which was a definite plus.
The interview was very relaxed, we just went over some of the experiences on from my AMCAS essay which the interviewer read at the begining of the interview.
The school is very open to students of various backgrounds, and underscores peoples need for a life outside of med school. The administration takes great pride in their support of students. The students confirmed this. Also, they recently changed their curriculum to integrate the first year, and had great success--the boards ave. went up the first year the new curriculum was implemented (they are above the national average).
Day started at 8am, lots of the standard talks by admissions staff. Then I had my interview. Most people had really casual, informal interviews, but I was one of the few who had a guy who really like to talk about ethics. In retrospect, he wanted to have more of an academic discussion rather than grill you. But still, I got kind of stressed out. The interview was followed by a tour and lunch--nothing too remarkable.
Overall I had a great experience. This was my first interview and I loved my interviewer and if accepted, I would definitely consider coming to the school.
The interview wasn't bad. I got there though and I didn't have an interviewer. They came in at 9:40am and told me I had been assigned an interview at 9:45am. That kinda bummed me out... Guy was very cool however, but I guess he just found out about the interview as well, because he was not really ready to ask many questions. I don't like closed file because many questions can be answered by looking at the file. They say this is to see how you communicate, but you can ask more difficult questions by knowing my file and see how i can communicate those... oh well.
Overall, I thought it was a very good day. In fact, maybe too short. I wish we would have had more time to talk to the student who came to speak to us in the morning. I actually liked the housing. It did have a collegey feel to it, but you just can't beat furnished apartments. And yeah, it's not that close to the city, but what did people expect? You should know where you're applying before you apply there.
Day started at 8 with breakfast. Afterward, we had an hour long chat with a 4th year, waited around a lot, had a tour with two 1st years, lunch. Sadly, I was very eager to go when it finally came time.
Some people have "easy" interviews, some people have "hard" interviews. If you're serious about the possibility of coming to this school, you need to prepare for some ethics questions and some pretty detailed questions on your extra curriculars.
My interview was as simple as having a conversation with a committee member. Because it was closed file, he asked me to describe myself and he would ask questions based on what I brought up.
Started off with usual presentations in beginning: intro and financial aid stuff. Interview was with a pediatrician. I was not grilled or put under excessive pressure. The first part of the interview focused on my experiences and stuff (closed file), second part was ethical questions and stuff. I finished off with a discussion about advances in patient care. Overall a fun experience.
This school definitely has its pros and cons (see below), which, in my mind basically cancel each other out pretty evenly (hence my neutral evaluation). This school wouldn't be my top choice but I'd go to it over some of the other places I've interviewed at.
Believe it or not, I think this school is really where I want to go. There were a few scary students, but the majority were great; they overwhelmed the negativity. Most of the students seemed very close; roomates were close friends. The faculty I met were so pleasant, accepting, and intellectually stimulating. Overall, I think NYMC is on the right track. They just need to be more selective in thier admissions. Maybe recruit more minority students and expand their offerings in Women's health.
A pretty mediocre school; the campus is nice but in the middle of nowhere, and there's no undergrad institution to add to the community. The interviewer seemed totally uninterested and said mm-hmm over and over, even in the middle of words (as if she wasn't listening)
Positive experience overall. Definitely stay with a student host to get the 411 on the academics, and life outside of school. The interview was like a nice conversation.
A standard, pretty open-ended interview. She kept saying "mm hmm" at inappropriate times (i.e. in the middle of a word) so it seemed like she wasn't paying attention to me or lacked interest in what I was saying.
there was only one interview. mostly standard questions. most people live in the apts across the street from the school because living in westchester county is extremely expensive. overall it seemed like a nice school and the facilities look very new.
This was a really relaxing interview. I had 2 MD interviewers while everyone else had 1. This worked well because the second interviewer was much more receptive than the first and he also told me that I was lucky to have the first interviewer. It made me feel a lot better. The school loves to boast about their new facilities, and they do rightfully so. Everything about this school was really nice. It was a pleasant surprise. I was already interested in this school but now I am even more so.
My interview experience was very positive. I would highly recommend staying with a student the night before if you can. I feel that's the best way to really get to know what it's like being at that school. Plus, student hosts tend to be more honest about their experiences. My interviewer was very friendly and the other interviewees in my group also had great interviewers. Overall it was low stress and a good way to get to know the school!
Everything was great...the only thing I didn't like was that I have a considerable amount of research experience. The interviewer did not spend more than 10 seconds talking about my research. I was kind of bummed about that. My only advice to other people is to know there AMCAS application and essay REALLY well before you walk in.
The day was great. The talk by the dean of admission was great and the talk by the fourth year was very enjoyable. The dean even mentioned SDN. My interveiw was pretty lame. It really wasn't even an interview. The interviewer just wanted me to talk about my self and thats it. There were no real follow up questions to what I had just said and I left wondering if the interviewer cared about who I was. The interview is blind so thats tough, they have no info on you before hand so you have to lay it all out.
My interviewer asked me to start from the beginning...okay...luckily I had done some mock interviews to prepare for open-ended Qs. She wrote down everything I said so I didn't have to give her much eye contact. She was from New York, therefore pleasant and a little blunt if you come from Cali. New York is great. The New York caricatures in the movies bear resemblance to the actual people...funny accents.
Overall, pretty good. The interviewer was very honest and tried very hard to get a thorough and accurate feel for my motivations for a career in medicine and my best qualitites. One of the most pleasant interview experiences I've ever had.
My interviewer seemed to do more talking that I did. Everytime I answered a question, he went off on a story that was at times related and at other times not.
My interview with Dr. Pravetz was an amazing experience. I really felt like he took a genuine interest in me as a person. He asked A LOT of questions, but all were valid, fair, and were aimed at giving him insight about me and my motivations. The interview lasted 60 minutes, but didn't seem long because it was pleasant. He smiled a lot and affirmed what I had to say, so I felt at ease. I feel like we "clicked." I think anyone who gets Dr. Pravetz as an interviewer is very lucky. The admissions staff was very nice. The student speaker, Stewart, gave us a comical and realistic view of what New York Med. is like. I'm glad that a financial aid person spoke with us too. All in all, I really think this school is worth checking out. I know I'd love to go there. Relax when it comes to the interview. Just prepare well, read some articles, and most importantly, believe in your potential. Good luck!
It was a stress-free interview, where he was eating lunch and waiting to attend a lecture. They leave tyou to do whatever in between your interview and lunch (which leaves about an hour or two of awkwardly sitting around).
Overall it was a really good experience. It's nice that the school has an actual campus, but it feels a little isolated because it's in the suburbs and on-campus housing--I mean dorms like first year undergrad.
NYMC is a nice school, but their is something about the school that is lacking. I feel that the technology could be better. Also, my interviewer was nice, but I felt as if she wasn't to into the session. It also seemed as if the students were stressed but not any more or any less stressed than at any other medical school.
NYMC has very impressive facilites. There is good diversity of the hospitals where you can do clinical work. Students seemed to be happy and not stressed. Also the students I talked to had no regrets going to NYMC. .
Not bad experience. From reading other comments on the student forums, I thought NYMC was this terrible school. I was not going to waste money and go to the interview. I am glad I had the interview. After visiting and meeting with student and faculty. I realize that NYMC is a good medical school. I hope I get accepted.
I enjoyed interviewing here. Dr. Wasserman interviewed me as well...and he seemed like an overall nice guy. He didn't really make the interview stressful, he just asked me the "get to know you" type questions. Although, he is very frank about the shortcomings of the school...be aware that since the school is Catholic affiliated, they do not teach abortion, birth control, etc. However, I was told that interested students may learn how to conduct abortions in Planned Parenthood. I wish that the interviewer had received the personal essay beforehand, so that he wouldn't have had to waste time reading it while I was sitting in front of him. I think that the person who wrote the former post perhaps didn't understand Dr. Wasserman's sense of humor..or perhaps caught him on a bad day. Its always best to take everything that interviewers say with a grain of salt. Don't let them bog you down! Be confident! You know how hard you've worked to get to where you are now and hopefully, it'll come across in the interview. Anyway, the interview day itself was low-stress and the admissions people are very friendly! Relax and good luck.
I'm the same person who wrote the last feedback and just wanted to add one more thing. One of the student tour guides asked me who I was interviewing with. When I said Dr. Wasserman, she said "Oh no, I'm sorry". That's an indication that you need to stop letting him interview people!!!!
I dug my grave on a question about euthenasia. Dr. Wasserman told me what I had said was immoral when I said something favoring it. (Thanks buddy, I love it when people tell me I have no morals!) Then he was appauled when I didn't know the difference between euthenasia and physician-assisted suicide. I wanted to say that we are not all medical ethicists and as well versed in it as he was but held my tongue.
The worst part was that he cut me off whenever I tried to talk about something. For example, he asked me about any red flags on my app. I answered that I thought my MCAT scores might be a red flag, because they didn't really correspond to the rest of my app. He said something like "What, you just didn't study?". When I tried to respond he of course cut me off. He must have talked for at least 2/3 of the interview! I kept wanting to say helloooooo, you are trying to get to know *me*! I'm not trying to get to know *you*.
Additionally, he trashed talked NYMC's School of Public Health, telling me I went to a "real" school of Public Health. Of course, I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to disagree with him (he doesn't like opposing viewpoints), on the other hand I felt cocky agreeing with him! He also asked if I had any "special friends". He ridiculed me when I didn't know which St. Francis the college my mother went to was named after! He found my view on euthenasia particularly disgraceful, because my mother was catholic.
Dr. Wasserman asked me what kind of community service I did in college (graduated 6 years ago!), and basically I didn't do any although I did lots of research & played a varsity sport. In hindsight I should have made sure to say I do community service now, but he kept cutting me off and I didn't want to be pushy so never got the opportunity to explain that.
If anyone's reading this from the NYMC admissions committee, perhaps you should consider retiring certain interviewers or at the very least consider getting feedback from interviewees about how their interview day went. Other SDNers have had a similar experience wtih Dr. Wasserman. It's a shame that students fly all the way across the country to interview with the old codger!
i thought the interview was very relaxed. My interviewer was really nice and we ended up having a conversation with me asking her a lot of questions. The day was planned well for the most part. There was, however, a lot of time spent waiting between interview and tour but luckily the interviewees were friendly and we all ended up talking for about an hour.
What can I say, I'm in love with the school and it would be a privilege to attend there. All I have to say about the interview is RELAX and BE YOURSELF. You can prepare all you want - like I did - but be prepared for a quite easy going interview. They really want to get to know you here.
the other interviewees were great! it was laid back. and the staff was really cordial. i don't like how it was closed-file..made the interview period too open, boundless. overall, it was a fun time and i would sincerely like to go there!
The overall interview experience is well organized. I also got a kick out of the picture ID, although my photo was pretty bad - hopefully they don't use that picture for the committee decision. Overall an enjoyable visit.
overall, i had a good interview experience. it was a little shaky at times, especially cause my hosts were extremely laid back to the point of almost not caring about med school. that didn't give me a great impression, but the presentation the next day was fabulous. they had a 4th year student give the presentation and his talk about all the great clinical opportunities was fantastic. it sounded really great. and they have a brand new anatomy lab. my sense of the school is that the students work very very hard, but it seems like they get rewarded for that work during their clinical years and with matching. the other bad thing that happened to me was that my interviewerer cancelled on me, so i spent the entire morning in the waiting area while they were trying to find someone to interview me. they eventually found someone to interview me and it was a very nice conversation. i also liked the area, as it was very quiet and suburban, but nyc is very close by and you can get there by train or car very easily.
My interviewer was extremely nice and he was a practioner in adolescent medicine (I'm interested in pediatrics so they may have arranged it). He really enjoyed talking about the school and how the faculty worked together very closely to make it a better learning/teaching environment.
My interviewer spent most of the time writing down what I was saying and didn't ask anything too out of the ordinary. There is a bit of downtime during which you can sit in on a lecture. I thought things were going well until we had our tours. One of the tour guides was particularly vocal about how much he disliked people from California. I thought he was joking at first but when he continued to goad people about it I realized he lacked any sense of tact. Not someone I would want to go to school with let alone have as my doctor.
Hard to judge the interview itself. Laid back though I felt as though there was more to get to. Also, I was kind of rushed out of the office before I had a chance to ask questions.
I really enjoyed the interview day. The feeling of the college is cozy and the people are nice. I was impressed with the facilities - awesome anatomy lab. The school has very high scores for step one of USMLE. The college has really nice dorms - suite style (similar to college). Free parking - you need a car. School is not far from NY City. The building where most classes are held is only a year or two old. The schedule of the day is as follows: continental breakfast, a welcome by someone on admissions staff, about an hour of a 4th year student talking and answering any questions, 5 min. talk about financial aid, interview, tour and lastly lunch. No stress interview.
Everyone I spoke with, even those students not being paid by the admissions office, were really happy to be there. They liked the campus, their professors, and their classmates. Even those people for whom it was not their first choice had no regrets.
I had a good interview experience. I really liked my interviewer and it was very conversational. Since it is closed file however, I felt like I didn't get a chance to talk about some things as in depth as I would have liked. We spent part of the time just sorting out the list of activities that the interviewer receives prior to the interview. Also, once I got going on a topic, the interviewer would switch gears and ask a unrelated question, so it was kind of surprising (maybe they have a list of ques that they have to get through?) I also liked most of the other people I interviewed with. It was funny becuase almost all of us were from Cali, so we were all freezing during the tour. I think overall NYMC is a good school, if you can deal with where it is and not being able to escape campus.
It was very chill. The interview was more like a conversation. None of the standard questions were asked...Why do you want to be a physician, Why NY Med.
I loved this school. Compared to Einstein and BU, I think this school suited my personality the best. It is in a quiet city in the suburbs and you have the option of going to the big city if desired. The housing is dorm-like, which I love, since I never dormed. 4 people to an apartment style place, each w/ own rooms, 2 people per bathroom (yes, 2 bathrooms total!), ethernet. I also felt like I knew my way around somewhat after only being there for one day.
It was a blind interview -- they knew nothing about the applicants. I think that that was bad because my interviewer just asked questions like what my major was, where I'm from, what school I went to -- questions that could easily be answered from the application. She didn't even ask why I was interested in medicine or what I thought about any medical issues.
Overall it was a good experience. The interview was very laid back, more like a conversation. However, it was a bit difficult because the interviewer hadn't read my file (he got a copy of my personal statement when I got there, but said he would read it later) so I felt like I had so much to talk about and frantically tried to get everything in. I wish I had been more ready for that type of interview. I would recommend sitting down and coming up with the main points that you definitely want to cover in the interview and make sure you get those in. None of the questions were difficult though and the interviewer was great.
If you fly into La Guardia or JFK, take the train (called MTA) to Valhalla. Go to Google.com to find a schedule of when the trains leave Grand Central Station. It will cost you $5 each way so avoid taking taxis if you can. The day is well organized. When you arrive, you will be given a folder with lots of NYMC propaganda. It's good stuff to use when they ask why you want to attend NYMC. You will not know who you will be interviewing you until you arrive.
Interviewer was great. She had been a student in the very 1st class at NYMC and was still there. She really likes the laid-back atmosphere of valhalla campus. We discussed my activites, mostly the ones that I brought up myself. We talked about patient interactions and research experiences.
Great! My interviewer was an ENT surgeon. Made me feel very comfortable. The only thing is, he had to return a page, but that was okay, since I asked him about the patient and it turned out to be a great conversation topic anyway.
very delightful interview with the director of admissions, very conversational in nature, although interviewer did takes notes throughout the interview which made eye-contact very difficult and hard to establish a "connection."
The interview isn't completely blind, the interviewer gets a summary sheet with your name, schools attended, and lists your activities. There's a scribe service. Everyone with the service has to do a lecture. Everyone goes through the entire body in anatomy. (Some schools have groups do sections and present their findings.) <br> I flew into EWR. Just outside the terminal you can wait for a charter bus ($12) that takes you 1 block away from Grand Central Terminal. From there, you can catch the Harlem North train ($5) to White Plains and catch a cab to the school. approx 1.5 hours, but easy and you save money with farther airport.
It was really a pretty laid back day. You get a nice breakfast, interview, tour, then lunch and the day is over. The school is definitely unique in not being attached to an undergrad institution, which could be an advantage or disadvantage depending on how you look at it.
the interviewer only became friendly towards half of the interview, but overall the interview was positive, but it was not a conversational interview, rather just question and answer
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest that the admissions office improve communication about financial aid, be more welcoming and enthusiastic during interview days, provide faster feedback post-interview, and enhance the online status check system for applications. Additionally, applicants appreciate organization and structure but would like to see improvements in friendliness, responsiveness to emails, and overall applicant experience.
Continue using MMI and current layout of the interview day. However, a better discussion of financial aid is needed.
Be more welcoming to students who arrive early. I got there at 745am, and the lobby was empty, with one small sitting area. The doors to the administration offices were closed and no one talked to us until about 8.15 when the doors were open.....
Be more enthusiastic. I felt very little energy from the my interviewer and speakers. Nothing that was presented or shown stood out as being different or better than any other medical school I interviewed at.
Treat the applicants like they might actually matter. The front desk people didn't smile the day I was there and just gave me deadpan instructions once I arrived. It didn't really faze me but it did affect my impression of the school.