Yakima, WA
Osteopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 40% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did okay.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school as average compared to other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include scenarios on ethical dilemmas like handling patient confidentiality, professionalism concerns among colleagues, and delivering difficult news to patients. Additionally, questions about personal experiences, motivation for pursuing medicine, study habits, and viewpoints on healthcare reform are frequently explored, with some interviews conducted in the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, potentially involving nondisclosure agreements.
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Define perseverance and describe a time that you showed perseverance.
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Describe one time that you felt left out and how would you treat a patient of they were feeling left out?
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Ethics: A minor, 16 years old, plays football and has a history of three concussions. He is at risk for TBI with long term effects. He has signed a scholarship to play football in college. You suggest that he doesn't continue his football carrier because you are concerned about his outcome. He doesn't want you to tell his parents. What do you do? How do you tell him? Who else should you involve?
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How did you study for the MCAT? You got *** score, that's good enough, will you retake it?
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Which class did you find difficult?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said the most interesting question asked at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine discussed a variety of scenarios including work-life balance, ethical dilemmas, handling pediatric injuries, and motivations for pursuing medicine. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) based on the diverse range of ethical and situational questions, potentially subjecting respondents to a nondisclosure agreement regarding specific questions asked.
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Have you thought about work-life balance as a physician?
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Ethics: As a medical student, the physician points to somewhere on the body and asks what that is. You feel 100% confident in your answer and say it's XXX. The physician says you're wrong and that was a stupid answer. What do you do?
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Is there anything in your application that needs to be further explained?
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An ethics question about religious practices not allowing for the treatment needed and how you would handle the situation.
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The one about the pt. with terminal cancer
What was the most difficult question?
Students said the most difficult question asked at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine discussed a variety of topics, including preferred medical specialties, explaining application details, communication scenarios with patients, and health care system improvements. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format or nondisclosure agreement, indicating a structured interview process with specific guidelines.
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Which class would you go back and retake?
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What kind of doctor do I NOT want to be?
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Is there anything in your application that needs to be further explained?
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The one about tertiary care because I didn't fully understand what tertiary care was.
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The question regarding being in the rotation with the drunk ER doctor.
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
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.
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 7+ hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by automobile to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent less than $100.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Yakima Air Terminal (McAllister Field) (YKM)
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Zoom Visit, so all virtual. I think this should be the way of the future. Saves a TON OF MONEY!!!
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Yakima Air Terminal (McAllister Field)
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Yakima
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The Yakima airport.
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Seattle Airport there then bus to Yakima due to cancelled flight. Home was Yakima airport.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
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red lion
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airbnb
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The Economy Inn- awful but $40!! Oh yeah.
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Oxford Suites
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Oxford Inn and Suites
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Many applicants prepared for interviews by practicing with family, using forums like SDN, conducting mock interviews, and researching the school and current healthcare news. Suggestions include reviewing personal statements, studying the school, staying updated on healthcare issues, and remaining calm during the interview process.
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SDN
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Practiced with family, used SDN
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Didn't really prepare. Had 5 other interviews prior so felt ready
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Zoom interview. So I spent time setting up my room with things that showed who I was, and made sure the Camera captured it all. Had mock interviews and morality discussions with family and friends. Watched lots of youtube advice videos and read blog columns. Dug deep into their website to find specific questions to ask. Exercised every day.
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Researched MMI and sample answers, reread personal statement and secondary submissions
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendly and welcoming atmosphere at the school, with staff, faculty, and students creating a supportive and close-knit community. The dedication of the faculty to student success, commitment to continuous improvement, and the school's focus on providing a positive learning environment were commonly highlighted as positive aspects.
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conversational style interview, my interviewer was smiling and nodding the whole time event though I know my answers made zero sense.
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Multi-Mini interviews was fun through zoom.
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The group style discussion. It was fun meeting other applicants. Students seemed down to earth. The deans felt reachable and relatable. Admissions seemed available. Loved the faculty interviewer!!! She really made a huge difference for me. I am really excited to get to know her more.
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Interviewers and staff very friendly and relaxed
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Anatomy lab and curriculum is fantastic. You will know your anatomy well at this school. Students and staff seem freakishly happy. Very much a family atmosphere.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants were commonly concerned about the disorganized and chaotic group interview structure, lack of opportunity for all candidates to contribute, unprofessional behavior from interviewers, faculty diversity, limited study spaces, and the school's newness and location. Suggestions included improving interview formats, providing clearer information on rotations and student housing, enhancing faculty professionalism, and addressing concerns about the school's development and location.
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Staff was argumentative and slightly rude.
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The fact that we were split into two groups, 10-15 people per group, and then asked the question "what could we do to improve healthcare in rural populations", then let discuss for 20 minutes. Absolutely horrible structure, had 7 other interviews and this is the only one that did something like this. There were so many people wanting to talk, and so many "oh no you go.." "oh sorry no you go.." "no that's okay you go..". And so many "I agree with xxx, I also want to add..". Little time for people who wanted to talk and bring up their points because so many people were always interrupting lol wtf is this. It's harder on zoom because there could be a lag on people's end, so they could go on while interrupting someone and then the next person would do the same. I kept trying to say my point but never was able to because of this so I just typed it out. You could tell who were the gunners and who wanted to talk but couldn't. Maybe this was one of the reasonings behind this, but it was so poorly structured to not give people a chance to talk and say their points in front of everyone. Another school did something like this but was more structured and felt more calm by going one by one, giving each individual a chance to talk. This was like a free for all. Pointless when trying to make a good impression on potential students in my opinion. Left with a bad taste in my mouth and would not want to go here if I got in. Also, rotations third year will be making you travel potentially more than many other do schools. Travelling is a given for DO schools, but this school seems to be more so than others. Definitely research and ask how often they have to travel for third year and compare this with other do schools, this is just what I found when I looked this up and went through interviews.
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Students also seemed a bit "academically cocky". But I guess that is to be expected, afterall they are all in MEDICAL SCHOOL!! Faculty didn't seem that diverse.
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CASPer
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Small, Yakima, no gym, no cafeteria, no dedicated board study time, unclear research opportunities???
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known more specifics about the interview format and schedule, such as the presence of traditional questions, the relaxed atmosphere, and potential waiting times. Suggestions included preparing for unexpected factors like weather, ensuring updated GPS information, and being mindful of arrival times.
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That we were going to be doing a free for all discussion on a certain topic.
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It's not as stressful as you think. Relax, you prepped hard for this. The interviewers are just people too.
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You may answer traditional questions too like greatest strengths and weaknesses
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That there is no panel style interview.
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That the weather would be horrible and too bad to drive so then I wouldn't have had to buy a last minute plane ticket.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally shared mixed feedback about the interview experience at the school, with some expressing nervousness impacting their responses and others mentioning positive aspects such as the welcoming environment and emphasis on holistic learning. Some highlighted concerns about the location, cost of tuition, and waiting times during the interview day, while others praised the school's potential and dedicated faculty for rural medicine education in the Pacific Northwest.
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Don't just answer the question, please answer with a story. My interviewer asked about one of my experiences and I jsut said what I did in my role instead of expanding further because I was so nervous.
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Got in but not going, you can tell that I did not like this interview. Personal preference I guess but just wanted to share. Good luck if you do apply and receive an interview here! I'm sure they have a solid curriculum but was not left with a good impression at the end of it. N=1
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I liked the experience overall. I think that it is a school worth considering, especially if you love the outdoors, rural Pacific Northwest, and like a holistic and group learning approach to school. I am looking forward to attending there!!!!
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To be clear, the format is four MMI stations which are individual, and two groups stations that are activity-based.
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Overall I liked it, but didn't love it.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested updating the outdated portal, improving the interview process to be more individualized and less intimidating, and providing more clarity on interview schedules and online application procedures. They also appreciated the responsiveness and helpfulness of the admissions office staff.
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The portal is very outdated and kind of confusing in comparison to other schools.
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Please do not do the free-for-all discussion session. That may be good for your admission team to view, but for the potential students that experience is not beneficial in my opinion. There are better ways to do this such as giving each individual a chance to talk and express how they feel about a certain topic. Another school did this within a group and it felt much more comforting to know that the school cares about your opinion and wants to hear what you have to say. Did not get this impression from pnwu.
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Keep up the good work. I had a small hiccup with my application, which was addressed quickly and smoothly. Everyone was super friendly. I am looking forward to continuing the admissions process next week!!!
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N/A
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Interview is too long!
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