Syracuse, NY
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 32% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
7.8
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 984 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 (79%)
Negatively (8%)
No change (13%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (40%)
Good (48%)
Average (9%)
Poor (2%)
Bad (1%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found SUNY Upstate to be a welcoming and friendly environment, with low-stress, conversational interviews that focused on getting to know them as individuals. Students were impressed by the facilities, the supportive and enthusiastic student body, and the emphasis on clinical training. Some mentioned the lack of emphasis on research, the importance of knowing their application well, and the kindness and helpfulness of the admissions staff.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Great school, great interview day. It's really short too (only about 4-5 hours of scheduled activities).
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This school is my first choice for a number of reasons, and I'm from the area, my family is nearby, and the tuition would be half that of any private school, so I'm biased. But SUNY Upstate strikes me as good as any school I've been to, including top schools in major metropolitan areas, and crouse is a great hospital where one would get an enormous diversity of experience. Nothing really gave me pause about my visit.
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Just enjoy yourself and take it as an opportunity to get to really know the school.
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Overall, a very chill day!
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This is a very pleasant place. I imagine the education is more than solid qua state school. But coming from a CUNY institution, I was expecting more of a cold and utilitarian vibe. Not so. The facilities are nicely renovated and the staff is very welcoming. Syracuse has all the college town amenities one might expect, and the immediate surroundings of campus are pleasant enough, if not spectacular.
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The horrible travel experience and bitter cold weather kind of soured the entire experience for me as well as SUNY Upstate's problems with the LCME.
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Friendly school, interviews were relaxed let me be myself
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I liked the school a lot, interviews were relaxed.
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It was a real surprise because i didn't really care about it. i only applied because it was my state school but it seemed like a good community and a decent place to train.
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Relax. They read your essays, then want to know your personality.
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You need to have very specific reasons for applying to this school. Their aim is to produce physicians who will serve upstate New York - that is it.
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I didn't really like Upstate. The interviews felt much more poorly organized than my others. One morning and one afternoon interview.
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The essays that you submit is the only thing they have about you. Some of the interview will not bother to read it while others will read it thoroughly
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Really really liked the school, happy they will let us know so soon, wish the location were better.
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One student interview and one with a professor/doctor.
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At least the students let me know that it is possible to find furnished apartments, which can be a key factor for someone just out school and moving from out of state.
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Nice school, the interviews were 2 one on one interviews.
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Closed-file interview format made the Q&A a little formulaic at times. (One interview was a bit stiff, the other more conversational.) In general, Upstate seems like a pretty good school, but Syracuse is a downer.
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One interviewer was downright stressful... Nice guy, but made the interview very challenging due to an abrasive form of questioning, strange reactions to answers, awkward pauses, and confusing question formats. I was really lost. The other interviewer was fantastic. He made every effort to engage me, was courteous, pleasant, etc. That first one really shook me up though.
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Everyone went out of their way to make my experience great. Wonderful job by all involved!
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Good luck!!!
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GREAT suppotive environment
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I had heard of good things about SUNY Upstate, but had an unspectacular experience at the very best there. From the admissions staff to the facilities, nothing was that impressive. However, my student host was very kind. From what I've heard and experienced, their student body is awesome.
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I was on the fence before but now I am very interested in Upstate.
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Very laid-back and stress-free. Admissions staff and interviewers told us how much they wanted us to relax and not feel like we were being challenged or anything. Good experience.
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The other applicants were good to talk to. Everyone was relaxed and friendly. Students that we spoke to during the day all seemed to like the school.
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The students at SUNY Upstate seemed much happier and laid-back than at the other med schools I visited. It's an awesome place in a good location if you don't like big cities. There's plenty to do without the expensive price tag of Boston or NYC.
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Dont worry about this interview it was absolutely stress free
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All the interviewees get to sit I a room that is juts for them. Then they come talk to you for a little while about the school and some other useful information ( I don’t remember it all but you will learn what you need to know). Then everyone splits off and goes to find their various faculty interviewers around the campus. The interview was really relaxed and very conversational. Afterwards there is time to sit in on some classes ( which I would recommend, they have nice lecture halls) and walk around and explore the campus. Then lunch is provided and there is a financial aid talk. Next there is a tour of campus (library, cafeteria, etc..) by some students which is a good time because they are relly honest and answer a lot of you questions. And then its back to the room you start in to wait to get picked up by your student interviewer and its off to that interview and then your done. The student interview is also pretty relaxed and conversational but there were a few more “structured†questions. The whole day is really pleasant and a great experience to meet and get to know the students and some of the staff.
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Terrible! The faculty interviewer didn't seem too sharp.... oh, but what do you know, he also went to SUNY Upstate. Student interviewer asked questions and as I answered then, would ask another question off of the topic.... she wasn't even listening to what I said. Then said something to the effect of "we just evaluate what you are wearing... ha,ha just kidding" .... but in all honesty I am not sure how she could have evaluated anything else since she didn't actually listen to anything I said. If Upstate is the only school I were accepted to, I would reapply next year. In earnest, I would prefer any DO school, or any school in Canada, Australia or the UK over Upstate.... this place is a joke!
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Very laid back and low stress. I really liked the other applicants as well, and the whole day was a positive experience.
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Was my first interview so I was, of course, excited about everything. My host was amazing too!
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Positive. The interviewers asked some intense questions but they also did their best to not make you feel uncomfortable or stressed. The environment is very supportive, friendly, and flexible. Syracuse is not a big city and as a result looks like it might be a boring place to live.
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The first day all applicants were invited to dinner with the President of the university and other officials for the MD/PhD program. The second day consisted of two interviews and two lab visits (students indicate fields of interest prior to the interview). In the morning, there was a presentation about the school, planned improvements, and the city of Syracuse. Each applicant was then escorted to interviews by a current student. There was no official tour, but most student guides gave some sort of impromptu tour during the day. At the end of the day, there was a chance to meet additional faculty members. The admissions staff was very helpful and tried to guarantee that applicants met all faculty members they were interested in. Overall very relaxed.
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It was a very nice experience......I really hope and pray I get accepted...definitely my top choice!
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Interviews were conversational. I didn't have a student interviewer. The day was well planned with one interview in the morning and one just after lunch.
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It was my first interview and I really liked the school. The place is great for studying and all the problems are minor. Everybody smiled and I felt good about my interviews experience. Unfortunately, yesterday I received my letter of rejection. I am very sad. The school is still great! Good luck to you!
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Great school, great facilites, super laid back environment. Syracuse is a boring city but it's not like that's a deal breaker. I would glady go here if accepted, I think I'd get a top notch education.
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First interview was with an MSII. We went outside and had a really nice conversation. I was asked mostly about myself and my volunteer experiences. I also got to ask the student many questions about the med school. Second interview was with a Ph.D. He kept coming back to the question about what qualities would make me a good doctor. After answering it twice I had trouble coming up with something new for the third time. Tour was given by the students. The admissions person was very informative about their Admissions Committee and how a decision is made. Also got to sit in on a second-year lecture. It was great, the professor was funny and the atmosphere was relaxed. Facilities at the school are also pretty nice.
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The interviews were very laid back. Most people interview with an MD and a student. The school emphasizes that these interviews won't be "challenge" interviews. The day was spaced nicely and there were opportunities to explore the undergrad campus, town, sit in on classes, etc.
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The day was pretty well organized, and the admissions staff was really nice and helpful. I liked the tour and all the information provided. I liked that we got to sit in on a lot of classes too (two MS1 classes and an MS2 class). All in all, I was really impressed with the school, but I felt that I was still pretty nervous which may have negatively affected my interviews.
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Showed up at 8:30, heard a little talk, had free time to sit in on class and walk around, first interview (30 min) heard more, lunch, tour, second interview (60min) and go home...
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Got in at 8:30. met other interviewees. had first interview. sat in on class. met with admissions staff. had lunch. tour. second interview.
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Overall, very informal. Basic questioning with nothing too deep. Information talks could have been more formal rather than a basic sit down. Free time was a little unusual but allowed me an opportunity to sit in on a class.
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Ok, one of my backup schools, hopefull do not have to go there.
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Not impressive
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It was very positive. The tour was well done and I really enjoyed my experience at SUNY COM. Although it was interesting that both my interviewers were late (both had a good reason), they were very nice, informative and relaxed. I love the centrality of Syracuse, close to Canada and to all the major cities. Not to busy, yet has enough culture and personality. Thought it was interesting to find out that Downtown Syracuse had very few shops, most shopping is done at the malls. Got to enjoy the sights and take in the Broadway Musical Aida that was playing at their convention centre. If you don't need the big city life, Syracuse is the place to be. (I'm from the sub-urbs in Western Canada). Its too bad I've been wait-listed, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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It was a very laidback atmosphere. We got to the admissions building, were told what to expect during our interview day, and then had our interviews. The faculty interviewer was very friendly and encouraging. He introduced me to 3rd year med students who were rotating in the OB-GYN department. The student interview was a little rougher at first, but we ended up having a good conversation about socialized health care.
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I was very impressed.
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After checking in at the admissions office, interviewees are shown to a room that serves as ''home base'' for the afternoon, with a conference table, sofas, a refrigerator with beverages, a television, and computers with internet access. The first interview is around 9:00 AM. Students then are encouraged to sit in on classes in progress and explore some of the facilities until lunch at 11:30 AM. While eating lunch, we were briefed on what to expect with the process after interview day and encouraged to fill out FAFSA forms early to avoid problems. Three students showed us around Weiskotten Hall, answering any questions we had throughout the tour. My second interview was at 1:30 PM, and I was on the road by 2:30PM.
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The interviews were very relaxed...they just want to get to know u
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It was a good experience. it was basically the basic questions, why you want to be a doctor, tell me about yourself. but the questions were asked very nicely. it was conversational.
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Very low stress interview, students and faculty appeared very friendly and helpful; only a brief, informal orientation by admissions staff, but it was adequate; left with a better impression of the school
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Low stress level. Very chill interviewers.
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My faculty interviewer was all right. But I loved my student interviewer. I suggest everyone sign up for a student interview. Even though I am waitlisted at this school ...a low priority waitlist (basically a rejection)...I still like the school. The hospitals were great, area was ok. Definitely worth the price of tuition.
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First interview was very short, second interview was very long but the interviewer was not prepared at all. We just chatted about the school in general. They dont do a very good job selecting their student interviewers.
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Overall, it was great. I know a few students who attend there and have chosen this institution over higher ranked schools. I have been accepted to 3 other schools of which two are higher ranked and I can completely understand why those other people chose Upstate. For me it was the atmosphere of the students and faculty here that won me over because I want all of the support I can get through medical school, not more of the over-bearing annoying pre-meds that I have encountered thus far. I 100% love the vibe at Upstate and can not wait to attend!
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Showed up, went to lounge they have set up for interviewees. Broke the ice with some of the others. Short orientation followed by morning interview. Mid-morning hung out with other interviewees, dropped by an MSII class, walked around. 11:30 lunch and talk by the director of admissions (she was great). Tour led by an MSII followed by an afternoon interview.
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Overall, it was a great experience. I flew in a day early to check out the campus and the city. I loved the area and was impressed with how nice syracuse was.
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Low stress day. you get there, meet all the other interviewees and get an intro. one interview, lunch, student-guided tour, second interview, then the day is done.
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We go to the admissions office, hand in the paperwork and one of the secretaries will bring us to the waiting room. That room consists of a oval table where we can sit with a division for 2 computers and a TV. There is a water cooler, and a minifridge along with information about schedules and of the school itself. It was very very well set up if I do say so myself. The admissions advisor came in and gave us an introduction and then left us to wait for our interviews. We have two interviews, one of which will be a student if you check of that it is ok for it. On the down time you are allowed to explore the neighborhood and sit in on classes or just go back to the admissions waiting room and... wait. It was pretty laidback and everyone was extremely friendly. One staff member went out of her way when she saw that I was lost and lead me to the location I needed. It was a great experience to interview at Upstate.
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It was pretty much as I expected. There wern't too many surprises, as I knew much about it going in. If only it were in a nicer area. Sigh.
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When you first arrive they take you to a lounge where you meet with the other prospective students and present you with your schedule for interviews. After a brief information session, they give you time to explore the University, go to classes and basically do whatever you want until the time of your interviews. Before lunch the Admissions Director gives a very informative discussion about the admissions process, the choices of campuses for the clinical clerkships and financial aid. After lunch two 2nd year students took us on a tour of the facilities and answer every question we had very frankly... They were really nice and helpful. Great experience overall.
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I work up thinking, okay i really don't have to be a doctor, i don't have to go for my interview, but i am glad i did. Syracuse moved up to a first choice. I can't remember a lot, but i remember that during my interviewing, i was thinking if there were to give me an admission, i would withdraw immediately from other schools. It is very research based but there are research opportunties as well and international electives. On our tour, the bulletin board had the names of students interviewing (it wasn't current) but thats how welcoming they were.
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This was actually my first interview so you can imagine my anxiety level before I stepped into Weiskotten Hall. Everyone in the admissions office was so helpful and so nice that it really put me at ease before my interviews. Just be prepared to walk outside to different buildings for your interview because that definitely happened for some of us who were interviewing that day. I scoped the place out the night before and it really paid off when I realized that I would have to walk down the block for my firsst interview. I definitely recommend taking your time to get a feel for the school before the interview day. If I hadn't prepared beforehand, I'm almost positive I would have gotten lost or I would have neen late to my interview, neither of which are good things. After my first interview, Jennifer comes downstairs and gives an admissions information session which is then followed by a student tour of school. The students seemed genuinely happy to be there and I took notice of their enthusiasm. After we returned, I began round 2 of my interviews and ended the day around 2:30. Overall, Upstate left me with a positive experience.
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The Admissions Director is extremely nice and stresses the fit factor. All of the waiting around was done in a comfortable room with computers, soft drinks and a tv. I was nervous about finding my faculty interview; they didn't really give great directions, but it all worked out. My faculty interviewer was really enthusiastic about the school and gave me lots of great information about living in Syracuse. The student interviewer picked me up in the waiting area, and was very chilled out, very friendly and went out of his way to show me some of the things that the tour didn't cover.
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The whole day was very mellow, both my interviews were over before lunch and then we took a brief tour of the campus led by three students who were very happy with their decision to attend suny. after that i just wandered the su campus and the u district a bit. there's not much of a
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This was a very relaxed day. The interviews were divided up into one in the am and one after lunch. The tour guides were really enthusiastic about the school. I met with one faculty member and one MSIII. The interviews were basically conversational and low stress.
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Interview was extremely laid back. They were more interested in getting a feel for me as a person than anything else. All of the information that would be elicited in an interview came out, but it came out in a natural, conversational way.
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I arrived the night before and stayed with a student. If you want to do this, call up admissions and ask more than a week in advance. The information they are supposed to send for your interview may get sent out late, and then it will be too late to arrange. The interviews are very conversational, they barely asked me any questions. The first person hadn't read my file, asked me a few questions about myself, told me a lot about Syracuse. The second guy liked my file, so it was pretty low pressure. They didn't ask any ethical or challenging questions at all.
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I drove to Upstate, arrived a half-hour early, and was taken to a comfortable room a floor below admissions which had internet access, a selection of beverages, folders of information for our perusal, and a large conference table. When our whole group of 11 or 12 arrived, an admissions staff member came to talk with us about the grand plan for the day, which gave us the choice of what to do with our time outside of interviews, a talk by the admissions director, and a student-led tour. We could look up info on our interviewers online, we could sit in on 1st or 2nd year classes, walk around the school, or relax in the conference room and do whatever we wanted to prep for our interviews (including figure out where the heck to go for them - they don't bring your interviewers to you). My interviews were very conversational, and my interviewers seemed very open and honest on their thoughts about the school. After the tour, talk, and interviews, I choose to go home rather than sit in on more classes, chiefly due to the impending snow storm. It was a good day. Not breathtakingly amazing, but good. Ah, and I've since been accepted there.
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I wish that I had just gotten about 8 hours of sleep instead of 6 because I was stressed and worried about the interview. I was under the impression that my fellow interviewees would be cutthroat and rude. However, the stress-free environment of the campus caused everyone to be respectful and cheerful with one another.
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It was great!! Very relaxed. Both interviews were about 40-45 mins long. One good thing was that they were still interviewing for acceptance (not only for the wait).
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The interviews were very laid back. Everything was done quite well, a little too much down time. Some people had both interviews over in the morning, some had them as late as 2. I wish mine were in the morning...
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My interviewers had not read my application, and consequently didn't have any questions for me. Nevertheless, I had two great conversations. My first interviewer, the student, gave me a very comprehensive overview of the school and all its programs. My interview with a faculty member was equally question-less. But here again I had a really pleasant convo and learned a lot about medicine and my interviewers specialty.
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Overall positive, one interviewer was older and completely out of touch, other interviewer was a student with a family, so we had lots to talk about.
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1 interview with a PHD, and 1 interview with a medical student. Also a lot of time spent talking with director of admissions about the school.
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Very laid-back; the interviewers both did a great job reading up on me ahead of time
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The weather on my interview day was pretty bad, but, hey, that's the reality of living in syracuse. Aside from that, I really enjoyed my visit. This was definitely one of the more pleasant interview experiences I've had. As others have noted, the admissions staff really tried their best to accommodate everyone, from the tour (we could request to see specific things/places) to the food options (much better than other schools I've been to). I sat in on part of a lecture and, while the lecture itself was really bland, I noticed that, during the break, all the student seemed to be really friendly with one another. The group seemed a lot more social than those I've encountered at other schools. My two interviews were really stress-free. One of my interviewers knew my application like the back of her hand while the other had clearly decided on a more cursory read-through. In both cases, though, I felt like I was just having a conversation (and they were interesting conversations, as opposed to ones I've had at other schools). All in all, the interview day really helped boost my opinion of Upstate, and I think it'd be a great place to attend.
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Take advantage of your interview day, sit in classes, take a look at the dorms, walk around the campus. Relax, the interviews were very conversational and these people really just want to get to know you, they are on your side!
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It was my first interview, so i prepared for the worst. However, the interviews turned out to be more conversational. They just wanted to know who i was as a person. I thought that was great. I actually enjoyed talking to them.
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I was positively impressed by Upstate. Everyone was extremely nice and they all seemed to enjoy studying there. Interviews were more of a conversation...
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Both interviews were fantastic. They could not possibly have gone better. I arrived with a sense of confidence and very specific goals for my medical education, around which I had researched very heavily the program at Upstate and had not only specific questions regarding the directions I planned to take (and need) but also clearly demonstrated a familiarity with their program and very good reasons why the program is a good match for me, even though it wasn't necessary to say so in specific terms. The student interviewer was fantastic. I grilled him on virtually every aspect of the program, from the most popular clerkship tracks to how often are msy-4 students allowed to participate in procedures. He was a priceless source of knowledge to give me "inside info" that I only would have known to ask had I researched the program in depth before (and I strongly encourage you to do this). Using this strategy not only gives you confidence in the interview because you can direct it, but also gives an impression of you that you are well prepared and motivated to attend that specific program. Most importantly, and people forget this fact too often, the interview is YOUR chance to learn about the school and whether you feel it is appropriate to your career and life goals. It is just like going on a date. You don't want to sit there like a lump on a log. Do your research and ask questions! The faculty member I interviewed with was also fabulous and though that interview was more structured it was clear that it was done so in a way that was appropriate to the environment and purpose of the interview. Overall interview experience is an A+++. I went into the interview thinking this school would be a backup. Now I'm thinking that unless I am startlingly dazzled by another program, it will be my top choice. For those who know what they want to specialize in (I'm doing neurosurgery), this is a fantastic opportunity for you to be a top hotshot and have a program that will cater to you to make sure you get whatever residency you want. DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THIS PROGRAM, PREPARE QUESTIONS THAT CANNOT BE ANSWERED FROM THE WEBSITE, EVALUATE YOUR REASON FOR PURSUING MEDICINE AND WHY SPECIFICALLY THE PROGRAM MATCHES YOUR ITNERESTS, AND ABOVE ALL, BE CONFIDENT!! I cannot stress that enough. You will all be phenomenal physicians. Act like it! This is probably the one most important point (unless you totally blow out on the interview by saying something unprofessional, immature, or ridiculous, which, clearly, as dedicated preMeds, isn't an issue). Good luck.
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I felt like I was given ample opportunity to give my interviewers a picture of who I was and my motivations, and to learn about the school. The tour could have been longer, but everything was pretty easy to find independently.
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It was a good experience first interview experience went very well the interviewers were extremely nice
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The one with the student was fabulous, supporting, and strong. However, the proffesor was unaware that he was interviewing a student, asked terrible questions, and didnt seem to care whether or not i existed.
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The experience was awesome, the faculty are very accommodating and want to get to know you! It was an awesome experience!
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I really had a great time. It is a time for you to learn about the school as much as it is for them to learn about you. They really wanted you to have a great time and I really did. The kids were cool and the professors were engaging. Overall, I really liked the school.
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Interviews was ok. The first one was sooo superifical. You can't find anyting out in only 25 minutes. And in 25 mins of stupid questions too. Everyone is nice and helpful. You don't get breakfast, only coffee, which adds to your need to crap your pants. Each person then goes off to their interviews and comes back for lunch and a tour. All in all, not a bad way to spend the day.
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Not bad, but not remarkable either.
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I drove around the city a little to try and get a feel for it. I wasn't impressed with the neighborhoods (to the west/north of campus) I saw, they were mostly commercial/industrial. I couldn't find the residential. I found out at my interview that the faculty live to the east and those students who live off campus tend to live in the northern/western suburbs (my drive kept me within Syracuse proper). The library was new, well-lit and spacious. It had a really calming feel to it, although the hours weren't as long as some med school libraries I've seen. The gross lab was the most spacious and well-lit one I've come across. It looked completely new. The pedi hospital would be available in time for 3rd year clerkships. Overall, I was not that impressed with the city but the facilities seemed good enough. They only have 4 major hospitals (University, Crouse (sp?), VA, St Josephs) but do have a pretty large catchment area comprising much of central NY (I suppose between Rochester and Albany).
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We arrived at 8:30 AM, get packed with about ten other candidates into a tight room, then morning interview, followed by lunch, presentation, tour, and afternoon interview. The committee reviews file within 3-4 wks, but will not make a decision till you mail in the clinical campus preference.
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One interviewer didn't really ask direct questions, but was more just engaging me in a conversation, which was fine once I got used to it, but, it took my a little bit to settle down into the groove of it. It wasn't a bad experience, just an atypical one, but I think I did pretty well
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About a dozen interviewees all packed in a small room for intial overview session with the admissions coordinator, then we had a morning interview, followed by lunch, tour and afternoon interview. Experience was average, but I expected more from the school.
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Overall, i had a great experience at upstate. the interviews weren't stressful at all and i felt comfortable.
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Pretty standard. No trick/ethical questions. They emphasize low stress. The committee will review your file approximately 3 weeks after your interview, and you will get one of 4 possible replies within the month (Admit, High Priority Alternate Hold, Alternate Hold, Deny); about 20% of people on high priority hold will eventually get in.
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See above.
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Low-stress interview experience. Interviewed with faculty and student, both were nice. Very generic questions (which was fine).
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The students here were not very passionate about their school. They like it fine, and say they're getting a good education. But they're not in LOVE. I want to be in love.
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The interview should have been difficult because he was asking for alot of my ideas on how to fix the health care system, but for some reason, I didn't get nervous after the interview started. Definitely not the easiest questions, but I think I did well.
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I stayed with a current med student, and would highly recommend doing so. Interview day consists of orientation, two interviews, a tour, lunch, about an hour of "free time", and a brief rundown of admissions procedure and financial aid. Jennifer and Jim in admissions were so kind and helpful--a good representation of most of the staff, faculty, and students at Upstate. My first interview was with a 3rd-year student and I felt it went very well. We discussed my application in detail and she was very professional. My second interview was with a psychiatrist and was quite difficult, as it seemed he was fishing for excuses for the weaknesses of my application. Still, I feel the interview went all right and he seemed like a nice guy, although perhaps a little out of place at Upstate. A tour of the facilities revealed a new or recently remodeled library and anatomy lab. Classrooms were also very nice. On the whole, the school is one that is friendly and will provide a great medical education for future clinicians. I spent two full days looking at Upstate and the town of Syracuse because I'm really interested in coming here. The city is what I would call mid-sized to small, and there are plenty of options for affordable housing--apartments near the school or apartments and homes farther away. There is a large shopping mall on the way to the airport, and many national stores within a short radius, although none too close to the medical university. A great mix of country and city, with many unique options for those interested in community or rural medicine. Great school!
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We got there and were brought down to a conference room which was essentially ours for the day. It had computers with internet access, beverages and a TV (that no one used). We then got a rundown of what the day would be like. We had some time to explore the school before our first interview so a couple of us went and sat in on a MS I class. The MS I auditorium is nice (the MS II one is even better but no food allowed). I had my first interview, very casual. They emphasize their no-stress policy: "If you have an interview that you believe is a stress interview. Talk to us, we will discard the interview and you will be given a third interview, the stress-interview will not be counted in consideration of your file." Most (but not all) had one Faculty and one Student interviewer. After my first interview, I was taken back to the conference room and we had a presentation about the various aspects of SUNY-Upstate. (light on the financial aid, but more was promised if admitted) After the presentation we had a tour given by a MS II and 2 MS I students. They answered questions and gave a comprehensive overview of the campus. After the tour we returned to the conference room and my student picked me up for my second interview. Not only did she interview me, but she told me everything I could possibly want to know about the school (Including a fair bit about choosing between the Syracuse and Binghamton Campuses). She also shared some personal stories about how supportive the school was to her that really made me love the school.
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Just fantastic. Go there well prepared though.
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Two interview, one with a student and the other with an M.D. The student interview was a conversation. We talked about my application and my drive. No ethics, healthcare, or hypothetical questions. practically no stress. The second interview was done by an M.D., it was more like I tour, he took me around the hospital and showed me all the facilities but barely asked me any questions
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It was a great day overall. The admission staff was sincerely friendly, as were the students.
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The day begins at 8:30 with an introduction from the Director of Admissions, Jennifer Welch. After that there is time to look around and sit in on a class. There is an interview in the morning, then a break at 11:30 for a nice lunch (which is provided; sandwiches and salads, chips, cookies, and soft drinks or water). Jennifer Welch meets with the group at this time and talks about the various programs and options available to students at Upstate. This is followed by a tour of the college that includes the anatomy lab, lecture halls and library, and is also a chance for applicants to get to know the student tour guides. After this most applicants have an afternoon interview. The day ends around 2:30. I had a chance to talk to several students at Upstate throughout the day, and they were all very positive and upbeat about the school. My first interviewer, an M.D., was genuinely interested in learning about me, my family, and how I have chosen medicine as a second career. My second interviewer, a fourth-year student, told me about the clinical experiences that I can expect to have as a student at Upstate. She was very patient and gave thorough answers to all of my questions. This is a school where students work together to help each other, and the faculty and Dean are responsive to every student's special needs. Medicine is a collaborative effort, and this tenet is part of the culture that makes up the student body at SUNY Upstate. If accepted, I will definitely attend.
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Very positive. Arrive and chat with fellow applicants. Walk around and sit in on classes. 1st interview. Lunch. 2nd interview.
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You arrive around 8:30 and are led to a room downstairs that has a conference table, coffee, tea, juice, etc. We even had a TV and several computers to check email, which was very convenient. Each student had two interviews, usually with a doctor/faculty member in the morning and a student interview after lunch. During lunch, the admissions coordinators came in to talk to us about the program and see how we were doing. I have never felt so genuinely cared about during an interview. They were so nice!
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Orientation at 8:30. First interview before tour, second after the tour. Given time to wonder around, talk to students, sit in on classes.
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My first interview was by an admissions member. It was very pleasant and basically just went through a list of questions (that are basically posted throughout this website) My second interviewers was an MD and that was more like a conversation and I listened to them speak for awhile. Found out about 3 weeks later. NO MCATS!
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My interview experience was not bad but the first person who interviewed me talked to me a lot about my Iranian descent and the Iranian government (just because I was born in Iran, it does not mean that I am an expert in Iranian politics!) and also made a lot of negative comments about how Toronto has become too muticultural!!! I have been living in Canada for only 8 years now myself, so I was pretty offended by his views and what pressured me the most was the fact that I had no choice but to keep smiling at him and bear his horrible attitude. The interesting thing was that he was a second generation immigrant himself!! It seemed like he was not even happy about the high tolerance that Canadians have for diversity. His comments not only distracted me from my purpose for being there in the first place but I had to try hard to keep my confidence high. It made the whole interview difficult and discomforting for me and I was not able to answer the questions as well as I wanted to. When I left the room I was thinking to myself: Do I really want to study in the US?
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I stayed with a first year med student the night before the interview. I highly recommend this. He was awesome. He gave me a tour the evening I arrived. We got some dinner off campus and I had a great night sleep before the interview day. He even walked me to the interview and picked me up afterwards so I could change out of my suit before I hit the road for 4 hours.
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It was a great way to start the interview season! Everyone was friendly, including all of my fellow interviewees.
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The day starts at 8:30 and my first interview was at 9 (other interviewees had them anywhere from 9-10:15). my first interview was more of a conversation about my academic life and experiences listed in AMCAS. the interview itself was so low stress, nothing to worry about. after the interview, i was free for 1 1/2 hours to wander around or sit in a class. then came lunch and an overview of how the adcom reviews each application. if you're looking for financial aid info or anything else, it won't come here, you'll have to go find it. after lunch was a BRIEF tour. the place is a maze, so touring yourself is somewhat difficult. granted, it was our tourguide's first tour, so i think she was a bit nervous. the view from the 9th floor cafeteria is amazing. after the 15 min tour i interviewd with a current med student. this interview was also non-stress. he offered his perspective on a number of things which was really helpful. overall, the whole thing is nothing to stress over, they really just want to know who you are.
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Easy, it went like this (for early assurance): you go in with 20 or so other applicants being interviewed. A dean briefs you for a little bit, then you wait for your interviewer to come get you. Mine asked me easy questions like "describe yourself, why do you want to be a doctor, what about upstate, do you like your college, why would you be a good doctor, what experiences make you sure you want to be a doctor" then you have an hour or so of free time, then they feed you and talk to you about their school, then you have another interview. The latter was a student who also did early assurance. Very nice and friendly. I left very positive.
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I liked Upstate more than I thought I would. Being from NYC, Syracuse has little cultural life to offer, but it has its Upstate charm. It's definitely a place to study. My first interviewer was a second year who asked me some tough questions. I really hit it off with my second interviewer, a faculty member, who was super interesting and we ended up talking for a while about books and stuff.
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Overall, it was a very good experience.
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They are very nice people in the admin, started on time, show you where to go for your interviews, the students pick you up from them waiting area. My first interviewer was a very cool Ph.D. and the student was very relaxed and we had a conversation about her personal life instead of asking me the dry boring why medicine questions. The professor was also very conversational and was more interested in my views than my credentials. They tell you right away that the interviwers observe you psychologically so be prepared.
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Overall, the day was very relaxed and the people were so nice. My first interview (with a PhD and active member of the adcom) was a little strange - we talked about my interests and background for 10 minutes and he spent the other 40 giving a sales pitch about Upstate. The student interviewer was polite and approachable but direct with his questions. The tour was led by 3 enthusiastic first years who all had good things to say. The student host I stayed with was fantastic.
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First interviewer was 4th year med student and second was a faculty member/family physician. Both really made an effort to get to know me as a person. Each interview lasted about 60 minutes, which allowed me to get to know them as well.
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I had two interviews with faculty and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice they were. They was more interested in getting me to perform at my best than trying to stress me.
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Felt at ease and not too nervous. my student interviewer was honest and friendly. my faculty interviewer was the same. wish we could've seen the hospital, but we just saw the anatomy lab and some classrooms. overall good experience
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Both the interviews (doctor and student) were quite informal and relaxed.
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Very friendly and almost informal just getting to know you
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I lead the entire interview because my inteviewer barely opened his mouth...he did not seem like an ubeat person...which it seem as not one was except for the dean of admissions...
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I would go there in a heartbeat. I have an offer from one other school that is nationally ranked much higher, but I would go to SUNY Upstate any day of the week and twice on a Sunday. They really train you well clinically, they care about you, and the students are the happiest I have ever seen. The school is just awesome. I cannot say enough about this place....let's just hope they admit me. The best advice I can give people that interview here is to be yourself. They screen very, very heavily on personality, manners, attitude and the non-cognitive factors that make one a rounded physician. They also seem to take the comments of the student interviewers equally seriously, so treat them with the same respect if you happen to have one (and if you’re the right person for this school this will be second nature, it seems). Be prepared to expose your soul at this interview.
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Overall, the school was nice. Research does not seem to be a very high priority at this school, so be careful if you are MD/PhD or are interested in research. Also,my interviewers asked alot about stuff on my AMCAS, so definitely know your AMCAS well and be able to discuss your experiences. Also, eat before you come or you will die of hunger. I rushed there and did not have time for breakfast and paid the price. My stomach was growling the whole time and we didn't eat until around 11:30.
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BASICALLY JUST GETTING TO KNOW ME AND TELLING ME ABOUT THE SCHOOL
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My two interviewers were both nice, and did not grill me with tough questions. The interviewers were very informative. The only thing I did not like was that we were left to find our interview locations on our own. For my second interview, I did not realize that my interview was in a separate building. I had to walk quite a distance outside, and ended up being 5 or 10 minutes late.
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Very positive -- liked the school a lot, including the people i met
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Overall, it was a great experience...very relaxed environment. They just wanted to learn more about me and let me learn more about them. The interviews were more like conversations than interviews.
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The first interview was with a Biology PhD who seemed to imply that only science majors were appropriate candidates for medical school. (Didn't bode well for me as a history major). Second interviewer was a student - asked the same tough questions about background, but with an open mind. I was looking for the ethics questions that seemed so prominent in Upstate interview experiences - and got ZERO ethics questions. All the standard stuff - very routine.
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The interview day was simple. I would suggest to bring warm clothes -- our bunch were the first "lucky" people to get Syracuse snow all year. The staff were helpful, the students were down to earth and friendly, and the class schedule is only 2 or 3 at a time for first year students. The whole area seems like one big hospital, and with close to 30,000 students in a twenty mile radius (including Le Moyne and SU), there has always got to be something to do. The clinical training at this school is what drew me to it, and I walked away feeling very impressed. Also, be prepared to do a little trekking -- my first interview was in their University Hospital in the morning (the tougher of the two), then the Campus Acitivies Building (which has a great layout) in the afternoon. The admissions director was very nice, and the food was actually good! This is my first choice, hands down -- if they accept me, I will go.
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I interviewed with two physicians at University Hospital in their offices which was not hard to find. My first interview was more conversational but the second one was more Q&A. There is some down time between interviews and tours so they encourage you to sit in on a class and explore the campus. Lunch was decent (sandwiches or salads with choice of cookies and other snacks). 3 students led tour and you can tell this school is not cut-throat but rather cooperative and everybody wants to help each other out. The Anatomy lab is new and very nice.Upstate called me only a week and a half later to congratulate me on my acceptance--they are pretty fast about getting back to students.
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Very nice format. The school provides a room stocked with beverages, a TV, and the internet for downtime. The admissions staff is knowledgeable and works hard to sell the school. Both of my interviews were relaxed and informative. The student interview is especially helpful, both for its relaxed atomosphere and the opportunity to learn about the school. Upstate has moved up considerably in my estimation.
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Two interviews, one with PhD, other with OBGYN MD. both very positive, extremely unstressful, very enjoyable.
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Interviewing and SUNY Upstate is a pretty nice experience. The school in general is very welcoming and friendly. Your day is pretty laid back, your left on you own for an hour or so to explore which is nice. Some of the other interviewees and I actually explored together and we were able to sit in on a class and see a cadaver on our tour of the gross anatomy lab. Also while we were up in the library one of the librarians came out and was nice enough to tell us more about the facilities there, just another example of how friendly everyone at SUNY Upstate is.
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Very nice. easygoing. conversation-style.
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We started in a little room with about 15 other interviewees. The day wasn't scheduled to constantly be doing something. I waited with others until my interview time. It gave me lots of time to discuss interivewing experiences and the elections. There was internet access in the room if you wanted to check your email. The interviews are nice conversations. They ask many standard questions plus press you on your application.
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Overall it was low-stress- they take good care of you. I didn't get much from the tour.
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First we had a short talk about general things about the school and then we were left alone to do whatever we wanted. We could sit in on classes, visit the anatomy lab, or explore the surrounding area, just so long as we went to our interviews when they were scheduled and came back at 11:30 for lunch. During lunch, Jennifer Welch gave us another talk and then three students took us on a tour. We were then free to leave unless we had another interview.
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I was positively impressed by the entire day. We (there were about thirteen of us) had plenty of free time to attend a lecture and look around the campus. At 11:30 we were given a tour by three students. We saw the anatomy lab, lecture halls, cafeteria, student lounge, the library, and the spectacular view from the 9th floor of Weiskotten Hall. Lunch was provided, choice of a salad or tasty sandwiches. The library is great! Both of my interviews were of a conversational nature and I felt very comfortable the entire time I was there.
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It was a great experience. I was impressed by my interviewers. They were genuine as they tried to know me beyond my application and in their presentation of the school. Jennifer Welch is definately an asset to this admission committee. I was particularly impressed that in the event that a student is not selected, they are willing to sit with a student and point out 'loop holes' in their application process.
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Overall it was a good day and low stress. Jennifer Welch is very helpful and extremely nice.
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All around pleasant.
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Overall it was a good interview experience. Pretty relaxed atmosphere, other students interviewing seemed pretty cool, and the doctor who interviewed me was very friendly. My only real advice is to size up your interviewers since you're told who they are in the morning. If it's a PhD, expect questions about research. If it's a med student, don't let your guard down--mine acted like he had some chip on his shoulder and grilled me with the toughest questions he had. But keep your cool, and relax. It can/should be a very calm interview experience.
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Very chill and enjoyable. Relax and have a good time.
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Overall, Upstate was a great place to visit and is a great medical school - they really care about the students and everyone likes it there. The two interviews were with a student and a doctor (but not everyone has a student interviewer) and both have read your application. My student interviewer has a lot of questions about my application but my faculty interviewer didn't have too many. Both were really helpful in answering my questions about Upstate. This is a great school to go to if you're from NY because the tuition is really cheap for in-state residents. Oh, and there is a great mall nearby.
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My interview experience was a very good one. My first interview was given by a PhD and he was extremely relaxed and he made me feel very comfortable for my next interview. I had my first interview before lunch and my second interview was with an MD and he was more formal but still very nice. The lunch was salad, the chicken didn't suit my stomach very well so I suggest going vegetarian for the interview day. I got lots of questions specifically relating to my application and past experiences. Very standard questions nothing out of the ordinary.
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I was very happy all day. Very low stress, everyone friendly, the school was great, I liked the classes I sat in on. If accepted, I will definitly go.
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A very positive experience, don't be nervous! Upstate really wants students to learn about their school and will bend over backwards to answer all of your questions. Seems like a great place to me!
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I stayed with a medical student the night before so she gave me some off the record information, basically she is happy with her decision, everyone is nice and laid back. They have a note taking service run by the school. All the notes for each lecture are give to the student in a packet and this is the primary study material for the students. Most don't even buy the textbooks. Also, all the lectures are video typed so if you miss a class you can watch it on the web later. So the day begins with meeting the director of admissions Jennifer Welch (she is sincerely a nice person). She gaves an overview of what is the day is going to entail and talks a little bit about the process from interview to notification of decision. I had two morning interveiws scheduled, typically you have one interview in morning and another in the afternoon. The earliest interview is 9am and the lastest in our group was 2pm. Around 11:30 there is lunch and a brief informational session given by Ms. Welch. After this is a tour of the school by medical students and then you are free to leave. There is some down time so you have the opportunity to sit in on classes if you like. I'm glad this was my first experience. Everyone that interviewed was commenting on how well the interviews went which is good, but since it is unlikely that all 13 of us are being accepted a guess you can't get an idea of whether or not you will be accepted by the interview experience. In sort, it was a good day and everyone is REALLY nice:-) Oh, just a reminder don't forget your small photo on the day of the interview.
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After reading all the positive reviews on this site, I was expecting a warm reception and that's what I got. Jennifer Welch, the admissions director, couldn't be nicer if she tried. The students taking us on our tour were incredibly helpful and informative. Plus they really seemed to like it there. Student morale is high. The interviews themselves were more like conversations rather than interviews. I ended up talking to the med student who interviewed me for almost 90 min! We spoke about everything from movies, our backgrounds, things to do in syracuse. It was very comfortable. My faculty interview was also pretty comfy. A lot more direct questions from my AMCAS. One wierd thing to note - he wrote down EVERYTHING I said. And I mean EVERY word out of my mouth. I guess he plans to submit a paper about my evaluation. So if you have Dr Henry, know your AMCAS inside out. He was also nice enough to answer my questions about upstate and give me advice on possible specialties to pursue. Overall, I was definitely impressed. Now if only the $100,000 average debt wasn't there, Syracuse would be my top choice. Who knows, maybe if I can work out some sort of financial aid deal w/o taking too many loans, It will be.
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Really low stress. cant imagine a better interview experience
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The day started out w/a briefing, followed by an interview immediately, then a lunch and then the last interview, after which you are free to leave.
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Before my first interview, I was able to observe about 10 minutes of 1st year physiology class where a hemodynamics demonstration was in progress. Having come into the middle of it, I was a little baffled. I was then off to the hospital for my first interview, which was with a clinician in pediatric nephrology. He was very welcoming when I entered his office and took my coat. He asked about my life in Ohio (where I grew up) as he is an alumnus of OSU. I believe our interview lasted about 35 minutes, which surprised me, but it was very comfortable. He told me about the school -- more focused on producing practitioners rather than researchers (a bonus for me), as well as about living in Syracuse (snow). I returned to the meeting room we interviewees were assigned and met up with some others who were waiting for lunch. We opted to take a peak into the physiology class, which had changed topics and instructors since I had been there. This bit on blood pressure didn't seem as foreign to me as the first class(stuff I am exposed to at work), but alas a little hefty for my comrades. We returned and chatted and ate lunch -- wraps, fittingly simple and good. And as a fellow interviewee has already posted, the Director of Admissions talked with us about financial aid, acceptance, etc., as well as the 3rd/4th year campus choice. Soon, I was off to my second interview, which surprisingly lasted nearly an hour. We chatted about the book I had brought, other perspectives brought through different fields of study (as in anthropology and psychology), books, and of course stuff in my AMCAS app. Again, I stress how comfortable the interview was. The difficult question for me was the one about my father, a little personal, but I suppose it gives the interviewer a perspective of how I handle myself with 'close to home' questions. We discussed the virtues of taking up a cause an going with it, finding better medicine for childhood asthma was the example. I could see myself finding such an issue, but I was adamant that I wished to maintain a practice and not becoming an administrator. The hour had passed quickly and I was then off for a long ride home. I was nervous about the 4 week wait to hear news, but alas 2 1/2 have passed by already!
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I was surprised at how much I liked SUNY Upstate. The interview day began at 8:30AM. The ten or so individuals interviewing were all gathered in a room on one of the lower floors of the medical school building, Weisskotten Hall. Once everyone had arrived there was a short presentation by the Director of Admissions, Jennifer Welch. She gave a basic rundown of what the day would be like. Most people had interviews in the morning, around 9:00AM followed by an afternoon interview later in the day. I had a morning interview with a medical student. There were no difficult questions and the atmosphere was relaxed and casual. We discussed my grades, motivation to be a doctor and extracurricular activities. The interview lasted about 30 - 35 minutes. After this, I was free to do whatever I wanted, tour the campus on my own, go to the library or whatever. At 11:30 there was a presentation by the Director of Admissions over lunch. She talked about the admissions procedure and financial aid among other things. We were told that we would hear back from the school in about four weeks. If not accepted out right, there are two waitlists, high priority and a hold list. In years past they have accepted everyone of the high priority list and even some off the hold list, but this has not happened in the past year or two. In the past few years they have not finished getting through the high priority list. After lunch, the was a tour given by two MS1's and an MS3. We saw the normasl stuff, classrooms, anatomy lab library etc. Everything looked great. Nothing was rundown and the students milling around seemed to by pretty happy. My interview in the afternoon was in the hospital and was very much like my morning interview. This physician was not on the admissions commitee, but will report to them. No difficult questions were asked. Most of the time was spent discussing my grades and extracurriculars. After my interview I was free to go. At that point, the day was over. I recommend walking around the campus and getting a feel for things.
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Overall, I got the best gut feeling from this school. Sure, they dont' produce academic physicians, but you got a good education from a well-respected institution. The friendliness of both my interviewers, the students I met, and the admissions staff really meant a lot in how I viewed the school. Had it not been for personal matters, I might well have gone here.
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A day of intelligent and pleasant conversations. Good people, great school, one could not ask for more. A very pleasant experience.
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Interview went relatively well, however, I came away disappointed about the school. Focus on research seems weak and lacking strong foundation. Currently wait-listed at Cornell and NYU, accepted at all the 4 SUNYs, NYMC, and Mount Sinai.
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The interview overall was awesome. I found out about 4 weeks later that I was accepted!! NO MCAT's FOR ME!!! I'll take Upstate anyday over taking the MCAT's. Even if I took the MCAT's I'd probably go there. It's a great place to spend 4 years.
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Upstate sucks. If you can go to the other SUNYS, go for it. I made Downstate, which is a better school (except for the high crime rate in Brooklyn). The interviewer is pretty tough but I answered all his questions sharply. I got in, but I declined the acceptance and took up Downstate's acceptance. I also got into Penn State and I am going to visit Hershey one more time before making my final decision. I'm leaning toward Penn State.
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Very positive. I am very impressed with the program.
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It was a good experience and i'm glad i was able to go. the school and students seemed really great.
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I thought the facilities were impressive- clean and new. The students seemed happy and non-competative. The area seemed very accessible and easy to have a car there.
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The day officially begins at 9am and ends at 1pm or 2-3pm depending on whether you have an afternoon interview. The director of admission Jennifer Welch was very receptive to feedback and states she would rather hear them firsthand from students than read them on SDN. We hear about the nitty-gritty of the admission process, a bit about the programs at SUNY Syracuse, and financial aid. Syracuse is the fourth largest city in New York, centrally localized, and receives a diverse patient population. A decision (Acceptance, Waitlist-High Priority, Waitlist-Hold, or Rejected) will follow three to four weeks after our interview. She also assured us that in the event we do not gain acceptance to Upstate, we could meet with her to review our application (including interview feedback) and find out what went wrong. We are scheduled either two interviews in the morning or one each in the morning and the afternoon. It is tricky to find your way through the hospital so if your interview is at another location it is easier to go outside to the streets even though the buildings are all essentially connected through tunnels. Passerbys are quick to notice you as a visitor and are helpful with directions. Interview were low-stress, open-file and a good opportunity to see how well you fit into the school. While eating lunch, the director of admission will return to gain feedback on the interviews and explain the stuff that were in our folders. Basically, we were told to choose between the Syracuse or Binghamton campus for our 3rd and 4th year rotation. The separation is necessary because the Syracuse facilities have only a capacity of 120 students, so 40 students end up going to Binghamton for their clinicals. This was explained to be a strength since there are things that can be done in Binghamton (rural medicine) that can't be done in Syracuse and vice versa. The tour was led by three medical students who seems relaxed despite their workload. They'll have plenty to say as you tour their lecture halls, 24-hour computer lab, library, cafeteria, and anatomy lab (6 per cadaver). After the tour or the second afternoon interview we were free to go. Overall, SUNY Syracuse is a commendable school at an unbeatable price, with a great campus life.
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A wonderful time, great interviewers who were very conversational and very honest about pros and cons about the school and town.
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A very pleasant, stress-free experience.
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AWesome. This was my first interview and it couldn't have been a better situation.
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I went to my interview with no preconceptions about the school, but fell in love with it. Syracuse seems like a great place and I think I would be very happy here if I get accepted. The people were all very nice, and the facilities were amazing. A couple of us went to the anatomy lab when we had some free time and the students were very informative. Two of them spent about 45 minutes talking to us about the school, and answering any questions we had. I even saw 2 girls that I went to undergraduate with who were 1st year students. Bottom line, Syracuse is a great place and I'd like to go there (Bonus: It's cheap if you're in state like me) :)
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The day was informative and Jennifer Welch was very receptive. The schools facilities are well kept which is a big plus.
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Beyond my expectations. I was comfortable, and made to feel at home. It helped a lot when I did my interviews: I was very composed, enthusiastic, and not at all nervous. Everyone was very cordial, and made every effort to smile.
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Very laid back. The director of admissions reads this site! Hi!
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It was a good experience, staff & faculty were very nice, and the other applicants were pretty cool too, which hopefully is a sign that next year's class will be a fun group. the school reminds me a lot of my alma mater, and i think i would enjoy being here.
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I was impressed with Upstate going in and nothing changed. By far and away my #1 choice. Admissions director Jennifer Welch is great, other schools should take some pointers from this wonderful woman!!
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Basically SUNY Upstate does not want to give anybody stressful interviews, they are very much interested in selling the school to prospective students. it worked. i completely believe that if accepted i would consider syracuse very highly, based primarily on my interview day experiences!
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I was extremely impressed by SUNY Upstate. The admissions staff and interviewers were the friendliest of any school I have visited thus far. The day began with the Dean describing what each of our interviewers personal characteristics were, which really puts you at ease. Then it's off to an interview, followed by lunch, another talk about the school and a tour. The day is capped off by a final interview. You may have two interviews in the morning but no one there had that situation. Each of the interviewers was very knowledgeable about the University and programs offered. I was really impressed with the new anatomy lab. Plus, they have an option whereby you can take anatomy the summer prior to matriculating so that while first years are taking the course, you take electives such as radiology etc... One great thing about attending from out-of-state is that after the first year you can become an in-state resident and only have to pay $17,000 a year as opposed to $28,000. If accepted I plan on attending.
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It was a great day. Syracuse was not my top choice school before I went on the interview, but after this experience, I really think I would be happy there, and I guess I will know in 3 weeks (they have rolling admissions).
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Overall it was a positive experience. I'm a little worried about tuition being raised significantly over the next couple years. But my visit definitly put the school in contention for my top choice. Students are very happy here, and that may well be the best reason to attend a school.
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Very low-stress, relaxed atmosphere. No sense in getting nervous, will just be a waste of energy. The day was fairly enjoyable, would have been more so if I wasn't so tired. Shout out to Ms. Welch!
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The medical school itself was very pleasant, and the students during the tour were helpful and informative. Overall my interview experience was positive, at least with the first interviewer. I met with a surgeon who was very friendly and asked the usual interview questions with no intent to cause any stress. However, my second interviewer (a phd)harped over my low physical sciences score for a good twenty minutes, then repeatedly questioned my motivation for wanting to become a doctor, and also asked why i had no research experience. He asked what other schools i had applied to, and when i mentioned SUNY Stonybrook, he said, " I thought that was a good school". I dont think he truly meant to be malicious, however his interviewing skills did not impress me.
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I left Syracuse fuming. I got there at 8, they gave a short orientation and I sat around until 10. Then my first interviewer played "bad cop." He began by challenging my word usage all over my application, which was tedious. At one point in the interview I said "Me and my friend..." Big mistake. He chastised me and said "I guess this explains the terrible verbal score on the MCAT." My score is mediocre, but certainly not terrible. Then he lectured me for about 15 minutes, telling me I had better make sure I want to go to med school. We spoke for so long that I missed lunch and the real orientation, then I had to leave the tour early to go to my second interview. That interviewer was actually quite friendly-- good cop time. I left certain I didn't get, thinking 'for this, I flew from Cali?!?' I got in 3 weeks later anyway, so don't sweat it if your interview experience feels like hell on earth. Mine sure did.
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SUNY Upstate seems to be a good school and I would love to go there. Both the students and faculty speak highly of their school. If you need lodging, STAY AT THE ECONO LODGE! It was inexpensive and most importantly the management is so nice! I was almost running late so they gave me a ride(as opposed to 10min walking)and seemed genuinely worried for me. After my interview they gave me info on Syracuse and answered all of my questions about what it's like living there. They'll pick u up from the airport and also take you there after your interview, so you could just leave your bags with them in the morning. So not only did I spend little money on the hotel but I also saved on taxi.
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One interview was done by a student, another by an MD. Student was 4th year, gave a good breakdown of what's good and bad about the Syracuse vs. Binghampton campuses. The MD asked if I would still stay in med school if I found that I was no longer near the top of my class and started getting average grades
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My interview group was stuck in the elevator for 5-10 minutes during the tour! Besides that, everything went fine. My student interview was basically about Patricia Cornwell's novels and my favorite movies.
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It was a great experience, very organized as well. The students seemed very happy to be there and the professors are eager to teach. Overall a great school!
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I really liked Syracuse. The atmosphere was really friendly and the interview was really conversational.
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Upstate does a nice job with the interview process. The day is laid back, and it really calms everyone down so that they can feel at ease in the interviews. I was really impressed with what Upstate is doing to educate their students. I think anyone could be proud to attend this University despite some of the negatives.
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I think it went well, the interviews were fairly low key and mostly standard questions, pretty long day from 830 till 230 as far as interview days go
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This was a great experience. Everyone is there to get to know you better, not to make you stressed out or nervous. The faculty truly cares about the school and the students!
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It was great. My interviewer opened up my secret envelope and showed me what he was gonna check off. If you are interviewing so early (Sept) u are probably gonna get in, if you have a people personality.
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Upstate says they only give non-stress interviews, and that was the experience that I had. Both of my interviewers were friendly and easy to talk to. Neither tried to put me into an uncomfortable position, or to catch me off guard. I had a fair chance to sell myself to the school, as well as to learn as much as I could about upstate.
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Overall, my interview experience was really great. The student interviewer really just wanted to get to know me as a person, so he didn't grill me with questions about my MCAT and grades. The faculty interviewer was so nice. It really seemed more like a conversation than an interview, even when he asked me questions about my AMCAS. He seemed genuinely concerned about me as an applicant and a person. I don't think the experience could have been much better!
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Day is well structured, admissions committee very friendly. They emphasize low-stress interviews. My first interview was a 15 minute walk away in blizzard conditions and my interviewer rushed things a bit because she squeezed me in between patients, but she was still receptive and seemed satisfied with my answers. The second interviewer was enthusiastic about getting to know me as a person and was very informative about the school's many clinical programs. The interviews were pretty conversational in tone, with getting-to-know you questions rather than a barrage of medical ethics questions. Upstate is definitely primary care oriented, especially if you choose Binghamton. If you are used to big city life, you may not be happy in Syracuse.
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The interviews were ok, but I was proactive and I ask you all to be in this phase. My interviewers not only wanted to know about me, but I also wanted to know about the school and if its a good fit for me.
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The admissions staff was extremely friendly, even moving up my interview times to get me out sooner, which turned out to be important as it started snowing on the drive back. I was paired with someone from my hometown which was nice. The admissions director actually mentioned this website, this is my first visit, wish i had known earlier. Any stress was self-imposed, not from any of the staff or students.
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Staying over with a student beforehand was a great experience but most of the rest was downhill from there. My first interview started with the phrase "All I'm concerned about is 2 of your grades-- Physics & Organic". That was the easy part. Then I got asked about 45 minutes worth of questions about HMO's. Whenever I would answer a question he'd let me talk for a minute then say "That's not what I meant". There was no discussion actually about me and he seriously asked me to solve the country's healthcare issues. The second interview was standard--but could it have been any worse than the first?
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The day started with the Dean of Admissions (I think thats who she was) telling us that if we had any stress interviews to tell her and we would be given a new interview and that interviewer wouldn't be used any more. The students and faculty were very nice, as was the medical school building and the view of Syracuse University. It would be pretty hard to turn down, especially because you receive in-state tuition after your first year ($28,000 down to $14,000) wich makes it VERY affordable compared to a lot of private schools.
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It's a solid school for those of you interested in primary care. I am not sure how great they are at placing students in semi-competitive residencies though. Additionally, I wasn't impressed with my first interviewer. It seemed like I talking to a wall. She wasn't receptive to any of my responses. Not only was she almost 30 minutes late, she answered her cell phone during the interview.
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It was a positive experience overall--nothing spectacular. The lecture halls are nice, especially the 1st year hall. There are several hospitals around, and the school is small, so you would almost definitely have fabulous mentor contact during the clinical years, even more so if you elected to take them at their small rural campus in Binghamton. The city seems really nice and quiet. It is snowy, but I like the snow so it didn't bother me at all. I stayed with a 2nd year med student, and that was a really good experience. The night before my interview he and several of his friends talked to me about the school, answered lots of questions both about student life outside of school, the facilities, what it's like to be a student there etc… after my interview a couple of students took me hiking at a place called Green Lakes. It was rather brisk, but a very nice saunter through the woods. The students are very welcoming, and the one I was staying with really went out of his way to make sure I was seeing everything that I wanted to see, and doing all that I wanted to do. The area south and a bit west of campus is nice, but some of the other areas didn't look so attractive (they didn't look too bad, though).
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It was not what I expected...I guess because in the dead of winter everything is less that beautiful. Very much a college town, so there are quite a few eateries and shopd near by the med school buildings. The people I met were very nice and my student interviewer was candid in his responses to my questions. Overall, a good experience, definitely low stress...in fact the admissions people emphasis that point.
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I can tell you all that Upstate puts forth great effort to ensure a positive experience for interview day. And for the curious, they say that admissions decisions take 3-4 weeks. I give it an overall *** and a half * for good measure. Hope my input helps... Good luck
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You interview with one student and one faculty member. Both were pretty relaxed and conversational. . The city is affordable. I was not all that impressed with the students.
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This was my first interview, and I'm so glad it was. All of the people that I came into contact with were really nice, did their best to put us at ease. The day itself was organized, and things were pretty much on schedule the whole time. My interviewers were very laid back. They didn't attempt to stump me, and were more than happy to answer any questions I had. The students seem to love it there.
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Overall, I was very impressed with the University and the faculty/staff. They did a great job making us feel comfortable and answering any questions we had. I think this speaks volumes about what means being a student in UMU. MD/PHD program is expanding, and allows you to apply for that option your during the first year. Upstate is quickly becoming a premier research institution among the SUNYs.
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Overally i would say it was a good experience. i was impressed by the school and the affiliated hospitals. syracuse seems like a nice town. the interviews themselves were very low stress. the studnet interviewer was a 4th year student now interviewing for orthopedic surgegical residency. funny thing is he barely got into upstate about a week before classes started and nwo he's top10% of class. go figure. the faculty interviewer was a phd and he was very nice, seemed very interested in what i had to say. i was trying so hard to not fall asleep at the end when he was talking about the changes that were being made in the curicculum ( had 3 hour sleep the night before). the changes themselves involve going from the traditional curicculum to a system, organ-based one. but upstate is still very much a traditional medical school
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Everyone was extremely supportive. My first interview was with a 4th year student who was very open and honest about his own experiences as a non-traditional applicant (which I am) and as a student. He didn't probe my background much or pose any difficult questions. It seemed that he gave me more information (both good and bad) than I gave him. Our interview lasted maybe 45 minutes. My second interviewer was a faculty PhD. He was very friendly and open. He did ask some difficult, in-depth questions about my record, but that's necessary when you have as atypical a history as mine. After we spent the first 30-45 minutes clarify the timeline of my life since high school, we just chatted about all sorts of things. We ended up spending an hour and a half talking. These were just about the least stressful interviews I could imagine. One of the other applicants interviewed on the same day said they had a stress interview. They absolutely should have reported this to the (VERY friendly) admissions staff! The tour wasn't very extensive. We just saw a little bit of the hospital, the anatomy lab, some of the class rooms, and the cafeteria. It might have been nice to see more of the campus (dorms, gym, whatever). But there was a fair amount of snow on the ground and quite cold, so none of us wanted to do as much outdoor walking as would have been required.
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SUNY Upstate was an OK place to go visit. The location and hospital facilities were not very impressive, even though they are making renovations on the college of medicine right now. Your basic med-school curriculum, just phrased a bit differently AND little patient exposure during the first two years. The interview process seemed a bit disorganized (we had a couple of last-minute interviewer changes on my day); we were left on our own after being given our schedule and such.
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Student - great. Informative, positive. A good selling point on the school. Faculty - dunno. She was informative. Though we did not connect as well as I have in other interviews. I've always found that conversational interviews get the same information from me as this one tried to,... being the first REAL stress-interview, it really threw me,... again, oh well.
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I had a really good time there, especially because I stayed with a friend in her off-campus apartment. My interviewers were GREAT...they asked questions specific to my application and also questions that made me think (like about healthcare). I like the school a lot, and could definitely see myself as a student there.
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Great day!! I really went into it not even wanting to apply to this school but once i was there i loved it:) They have an awesome new curriculum that offers loads of free time and great clinical experience your first year!! Dorms are cheap and very close. There are tons of places to study, the students rave about their teachers, admissions staff is so nice, just overall an awesome place. The interview day was planed out well. This was my third interview and it was nice to see that the day was actually scheduled out for us including the dean coming to talk to us (very funny by the way). The student interviewer couldn't be nicer, she answered all my questions and really promoted the school..we ended up talking for over an hour. Overall great day!!
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I had a great experience. They're very intent on not giving "stress" interviews, and I felt very much at ease and welcome the entire time. Wonderful experience.
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They were both great. The MSIV was very sweet and fun to talk to. The retired doctor was very down to earth and was nice he felt that interviewers who give stress interviews suck. From my own experience and others I talked to, Upstate is really out to get to know you and to are very down to earth. This was by far my best interview and only reinforces the fact I want to attend this school.
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It was cool, I liked my interviewers and I liked the school
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Its a great school in a great location. Walk out of class and go catch a basketball or lacrosse game. Get out of the library on Saturday and go to the Dome for a football game, a few beers and a Dome Dog. Hit Armory Square for some good food, maybe some Dinosaur. Teach and Kaplan class right around the block. There is so much right there and a lot to do in the immediate area. I'm bias because I love Syracuse and I have really fallen in love with the people I have come into contact with at Upstate...not to mention I live close by and it is so damn cheap...NYM and AMC around $33,000...are ya kidding me?
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
🕐
Length:
49 Minutes Average
🔄
Number:
2.2 Interviews Average
👥
Interview Type (Interaction):
100% One-on-One
0% Group Interview
📁
File Type:
80% Open-File
20% Closed-File
💻
Interview Modality:
100% Virtual
0% In-Person
SUNY-Upstate-COMP interviews are an average of 49 minutes, with an average of 2.2 interviews. 100% of interviews are one-on-one, 0% are in-person, and 20% 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 the motivation to pursue medicine, experiences in healthcare or research, strengths and weaknesses, interest in the specific school or program, views on healthcare policies, and personal attributes contributing to the field. Many respondents also mentioned participating in Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) format, signing nondisclosure agreements, and engaging in conversational-style interviews with questions tailored to their application materials.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Tell me about yourself?
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MMI format
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MMI
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Signed non-disclosure agreement for MMI.
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This is a multiple mini-interview. We signed a non-disclosure agreement. Just prepare as per a normal interview.
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Why medicine?
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No real questions, more of a conversation. what made you want to get into medicine?
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Why medicine and why upstate
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Have you been following the news on changes in health care policy? What do you think about health care policy?
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How will you deal with the extreme stress of medical school
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Why do you want to study at Upstate?
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Tell me something not in your essays (pre-interview essays)
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Do you think there is anything wrong with trying to build the "Ground Zero mosque" (the interviewer clearly thought there was)
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Which activity do you want me to talk about?
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What do you think about the health care reform?
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Why medicine
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What aspects of being a medical student are you looking forward to?
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Questions about my research
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Standard get-to-know-you questions.
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What is an attribute that you have that you think will most contribute to medicine?
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What has been your greatest accomplishment?
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What was the focus of your undergraduate research?
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Why SUNY-Upstate?
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Since I know nothing about you tell me about yourself.
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Describe your leadership experiences.
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Why upstate?
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Tell me about youreself?
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Why did you decide to pursue medicine?
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Tell me about your clinical experiences.
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Everyone has good grades and MCAT scores, what makes you different?
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How did I get here/why medicine?
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Tell me about yourself
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
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Tell me about your parents?
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Tell me about yourself.
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Typical... tell me about yourself.
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Tell me about your research/work experience.
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Tell us about your current research.
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Why do you have these W's on your transcript
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Tell me more about yourself. It was very conversationals in both cases and we talked for about an hour both times.
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Typical questions. Nothing specific stands out.
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What are your strengths and weaknesses
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What do your parents do?
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Tell me about your research (in detail!!!)...
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Tell me more about yourself?
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See above.
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Describe this experience....
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What do you do at this (volunteer experience)?
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What do you think of universal healthcare?
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Specific questions about experiences.
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Tell me about yourself, and why you want to be a doctor.
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What are your weaknesses
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Do you have familiarity/exposure to what it would be like to be a physician?
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Why do you want to be a doctor.
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Conversation...no specific questions directed at me, other than the usual, ''tell me about yourself'' at the start of the interview.
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Tell me about this experience...
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Have you encountered much managed care in your home town?
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Does a patient have the right to die?
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Tell me more about this experience...
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(Don't remember the order but these are some that stuck out the most) Have you ever cheated?
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About my grades and college experience
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Tell me a little bit about yourself.
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What would you do if you couldn't be a doctor?
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Tell me about yourself...
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Why not a PhD or nursing?
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What do your parents do for a living? (both interviewers asked this)
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What do you expect medical school to be like?
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Why did you choose Upstate?
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Do I think the notion of preventative medicine (by itself) can help countires such as Haiti?
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Why Syracuse?
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Please interpret this artwork I have in my office... why do I have it here?
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How do you prefer to study?
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What volunteer activity to did you get the most out of?
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Does the patient have a right to die?
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What would you like me to say about you to the admissions committee?
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Why draws you to the medical field?
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Clinical experience?
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What unique aspect would you contribute to Upstate?
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Read any good books lately?
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Research Experience
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What made you interested in medicine?
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What do you want to know about Syracuse?
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Why become doctor rather than nurse or other health professional?
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If you could have your ideal situation, what do you envision doing in 10 years?
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Do you have any questions for me? After I asked a question, my student interviewer would answer it and then ask "anything else?", and I would ask another one, and the cycle continued until I was exhausted with questions. It was a strange format, but interesting nonetheless.
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Why do you think i have a picture don quixote on my wall, and what do you think it says about me?
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Why my major? Elaborate on your extracurriculars. (my faculty interviewer grilled me on this)
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Strengths/weaknesses
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Why medicine? Why Upstate?
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Why did you get an O in writing on the MCATs?
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How did you come to the decision to apply for medical school? (I am somewhat of a non-traditional applicant)
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Well, you seem to have an interesting past (I do), why don't you explain it a bit. From that point the interview was very conversational...
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What I do for fun?
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Tell me about your volunteer experinece at the hospital...
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How did you develop an interest in medicine?
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How did you choose a major in X? In three words, how would your best friend describe you?
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Why this school?
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Why Early Assurance.
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Why do you want to study in the US?
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Tell me about your journey toward medicine.
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Who has been your role model in the medical field?
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What books are you reading?
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Talk to me about yourself.
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How would you change the healthcare system?
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How do you handle stress?
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Tell me a bit about your job (I work full-time).
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How did you arrive at the decision to study medicine?
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Why medicine? how did you get interested in it?
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Why are you hear?
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I asked all of the questions and just talked about myself for an hour
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Let's go back to your high school and start there....what type of person where you? (my interviewer was a developmental/educational psychologist).
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BASICALLY QUESTIONS REGARDING MY AMCAS APPLICATION..ANY DISCREPANCIES IN DATES, GRADES ETC.
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What are your hobbies/extracirriculars?
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Why MD/PhD?
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What happened during your first semester (with my grades)?
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Why the grade discrepancy? (came in with a 2.5 GPA and last semester had a 4.0)
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What are the problems faced by our country's health care system and what would you propose to solve the problems?
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What would you do about the fact that so many people are uninsured?
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You are very independent minded. Tell me how you come to decide an issue. (It was the day after elections)
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What kind of medicine? Clincial, research, or surgery? (Say clinical. SUNY's are generally clinically oriented.)
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What do you do for fun?
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Which class did you enjoy the most while in college?
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Why do you want to be a doctor
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Hypothetical ethics questions (informed consent, informed refusal being big)--this was the only interview I had which focused on ethics this much.
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Why early assurance?
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What makes you tick?
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How did you study for the MCAT?
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Why the discrepancy in physics grades?
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Why suny? why syracuse?
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If you were on the ward by yourself, which hopefully wouldn't happen, what sort of doctor would you want to come to your aid? (This was really a question about what kind of doctor did I want to be.)
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"The government wishes to introduce a health care coverage program where patrons provide a $1500 deductable on medical cost (prescriptions and care) and they will cover the next $1500. Thereafter, the patron will be responsible for additional bills. What do you think about this 'doughnut' in financing healthcare?"
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Why the Early Assurance Program? Why Upstate?
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Why do you want to become a doctor?
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Why I wanted to attend SUNY Upstate?
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Why medicine? What other careers have you considered?
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Describe the clinic where you work.
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Do you have a specialty in mind?
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Why do you want to enter medicine?
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Tell me a little about yourself.
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Questions about my experiences in other countries.
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How would you change the U.S. health care system?
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What was your motivation to go into medicine?
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Why/when did you choose medicine?
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Family background(parents, brothers...etc)
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What would you do if you don't get good grades in med school? What would keep you going?
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What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do you do for fun?
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Tell me about your research?
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There were many questions about activities that I participated in outside of class like "How did you get into this, why did you do that, how did it feel to be part of that, what did you like/ dislike about it?"
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What field of medicine are you looking to pursue?
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What would you like me to tell the admissions committee about you?
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Why do you want to be a doctor? Describe yourself for me.
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Were your college classes challenging?
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Believe it or not, I mostly listened to them! Very very few ques were asked! Maybe they were testing my listening skills?
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Do you actually know what a doctor's day is like? Followed by "That's not what I meant".
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No 'canned' questions. The whole thing was just like a conversation with a friendly doctor.
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Do you see yourself in research, or clinical medicine?
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How is being religious going to affect your medical education?
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Why medicine? and other such standard questions.
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Ethical Questions about dying patients, my response to families, healthcare problems, solutions etc...
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What's your favorite book?
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My interviewer asked me about activities from high school! What sports I played, etc.
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When everyone is outstanding candidates at this phase, how do we select those who will be the best physicians, rather than those with the best MCAT score or grade?
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What do you want me to ask you?
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The sinus infection question
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What made you choice medicine?
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What is one thing that sets you apart from other applicants?
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Tell me what your highschool ranking was (yeah, I really remember that), what you did in highschool, SAT score (not fun seeing how I did poorly on it), and how you liked it at the school. I was abit nervous as I thought that maybe he somehow had my highschool records and was just asking me to see what my responses were (I was tempted to lie about my SAT score...j/k:@)
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When did you know you wanted to be a physician?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at SUNY - Upstate Medical University College of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including ethical dilemmas, personal motivations for pursuing medicine, opinions on healthcare policies, and scenarios testing critical thinking skills. Some respondents mentioned a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format with questions based on personal statements, ethical scenarios, and reflections on past experiences, while others highlighted conversational interviews covering various aspects of their applications and backgrounds.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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MMI
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What do you make of Gabrielle Gifford's 2011 recovery and do you think it would have been possible in males? (Neuro-tinged question)
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No real question and answers, mostly conversational. maybe how i would adjust coming from a large city school to syracuse
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Asked some questions about the ethics of human research in medicine that were interesting.
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If you had a pregnant girl come to you and ask for advice about what to do, what would you say?
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Describe a time when you failed
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What do you think about Obama's healthcare bill not doing anything at all about tort reform?
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I don't know what else to ask you. What should I ask you?
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Nothing interesting, just standard questions.
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How is medical school different from undergrad?
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An ethical question about end of life care involving an ALS patient.
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Why medicine?
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The regular stuff: tell me about your volunteering
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From your essays, it looks like you've been through a lot of tough situations. What keeps you going? Why do you keep trying?
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I see you like music, what kinds?
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N/A
-
Nothing really stands out.
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Both interviews were basically a laid back conversation
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What's the most difficult question you've been asked in an medical school interview so far?
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How do you feel about Obama and his plans to change healthcare?
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If no one ever got sick & health care didn't exist, what would you be?
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Q#3
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What do you think of your parents' lives as immigrants?
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Tell me about a time where you faced a conflict.
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The things they asked about my essay.
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Above
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What can you see yourself as apart from a doctor?
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None
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Student interviewer: If there was a reality tv show about your life what would it be called?
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How do you feel about implementing universal healthcare in the United States and also how do you feel about charging higher health insurance premiums to people who have risky behaviors?
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What is your future specialty likely to be, and why are you partial to that area of research/clinical work?
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What is my favorite subject? I really liked that question
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Nothing really outstanding...
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None, they were pretty standard.
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Nothing that I recall.
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None.
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Do either of your siblings play a sport?
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Nothing really...
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How do you tell a patient he or she is going to die?
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Nothing really, pretty basic informal questions: tell me about yourself, why medicine, describe other interviews, etc.
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Nothing
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Nothing really. It was typical conversation type interview.
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What do you think of physician assisted suicide?
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Questions about a volunteer experience I had regarding Hurricane Katrina.
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What do you think might cause some residents to lose interest in medicine?
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Why don't u want to be a lawyer? lmaoooo sooooooooooo caught off guard
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Nothing really
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If you could be any celebrity, who would you be?
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Talking about AIDS he asked me point blank: You think the India should mass produce AID/HIV drugs bypassing copyright law?
-
Surprisingly, I was not asked a single question not realted to an activity on my AMCAS application
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What is the difference between having hope and being realistic? (regarding medical outcomes)
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Tell me about how you started (EC) as a child.
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What was the hardest decision you had to make in your life?
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What do you think about health policy in the US?
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None, they were all pretty normal
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What do you think of the ethnically-centered residence halls ni your campus (I'm involved with residential life in college)
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All questions were based on my file. Friendly conversations with interviewers.
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I don't remember. The interview was very based on my file but no specific questions like why do you want to be a doctor? more of conversional information
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What would you do or how would you feel if you discovered that you were just mediocre and not at the head of the class?
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How many mechanics are there in New York City?
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Have you ever cheated?
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Why not a PhD or a nursing degree?
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What kind of physician was Dr. Kevorkian?
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Fairly basic/typical questions
-
The interesting thing is that I wasn't asked any questions!
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What does your family think about you going to medical school?
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If you were one of the lowest-ranked members of the graduating class (bottom %10) of our medical school, what would be your motivation to go into medicine?
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How do you think you will adjust to living in syracuse? (ha ha ha... yikes)
-
A lot of questions from my personal statement. Sentences and words were "dissected." I don't remember the specific questions.
-
What would you like me to say about you to the admissions committee?
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Honestly, I was asked very few questions... all very general and typical...
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What would you do in a situation where you have to go against your maoral ethics?
-
If you were appointed Health Care Czar by Bush, what would you do?
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I had very interesting conversations with my interviewers. If they weren't selected to match my interests, it was a nice coincedence and made it a great experience.
-
Similar to the ones posted already
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What makes a good scientist and a good teacher?
-
What will be your biggest challenge in the transition to medical school?
-
How are you going to pay for medical school
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How would you propose improving health care for the urban poor?
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Routine questions for the most part. Nothing overt like "where else have you applied/interviewed--although a couple of the other interviewees were asked these questions" but more roundabout ways of asking "Why Upstate", "why medicine", and "do you know what you're getting yourself into".
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What books have you read recently?
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Why do you think i have a picture don quixote on my wall, and what do you think it says about me?
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How do you deal with failure or a less than perfect outcome?
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None--Mostly conversational
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There were no real questions asked at my faculty interview. He started out by asking me if I had any questions for him, and then I would ask a question, he would answer and say, "anything else?". He never really asked me a question, which was quite the interesting format. He also kept calling me "honey" and talking about how women are better doctors because they are inherently more emotional, and how as a woman I shouldn't feel bad if I only want to work part time so I can be a mother, and how I'll have to have a very understanding husband some day. I was like, I'm sorry, where am I, 1930? My student interview had highlighted my AMCAS application and asked lots of questions straight from there, but the tone was very condescending, all in all, not a very positive interview experience.
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What are your strengths and weaknesses?
-
None really, very conversational.
-
Nothing too unusual.
-
What should a doctor's responsibility be towards a person who has a gang-related stab wound? Why are so many kids joining gangs?
-
In one sentence, what would you like me to tell the admissions committee about you?
-
(Student asked this one) So what happens, you're a month into classes, you have you're first test and you get a 37. What do you do?
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Give me a philosophical perspective on the art of healing. (I took a philsophy course my freshman year)
-
What do you do for fun?
-
Why are you changing careers?
-
What would your first day of class be like?
-
It felt really conversational. Most of the questions I listed below were within the flow of the conversation, so it felt really natural and comfortable.
-
Prepared to handle the winter here?
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What is your family like and do they support your entry into medical school.
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What would you do about the very costy health care system in the US?
-
What reasons could you give for not wanting to be a doctor?
-
Questions, if any, were standard. Why medicine? Interviewers were also interested in whether or not you think you'll fit into the Syracuse area. This question is also takes into account the colder climate and plethora of snow during the winter.
-
The interviews were mainly conversational. There weren't particular questions.
-
None, really, the interviews were mostly open dialogue
-
What would you do if you weren't accepted into any medical school?
-
My interview with a third-year student was strictly a conversation, whereas my interview with a doctor had a few more questions (though it too was more like a conversation than anything else). No questions struck me as particularly interesting though.
-
What do you think is the direction of medicine?
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What would you like the Admissions Committee to know about you?
-
What would you personally change about the healthcare system today?
-
Do you think the expense of new technologies like the DaVinci robot are worth the cost?
-
Something to the effect of: "I've gone over your file and so I know a bit about you, but this will be an open dialogue. Tell me about yourself...go!"
-
If you was admitted and in a conversation with your family someone asked you, "What is the most difficult thing about your medical school experience" what would you say?
-
If bush appointed you in a position to reform the US health care system, what would you do?
-
What do you think this painting means?
-
Describe a situation that you thought you wouldn't be able to handle and how you handled it?
-
My student interviewer pulled out his homework on electrolyte imbalance and endocrinology - then asked me if I could answer the questions. That was a different way to go.
-
Did your father discourage you from doing medicine? (my father is a doctor)
-
Nothing out of the ordinary
-
Specific to my research.
-
Pretty standard fare...
-
You have "disadvantaged" on your application. What does this mean to you?
-
Do you think there is a difference with teaching children and adults (referring to my piano teaching experience)?
-
Many physicians tell their kids not to become doctors. why do you think this is and why do YOU think it's for you?
-
Basically, whether I thought too much money is poured into research.
-
So what brings you here?
-
Tell me about how you reconcile evolution and religion. (led from our conversation)
-
If you could tell one thing to the kids that you worked with in inner-city Philadelphia, what would that be? (my interviewer said this was a relevant question because doctors have to consider this when working with their patients.)
-
Why do you think doctors are the last ones to realize how little attention/empathy they give their patients? - our conversation led up to this
-
Do you think that healthcare in this country is a right or a privilege?
-
Most questions were related to my application ... question about my background.
-
What are some principles that are common between martial arts and dance? (stemmed from a discussion about dance)
-
Something like... please explain the way in which you learn art.
-
Nothing that interesting...maybe some of the ethical questions the med student who interviewed me kept aksing about--but they were pretty standard questions about informed conset, informed refusal, etc.
-
Nothing really, pretty standard.
-
Do you ever get fed up by the application process?
-
No really interesting questions
-
I was asked to describe what I thought of the education I had received in high school (and college).
-
What do you feel are the essential characteristics of a good physician?
-
Questions about my research from the student interviewer
-
Read this article and tell me what you think (the MD interviewing me just published it)
-
Given the current state of the middle east, what do you propose would be a good solution?
-
Do you plan to do research while in med. school?
-
Oddly, about my father -- "Describe your father to me."
-
No questions were particularly interesting, just your standard interview questions.
-
Lots of ethical questions from my first interviewer. He presented different scenarios and was curious as to my opinion on them. They were not the far-fetched scenarios commonly given (like, patient's religion forbids blood transfusion, patient will die if doesn't get it, what to do?), but more realistic in nature.
-
The most interesting question was also the most difficult. See below.
-
Why are you applying for MD/PhD? Why field of research are you interested in?
-
Nothing too interesting, which is good as far as I'm concerned. I was applying for the Early Assurance Program, and the MD that interviewed me wasn't familiar with it, so when he asked about it I found that interesting. Other than that is was just pretty typical questions.
-
What do you know about my specialty?
-
Nothing very unusual
-
Did you ever conflict with another person of different ethnicity?
-
It was basically a gimmit of questions for them to get to know you as a person, and how you might fit into the school. I was asked how I felt about competition (which really does not exist in this school), favortie non-science subject, why medicine, why Syracuse, hobbies, etc.
-
Mostly standard, get to know you questions.
-
What are your interests in medicine? (potential medical careers)
-
To be honest, I didnt get asked many questions at all. Very laid back and relaxed conversations.
-
If I were on the admissions committee and could review my application, what I say that needed improvement and then answer my own answer as to why it needed improvement?
-
Why Latin as a major?
-
Why Syracuse?
-
We mainly just talked about my experiences, places i'd been to (i've done a bit of travelling), college football, etc.
-
The Dean stresses non-stress interviews, and if you have one just let him know. The interviews itself was extremely conversational so there is no need to worry.
-
Outlets for stress
-
Have you met any celebrities? (This was in connection to my work)
-
Tell me about an experience with a patient that was memorable.
-
Most interesting discussion was with a faculty member, we discussed the disadvantages of a modern day research career.
-
What do you think of our involvement in iraq?
-
What do you think is going to happen to Taiwan and China?
-
Tell me something funny
-
Everything was pretty straight forward
-
What do you see yourself doing in ten years?
-
Nothing out of the ordinary, everything they asked dealt with my application
-
What kind of friends do you choose to have? Most were just basic questions about my application.
-
Tell me in 10 words or less what you learned in (enter various classes.)
-
One of the interviewers asked for my advice on how to handle one of his teenagers (what he should say, think, and do).
-
None really. They told me about the school. It was relaxed, they just asked about my history, how I got to this point.
-
Do you think EMTs should be given more responsibility for the patients they treat (this question was asked because I worked as an EMT).
-
So I see you are were a history major. Do you know which Cold War president was involved in creating the CIA?
-
Do you think you handle the relative isolation of upstate NY? (I went to undergrad in up-upstate NY, and I am pretty sure I was the only candidate that had to travel almost 3 hours south to get to Syracuse)
-
Is medicine logical?
-
If you had a choice between one liver transplant or a thousand vaccinations which would you choose and why?
-
How much do you pay for medical insurance? How is gamma knife surgery performed? How long does radiation stay in the body-- you should know this?
-
Do you feel your grades acurately reflect your ability? Your MCAT's?
-
Nothing really interesting
-
What strengths do you have, and how do they make you more qualified to be a doctor?
-
How does your dad get paid? (He is a physician in private practice)
-
My agreement/disagreement with the actions of a University professor (Texas Tech.?) that refused to give anyone who didn't wholly believe in evoluntionary theory a letter of recommendation, and reasons for my approval/disapproval..
-
No interesting questions
-
Nothing really thought provoking. My interviewers were very conversational and friendly.
-
What do you think about the way medicare/medicaid put caps on reimbursments for particular procedures? How are to provide coverage for the 15% who are uninsured without detracting from quality of care, and while still being able to attract the top minds into medicine.
-
Nothing too interesting
-
Specifics about why didn't get in anywhere when I applied the first time.
-
Both interviewers asked about my favorite non-science courses, and why I liked them.
-
See below
-
Suppose you're a doctor and you've run a bunch of tests on a patient and still don't know what's wrong. What do you do?
-
Did you know what Syracuse is known for?? (salt city, didn't have a clue:)
-
How do you think holistic/western medicine can be integrated with traditional medicine?
-
A 19 year old AIDS patient has been suffering from a recurrent sinus infection that hasn't been treatable by traditional methods. You are called in to take a specimen from the patient to find an alternative method of treatment. The patient physically pushes you away and is not amenable to being examined. What do you do?
-
I had two interviews, one was conducted by a student and my second one was conducted by a faculty person. I really cannot think of a question that was very interesting, most of the questions were standard like why do you want to be a doctor and why medicine. My second interview with retired faculty family doctor was more interesting. He asked me questions pertaining to high school. He asked me what activities I did and what honors I received. I thought they were interesting seeing how I don't remember everything.
-
How would I a configure the admission process, so as to guarantee that medical school will produce excellent people as well as excellent physicians?
-
When did you know you wanted to be a Doctor?
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for their interviews by reviewing their AMCAS applications, researching the school's website, and reading interview feedback on Student Doctor Network (SDN). Many also practiced mock interviews, studied ethical questions, and familiarized themselves with current healthcare issues to feel more confident during the interview process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
Did mock interviews and practiced with friends/family
-
Looked up info about the school, used Interview Feedback, studied ethical questions, practiced MMI scenarios.
-
Nothing much, I read on medical ethics which was helpful. Mostly I just tried to be myself and be straightforward.
-
I reviewed my AMCAS submission and read over the school's website.
-
By researching more about the school on its website, going over my AMCAS, preparing for traditional interview questions, and looking at a few example MMI scenarios
-
Youtube videos Past interview experiences
-
Sdn, reading about the school
-
SDN
-
Practiced interview questions w/my mom, tried to research what the interview would be like on SDN.
-
Just reading the interview feedback
-
Know what you wrote on your pre-interview essays, and know some things you can talk about that aren't on it.
-
Researched the school, read over application.
-
SDN, interview books
-
Read my AMCAS, practiced interviewing, read the website and SDN.
-
SDN. Re-read personal statement and other essays. Went to watch football game at a local bar.
-
Sdn, mock interview, review amcas, review website, talk to students
-
Went to the website and read up on the school.
-
Read over SDN, outlined research experiences, read over amcas, etc.
-
Researched the website, looked for specific research that pertained to my own.
-
Read SDN, mock interview with advisor, read job interview books, practiced with own list of possible interview questions
-
SDN, review essays and primary app, review my research papers
-
Mock interviews with mom.
-
Reread application essays, looked at SDN feedback
-
SDN, read books, came up with questions, wrote required essays.
-
Reread my interview essays, brushed up on my answers about my experiences, checked out the school's website, briefly read SDN feedback
-
Re-read essays, personal statement, SDN interview feedback
-
I read over my college application. Read a little bit about healthcare. Just remember to be honest..
-
Sdn, amcas
-
SDN, SDN, SdN, read over my resch papers and Application and stressed out a lot no sleep the night before. It was my first and only interiew at that time so you could imagine
-
MSAR, Read over the school's website, and Talked to other students.
-
Read over various essays, student doctor, school website, spoke with first-year student who housed me overnight.
-
SDN, internet, SUNY upstate website
-
Read over application, practiced some
-
Went through my essays, publications, application, etc. Practiced in front of a mirror.
-
SDN, AMCAS, Secondary, Interview Essays, Mock Interview at school
-
SDN, school website, friend who had been interviewed there and got accepted.
-
I have had several interviews already
-
Looked at the website, read the SDN interview thread.
-
Read over amcas, sdn
-
Read over my AMCAS, Student Doctor Website, Mock interview, looked at some sample Q's
-
SDN interview feedback, mock interview, went over interview questions with friends, stayed with student host and asked lots of questions, came to the school 2 nights before interview.
-
Read AMCAS app and review my publications/resume etc.
-
Looked over research abstracts of interviewers.
-
I think I was well prepared
-
AMCAS and 2ndaries
-
SDN, my 2-ries...
-
SDN, school's website, mock interviews with friends.
-
SDN, other interviews, read my application again, med school's website.
-
My previous interviews.
-
SDN, random websites for interviewing, my application
-
SDN, AAMC application, read local paper.
-
SDN, read online, personal statement, AMCAS
-
SDN, mock interviews, previous interviews, school websites, newspapers.
-
SDN, school's website
-
Amcas application, school site
-
Student Doctor Network, Researched about the school, practiced mock interviews, spoke with Physicians, read up on the City and spoke to locals.
-
Read SDN, looked over AMCAS, reviewed guidebooks
-
Application review, studentdoctor.net
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SDN, Common interview questions I found online
-
Read amcas, school website
-
The school website, student doctor, my amcas
-
Reread my AMCAS application; reviewed Upstate website; talked to family who had attended Upstate
-
Went to 7 interviews in last 2 years...I was prepared. But I did look at SDN feedback, websites
-
SDN feedback, Upstate website, reviewed AMCAS
-
Researched the school/website; been on 3 other interviews before this one so I was comfortable with how interviews went
-
Read papers related to research.
-
Student Doctor feedback, AMCAS application
-
SDN, re-read application
-
SDN, Upstate website, AMCAS, Other material found on internet
-
My sister goes here, so she provided all the info I needed
-
School's Web site, SDN, AMCAS, Discussions with students at the school, etc
-
SDN feedback, practiced frequently asked questions, prayed effervently to God, went to Church a lot, went shopping...
-
SDN, reread my AMCAS application, and reviewed the school website
-
SDN, website, my application
-
SDN, chilled
-
SDN, reread my personal statement, checked out the website
-
Read through AMCAS, and a guidebook for medical school interviews
-
SDN, the career development center at my undergrad, med school guide books
-
Practiced interviewing with advisor, SDN website, Upstate website, read feedback from other alums from my undergrad who went there.
-
Reviewing StudentDoctor.net; mock interviews; reviewing interview type questions
-
College web site, SDN, current students, SDC.
-
Sdn,amcas,upstate website
-
SDN, read my AMCAS app.
-
SDN, mocks, read the newspaper
-
Studentdoctor.com, school website
-
SD, re-read AMCAS, school website
-
Just read over my application thoroughly as i heard the interviewers would have reviewed it with a fine-toothed comb. (although, in my case, that didn't turn out to be true)
-
One previous interview, read school's website, book on biomedical ethics. Reviewed my application.
-
SDN and talking to some physicians
-
Read my AMCAS, school website, typed up answers to typical questions...
-
SDN, amcas, school website
-
Sdn, read about health care reform online, read everything about the program and school on their website, read books about medical schools and interviewing, checked faculty who were doing research in areas I am interested in and made appointment for the day of interview within a lab I would like to work in
-
Read ethics books, rehearsed answers, read current events. Although I didn't need any specifics from this preparation, I think it was valuable (both short and long term)
-
Practised interview questions, found online. Used this site.
-
Read the AMCAS, faculty descriptions online,
-
SDN and website
-
Read SDN, browsed school website
-
Past interviews
-
Read about the school and Syracuse. Interview feedback.
-
4 previous interviews, sdn, school's website, pray
-
Studentdoctor.net, read brochure they sent me, re-read my essay
-
SDN, read over my AMCAS, looked over school website, mock interview
-
Several previous interviews
-
Read SDN interview feedback, browsed the SUNY website.
-
It was my 4th interview.
-
This was my fourth interview
-
Their website, this website.... although it didn't really matter since no one really asked any difficult questions.
-
SDN, Upstate website
-
Not much, it's my fourth interview, and I dont think I coulda prepared for any of the questions i was asked anyway. He tried to make me think actively during the interview instead of just asking about myself.
-
Read about Upstate on web site, talked to current SUNY students, SDN, read AMCAS and app materials
-
Reviewed my AMCAS. (both the faculty member and the student will have a copy) Read A LOT about the school (this really helped). Studied mock interview questions and my secondaries from other schools to know myself better. SDN of course.
-
I went through the SDN, made up some sample answers and practiced articulating them without referring to them with my friends.
-
I read about the school, drove around Syracuse the day before and checked things out, and read a little bit on this website.
-
Read SDN Interview Feedback, mock interview.
-
Mock interviews, read internet, this site, interview book
-
I read over my AMCAS application. Most of the interviewers have read these beforehand, but some don't look at them until during the interview. Even so, it was the focus of what we talked about.
-
SDN, articles, brochure, AMCAS application. But really, the interview is so low-stress, just be yourself, relax and take your time.
-
SDN, mock interviews with friends, read up a little about health care
-
I used SDN and practiced with a MS friend.
-
Practiced interviewing, school's website, SDN site
-
School website and SDN
-
Read Interview Feedback, reviewed my application, mock interviewed, and read school brochures.
-
SDN, school website, research on current medical issues
-
Studentdoctor.net, read newspaper and magazine articles about Stem Stell Research and other medical science research, read the school's website and brochures
-
SDN, the school's website, thinking about questions to ask the interviewers ahead of time
-
Sdn, talked to student friend
-
I extensively read the catalog of the school. I took advantage of this website as well. The MSAR gave me a general and good idea about the school.
-
SDN this is all you need, and read up on current health issues and possible solutions.
-
SDN, read over AMCAS and Upstate app, looked at website
-
Scoured Upstate's website, read interview feedback from others, talked to friend who interviewed at Upstate last year, and talked with med student who I stayed with.
-
SDN, mock interviews, read newspapers, books and magazines
-
SDN, reviewed secondary and amcas
-
Snd, amcas, friends who have interviewed prior
-
Review AMCAS, website and brochure, SDN, mock interviews
-
Amcas and sdn
-
Read over AMCAS form. Read SDN.
-
Read through my AMCAS application, the school website, and SDN.
-
THIS WEBSITE SUNY UPSTATE WEBSITE LOOK OVER AMCAS APPLICATION SCHOOL PROFILE
-
SDN, Upstate website, MSAR, spoke to my friend who is a current upstate student
-
Read the website, ethical essays, new york times, scientific american
-
Practiced presenting my research, this site.
-
Talked to students, attended open house, met with Admissions Director, emailed Admissions Director, read MSAR/SDN/Academic catalog.
-
School website, practice questions, searched on the internet for any and every medical ethics topic I could find
-
SDN, mock interview, AMCAS app
-
SDN, Website
-
My AMCAS, looked at school website, looked over some healthcare and ethical issues, SDN website.
-
Read website. talked to myself in mirror.
-
I had in mind a vague idea of how to answer all the questions I found on this site, but nothing memorized.
-
Compiled a list of questions from previous interviewees, thought of possible answers, mock interview,
-
SDN, school website, read up on current health care issues
-
I talked to students at Upstate, read the website and literature, and read the interview feedback at SDN. I spent some time carefully considering my motivation to pursue medicine.
-
SDN, AMCAS application, spoke with friends who had interviewed here.
-
Thinking and SDN
-
SDN, website. MSAR, review app,
-
Read SDN, previous interview experiences, read-up on the school a bit.
-
Read about the school.
-
Read the SUNY Upstate website, studentdoctor.net, reread application.
-
Practice interview questions, this website, NY Times, pre-health advisor, other medical students
-
Read this site, Upstate's website, read up on current healthcare issues
-
Read this website, my AMCAS, mock interviews
-
Read AMCAS application, read this site.
-
SDN, my AMCAS, Upstate's website and this site
-
Read online, read PS, talked to students
-
Read about the school, talked w/students, read this site
-
SDN, school website, AMCAS app, annoying the docs for whom I work on "hot" topics in healthcare/medicine
-
SDN, read over my AMCAS material, Upstate website etc.
-
Read over my file, gathered info about the school, etc.
-
Website, Brochures, Pamphlets, research, current med student Q&A.
-
My 7th interview
-
Read this website, upstate website, and reviewed my research and application. I didn't even get asked about my research, which was pretty nice.
-
Re-read my AMCAS application and their website.
-
School's website, my AMCAS application, talking to affiliated doctors (i live in the area)
-
SDN, read AMCAS, Looked at website
-
Previous interview experiences
-
Re-read my application, SUNY Upstate website, SDN, wrote thoughts down in a journal about the entire trip and experience leading up to the interview itself.
-
Read SDN, school's website, current events
-
SDN, SUNY website
-
Read my amcas application and the schools website
-
This web site, my application and school web site
-
Practiced answering questions into a voice recorder, and with a close friend. Read my AMCAS app, some current topics in health care, and a lot of poetry.
-
Read the website, my amcas, etc.
-
SDN, AMCAS, reviewed my research, which we never talked about.
-
Reviews AMCAS, read the Upstate website, SDN
-
Read over AMCAS app, SDN website, SUNY Upstate website, brochures
-
Read the questions on SDN and read up on the school.
-
Web, here
-
School's website, my application, some ethics books (not necessary)
-
SDN , school website, current events
-
SDN, talk radio.
-
This website
-
Read my apps, slept well
-
This site, upstate website
-
Besides reading SDN, nothing really
-
Sdn, website, and some bio-ethics topics
-
Reviewed my application, read this website
-
SDN, questions provided by pre-health, evaluated my motivations toward this career
-
Sdn, brochures, mock interview, etc.
-
Looked at the website Read over my AMCAS application
-
I over prepared by reading my research, healthcare books, and a ethics book. Don't even bother.
-
Read upstate's website
-
Read up on health policy, read newspaper daily for a week before, looked at Upstate website, went over possible questions, knew my research inside and out
-
SDN, Upstate website, brochures, current students
-
Read my application, spoke with med students there, went to the Upstate library and spoke with the staff and they gave me some additional information about the school. Spoke with Pre-med advisor.
-
Read HC books, newspapers, magazines, etc.
-
Reviewed my AMCAS application. Practiced an rehearsed the most common and likely questions to be asked. Read up on the school to be well informed. Asked former Upstate interviewees and current students questions.
-
SDN, school website, etc.
-
My advisor, AMCAS, SDN
-
Read over my application, visited aamc.org, read postings here
-
Upstate website, SDN, read app
-
Reviewed AMCAS, Upstate website, this site, reviewed research, and honestly contemplated why I want to be an M.D. and what my contribution to medicine would be, so I could give sincere answers to such questions.
-
Read over the acmas
-
Read up about the school on their website, this website, and reviewed my AMCAS application.
-
SDN, stayed with a friend who is a 2nd year student, re-read AMCAS application, the Upstate.edu website.
-
Didn't
-
Read their website and all the literature they sent; this website; went over my AMCAS; researched many of the major medical issues (unnecessary), particularly money/Medicare issues on AAMC.org; reviewed my independent study; reviewed specifics of the research in which I'm assisting; answered every possible med school interview question I could find on the net for myself; got interview tips from my boss, who is a clinical faculty member elsewhere; got as much sleep as I possibly could.
-
School web site, read over my AMCAS.
-
This site, the school's site, books,...
-
SDN, school website, talked to students
-
Same old stuff...school website, sdn..etc.
-
Read the brochures, website, etc.
-
Read the website, brochures, this site.
-
I did about everything I could to prepare. I read up on the US healthcare system as well as socialized medicine (I did get asked about the two), bioethics (cloning, abortion, euthanasia, etc), the school, and my AMCAS stuff. In retrospect, I probably would have been better off just relaxing, but I felt confident due to the fact I prepared alot. As long as you have a passing knowledge about those things, you should be fine. I felt that the most important thing is to be yourself, if you carry yourself with confidence, relaxed, and honesty, that will probably make a better impression.
-
Read the school website as well and information provided in the interview packet
-
Read up on the school on the internet and brochures.
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at SUNY - Upstate Medical University College of Medicine discussed the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, with inquiries ranging from healthcare policy opinions to ethical dilemmas. Some respondents mentioned facing challenging scenarios like counseling pregnant teenagers and addressing healthcare disparities, while others encountered personal questions about weaknesses and past experiences. Nondisclosure agreements may have applied, as mentioned by participants regarding certain questions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
MMI
-
What do you make of Gabrielle Gifford's 2011 recovery and do you think it would have been possible in males?
-
What do you feel about the healthcare reform going on?
-
Probably the one about health care policy I already mentioned: Have you been following the news on changes in health care policy? What do you think about health care policy?
-
2 complicated ethical questions about doctor/patient confidentiality
-
If you had a pregnant girl come to you and ask for advice about what to do, what would you say?
-
My interviewer said "Okay. Start somewhere"
-
Suppose a 14-year old girl comes to you in confidence and says she's pregnant, and has no idea what to do and needs advice - what do you tell her?
-
What would you do if a patient asked you to change the name of a procedure so that medicaid would cover it?
-
Describe a ethical dilemna/your opinion on the current healthcare reform
-
How does Upstate rank among all of the other schools you applied to? I'm sure you can tell from my feedback so far that I really didn't enjoy Upstate. Nothing wrong with the school, it just really wasn't for me. So getting through this question was tough.
-
N/A
-
One interviewer asked me what I would do if my wife had severe depression while I was in medical school. Apparently a previous student had experienced this and it had affected his grades.
-
An ethical question about counseling a 14 year old girl who is pregnant, and her parents don't know it.
-
Did you ever encounter a situation in which doctors were not successful or medical intervention did not "help people"?
-
Do you have a weakness?
-
None
-
No question was difficult.
-
Biggest accomplishment (I said my biggest accomplishments were ahead of me, but he didn't buy that).
-
The one I couldn't understand due to accent...
-
Tell me three strengths and weaknesses (each) about yourself.
-
No questions were difficult. Interviews were very conversational.
-
My faculty interviewer couldn't really commit to the blind interview format & started asking me about grades & MCAT
-
Q #1 I did not know where to start, should I talk about my academics, schools, or about where I am from? Easy Q thus it is very easy to get muffeled
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This was more of a statement, but my interviewer said that the rural community may not accept me for various reasons.
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Tell me about a time where you faced a conflict.
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No difficult questions.
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All the questions were very straightforward.
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Maybe above
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The reality tv show question above...
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Probably the above, plus some stuff about weaknesses in my application.
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Reseach Specific Questions
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Why I had some w's
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MD interviewer asked why my verbal score on MCAT was so low. (I did much better on sciences; I'm an ESL student). Student interviewer asked about physician-assisted suicide.
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See above.
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What qualities do you have that would make you a good doctor? This question was difficult b/c the interviewer asked it at least 3 times during the interview.
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None.
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Name an instance when you played a leadership role.
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Where have you applied, interviewed, and plan to interview?
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How do you tell a patient he or she is going to die?
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Nothing
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How do you reconcile your faith with your views on physician assisted suicide?
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What do you think might cause some residents to lose interest in medicine?
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...
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No difficult questions
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Nothing was particularly difficult
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Nothing really. Both interviwers were conversation. But I DO NOT think one interviewer was pleased with what I am currently doing (just writing a book, working part-time at kaplan, bunch of other free lance stuff).
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What is the difference between having hope and being realistic?
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Why not MD/PhD?
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Where do you see healthcare heading in the next 10 years?
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How would you change the health care system?
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What makes you more a better applicant than the other interviewees?
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All of the questions were general. Why do you want to go to medicine? etc...
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I don't remember either ( haha, sorry, the nerves were working) there are no difficult questions per se and if there were i probably just stammerred my way through it.
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What do you think of the healthcare problem? How would you propose we fix that problem in the US?
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See above
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What role should spirituality play in the medical profession?
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What kind of physician was Dr. Kevorkian?
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None really
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If you get into UofT (home school) and here, what would you choose?
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Please interpret this artwork I have in my office... why do I have it here?
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No difficult questions, very straight forward. They just wanted to know why I want to be a doctor, and why I would want to go there.
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What do you think of _________ (insert name of another medical school)...?
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I guess same as the most interesting question.
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Does the patient have a right to die?
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What do you think is the problem facing medicine today?
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Tell me about yourself and your family....
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What would you do in a situation where you have to go against your maoral ethics?
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None were really difficult because they were in the flow of the conversation. About half of my interview time was spent in discussion about mutual interests with my interviewers (i.e. research, ethics)
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The proffesor asked what I thought about religion, and disagreed with my responce, followed by a 20 minute tirade against religion and US foreign policy.
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None, really
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What do you want me to tell the admissions committee about you?
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See above question- I outright lied
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How would you propose improving health care for the urban poor?
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I was asked to explain the lowest grade on my transcript.
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None really- they emphasize low stress.
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None really difficult
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None--Mostly conversational
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I blanked when my student interviewer asked me to list off 2-3 weaknesses that I had.
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None really, very conversational.
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What do you think about diversity in medicine?
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How would you make the hospital you volunteered at run more efficiently if you were given 50,000 dollars? What is the problem with health care? (talked about universal healthcare adn expansion of medicaid also)
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What will be your biggest challenge in medical school?
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The questions really weren't that difficult. They emphasize low stress.
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Nothing much. I had controlled the direction of the interview by purposefully giving information that I could elaborate well on.
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What is the different between health insurance provided through an HMO and fee for service?
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Both of my interviews were conversational in nature. I didn't feel like I was asked any truly difficult questions, although a few of the other students were asked how they would react in certain situations.
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Same as above
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How do you feel about snow? (it wasn't difficult, it just seemed as though my faculty interview revolved around this topic)
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Why this school?
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A question about ethics. It wasnt very challenging if you have a basic understanding
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Why did you decide to come to the US for med school? (I am Canadian)
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How comfortable would you be telling someone that he would die. Why do you think that?
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Who has been your role model in the medical field?
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What are the three most pressing medical concerns you have?
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The interviews were very low stress. The first thing one of my interviewers asked me to do was to talk about myself. While I could expect such a question going into the interview, I was a little surprised by it.
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What is the strongest about your application? (I didnt know that he meant about my personality and not my grades)
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What is your opinion of our involvement with Iraq? (In context, we talked about my travels in the Middle East.)
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What are some problems that exist in our healthcare system? (Only difficult relative to all other questions)
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Do you have any explanations about te weaknesses in your application?
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Above
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Why are you hear? (Very vague)
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Probably the above
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At the end of the interview, after being extremely interested and positive, one interviewer said: "so.....what are we going to do about the PS section of the MCAT?" (a negative part of my application). It was well-intentioned but I was just surprised ( and actually pleased) that he took the time to talk about all the important stuff before asking about any discrepancies. They really care about the students they interview and admit to this school - more than any school I've seen or heard of.
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Talk about a time you had to deal with a difficult situation or tragedy in your life? Only hard because I couldn't think of anything bad that happened throughout college.
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There was nothing too difficult, no ethical questions. Just the standard fare of personal questions. I'd say the hardest was stating my strengts and weaknesses.
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All of them were pretty easy -- no ethical questions were posed
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Specific questions about my research.
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Explanation of mediocre undergrad performance.
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There weren't really any... though my first interviewer asked me a lot about my first semester grades (but I think I convinced him that I can do the work in medical school)
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How do you handle emotional difficulties?
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Future of healthcare
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How to solve problems faced by US health care system
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Alot of healthcare and allocation of money questions.
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How would you address the disparity between health care resources for the poor and the rich?
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Tell me about yourself. (so vague...)
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Where does your empathy for the lower-class come from?
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How would you respond if an older doctor tried to discourage you from entering the profession due to the changes that have occurred/ are occurring in the healthcare system?
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What don't you like about medicine?
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If you had a patient who relied on a traditional folk remedy that was not working for his/her aches and pains and refused to take previous prescriptions, what would you tell him/her? (much leading up to this)
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Nothing that difficult...again, maybe the ethics questions. Had an actual admissions staff member or doctor asked me these questions I might have crapped my pants, but given that it was a med student, I was much more at ease. He just kept asking what I would do in hypothetical situations, mostly dealing with informed refusal and informed consent (though he didn't use those terms).
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Same.
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What are the biggest problems in medicine? (Not too difficult, but I wasn't well prepared.)
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A specific question about my post-bac decisions
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What is the weakest part of your application
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None really. It was pretty relaxed.
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What type of doctor do you want to be
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Ethical question concerning what i thought should be changed w/the U.S. healthcare system
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Same thing here, nothing really difficult. Standard interview questions. I wasn't asked any ethical questions and those tend to be the ones that make you think.
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"The mayor of Boston signed a contract with a Canadian distributor to import prescription medication at 70% discount of what is available here in the US. Though it keeps the medical dollar down for Bostonians, signing this contract is illegal. What do you think about this?"
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How did you beat the 100th rank player? (I played for Cornell Women's Tennis Team for all 4 years on scholarship). Graduated in 2001.
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Do I love to study? How do you answer that?
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Why should we choose you?
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Why are there so many people without healthcare insurance? what is the biggest problem with healthcare today and what can we do to fix it? where will healthcare be ten years from now? give me a break. . .
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How does your [non-medically related] majors factor into your decision to enter medicine?
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The question about competition was the only "new" question I was asked. Not being competitive, it was a pretty easy one to answer though.
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Nothing difficult. Maybe why syracuse?
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Nothing really...What intrigues you to go into medicine?
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Describe yourself to me?
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How would you fix the health care crisis? [Who knows. I just ruminated on the subject, expressed my concerns, and some basic ideas of what I thought was wrong, and he was satisfied. I think he knew it was not a very fair question.]
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Nothing really, everything centered around my application.
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Nothing really difficult..
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Nothing difficult at all. Most of the questions were in relation to my AMCAS and impression of the students and facilities.
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Nothing difficult, all the questions came from my AMCAS app
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How would you fix medicine?
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There weren't any difficult questions. The interviewers just wanted to get to know me as a person, therefore all the questions were personal. No ethics questions, no trick questions. Pretty straight forward.
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What were your SAT scores? (it took me a solid 30 seconds to remember)
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I was asked to clarify a few steps in my research, how and why they were done. Fairly straight-forward, but it has been a while since I did the research we spoke of -- freshen up on it!
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None was difficult
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What was your biggest failure in life
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How would you fix the U.S. Health care system? I basically just said, "If I know the answer, I won't be sitting here in this room!"
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None, just the usual get to know a person type questions.
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What would you do if a parent wanted to abort a disabled child?
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None were difficult because they were all about things I've done or aspects of my personality... most people have a good idea of who they are by this point, so there weren't any shocking questions that I had difficulty with
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Why did you choose to go on a semester abroad?
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None of the questions were too difficult. The interviewers are not there to put you in a stressful environment.
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What do you do in your spare time? I goofed and forgot everything...i said "um...reading" LOL
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Why upstate?
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What's cDNA exactly? Why is cDNA spotted on microarrays rather than regular DNA? What is the difference between a probe and a primer? (all questions related to my research)
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What will you do if you don't get in to medical school?
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Why did you decide to apply to medical school?
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If you were called to congress to come up with the perfect healthcare system what exactly would it be?
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Tell me about yourself in 90 seconds. (asked in a low stress way)
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If you could be any animal, what would you be?
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Nothing was difficult
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Nothing really, very standard
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Having been in leadership roles, how do you think physicians can impact or transform their communities through leadership actions?
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Tell me something unique about yourself why you want to be a doctor?
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I see that you have been to a lot of different schools during undergrad, ultimately culminating in a degree from Cornell and master's research. Tell me your story. Why all of these schools?
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What I did during time off from college- I couldn't give as much information as the interviewer wanted (there was no more to tell), but that's been the case in all my interviews.
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Questions about grades in individual classes, MCAT scores. The interviews were generally very conversational, though.
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My faculty interviewer gave me a list of scenarios,...they were all difficult. 1) You deliver a baby with Down's, the father asks how it is. What do you say? 2) The parents of the baby don't want the heart surgery needed to save the baby's life. What do you do? 3) You get asked to be Sugeon General. Do you take the job? 4) Now that you're Surgeon General, you have all this money, where do you put it, and why?
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What are we going to do about the lack of access to healthcare/health insurance?
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None really...very conversational (especially student interviewer)..did ask how good my premed committee was at my undergrad
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Questions pertaining to part of my MCAT score, and those pertaining to academic choices.
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Very specific questions regarding trends in my academic record and regarding decisions I made for myself throughout the last several years (ie-- time off, etc.).
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I don't recall any question being very difficult. My first interview with a MSIV was very lax. It turned out she was from where I live (Flushing) so we talked about that and my interets, very easy. My second interview with the retired doctor was also very lax. He was very lax as well. Right from the beginning when he brought me in the room, he was eating lunch and offered me a cookie. From there he said that he had no intention of grilling me and wanted to just to get to know me. He was very throughly with questions, which I like. He started off from highschool, everything I did right up to my present status. The interview lasted about 1 and 1/2 hours. I did get a ethical question pertaining to Simeease(?) twins and how I would advise a couple with the twins on what to do about it. Other then that, the questions were mostly stuff about you.
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Why didn't you get in last year?
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the friendliness and warmth of the faculty, staff, and students at the school. They appreciated the low-stress interview process, the positive atmosphere, the modern facilities, and the opportunities provided by the curriculum and programs offered at the school. Suggestions included improving communication about the school's locations and offering more details on specific programs.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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I was interviewed by a professor and an admissions counselor, they were both really amicable and I just had a great conversation throughout
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The cohesive feel of the student body.
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Happy students
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I was very impressed by the facilities. I don't know what I expected, but I left feeling much better about the place than when I arrived. Also the admissions officials were incredibly friendly and transparent about the admissions process; we were told precisely how we would be evaluated and when we could expect to hear from them with a decision. The students all seemed happy, much happier than I expected. I really came to love the school.
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The School is great, the ADCOM friendly and the students seem generally co-operative and fairly at ease for students in medical school. The lecture that I sat in on was engaging and the professor clearly brilliant, constructing creative and elaborate analogies which spoke to my learning style.
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Everyone was so friendly! I also really appreciated how low stress the entire process was.
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Loved how open the Director of Admissions was about the changes the school is making to get off of probation. School also had a 100% match rate last year! Impressive. Summer anatomy seems like the best thing ever, in terms of decreasing the first semester load. The med school building is also very cute. Love that Syracuse University is right there, and there are a lot of shops/restauarnts nearby. Oh, and had the #1 most amazing interview lunch here. Italian food ftw. So unexpected.
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1st school to graduate an african-american female physician
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Everyone was very friendly, interviews were informal as could be and it really allowed me to be myself and get my points across
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How helpful the faculty and everybody there was, and how happy the students were.
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The tour guides were very enthusiastic about the school
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Facilities of the school. friendliness of everyone that i met
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The 4th year student was really great and i thought that the clinical years would be a good experience. their medical spanish program was also nice.
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The students are all happy, which is a good sign. The residents are happy to.
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The students were friendly.
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Good tuition price. Lunch was decent.
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Friendly interviewers
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Students all seemed happy, anatomy lab was nice and brand new.
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I liked the school's layout and how close housing is...some housing seemed to be perfectly situated halfway b/t the school and downtown Syracuse
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The students are friendly, excited about Upstate, and the admissions staff is very cordial in person. The profs I was introduced to were warm and inviting. I observed the students interacting with profs outside the classroom in a relaxed and collegial manner. Syracuse is a good place for those who have a distaste for metropolitan living, although I haven't seen it in all its winter glory. My student host was exceptionally hospitable. The 9th floor cafeteria has a sweet view of the city :)
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Students all very happy, very supportive environment, encouraging of initiative, lots of great programs, very responsive to student feedback
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People were very friendly, including people who had absolutely nothing to do with the interview process.
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Facilities seemed great, anatomy lab was clean, the tour guides were genuinely enthusiastic about the school, students were happy, free Kaplan all four years, all lectures video taped
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The students were cool. My student interviewer told me that they party with the undergrads at Syracuse U. Summer Anatomy program is also good.
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Everything. I am not going to complain. At least the students let me know that it is possible to find furnished apartments.
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The friendliness of EVERYONE!!! Students, admissions, interviews - all were extremely cordial and seemed very genuine.
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How new some of the facilities were like the anatomy lab. One of the interviews was given by a student.
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Admissions office and student tour guides were friendly and enthusiastic, and did their best to put us at ease. One of my faculty interviewers was also friendly and seemed interested in me. Some of the facilities (library, clinical skills center) seemed brand-new and very up to date.
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Library was really nice, multiple hospitals to use for clerkships, cheap cost of living in 'cuse, friendly admissions staff, excellent student guided tour where the students seemed very laid back and supportive of each other, which is great
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Admissions staff is SO nice! they give you plenty of time to explore the school on your own and encourage you to sit in on a class, which i did. The tour was awesome, the facilities are excellent and very up-to-date, the students giving the tour were very enthusiastic. With my first interviewer (a student) we basically spent half an hour talking about the school with me asking him questions and then spent the next half hour talking about me...he was extremely nice. The second interviewer asked me a few questions and let me pitch my qualifications and then we talked about the curriculum...he seemed very proud of the school and very enthusiastic about what it has to offer. The closed file nature of the interview is great because you can steer the conversation whichever way you want with your application essays. The students are SO nice...one of them even asked me if I needed help when i looked a bit lost walking back from my interview and we chatted for like half an hour.
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Friendliness of everyone at the school
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Super friendly, nice library and class rooms.
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Atmosphere, clean & up to date facilities, nice hospital, friendly students, nice faculty, the cost & prices for housing in the area
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Everyone is sooooooo NICE loved it, only if they were closer to NY city, loved the fact that everything was within wlaking distance no car required!!!!!
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The school seems to have a really good support system for their students. Apparently their match statistics are good too.
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Everyone spoke positively about the school and seemed happy to be there.
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Students, facilities, organization of the interview day
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Friendliness of everyone at the school. The interviewers were very relaxed and personable and I didn't feel like I was being grilled.
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The interviewers, the tour was great, everyone was very friendly.
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The students, faculty, and staff were all extremely friendly and willing to help you out. Everyone was very relaxed and informal for the whole day. Upstate really is a chill place.
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The friendliness of everyone..one of my interviewer offered to give me a ride back to my hotel if i needed it, i ended up taking a shuttle and one of the ladies from admissions came to wait with me in the hot sun till my shuttle came..they were just tooo nice.
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Everyone in the school and the surrounding area was extremely friendly and helpful. I got a really great vibe from the school and all of the students seemed happy to be there.
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Nothing!!!
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Students and their positive attitude about the school and teh administration.
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The cost
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How genuine everyone was...people were so friendly and honest with me about their experiences. At one point I was lost on the way to the hospital and a professor (happened to be the anatomy prof all the MS1s raved about) helped me find my way. Super sweet! Also, prof really cared about teaching. I was in the anatomy lab ''observing'' and on my way out, the prof stops me and starts lecturing to me about what the student were learning! The lecture rooms, patient interview rooms (b/c they're brand new), anatomy lab, and library were all very nice especially for what seemed like a really old school.
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The friendliness of the admissions staff and students; also the supportive nature of the faculty and the flexibility of the curriculum.
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Affordable living in a good area of the city. Facilities seem new and students seem content.
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The atmosphere and friendliness of staffs...
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Friendly students and staff, good facilities
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People were very nice and helpful. Everybody wished me good luck, my tour guide gave me her own lunch (I missed the lunch because my 1-st interviewer was late).
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The facilities are great and the students are realyl laid-back.
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I'm sure it will seem small to people that can't fall asleep without cars honking in the background, but this place is great. It's got everything one might reasonably expect and has very low prices for housing. Students at the school are very laid-back and friendly.
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For such a cold, snowy area the students seem very happy (although it hasn't gotten that cold yet). The facilities were in good condition, including the anatomy lab. The fact that it shares a location with the undergraduate school is a huge plus.
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Going to the anatomy lab, where the tour guide opened up a cadaver, as well as the second interviewer who was really nice and conversational
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Students seemed really happy and impressed with the program.
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Great program...gain instate residency after 1 year (so cheap tuition)
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Liked the informal atmosphere of interview, interesting to sit in on a class, provided an insight to school life.
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The admissions director ms welsh seemed enthusiatic
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Not much
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The school atmosphere!! The staff is awesome, so friendly and the students were great. Got to sit in on a Second year lecture, so cool. My interviewers were great, willing to answer my questions and seemed to really want to get to know me.
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The friendliness of the students and faculty and the early clinical opportunities.
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Facilities are nice, anatomy lab is really nice, students seem like a family, attended a very good lecture, I really like the Binghamton clinical campus option - seems very hands on.
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Everyone seemed genuinely happy
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The students and how great they got along
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The friendly, helpful environment. the anatomy lab was actually nicer than most of the other ones i saw. i saw the professors in action and i liked them.
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Students were extremely friendly and helpful; most all of them had good things to say about the university and administration
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The tuition. 33k for 4 years, much cheaper than other schools, and 10K cheaper per year cheaper than my top choice school. American citizens can declare residency there easily after a year...in that case it becomes 18 K a year from them.
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The campus is decent, they are expanding hospitals, the lecture halls are nice. The library is very nice and you can eat there, if you you want. OOS students can get residency in NY after a year.
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Practically everything! I am not even in-state and will pick this school over my own state school. The students were awesome and seemed to love it there. This process has been difficult enough and I really do not want the added stress and competition of students once I get into medical school and I feel here the students support each other. The faculty seems like they truly care about their students (along with the admissions staff esp. Jennifer, she is fabulous)and are easily accessible. I prefer a traditional curriculum over PBL so everything seems perfect to me. Oh and you can apply for in-state status as well. There are three hospitals: University, a verterans hospital and Crouse Hospital with all COMPLETELY different patient populations. Syracuse is a nice place, not too big not too small, and is a college town as well. Nice restaurants, shops, athletics ..just about anything if you have any free time. They have just spent $5 million in new and additional faculty for the medical school. This university puts money right back into their facilities/faculty/students.
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Everyone was very friendly. The administration seems supportive.
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I was really impressed with the campus and the facilities. I was able to sit on lecture and attend the anatomy lab (which is very spacious!) The students are really nice and it was obvious they loved the school.
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Students were incredibly nice, one even came up to me before class started to introduce herself. everyone seemed laid back and happy.
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The huge anatomy lab, the friendly atmosphere, the great locations of hospital and housing, the number of opportunities to go abroad or do something other than dumb ol' lecture. Also, the LUNCH!
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Brand new anatomy lab
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The Administration, Faculty and Students are very friendly and happy. Even though the class size is fairly big, it seems like all students are good friends with each other. Lots of construction work going on, which means that they are improving their facilities. Nice anatomy laboratory.
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The people!!!! 'nuff said. i was hanging around the elevator waiting for it to come and everyone that passed by wanted to know if i was lost and if there was anything they could do for me (yes! admit me!!!) also, the other interviewees and i attended a second year lecture, and the professor had me at Hello. We got to see the anatomy lab and the tour guide, a student, actually like dissected the body in front of us, no more chinese food for me.
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The enthusiastic and amicable personalities of the admissions staff, faculty members, and students that I encountered truly left an impression. Because Upstate Medical School is a state school, I pictured flimsy buildings and run-down facilities. I was pleasantly surprised when my pessimistic expectations were unmet. The facilities are modern and state-of-the-art...especially the library and gross anatomy labs.
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Syracuse is lovely, and all of the medical facilities were great. The people were also genuinely nice.
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Everyone was so friendly
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Very friendly place. The students seem quite happy. The curriculum is set up in such a way that you study one block of material at a time, so only one big test every couple of weeks rather than 5 big tests ever couple of weeks.
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The warmth of the student body and administration. The interviewers and staff really seemed to be interested in the applicants as people. I was impressed by the facilities. More diverse than I anticipated.
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The students seemed happy, and they are not competitive. The classes were well organized.
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The friendly faculty interviewers, the enthusiastic student guides, that we received a substantial list of student email addresses to contact if we wanted any more info/feedback on the school from current students, the flexibility they allowed us with what to do between/before interviews (especially in contrast with my Georgetown interview experience, where we were told to sit in the fishbowl for hours on end without refreshments, internet access, or the ability to simply walk the halls and drop in on classes), and that the lectures at Upstate are videotaped.
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The anatomy lab is one of the newest in the nation. The Library is not your typical four wall space, but has interesting curves and angles.
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Happiness of students
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Facilities are pretty nice. Students seem happy and are friendly.
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Facilities are fantastic. Lecture halls are new and all wired.
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They were very honest and open about everything, also very relaxed
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Very close-knit environment; extremely warm faculty and students
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Social student body, interesting curriculum setup, really great advisory system, other interviewees were very cool/easy to get along with, admissions staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, interviewers both gave me such detailed and helpful answers to my questions
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The admissions staff was extremely nice. Both faculty and student interviewers really wanted to get to know you. The school provides extensive clinical experience and international opportunities. I felt that students were given lots of independence and flexibility.
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The people were friendly and very enthusiastic about their school. They were very oraganized. Atomsphere was laid back, which i though was cool.
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Everyone was extremely nice and helpful
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The facility, all the people i met were very nice and euthusiatic - i sat in one of the classes and it was fun
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Everything. The town is adorable. There are beautiful houses, rolling hills, and forests (though it was slightly bleaker than in summer). The campus is also cute and compact, so there is not too much walking. Everyone at this school was absolutely delightful. Admissions officers would bend over backward to make sure you feel comfortable and happy, and professors and students were always smiling and seemed quite happy.
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Atmosphere, friendly faculty and staff,
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Stress-free nice people (very)
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I loved the student interview
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The students and faculty were AMAZINGLY friendly. Everyone was very accommodating. Completely low stress. . .they wanted to show you the school and learn more about you!
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The people were so warm and friendly! The facilities are really nice and the students seem really happy. The curriculum is diverse with many options and it seems that the school will do whatever it takes to help you succeed.
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The warmth of the people
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Hospital is under renovation and new peds hospital is on the way.
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The new pediatric hospital is on track for their spring '08 opening and fundraising is actually ahead of schedule.
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Syracuse is a beautiful city, classic looking and friendly people. I was told by my interviewer that 30 min in any direction would land me into the farms and the woods: wonderful resort places!
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They campus is very centralized to several of their hospitals. also, the general vibe of the school is very relaxed and not really stressful.
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Med student facilities were ok, but the hospital is small.
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The staff and students were very friendly. my interviewers were very amicable and seemed interested in what i had to say. the interviewers were also very informative about the med school
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My student interviewer and the director of admissions were ridiculously nice and very accommodating.
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The students for the most part seemed happy, the facilities were nice.
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They give you a decision quickly. All lectures are available online, so no need to worry if you miss a class.
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Everyone was friendly, facilities were decent. NY state is investing millions into SUNY Upstate expansion (despite cutting budgets at other SUNY schools). Classes we visited seemed engaging.
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My faculty interview. My interviewer was SUCH a nice guy, and when I asked him "why Upstate?" he had a few really attractive points. He said that he thinks Upstate students get a really superior clinical education, compared even to very good schools like Pitt or UCSF that he's also worked at. He also says that Upstate faculty are very accessible--you may be on a first-name basis with a world-famous doctor, and that won't necessarily happen at other places. He even said that he hopes I come to Upstate so he can look out for me! Awwww. If I don't attend this school (which I'm guessing I probably won't), my biggest disappointment will be not getting to interact with him in the future.
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Stress-free environment
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Up-to-date facilities; kind and enthusiastic students and staff
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Everybody there loves the school, the students, the faculty, everybody- and they were all incredibly nice to us. Also, the way they presented the program really made me want to go there.
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Enthusiastic students, great anatomy lab, the hospital, college town.
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The 1st year curriculum. it's set up in such a way that students only have one class for a month or so. after that they go on to the next class. I think this fosters better understanding of the material
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I thought that the people were genuinely nice and that the student population was very diverse culturally and in terms of their interests. The tour was with three first year students, each of which had a distinct personality. They all seemed like real people who were genunitely interested in medicine and in giving back to society. This, sadly, is not the impression I've gotten at other places.
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Everyone there is very friendly. They will do anything to help you and make you feel comfortable.
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How sincerely nice people were. They don't try to stress you out.
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The school really seems to care about and take care of the students, which translates over to how they conduct interviews. The admissions director told us several times that the interviews were meant to be "no stress" and that we could talk to her if we had any concerns.
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Enthusiasm of everyone, supportive environment, excellent education. This school is definitely at my top list after the interview.
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Everyone was extremley friendly and it seemed like a positive atmoshphere
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The student who interviewed me was really really nice.
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New facilities, students seemed to like the school
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Everybody seemed happy and enthusiastic. They really focused on helping you find out if the school fits what you are looking for.
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How friendly and happy everyone seemed.
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The people are SO nice!!! also, the accessibility to classes online and that they provide students with lecture outlines for each class.
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A great trauma unit (I want to go into emergency medicine), that the education is taught by body part units
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First off, all of the students and faculty seemed like very positive people and there was an air of non-competitiveness. The facilities are also wonderful.
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The facilities are very nice, updated. The lecture halls are pretty awesome.
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How nice the interviewers were. They were absolutely personable. The Director of Admissions (Mrs. Jennifer Welch) is an extremely nice lady! It does not get better than that. The Gross Anatomy lab has recently been renovated, and the library is very nice.
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The anatomy lab is brand new and beautiful, the medical center is huge, the people are all very nice.
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Everyone was so polite, and went out of their way to make sure we were taken care of.
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Friendliness of staff, students, and faculty. New anatomy lab, modern library.
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The facilities was nice and the weather was not nearly as cold as I originally thought
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The friendliness of the ad com and students - Jennifer Welch (director of admissions) eased the anxiety of the day; they emphasize low-stress interviews
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Students' attitudes, dean of admissions, new facilities
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How friendly everyone was, and how genuinely excited about the school and the facilities
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The dean of admissions...she was very nice and welcoming
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The GENUINE humility and caring attitude of the current students. They seem bright yet non-competitive and motivated simultaneously. The amazing anatomy lab and new lecture halls.
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New lecture hall and gross anatomy lab. There was a new addition built onto the school and hospital. Everyone was friendly and students seem to be non-competitive.
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THE STUDENT WERE VERY WARM AND FRIENDLY THE DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND MADE THE EXPERIENCE LESS STRESSFUL
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Syracuse is a nice city, not too quiet, not too busy. The lecture halls and anatomy lab are very nice. All the students I met seemed happy and friendly.
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Everybody was very cordial and seemed happy to be there. all lectures are video and audiotaped. transcripts are available usually by the end of the day -- no need to get out of bed!
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Everyone (students, faculty, locals) were VERY friendly. I liked the program, the research, the people, and the city. I left really liking Upstate.
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Technological improvements on campus are moving ahead. Jennifer Welch is an angel.
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Everything. The students, the faculty, the staff, the facilities. The anatomy was so clean you could probably eat off the floor (though I wouldn't recommend it.) This was by far the best school I have been to so far.
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The director of admisssions, Jennifer Welch, is very warm and welcoming. Everybody (students, staff, doctors, etc.)in the hallways were extremely friendly
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Personally, I liked the area a lot; close to 'cuse undergrad, so a nice atmosphere. not too big of a city, but still stuff to do, especially outdoor/nature things within an hour or two drive. Students seemed real friendly, very happy to be there. also, both interviewers knew my files very well before the interview and didn't even need to refer to them for info.
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How everyone agrees that the faculty at SUNY Upstate is very supportive of their students and the students really seem to get along with each other as well. Also how students seem to have some feedback on their classes.
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How laid back the students were. how technologically advanced the campus was.
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My student interviewer had practically memorized my application.
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The people there were very nice and accommodating. My first interviewer was really sweet.
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Admissions staff is VERY helpful, the professors give the students very detailed notes on handouts, nice anatomy lab, students really seem to like it there, we had a lot of time to explore campus on our own and sit in on classes, interviews were very relaxed
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Everyone there is extremely nice. All of the students I talked to were very enthusiastic about the school. The lecture halls have wireless and comfortable seating, and the library is absolutely fantastic! Upstate New York is wonderful, there is so much to do including mountain biking, hiking and skiing. Syracuse is a great college town.
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The students and staff were warm and welcoming. Very supportive during the interview process and offered to be available after. I was impressed that they took into account interviews where the applicants may not have been comfortable and offered another chance to interview.
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My first interviewer was such a sweet lady and the lunch was good
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Really down to earth interviewers. Staff really friendly. Excited about their rural medicine program.
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Campus was beautiful, and facilities seemed really nice.
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The school, hospital, everything was pretty nice.
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SUNY Upstate is a great school and the location is a great college town (since Syracuse University is right across the street). The students all really, really love the school and couldn't find any real negative things to say about it, and the admissions director is super nice and helpful to the interviewees.
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The friendliness of the admissions staff, the nice classrooms, and the relaxed nature of my interviewers
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Everything. I love this school. The curriculum is challenging but centered on the students' needs, everyone is extremely friendly and welcoming, the facilites are clean and nice, and Syracuse was charming (this was my first visit). Syracuse University is across the street, so you have a real college town feeling, and there are lots of pretty houses dotted around for ludicrously low rent (I'm from NYC).
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The facilities, the friendliness of everyone, including faculty, the proximity of the hospitals, the admissions director is so nice!
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Everyone is soooooooo nice. The admissions of director (Jennifer Welch :-)), the interviewers, the student tour guides,the people in the hallways...
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The students, staff and faculty really liked where they were. They were genuinely helpful and informative. The $3.6 mil brand spanking new anatomy lab. The curriculum - basically taking one class at a time in blocks, thus reducing stress. The cost (duh) Residency matches and opportunities at Syracuse
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People are CRAZY nice
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The faculty and atmosphere, this school cares about its students
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I was genuinely pleased with the friendliness and down-to-Earth quality of all those I formally met. The interviewers did not seem to be the Ivory Tower sort, but normal people who worked hands on in medicine.
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The staff treat the students very well. The campus in general is very nice and the city is clean and lively. The medical school buildings and facilities are impressive.
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The friendliness of all the faculty and staff.
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Very friendly admissions office, kind and humorous student body dean, enjoyable interviews, good lunch, good company, outstanding university.
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The interviewer was nice, however, I feel the program is sub-par to other NY medical institutions. I was much more impressed by Stony Brook and Buffalo out of the SUNY System. Driving from Cornell to Binghamton was closer than driving to Syracuse.
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The staff and students there are awesome. New anatomy lab. I don't know what the student that posted on March 14th, 2004 was talking about, he/she said that upstates anatomy lab was run-down, and the school wasn't any good. He must have visited a different med school. I'm ashamed that I go to the same undergrad school as him. And I think Upstate is much better than Downstate, considered my visits to the campus' and the tendency of students to get excepted to downstate BUT NOT Upstate.
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School is cheap if you are a NYS resident.
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Curriculum (research track, primary care track, rural medicine option), patient contact early on, TUITION!!!
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The facilities were really nice. the students and faculty were open and honest. they told us why they liked syracuse and upstate and also some of its downsides. one of my interviewers (a fourth year student) offered a lot of good advice.
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The library seems new, meanwhile the gross labs are brand-new (used for the first time last semester). It is a state school so it is inexpensive; after your first year an out-of-stater can apply for residency and pay in-state-tuition. The curriculum for first years is awesome- only 2-3 classes at a time. Also, the commute from anywhere you live on campus is very quick. It is a very compact campus.
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Enthusiasm of the staff, faculty, and students. Active student body on campus. Reputable athleticism of Syracuse University.
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The people are incredibly nice there. Students are very happy, well represented in the important committees within the school like curriculum, admissions, etc. The faculty are ready and willing to help you with anything, school and non-school related. Curriculum is blocked, with one test every 3-4 weeks, plenty of free time for studying, and/or extracurricular activities. Facilities for first and second years are mstly new, and the anatomy lab is in its first year of use. Great programs and opportunities for primary care interests (RMED, Binghamton campus) as well as specialists and reserach.
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The overall mentality of the students and faculty. Everyone had something positive to say. THe day was well organized and the campus was nice despite the subzero weather. The facilities ie lecture halls, anatomy lab, etc are also quite nice.
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I was actually supposed to interview on Jan. 5th, but I got stuck in Chicago during a flight stop because of a blizzard. SUNY Upstate admissions were nice and flexible enough to offer me an interview the next day (Jan. 6th). I though it was extremely nice for them to get 2 interviewers and also get a student to give me quick tour around the campus, even though it was snowing like crazy. Everyone was extremely nice. One student interviewer and I ended up talking about fantasy football! Great guy
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The people were awesome. Both of my interviews were great, and Dr. Dracker is quite possibly the nicest, most friendly interviewer I have ever had.
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Students get along very well, first year they take no more than three classes at once and tests are not culmulative. Faculty seems eagar to teach.
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Everyone I talked to had a smile on his or her face, and they were all genuine. The Director of Admissions made it very clear that the school was impressed with us, and that that was why they had invited us to interview, and that we shouldn't be too nervous. The possibility of doing the clinical years at Binghamton as opposed to Syracuse, which gives 3rd and 4th year students more hands-on experience and opportunities (as opposed to the large teaching hospitals which adhere to a very rigid hierarchy of house physicians and physicians-in-training). The Rural medicine program, which allows even more ooprtunities for 3rd and 4th year students to get their hands dirty, as it were. My second interviewer was a man of great charm, and he had an impressive facility with conversation. He made me feel comfortable, like an individual, and most importantly, like I was meant to be there, and not just some random interviewee. We also had a lot in common, so I can say that it was by far the best interview I could have hoped for. And most importantly, I truly liked everyone I met that day that was there to interview. It was clear that the school had made an effort to invite students who exhibited a wide array of talents and interests, but who also shared similar qualities such as dedication, intelligence, compassion, and a good sense of humor. I would be happy to be a colleague to any of those folks.
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Friendly staff and interviewers, decent facilities, and good match list. One of my interviewers, Dr. Beach, was great. He talked about everything about Syracuse and really tried to sell the school to me. I can honestly say that Dr. Beach is one of the most down to earth and caring people I've met so far. He spoke well of all the students and is extremely involved with the school. Dr. Beach if you are reading this, you rock!
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The people are all really great, the facilities are nice, and the school felt like it fit me well. i could see myself going to school here. tuition's cheap, but apparently the school is quite financially stable too, since it has a profitable hospital, and it shows. both interviewers seemed to have read my file quite thoroughly.
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Emphasis placed on NON-stressful interviews. Not too many gunners to be found in the school. Brand new anatomy lab is impressive. Various options available to students regarding curriculum (ie. Rural Medicine option, MD/PhD, electives taken around the world during 4th year)
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Facilities were nice. anatomy lab was great. faculty, staff, students were all VERY nice and helpful. just seemed like a wonderful environment to learn.
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The anatomy lab, RMED program and MD/PhD program. How happy the student were to be there and the non-competitive atmosphere. Everyone I interacted with was positive about the school. Plus there are five hospitals in the city and three right on campus. They are adding a Childrens Center to the University Hospital that shall be in the shape of a tree or tree house which sounds great for the kids.
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People. everyone was really caring. good clinical exposure.
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Syracuse is a beautiful place; it has a real friendly feel and gorgeous scenery. SU is just across the street which contributes to the livelyhood of the area. The school is wonderful - great facilities, great education and affordable, relatively speaking. Students seem to be really happy and content to be there - I kept asking anyone I met to tell me negative things about SUNY Syracuse - aside from weather, no serious answers.
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Exams are structured so that after an exam students have free weekends to go home and/or just relax. Also all of the lectures are digitally recorded..
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Almost everything I saw. The weather too, but that was sheer luck I was told.
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The current medical students enthusiasm, the new anatomy labs, my first interview.
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The school itself is nice, the hospital is the best around for miles.
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Students constantly praised their school Syracuse is cute and clean and green Econo Lodge downtown/university area my faculty interviewer was really nice and sincere. He spent a lot of time telling me about what it's like to be a doctor and what SUNY Upstate is like as a school.
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The rural med program and research track
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The campus, buildings, friendliness of the staff.
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The comraderie of the students and the new gross anatomy lab
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All of the students and faculty are really nice. They work hard to make the atmosphere very friendly.
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The students and staff were SO friendly and helpful with any questions or concerns that I had. Low stress interviews helped a ton, and I felt that they were mainly trying to get a read on our personalities rather than how we would react in certian situations. The school also has a great first choice placement rate for residencies of ALL fields in medicine. The cost of tuition is very low (even compared to other state schools). Overall, it was a great day. Don't stress about this one... they want you to be comfortable and make every effort to keep you that way.
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New anatomy lab, nice interviewers, etc.
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Everyone was friendly and extremely helpful. Interviewers were great and very interested in you and your interests in medicine. Plus a tunnel connecting the school to the hospital (very nice during those cold winters).
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The warm nature of the school. It was very clinically based. I had a PhD say this wasn't a research school, and that they train clinicians as their first priority. New Antamony Lab def Impressed me!
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New anatomy lab, nice facilites (including lecture halls), friendly faculty and staff, a happy student body.
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The students at Upstate were so enthusiastic about their school. The student interviewer and tour guides repeatedly praised the faculty, saying how genuinely concerned they were for their students.
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Non-cutthroat atmosphere among students; several options for clinical years
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Everything is so close to each other (labs, classes, hospital, dorm, apartments)
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Friendliness of the people, community feel.
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The student during the interview seemed to be really happy as well as any other students that we met.
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Good facilities. Syracuse is very urban and kind of gritty, but the snow and old brick buildings kind of mute that and make it seem charming. The price also.
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The school is connected to the hospital. You don't have to walk outside. The library is new.
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The faculty. They seemed dedicated to teaching and making sure that they turned out well rounded docs.
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The option to do 3rd and 4th yr in Binghamton in a clinical setting or at Upstate in a hospital setting. Also, their rural med program sound awesome.
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First, the faculty are warm and accepting, the students are optimistic, the integrated (clinical/didactic) curriculum is appealing and the proximity of school to hospital is a nice feature.
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The city itself was quite beautiful
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The dean of admissions and the interviewers continually stressed the importance of not giving stress interviews. The sutdents seemed happy there.
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The admissions staff was very friendly. The interviewers were well informed, and outstanding representatives of the University. I thought the facilitates were great, they are planning on getting a new anatomy lab next year. The new Health Science Library, and auditorium are very nice. The main quad is very close to the Hospital (tunnels connect pretty much everywhere you need to go).
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Facilities were nice. lecture hall and anatomy lab were all decent. the library was new and very nice, but small
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Everyone was friendly, helpful, and encouraging. Great area for winter sports. Undergrad is a division 1A school, if you happen to be into college sports. As a NY resident, it's a lot cheaper than a private school would be. It is a MAJOR hospital for the area (serves something like 17 counties), and a level 1 trauma center. They also offer an alternate clinical years program that is community-based, which is great particularly if you're interested in primary care.
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New research facilities, commitment for advancing their research and complementing medical education through special programs.
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The school was pretty.
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Friendly students, nice lecture halls, nice interviewers, nice interviewees, no preference for in or out of state applicants, low cost of apartments
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The students really do love their school, everyone was happy to be there, great new curriculum, tons of places to study (inc. SU campus, a 5 minute walk), awesome brand new library..and great interviewers!! Also it only took them a week and 1/2 to get back to me to tell me i'm accepted, and it was very personal with a nice phone call:)
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The warmth and general feeling of community at the school...everyone there really does love their school.
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The enthusiasm of all the students-- they really love the school.
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In general I love the school. Upstate has always been my first choice so I just I am a bit biased. The student body, as far as I have met, were very down to earth and friendly. The classrooms were adequate and I liked the CAB building with many things to do there. The anatomy room was...well it's just a room with tables for bodies, I wasn't expecting anything fancy. The thing that impressed me most was the interviewers in general. I felt they reflected what the school was about, to produce intelligent, but down-to-earth physicians who are good with people.
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The students were cool people
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The sincerity of the staff, faculty, students. Definately the most friendly Admissions people. Really down to earth and their interest in students with a warm personality and good heart shows in their staff. They were really genuinely nice people. All around great people.
What impressed you negatively?
Many applicants expressed concerns about the location, weather, lack of organization during the interview day, unimpressive facilities such as classrooms and anatomy labs, limited research opportunities, and the city of Syracuse itself. Suggestions include improving the campus facilities, providing clearer directions for interviews, enhancing the organization of the interview day, and emphasizing the school's strengths to prospective students.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Nothing really
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Not in the hippest part of syracuse, but I'm familiar with the area so I knew this before hand.
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The school did not seem to have much of a focus on research opportunities.
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Hmm, nothing really. Thought I would be turned off by the area, being from nyc/long island and all, but Syracuse actually seemed pretty cool. Even cooler with a car though.
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Bad weather Horrible travel experience Leaving task of finding interview areas (scattered throughout a couple of blocks) entirely to the interviewees.
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Maybe the city itself, but upstate as an institution is great
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I was a little annoyed b/c you meet in this room at 8:30 and they give you a piece of paper that has your interview times on it, then there's an intro meeting that took about 20 min, and my interview was at 9:00 and kind of hard to find and far away, I wish they had ended the intro like a half hour before anyone's 1st interview so no one was flustered rushing to find their interviewer.
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Their classrooms weren't the greatest and their anatomy lab wasn't ventilated well.
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The hotel I was staying at was in a run-down area.
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If you are not from a narrow part of upstate new york, you will not fit in at this school.
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Ok facilities. Not much diversity. Closed file interviewers didn't know what to ask me.
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No chances to speak with current students. A lot of sitting around - not very organized.
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The city. Syracuse definitely isn't the place for me.
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I thought the admissions did a terrible job presenting the school because of the way the schedule was set up (we basically weren't officially welcomed but rather given about an hour after we arrived to do whatever we pleased - either walk around campus, sit in on a class, or just chill in our assigned room)
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The medical center complex is nothing to write home about compared to others I've seen. The lunch they provide is average to below average compared to other interviews.
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Student facilities (gym, dorms) not very nice, will be very difficult to get around, especially come winter time
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Lunch wasn't great
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Nothing drastic. I wasn't too impressed with the Syracuse area..but I didn't see too much.
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Location is weak. Syracuse is a very small city. Some bums tried to hustle me for money while I was sitting outside eating pizza on the main Syracuse U strip.
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Nothing really. Every place has their pros/cons. My education/dream is 1st priority so everything else is a shadow. I can take it.
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Nothing really...although I guess the cold weather could become daunting eventually!
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The hospital was very closed down and I could not wander it on my own.
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Other facilities (anatomy lab, faculty offices) looked old and run-down. Recent articles in NY Times made me worried about quality of care at University Hospital (main teaching facility). Downtown Syracuse is ugly and lacks basic amenities such as grocery shopping, making a car necessary even if you live very close to the school.
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Obviously, the weather up there is rough; some recent news about the medical center is upsetting, but not a total turnoff.
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Having to chose between Syracuse and Binghamton for your clinical years within two weeks of your interview seemed like a daunting task at first but after spending the day there and talking to students I quickly realized which one was the better fit and handed in my form on my way out.
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Rural location (though not as bad as I had anticipated)
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The weather I guess.
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I'm not crazy about rural locales, student housing is lacking, parking is difficult
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The weather, it snows alll the time and not much day light
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The way that the admissions staff acted the whole day.
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I came during an exam week, and many people were stressed and on edge.
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I don't like the idea that 1/4 of the 3rd year students go to Binghamton... but after interviewing it seems that you only go if you choose to go.
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Small gym (not a major negative though)
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Nothing.
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Nothing
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Almost everything.... University Hosp. seemed small and dumpy, curriculum was very traditional, almost no clinical exposure in first two years, students seemed like frat boys/sorority girls who went to med school.
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Lots of construction. The town/school was aesthetically unpleasing.
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The interview was conducted by 1, yes 1 year one medical student. I felt like it was a total waste of time. I wasn't asked any questions at all and had to bring everything up myself. I guess my interviewer hasn't conducted many interviews before (year one med student).
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SYRACUSE IS COLD!!! And the semi-decently priced student housing is LITERALLY across the highway. I don't think I want to be crossing the highway every morning to get to class. The preceptorships/clinical experiences seemed limited.
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Syracuse...seems small (not a lot to do like in a big city, of course) and the weather is not great.
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Lack of student involvement with the admissions process. It was indicated to me that the school invites students to sit on management committees, but that too few students are interested.
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None
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Location, weather
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Nothing really. People have issues with parking and snow.
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Syracuse is a boring city compared to big cities I've lived in.
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Construction.
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When asked what other schools they considered, all of the current students said something like, "well, my MCAT scores and grades weren't great so I didn't have many other options." I felt like I was at a fallback school - a place that no one picked above another school, but rather went to because of lack of other options.
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Maybe too much free time during the day, yet the tour was cut short
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It was cold, and by that I mean -20F w/ windchill.
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The caliber of students. Also, the city. Also, it seemed weird how they talked about selecting people, sort of like a popularity contest intstead of real merit. I would not go here.
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Lack of professionalism, lack of organization, confused tour guides
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That there will be six people per cadaver during anatomy.
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The only thing bad I could say is that the school isn't ranked as high. I'm not sure if that would be an issue later when residency matching.
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It was freezing but i didn't mind...the facilities were hmmmmmmm
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I wish the whole place wasn't under construction.
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A couple of the classes we sat in on seemed rather dry
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The school doesnt appear high tech. The cadaver lab is suppose to be some amazing place, but I thought it was ordinary cadaver lab. It must have been in complete pits before they spend 3 million to renovate it. Seriously though, where did the 3 mil go?
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The city is not pretty, the
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I guess the only bad thing is that it gets a little cold there??? but weather is not a priority of mine when choosing a medical school.
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Location location location
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I had to walk a couple blocks to my first interview in the cold and high heels. It was very uncomfortable and there was construction going on so it took about 25 minutes just to get to the building and then it was very difficult to find the professor's office.
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The weather, it was pouring the day i got there. syracuse definitely a bit gloomy. the facilities weren't too great.
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Hard to navigate the building.
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Syracuse is the ugliest city I have ever seen.
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Just wish there was more patient exposure during first year.
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One of my interviewers was quite negative about the facilities in terms of politics and research opportunities but it was just a realistic picture of what schools don't advertise
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Syracuse is very small city with an almost non-existent night life. As a resident of NYC, I think it would be quite an adjustment to live there. The cold, rainy weather also leaves something to be desired.
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A car seems necessary. I hate driving.
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Couldn't tour the hospital
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Gloominess of weather.
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The city was a little dreary.
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Some of the labs could have used a little more space and renovation, but everything was serviceable. The cheerful talk about keggers by the tour guides kind of turned me off.
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The hills. Just messing. There was nothing to be negatively impressed about.
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Some facilities are quite old, i.e. the gym
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'Cuse is cold and hilly.
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All the classrooms, labratories, everything is in 1 building.
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Location
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The city of syracuse is just such a drag, facilities aren't the greatest, the fact that a lot of students choose to live in their dorms (i just can't ever do that again!)
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Some students seemed immature.
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Navigating through the buildings was confusing.
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Syracuse's weather and size(small)
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Absolutely nothing. This is a fantastic school that revolves around its medical students and making sure they are successful and happy.
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The campus is an interesting mix of old and new. Some of the older buildings have a very dreary feel. May just have been a first impression...
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About an hour or two where I did nothing, or at least had nothing scheduled...go sit in a class or bring something to read
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THe negative tour guide, seemed to hate doctors for their arogance, but was striving to be one.
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Nothing!
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I had to walk a fair distance outside to my second interview, but he was so nice that it was worth it. Other than that, nothing really.
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The snow, the location, my first interviewer
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Syracuse. Probably lowest caliber students/faculty/program of the SUNY med schools (I have now interviewed at all of them.)
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West/northwest portions of Syracuse.
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That my first interview is at 9 AM, just half hour from time of arrival, and there are no presentations of the school before the interview.
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Syracuse didn't really impress me as a city
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Sounds like 3 and 4th year students have very little autonomy compared to other schools I've visited. Very little (if any) clinical exposure in first years. I have to resonate what others have said-- student body seems young and unprofessional
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The location is somewhat isolated. also, the impression i got was that student housing wasn't that great
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My interviews were WEIRD. My student interviewer kept talking about how she didn't have any friends there and that the weather was horrible and if you didn't like to drink there was nothing to do outside of class.
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Syracuse seemed depressed compared to where I am from, not sure if I'd be happy there. Students seemed a little immature.
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Bland atmospere, second-year students we met seemed really young (high-schoolish).
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Classes are graded and very traditional-lecture based. Also, a sentiment that was echoed throughout the day was "medical school is medical school, and it doesn't really matter where you go since you end up learning the same material for boards. Therefore, you should come here because it's state school and cheap." I simply don't think that's true--there are huge differences in the "personalities" of schools. All other places I've interviewed have told me what makes THEM really special, and I was disappointed that Upstate didn't do that.
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Some of the facilities could be better, like the elevators, but it was mostly fine.
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One interview was in a fairly remote part of campus; one interview
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Really can't think of anything.
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Nothing really. Weiskotten Hall was smaller than I imagined from the pictures they send you.
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Nothing, other that the fact that it was very far from where I live
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The downtown setting in pretty grim, but the school itself seems like a little heaven within that grim setting.
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The tour was not well structured
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My interviewer seemed to think I wouldn't like Syracuse! I had to try to convince him.
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Nothing really.
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First years have classes all day from 9-5
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Low cultural life...
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Nothing. It was a great experience.
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The construction, but that is ultimately a good thing. They are building a new children's hospital on-site!
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The first years are in classes all day long. when do they study?!?
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The weather was bleh
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The location of the school is truly bleak. What is there but miles and miles of snow. Some of the students seemed pretty listless and unenthusiastic about school. Also, one of my tour guides was pretty adamant about how little you need to do to pass. Which is not too reassuring about our future physicians.
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This may not be a big deal, but make sure to have a good idea of the location of interviews to avoid being late.
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Some of the school's buildings are old and scary, they dont have dorms.
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I interviewed with a PhD and student, not an MD.
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Area around Upstate seems deserted, but maybe that was because of the weather (everyone's indoors?).
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The medical school is located in a "town" atmosphere and not in a major city
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Didn't get to visit the hospital on the tour; one of my interviews was with a MD at his office in the hospital and i had trouble finding it. the directions the ad com gives you to get to the hospital are confusing.
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Weather
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That it isn't near New York City
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It was really cold and i had to walk up a huge hill, my interviewer seemed really unenthusiastic
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The weather. The admissions office really doesn't seem to know or emphasize how good their research opportunities are. I took the time to visit labs by myself during the day. This medical school does great research, let me tell you.
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The weather was freezing and windy, but that's to be expected in Syracuse. Some applicants had interviews inside the school, while a few had to walk to interviews 10-15 minutes away. I am so glad my interviews were inside the school because I had on heels and a skirt and it was too cold and snowy outside to walk. Also, the whole interview day was not very structured (compared to other schools), so applicants had way too much time doing nothing.
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Weather is kinda dreary in the winter
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The location isn't the greatest
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There wasn't an official tour.
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Poor first interview.
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The only minor thing was that the tour guides didn't want to brave the snow to show us some of the buildings on campus. Of course we had a campus map if anything piqued our interest, but it would have been nice to hear some info on some of their facilities.
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How closed the school seemed to be. there doesn't seem to be much to do in the city.
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My faculty interviewer called me by a wrong name when I first met him.
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My first interviewer gave me the impression that he wasnt very impressed by the school. He told me that the only good things about it were that they cover a wide range of patients (Central New York, sometimes ppl even come from philly) and that there is low competition. He said the students tend to be passive. My second interviewer was a little uptight.
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They made us find the interview locations on our own instead of taking us there or having someone come to get us
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Nothing really, even though I had to walk a distance to my interview, the weather was not bad at all.
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The tour was not well run
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The city doesn't give me real good vibes. Tour guides didn't have super compelling reasons for choosing upstate. I find it odd they want you to choose your clinical placement so early on.
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Syracuse isn't all that happening of a place to be.
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Despite what they might tell you, Syracuse strikes me as very, very boring.
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The research opportunities are not too abundant - they are definitely there, but SUNY Upstate isn't a huge research school (which is fine if you don't want to focus a lot on research).
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The location is basically in the middle of no where
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Here's the list....just kidding. Nothing was negative.
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Can't really think of any.
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The weather gets a little cold
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Some aspects of the school seemed as though it needed renovation
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Parking for visitors -- in the lot across the way $14 for the day. Really, Ms. Welch, if you read this -- maybe interviewees ought to be offered a day pass!! :)
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I've heard a lot of talk about how SUNY Upstate is in the middle of nowhere. In a sense, this is true, but on the other hand, Syracuse is a really big city. I was worried about the location before my visit, but after seeing the campus and local surrounding area, it's really not an issue anymore.
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Nothing. Great school.
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The interviewer was not a MD/PhD so not in a position to give me details about the program, but was sufficient in answering my general questions.
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Nothing at all. I loved everything, including Syracuse, though some complain of the weather. I like winter so it doesn't bother me.
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Pretty much everything else. The school is old and run-down, anatomy lab was "ghetto" and in serious deteriorating condition(the lights were so dim and poorly maintained). Most of their facilites are just plain old. The weather is horrible and the town is boring.
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The tour was kinda disorganized, but they took us where ever we wanted to go. there was a ton of downtime and no real formal presentation about the school, so we had two tense hours of just sitting around.
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The snow and location. It is approximately in the middle of the state and kind of far from my home. The only other thing, was it bothered me a bit that one of my interviewers asked about my applications and other interviews, etc.
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Some first-year course schedules run from 8am to 5pm, although students admit the tutorials are not essential and are low in attendance.
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The weather will be a challenge. It was cold, but everyone was saying how it is not typically as cold as it was (high around zero, before windchill). The town is well maintained in the cold and snow, though. Some interviewers were late because of weather related traffic, but it all worked out. It is a blue collar town and a college town, so that is what activites in Syracuse are geared towards.
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The weather! it was soo cold outside
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Nothing, couldn't have been a better staff...even the medical students seemed upbeat. It's hard to find med students in such a great mood...this is definitely do to their laid back and community-oriented setting. great place
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The tour wasn't very informative. It was given by a 1st year medical student and he didn't know quite as much about the school as I had hoped. He was very good at trying his best to answer all our questions however.
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Weather is horrible, a lot of down time throughout the day.
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Zero, zip, nada.
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Location: Syracuse isn't a "happening" town. Also, The student tour guide, an MD/PHD student, wasn't very enthusiatic about the school. To him, it was more like, oh God
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You know, can't really think of anything...
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WEATHER! you have to be able to deal with cold cold winters if you are interested in going here
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Syracuse is very cold in the winter, although it doesn't bother me you may want to consider it when determining where to attend. In addition, just across interstate 81 is dangerous. However, I traveled to a town about 10 miles away, which would be a great place to live with a great cost of living. Another thing is that there are 17 people on the admissions committee and each gives you a numerical score, which is averaged. You can either be accepted automatically, placed in "high priority" which means you have a good chance or a "hold" in which you should probably hold no hope in attending.
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Just the fact that you have to decide to stay at syracuse or bing w/in 2 weeks.
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It was so hot in the room set up for the interviewees; so it got pretty uncomfortable. The thermostat was pointing at 80 degrees, which could be hell when you're sitting there with your suit on.
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There isn't wireless internet in the library or lecture halls. That was sort of disappointing. When I asked someone how long it would be, they said it might be years?
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The IHP building is sequestered and apparently not what it is cracked up to be.
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My second interview, the two hours of free time in-between interview and tour.
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The hostile interview, the weather, the waiting around in a room off-set from everywhere else, that my interviewers were late. One even said "I bet you would wait around all day for me." Is this guy for real?
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Rain
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The Elevator stopped and we all got stuck for a while.
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The rainy weather
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The class length every day is pretty long compared to other schools, but you only have to take one class at a time (i.e. only one test to study for every 3 weeks). Also, we aren't able to see patients until 2nd year at the EARLIEST, unless we do more shadowing on our own.
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Not much really
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I was stung by a wasp inside the school (Oh well, a little drama in the day keeps me on my toes).
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Nothing much. It's a above par med school. Student body was alright, but not super progressive.
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Same as everyone else: the weather. apparently the sun does come out in syracuse, but I wouldn't know it from my visit.
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Not much...maybe the wraps for lunch
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Parking isn't great, and a car is pretty necessary. the Weather was below zero and whiteout conditions (couldn't see another building from the 9th floor cafeteria) which may deter some southerners, but I was used to it
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Kinda cold.
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Where to begin??? After an introduction about the importance of a non-stress interview, I received the most stressful interview imaginable. My interviewer also had no concept of the schedule so I was late to meet back up with the others for lunch. Also, watch the elevators, during the tour we got stuck between floors and ended up jumping down to get out.
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It was below zero when I was there. The 'early clinical exposure' they speak of isn't very intense. They basically teach you to take vitals and pt histories.
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The hospital didn't seem very busy. The precent of students place in their top two residency choices during matching doesn't seem to be great great either. It seems to be very primary care oriented.
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Many students were not as serious about their studies as I would have expected. Maybe I caught them on a bad day, but the level of maturity didn't seem terribly high. I did meet a few who were mature and serious, but they seemed to be in the minority.
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It was literally zero degrees the day I was there, also everything looked very gray. Can I handle the cold and the snow??
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The almost certainty that State tuition prices will soon parallel those of private institutions, (Mark one in the negative category for Pataki, Booo!) though I hold no grudge against Upstate for this.
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The day is longer than it needs to be. The interview process seemed very disorganized.
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Just the bleak weather, nothing about the school itself
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SUNY is planning a tuition increase of 2,000 per year for medical students. This reduces the gap between Private school and Public school cost. Consequently our decision on which school we ultimately attend is less financially based. My interviews were several hours apart. This resulted in a lot of down time--which had both pluses and minuses. We didn't get to meet Dr. Keating the dean. No longer a preference for in-state students (at the interview phase).
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Cold.....
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It's very much a college town. When I drove around the campus at 8 p.m. the previous evening, NOTHING was happening. There was a basketball game that night; two guys (not students) tried to sell me tickets while I was parked near the school. It will be a real culture shock coming from NYC if I go to school there. And, it's 4-5 hrs. from NYC- club deprivation would/will be very difficult for me. I didn't realize how far away it was until I made the drive. If you're coming from NYC, look into taking JetBlue- they're supposedly really cheap to Syracuse.
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Medical school facilities, University Hospital not impressive at all, housing, and Syracuse (location and weather). The tour we were given was not very thorough.
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The Dean assured us that we would not be given stress interviews.... in retrospect, I should have mentioned someting to that effect afterwards, but aside from sounding like I was completely sedated in getting over the initial shock of it, I answered her questions honestly,..... knowing that my interviewer didn't sit on the commitee, and that my student interview went so well, I didn't really think it was as necessary. Just be prepared for your interviewer to ask those age-old "Why do you want to be a doctor...?" questions.... oh well.
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Anatomy lab, dorms
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It's really cold up there:(
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Like I said, I am a bit biased toward Upstate. It is close to my family, state tuition, very good facilities, good student body, and the region it self ( I am an outdoors person, so I like the fact Syracuse is close to lakes and mountains). I really did not find anything that gave me a negative impression.
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Nothing really. I guess it is because I really want to go there
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The anatomy lab was a bit weak when I saw it last year, but they are redoing it as I write this....suggestion....lots of ventilation.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time that the interviews would be low-stress and more like conversations, that they would have downtime between interviews, and that they needed to self-promote their achievements during the interview process. Suggestions included being prepared for the weather in Syracuse, bringing comfortable shoes for walking, and considering a student host instead of a hotel stay.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Not so bad. be prepared for some stations to have mean/unresponsive interviewers (most likely their required personalities to gauge how applicants handle it)
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How low-stress the interview actually is. I would have spent less time freaking out
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That it was nothing to worry about, and it would actually be quite fun and fascinating. The other interviewees were friendly as well and everyone was put at ease by the ADCOMS presentations.
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That the multiple mini interview format would be so easy/laid back
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That the day wouldnt be stressful.
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A student informs me that it is possible to be part of Rural Medical Scholars even if one does not plan to practice in a rural area.
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How cold it was going to be (10-20 degree weather) Horrible tiny airport nearby Syracuse is dominated by Syracuse university -outside of that it's not much different than a big town.
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How relaxed the interview would be. and that all the interviewers see is the 2 essays you submit a week prior to your interview
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When my interviews were and where.
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I wish i studied up more on ethical issues, i stumbled through one and accidentally injected the word abortion, which the interviewer took to mean that i'm a baby killer.
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They (interviewers) don't have your academic information unless you mentioned specifics in the essays.
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Syracuse has more than its fair share of right-wing nuts.
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They are looking for people interested in rural primary care.
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I would have brought a book or a magazine or something to pass the time inbetween interviews
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Nothing.
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That the essay you write is the only thing your interviewer will have about you
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Because it is closed file, you need to self-promote aspects of your file like research experience. I really dislike self-promotion, but as the admissions staff instructs you at the beginning of the day, you need to let the interviewer know what you've done.