Philadelphia, PA
Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 7% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
9.2
Exceptional
Outstanding interview experience: exceptionally organized, highly professional staff, strong communication, and very low stress.
Based on 415 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 low stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (90%)
Negatively (1%)
No change (9%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (26%)
Good (59%)
Average (15%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally expressed high levels of enthusiasm and admiration for the school, emphasizing a positive interviewing experience with relaxed, conversational interviews and friendly interviewers. Most appreciated the well-organized day, informative sessions, and opportunities to interact with students, while some noted minor concerns such as the financial aid presentation and the size of the interview group.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Seems like an amazing school, I was really impressed!
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Everyone here loves Penn. Their motto is, it seems, "everything sunny all the time always".
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Good experience :)
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Loved the school and had a great time at the interview day
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Great school, I would love to go here. There isn't really anything wrong with this school, I just wish the Pass/Fail lasted longer than the first 6 months.
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It may have been a coincidence, but the interviewers' work and interests matched my background. The student interviewer let the conversation flow. The faculty interviewer asked a series of short, standard questions. Overall, I had a good time.
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I loved it!
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Great interview day, great school, and happy students.
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Great school, great day of interviews.
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This was by far the best interviewing experience I've had so far!
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Both interviews (faculty and student) were completely conversational and informal - that's why I didn't list any questions above. There were no tricky questions. They just wanted to get to know me as a person and also really see if I would be a good fit for the school.
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The student interviewer had less information on my file than the faculty interviewer.
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Has become by far my #1 choice.
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It was a great, relaxed interview. Everyone was amazing, talk to the students as much as you can since they are the reason you should want to go here. Waiting until March to find out is going to be very painful.
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Ask lots of questions. try to stay after for the activities they offer. try to stay with student so you can ask them questions.
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The day was very organized and began with a tour and financial aid presentation. Lunch was a great time to talk to students from different years. Interviews followed. Overall, a very packed day but very informative.
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Faculty interview is completely open. Student only had personal statement and activities, but no scores.
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Nice place. Very conversational interviews.
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The interviewer was kind, welcoming, and truly interested in the applicant. The interviewer asked standard questions, but framed them in a way that made the questions particularly interesting. What a great guy!
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One of the best schools to study medicine in the world.
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The day is well organized and the interviewers were very laid back and kind. They, like all med school interviewers, just want to get to know you. I fell asleep a little during the financial aid talk, which is incredibly embarassing, but the dean who had been giving the talk just approached me afterwards and sympathetically asked me if I needed some coffee, since she knew how hard travelling across the coast can be.
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Many interviewees, but overall, the day is structured enough such that it is not at all a problem. Be relaxed, you'll learn much about Penn. We even got to go to a brain dissection class.
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Stayed with students in Center City the night before, went to class with them at 8 AM, then the official day of info session, anatomy lab, tour, lunch (phenomenal view), and two interviews. One interview was incredibly relaxed with a student, while the other was much more formal and with a faculty member. The student will have pored over your AMCAS application, but the faculty will likely have just skimmed it.
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Amazing.
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Great school- large hospital system, very friendly admissions staff. student interview seemed awkward though. stats: last year, out of 5,700 applicants, they interviewed 840, and accepted 220 for matriculating class of 150.
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My faculty interview at Penn was the most relaxed interview I've had all season. We just chatted about medicine, surgery, research at Penn, life in Philly, etc. My student interview was more structured but still very relaxed and friendly. Both had obviously read my AMCAS application and asked pertinent questions.
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Student interviewer was very interesting and relaxed. the faculty interviewer was the most relaxed I have seen. He was a resident and so acted as a peer instead of a prof.
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I was very positively impressed with the city, the people, the culture, the campus and the school. The facilities are beautiful. The opportunities at funded research are second to none, as is the access to faculty. The curriculum is also very flexible. The one thing I didn't like was how the financial aid presentation seemed more like a justification of UPenn being so expensive, and seemed to be almost ''selling'' the school.
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Just wonderful. It was super organized, informative, packed day, great presentations, people help you go everywhere. Just a great experience
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The presentation by the admissions person in the morning was really positive, and really sold the school. We spent about an hour in the anatomy lab talking with 1st years. The tour was great, taking us through the hospitals. Then we had a faculty and student interview. My faculty interview was great and really intelligent. My student interview had taken the time to study my file and ask me pointed questions about my application. Everyone was nice and loved the school. Great experience overall.
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Overall, it is a really long day. You get there really early in the morning. I wish I did not get so intiminated by the fact that it was Penn. However, as the day progressed I relaxed more and more and by the time my interview came around I was totally relaxed and I think I nailed it.
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My faculty interview was very relaxed and conversational. I wasn't really able to read him very well to evaluate whether or not I was doing a good job, but I think it might have just been his personality.
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It was very organized and your interviewers are chosen for a reason. The lunch was good, the information sessions were thorough, the faculty seem very nice but the students seemed to have forgotten that they were at Penn for goodness sakes! You'll go there and see what I am talking about.
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Breakfast and time to meet other interviewees (approx 20 of us) followed by info sessions, going to an M2 class, tour, lunch, and interviews. Everything was very laid back. Students and staff were very friendly and there to make your day as stress-free as possible. Student interview as extremely laid back (as in the girl asked me almost no questions). We talked, but mostly about upenn as opposed to me / my experiences. Faculty (clinician) interviewer was soooo nice. Probably my most enjoyable interview yet. Asked me easy questions and really seemed to like upenn.
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The interview day starts pretty late, 9:15-10:00 is breakfast and just time to hang out with other applicants. Then there was an overview presentation which was really extensive and very informative. After that there was the student-led tour and then the financial aid talk. I liked how honest the staff was about debt and dealing with it. Then we had lunch with students, after which there were three 45-min blocks. Two of them were for interviews - one faculty and one student; the other was for free time. Both the student and the faculty interviewers were extremely nice and I enjoyed my conversation with both of them immensely. The student asked pretty typical interview questions, but he did it in a way that made the conversation totally casual. Both interviewers seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me and figuring out whether I would fit into the school's environment. I thought the interview went very well.
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Both interviews were very laid back. be prepared to ask both interviewers questions about the school even though the interviews come after a day-long session where the school tells you everything there is to know about it, so you may have to re-ask a question.
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They really try to sell you on Penn during the somewhat long day (9:30 - 3:30). It's a great school with great faculty although I didn't think the students were all that impressive. The extra 6 months in the clinics is awesome in my opinion, and the students pretty much match wherever they want.
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Overall great day except for, as I've already indicated, my ridiculous faculty interview. The student interviewer was very friendly and inquisitive; I enjoyed that conversation.
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I was not into Penn at all until it got to the interview aspect. There's a talk from a faculty member and financial aid info, then the tour and lunch. During all of it, I was not loving how great everyone thought they were. Lots of cocky attitudes. So I wasn't loving Penn by the time I got to my interviews in the afternoon. I somehow lucked into the world's nicest and most interesting faculty and student interviewers. Great rapport, great conversation, no stress. All around wonderful. I left Penn thinking about it differently than I had upon arrival.
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Penn was great. They did a lot to make sure the day was paked with informative sessions and that there wasn't much downtime. Still, it all seemed useful and worthwhile. The tour guide that I went with (there about 30 interviewees there total) was great - probably the best I've had anywhere. Student interviewer was very easy going.
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Penn came off looking really good, but I think this may be an exaggeration. They particularly stress the dual degree opportunities, but I think that they are falsely representing how easy it is to participate in these programs.
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Guys truly don't worry about this interview, everyone is great. I had a great time, the students are so helpful and happy and you get to choose classes to attend with students. I feel that Penn really has one of the best experiences to offer out there and they really make you feel at home in that atmosphere. Also, the med school is embedded throughout the undergrad campus so it has a great feel to it.
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Very positive, laid back, enjoyable.
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Nice, organized day. The interview group is HUGE though--like seriously, enormous. All day long I kept looking at other interviewees and thinking geez, have I even seen you before? The size of the group made me feel a little less engaged in the day, especially during presentations, which then felt like lecture class. Going to anatomy lab with the students was great, and my interviewers were both very nice. They were, however, definitely my shortest interviews ever: one was 1/2 hour and the other BARELY 15 minutes, so I felt somewhat rushed. All in all, though, a good day.
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You have 2 interviews - one with a student and one with a faculty member. Each is about 30 minutes long. They are just trying to get to know you; there's no grilling. The questions are softballs, and the whole experience was very relaxed. My faculty interviewer even offered me a diet coke from the fridge in his office, which I thought was pretty awesome. Just relax and be yourself.
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I'm really impressed with Penn, can't wait to hear from them!
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This interview was a totally exciting and amazing experience. Everyone's more accommodating than you could ever imagine and I didn't know anyone who had a negative experience out of about 20 kids. It was a bunch of faculty trying to impress you and students who loved the place.
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My interview experience was great. The day was very organized and well laid out - nothing was stressful. Start the day with breakfast/coffee, ppt presentation about the school by the dean, class oberservation, financial aid presentation, tour (tour guide was EXCELLENT; animated, knowledgeable, cute), lunch (very nice!), interviews, good bye! It was a very long day, but worth it. I really feel like I know a LOT about Penn now - and it just does really seem great.
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I loved UPenn. If admitted, I will probably attend. It's a great school with great students and great facilities. It's in a really interesting area of Philly, but it's close enough to fun, younger areas that you're not required to live in University City. I can't sing its praises enough.
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Penn is fabulous. The curriculum is unique, the students are excited and social, and the faculty is enthusiastic. I would love to come here. Unfortunately, they don't have rolling admissions, so I won't know until March.
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I liked Penn a lot while I was there, but the more I thought about it afterwards, the more stressed-out the students seemed. The interviews themselves were not a big deal- very conversational and relaxed.
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I was completely blown away by Penn. I was nervous going into the interview because of the school's excellent reputation, but they did an excellent job of setting a nice calm tone. We got to go to a class (anatomy lab or a small group course), have a tour (brief view of CHOP, HUP, and the area right around there, and have lunch with a great view. My tour guide was amazing, she was a very knowledgeable third year. For lunch we ate with current students with whom we could also ask questions. After lunch were the two interviews. There was ample time to speak with the other interviewees who were all very accomplished, down to earth people. Altogether I would have to say that I can not imagine a program that could put together a much nicer day than at Penn. And the curriculum is well thought out and efficient allowing for 1.5 years coursework, 2.5 clinical.
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Good interactions with students through hosting experience, sitting in on class, campus tour and lunch chat. The interviews were relaxed and pleasant and the admissions staff was very organized and extremely helpful. Penn left a great impression!
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I was very impressed with Penn. The interview day was very well-organized and fun.
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It was amazing! i loved the school and will probably go there if i get in.
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It is an amazing school, with a diverse array of students and teachers. I found it to be supportive and self avowidly "touchy-feely". They want students who can go out of their way to learn in a highly unstuctured environment. The interviews were relaxed and conversational.
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The interview group is larger than most--30-35 kids. You get ample time to meet with current students, tour the facilities, and attend a class. Overall, the day was very well planned. One interview is with a student. The other is with faculty.
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Penn is an amazing place with fantastic facilities and opportunities. The school, students, and tour impressed me tremendously. This is a great place to be for learning good medicine.
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Penn is a great school that still makes an effort to sell the program. The curriculum is nice because they shrink it to 18 months of pre-clinical, giving you more time for electives, research, etc. later on. The facilities are gorgeous, the campus is beautiful, and the students were for the most part really happy. The only down side was Philly, which is definitely a lesser city than others in the NE.
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It was great! my faculty interview went really well and the interviewer was really nice! the whole day was very relaxing. it was great getting to attend a class, the tour was very helpful, not ridiculously long, all of the student were very nice...everyone is friendly and helpful...it was just a great day!
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Well, I took a wrong exit and drove around philadelphia for an extra 2 hours. I arrived at Upenn at 11:00 although my interview day started at 9:00. When I got there, I was kinda pissed since Upenn had posted the wrong exit signs. Anyways, somebody at the university gave me directions to the school. When I arrived, I met this women who apologized for the directions, and offered to find some food and coffee while the student tour was returning for fin. aid. Later, I learned that she was actually the Dean of Admissions! I must admit that the hospitality at UPenn was phenomenal and it left me with a good impression of the school.
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Very casual, and yet highly informative. I really got to meet a lot of students through the tour, lunch, presentations, and the class you sit in on--which is great because they are all cool and down to earth. Also, specifically, the chance to sit in on a class was great.
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My interview was focused more on my weaknesses than accomplishments. My GPA is righ on their average, but still I was asked to explain my marginal grades.
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I loved UPenn. I was sorta expecting this school to be less than it was hyped up to be, but it far exceeded my expectations. In the morning you have a brief breakfast, a talk about the curriculum, a visit to a class, a tour by a third or fourth year student, a financial aid chat, lunch, a faculty interview, a student interview, and then a wrap-up. The day is very long, but well worth it. I loved UPenn and would love to get in there.
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Outstanding. Breakfast and you hear from Gaye and Gail Morrison (they are great!). You sit in on a class, hear about financing your education, and take a tour. Your tour ends for lunch over looking the Philadelphia skyline with other students. You have two interviews (student and faculty) and then they have a rap up...not really informative kind of nice but kind of pointless. It is a long day and be prepared you will be happily zonked afterwards.
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Needless to say, I was very impressed with Penn upon interviewing there (see my super-long positive impression list below). The faculty did a wonderful job of welcoming us to the university, which is a big change from some of the other east-coast schools I've interviewed at. Despite the long day, I came out drooling and saying "mmmmmm, Penn". Best interview experience ever
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UPenn is a really good school and Philadelphia is a bustling city. Tons of people live here, so parking is very difficult (parking permits are ridiculously expensive!). Rent is not cheap, so it may be cheaper to live a bit far from school (many students said they lived in Center City, not West Philly). I didn't really get to see much of the campus, but the medical school is integrated with the undergraduate campus. Try to talk to as many current students as you can (student hosts, tour guides, even those who drop by for lunch). They are an excellent source of information and will tell you what they like and don't like about UPenn. The faculty and staff are very friendly and warm. My faculty interviewer was such a nice guy! I asked him a question about clerkships, and he escorted me to the admissions office to get a definite answer. He even came to meet me after my interview was over and gave me his card to contact him if I had any other questions. My student interviewer was actually very sick, but he still tried to answer my questions as best as he could. The tours were given by a group of 4th year students, and they were quite informative as well. Apparently, starting your clinical rotations in the second semester of your second year will free up more time for applying and interviewing for residency program. But, I also heard that the curriculum is quite hard in the beginning as many of the traditional courses are taught in shorter periods of time. We got to sit in one of the second year discussion classes and walked through the anatomy lab. All in all, I would say it was a very good (albeit rather long) day.
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It seems to me that the interviews were more for students to get to know Penn than for Penn to get to know us. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. In both interviews I had, the interviewers spent more than half the time talking about how much they love Penn. My faculty interviewer was particularly friendly. He told me about places to go in Philly (i'm from Cali) and where to eat. He even drew me a map of how to get to all the famous Philly cheese steak places! How cool is that!
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UPenn is a great school. The interview day is extremely well organized and makes you feel like your effort in applying is matched by their effort the day of the interview to get you to understand what they are all about. Both of my interviewer (1 student + 1 faculty) were fairly conversational and very naturally flowing... only on that last one did I feel slightly put on the spot. All in all, I am very impressed with the school and I really liked the students. They seem to enjoy it there, which is always a good sign.
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My student interviews was great. When I first went in, I was so nervous my cheeks were burning, at the end of the interview, we were chatting like old friends. She gave me her opinion about the school - the positives and the negatives which I appreciated (because not a lot of people there addressed the negative aspects of being a student at U Penn). My faculty interview was definitely strange. The interviewer offered me a piece of gum as I walked in because he was chewing one. Then he asked me a few questions from my application - but sometimes I felt he was being condescending and making light of what I wrote in my personal statement. Then we talked about Alaska the whole time (he had lived there, I've spent a few summers in the great north). At the end, he gave me ten minutes of "my time" and said he did not want to call it "questions time" because then students feel compelled to ask him your standard propective students questions, to which they probably already know the answer. So, we talked about Alaska the last ten minutes. This interview took me by surprise - nothing I was expecting. No questions like why medicine, why Penn. At the end, I really could not tell whether the interviewer really liked me or was mocking me...it was hard to tell from his attitude.
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It was a nice experience. They tried really hard, even though the school sells itself, and that meant a lot to me. The interviews themselves were low stress, so I guess the stress came more from worrying about keeping my suit nice until the afternoon, not being comfortable because the buildings were hot, and worrying about getting in.
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The interviews were very relaxed. I interviewed on Halloween, which made the experience even more chill. My student interviewer had come up with some creative Halloween based questions, which I found quite entertaining. The faculty interview was more serious, but not stressful. Overall, just know why Penn and why medicine? All the rest falls into place
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Penn really impressed me. I went in with some preconceived notions about the competitiveness of the students and some negative thoughts about the curriculum. Don't believe the stereotypes...Penn's students are anything but cutthroat, and the curriculum is great. Even though the basic sciences are compressed into 2 years, the students do extremely well on the USMLE (about 1.5 SD above the mean). They don't feel like they're being thrown into the clinics unprepared, at least no more than they would after 2 years of basic sciences. The tour was kind of short but the guides were 4th year students, so we got a lot of information out of it. I loved that we got to sit in on a class for 45 minutes, and that we had a choice of which class (anatomy lab or dermatology lecture). As for the interviews themselves, they were very conversational and informal...no stress, no ethical questions. They basically start with a question and play off of your response. Finally, since I interviewed on Halloween, it was cool to see the admissions office people in costume! And we got free candy during lunch.
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Overall the interview experience went very well. Stress level was a little higher than I originally anticipated, but I guess I should get used to it. No big problems. Great campus, opportunities, and people. I can't wait to go.
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Penn is awesome. Philly rocks and there is plenty to do. Being smack between NYC and DC is great, but philly has so much to offer.
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It's a really nice school and fortunately, I have been accepted and will definitely go there. The students and the staff that I met were really nice. It seems like a nice environment to be.
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I (heart) UPENN!!! Please take me! i love you. While I previously never considered it very seriously partly b/c I didn't think they'd consider me, and partly b/c I didn't know too much, after visiting this school is my numero uno.
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Great school! Very impressive what a bit of money can do! If only they were slightly more successful with their match rate! Still...Penn is a (not the) top choice of mine. Anyone would be very happy to be there.
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The faculty interviewer was extremely nice and made me feel very comfortable. She knew my application very well and posed a few interesting but not stressful thought questions. The student interviewer didn;t appear to know what we should talk about- it seemed like she wanted to clarify a few minor details from my application but they were a bit unconnected so the conversation wasn't as smooth as the one with the faculty member. The student interview was only ~15 minutes. There were lots of interviewees there that day, but the admissions office staff was very organized and efficient.
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The entire interview was extremely relaxed and non-confrontational. It was as if I had two conversations instead of two interviews. DO NOT SWEAT THESE INTERVIEWS. The whole day revolves around them selling you on Penn (which, given the curriculum, is an easy sell) and they seem to want you to use the day to evaluate whether or not you think Penn is a good match for you. Both of my interviewers asked me questions directly from my AMCAS app, so if you have taken time off after college or have some special/unique experiece (e.g. military, like me) then expect to discuss it. Also, Penn seemed to make a point of matching me with a student interviewer who was also 'non-traditional' and a faculty member who shared my alma-mater so it would appear that they try to give you interviewers you have something in common with.
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You should come in with a solid understanding of how UPenn's teaching style and class structure works. Otherwise, it was a pretty laid back day.
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Penn puts on an impressive show. The curriculum is very flexible and the faculty is dedicated to making things happen for the students. One can do anything that interests them at Penn, and the school will do its' best to make it happen. It would be a great place to study medicine for a self-directed student.
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It was awesome. Penn is one of my top choices, so I was nervous during the interviews. They were nice, but they were pretty tough questions in comparison to the casual conversations that I've had at other schools. Make sure you know how you feel on healthcare issues.
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It was ok. some questions were pretty tough but fair. Make sure you can back up things you stated in your essays
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Faculty interview was kind of stressful.
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Overall, the interview was good, maybe even great compared to other interviews, if the questions are compared. There was one half hour session with a student which was actually a little more stressfull than a second half hour session with a faculty member. The choice of faculty member did not appear to be random. The questions asked did not seem evaluative. The student just wanted to see consistency with my personal statement and the faculty member just spoke about my interests and wanted to make sure I knew everything there was to know about the school. From my experience, I believe the interview is probably not a big factor in determining who to keep and who to drop because it was simply more of an information session with little or no evaluation.
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This was a wonderful experience. Definitely a full day. The unique curriculum was explained well. Both my faculty and student interviews were wonderful, very relaxed. The facilities are great, and more buildings are springing up all the time. And they give full merit scholarships! I guess I have to cross my fingers supertight to get that...
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This was my fourth interview, and of all of them the Penn people were the ones who most carefully read my application. Almost every question I got was personalized. I got questions about aspects of my personal statement, about my religion, and about my experiences. Interviewers were definitely the most friendly and thoughtful I've had.
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It was a good interview day, very laid back and informative. The Dean of Admissions seems to really care that you have a positive experience.
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Overall, the day was very low stress, which was nice considering this was my first interview. I felt more like they were trying to sell me on UPenn than I was trying to prove that I was a qualified candidate.
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The Admissions staff were very enthusiastic and helpful. THe faculty interviewer was very relaxed and converstational. The school and its curriculum are outstanding. Medical students are very welcome in the affiliated hospitals.
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Penn is great! I can't wait to start in August!!
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The interview program is really very complete and one of the better ones I attended. It provides an excellent sense of the school, the students, and the facilities. Everyone was SO willing to answer questions about Penn and about medical school in general.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
35 Minutes Average
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Number:
2 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
100% One-on-One
0% Group Interview
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File Type:
99% Open-File
1% Closed-File
PennMed-COMP interviews are an average of 35 minutes, with an average of 2 interviews. 100% of interviews are one-on-one, and 1% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about motivations for pursuing medicine, reasons for choosing a specific institution like UPenn, personal strengths and weaknesses, leadership experiences, and activities outside of academics. Additionally, respondents mentioned questions about their research, interests, future aspirations, and challenges they have faced, with some interviews being in an MMI format potentially involving non-disclosure agreements.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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What is your greatest weakness?
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Why be a doctor
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Why University of Pennsylvania?
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Both interviewers asked why penn, and my faculty interviewer asked specifically what I wanted her to tell the admission committee about me. I appreciated that opportunity and that she was so open about it.
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What do you do for fun?
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What made you decide to go into medicine?
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Give me examples of times you have been a leader.
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Why UPenn?
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What kinds of things do you see yourself getting involved in at Penn Med?
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Tell me about yourself
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Tell me about your current job/research
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Why med
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
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Tell me about...
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Tell me about yourself.
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Tell me about yourself; etc. Very conversational for both interviews (faculty interviewer and student interviewer).
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When you are 65 and you are looking back at your life what do you want to be able to tell your grandkids?
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Tell me about Activity X.
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Tell me about x in your file.
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Tell me about your research?
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What do you like to do in your free time?
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It was very conversational. we spent some time talking about russian culture and how russian parents send their kids to extracurricular activities like swimming and dancing.
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The standard questions were covered, although in a very conversational way. Had a great time talking to my interviewers, they were so friendly!
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Future of medicine.
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Student interviewer: Tell me about your research. Why medicine? Why Penn? What personal trait makes you especially fitting for a career in medicine? Tell me about your fraternity.
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Explain research to kid.
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Explain activity x,y,z...
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What qualities do you look for in friends?
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Why Penn?
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The student interviewer asked the basics: what do you do in your free time, etc. He would spot check through my application and ask me about things he had previously 'circled.' it was very conversational.
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What is your favorite book?
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Don't worry about the interivews. The questions are very standard and everything is relaxed. Just make sure to get some sleep the night before, and your interview will go fine. If you can carry on a regular conversation you should be able to pull this one off too.
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Talk about your research.
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Why do you want to be a doctor
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Why medicine
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You expressed fears about being able to have a family with a medical practice, is that still true?
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How will you handle the stress of medical school?
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What makes you different? What are your three strenghts and one weakness? How did you get interested in medicine? Why Penn?
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Generics: what do you do with your free time? What are you doing with your year off? How did you like your undergraduate college? etc. Low stress interviews.
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Tell me about groups you were in, research, your family, etc.
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Do you think you could handle the North? So you don't have a Confederate flag?
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How did you like France?
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What did you learn from your experiences abroad?
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How did you end up coming to America? (I am from Canada)
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Why did I quit my job?
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Out of all the bright, amazing people applying here, why should we take YOU? Then, "why SHOULDN'T we?"
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Why Penn (asked this over and over)
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Given your non-science major as an undergrad, how will you use the skills learned from that field of inquiry to become a great doctor?
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Do you have any questions for me? (Asked by each interviewer)
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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Tell me about a challenge you have overcome. (from the student interviewer)
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Everything from both interviewers was either from my statement or flowed naturally from the conversation. Be familiar with yourself and your statement.
-
Who was the most influential person in your life and why?
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No specific question I put down here will be of any use to you who read this. I found that the conversations (I can't call them interviews) were based around the specifics found in my AMCAS essays/details. Your questions will be personalized too. Student, review thyself.
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Specific questions from my application.
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How did you come to chose medicine as your career goal?
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Why medicine after your graduate degree?
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What book (outside of textbooks) are you reading right now?
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Tell me about your involvement with ethical issues at your school.
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Tell me about your childhood (a large portion of my personal statement).
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Do you feel you could have done better in undergrad?
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What do you think about Penn? Tell me about your research.
-
Tell me about your clinical experience
-
What do you think of Philadelphia?
-
Why Penn
-
Very conversational.
-
Why are you here? (there are questions my student interviewer aske me; the faculty interviewer did not ask any questions I could share, since they were specifically related to my personal statement).
-
Why didn't you become a veterinarian?
-
What would your best friend say about you?
-
What do you like to do outside of college?
-
Why do you want to become a doctor? Does the current malpractice situation scare you? Why Penn?
-
How would you feel about living in philadelphia vs NYC and Boston?
-
Why do you want to come to Penn?
-
What made you decide to leave the Navy and pursue medicine? (asked by both interviewers and straight out of my AMCAS app)
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Why are you interested in community service
-
What do I do in my spare time? Talk about your family. What movies have you seen lately?
-
Why MD-PhD? why not just PhD?
-
Why medicine?
-
How do you like [my undergrad school]?
-
What do you do in your spare time?
-
What do you like to do when you have free time?
-
Tell me about your major.
-
Why UPenn? What in the curriculum suits you?
-
Why do you think Curriculum 2000 matches your learning style?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including leadership qualities, life meaning, favorite books, desired legacy in medicine, and reflections on personal experiences. While some encounters were more conversational, others delved into global health, critical thinking skills, and opinions on various societal issues, showcasing a diverse array of questions tailored to individual backgrounds and experiences.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Tell me three things about you that make you a good leader.
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What is the meaning you attribute to life?
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What books are you reading right now?
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What do you want to be remembered for in medicine?
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Out of all the cities you've been to, which one was your favorite? (I named 3). What commonalities do you see among those cities?
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Research
-
What do you do in your spare time?
-
Tell me about yourself
-
When you are 65 and you are looking back at your life what do you want to be able to tell your grandkids?
-
Whether I believed the condition I am studying in my current job is real or imaginary.
-
Give me a specific example of a time when you had to delegate responsibility, rely on others, and have others rely on you.
-
The most interesting part was just talking with the great interviewers.
-
None really. very relaxed conversation.
-
What do you think of dancing with the stars? I have noticed that a disproportionate number of the professional dancers are from the former soviet union.
-
What is happiness to you?
-
None
-
Personal stuff, just where the conversation leads.
-
Questions were based on classes taken or personal statements.
-
All questions were thoughtful, but nothing out of the ordinary. It was more how the questions were asked.
-
Questions were straight forward.
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None.
-
Elaborate on the critical thinking skills you acquired from your research experiences.
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If I forced you to go abroad as a medical student, where would you go and what would you do? (Better have a good answer to this as Penn's big push these days is global health)
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What do you like/dislike about medicine
-
If you could, rank the following three in their importance to a physician: Intelligent, compassion, and integrity.
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None really.
-
Is the Quaker house still in Ann Arbor? (My interviewer did his graduate work at my school the University of Michigan).
-
My student interviewer and I talked about crab fishing, that was pretty amazing.
-
What is the most interesting book you have read recently?
-
If you could be any kind of animal what would you be.
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So are you coming here?
-
Favorite non science class as an undergrad
-
If you had 15 minutes with President Putin what would you say to him to convince him to renounce his chauvinistic views? (I mentioned Putin and chauvinism in my PS)
-
N/a
-
Asked more ignorant/inappropriate questions than interesting
-
Tell me about your family?
-
Why should we admit you over the other qualified applicants we have here today?
-
Did you consider Penn for undergrad? (Yes) Why did you chose xx school over Penn?
-
What problems do you think you will face in the future as a physician?
-
If you were an animal at a zoo, which one would you be?
-
Why should we NOT accept you?
-
Does your dad (a physician) think that medicine is a good career to enter? What does he criticize about the profession?
-
It was pretty standard, straight-off- the-AMCAS-type questions. "Tell me about X experience."
-
I only got real questions from one guy. Everyone else just acted like it was a conversation between two strangers. More get to know you questions than anything else.
-
Nothing too interesting - very standard questions - perhaps, "how have you learned more about yourself through your patient interactions?"
-
My faculty interviewer was a clinical neurologist, so he didn't know much about public health/policy (my areas of interest). At one point, he asked me what I thought about the recent genocide in Sudan and how it would affect the spread of infectious disease there. Before I responded he added that he really didn't know anything about Sudan and so he wasn't fishing for a correct or incorrect answer. He was just really interested. That impressed me.
-
I note that you worked at the Gender & Sexuality Center. Can you tell me more about that?
-
What do you think about Philadelphia? (from the faculty interviewer- she went on to recommend restaurants to me!)
-
So what are you working on (my current research).
-
Standard stuff.
-
Questions about how my life experiences will help me be an effective physician.
-
Out of all of your extracurriculars, which one made the biggest impression on you and why?
-
I work in a chronic wound clinic, and during the faculty interview we got to talking about it. I was asked to explain Vacume Assisted Closure (VAC), a type of dressing used on larger wounds. But this wasn't a test of my knowledge, rather the doc just wanted to know more about it. What I find interesting about this is it serves as proof to me that the faculty at UPenn really listen, learn and respond to their students. It was truly a two way conversation.
-
Nothing too interesting.
-
How has growing up in the Virgin Islands affected you as a person?
-
Nothing out of the ordinary, but a nice conversation.
-
I don't remember, but definitely not anything difficult...
-
Tell me how you would fix the current health care crisis.
-
Who are the physicians who have influenced you?
-
What do you think the word "community" means?
-
How will you deal with the insurance companies' "red-tape" and goal of click box medicine?
-
What do you look forward to the most in starting med school?
-
What was it like being actively involved in a sociocultural student group in college?
-
Most questions were just follow ups on the conversation.
-
In light of the fact that you are not originally from the US, what are your views on the terrorism + Iraq situation? (after I answered, he pressed for more detail). This question arose I think because of my background, so I wouldn't worry about it or studying up on current events!
-
Do you think it's human nature to be violent? (This was in relation to something I wrote in my essay)
-
"Do you know what one thing would most significantly improve global health? Potable water." (I suppose this was more of a comment by my faculty interviewer. It underscores the nature of our conversation, though - infectious diseases, preventive healthcare, etc.)
-
What was your favorite halloween custome you ever wore?
-
What was the most interesting psychology course you've taken (I'm a psych major).
-
I was asked how I see myself or others improving the organ transplantation/donation process for the patient and the doctors in 10 years or so.
-
(Im a dental school applicant) Evidently you could have gone to medical school, why did you switch to dentistry?
-
The interviewer started asking ME to ask a question about the school. That was a little surprising. No other question was out of ordinary.
-
The interviewer started asking ME a question about the school. That was a little surprising. No other question was out of ordinary.
-
Nothing - faculty interview was a funny surgeon; he was awesome very conversational! we had a good chat. Nothing from my application even came up.
-
What are your suggestions in solving the malpractice insurance problems and health insurance problems in the US?
-
What do you think is the role of women in medicine?
-
When was the last time I made it back to ND for a football game?
-
About my personal experiences. Mostly referring to AMCAS information. Asked me to clarify a few points on my academics.
-
All the questions were pretty basic
-
Compare the health system in xxx country with the U.S. system
-
Why do you want to go to Penn? (Isn't that one a little obvious? It's PENN!!!)
-
If you had to be either a librarian, a lab tech, or a social worker, which one would u choose?
-
The student interviewer asked how I would restructure the healthcare system.
-
What is one fear you have of medical school?
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Where do you see women in medicine today?
-
Tell me about your summer job experience in retail.
-
If I had a bunch of your friends here right now, what would they say about you?
-
Contrast the medical system in the US and where you have traveled abroad.
-
What did you learn from teaching the past 3 years?
-
They were all very application specific. Both interviewers asked many interesting questions, but these questions were instigated by specific points in my personal statement and my experiences.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by researching the school, reviewing their application materials, reading SDN interview feedback, and generating questions for the interviewers. Many also emphasized the importance of staying relaxed and maintaining a positive attitude during the interview process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Researched the school, read SDN, read over application
-
Just tried to relax. It's important to not be tense, they smell fear. The interview was so casual.
-
Read SDN interview feedback page, looked up school information, MSAR, re-read primary and secondary apps
-
Researched the school and what I liked about it. Had a list of questions to ask both students and faculty members.
-
Reviewed my application
-
Looked over primary and secondary, looked over Penn's website, Student Doctor
-
I researched the school's curriculum and went over my application.
-
Reread secondary, UPenn's website, AMCAS
-
SDN, read over application materials, talked to current students
-
Re-read AMCAS application and secondary essays, spoke to friends at the school, read the website
-
Did other interviews
-
Read website, reviewed AMCAS, talked to friends, checked SDN
-
SDN Interview Feedback
-
Current events, SDN, primary application
-
Mock interviews at career center, reviewed AMCAS app, etc.
-
I printed out questions from the interview feedback; Read part of "Overdosed America" (excellent book); reread my application
-
SDN, mock interview, school website/brochure
-
I read SDN, the school website, spoke to a few students at the school and paid attention during the day.
-
Mock interview, reread AMCAS
-
Went to a party and to watch a Phillies game with my host and a cohort of first years.
-
SDN, website, friends, practice interviews, sleep!
-
Read AMCAS app, SDN, contacted current student, read about universal health care. make all online profiles (fb, myspace, etc.) private!
-
SDN, website, tour and info session
-
SDN, Penn website, AMCAS
-
SDN interview feedback, AMCAS + secondary, school website
-
SDN, talked to student hosts.
-
Amcas application, speaking with current students.
-
Reflection
-
This website.
-
Read about Penn, read my application, prepared questions for my interviewers
-
Reviewed AMCAS and read online about Penn's unique curriculum.
-
SDN, read penn packet, once i got there- read up on my interviewer's background
-
Read Penn website some, reviewed MSAR stats
-
Read my AMCAS, looked over research, if you've already interviewed at other places just go through your normal sequence.
-
Read RDN, read UPenn website, went on 6 interviews before.
-
Read their website, spoke with half a dozen med students at Penn, read my Amcas, SDN,
-
Reread AMCAS, read about the school, listened to the morning's presentations and tours
-
Sd, reread amcas, read their website, read up on ethics
-
Read SDN, penn's website, my application, research goals, meditated.
-
I re read my personal statement and the applicant information book to have questions to ask them. You can also find all of the information on their website.
-
Researched upenn's cirriculum 2000.
-
Looked over the school website.
-
N/a
-
Same ol
-
Looked over the booklet they sent in the mail
-
SDN, school website and brochure
-
SDN, reviewed application
-
Read Penn website, reviewed AMCAS, stayed with a student the night before
-
SDN, review application materials.
-
SDN, school website, stayed with student host
-
SDN, talked to student hosts, Penn website
-
SDN, read over my AMCAS. Don't sweat this interview, it's low-key.
-
My last interview so I didn't do much prep.
-
Read research papers by my interviews. Practiced enthusiasm.
-
Read studentdoctor.net, looked through Penn's brochure, read AMCAS essay, spoke with Penn MS2
-
I went to school in the Philly area, so I knew a bit about UPenn Med before going. I looked over their website.
-
Read SDN, read my app, read the website, talked to my friend who is in her first year at Penn Med.
-
Read Penn website, read SDN feedback, had lunch with a friend who is a second-year the day before
-
Read the school website, read the PennMed quarterly magazine, spoke with a friend at the school.
-
SDN, Penn brochure, reread AMCAS app.
-
Perused the website, reviewed my application.
-
Read SDN, my application
-
UPenn pamphlet, Google, SDN review, and went down a day early to volunteer with moveon.org to get out the vote for John Kerry. Heh, at least it worked in Pennsylvania.
-
Read Penn's brochure.
-
SDN, sleep.
-
Read my AMCAS, secondary, looked at their website, SDN, interview feedback, etc.
-
Brochure, website, talked to the med student i was staying with, sdn
-
Went to numerous other interviews before this one
-
Printed stuff online. Found driving directions.
-
Read over UPenn brochure, read up on policy.
-
Read everything I could. Became fluent with my application. Mock interviews.
-
Read all the info in the UPenn brochure, SDN, read over application, etc.
-
Reviewed SDN and application
-
Read about the school, re-read the ol' AMCAS, and sacrificed a bull to the Penn Gods
-
I read the SDN website, read about their unique curriculum, and talked to my student host.
-
Read SDN and U Penn websites
-
Looked at AMCAS, interview reports, PENN secondary
-
SDN, school's website, read up on healthcare (was not asked anything of this sort) and ethics books (again, the topic did not even come up).
-
Read info on their website, talked to my host, read about their curriculum.
-
This website, ethics books, talked to current penn students
-
SDN, read application and school's materials
-
Read the information on the website and what was sent. Read information on SDN. Read news religiously.
-
I read the material and just knew myself and what i was about. Penn is more interested in the person, not just scores
-
Read feedbacks, and relaxed. Made sure to make all arrangements to get there on time.
-
Their website, sdn, talked to students
-
Website and literature/viewbook.
-
Read brochure, talked to students
-
I read all about Curriculum 2000, reviewed the webpage and my AMCAS essay.
-
Read over essay, CV, Interview Feedback. Someone said review international health policy -- DON'T BOTHER!!!!
-
Sleeeeeeeep
-
Read their brochures/website
-
Read about curriculum 2000. Checked this website.
-
Looked over the web site, handbook
-
Read through the guide Penn sends all applicants.
-
Read my AMCAS
-
Read the UPenn website, re-read my essay.
-
Reviewed UPenn admissions bulletin, website, curriculum
-
Reviewed my AMCAS, learned about Curriculum 2000 from their website
-
Read the Penn website, mailers, and also spoke with current Penn students who attended my undergraduate institution.
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine discussed various topics, but the interview format may have been an MMI with potential nondisclosure agreements. Common questions included inquiries about their motivations for pursuing medicine, ethical concerns in healthcare, and future career aspirations.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
I was asked about how my diverse range of activities all played into why medicine—it was a really broad question so I actually had to ask the interviewer to break it down into parts
-
(same as everywhere, but I hate this question) Why you and not others?
-
Nothing too difficult, all very standard and conversational.
-
Not really anything hyper-difficult,.
-
How do you think new healthcare policy will affect your practice in 10 years?
-
How do you manage conflict, name a specific instance during your activity X (wasn't actually that difficult)
-
Hmm, none really. The faculty interviewer asked if I knew about a current event related to a Penn faculty member who is quite legendary in my field. It would've been seriously awkward if I didn't have any idea who he was talking about, but thankfully I did.
-
Idol
-
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
-
What is the biggest concern you have for going into a career in medicine?
-
None
-
No difficult questions--extremely conversational. Just relax and be yourself.
-
What do you think is the most important ethical issue doctors have to deal with today?
-
No difficult questions. Both interviews were very conversational and they only asked me to tell them about experiences I mentioned on my AMCAS application.
-
It seems like you have a lot of interests. Where does medicine fit in your life?
-
What, specifically, made you apply to Penn.
-
Other than science related things and X (a huge time consuming activity) what activities do you do?
-
None really. very relaxed conversation.
-
What is happiness to you?
-
Questions were based on classes taken or personal statements. How would you explain your research to
-
None.
-
Questions weren't meant to be difficult but inquisitive.
-
Did you ever consider taking a year out before applying?
-
If you had three free months to do something completely non-medical, what would you do?
-
N/a
-
Same
-
None really.
-
Do you feel prepared for the University of Pennsylvania?
-
What was the most challening class you have taken
-
My student interviewer and I got into a discussion about international health topics which sort of got out of control. It was a very laid back discussion but he asked me very direct questions about things that i didn't feel comfortable talking about in a med school interview. Like if I think poor people in the US are more deserving of aid than poor people in Africa.
-
None seriously, as long as you know who you are, none of the questions will be difficult for you.
-
How do you deal with your frustration and anger?
-
Why should we NOT admit you?
-
What scares you about medical school?
-
Recite my favorite line of poetry. Followed up by, why did I feel moved by it?
-
See above
-
Do you think you will be able to balance the hectic schedule of being a doctor with your personal and family life?
-
What haven't we talked about that you want me to know? (Hard because we covered almost everything already)
-
I just had a patient this morning who has mutant IL-12 genes. What types of problems would you expect this person to have?
-
I know I should have had this one nailed by now, but I couldn't think of something really worthwhile to say: "Tell us something else that we wouldn't necessarily know about you from looking at your application."
-
"How do your interests fit in with UPenn's curriculum and opportunities?" FYI, my interests don't coincide that well with UPenn's.
-
Are you prepared to come to the east coast? (I'm from the Midwest.)
-
What can be done to help people with mental illness? (derived from my statement)
-
(Most annoying question) Are there other doctors in your family? (They already asked this on the secondary app. In fact, that was about all they asked on the secondary app. Why do they care so much?!)
-
Nothing...the interviews were very laid back.
-
How do you plan to pay for medical school. Yikes.
-
Nothing difficult.
-
What SINGLE thing would you change about the healthcare industry?
-
Not a difficult question, but I was my interviewers first interview ever. That is an awkward situation because it doesn't flow like a normal interview.
-
Should drug companies be allowed to advertise their drugs to doctors and in what manner should doctors refuse/accept gratuitites.
-
Outside of science/medicine, what else would you bring to the UPenn community?
-
Why did you take so long to finish your undergrad?
-
Probably the question above since I had never been asked that before.
-
Same as above
-
Same as above (not necessarily difficult, but it did make me think!)
-
None of the questions were diffcult, my interviewers were very personable and easy to chat with.
-
No difficult questions
-
None too difficult, really. My student interviewer asked me what I thought a community was - a straightforward question, but I think I rambled on and on. This was my first interview, I was a bit stressed out.
-
(by student) "We get so many qualified applicants and the admissions decisions are somewhat arbitrary. So, what could you contribute to this medical school?"
-
What are 2 problems that you specifically will have trouble with in your medical future?
-
Nothing...all the standard interview fare (but surprisingly, no "why medicine" or "why Penn").
-
I was given a hypothetical situation involving two patients, one with self-inflicted liver disease (alcohol) and one that had a degenerative autoimmune liver disease. "Allocate the liver to one patient, given that the alcoholic is higher one the transplant list, and defend your answer."
-
What made you want to go into medicine? (Parents) Tell me how you would approach a patient who is terrified of the prospects of surgery?
-
Student interviewer was a hard-ass; I didn't like her very much; she acted somewhat confrontational towards me about my activities as if she had a problem w/ them. This threw me off guard a bit. I guess she picked up on it b/c she later apologized for the tired + not-thinking-straight condition she was in and the attitude she projected.
-
Have you shown committment to one activity (I did! She just missed it in my application!)?
-
Name 2 most negative aspects of healthcare in the US and provide a possible solution for each problem
-
I would not say I was asked any "difficult" questions. The tone of the entire interview day was relaxed and conversational.
-
All of the questions were pretty basic, get-to-know you stuff.
-
How do expecatations differ in xxx country
-
Tons of ethical questions, where I see medicine going in the future, detailed questions from my personal statement. Even the student had my entire file, which surprised me.
-
A question regarding how to handle a situation in clinical oncology
-
The faculty interviewer hadn't read my app. He didn't ask any questions. He just stared at me until I got nervous and started talking about myself. He kept staring at me for the next 20 min., and when I asked him if I should keep going, he said, "Yes, please," so I did. The only question he asked was in the end, when he asked if I had any questions for him.
-
None too difficult
-
Nothing too tricky
-
Why should UPenn take you?
-
How would you attempt to correct the biggest issue facing medicine today?
-
None, really---both my faculty and student interviewer were really laid back
-
None were really too difficult; both interviews were VERY conversational.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the enthusiasm and friendliness of the students and faculty at the school, the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere of the interview day, the top-notch facilities and curriculum, the emphasis on collaboration and student well-being, the opportunities for joint degrees and research, as well as the integration with the larger university campus. Suggestions included maintaining the positive and welcoming environment, continuing to prioritize student experience, and ensuring ongoing support and resources for students.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
The students and faculty were all very enthusiastic about the school and the range of opportunities available to them. Lots of students stopped by to talk to us, it was very welcoming.
-
Really nice facilities. Brand-new medical school opens next year and it looks like it will be gorgeous. Also the school is really focused on collaboration and small-group learning.
-
You get a lot of student interaction (with mostly M1s), and they really want to make you feel important and welcome. Students are incredibly friendly; everyone will ask you if you have any questions and make an effort to get to know you. Interviews are very relaxed, but still designed to get to know you. Both my interviewers knew my file well, had questions prepared, and were interested in hearing my answers. They answered my own questions, and overall, it felt very much like a conversational interview. Students really love this school. I mean, REALLY love this school. So much so, that it came across a little propagandistic, honestly (which I suppose leads me to my negative points).
-
Openness/relaxed atmosphere of the interview
-
How enthusiastic everyone was, even medical students who were just passing by stopped by to wish us good luck and talk to us about Penn
-
The curriculum, the friendliness of the students and faculty, the location, the reputation of the school, the residency matches
-
Students, facilities, curriculum
-
Students were happy, great curriculum, flexibility, balance in life, and a great city
-
Everything.
-
Great school! Able to see cadavers, dummys, simulations. Fun time!
-
Terrific interview day. Met many students in all classes (1st, 2nd, 4th year) on the tour, at lunch, at pre-interview get-together. Was able to attend anatomy lab and talk to first year students there. Intro meeting was informative, and enjoyed seeing facilities at the simulation center. Interviews were with student and faculty member; both were friendly and conversational. Also, appreciated having the interviews at the end of the day after tour, lunch, class, etc. because painted a complete picture of academic and student life.
-
1.5 years basic science, first ever lung transplant MD was helping 4 students learn some anatomy
-
Everyone was so happy and loved the school!
-
The people
-
The admissions office worked really hard to make sure applicants get tons of student interaction. We sat in on an anatomy lab and spent the entire hour chatting with students. Everyone i spoke to was really into penn! They all seemed normal and friendly and happy!
-
Great location, all of the students seemed really to really love the school. Group tests and starting clinicals in the 2nd year.
-
Fantastic interview day! It was extremely organized. The students seemed really cool (they were rocking out to music during anatomy) and the fourth year tour guides were so collected.
-
It was amazing. Everyone was so happy and the students all got along, it wasn't a cutthroat atmosphere. The curriculum is great and clerkships start in second year which is awesome. They did a really good job of making us feel like we were choosing them rather than them choosing us. Also, there was a faculty interview and a student interview and both count equally which I thought was great.
-
Everything! People at UPenn SOM are so nice! Also, most of the other interviewees were cool. We chatted among ourselves and truly wished one another the best.
-
Friendliness of students, interviewers, and admissions staff. Structure of the interview day. School's facilities
-
The students and how happy they were. It's one of the few times when I have seen people that seem legitimately happy to be where they were.
-
The students are so happy and enthusiastic, the admissions office really wants the students to ENJOY med school.
-
Everything
-
Just about everything! I loved it!
-
Everyone there was extremely nice, the facilities are great, the curriculum seems really well thought out, I love that you can track everything online, really enjoy the large campus and the city of Philadelphia. They also offer almost every joint degree possible :)
-
The students were very relaxed. i definitely expected them to be more competitive given Penn is such a great school. but everyone just seemed friendly and very down-to-earth.
-
Nice atmosphere.
-
The facilities, the friendly atmosphere, the students, the respect shown by the admissions folks for all invited to interview. The only school where the director of admissions said ''congratulations on getting into medical school. We firmly believe that all of you will be entering medical school next year. It is more a matter of finding the right fit for you.'' Penn is one of the best (or THE best) medical schools in the country. I highly recommend this school; it should blow you away.
-
UPenn is a world-class medical school. Student/Faculty camaraderie, excellent location (if you like Philly), the health system at Penn is ostensibly very well endowed, and somehow Penn does a good job of recruiting smart, humble, hard working, fun students. Fourth years chill.
-
The campus is beautiful. Penn Med School is located in the same area as the undergraduate campus, dental school, schoo of nursing, law school, etc. The students seem very happy. The school supposedly has the highest boards scores in the nation.
-
Great interview schedule. Wonderful experience.
-
This was the perfect interview day schedule. Arrival at a modest morning time, and the day is over not too late. The admissions office, at your interview, will take good care of you. Even ask you about special diet restrictions for your lunch online. How cool is that? The students were great, but I knew that as I am a Penn undergrad. I had an even more positive impression of Penn Med after the interview day.
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The students! For such a smart and highly motivated crowd, they were incredibly personable and grounded. They all were enthusiastic about the school, their classmates, and their city. Nowhere else have I enjoyed hanging out with medical students so much.
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This is the most amazing school. 1.5 years of classes leaves you with 6 months to do electives before the Match so you can decide for sure what you want to do and get letters of rec. Plus, the students are fun and friendly and everyone seems so happy. I would love to come to this school. It is my top choice without a doubt. Please, please let me in.
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Excellent student-friendly curriculum, and only 1 1/2 years of classes before starting clinical rotations, completely free elective 4th year
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Facilities are great, small sections were personable and everyone seemed to know each other, I got to handle some diseased lungs...
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Global health initiative, students, city, administration, everything.
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The opportunities at the school are incredible. Over 120 students received funding to engage in international projects last year, and they have an entire department devoted to global health.
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Everything. Their campus, curriculum, interview day, students, facilities. There really is no place like penn. In my mind its off the charts
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Amazing hospitals, amazing campus. They really sell dual-degrees. They encourage people to go abroad, and they'll figure out the funding for you. Only 1.5 years of basic sciences and 2.5 years of clinical.
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How down to earth the students were and how happy and outgoing they were
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Penn is apparently the place to be. They have what appears to be a well devised and student-friendly curriculum. I was impressed by the quality of the facilities, how friendly the students were, and how genuinely honest and welcoming the admissions office was.
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The way PennMed caters to its students. I mean what school gives students bagels before each exam? Also, a new clinic is being built in West Philly for the uninsured in that area. PennMed gets involved in helping the community and provides many opportunities that some of the students don't really know how to take advantage of.
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Students participate in tons of extracirriculars, the certificate programs, the cirriculum, the opportunities (#1 children's hospital in the country!!)
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The atmosphere was very relaxed and welcoming; the group of applicants was very social and we had a great time chatting during breaks and everyone was very positive and outgoing.
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Curriculum, administration, research opportunities
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The curriculum, the faculty
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The students were friendly and enthusiastic, the facilities are nice, curriculum
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My interviewers were AMAZING. Of course I was expecting fantastic facilities and enthusiastic students at Penn, but I was surprised how normal and chill my faculty interviewer and student interviewer were.
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Curriculum 2000 is awesome. The faculty & dean presentations were excellent. The integrated med/undergrad campus
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They put on a great show- facilites are amazing, campus is beautiful, opportunities for dual degrees seem great.
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Every single student that I talked to was incredibly happy and would never go anywhere else for med school...Also, it seemed as though the faculty really love their school and instructing their students
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Students were so enthusiastic, facilities are really good, lots of funding available.
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Many friendly students, and the opportunity for an extra 6 months of clinical time. It's definitely a huge draw--too bad it goes hand in hand with squishing the first half of school into just 1.5 years.
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Amazing facilities, 1.5 yr science curriculum seems great, students are friendly and happy, great joint degree programs, campus integrated with Wharton and ugrad
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The facilities are marvelous and beautiful; Philly is a cool place; the students are brilliant; the curriculum is innovative and well-thought out; the LEAP program is cool; tons of research & travel opportunities (i.e. lots of money); great clinical exposure; long day, but well-organized and there isn't much down-time; the lunch was tasty.
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Most organized interview day I've seen, not a lot of downtime or useless info.
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They totally try to sell you on Penn the whole time, whether it's a facade or not just to get you to go I have no idea. Everyone's extremely nice and organized. Philly's not as nearly bad as people make it out to be.
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Penn is ridiculously organized - a thorough overview of the curriculum/methodologies/mission, a class observation, a brief financial aid presentation, a send off as you leave - very nice.
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Almost everything. The facilities are good, and the students were really friendly. The school didn't feel ashamed about selling itself, but at the same time it didn't push too hard.
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So much! My faculty interviewer was amazing! He had obviously spent time looking over my app and spent our interview time asking about things that I care about. It was very conversational and comfortable. I bonded quickly with my student interviewer, so that was pretty easy too. Everyone at Penn seems thrilled to be there. Since I was in a suit, it was obvious I was interviewing, and students kept coming up to me to talk and tell me about Penn. We also got to see both the anatomy lab and trauma in the ER. Other tours have been more basic.
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The faculty interviewer was really cool and down-to-earth. The students were extremely friendly, helpful, and generally nice throughout the day. We got to see the anatomy lab during the tour, which was cool.
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EVERYTHING!!
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The administration seems VERY responsive to students. The students seem generally happy, particularly with the 1.5 yrs of preclinical coursework.
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Everything. The people are very friendly, and the campus and facilities are amazing.
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EVERYTHING!
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The students attitude of cooperation. It was remarked to me that going to school with intelligent peers who want to help you succeed makes better doctors of all. Also, the emphasis that UPenn puts on experiential learning really meshes with my view of what's important to learn in medschool. Their curriculum has 1.5yrs of condensed sciences so that they can cram in 2.5 yrs of clinical experience. Brilliant!
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The current students were extremely laid back, friendly, and interesting. The facilities are very well kept, and the curriculum design is well received by students.
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Penn rocks. Amazing school, great facilities, good research. 3 semesters of class!! how awesome is that??
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Nice setup for the interviews. Very organized day, a bit long though. I liked seeing the anatomy labs in action and meeting the students. Also, they have special events for minority applicants which is a unique feature of this school.
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Everything!!! i really liked the campus, the whole one-university campus, the curriculum is awesome!!! everyone was super-friendly, the students who gave the tour and interview were really friendly, the minority department contacted me and asked me to stay for a "meet and greet", philadelphia is a great city, penn is just awesome! interviews are conversational, not stressful at all...lunch and breakfast provided, got to attend a class
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The person I interviewed with asked good questions and it went well
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The dean of admissions! See comments.
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The day was extremely well organized and well planned, which was reflective of the whole PennMed operation. Everything that they do is well thought out and very effective.
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Philadelphia was beautiful. Good indian food right down the street with a student discount. The
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I loved this school. The staff was very nice and the students were all extremely friendly and had great personalities. We got to sit in on a small group session which blew me away. There were two faculty facilitators to make sure everything was covered and the case they were studying was part of the virtual curriculum-meaning that all the slides and info were on the web and projected onto a screen during class as well. You get to start your clerkships in Jan of your second year. The curriculum seems perfect, the hospital was nice, my student interviewer was fantastic...need I go on?
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EVERYTHING! Penn is an incredible institution. Their curriculm is very innovative, the students are HAPPY, the faculty and staff are very supportive of the students and encourage students to do what ever they want - this is not a doctor factory, and talk about an endowment. Penn is an innovative institution committed to helping their students be successful and happy. The school offers a plethora of opportunities in research, community service, international medicine, dual degress, and non-medical opportunities (you can take any class at UPenn). This school is very impressive and I would do almost anything to get into the school.
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Holy crap PENN ROCKS....the students seemed to love it there, the faculty really takes time to listen to the students (via daily student feedback on lectures, ideas to go work for the community/go abroad, etc), the facilities are nice, VIRTUAL CURRICULUM, undergrad-grad-med campuses (campi?) are all together, allowing you to meet/interact/work with many kinds of people, 1 1/2 years of basic science=early clinical rotations=kick a** boards, financial aid committee thats willing to work with you, well, you get the picture
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The faculty and staff were very personable. They made us feel so welcome and kept asking how we were doing during the many presentations that marked the day.
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Everything! U Penn is a great school. Students are REALLY happy there. I stayed at a medical fraternity house and the people there were awesome... they gave me all these tricks to ace my interviews, but it turned out that my interviews were so relaxing and conversational. NO HARD QUESTIONS at all.
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They are VERY organized and give you lots of information so you understand their curriculum etc. The students are very enthusiastic and sitting in on a class is pretty neat. Also, I stayed with a 1st year the night before, and she was extremely helpful and crucial in giving me such a positive impression of the school!
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The campus is beautiful. The students seemed really excited to be there. The facilities are incredible.
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The admissions people really did a great job of showcasing the school, and they tried to make it as low key as possible. It was Halloween, so the admissions director wore little devil horns and her assistant wore cat ears. Penn is just a great school, it's integrated with the main campus, the students are really unique and accomplished, the curriculum is accelerated so you get much more time in the hospitals. There's a lot to like. Also, my faculty interviewer was very well matched to me - uncannily so.
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Everyone was so ready to answer any questions or be of assistance, it was cool
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The students - they were very friendly and down to earth. Also, the fact that everything is on the web is very nice! There seems to be a decent amount of free time at Penn, especially in the fourth year (many students finish their clinical rotations early).
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The students and admissions people are great...all very laid back. Research opportunities are everywhere. The one-university concept is very nice; everything is right in one location. Philly is a great city. Hospitals are top-notch.
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EVERYTHING. Interviewed at the other Ivy schools, Penn was just cooler.People are SUPERNICE and the facilities are incredible. The students are treated as equals and like doctors (just in training). Penn also treats the applicants like gold. The students are VERY approachable and friendly to the point i wanted to give them a deposit on the spot!
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The admissions staff. They are the nicest I've met. And the confindence they had about the people they were interviewing.
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EVERYTHING! cool students, well organized, excellent training, ridiculously flexible curriculum, they have LOTS of $$$$ which makes for nice facilities, abundant resources (which you can be privy to as a student), campus is so much fun - lots of a other grad + professional students, great city w/ 3 classy martini bars within 50 feet of eachother - this is my kinda city.
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The school is very wealthy, and they treat their graduate students very well (as opposed to their undergrad students). For example, the school provides breakfast to the med students before every exam and a snack afterwards. Also, the curriculum is pretty sweet. It compels the students to be laid back. In fact, Penn students have the reputation of being the most laid back students of all the med students in Philly.
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The program: Curriculum 2000 seems to present more opportunities for experiencing different medical specialties before having to apply for residency. Also, the options for joint degrees are amazing. HUP and CHOP (the hospitals) are very impressive. Philly has the feel of a big city and can cater to many interests. It was a lot safer than I expected.
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The RAH-RAH-PENN!!! attitude of all the students I talked to. Everyone loves it there and is VERY enthusiastic about the school.
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The students and admin were amazingly nice and tried to make us feel at home. The curriculum is great - and they emphasize it - a nice mix of traditional and problem/case-based, clinical learning.
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The sheer size of the hospital
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The resources penn has to offer, nice student interviewer
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PENN IS AWESOME!!! Everyone, including the current students and the other applicants I met, LOVES PENN! It's assets are way too long to go into, but it really rocks.
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Philly, penn students, research facility, faculty
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Their students are enthusiastic about the school. They didn't seem too stressed out. And the class had lots of bonding.
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The school. The curriculum.
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Overall enthusiasm of everyone. The environment is very supportive. The facilities are also wonderful, especially HUP and CHOP.
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The presentation by the dean on Penn's curriculum.
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The curriculum seems awesome
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The students seemed more relaxed than I expected.
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Tight integration of university, hospitals, and medical school. All students were very enthusiastic, and forthright about UPenn.
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Everything! The people (faculty, students, administration) are super friendly and laid-back, the curriculum is awesome, the research is superb!
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The willingness of the admissions staff and the medical school faculty to genuinely help every student (and applicant). Also, the setting is wonderful in that the med school is in such close proximity to the undergraduate campus and other graduate schools (Wharton, SON, Law)...
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants expressed concerns about the lack of diversity in terms of undergraduate institutions represented, the long interview day schedule, some faculty members' behaviors, the intense academic culture, and the perceived arrogance or competitiveness of some students and faculty. Suggestions include increasing diversity, providing more structured interview schedules, and fostering a more supportive and collaborative environment among students and faculty.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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I will echo what others have said about most students and interviewees being from an Ivy or similar standing school. This isn't in of itself a negative quality, but Penn is definitely not the most diverse in terms of undergraduate institution or geographic location (a lot of people seem to be from the northeast). Some people won't care about this, but I think it's fair to let people know if they do. Interviews are all in the afternoon, and it's a long day in general. I personally would rather have morning interviews and get them out of the way.
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Not too much
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Had a mix up with my faculty interview that resulted in a 15 minute delay. Consequently I couldn't get my full 30 minutes to interview.
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The lack of emphasis on primary care
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I hear the weather is bad here. (minor complaint) Today was quite pleasant
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I was disappointed that I didn't have enough time to hear more about the faculty interviewer's work. I guess I'll just have to come to Penn and continue to conversation :)
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Nothing
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Standardized patients
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There are not that many black professionals in Philadelphia...
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Some of the buildings were older.
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NOTHING.
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Nothing really. It's a little cold, but that's what layering is for.
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Philly is kind of a crappy town.
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Nothing at all, although because the interviews were at the end of the day all of my fellow interviewees were fairly uptight and withdrawn the entire time.
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Nothing except maybe the other interviewees. students seemed cool though.
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Thats its not in NYC.. haha but thats it.
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Nada
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Philly has really crammed roads.
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Oh yeah, the airport SUCKS. Bring everything carry-on unless you like to wait for your luggage for 30-40 minutes.
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I held Penn in very high regard before interviewing so some of the current students seemed peevish and immature even though I'm sure they had immaculate resumes. Students mentioned an inner ivy league envy from Penn for schools like Harvard, Yale, and Columbia even though they have no real reason to be envious. Biomedical sciences library is not up to par with the rest of the facilities. Students bad-mouthed other Philly schools. Admissions does a thorough job of repping the school but it comes off forced/desperate.
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Nothing really. The weather, I guess, but it was just rainy and not actually cold.
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Maybe the student interviewer, hard to read her.
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The school's faculty has a major inferiority complex with Harvard/Hopkins/Yale, and Philly has a huge inferiority complex with New York City. My faculty interviewer was also pretty pompous. After belittling my career aspirations, he told me that as I was interviewing at Penn, he'd like to hear ''Be in charge of the CDC, NIH, or UN AIDs Council'' as an answer to his query of ''Where do you see yourself in 20 years?''
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I guess the lecture room wasn't as fancy as Wash U.
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Average graduation debt is 116k, rather high considering it is a top rated school
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The areas around Penn aren't so great-looking but the campus itself is beautiful
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Philly was gloomy and ive heard from some students that went to penn ugrad that they dont really want to stay for another 4 years for penn med b/c the location
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Some of the students seemed a little nerdy.
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THat I would have to wait five monthes to know if I am accpted...
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Rain. But that's the east coast for you.
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The admissions and some of the faculty seemed a little cocky about how great the school is
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Absolutely nothing. except the fact that all of the other applicants were from ivy's.
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Ok it's about to get long... 1.The students seemed spoiled by the school and took things that the school did for them for granted. For example a lot of them complained about the LEAPP program, no one takes advantage of being able to take classes within other departments in the school. And I actually had one student tell me that you can't teach someone how to have empathy. My student host was antisocial and a bit of a jerk. Thank God for his room mate who acted as though he was my host. Also, most people I asked why they chose PennMed did not have any solid reasons aside from the fact that it was a good school aka well ranked. One of the second year ambassadors that joined us for lunch seemed really bitter about everything. I know the other interviewers and I did not need that energy.
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The city outside the campus (I'm sure its fairly safe, but it's definitely a city).
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Nothing really. The tour wasn't as extensive as at some other places, but I didn't mind.
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Students
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The students
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Faculty interviewer
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The admissions talk in the morning must have mentioned 10 times that Penn is the best school in the country. I was really put-off by how much shameless self-promoting was going on.
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Not a whole lot.
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I thought they were exaggerating Penn's assets. They made it sound easy to get an MD/MBA, but a friend of mine at Penn Med told me that it's really hard to get into the program without prior business experience or a background in Econ at the very least. Also, they seemed to be trying to hard to demonstrate that, contrary to rumor, Penn students are not competitive or stressed out, even with the H/P/F grading.
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Not much, I absolutely loved Penn
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Financial aid talk was a bit scarry.
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The intensity of the students. Although most were very friendly, they were clearly VERY into the rigor of their work. One girl said to me how irresponsible she'd been because she'd spent a couple hours at a sports event that day. This was EIGHT days before a test, and seemed representative of the academic culture there. Yikes.
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Housing is a little far from med school (most live in Center City, which is a 30 min walk)
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Compressing all the pre-clinical coursework into a year and a half would be fine if Penn didn't throw so many tests at you -- as it is, I got the impression that the pre-clinical years are very stressful, even with the pass-fail Module 1. Also, the brilliant students reminded me of the neurotic, anal, overly-intense pre-meds from college. Sure there are going to be those kinds of students at every med school, but Penn seemed to have more than their fair share. That said, I also met some super-cool students who were not like that, so perhaps I was just exposed to the wrong cross-section of the student population. The students said that they loved Penn and that they were very happy, but the first & second year students seemed really anxious and stressed out. The 3rd & 4th years seemed like they were loving life, though, since the clinical years are flexible and pretty awesome. So I guess it all evens out.
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It was my tour guide's first tour so he wasn't spectacular.
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Nothing. The only minor thing I can think of is that I met with two faculty members from New York who totally bashed Boston, which is where I'm from. But everyone was so accommodating.
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Although I had heard that Penn's students are very laid back and chill, a few I met weren't - but I suppose every class has a couple gunners, right? Also, it was obvious that my faculty interviewer had only poorly skimmed over my application - he knew little-to-nothing about me, my motivations, etc - so I had to do a lot of explaining, clarifying - and I felt pressed for time because the interviews are fairly short (~ 40 minutes).
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Almost nothing - except that almost all the other interviewees came from the Ivies (a common trend on many interviews), which makes one wonder about how these schools select people for interviews.
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Some of the other applicants in the very large interview group were a bit snobby. A bunch of Harvard/Yale people got into a little clique and talked about which houses/colleges they were in and which houses/colleges their fathers, grandfathers, etc. had been in. Still, my friend who goes there says that most of them won't get in, so that's not so bad.
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The compressed curriculum seems to make the first 1.5 years pretty hellish. I met very few students who had time to do anything outside of studying.
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I have been trying to think of something negative and have been unable to do so. I guess the only thing is that I had to give back the Black Key, I really wanted to keep it.
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Too many prospective students on one day, which meant that you didn't get to interact much with one another. No big deal, though.
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I can't think of anything
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Nothin.
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A few of the other interwiewees were high strung and asked annoying questions. My faculty interviewer was a bit aloof and unprepared.
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I was the only non-Ivy interviewee that day. I found the people I was interviewing with to be a bit stuck up. However, I did not get that impression from the students.
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Housing is a little expensive, one of the students expressed the feeling that she felt a little bit of pressure to be involved in research and do more than "just family practice"
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Some people were really pompous jackasses. this one neuroscience professor couldn't stop cracking jokes about prostitutes... I bet he bangs them regularly.
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See comments.
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The weather was a bit harsh.
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The school seemed a bit stiff. Alot of students require remedial coursework to pass.
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You'd have to look hard to find things you don't like about UPenn. It was freezing when I went and I'm from California so that was a bit of a shock. Also, the school is a bit expensive and it's going to be so hard to wait until March for a decision.
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The elevators are awful. Really, really awful.
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Kinda pricey.....and it was colder than a witches areola. thats about it
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I had read from other students' interview experiences that the day would be very long, so I tried to prepare myself ahead of time. I was still exhausted by the end of the day though, so be forwarned (ladies, no high heel shoes if you can help it!)
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Long day!
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The question (see above), from my faculty interviewer, had the effect of making me feel that my acceptance was contingent on precisely how I answered that politically charged question and whether he approved of it. Other than that, very little negatively impressed me.
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We were there from 9:30 - 4:30 which is a really long day. By the end you're exhausted and really have no energy to sit and listen to the last part of the orientation (after the interviews some students come down to speak about themselves).
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Nothing, really. It made me a little nervous hearing the other applicants talk about the interviews they'd had, where they'd heard from, where they'd been rejected from.
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Tour guide (4th year) started us off on a great tour, then she kept talking to one person the whole time on some personal conversation, i was like "Hello, how bout the rest of us tagging along"
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That there's a required research project (I'm not into research).
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My interview with the faculty member was somewhat ad-lib. She obviously didn't read my application, but maybe that was the plan. The interview went very well, nonetheless. The interview with the student took me by surprise. He was very nice, but began asking me some difficult questions that didn't necessarily have a right or wrong answer. It definitely kept me on my toes. Overall the interview was positive, but I don't think he could expect a thoughtful and 'right' answer without having a lot of clinical experience and medical professionalism courses (both of which Penn has lots of).
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As is the case with other interviews, I hate the waiting before the interviews. They were about 20 mins, but still the most stressful minutes.
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Cost! decent financial aid but not as good as say Duke's.
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For some reason, Penn students don't have a very high match rate. I'm not sure why this is so. I'm a student always looking a step ahead, and something like this is somewhat significant. Penn would be my first choice if the students were a bit more succesful.
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Students seemed to be a bit more stressed out than in other places I've interviewed at.
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Philly.
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Nothing! I went in with no expectations and came out thinking, I WANT PENN!!!
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All the students seem to be cut from the same cloth, i.e. ivy league schools
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Nothing (well, the lunch they gave us wasn't the greatest, but that doesn't matter.)
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The program didn't pay for my visist
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Weather
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Parking
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The neighborhood. Penn takes up many blocks in West Philly, but beyond that it isn't too nice. Housing on campus (even if not university-owned) would be nice.
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The tour, took us around the school a little, but it was really quick, and we didn't see much of the hospitals.
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The facilities, although nice, were not as great as I expected
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The interview day seemed a little disorganized.
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Parking Difficulties, inner city Philadelphia
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NOTHING!
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The scary stories of safety concerns about living in Philly.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the relaxed and laid-back nature of the interviews at the school, the need for comfortable shoes due to a lot of walking, the long and tiring day schedule, and the difficulty in finding the admissions office. Many also highlighted the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of the interview day, the diverse backgrounds of interviewees, and the importance of being well-prepared to discuss why they see themselves thriving at UPenn.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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There was a lot of time to ask questions during the student interview, such that we still had time after I had asked about 7 questions.
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How long the day would be, it was 9-4:30
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The interviews were so relaxed. This was my 6th interview and these interviews went better than any other school I've had. My tip is to stay relaxed, these are really just conversations.
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90% of people in HUP do not know where Stemmler Hall is, much less Suite 100. It's easier go around the hospital rather than through it.
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The thing ends at 4 not 3
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Nothing
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Wear comfortable shoes! I stayed in Center City and must've walked 5-6 miles that day...
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The admissions office is super nice; you can definitely change your interview date if you need to.
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That it would be such a laid-back day. Seriously, do not stress over this interview. Relax and just enjoy the people around you. It was my first one, but I can't imagine having an easier interview. My interviews for undergrad were WAY more formal.
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Not to wear heels. Lots of walking!
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Group tests!
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How much I would love the school.
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How relaxed the interviews would be. did not feel out of place as non-ivy leaguer as SDN members suggested.
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How much I would LOVE Penn.
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Lots of interviewees a day, ~25 people.
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The bit about the airport.
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It was raining.
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Student interviewer did not asked just a few questions, and I ended up asking her about a dozen just to kill time. Maybe she was not experienced enough at interviewing, but felt I could have done a better job interviewing someone.
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How inbred the program seems. If you're not from an Ivy League school, you're going to feel out of place on the interview day.
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That this would be my first choice by far after I saw the school and met the students.
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Huge 30+ interview group
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Nothing really.
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That I couldn't swing a stick without hitting someone from Harvard. It was pretty inmidating.
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I came in thinking that Penn was by far my number one choice, but they were just so much more impressive than I could have ever imagined, so I became pretty starry eyed all day. Also I stayed by a friend in the med school who was great and really went all out and invited people over for me to talk to... but I ended up sleeping on the floor and not getting much sleep, which I think messed me up for my interviews.
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That everyone in the room was from Harvard, Hopkins or Columbia.
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That even though I might not have gone to an ivy leauge school or Hopkins I wasn't any less qualified then the rest of the applicatns who were interviewing
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That penn loves people from california and yale.
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That just because certain programs are supposed to happen on the day before your interview does not mean they will happen.
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Most students do not seem to stress too much about grades. :)
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Be prepared to be bored during the day (9:30 - 4)
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Even though they tell you a lot about the school, be prepared to rehash some questions for your interviewers
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That the faculty interviewer had already decided to stereotype me and would not be listening to a word I said; that he would spend most of the interview trying to convince me that Penn isn't right for me; did he just waste my time? (i.e. if he's going to write that and i'm not going to get in, then what was the point of flying out there)
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The Penn Med campus is adjacent to all of the other Penn campuses, including the undergrad, Wharton, law, etc.
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I could take the train from the airport directly to the school for $5 instead of a taxi ($26.95 flat rate).
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That I needed to be able to recite Shakespeare.
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It is really easy to get to Penn from the airport -- it's the 2nd stop (10 minutes away) on the train and it costs $5.50.
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There are cheaper ways to get to Philadelphia from NY than Amtrak. Apparently you can take NJ Transit from Penn Station and then catch the SEPTA in Trenton.
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There's no stress at all.
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How much input the students have re: curriculum, student life, etc. The administration just seems awesome.
-
UPenn doesn't have many public health and/or policy opportunities. This is training that you can get after medical school if you want it, though.
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The interview group was huge! I'm used to 7-10 people, but this group was about 30.
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The interview day is super-long. They make you go on long tours and listen to lots of info sessions. Also, there is no coffee at lunch.
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That CHOP was on the school campus.
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Admissions Office (Stemmler Hall) is kindda hard to find - take a map or ask someone right off the bat, instead of wandering around.
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Just how friendly and laid-back the whole interview day would be. I was expecting a more stressful interview day at such a presitigious school.
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The campus is harder to get around than you think (maybe cuz they were doing on a road there when i went, so i don't know)
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UPenn's strong record of responding to student feedback.
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Philadelphia is actually a nice city.
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What an exhausting day! The interviews are in the afternoon, so you have already been inundated with information for 5 hours by then.
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The rail system is not bad, just confusing if you don't know your way around, so get help...train is cheapest way to do stuff though so find out where the stations are...taxi cabs are expensive, but if you need one, dial 215-333-3333 =0)
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I didn't know UPenn was a renown or big-name school when I applied. I figured that out a week after my interview. Also, I didn't know about their curriculum until the visit.
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Clinical resources seem pale in comparison to other Ivy schools.
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That the students would be so cool. My student interviewer and I could have talked for hours, she even emailed me about an hour after I left to say she enjoyed meeting with me.
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Not much, beware it is frigid in Philadelphia in the winter, especially if it is windy.
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The actual interviews are very short (compared to the rest of the day) and laid back, so don't stress out too much about it.
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U Penn is the best!
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Interviews are very late in the day... earliest i think is at 2:30... they generally are slated to last 45 minutes, so in my case I finished my student interview and barely had a second to catch my breath before the admissions secretary escorted me to my faculty interview
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Everyone gives you advice as to how to dress, how to behave, how to sit properly, etc...which makes you stressed out and really nervous. I should have been relaxed, really - being worried just makes you look unsure of yourself.
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Philly trains do not run that often. I left Penn at 4:30 to get to a stop about 10 minutes away and did not catch a train to the airport until 5:15. Leave early if you have to. Also, they will offer you the chance to spend 40 minutes in Anatomy lab with the first year students. Take your chances with the smell.
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It's VERY difficult to find Stemmler Hall and get into the building. If you can, stay in Penn Tower - there's a special student rate and a bridge to the hospital. From there, it's not too difficult to find Stemmler...just follow the signs to Rhodes Pavilion and exit where the big pyramid is outside, then just walk about 50 feet outside to Stemmler. I didn't know this and tried to cut through hospitals...don't even try this because the security is tight. Also, both the faculty and student interviews are open-file. This was interesting because I've never had an open-file student interview.
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Stemmler Hall is a little difficult to get into without a keycard. Find someone to let you in.
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Wish i could have stayed with a dental student and spent longer there.
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The way to get to the building and the admissions office from the Hospital entrance.
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I knew the schools was rich, but I couldn't believe my eyes when I actually saw it. Ask your tour guide to see the new gym they built! If you're a workout bum like me, your jaw will hit the ground...I promise.
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Leave time to roam around Philly and explore the city:)
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If you are driving into Philly: I-76 gets pretty backed up during the traditional rush hour times.
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The campus is kind of confusing. Arrive early.
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The interview are late in the day ~3p.m.
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If you are coming from the West and taking the turnpike, you have to get off at the 476 sign, otherwise 76 magically becomes 276 (no signs!) and you wind up in New Jersey.
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They say you can park in the Penn Tower parknig lot, but when you get there they will say only patients can park there.
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Waking up at 5:30 AM to catch a train to Philly -- not fun. If I could do it again, I'd stay over with a student.
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How to use the subway properly
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That I would be so impressed with Penn
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They seem to really want to know (specifically) why you can see youself thriving at UPenn and with Curriculum 2000. Know why UPenn is appealing to you.
🤝 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 generally had positive feedback for the admissions office, commending them for their helpfulness, coordination, and making them feel welcome. Some suggested leaving more time for tours to avoid feeling rushed.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Nothing, they were very helpful in getting us to where we needed to be
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Keep up the great work!
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None.
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None! They did an amazing job coordinating this day!
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Keep up the good work! Your admissions team made me feel so welcome that I almost forgot I'm not ye
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They do a great job making applicants feel wanted and welcome. Keep it up!
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You do a really good job keeping your students happy, so I would make sure that all applicants have
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Perhaps leave a bit more time for the tour. we were basically running around trying to catch up with
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
✈️
PHL
68% interviewees used PHL (PHL), with 16% using Philadelphia (Philadelphia) and 5% using phl (phl) and 5% using Philly (Philly) and 5% using Philadelphia International (Philadelphia International).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by airplane to the interview.
✈️
50% Airplane
🚗
20% Automobile
🚆
23% Train or Subway
🚲
7% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Sheraton University City (average ranking 8.3/10), with some staying at Penn Tower Hotel (average rating 4/10). (Top 2 displayed)
🏨
Sheraton University City
8.3/10
🏨
Penn Tower Hotel
4/10
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 With students at the school or with students at the school.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Faculty member (1%)
Student (99%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Enthusiastic (85%)
Neutral (15%)
All Responses
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No responses found.
| Application Cycle ▿ | Impression | Performance | Interview Location |
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