Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine Interview Feedback Summary
Yakima, WA
Osteopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 40% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a moderate stress level and felt they did okay.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
7.5
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 219 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (80%)
Negatively (10%)
No change (10%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (30%)
Good (45%)
Average (20%)
Poor (3%)
Bad (3%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally expressed mixed feelings about the interview experience at the school, with some feeling nervous and not fully engaged, while others found the staff and faculty welcoming and the campus impressive. Many mentioned the school's potential for growth and dedication to rural medicine in the Pacific Northwest, but concerns were raised about high tuition costs and the school's location. Overall, there was a range of opinions from feeling excited about potentially attending to being unsure about the school's current standing.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
41 Minutes Average
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Number:
4.4 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
86% One-on-One
14% Group Interview
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File Type:
74% Open-File
26% Closed-File
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Interview Modality:
100% Virtual
0% In-Person
PNWU-COM-COMP interviews are an average of 41 minutes, with an average of 4.4 interviews. 86% of interviews are one-on-one, 0% are in-person, and 26% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools based on user responses include inquiries about preparing for medical school, experiences of feeling left out, MCAT preparation and retaking, ethics scenarios like observing a colleague taking medication, clarifications on application details, personal attributes, healthcare system improvements, reasons for pursuing medicine, and challenges in the field. An overwhelming number of responses mentioned an MMI format with scenarios on various topics and a standardized list of questions, which may have been accompanied by a nondisclosure agreement during the interview process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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How does your college assist you in preparing for medical school?
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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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How did you study for the MCAT? You got *** score, that's good enough, will you retake it?
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Ethics: If I were a resident physician, what would I do if I see a co-resident taking a pill after a long shift they just did and they said this will wake them up?
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Is there anything in your application that needs to be further explained?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine discussed a variety of topics including healthcare improvement in rural areas, work-life balance, ethical scenarios challenging confidence, handling religious restrictions in patient care, and parental responses to child injuries. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) as some responses hinted at nondisclosure agreements due to the nature of the questions posed.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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How can healthcare be improved in rural areas?
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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.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by practicing with family, using Student Doctor Network (SDN) resources, reviewing personal statements, participating in mock interviews, researching the school, and staying updated on healthcare-related news. Some also engaged in morality discussions, set up their interview space to reflect their personality, and exercised regularly to prepare.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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 was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including challenges to the body-mind connection, retaking specific classes, undesirable specialties, explaining application details, and ethical scenarios. Some respondents mentioned a nondisclosure agreement possibly related to an MMI format, where questions on health care changes, delivering difficult news, weaknesses, and attracting physicians to underserved areas were also highlighted as challenging.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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You are delivering a speech about the body-mind connection when one student raises their hand and expresses their disbelief in the existence of any connection between the body and mind. How would you respond to this challenge?
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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.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendly and welcoming atmosphere at the school, with staff and students creating a family-like environment. They appreciated the high level of commitment from faculty and staff, as well as the emphasis on student success. The facilities, small class sizes, community support, and dedication to providing quality education were also highlighted as positive aspects that stood out.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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 commonly expressed negative impressions about the interview structure, feeling that it was chaotic, did not allow for equal participation, and affected their ability to make a good impression. Additionally, concerns were raised about the school's location, lack of diversity among faculty, limited study space, and the perception of staff and faculty attitudes. Suggestions included implementing a more structured and fair interview process, addressing concerns openly, and improving the overall organization and environment of the school.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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 ahead of time about the relaxed and informal nature of the interview process, the potential for traditional questions alongside free-for-all discussions, and the importance of arriving on time and prepared. Suggestions included to relax, be prepared for unexpected delays, and familiarize oneself with the interview location to avoid last-minute stress.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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.
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
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.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest updating the admissions portal to be more user-friendly and modern, providing a structured interview format for better engagement and comfort, and ensuring timely communication, especially regarding interview schedules and online payments.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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!
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
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Yakima
20% interviewees used Yakima (Yakima), with 10% using - then drove to Yak (PDX) and 10% using I flew to , and from there I flew to YKM. (SEA) and 10% using The Yakima airport. (The Yakima airport.) and 10% using SeaTac (SeaTac) and 10% using Seattle Airport there then bus to Yakima due to cancelled flight. Home was Yakima airport. (Seattle Airport there then bus to Yakima due to cancelled flight. Home was Yakima airport.) and 10% using Seatac (Seatac) and 10% using Yakima Air Terminal (McAllister Field) (Yakima Air Terminal (McAllister Field)) and 10% using Zoom Visit, so all virtual. I think this should be the way of the future. Saves a OF MONEY!!! (TON).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by automobile to the interview.
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38% Airplane
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59% Automobile
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0% Train or Subway
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3% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Red Lion (average ranking 9/10), with some staying at Cedar Suites (Yakima/Downtown) (average rating 6.5/10). (Top 3 displayed)
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Red Lion
9/10
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Cedar Suites (Yakima/Downtown)
6.5/10
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Oxford
10/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (23%)
Other (3%)
Student (73%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Enthusiastic (83%)
Neutral (17%)
All Responses
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