Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 21% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a moderate stress level and felt they did okay.
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the areaโs cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
๐ฌ Interview Questions โผ
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools cover a wide range of topics, including personal strengths and weaknesses, experiences in medicine and research, motivations for pursuing a medical career, challenges overcome, and views on healthcare systems. Some respondents noted being asked about specific details from their applications, while others were questioned about their interest in medicine and their future goals. Additionally, several respondents mentioned engaging in Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) where questions were tailored to their application, indicating a structured format possibly under a nondisclosure agreement.
Give us an example of how you deal with criticism.
In my long interview my interviewer had made a great deal of effort to know my application inside and out and asked more qeustions to further her understanding of my application, very relaxing.
During my one-on-one interview (one of the 8 stations in the MMI), all of my questions were based on my application. The interviewer had highlighted certain parts of my personal statement and activities that she wanted to discuss with me.
What will you do if you don't get in. What if you don't get in the year after or the year after that and so on?
(Asked this by all 3 interviewers - do they want to hear: ''I will keep applying until I'm blue in the face because this is really what I want to do?'' or do they actually want to know that you have a back-up plan? I think that's open to interpretation.)
Why medicine? Then the interviewer told me that he normally doesn't ask this question, but I deserved it b/c I had started out in the astrophysics major. Fun stuff.
If a colleague came to you and told you he was going to fake some numbers/information for a study he was doing in order to move the project along faster... what would you do?
When did you decide you wanted to be a doctor? Why? What will you do next year if you don't get in? How do you support yourself if you only have a part time job? (pretty much asking, do you parents still give you money?)
Tell me about yourself. (grrrr) Describe your research. Describe your experience abroad. Why OHSU? Where else did you apply. What is the greatest problem facing healthcare?
Students said most interesting question asked at Oregon Health & Sciences University School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including personal experiences, favorite books, specific details from applications, ethical dilemmas, and future aspirations. While some interviews were conversational and standard, others delved into scenarios like the MMI format, history, health care policies, and unique insights, with a reminder that respondents may have been under a nondisclosure agreement due to the nature of the questions asked.
Asked me questions that were directly related to my life story - it felt like they took the time to review all the information in my file and were interested in what I had to say.
Not so much a question, as talking more in-depth about the specific and changing health care issues being faced by military veterans and how OHSU/the VA is dealing with them (interviewer is an MD at the VA hospital).
What did you learn in your Peace Corps experience that you will apply to the way that you practice medicine? What did ____ experience teach you that will make you a better doctor?
Every question I got was completely standard, no curve balls, ethics questions, healthcare policy questions, behavioral questions; we basically just talked about my application.
As you probably know, there are a lot of people in the United States who don't have health insurance and are unable to pay for their medical care, what are your thoughts on this?
So classically the strongest correlation for Med School performance is Organic Chemistry, do you have anything you would like to say about your second semester grade? (Gulp?)
Before my first interviewer started asking me questions, he asked me to interview him for as long or as little as I wanted to so ''we could be on a level playing field.'' Not expected, but an interesting way to get the ball rolling.
I don't remember the specifics. Mainly I was asked personal stuff about what I like to do, why medicine, why OHSU, etc. There were no ethical or policy questions.
"In the past 25 years that I have been here, Ive noticed that the students seem to be getting a lot more serious. Do you think this is a good thing?"
How does a person with my ethnic background get involved in a non-profit organization that deals with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? What side am I on? (both of my interviewers asked questions about this activity so know your actvities!).
I was also asked about my volunteer work in helping to build a sweatlodge at a state park. My interviewer knew a lot about this tradition.
An immigrant from Southeast Asia is found to have a malignant tumor that will cause him to die in 12-24 months. He refuses to have treatment. What do you do? After I answered the question, the interviewer explained how it was an experience he had.
After basically chatting with me for an hour, the interviewer said, "I need to ask you one hard question, describe a time when you showed leadership."
So there's a lot of construction going on here... if you get hit by a dump truck while crossing the street today, what would you want your epitaph to read? (yeah, I thought it was morbid too)
If you had to do a breakdown of your time, how much time would you dedicte in your career to research and how much time would you dedicate to patients and why?
Nothing too surprising came up--I had an interesting conversation with my last interviewer about Oregon' Death with Dignity Act and abortion (I work in a clinic that provides them, he had experience performing them, so it was a pretty friendly conversation and not a debate)
Tell me about your childhood- asked by my second interviewer and without preamble. I had no idea what I "should" say so I just blabbed on. I wondered if something in my app had given the impression that I had a bad childhood, but I talked to someone else who was interviewed by the same person and she, too, was asked this question. IN FACT- she was asked the exact same questions I was.
Physicians today have reported less satisfaction in their profession than a decade ago, why do you think this is? What external factors would you guess are responsible for this?
What did getting your BA in English Literature teach you?
Both interviewers avoided the stereotypical interview questions and, from my essays, generated questions that were aimed at assessing my personality, history, conversational style, and interests. Both interviewers were relaxed, gregarious, and informative.
They didn't ask anything really all that interesting, really. Most of the questions were clarifications of my history (where/when/why I went to school, what I've done since graduating).
Students said most difficult question asked at Oregon Health & Sciences University School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including scenarios about helping others succeed, personal motivations for becoming a doctor, defining professionalism, and challenges in balancing ambition and competition in a clinical setting. While some mentioned a rigorous Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format with nondisclosure agreements, others faced standard questions about their strengths, weaknesses, and future goals in medicine.
Tell us about a time you helped someone from a different background than you succeed.
The MPH specific interview was rigorous. Come prepared with an excellent understanding of the epi/biostats track and a concrete idea of how you will use it in the future, as well as well-developed ideas on public health in general, how it intersects with medicine and how you will balance the two throughout school and in your practice of medicine.
I know what the strengths of OHSU are, what do you think are its weaknesses? (this was tough b/c hadn't thought of them in advance and had to try not to completely bash the school...)
Are you sure you want a joint MD/MPH in Epi/Biostats? Felt as if the interviewer was trying very hard to convince me that this was not the right program for me.
How will you deal with terminally ill patients? It wasn't a difficult question, my interviewer just worded it strangely and had to rephrase the question halfway through my answer. I started talking about patient care at the end of life, but she instead wanted to know how I would personally feel when dealing with death.
1) What is the precedent on all types of suicide inherited from British Common law? 2) Do you know what the word Revenant means? 3) In what way do Don Quixote and the Iliad share themes?
1) What does ''the humanities'' mean to you?
2) What do we gain from studying history?
3) I was asked to discuss several literary novels I've read and was asked to critically analyze them in various ways.
4) What do you understand about caregiver burden?
5) What do you learn about a patient as you translate for them (I'm a medical interpreter)?
Probably 8-10 more difficult questions. Loved this interview because it was really challenging and interesting.
(After talking about my experience preceptoring in the ER) If you worked in an emergency room and a man came in and had a broken femur that may need an overnight stay, but was being arrested on drunken driving charges and manslaughter, what is the doctor's role in this situation? How should ethics play a role in this situation?
How would you cope with a major life change during school? Like what if your husband or parents were to die during this time?... caught me a little off guard.
Will you be able to take orders from residents who are 10 years younger than you? (I'm an older-than-average applicant.) How do you answer that without your answer sounding canned?
Questions about my gender identity. They were not out of context, but I wasn't expecting them to be quite that blunt, despite listing lots of GLBT and trans activism on my activities sheet.
What would you do as a missionary if you tried to teach someone and they said they were already satisfied with their religion and were happy where they were?
Nothing too hard, mostly asked about my life so far and how the things that I had done (work, volunteering, shadowing) had affected my decision to go into medicine.
What was the specific event that convinced you to go into medicine? He wasn't satisfied with my answer of volunteer work in emergency department and asked for the specific patient.
See above, or what relevant clinical experience I have. The interviewer seemed like they wanted more after I gave them my experience, which made this question difficult.
My second interviewer was a dooshbag! He grilled me for almost the whole interview on healthcare economics. WHen I said what I thought should be done about our system, he it wouldn't work and waited for another answer. Just looking at him, you could tell he was cocky and was a jerk! Just didn't even care to know me and see why I thought I would be a good doc
tell me about XXXXX disease (i had written a paper on it 2 years ago). so i start telling him what i found in the literature back then, and he interrupts and negates every thing i found that was published. then tells me that he is the world's foremost expert on this disease. i replied that maybe i should be asking him these questions then, not the other way around. just seemed like he wanted to trap/make others feel inadequate.
If an IV drug user gets one heart transplant,and then keeps using drugs so that she has to get a second heart transplant, and then goes into rehab and does well for a year but reverts back to drug use and needs a third transplant...what do you do?
Why are you so convinced that you want to pursue the field of research that you mentioned in your application? Why not X? Or Y? Or Z?
(Somehow my answers just didn't seem to please my interviewer)
"Have you ever done any benchtop work?" Since I consider what I have done every day for the last 3 years benchtop, I didn't really have an answer. Especially since I started with bentop cancer research eight years ago.
What is the difference between a room full of qualified MD's and MPH's and a room full of qualified MD/MPH's (what can one group accomplish the other couldn't)
What is the most difficult thing you have ever had to deal with and what resources did you use to do so?
Where do you see yourself in ten years, specifically? (the interviewer was insistant that I be specific -- including in what city, which was diffiult for me as I honestly don't know, and don't really want a rigid plan)
What most affected your decision to go into medicine? Even though this question is routine, I always find it difficult to give a succinct, non gimicky answer.
There are millions of uninsured people in our country, how as a physician would you help them on a personal level? How as a member of the medical community would you help them on a policy level?
One interviewer read a paragraph out of a newspaper article and asked me to comment on it. It was about funding in teaching hospitals vs other hospitals. It caught me off gaurd and I didn't even get to see the title of the article, let alone read it myself.
Why do you want to pick up an MPH degree? The interviewer pressed me pretty hard to justify myself on this one, and I know another MD/MPH interviewee felt hard-pressed too. See #3 on the questions below.
Don't you think that your parents' divorce was a difficult obstacle to overcome? (I had a really nosy phsych interviewer - I thought he got a little too personal).
Imagine that you're a 2nd year medical student, and you catch a classmate blatantly cheating on an exam. What would you do? The difficult thing about the question was that I felt (perhaps erroneously) like the interviewer was looking for a specific answer, something like "I would confront the student, ask if he needed help studying and tell him that if he did it again, I would turn him in" (not what I answered).
Most respondents had an interview of more than 50 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by engaging in mock interviews, practicing with friends, reviewing their application materials, reading about current healthcare events, and seeking advice from current students. Many emphasized the importance of being knowledgeable about healthcare policy and the school, while also recommending staying calm and not overloading on scenario practice.
Multiple med students said there's no real way to prepare for MMI except to know about current healthcare events and relax. Don't practice scenarios, it will only stress you out.
Read policy papers, was up to date on all news, especially with state finances and educational financing, and tort cap reform. Otherwise, standard interview prep.
SDN, read ''The Medical School Interview'' by Jeremiah Fleenor, read part of ''Healthcare Meltdown'' by Bob Lebow, practice interviews with med student friends
I work for OHSU and have lived in Portland all my life (except for college). This was also my fifth interview, so I didn't prepare except for reading the info they sent me.
Student doctor. Went over answers to numerous possible questions. To my surprise, many of the questions were asked. Study my application and went over exactly why I want to become a doctor and what life experiences have helped me to get there.
Read interview feedback, tried to relax. I figured that my experience would speak for itself, which I believe that it did (for the most part, the interviews both went smoothly).
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and supportiveness of the staff, faculty, and students at OHSU, as well as the beautiful campus and facilities. They highlighted the collaborative and non-competitive atmosphere, early clinical exposure, and the emphasis on individualized attention and mentorship. Many also expressed admiration for Portland as a city and the school's commitment to creating well-rounded clinicians.
the staff organizing the interview day were incredibly helpful and accomadating. the volunteers who ran the MMIs were pleasant and cheerful as well.
The facilities seem very nice. I like the pass/no pass system and that exams are on Fridays so you do not have to study over weekends. I like that they try to give students as much leeway as possible to explore their interests and make mistakes while in class without negatively impacting their grades too significantly.
The faculty members who interviewed me seem to be very accessible and interested in my success. The PCM curriculum sounds fantastic whereby first year gets to develop clinical skills very early on. The rural medicine clerkship requirement also allows students to experience how our health care system works at a community hospital where 3rd years apparently might get the chance to take on significant patient care responsibility due to the absence of higher-ranking residents.
The time and energy each interviewer put into the interview and prep - it was obvious that had read file/essays and each had specific, well thought out questions. Friendliness of staff and current students, sweet bike rack room, awesome fitness center on the waterfront.
Great clinical preparation, beautiful location, Gym/Wellness center is amazing, friendly staff and students, preceptorship starting first year, Rural electives
The curriculum (block schedule, focus on one subject at a time, only 4 hours of class per day--2 lecture, 2 small groups). Also the tremendous clinical exposure starting the second week of school. The people, the city, the gym.
How the students seemed so positive about the school, the school's reputation around the country, how the school makes a concerted effort to create a friendly environment, the amazing gym.
Location is very very beautiful and facilities are very good. Portland is awesome, the people are extremely nice, and it really is a modern city embedded in natural beauty. School is really big on making sure you also get to live life outside of medical school. Powell's bookstore is awesome!
The city of Portland. The location of the school. Residency match success rate. Most importantly the two doctors that I interviewed with--extremely welcoming and informative.
the hospital facilities are concentrated tightly together; the positive vibes from the current medical students; the apparent growth of the med school program
Portland is a great city! Great public transportation, and the school is almost finished with a bunch of new construction.
Their graduates are ranked very highly in terms of clinical skills, and students seemed to really like both the school and the area.
Facilities are A+. The students seem very happy here. There are lots of opportunities to interact with other classes and schools. The curriculum is one of the best that I have seen in terms of scheduling (mornings only, mostly). Lots of clinical experience early on in PCM.
The campus can be confusing but they did an excellent job of providing specific details on how to get to our interview locations. The student are relaxed
The location is beautiful on the hill and living in Portland would be amazing, the students are very enthusiastic and excited about going to OHSU. The class schedule isn't overly demanding and the facilities are top rate. The students don't seem to be cut-throat competitive, The faculty and staff are very friendly and seemed very interested in giving their students the best education and the best experience possible. The school appears to set its student up to be very well trained and higly sought after for residency programs.
The chill people and the abundance of outdoor activities.
Portland is a progressive city. I walked around a bit in downtown.
The tram is awesome, very innovative.
The water saving option on toilets at the airport. I am impressed with the city's efforts to conserve.
Students as well as interviewers all seemed very happy and relaxed.
The facilities are beautiful and so is the surrounding area. Portland seems really cool. I stayed with a student host, and she was awesome. The class I sat in on was very interesting, and it seemed like most students attended lectures. Everyone seemed to like it there. My interviewers were both very nice, interesting people and I had great chemistry with them both. There is a huge emphasis on clinical experience, starting the second week of classes.
Having classes in blocks, so you don't have to take multiple exams at once. The students cooperate instead of compete. There are facilities for bike commuters and the classrooms are nice. The students giving the tour were friendly and very helpful--they answered everything we could think of to ask and gave tons of extra info. The new pavilion and tram are sweet.
The first interviewer was very friendly and gave me suggestions of what to do on campus during my break. M1 tourguide was very friendly and enthusiastic
The campus is nice, and development next to the river is progressing quickly. OHSU is seeking to become a ââโ¬Åโtop 20ââโ¬Âย school, and NIH funding shows that they have been making progress. The troubled aerial tram project has been saved in a close-call funding showdown. The Portland area is so smart, pleasant and beautiful. It has great hiking, running, and biking trails. The transit system is superb. Powellââโ¬âโ¢s Books is a nice place at which to spend the day. The weather can get rainy but is relatively mild.
The entire OHSU complex is huge and still expanding! Lots of beds = lots of interesting patients that I might encounter during 3rd and 4th years. Everyone that I met on my interview day was friendly and helpful which made me feel like I would be happy at OHSU. They really take care of the students here and it shows. Also, Portland is beautiful and housing is cheap.
One of my interviewers walked with me around the hospital while we talked. It was a great way to relieve any stress of interviewing. I loved the way the hospitals are all on the OHSU campus. Everything is very convenient.
I love Portland and the students seem to love Portland as well. The campus is up on a hill and is beautiful. The students are happy. The admin was friendly and helpful. The students state that they feel supported and that they receive good mentorship at the school.
Everyone was friendly, the location of the school is beautiful, the students seemed pretty happy, early clinical exposure, and OHSU has a progressive curriculum.
Oregon is beautiful. The students are nice and reassuring. Both interviewers were laid back and pleasant. They asked questions that I could respond to with something Meaningful. Housing is inexpensive
the facilities. the students. that the school is family-friendly. the new clinics that will be on the waterfront and the tram is, like a previous reviewer stated, almost disneyland-esque.
portland!, happiness of students, good clinical opportunities, i really liked my interviewers, ohsu looks like disneyland--they're even building a cable car
The view from campus is absolutley breathtaking because it is located high on a hill that overlooks the city...the OHSU hospital is physically attached to a vertans hospital and a children's hospital.
The location of the school, the transit system, the students seemed enthusiastic and easygoing, the hospitals are nearby, they are committed to improving oregon health care, there is only 2 hours of lecture a day and class is usually done at noon. THe block system seems like it would work well and reduce competition between classes.
I was impressed by the "up-and-coming" feel that I got from the research faculty at the school. (See my Summary and Comments for more details.) The facilities, seem very nice (the labs that I saw were decked out!).
Portland is an awesome city!! A previous interviewee's post said it was "cozy" and that's the perfect word for it. Nice people, beautiful blend of city and outdoors, and a lot of pubs (if you're interested)! Also, the public transportation in Portland is outstanding.
The students, who all seem happy, are mostly older (late 20s in year one). The benefit of this is that many have had awesome experiences -- working, travelling, etc. -- and are fun people to talk to and interact with.
Well-rounded MPH program that emphasizes public health basics and lays a good foundation. The students were enthusiastic and happy to be at OHSU. Plus, the location in the Pac NW is always a bonus!
i really liked the student body at oregon. they seemed truly happy, and i don't know what more you could ask from a med school. i was also very impressed by portland...a cozy yet interesting town. oregon jumped huge in my internal rankings after my visit. so if you get an invite there, take it.
plus, i had an incredibly nice host. she was great!!
Host, happy students, portland. The Dean of Admissions was a total sweetheart and a pleasure to speak with as was the last PhD I interviewed with. I hung out with several students both nights I was there and they were a blast.
The relativelly new facilities, the amout of free time students seemed to have. The attention given to each Md/PhD. student as opposed to a bigger program.
The campus is cool. The student really emphasized how laid back everything is, and the students have a lot of time off for "independent" study.
main hospital & children's hospital were *very* nice. the 6-week rural medicine rotation also seemed to be one of the highlights of the students' experiences.
The orientation was very well thought out and organized, and the students at the lunch were really helpful -- they answered questions I didn't even know I had. And the food was actually good, which is, of course, always a plus. Plus, OHSU has a really beautiful campus -- although, I already had a soft spot in my heart for Doernbecher Children's Hospital -- it's such a great place.
How open the students were, the kind manner of the admissions office, the fantastic and lengthy tour- this school really knows how important it is to take students everywhere, including the gym, the different hospitals, the anatomy lab etc. Students were down to earth, friendly, involved and in tune with the positives and negatives of the school. They really seemed to be there to answer our questions.
My interviewers. They were extremely friendly. The students were really helpful and we were able to talk to at least 10 of them over lunch. The integrated curriculum sounds great.
Innovative curriculum; early clinical exposure; stunning location (even better views if it were a sunny day!), very family-friendly; good public transportation
four hospitals all in the same place with beautiful views. Students love this school, their classes run from 8-12! They're busy but seem genuinely enthused about an OHSU education.
the curriculum, an integrated MD/MPH dual degree program, Portland, the students, the faculty I interviewed with. There seems to be a strong emphasis on serving the underserved at OHSU.
A very good program with a solid reputation. The hospital was beautiful, esp the Children's Hosp. The walkway has an AMAZING view of the mountains. The students seemed pretty laid back.
Beautiful hospitals, all interconnected. I was surprised at what a large complex the school and its affiliated hospitals was. The students that I met were very down-to-earth and real. I'm personally not thinking about having kids while in med school, but from what I heard, the school is extremely supportive of its students in so many ways, including helping women schedule their years to include family.
I really liked the atmosphere of the the facility and Portland in general. The docs who interviewed me seemed to be genuinely friendly guys and interested in what made me tick.
OHSU was a little lower on my preference list because I had the impression that their focus was so heavily on primary care that they would discourage specialization. I was pleasantly surprised that neither the faculty nor the students believed that to be the case at all. The students seemed very happy, and had nothing but very positive things to say about faculty and staff (even administration, about which so many people often complain).
The students just loved it so much. I really liked the curriculum. They have early clinical exposure that goes on through the first two years. The location is gorgeous and I really liked Portland. It's a great school.
Applicants were negatively impressed by a variety of factors at OHSU, including uninterested interviewers, cold campus culture, lack of structured information during orientation, outdated facilities, high tuition costs, disorganization during interview days, limited opportunities for research, and the isolated campus location. Suggestions included improving interviewer engagement, providing more comprehensive orientation sessions, updating facilities, addressing tuition costs, and enhancing the overall organization and experience of interview days.
my 1:1 interview was horrible. he seemed disinterested in me, my profile, and why I wanted to be a doctor. 3 basic questions, no follow ups, and made no effort to help the conversation flow. he made this experience into a nightmare scenario.
The school is in downtown Portland, so you trade the amenities of being downtown for being able to drive to school. Fortunatly there's extensive public transportation that goes directly to the school.
The MMI interviewers got tired by the end of the MMI rotation and seemed to be focusing less on me than getting through the last few interviews. It was a little harder to get their attention focused back on my answers.
I didn't feel like the admissions staff asked anything that would help them make an informed decision about me as a doctor, but the interview counts for so much...
orientation gave no information about the philosophy of the school, the curriculum, or any insight into the culture of the school. students also admitted to consistently below average board scores
OHSU does not grant you in-state tuition after you successfully switch state residency to Oregon. Your residency status (to them) stays the same as it was when you were admitted.
The so-called tour was provided by a very pleasant 2nd year student who made it clear she was only going to give us an abbreviated one due to a major exam the next day. I am am Oregon resident who's already familiar with where the lecture halls are and where the library is. I was hoping to see the anatomy lab but left disappointed. Oh well, maybe the out-of-area students did enjoy the tour.
The way they push the hospital as a "business, specifically a public corporation" (verbatim quote). One faculty member (with a student at the school) saying they are not getting their $40,000 worth but they are trying to change that. Low board pass rates requiring them to change their curriculum. Anatomy class I sat in on was the same stuff I got in undergrad. Saw one student on a preceptorship, while I was waiting for my interview, get an attitude from the receptionist when asked by the student where she could get scrubs.
Lunch was pretty bad - bring some snacks. Parking is a nightmare and some of the buildings are pretty old and broken down....in a charming, WPA sort of way.
The interview day was very unstructured. OHSU could certainly do more to sell applicants on the program. I think an opportunity to tour one of the hospitals or observe a class would be a nice addition. Lunch of pizza and soda in a windowless conference room was pretty uninspiring. Admission office staff seemed a little under-informed.
Found out from a current student that students are not taught in a way that specifically prepares them for the boards. There is also very little time given by the school to prepare for Step I. OHSU is primarily focused on developing clinical skills.
The other interviewers inappropriate behavior and questions. She was late to the interview and seemed almost cold.
The med students said they came to OHSU because it was their last/only choice. :(
The financial situation of the school.
The lack of structured school support for traveling abroad.
Everything about the ADCOM and how they decide which students they want in their class (80% is based on the interview). Also the tuition is outrageous it is actually cheaper for me to go to an OOS school with NO scholarships or anything than go to OHSU as a state resident!!!
The campus is squished on a hill, so parking can be a pain, transportation to the campus, lack of campus sponsored housing, relatively high tuition increases due to the state of Oregon's financial woes.
Not really a negative but the average age of students is older than most and the students that came to talk to us at lunch were all older (had families) and it was hard to see myself having much in common with them
The old facilities, no state-of-the-art equipment, the library feels industrial and uncomfortable for studying (and small especially with so many other health pro students on campus). They say community service is important, but the opportunities seem obscure and students don't mention it much.
Parking. Convoluted Campus. Insular culture. Dated infrastructure/facilities. Slightly "uppity" atmosphere.
Basically, my two interviews were very "blah" for lack of a better word. No real interesting, thought provoking or challenging questions, which I would have liked. Almost seemed like small talk similar to what you ask other applicants on interview day when introducing yourselves. IMO the interview should be a "step up" from that. Seems like very little effort on part of interviewers. Interviews scheduled square in the middle of doctor's work days. Multiple delays which were left up to me to figure out, which I thought was unbelievable.
Many of the students are married and/or have kids which means that it might be harder to hang out with classmates and be immature with them. (Can be a pro or con I guess). There isn't really anything on the hill where the school is located, so you have to descend into the city to get anything.
The one of the MD interviewers seemed very negative toward the MD/MPH program... I'm not sure if it will reflect negatively in his evaluation of my interview.
the lecture facilities were a bit out of date and they did not offer video recordings of the lectures to the students; the medical center is undergoing some financial strain
Facilities look old. Tour was boring and not thorough. Interview day was not impressive. Too much time between tour and afternoon interview. Not a lot of focus on med student research even though the research ranking is high.
There was no real ''tour'', per se. We had lunch with a large group of students, who were very honest about the school's positives and negatives, and one of them showed us around the building a little bit afterwards. They also gave us tickets to ride up and down on the new aerial tram to the brand new gym that was just built.
One of the Docs interviewing me seemed preoccupied and a bit impersonal. She warmed up eventually though, and I learned a lot just from that conversation.
How kind of inaccessible the hospital is being up on the hill. The space partitioned for a library was a bit shabby for being a top notch institution too.
The cost of tuition. Also the students seemed like having lunch with interviewees was a tremendous burden... I had to wonder how cohesive they were with one another also.
OHSU Step 1 board scores are around the national average. This was a real downer for me. What good is the innovative curriculum if it doesn't prepare you for boards? The tuition is pretty expensive too.
My student host is from San Francisco and she mentioned more than once that Portland lacked diversity.
The school and hospitals are secluded on a hill.
Most of the students are older and many are married. For a single female, that was not attractive.
Residency is NOT a factor from the interviews forward; only used to determine whether to offer an interterview. Theoretically, all 120 positions could be filled by out of state students.
The students live all over Portland as opposed to living in one centralized location. The grades are Honors, Near Honors, Pass, Near Pass, and Fail, which basically seems like a grading system (though it sounds like competition is still low).
Some people had two interviews right away in the morning, and some had both late, making it hard for them to catch flights out. There wasn't anything planned during down time, but I was able to explore the facilities and sit in on a class. Ask about what you can do with your free time. I also wished they had given a financial aid info session, but it's probably because they don't have much to offer in the way of financial aid (they get maybe 3% of their funding from the state and do tons of charity care--not a fair setup for OHSU).
my first interviewer came across as emotion-less and he never seemed to be satisfied with what I told him. This interview was miserable...oh well. The second interviewer was excellent and caring.
People there were not nearly as genuinely nice as other places I had interviewed and overall seemed disinterested in selling us on the school. They seemed very full of themselves and the interview day was very unorganized.
The facilities of the school were really rundown. The admissions office comes off as arrogant. It was very disorganized. Basically, you have two interviews anytime between 9 am and 4 pm or so. The day starts with a short presentation, and you get lunch and a short tour. Other than that, you're left to your own devices, so bring reading material.
Across the board, some of the most self-absorbed faculty and students I have met in this process. My interviews were ok, but in my opinion, interviewers seemed ill-prepared and uninterested. As I answered questions for my first interviewer (Devin Gattey) he looked through my AMCAS looking for additional questions the entire time, he interrupted my answers questions to ask additional questions that were completely off topic. I doubt he listened to a single response. My second interviewer alluded to the fact that I didn't have a lot of clinical experience. But shortly after I found a FT clinical job and additional shadowing opportunities and sent in an update letter. I figured that since there was still 1-2 months of evaluating students, that this should be taken into consideration, but the admissions staff said it was too late.
I didnââโ¬âโ¢t think the interview day did the school justice. There were no in-depth informational presentations. Many applicants were already displeased by the parking situation. The interviews seemed to follow a ââโ¬Åโgood cop/bad copââโ¬Âย gimmick, in which I actually felt more comfortable with the apparent ââโ¬Åโbad copââโ¬Âย interview. My first interview lasted 30 minutes. This ââโ¬Åโgood copââโ¬Âย interview was completely conversational dealing with irrelevant outside interests. I felt that it didnââโ¬âโ¢t give me any opportunity to distinguish myself. Then, the ââโ¬Åโbad copââโ¬Âย gave me an hour-long interview, in which he did much more talking than I could. The early questions were premised on arguments that seemed intended to discourage me from being a doctor and give me an impression that my chances of getting accepted were low. There were no questions about my research or current events and issues. At the end of the day, I was a nervous wreck because I had no clue as to whether or not I had done well, but a month later they did accept me.
The tour was weak. Our interview group toured with 2 first year medical students who didn't seem to know much about the school yet. They were very friendly and enthusiastic about the school, however.
The stoic interviewers. It was really hard for me to open up about my personal thoughts, feelings, experiences when I felt like I was talking to a wall-- I don't understand the rationale behind this.
All of the students on our tour were female. Not that having females was bad but I had a difficult time relating with them. None of them seemed extremely excited and they seemed stressed.
As stated before on this site, do the math about the tuition. There was no financial aid talk and very little info given in the admissions packet. All of the info we got was from students (who are still in school and therefore don't know what the weight of their debt truly feels like yet.) There is very little scholarship money available here. I've heard from students that you are often on your own when it comes to financial aid and that the financial aid office is not particularly helpful.
The tuition... READ THE FINE PRINT for the tuition info they send in the interview packet. You have to pay 14 quarters (not just 4 years) and OOS students can't become residents... I did the math: tuition really averages $46,500/year (assuming no tuition increases) out-of-state and $33,250/year in-state.... probably a little too steep for me.
Everyone seemed depressed (although one of my interviewers was awesome). Inconveniences of the location (congested, limited parking, housing, food options)
Lots of downtime between interviews. Interviews are scattered throughout the day. You could have one at 9 and another at 4pm, or both one after the other.
The cost!! The student I stayed with pointed out that the 40K tuition that they state for the first year is only for three quarters and after first year you are enrolled for 4 quarters/year so it is really ~$52000/yr. ouch! Plus, I heard some of the basic science lecturers are pretty lousy... doesn't sound like a great value considering the price you pay.
The students did not seem to be able to separate why they came to the school from their desire to be in Portland, which leaves me with the question of why they attended over other schools in similar cities.
My second interviewer. I talked with a student I worked with after my interview last year and she said she thought they do the good cop/bad cop thing at OHSU with interviews. Don't freak out though from my experience, I am sure it is one of a kind. If you interview with a vascular surgeon at the VA, be aware and ready to stand your ground!
The gym sucked. There was a lot of dead time in between interviews and the lunches. I've seen better organized and more informative interview days. I feel like schools should be excited to tell us about their school... they just left it up to us to ask questions.
I had an interview in the afternoon, and then another interview an hour after it. My first interviewer was 10 minutes late, and she also answered a phone call and talked for 5 mins. It cut into our conversation, and my interview wasnt very long because of those circumstances. My 2nd interviewer was also late.
There are only a few spots available (since they are a brand new MSTP), so they place most people on the waiting list and decide VERY late. This may be a problem if you want to know where you are going soon.
Depending on your area of research interest, opportunities could range from superb to non-existent.
The focus of the school is still certainly on primary care. It feels as though this is changing however.
The school is not diverse at all -- culturally, racially, etc. When asked about this matter, an administrator said that this was because Portland as a city is 80% white. However, ~40-60% of their students are from out of state. It doesn't seem like they are actively recruiting minorities.
The students are mostly older. Althought I also listed this as something that 'positively impressed' me, the downside of this is that they seem to stick more to their own. I didn't get that great a sense of community, or the class as a family. They seemed very granulated, with their own interests/goals(/families).
During my visit, there was a proposed budget cut from the state that, if it went through, would have a fairly severe impact on OHSU. This is definitely something to read/ask about when you are there. (Will programs be cut? Which? Rural medicine rotation seemed a likely target.)
The orientation session was not very informative. There was way too much free time: Check-in was at 8:00 am but my first interview was not until 11:00 am. I feel that that campus is a bit too isolated from the rest of the city.
Scheduling mishaps. My first interviewer hated me on sight. I've never met a stranger I found so rude, insulting, or unpersonable. It is the only interview so far that felt like an interrogation. I was disappointed to be paired for an interview with someone who quite obviously had no clue what even the titles of my papers meant let alone the scope of my field. Two of the three PhD interviewers seemed offended by even the concept of needing an MD in addition to a PhD. The dual degree interviewers are much more pleasant to speak with because you aren't selling yourself to them for a program they find offensive in the first place.
The parking, it seems to me a big hazzle to find a place to park on a daily basis. Although Portland has a great public transportation system which would be great during the first two years of medica school and the PhD. graduate years, it could potentially be a major problem in the 3th and 4th year if you are on call and need to be in the hospital at 2am
the high cost of attendance and lack of grant/scholarship money to help with this; the fact that out of ~20 people in my interview group, only 3 were OR residents; that only a small number of people are accepted outright so that most of us will end up on a hold list and could potentially be waiting well into the spring to find out if we are in or not
Nothing, I already knew about the lack of parking and plan to take the public transportation route. It sure beats sitting in traffic. Portland has excellent and cheap public transportation.
lack of minority enrollment. one of the interviewers was a tool & asked me specific questions about where i interviewed & was accepted at. not cool! parking sucks!!
I don't like that they don't allow the interviewers to see your grades or your MCAT scores. I understand the philosophy behind it (and I bet I'd feel differently if I'd done poorly on the MCAT), but with good grades and an awesome MCAT score, I WANT my interviewers to see them. Although of course they don't define me, I worked hard to get those grades and that score. Also, neither interviewer had ever heard of my small, liberal-arts college and both seemed to think that must mean it wasn't a particularly exceptional school -- if they'd been able to see that I got a 38 on my MCAT, I don't think they would have doubted the quality of my classes. The applicants from Stanford or Harvard I'm sure were not questioned about how good their college was -- consciously or not, the repuation of an applicant's undergraduate institution must affect the interviewer. And, well, I suppose that's just my bitter rant! sorry. got to have one of those every once in awhile :)
I suppose the interviews themselves negatively impressed me because they just weren't positive experiences in general (although one was definitely much better than the other). And I guess they usually aren't -- it was just a bit of a shock coming from the wonderful, friendly, laid-back interview I had had the week prior.
Absolutely no diversity in terms of race. All people in my interview group were white female, all students who spoke with us were white, interviewers and admissions were white as well. The students didn't have much to say when I asked how OHSU was addressing the lack of diversity. But they did say that the in the PCM classes cultural sensitivity is addressed and that they didn't feel that the lack of diversity had negatively affected their experience as students. Coming from a very diverse ultra pC undergraduate institution I was surprised to hear that.
The average age of the first year class tends to be older, around 26. Being a graduating senior, I was the youngest in the interview group by 3 years. I felt out of place when we met other students.
Not a lot of opportunities for students to do research, this is really just a primary care school. Lack of people of color.
Parking is a complete nightmare.
OHSU definitely doesn't "dress to impress." We never had an official rep from the school speak to us--just the admissions coord, a lady not much older than the interviewees who had only been there a couple years. The school is on a hill--literally sits at the peak. Portland seems a bit dreary... everyone said to expect 10 months of gray. You either have to live on the "hill" or down the "hill," and each are significantly different experiences. There is no student lounge/area (yet... they are working on it though).
Location of the campus and the transportation issues it poses. My interviews, orientation, and lunch were spread out over an entire day, so I ended up reading the paper for about three and a half hours between meetings. Once you're up on the hill, you're pretty much stuck there!
Who builds a medical school on a mountain? Generally, med schools and hospitals are built in the most ghetto and densely populated part of town so that patients can be served more efficiently. Some of the facilities looked a little run-down. They definitely don't have the money/resources that most private and even some public schools have. There are only two restaurants on the hill.
Unprofessional interview day. The only tour was given during my second interview, we didn't meet any staff/administration besides the admissions coordinator during the day.
Students seemed a little TOO laid back. They kept talking about how much they love all the free time they get and how little time they have to spend in class. They seemed more focused on snowboarding than on medical studies. I got the impression that they were not the most motivated students in the world.
The parking situation is truly dire. Because it's on a fairly isolated hill, the options seem to be to get an apartment up there (sadly removed from anything city-like), or live in the city and bus it in. It wouldn't be horrible, just a pain. Also, the clinical testing rooms seemed old and kind of thrown together.
Applicants commonly wished they had known that their 1:1 interviews held more weight than MMIs, that the interviews focused on personal characteristics rather than general questions, and that there would be significant downtime between interviews. Suggestions included bringing a book for waiting periods, being prepared for a lot of walking between buildings, and ensuring comfortable shoes for the day.
that even if my MMIs go well my 1:1 holds more weight.
It starts at 7:45 but you will only be busy, including interviews, for 3 hours total. The rest is all down time with no real chance to learn about the school, so bring a book.
That I would have to walk all over the (huge and confusing) campus to meet my interviewers. Give yourself plenty of time to figure out and get to where you are going.
That one interview would be at 9am and the next wouldn't begin until 4 pm. I was very burned out by the time my second interview started from being on my "A game" all day
Know that you might have a few hours of "down time" between interviews, be prepared with a book or something to keep you amused if you can't sit in on a class.
That it takes a while to get around in public transportation, although it is very good and efficient. That downtown doesn't take that long to see, so I should have planned a more thorough itinerary for the day before my interview.
That students of the MD/MPH program really love their program and their faculty and they don't feel over-worked and say it is a quite manageable workload and the curriculum is clinically correlated quite well.
I wish I had reviewed a little more carefully the changes in the status of OGI. I also would have liked to know a little more about my interviewers in advance, ala I would explain optical-trapping to a physical chemist slightly differently than I would to a straight-MD.
That the school is so disconnected from the rest of the city...it's up on a giant hill. The view is great, but there's no parking up there, so using public transportation is a must.
That the majority of the people who ride Tri-Met public transportation are kinda off in their own little world, so to speak.
Also make sure that you have something to do, they schedule you at totally random times during the day so count on at least 5 hours of down time.
Brand new health facility that looks amazing and free to students. A real plus for people who like to use a gym periodically. The new tram that takes you to the river is awesome too.
All the buildings of the campus are connected. But due to being on a hill, they're all connected at different levels. It was a huge maze! Not really a big deal but my directions to my first interview was a paragraph long.
That I might not hear back from the school until after May 15th. The school assigns you a score based on your interviews and a score based on your grades and MCAT score, and combines them into an overall score. That score determines your spot on a list, and they accept a few people from the top of the list every Thursday. You might hear right after the interview or months and months later.
That we would be given a campus map and left to our own devices in locating our interview sites. Not a real problem, overall, though, since the campus is quite compact.
doesnt matter when you interview, NOT ROLLING ADMISSIONS, should've waited until i had a few more under my belt and then scheduled OHSU... live and learn
This school has a serious identity conflict... are they public or private? The future of this school is very uncertain (in terms of sources of funding and I wouldn't be surprised at all if tuition goes through even more major hikes)Also, this process gives tremendous advantage to students that interview late.... the admissions office will claim that this is not true, but please, if you interviewed in April 2006 everything you did up until then will be considered if you interviewed in October 2005 you'll be seen (by the AdCom) as having 6-7 months less experience.
One of the interviewers is an actual member of the admissions committee and will represent you before the committee the other simply gives a summary of his interview and your interview with him is basically ineffectual. They very strongly favor students who have already graduated and have been working in a clinical setting for a year. So if you haven't been doing that you had better compensate in some other way!
I was told by an interviewer that my clinical experience was probably too weak to get in to OHSU (I have shadowed two docs, worked as hospital volunteer for 1.5 years, worked in clinical setting in latin america, and I speak spanish... which creates great connections with latino patients in the clinic.)
The letter they sent me said I would have to pay $10 for parking, but when I arrived at the gate, the attendent let me in for free because I had an interview.
nothing. but a funny thing, one interviewer commented on another school i'd been accepted at: "they have a great transplant program." so i said, "what are the great programs here?" he thought for a while and then said, "there really aren't any." he hastened to tell me, though, that the school is solid in all departments and provides a great clinical education... i was amused not alarmed; i agree that the school is solid.
There is a lot of down time. Bring a book or something to do in between scheuled meetings. The program is really progressive and modern despite their outdated website.
If I had known how beautiful and cool Portland is, I would have extended my stay there beyond just the interview.
I also wished I had known about the proposed state budget cut.
They discourage summer rotations prior to your first year. While I like that they are promoting students to get out and enjoy freedom before entering the breach, I'm curious how this would lengthen the MSTP period (8 yrs.? 9 yrs? more??). Unfortunately, there are not yet any MSTP alumni from OHSU to ask about this.
They just brought in two new researchers in my field (within the month), so there are labs actively seeking to recruit students for what I wish to study. This would have really helped with said hostile interviewer. It would have been nice to request interviewers who had the slightest clue what I do. I would have like to have known that the labs I would work in were on another campus so that I could not see them during a one day visit.
they send you to different offices/buildings for each interview (2 for MD & 3 for MD/MPH), so bring an umbrella. portland is a beatiful & energetic city, despite the rain. fact: portland has less annual rain than atlanta or seattle.
the campus is smaller but more confusing than I realized - they give you a list of interviewers and send you out... it is a bit nerve-wracking (the fear of getting lost on your way to an interview)
Their admittance procedure is very complicated. 80% of your score is based on interview summaries which are presented to the committee- then you are voted on by the committee, those votes become 80% of your score. The other 20% is your grades, MCAT etc. Admissions committee never sees that stuff. THEN you get either accepted, rejected or put on hold. In mid May the entire hold pool gets reevaluated and you may be accepted, rejected or put on a ranked waitlist. You know your number. It is a very long process.
There is a 6 week required rural clerkship where you actuallly live in a small town of the schools choice, and this town could be 8 hours from portland.
I had no idea that the "hill" is more like a mountain (or at least feels like it)!!! This is definitely a good school for older students. Portland lacks a lot of diversity. There is a required rural medicine clerkship (not something I am really interested in at this point).
Lots of walking from building to building to and from your interviews, as well as the tour... so make sure your shoes are walk friendly... most likely you'll visit all of the buildings, lost, looking for your interviewer's office!
Applicants generally found OHSU to be a great school with a strong program, friendly faculty, and a beautiful location. Some expressed concerns about the interview process, including inconsistencies between interviewers, long waiting times, and mixed feedback on the school's culture and interview structure. Suggestions included better communication with applicants, more consistency in interviewer styles, and a more engaging interview day experience.
great school, great program, terrible response time for decisions.
Just prep a bunch of different experiences that fall into categories of facing adversity, leadership, academic adversity etc. to pull from for questions
Some of the MMI interviewers were very unpleasant, odd people. Red flags popped up regarding the program overworking the students/not caring about balance. Interview confirmed the concerns I had regarding OHSU's culture.
I can't speak for many other schools, but OHSU's style of placing most applicants on a hold until all/most interviews are done can be a very frustrating process. They never gave me a specific date and made it sound as though I could hear back from them at any time until April 30th. I have been waiting for a response for several months now, and while initially I was fine the wait is starting to get to me. I would definitely say if a different school had already accepted me I would have just agreed to go with them months ago and would not wait for OHSU. They need to fix their interview process and communicate better with applicants.
The people were very nice and the application pool is very diverse. Don't focus on what makes you unique, focus on what you've learned from the experiences you have had and how it pertains to medical school.
This is my first choice school and I am still excited about the school. I like the new curriculum and the opportunities at the school. However, if I didn't know so much about OHSU from my own experience I wouldn't have been super excited about the school after leaving the interview process.
They had a very versatile and interesting interview format which encouraged flexibility and thinking on your feet. They were calm and kind and knowledgeable for the most part.
There's a brief Q&A session with admissions staff to start off the day and then everyone goes to their respective first interview. Many people will have their second interview done even before lunch at noon as well. So, contrary to many previous posts, the interview day for my group ends at 2 for most people. Mine was essentially done at noon. Luncheon is held in a windowless conference room in Mackenzie Hall with 2 med students, one 4th yr and one 2nd yr for my group. They provided some good insight into life as a medical student at OHSU. The 4th yr student already struck me as someone who will make a terrific doctor as she seemed very confident and passionate about what she does. I wasn't expecting much from OHSU (my only state school so of course I'm applying here) but after the interview day, I feel quite impressed with how happy the current students are with how things turn out for them here.
I've been impressed by the amount of time and energy that OHSU puts into selecting their students, as well as working to develop a more modern and integrated curriculum. However, I think the timing and responsiveness (i.e. sloooow) of their application and decision-making processes makes life incredibly nerve wracking for applicants...but I think it's worth the wait.
The interviewers had read my entire application very carefully, but were blind to grades and MCAT score. They were friendly but tough-- be ready to think on your feet.
I really liked the school's location; it is on a hill that overlooks Portland is not too far from downtown at the same time. Also, none of the questions I had read in interview feedbacks from years past were asked, so there is no knowing what to expect this interview season.
I don't know why people love this school so much...really, I don't. Portland is an AWESOME city, but I really thought that out of the 10 places I interviewed, OHSU was the 2nd worst.
Meet at 7:45 in admissions for orientation, one AM interview and one PM interview (some people had both in the AM though), luncheon and tour with med students (ask them about your next interviewer, they are great at filling you in on the interviewer's personality). Interviewers really do their homework and know all about everything you've sent to OHSU minus your numbers, so be sure to know what you wrote about. Mine quoted me when asking questions.
They told us that the interview counts towards 80% of the admissions decision, so everyone is pretty much on level playing field coming into the interview.
Had a very pleasant day! It was a little breezy/cold even though it was already April, which was a bit of a turnoff...
Check-in by 8am. Continental breakfast, intro/welcome by dean. Couple of interviews, lunch, panel by current students, tour by current student. Couple more interviews. Done for the day! Should be done by 4pm at the latest, some people finished earlier.
The location of the school is beautiful and downtown Portland far exceeded my expectation for a city this size. The hospitals are the best I've seen any where. The interviewers really knew a lot about who they're interviewing and definitely seemed interested in getting to know me as a person. OHSU was at the bottom of my list before the interview but walking away from the interview I know that I would love to go there.
I was more confident going into the first interview than coming out of it but my experiences with the other two interviewers were very positive. I came away more confident than ever that the MD/MPH at OHSU is something I want to do. (Word to the wise: if you aren't extremely stoked about the Epidemiology/Biostats track of the MPH, don't consider OHSU. That's the only track they offer an they aren't interested in you if you want to go into health policy/education/administration/etc.)
Most of my interviews were pretty relaxed. My last interview was a bit more stressful and I dont feel I did as well on it. Unfortunately the last one sticks with me the most strongly, so its hard to have an unbiased view.
the interview day seemed a bit unorganized in that there were large gaps in my schedule and the tour did not have any apparent structure. Yet, I took away an opinion that OHSU is quickly becoming a top tier medical school though it has a way to go.
8am orientation, lunch with med students, tour at 1pm. interviews are in between, as early as 9am and as late as 4pm. as others mentioned, there can be alot of downtime. overall, low-stress and bordering on the unimpressive side, if only because they don't sell the school to you at all...which is sad, because it's a great primary care school. couldn't they have tried just a little?
No good cop, bad cop. No questions on literature or health care like I had seen on here before. Both interviewers were very polite and professional. All in all, I felt like they were just trying to get to know me and understand my motivations more.
Morning orientation, interview, lunch, tour, interview. Pretty standard, but too much time between interviews. There's not much to do in the meantime. On the bus back to the airport, I met an M1 and talked a lot about the school. He was really enthusiastic, more so than my tourguide or students at lunch. He admitted that OHSU has a really lackluster inteview day. Despite this, it's a great school. The most impressive part was my 2nd interview. My interviewer really challenged me and really kept me on my toes. I never actually got to talk about literature in any other interview. It was quite refreshing.
Note: It's really hard to get in right off the bat. Only 120 acceptances are given out. Everyone else is put on hold until people withdraw.
Overall, great school. I hope I get in to expand my options.
Both of my interviewers were kind of stiff, neither was very conversational, which made me kind of nervous at the start. The buildings there are built into the hill, so it can be very difficult to figure out what floor you are on (sometimes you walk in to a building on the 9th floor). I managed to find my interviews without getting lost, but the directions were about half a page long, and a few people did get lost.
Overall, the interviews were a little stiff, but the school looks great. Great buildings, great city, and the students seemed happy.
My first interviewers was very personable and friendly. Quite conversational. My second was rather provocative and a little argumentative at times. I felt that the contrast may have been planned to get a better feel for how you dealt with the two styles.
The rest of the day seemed to flow pretty well. There was a little bit of down time here and there not accounted for and a first and second year class schedule were not available to us for whatever reason.
Portland is a great place so I would encourage people to take an extra day to check out the city and maybe even the hospital on your own.
I really liked the campus and the other students at the interviews. One of my interviews was a bit unconventional but both people were happy with their jobs and were very friendly. The lunch was pretty good too. There is a lot of down time so bring something else to do.
OHSU was a cool school, but I expected more after everything I had heard. They seem to think their curriculum is very innovative, but it is similar to all the other places I have interviewed.
My first interview was great and the doctor was really good at putting me at ease. I feel wonderful about that experience. However I let my guard down because of it and don't feel as confident about my second interview.
I was very pleased with my day at OHSU. The student tour was great. The MS1's were very enthusiastic and very willing to talk about their great experiences at OHSU. The rain went away in the late morning and revealed a spectacular view of Portland from the hill. The tram down to the river was running and it seemed really cool. There was a bit of downtime even though my interviews were during the middle of the day. The whole process wasn't stressful, interview locations were easy to find and the interviews were very conversational. Any stress was mostly self imposed. I was very impressed by the way the students really want to help eachother not out-compete eachother. I liked the way students are able to start seeing patients during the first week adn start getting an idea on what specialty they would like during the first quarter. To me OHSU appeared to be among the best medical schools in the country and although it is ranked high I feel it is underrated for the education it provides.
Portland has a lot to offer. It has many of the perks of a city (nightlife, music scene, good food, great public transportation) AND close proximity to the mountains for hiking and snowboarding.
Being a minority (read not white or black) from a large city, I wonder if I would be bored in Portland after a while or how well I would fit in. I am a very chillax person though so the slower pace of things there is definitely a fit for me.
This was very positive. The first year students came to lunch with us and gave the tour right after a particularly nasty exam, so they weren't on top of their game. The interviewers were both very nice and casual - no Good Cop/Bad Cop. They had standardized questions that were ''suggested'' but didn't use all of them, even used their own in order to get to know me.
We met briefly in the morning. There was coffee and tea, but no food. Each person got their schedule and a map, so that we could find our interviews. Both of my interviews were after lunch, so I had a ton of free time. Ask about sitting in on a class if this happens to you. I recommend calling ahead and asking what time your interviews will be, so that you can plan your flights around them (I did not do so, and wish I had). Then we had lunch with two 4th years and two 1st years. Then I had my interviews, which were both really comfortable. I did not have a good cop and a bad cop, as I had been warned about. Both interviewers were extremely nice and informal, and just wanted to get to know me. They didn't know any of my scores (since the school has already assigned you a numerical score based on your grades and MCATs), but had studied my application well. I had a very positive experience overall.
It was an excellent interview experience. Both interviewers were very familiar with my file, and seemed genuinely interested in my decision process to become a physician. Both interviews seemed more like a conversation than a structured interview.
The interviews themselves were very laid back. I felt like my interviewers really wanted to know who I was. We kept interesting conversation going the whole time and they ended up being longer than I expected. One of them did tell me I'd answered a question wrong, but she was nice about it and also said another of my answers was insightful. They don't have your GPA or MCAT, but they have everything else. I got asked about my activities, morals, outlook, and some usual stock interview questions from a list. The tour was great, and the dean did a good job of explaining the curriculum. I was lucky not to have excessive downtime, but some students did. The food was good and they even had enough for vegetarians (lots of schools I've been to did not).
First interview was pretty standard, related to my AMCAS experiences. I was given a lot of time in the beginning to ask questions, as well.
Second interview was an engaging debate on my stance on health as a human right and my motivation for medicine (versus academia). It was intellectually challenging, but exciting.
overall a pretty good experience. however, one of my interviewers was very unprofessional and made me feel like i ''failed'' the interview for the marjority of the day (i interviewed w/ him in the morning) Most other interviewees had really chill interviews, so I think i just have bad luck.
I killed the interview. In fact my interviewer emailed me and let me know that I had a very strong interviewer. My second interviewer hadn't looked over my file at all prior to meeting with me and it was a huge waste of time. Nice person, but for him to be defending me in front of the comittee left me feeling a bit dissapointed. I had taken my time to interview, I think it is their responsibility to be prepared.
It was a long day but my first interviewer was very laid back and friendly who gave me feedback on questions I answered. Second interviewer had her own prerogative, asking few medically related questions, mostly about literature & history. After the interview she told me she was retired and working on 3 seperate masters in languages, literature & history. Overall the campus is pretty with a great view & Portland is a cool city to live in.
OHSU's interview day can be either very quick or extraordinarily long. I was lucky and had something in between. We (~11) were to arrive at the school by 8am and had a little talk with the dean. Afterwards, we were given our iteneraries. There are two one-on-one interviews with the faculty. Some interviewees had back to back and were done by noon. Others didn't start interviewing until 2 and had their last at 3:30. There isn't much direction during the wait time. Overall, the interviews were very relaxed, I did not get any ethical questions, and we pretty much just chatted about state and national government. I left the school around 3:15.
i dont know... i felt like i definitely botched the first interview, and regretted how it went, but the second one was great, such a friendly and interesting guy, really easy to communicate comfortably with. the lunch was fine, the tour was quick, the older med students were less enthusiastic, but the ms1's were very friendly and very excited about being at ohsu.
This school makes me embarassed to be an Oregonian. Maybe the state will just cut the umbilical cord one of these days and just make OHSU stand on their own two feet.
Donââโ¬âโ¢t be fooled by the interview process. This is a great school. The interviewers have your file minus your MCAT scores and grades.
My first interview was an hour after the morning orientation session. My second interview was at 3:30 PM. They both lasted about 1.5 hours and took place in the interviewer's offices. I showed up early for both and they seemed to be happy that I did. I had a lot of free time between the interviews to explore the campus on my own.
Both interviewers were very friendly. Any feelings of nervousness went away immediately after I met them. Both interviewers seemed to know a lot about me (they studied my application well). They have your complete application minus your grades and MCAT scores. We talked a lot about the research and clincal experiences I have had. They were also very interested in my support system outside of school (family and friends) as well as my extracurricular activities (sports, hobbies, etc).
Overall, my experience did not feel like formal interviews at all. They were very conversational in nature. It was a very positive experience.
I interviewed with 10 or 12 other applicants. Two were MSTPers and the rest were straight MD candidates. Most were from out of state, some from as far out as MO and HI. The morning started off with coffee and a short Q&A with one of the medical school deans about the curriculum and the school. After the Q&A we were sent out to our interviews. I had an hour before my first interview so I explored the campus a little bit, chatted with some of the other interviewees, and then went to the Financial Aid Office to get some info. The woman working there was very nice and showed me a bulletin board where I could look for scholarhips/outside aid. She also gave me a packet of info about gov't funding. Then I went to my back-to-back interviews. The first was with a retired ob/gyn who is now head of alumni association. I was nervous at first so the first part our conversation was more like a formal interview. By the end of the interview, however, I was more relaxed and the interview became more conversational. My second interview was with an research MD at the VA. I was more relaxed during this interview and felt like I left a favorable impression by the time the interview was over. I made it a point to stretch out both of my interviews from 45 minutes to 60 minutes to make sure that I had answered ALL of their questions. After my interviews I rushed to a lunch hosted by some of the med students. All of the food was gone by the time I got there so all I ate was an apple. Lunch was followed by a short tour of the campus. After the tour, I met with the head of the multicultural affairs office for a short information session. I was particularly impressed with the outreach that OHSU is doing in the local community.
My interview day was over by 1:30. This gave me time to further explore the OHSU campus and parts of Downtown Portland.
Overall, this interview was alright and I wouldn't mind going to school here. I had heard a lot about the interviewers being rather hard to read here, and for me it was very true. I think I tried to be as open as possible with the interviewer, but it was VERY difficult when they are so stone-faced. I don't think they can get a very accurate picture of the interviewees when they interview like this.
My first interviewer seemed to have some negative experience with members of my religion because much of the interview focused on my religion. He asked alot of questions that seemed to indicate that because of my religion he might view me as intolerant of other's beliefs (which couldn't be further from the truth). My other interviewer just wanted to match a face with the application and we just chatted about his and I's research for most of the time. (They were both on similar topics) he seemed to already have his opinion formed about me and felt that while I have had alot of shadowing/volunteer experience in a clinical setting that I was less qualified than many of the applicants who have already graduated and have been working in clinical setting for a year. This wasn't an issue at any of the other schools so I don't know why it would have been here.
Each interview took place in the interviewers office on the OHSU campus rather than in a central location. That meant that interviewees were handed a map and had to hike around between interviews. Both interviews were one-on-one and fairly conversational. Most of the questions came out of my file.
Both interviewers had clearly carefully read my whole packet and I felt like they both knew me well. It was a good mix of interviews- one more focused on medicine and the other more focused on the personal.
I had two interviews. It was kind of a good cop/bad cop experience in that one was really nice and the other was the dean of admissions, who was less impressed with me than the first one. There is lots of down time during the day but I felt like I learned a lot about the school and it's a good one.
A friend of mine had interviewed at OHSU two years ago and came back with a glowing review of the school, people, city, etc., so I was elated to get my interview invite. However, it ended up being very disappointing and I can't exactly put my finger on the reason. First of all the weather was DARK with SOAKING RAIN and I heard it had been like this for a month straight. Then, everyone I met seemed sedated. I am not sure if it is just the culture there, or if everyone was depressed, or tired, or what the story was. The students there have the most relaxed schedule I have seen so far at any school (classes only from 8am-noon and then loads of free time), so I doubt it was work overload. The other thing was that it seemed really odd was that when classes end at noon, everyone goes their own way, they don't seem to hang out as a class. One of our tour guides was REALLY ODD and kept going on about how everyone in her class is married and she has no friends there and no one talks to her. Other people have posted on this site that the students seem "genuinely happy", but those weren't the people I met and from what I saw, albeit I am just an outside observer, they were probably the least happy of any students I have seen. The general feeling I left with was although there were some perks to OHSU (i.e. Portland) they are negated by the major inconveniences (weather, parking, high tuition, limited housing and lunch options on the hill) and the general oddness of the students (and I am from SF, so I don't mean artsy, I really mean psychological issues-- I don't think it is a coincidence that OHSU was the ONLY secondary that asked if we had ever been diagnosed with a mental illness).
it was good. my interviewers were both nice and fun to talk to but some people in my group did get grilled so i guess don't discount the comments from people who had a tough interview, but just hope for good luck or at least composure under pressure
Everyone arrives 7:45 and meets the admissions director for an informal Q/A session. Interviewers will have your essays, but not your GPA/MCAT and the interviews/adcom eval counts ~80% and your numbers ~20% for admission(which is cool for some of us). From 12-1 there is lunch, Q/A session with 2 students (one 1st year and one 2nd) and a brief tour (would have been nice to meet more students and maybe some 4th years). One interview in the morning and one in the afternoon... for me, neither one was very difficult, despite other comments on here.
I was worried because some reviews on this site mentioned rather hostile, late, uninterested interviewers. All 3 of the faculty I talked to were very friendly, well prepared, and encouraging.
Two interviewers could not be more opposite. First: amazing. excited to meet me. awesome conversation and very positive experience. Second: whoa. negative. seemed annoyed that he was interviewing at all. interrupted every statement i made within the first sentence. can't believe he's an interviewer. but still very interesting. candid about his thoughts re: OHSU and everything else i asked him. extremely candid. pretty funny, actually.
I spoke with two doctors, both of which were very friendly and did seem like they were trying to get to know me. The students seemed enthusiastic and not too stressed out!
pretty standard, no surprises. it was super clear that the mph is very epi/biostat centered--they do not do much "fuzzy" stuff. oh--and they all wanted to know about my clinical experiences and why ohsu.
My interviewers were both extremely nice and not out to get me in any way. They were both casual and conversational, however they definitly had a list of prepared questions they wanted answers for. The first interviewer asked me a million questions in 30 minutes...down to the books I was reading...to what my family was like...to what my opinion was about problems in health care. He was ready to ask the next question before I started answering the last! Nice but intense. The second interview was with a researcher who was a great listener and took notes on everything I said. Opposite extremes, but great people with good intensions. I fell in love with the school. The campus buildings were old, but had character. The hospitals were new and amazing. The people were friendly and down to earth. The interview day as a whole was a great experience.
I was pretty impressed the by the school and students although I think they could have presented their school better. Make sure to ask any questions you have when the ass. dean comes to talk and talk to the students. Be aggressive in seeking information because it's a great program with a lot of opportunities. The campus is beautiful and people seem well-rounded and excited to be there. Portland is such a nice city with access to everything; the beach, mountains, wineries, and city entertainment.
A great school, and I would like to go here especially because it's close to home. But I get the feeling they really like students with some life experience after college, which I don't have.
Great school as far as the facilities and curriculum go. The school is ~20% minority, but still not diverse enough for my liking. Otherwise, no complaints, though Portland was not as great as I expected it to be.
It was overall very good, except for the tardiness of my interviewers. My 2nd interviewer, after talking in their office for 45 mins, took me to Starbucks as they got caffeinated for being on call that night. Hah.
I really enjoyed my interview day at OHSU. I found the interviewers to be among the most skillful I've come across. For the most part, they asked good questions that allowed me, in a non-stressful atmosphere, to elaborate on my research interests, motivations, and goals. I felt like I was able to get my personality across to them as well. Overall it was a very postive experience.
OHSU recently received accreditation from the NIH for an MSTP. This seemed to have potential pros and cons. On the one hand, OHSU's research has a very up-and-coming feeling to it. They are investing a lot of money into new facilities and the recruitment of basic science investigators. On the other hand, having a new MSTP means that it will likely take some time to have the Program up and running as efficiently as some other schools. Luckily Peter Rotwein, the Director, seems very well suited for this challenge. I got the impression that he was behind his MSTPs 100%, and was very competent.
I enjoyed OHSU immensely, particularly my interactions with the MPH program faculty and staff. The school's atmosphere (location, faculty-student relations, facilities, etc) reminded me of UCSF. Definetaly a "west-coast" feeling.
OHSU is a very nice school and I wouldn't mind going there at all. Although the campus is very nice, I feel that its location on top of a hill is isolating. I was disappointed by the fact that there is no campus housing and that the class is not too diverse. However, OHSU is growing quickly, they are currently building a new campus on the river-front that includes an aerial tram connecting the two campuses.
This interview was my worst nightmare. I had 5 interviews (MD/PhD) which was totally uncessary. There was a scheduling mishap in which I had two sheets. Our student tour guide agreed that I wasn't scheduled for a couple hours, but as it turned out the block/directions was scheduled on a different sheet. Between that and my hostile interviewer, a stress score of 10. Unfortunately, the school and students are fantastic. Current buildings are old, but new facilites are under construction. The students are happy and active. Research is rapidly growing. We had an opportunity to speak with fourth year students which is far more telling than first year students. The marjority of my fellow interviewees were fun and truely intersting people. The hosts seemed to have inexpensive, comfortable living arrangements. Oregon is absolutely gorgeous. I would have been happy to go there.
Portland is a great medium size city which I recommend everyone to take an extra day or two after the interview and visit. The interview day itself was a bit hectic since the architectural feautures of the campus seemed to be a challenege for me to get around and find the proper building/ office where my next interview should be. However, with that being said the interviers were quite friendly and very understanding if I was a bit late since they had my schedule and based on their locations it was quite impossible to be on time, every time. And despite all that some were quite intersted in continuing to have a conversation with me, 15-20 minutes after my scheduled time. Overall it was a great experience and if you are appliying to the Md/PhD. program it would be a great place to do research and help shape the direction this program will take as its relativelly new at this point.
This was my first interview so I went into it feeling fairly nervous, but was quickly put at ease by the friendliness of the staff, the interviewers, and my fellow interviewees. The interview day was well organized, although there can be a lot of waiting around (my interviews were 4 hours apart, with the luncheon and tour in between). Both of my interviews were friendly and conversational, no difficult or unexpected questions came up and they genuinely seemed to want to get to know me as a person. Although I felt like my interviews went well, both of my interviwers seemed like very nice people who probably wouldn't have let on if they didn't like me, so it's hard to say. The students who conducted the lunch and tour seemed to feel that they had a lot of free time and were very happy to be there. I had never really been up on the campus before, and I was impressed with how nice most of the buildings are and with the planned developments for the waterfront--I knew about the sky tram, but they are also building a new hospital, research center, and housing unit that will be connected to the main campus by the tram. OHSU was one of my top choices before the interview, and after going there I really felt like if I get accepted I would probably go--the curriculum and atmosphere are a good match for my goals and personality. I could really see myself as a student there.
I liked the school and could imagine myself living in Portland. It is what I expected and really a solid program that is making a lot of strides towards further progress.
This is a great school, but weather and parking is disappointing. But I think the school's reputation, admin, and students make it all worth it. It's definitely up there on my list!
The interviews went great. The first one was laidback. The interviewer wanted to hear my entire life story. I was surprised by the amount of detail he wanted! This was my time to explain who I really am! The second interview was scary. The interviewer interrogated me. He tried to pick arguments with me. I was shocked because I hate to argue. So I answered the questions honestly and calmly! It worked pretty well. I wasn't sure how to feel about it afterwards but my acceptance showed that my responses were perfect even if he didn't agree with them. I think the key was to stick with my answer and refute his replies politely. I was also asked what I would do if I wasn't accepted and I told him I was already accepted. I think this was great because it made it look like I really wanted to go to school there since I took the effort to come to the interview even after receiving an acceptance.
the med school is definitely on the rise. the MPH program is not in a separate school of public health, but is solid; the preventive medicine program was given an outstanding educational program of the year award in 2004. portland is awesome. i've read some posts that the admissions office is really disorganized and slow, but my experience was much to the contrary. they were always polite and helpful, and i got snail-mail updates on my application.
We checked in at 7:45 -- like practically the crack of dawn. The admissions lady gave a little spiel. She was really nice, and then we all went to our interviews - most people had one at 11 and one at 2 or so --> I had three (combined degree) and they were at 9, 10, and 11 ack! The first guy was really cool - he said he could clearly tell why I wanted to be a doctor from my app(they get everything but the grades and scores) so I dodged that frustratingly long answer. We talked about his art and he said he had no problems with me or my app (rock on!). The second guy was the MPH person - an epidemiologist, he was scary and grilled me for like 35 minutes and then proceeded to go over the MPH program in excrutiating detail and leaving me 2 minutes to get to my third person. Luckily my third person was later than me and I looked on-time. He was a super touchy-feely nice family practice guy and we had a good coversation about universal healthcare and the need for improved federal programs - but he was also the guy that at the end of the interview asked me about cutting (see below) just completely randomly --> he said he knew nothing about it but wanted to know my opinion -- it was a little weird but ok.
The student lunch after the marathon interviews was awesom as the med students they had were nice and super informative.
I had a very polarized interview experience. The first interviewer was like facing your parents after you've done something bad (as a child). He tore apart my application asking for specifics on everything. Example: You shadowed at the ER? Which physicians? How long? Name any other physicians you have shadowed and over what time period. You mentioned you ran a few marathons, which ones and what was your time? (are you kidding me?) Not to mention he had this piercing stare, like he was trying to trip me up. It felt more like an interrogation. The second interviewer was the complete opposite. The questions were more along the lines of "so you mentioned you are interested in primary care, but specialist have better continuation of care, don't you think?". Ah...yeah...sure... I'm not going to contradict an expert in the field. The best part was 3/4 of the way through my second interview my interviewer was needed for a procedure to remove a stomach ulcer. We both scrubbed up and were part of the operation. Without a doubt the coolest interview I have ever had.
I guess I put "no change" as my impression because while the orientation and the student lunch positively impressed me, the interviews themselves left a negative impression, and I left OHSU in a fairly foul mood. One interview was definitely more positive than the other. I think the more negative second interview has colored how I feel about the first one because it's fresher in my mind, but I guess if I think about it, the first interview wasn't so bad, and I definitely felt much more confident leaving it. I guess I feel pretty torn about how I feel about OHSU. I like that it looks like I'd have a lot of free time and early patient contact at OHSU, but I really couldn't tell how going there would affect which residency programs I could match to. (I suppose I mean, is it a "good" school?)
My first interview was easy, alot of questions about my personality, I felt like he was trying to see if I would have good bedside manner. The second interview was long and arduous. Very interesting and difficult questions about policy and the politics behind the healthcare industry.
Great day overall. Specifically, the two interviews were significantly different from one another. The first interviewer asked cookie-cutter questions to which I had cookie-cutter answers. The second interviewer asked more probing, what-did-you-learn-about-yourself-through-this-experience type of questions. The second interview, by the nature of the questions, was more difficult to feel good about. Both interviewers were friendly and non-invasive.
I have spent time at OHSU in the past, but I never realized how great the medical school was. The faculty truly care about the students, there is plenty of opportunity for early patient contact, and the students are easy going. I would love to go to school here.
I was very impressed by OHSU. I like their curriculum, and the hospitals were nice. The school seems to care very much about the students and takes their feedback into account. The interviewers have your file, but not your grades or MCAT score. The interview day is somewhat spread out, with up to two hour segments of time in which one does not have anything to do, but the convenience of their offering interviews three days a week every week far outweighs the inconvenience of waiting around.
There were no out of the ordinary questions, only about why I chose the school I chose, why medicine, etc. They both asked me repeatedly what I did in my spare time, I got the feeling they didn't feel like I did enough. (I work full time but am taking this year to have fun and do outdoor stuff before I go to med school). One interviewer hadn't read my file and started off kind of harshly, the other was completely prepared, very warm and relaxed. The day was soooo long, I was completely exhausted by the end, but it's definately my first choice now.
Overall, lived up to (and beyond) my expectations from what I had heard/read about. The staff and faculty are genuinely concerned for your education and training. Research did not seem overly emphasized throughout my visit but definitely a lot of strong work goes on there, and opportunities for students abound. The early focus on clinical training (starting from first year) is a bonus. The 4th year students told us about feeling very well-prepared compared to their peers (as gauged from residency interviews and USMLE 2, I suppose?) The vibe I get is that each class is quite close-knit, and the place is super-friendly/supportive of student families. I had plenty of time in the morning because one of my interviews got re-scheduled, so I explored the main hospitals, and they were at least on par with the better ones I have seen from other interviews. That is, much effort goes into renovation, updating, gearing for patient-friendliness, etc. If you go, you must not miss the opportunity to cross the Sky Bridge (a 1/4-mile long glass-covered corridor connecting two of the main hospitals).
OHSU seems like a terrific community. The students seemed laid back, but also hard-working when necessary, and interested in making a positive difference. The curriculum is well-known for its innovation. Portland is a wonderful city, with good public transportation. The MD/MPH program only offers an Epi/Biostats track, but they seem very serious about it, and definitely sold me on the value of that track.
I was very impressed with the overall program. OHSU educates its students very well. The day was pretty spread out (I was advised ahead of time to bring a book), and the provided lunch was less than impressive (didn't have enough for everyone--and there were only like 6 of us!!). My first interviewer showed up late and hadn't read my file so he just said, "tell me about yourself." He was friendly though... my second interviewer was a very nice lady but she had some pretty intense questions. I thought it went well, but I also felt like I may have revealed too much about myself... (is it possible to be too honest???). I am glad I went to check it out, but I am not sure if it would be the right place for me.
Overall, the day was fantastic... the students that came in to talk to us and give a tour were so great and enthusiastic. The interviews were very challenging in that they asked very personal questions to get an idea of who I was. Although I felt a little emotionally drained after it all, I genuinely appreciated those questions because I got to show them some of the more intangible stuff about me that can't be written out on an application. Both my interviewers were extremely nice people with warm, friendly demeanors. They were the epitome of dream interviewers in that they were good conversationalists, good listeners, not pushy, and not out to get you in any way.
After talking to a few other interviewees, I would say that, when interviewing at OHSU, be prepared to be asked about your personal acomplishments (via your essays). It seems they are looking for straight, honest input about who you are and why you want to be there.
I loved this interview. My interviewer was very laid-back, very friendly. She asked the standard questions, but she was genuinely interested in my responses and shared many anecdotes with me.
My second interviewer did most of the talking. She just told me more about Portland and why she came to OHSU.
The facilities were nice and the students seemed really happy
that they were able to have a life during medical school. The
first interviewer seemed more interested in asking a list of
questions and then getting me out of there, but the second
interviewer was really nice and seemed genuinely interested in
getting to know me as a candidate. OHSU was already one of
my top choices, and the interview didn't really do anything to
make it look better or worse in my eyes. I still wouldn't mind
going there, but there was nothing that really blew me away.
Both my interviewers were incredibly friendly and interesting people that were excited to meet me and talk about the school. Both interviews were conversations with a few stock questions but mostly get to know you stuff and reflection on my motivations and understanding of medicine. Lunch is hosted by several med students, make sure you show up, one girl didn't and I think it may have hurt her application. The interviewers really liked to talk about the curriculum so definately have some insightful questions ready. Great place to go to school, the students here actually have a life and get a terrific education.
It was a good overall experience, I just had one really really tough interview. I was given no hints as to how either of the interviewers felt about me, and was asked some very thought provoking questions. I would not be too stressed about it, but really think through your answers and have a clear idea of why you want to be a doctor, and why OHSU.
Initially felt very positive, but a tough genuine experience. Interviewers really made me think, asked follow up questions to get at little details and insights into me and my personality.
OHSU is a pretty nice laid back school; if you want a place that's as close as possible to a vacation while going to medical school, this is where to go. Obviously, it has many of the opportunities that you might want - and includes great early patient contact - but there's not a lot of structured time in the first two years. One of the few places I've been where the students were genuinely happy.
While I was expecting one very casual conversational interview and one cut-throat firing range interview, I got 2 very relaxed interviews. I didn't even get asked the "Why do you want to be a doctor" bit, but managed to work it into conversation anyway. The school is amazing and very impressive, and this experience moved OHSU into my number one school slot. It has a very innovative and modern curriculum that interested me greatly.
On the whole, it went well and was relatively low-stress. Interviewers have your entire file EXCEPT grades and MCAT scores, and they ask no questions which would hint at those scores. As I have since been told is common practice, I was given one relatively free-form interview (basically conversational) and one rigid interview (answer the question, no time for elaboration, answer the next question). The rigid interview was somewhat disheartening, as I didn't really feel that the interviewer got to know me. I tried to direct the conversation a bit, but the interviewer interrupted me constantly in order to get on to the next question. For the last 20+ minutes of the interview, he was constantly looking at his watch. Finally, he asked me if I had any questions. I had several, but I only got an answer to one before he said that we were out of time. The conversational interview was very pleasant and encouraging. Interview #1 lasted almost exactly 60 minutes. Interview #2 lasted approximately 70 minutes.
So I was the only interviewer that day. It was strange to have lunch with five medical students and just me, but nice because I could get all of my questions answered. I had two interviews...one with a family practice doctor and another with a pediatric cardiologist. Both were very warm and welcoming, and both new my file very well. It is open file, but the interviewers are not given your GPA or MCAT information, and you are discouraged from talking about your numbers. The interviews are very conversational and relaxed, but know your application well. They are interested in your emotional maturity and motivation to become a physician, among other 'soft' criteria. The students seemed very happy and pleased with their choice. Average age for MS1 students is 26.5 and it seemed like a large majority were engaged or married. Portland is a great city to live in with culture, arts, and outdoor recreation. Just know that it averages about 11 days of sun between November and May. If you haven't experienced this, it can be very depressing. Overall, the experience was impressive and the school became my top choice.
My second interview was a little strange. It was very thorough -- we covered all the basic questions. But he kept making comments about what I would do if I didn't get in, making sure I had applied to other schools, etc. I really hope that he just says that to everyone but it was a little disheartening.
I had a great experience. The interviews were very informal but organized and thorough. Everyone was pleasent and we had one-on-one time with M1s and M4s for honest answers to any questions we had.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest that the admissions office should improve communication by providing timely updates through email, rather than relying on snail mail or manual portal checks. They also recommend faster decision-making processes and more efficient handling of secondary applications to enhance the overall applicant experience.
Have a set date for a decision to be made. If itโs rolling admissions, inform students who interview early of their status earlier into the process even if itโs a rejection.
Please communicate better with applicants. I should receive an email when I am placed in the hold pool and also receive another email when I am accepted/placed on the waitlist/rejected. I should not have to be checking the secondary portal every single day just to see whether the tiny little status dot on the secondary portal has changed. I have been checking almost every day for months now and it's been a very frustrating process.
Faster turn-around time on secondary applications and file reviews. I was 80% through the process with all the other schools I applied to before I even received a secondary from OHSU.
