Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 33% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about the applicant's motivations for pursuing medicine, experiences with cultural diversity, challenges faced, ethical dilemmas, and proposed solutions to healthcare issues. Some respondents mentioned being asked questions in an MMI format, which may have involved non-disclosure agreements due to the nature of the interview structure.
In my one-on-one interview I was asked about my application. I signed a confidentiality agreement for the MMI.
If an adult patient (who is a jehovah's witness) is going to die unless they receive a blood transfusion, but they are refusing it due to their religion, what do you do?
why did you go to community college before the 4 year? (of course this led to her nagging me about the advantage of a 4 year college over a 2 year- whatever!)
Students said most interesting question asked at Texas A & M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including cultural competency, personal motivations, ethical dilemmas, and societal issues. While the questions varied, the interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) based on references to diverse questions, and some respondents mentioned being subject to a nondisclosure agreement.
How do you connect with someone from a different culture than you? Tell me about an experience with someone from a different culture than you.
If you were to go back in time and reflect on your habits and joys from a child, what actions did you do as a child that showed you had an engineering mind?
You've mentioned and described many positive medical experiences. What negative parts of the medical field have you seen and what are your feelings on their significance to the practice of medicine?
I was asked how I would tell a long term patient of mine that he/she was dying. I answered, and then the interviwer asked how the cultural identity of the patient would make a difference in how I delivered the news.
My student interviewer had just gotten married the week before my interview, and the issue of having a significant other/being married in medical school came up...
What would you do in this really difficult case where a woman is bleeding to death but can't get a transfusion for religious reasons? She has 5 children.
There were several: What are the 3 biggest social issues in our country? What are the 3 biggest health care issues and how will they impact you as a physician?
How to handle the noncompliant patient? You are treating a patient and prescribe a med, when the return for follow up they never filled the medicine, how do you deal with this patient
ethical situational questions - a Jahova's witness comes in and needs a blood transfusion and a histerectomy, however, it is against her religion and the family says no blood, you can call the court and try to get a court order or watch her die - what do you do? real-life situation that my interviewer had been in.
Nothing Interesting - Just a note: Filo is a really nice guy. He has a sort of fake administrative eloquence, but his interviews are pretty challenging. Be prepared to really hash out some broad social issues.
I am a returning student and a little older and I was asked if I would have a problem with younger people giving me instruction during the latter years.
Expect some ethics questions and patient centered questions. This school is big on teaching physicians to be ethical leaders in their community, with a focus on patient needs over your own. I promise this is huge. Be ready for it.
Concerning the future of genetic manipulations, if you and your future wife learned that you would soon be having a child who was physically or mentally disabled, would you try to alter it for the better through gene therapy?
Students said most difficult question asked at Texas A & M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine discussed various topics such as opinions on rural medicine, application weaknesses, ethical dilemmas in healthcare, personal growth, and societal issues. Many responses indicated a mix of general questions and scenarios related to healthcare and ethics, with no specific recurring theme apart from the wide range of topics covered.
Do you know how to make a soufflé? (I said no). Tell me how to make a soufflé.
Also: What is your opinion on rural medicine?
"Tell me what I should say to the admissions committee to advocate on your behalf. " I personally just hate that question as a lead-off because it's like a bad mix of "tell me about yourself" and "what are your strengths?" If you're fine with it as the only question they ask about you then you'll do just fine.
None were difficult. They were really just trying to get to know me better. There wasn't much time in the interviews, so there was a lot of ground to cover (many questions) in a short time. Rapid-fire questions might throw some people off.
Name 3 people you would like to meet, dead or alive. This one stumped me. I couldn't think of anyone after naming my dad, so I said Schroedinger for some reason (don't ask me why). I bet you my interviewer thinks I'm a big nerd now... No healthcare questions at all though, which is a good thing for me.
Nothing out of the ordinary. They were all VERY conversational. One interview was all about my research because I chose to bring it up after realizing that my interviewer was the in exact same field as the one I did my summer research in...and my next interview was based solely on my love for sports..nothing difficult at all!
There are 2 questions: (1) Who should be responsible for the health care coverage for people who can not afford health insurance. (2)Tell me about the course "court and cival liberty."
Why did you choose to go to Johns Hopkins University if you went to high school in Texas? Why A&M now that you are living in California? (Not really difficult)
Relax on the difficult questions. They don't care if you have a world class knowledge of metabolic pathways or diagnostic biochemistry. They may ask you a question that seems very specific and over your head. This is to see your response. They are looking to see if you BS your way through it, or if can say I don't know with confidence and integrity. They may do it just to see if you panic. If you know what it is great, but if you don't, DO NOT GIVE THEM YOU BS. It works in undergrad not in Med School.
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for interviews by conducting mock interviews, practicing with friends, reviewing application materials, reading school websites, using SDN for feedback, and researching current healthcare issues. They also emphasized the importance of formulating responses to common questions, knowing about the school and healthcare statistics, and showcasing their unique qualities during the interview.
Read BeMo book, 2 mock interviews, talked to myself a lot, prepped responses for common questions
I thoroughly read the website, and formulated a list of questions that I would like to ask. I also paid close attention to specific programs so that I could inquire about them and see if this is the right school for me.
Wow... I read as much information about the school that I could. I definitely tried to mention details about the school that were unique (that other interviewees might not mention). I printed out pages of questions on Word and practiced answering them all week. I studied my resume, applications (TMDSAS and Secondary), and read up on the socialization of healthcare, abortion debates, and euthanasia debates. I talked with my friends in med school and spoke with a resident about how to carry myself and how to let my personality shine through without losing a serious mentality during the interview. Also, I bought a suit & low heel shoes!!!
Read the school website, read ethics books, read about health insurance reform, read about malpractice compensation reform, read over my AMCAS, TMDSAS, and secondary application
Know your own convictions and goals, and be able to communicate them to the interviewer. They want passionate people with clear focused goals. You don't have to know what you want to do for the rest of your life, but you better be able to tell them what foundation you plan you future on. ie ethics, morals, convictions, loves, hates, social roles, family......
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and warmth of the faculty, staff, and students at the medical school, as well as the emphasis on student support and well-being throughout the interview process. Many highlighted the top-notch facilities, small class sizes, and the genuine interest shown by everyone they interacted with, particularly Filo, the associate dean, as key positive aspects of the school. Suggestions included continuing to prioritize a supportive and welcoming environment for prospective students, maintaining the high level of organization during interview days, and further promoting research opportunities for medical students.
The warmth and positivity in the faculty and medical students, also certain aspects of the school I really like (mostly low tuition lmao).
The facilities are nice. The chairs are comfortable. They give you more swag than any other school I've been to or heard about. The chairs are comfortable.
I had one student interviewer that was awesome, she made up for the rest of the day, was very engaged and happy to have a meaningful conversation with me.
Interview nearly everywhere in Texas. The faculty/staff at Texas A&M were by far the nicest, most supportive who all made you feel extremely important, special, welcome, and comfortable.
Everyone seemed very laid-back. A couple med students who weren't even a part of the tour team came to our room and answered more questions. The fact that they had no reason to come see us or promote the school, but did anyway, was big.
the interviewers, the expansion of the school and campus, small classes, emphasis on rural medicine, the med students were genuinely enthusiastic, no curve grading system, residency match list.
I interviewed at College Station. The large university system (and camaraderie) surrounding the medical school. I knew I wouldn't be at a loss for things to do or places to study.
The large expansion of the school into Round Rock and Temple.
The admissions office staff was amazing. They were extremely organized and made sure that everyone was not stressed. My interviews were very laid back and the interviewers spent a lot of time explaining why they loved their jobs instead of just asking me questions the whole time.
The attitude of the students and staff. The students seem to love the school and all of the staff and faculty I met seem to go above and beyond for their students. Also the sim center in Temple was very impressive. I was also impressed with how the students are encouraged to pursue international electives during their 3rd and 4th years. I was also told that the school was hoping to implement an internation medicine certificate program within the next year.
all the facilities are brand new, they have an amazing simulation center, the school is growing with lots of new opportunities, the small class size is really personal, it's a great school if you're married & have kids b/c all the spouses help out with child-care, lots of scholarships (especially if you're out of state), cost of living is really low (like $400/mo for an apartment really close to the school)
Scott & White is impressive -- an excellent teaching hospital. Also, they they have a simulation center that is like an emergency room and private practice complete with computerized dummies, ambulances that beats anything I have seen at other medical schools. The attitude of the faculty and administration impressed me in that they want every student to succeed ... not just the top 80% or whatever. Every single student passed the step tests for the past few years. The students really knew each other and seemed to have a good chemistry with one another. Very organized planning for the future (with options for a Temple 4-year and Bryan/College Station 4-year track coming up for the future). This school clearly is clearly committed to to producing excellent doctors and growing their program in a way that maintains excellence. Scott & White has many clinical research opportunities. None of the students was "personality deficient." At every other school, I met at least one medical student who was shy or was challenged in personal interaction. At A&M every student had at least good interpersonal skills and most seem to excellent in the people skills department and were very motivated and happy.
Filo was awesome!!! The best, most friendly, most helpful assoc. dean ever. School seems to genuinely wants to find applicants who are humanitarians, who will contribute to the society and in rural areas.
was fed very well and personally escorted to my interviews. Simulation Center was impressive as heck. Felt like I could flourish in this program with such a supportive faculty. I liked that there was room for and encouragement to do research, which was opposite of what I heard previously. Most impressive however was Filo himself. I encourage interviewees to find some time to converse with him about anything.
The fact that everyone is cordial and the program is extremely organized. This is a complement to Filo and the staff that run the organization and it reflects their committment to the students.
a&m cares about its students. all the staff dress up that day to greet you & walk you to the interview. Filo is one great guy. clean campus, great lunch atmosphere. my second interview was a gem! one of a kind.
Filomeno Maldonado (Filo) is an absolute asset to A&M Medical School and makes everyone feel so comfortable. Also, the interview day was very well organized.
I'm really into research and I didn't think this school was into promoting research for its med students, but they're really trying to make a name for themselves in the life sciences. I think that my interest in research was a plus since they are really set on expanding in terms of research.
The friendliness of everyone involved throughout the day. They also seem to genuinely care and respond quickly to student feedback and opinions. The doctors at Scott & White are also genuinely interested in the students' education and allow a great deal of hands on experience. Overall, a very good learning atmosphere.
All students and faculty I came across seemed genuinely compassionate. Since the school is small it is a close knit group all willing to help each other whenever they can. The Scott & White facilities were much more impressive than I was expecting. The overall experience was very positive.
The students seemed incredibly enthusiastic and genuinely happy at the school. As everyone else has said, Filo is a HUGE asset and really embodies the core values of the College of Medicine. Also, the Financial Aid lady knows her stuff, so pay attention. They want their students to succeed and go all-out in helping them do so with an incredible support network and wonderful resources. The students seem to share and work closely together.
Filo Maldonado!! He was very comforting and knowledgeable and made an excellent presentation at lunch. Also, my interviewers, the students and the school were all great! Also, I've read that many students find the drive to Temple to be a negative experience; I saw it as a time to reflect upon my interview in the morning and to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses...I'd advise others to do the same!
Amazing facilities at Temple (S&W, VA, etc.). The students and staff are genuinely interested in getting to know you and make you feel welcome. Lots and lots of food. Filo RULES - get to know him well.
Everything!! Mr. Maldonado is awesome--he runs the show and does a great job of it. He is extremely knowledgeable, personable, and genuinely excited about what A&M has to offer.
FILO Maldanado!!! He's associate dean of admissions and very involved in ALL aspects of recruiting, reviewing, procesing and admitting medical students. During your visit, he will be EVERYWHERE ALL the TIME. He is very
charming, movtivating and if you are at all in doubt about
which Texas school to attend, this guy will make the difference for you!
You felt like you were being recruited the whole time you were there. Filo is the real deal, he personifies A&M's outlook. Scott & White is amazing, the low student to faculty and resident ratio give you plenty of chances to get your hands dirty.
The faculty and student. The school just have a positive energy that draws me in. The clinical opportunity throughout 4 years of medical school is also very appealing.
Filo was very nice. No one at TAMU mentioned another school in a negative way. They said "other larger medical schools" but never said a specific name. Not even students. I thought this was very professional. The financial aid presentation is really good.
all 80 students are in one anatomy lab. the professors seem very approachable.
scott and white and the new paperless hospital that is being built in the complex.
The people there were the nicest I have ever met. My second interview was well over an hour, and I was the last one to interview at 5 PM. The Assistant Dean of Admissions personally drove me back to my car (just one example). The small class size is also a big plus.
A&M leaves no doubt that they want you to be a part of their school. I was extremely impressed with the Asst. Dean of Admissions and his dedication to the interviewees during the day. He made a point to speak with each one and seemed very encouraging and helpful.
Students genuinely have a fire for their school. faculty seem nice. they really want you--interview day is very structured and well-organized. lots of food!
The students, faculty and staff were all very helpful and nice. The assistant dean, Filo, is an extermely nice person. Feel free to ask him any questions.
The students at A&M are great. Also, their philosophy seems to be admirable, and they apparently live up to it. Scott and White is actually a cool place, and would be a good place for years 3 and 4 despite a generally negative attitude towards Temple among fellow interviewees and others I have spoken to.
A&M has a tradition of being a family atmosphere and graduates
seem very loyal and I could see better where that originates from. Most everyone was open and helpful.
Philo. He is the real deal. Philo is the perfect rep for A&M, what this school is about, and what it's attitudes are. He is there for you, and so is this school.
Scott & White. I knew right away that this is where I wanted to be after visiting S&W. Temple is bad, but you will not get better clinical trainging than you will from S&W. Look into it, research it's history and national reputation. The physicians they draw, the inovative procedures that they perform, the experts that they have on staff. It's only down side is Temple, and that's not so bad since Austin is so close.
The Absolute openness and friendliness of the staff and students. The Admissions staff were completely open and wanted you to feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible. They really went out on a limb to make you feel wanted.
Applicants commonly expressed negative feedback about the split campuses in College Station and Temple, as well as concerns about the long commute between the two locations. Some also mentioned issues with unprepared interviewers, lack of financial aid information, and the rural locations of the campuses. Suggestions included improving interviewer preparedness, providing more comprehensive financial aid information, and addressing the challenges of split campuses.
The second interviewer I had was rapid firing questions at me and it was his first time interviewing. Just an uncomfortable experience. Also they only gave me a week notice for this interview and it was in August on a weekday.
The school is in a pretty inconvenient location. It's not part of A&M proper, but a little way up a highway with nothing around. It's not connected to a hospital either. There's 3 affiliates in the county to rotate at, but they aren't right next to the school. College Station is also pretty congested. I suppose 68k students will do that to a city, but it was not as free flowing as I had hoped.
Students were disinterested, students didn't seem to show initiative in their education, was told by one student "I hope you get into the other schools you're interviewing at and can go there", did not like the idea of split campuses as it seems consistency in training may vary, anatomy lab groups are very large and you are only doing 1/3 dissections yourself, step performance was below national average, limited research emphasis.
My second interviewer was an arrogant jerk who spent the entire interview trying to convince me that pre-meds are naive and don't know what we're getting ourselves into. He was rude, swore that he'd never allow his own children to go into medicine, though his son was a 4th year, and made me feel like an idiot for even applying. He focused on the negatives in my app and refused to acknowledge the positives. He was late and even took a personal phonecall during my interview. It was a terrible experience.
Curriculum is changing for the incoming class. Don't mind block scheduling but I do mind comprehensive shelf exams (NBME) at the end of each semester. Students can't move forward to next semester if they don't pass shelf exams even if they've passed all of their class exams. I don't like the mandatory scholarly project required for graduation (equivalent to a masters thesis)
The lack of excitement among students, their lack of participation in the interview day. Seems that distance lectures are used quite a bit. They didn't show us the library on the tour--this is where I'd spend most of my study time!! The tours should be led by students, not admissions people. The gross lab is located across the parking lot/street from the medical education building.
the cities (temple and cs) aren't exactly urban but not exactly rural...i'm a city boy so i guess this was a big letdown. the interviewers also wore hard-ons and drilled me
I don't like the idea of having to move to Temple after 2 years, but I'd rather do that than stay in College Station for all 4...Scott & White is awesome.
the students were too laid back. sure small class size is nice but, i have a competitive spirit, and don't think the soft attitude the students seemed to have was fitting for someone in the medical profession
The first interviewer was 40 minutes behind schedule and was very abrasive during the interview. There was a lot of downtime at the end of the day in Temple.
It isn't really a negative impression just something negative to expect, the day is long and you have to drive between College Station and Temple so just prepare for a LONG day and lots of walking and moving around.
the location is very rural, you have to move to Temple the same time you take your boards, the anatomy lab only has room for 4 students, but 6 are assigned to a tank - so on the day you're not dissecting your group members have to teach you the material,
The crazy long day (7am to 5pm) and the drive to Temple. But I can't imagine you'd be able to get a good feel for the school any other way. The nature of two campuses I suppose.
the girl I stayed with, the tour of the VA (pointless and dull tour guides), size of cities and school, facilities, the students in general (strange...)
paying for parking at College Station campus (but that's an A&M thing, even for prospective undergrad students), first interviewer harped on my grades and MCAT (when all I heard in the opening presentation was how A&M wanted to get to know me as a person, beyond my grades)
The small anatomy lab. They don't have enough cadavers for all of the students, so there are 6 students per table. Due to the lack of space they only allow 4 students at a time at the table. So this means that instead of attending anatomy lecture mon/wed/fri, you would only go mon/wed. The people who went on friday are responsible for teaching you the material that you missed and then you are quized on it during the next class period. Your partners that taught you receive the grade you earn on the quiz. This is to ensure that your partners take the time to teach you.
Nothing really. I was actually quite very impressed. This is a school focused on rural care, so it's not going give the big-city indigent care hospital experience that some might seek.
The two years in College Station and two years in Temple. However, new students can now choose a four year program in Temple! So, it's not bad after all.
Second interview. He kept interrupting me to throw out more questions. One after another, some of them pretty harsh, then "Okay, time's up." I did not get to ask anything.
Temple isn't ideal for those with very active social lives. Not enough interaction with 1st or 2nd year students during the College Station session. Not sure how well students are prepared for boards.
The drive to Temple was long. There were lots of turns and highways and towns to go through, but I kind of tailed the guy in front of me. =) But then again, this was my first interview experience and I didn't think my first interview was all that great (though by no means bad either) so I had a lot of time to rethink some of the answers to the questions he asked. Good thing I did because my second interviewer at Temple asked some of the same questions and that one went really great!!
The medical students were cool, but the rest of the student population at Texas A&M is really scary (unless you're a facist, neo-nazi, bible-thumping, right-wing nut-job and I happen to be a liberal atheist)
While most people boast about a small class size...80 seems a bit too small for me. I feel a bit larger class size may allow for more diversity...but again, the sampling of students I met at the interview may not be representative of the entire class...
A&M is a split campus, meaning that the first two years are in College Station, while the last two are 90 miles away in Temple. Also, both towns are pretty small and are in the middle of no-where. (When we were driving to Temple, we knew that we were going in the right direction when we could see Scott and White rising out of a relatively desolate area from about 20 minutes outside of town. This is a testament to how small Temple is and how large Scott and White is.)
The drive to Temple, Temple, Scott & White. One of the tour guides at College Station, Tiffany, made it clear that she did not want to be there at all. Also, there were only three female medical students that I encountered and only five minority students.
at 8:30 am, they took us to a lab and we were lectured about the technology of microscopes that now allow us to see how integrins talk with the cell membrane. it was a bit dry.
The split campus (Years 1 & 2 in College Station and 3 & 4 in Temple) didn't appeal to me. Wherever you are, you would be isolated from some aspect of the medical school experience.
The split campus thing is a bit of a downside but certainly not a serious one. Scott and White also has extremely cheap on-campus housing. Also, some of the resources at A&M are less than at other places. Its definitely on its way up though.
The only negative impresion I obtained was the 2nd interviewer that I met. However, this was my personal experience. For future students going to A&M, I think everything will be fine. What will really make the day excellent or average will depend on your interviews.
I somewhat didn't care for College Station. The worst thing about the day is how early it starts. Most of us were there by 6:30 am. My first interview was at 8:00 am, and I don't think I was fully awake yet. It's a long day.
I rated the interviews negatively, but it was really only the final interview that was not positive. This was my first interview day, so I was nervous. However, I interviewed with a doctor that offered no visual feedback during the interview and that was a little difficult to deal with. I tried to anticipate the various personalities that you might encounter, but a stone faced interviewer who would continue to stare even after you finished your answer was quite different for me. I had to fight the urge to continue talking after my answer was complete. Since that was my last contact with the school before I left for the day, I didn't know what to make of it on the way home.
the facilities seemed old and the students that we talked to were rather immature. the interviewers acted like they were interviewing us for harvard or something
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the variability in interview styles, the emphasis on prepared questions for interviewers, the need to be prepared for a long, full-day interview experience, and the importance of relaxation and being oneself during the interview process. They also noted the significance of researching the school's unique aspects, such as the different campus locations and clinical opportunities, and being aware of logistical details like parking arrangements and travel times between locations.
The medical students there said all interviews will be chill and conversational. My first one was like that, my second one was entirely the opposite. Be prepared for anything.
Old SDN reviews talk about traveling between College Station and Temple for interviews. In 2018 this is not the case. My entire interview day was at College Station (technically Bryan). An interview in Temple will be spent entirely in Temple. The interview day is long! They don't joke around about it going from 8-5. Breakfast left much to be desired to eat before you arrive unless you want some fruit and a donut. Lunch was good though. The interviews don't start until 2:00 pm. So there is a lot waiting in anticipation while you listen to presentations and go on tours. You get to ride a bus over to the county hospital for a tour. Then you get a tour of the anatomy lab and the floor where standardized patient encounters are done. You don't get a tour of anything else though.
That they seem to put a lot of emphasis on having questions prepared for the interviewer at the end of the interview. Seriously-- prepare questions for them!
(Temple campus) Many of the faculty came to Temple to work at the hospital before it was affiliated with A&M. I made the mistake of asking an interviewer why he chose to come to A&M and he just looked at me funny...
There is no way that you will make it to from bryan to temple in an hour. Every one is late... it takes an hour and a half to get to the second interview spot.
How nice the facilities were in Temple and how much time and money A&M was putting into updating their curriculum and learning environment for the students.
Although on the schedule the time between College Station and Temple is 90 minutes, they are not going to start without you/forget about you in Temple.
Pay parking details. Get there in plenty of time to figure out the machine to pay for your parking. I didn't and decided the interview was more important, so I got stuck with a campus parking ticket ($30).
If you are driving there in the morning, you're going to drive in the dark the whole time, which makes it hard to read the directions and see the signs.
these are the hardest interviews i've had yet. pretty much like, what i first expected all med school interviews to be like (ethical, personal questions)
a&m has the nicest ppl around! will be stuck in a shuttle with 10 ppl for at 3 hrs that day. alot of free time between interviews. some questions were asked from the secondary app (make sure you remember what you wrote.
This was my first interview. All of them mostly followed suit with this one- no really probing questions. I could have been a lot more relaxed beforehand.
emphasis on research, Scott and White, that my low GPA (3.3) was not an issue for either of my interviewers since I had the upward trend going (they both told me that I had NOTHING to worry about in terms of numbers which was a HUGE relief).
Their are lots of opportunities to get involved such as the Health Circus, anti-tobacco activities, and that fact that clinical training is one-on-one.
I wish I had know Temple was a lot closer to my home than College Station then I would have driven to Temple..but that was my fault and in no way reflects the school
Scott & White in Temple is one of the US News' "Top 10 teaching hospitals" in the nation. You begin a "preceptorship" during your second year in which every Tuesday from 1-5 pm, you work with one physician and go to clinic with him/her. A&M was one of the first schools in the nation to start this program.
That it is really a get-to-know-you type of experience. No need to prepare for the interview other than to be yourself at all times. Your interviewers will be able to sniff out BS. Also, prepare questions in advance that you have for your interviewer.
Pay for parking! They will issue parking citations so be prepared! Make sure you follow someone to Temple so you know where to park at Scott & White (I managed to luck on to it).
Drs Scott and White (namesakes of S&W hospital) were contemporaries of the Mayo brothers and patterned their
hospital system like the Mayo clinic.
Just kind of cool trivia....
They have moved to a organ systems/classical approach last year. It seems to be better this year, but the MSII's did not have much nice to say about last years introduction to the new approach.
that you can spend most of your fourth year electives wherever you want. also, b/c of the small class, students get much one on one time with the attendings during 3 and 4 years
From my experience, it seemed that the interviewers looked at the application either 5 minutes before the interview or saw it first hand as they spoke to you. For example, my inetrviewers had problems differentiating future course work from current course work. So as long as you guys have a good idea of your statement and what you have done, then you should feel prepared. If you want to prepare, look at ethical and social issues. Overall, try to relax as much as possible. In addition, once you finish the 1st interview, quickly move on to Temple so you will not be late to the luncheon.
That there would be a lot of open-ended "list" questions. Those really force you to think on your feet and be eloquent, which is sometimes difficult at 8:00 am.
To relax. please, just relax. Enjoy. And take note of the LRU. It is a little sanctuary for Med students only with everything you will ever need, and a full time staff to meet you every need, not to mention staff psychologists ,lawyer, and computer techs for you home computer needs. They give you everything you could ever need.
I thought that the clinical aspects were limited with this school, and I found out afterwards that there is actually great diversity and several clinical sites to utilize and explore. Not only this, but the clinical sites are expanding and will have some very impressive new facilities by the time that I would be there.
Applicants generally found the school impressive, with positive comments about the friendly and invested faculty/staff, the attention to students, and the interview experience. Some mentioned concerns about the regional campus setup, lack of clinical experiences at one campus, and variations in interview experiences, but overall, the school left a good impression and moved up in their rankings.
My interviewer spent more time talking about the school than they did asking me questions.
Seems to be a good school overall. Some things about the interview day I would personally do different, but I'm not in charge of admissions. The regional campus thing is not explained well on the website, but the 2nd year students hammer it out during lunch. It's also explained during a presentation. I would go here over some other schools I have interviewed at.
I think having two different interview locations with two vastly different impressions of the school will lead to half of the students ranking this school considerably lower than they would have at the Bryan campus.
A&M switching to a 1.5 year preclinical/2.5 year clinical curriculum is a a huge positive and big advantage of the school, in addition to rotating at some of the best hospitals in Texas: Methodist Hospital, MD Anderson, Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, Cook Children's, Baylor Scott and White, and others.
Based on my second interview, I'm pretty sure that I am not getting into this school. This was my first interview and I thought that it would set the bar for the rest. After going on another 3 interviews I've discovered that what happened to me here was quite unusual. At the risk of sounding like a bitter interviewee, the school really doesn't have much to offer. Bryan, Texas is unappealing and in order to get significant clinical experiences you have to go to Scott & White in Temple, which is in the middle of nowhere. The Bryan campus is in some building sort of separate from the campus. There aren't many opportunities here for clinical experiences. However, if you like rural medicine, this place may be appealing.
I was really impressed with this interview day. My interviewers were awesome... they were amazing actually. We had wonderful conversation vs straight interview. It was obvious that my interviewers read my app. They mentioned things that I barely mentioned and barely even remembered putting in my app. They nearly spent the entire time trying to convince me why A&M would be a good choice. My interviews flowed so well that my first interview was 45 min (supposed to be 30 max). The only reason we stopped was because a facilitator was knocking on the door because the next interviewee had been waiting for 15 min. My last interview went way over.. we talked for over an hour. And after the interview, he walked me outside and we talked for another 20 min with a couple of other interviewees and a couple of professors. I didn't get any of those challenging ethical or health care policy questions that this school is so infamous for. No questions about the state of medicine or anything like that. However, I did talk to some other students that were interviewing who did get these typical questions about challenges in medicine, ethics, healthcare reform, etc. I was definitely impressed by this day.
The school felt cultish to me. One interviewer fell asleep during my interview, or at least it looked like it. I asked what weaknesses/hospital the school had, and he said 'none'. Big red flag. They didn't seem that concerned with getting to know me as a person. The other interviewer talked about himself for 20+ minutes before asking me a question. Just didn't get a good vibe from this school, but hopefully others will find a fit.
I got a great impression of the school and the people there. The medical center is not very impressive, but the tour guide was very encouraging and friendly as well as the doctors and nurses there.
The interviews are open-file, so both interviewers had my application and essays in front of them and had studied them well. The first was laid back, but knew my mission and wanted to get a deeper sense of who I am. The second basically had marks all over my application for follow-up. He even almost quizzed me on certain activity dates.
Interviews start first thing in the morning after an introduction and student panel. The students really seemed to enjoy one another's company & have fun. Tours are given throughout, and a huge Texan lunch is served afterwards. The College Station area seemed great, and only about an hour's drive from Houston.
this was my first interview so I was way more nervous than I will be on my next one. I really dont have any other schools to compare this to, but I thought it was a nice school overall.
I had two interviws.
One was open-file, and the other one was closed. One of my interviewers was a medical student and the other one was a doctor. The were both incredibly nice and supportive.
Interviews are all pretty standard, kind of blows that you have to drive an hour and a half to scott and white after the morning interviews. Everyone is real great and ready to answer questions. The assistant dean of admissions was around all day and came around periodically to everyone to make sure they were doing ok or had questions.
Overall, the school was quite impressive. There is money coming in for the school to expand beyond college station. Just relax and answer the interview questions openly and honestly. The cirriculum seems typical but I am not quite sure if I like how they grade you in gross anatomy. Lastly, they are starting a 4 year track in college station and they just started a 4 year track in temple. I am still not convinced that the students in temple have the same resources and faculty assess as the students would in college station. (just my opinion)
Everyone was very nice and I was pleasantly suprised. The program seems to be good and the emphasis on humanites in medicine in the curriculum is very appealing.
the staff in general were pretty cool and the students seemed to be enthusiastic. my day was thrown off because of my first interviewer who asked me some really tough ethical questions and wanted me to give the solution to those issues =x. other than that, scott and white is an aright hospital but there sim center for 3rd and 4th yrs is totally badass (well worth it to pick temple > cs for at least the last 2 yrs)
Thie was my first medical school interview, so I was very nervous. The interviewers really did try and put me at ease and feel more relaxed, and it was evident that they were just trying to get to know me as a person so see if I fit with their philosophy. The time during the interview for me went by so fast. You really don't feel like you are sitting there talking for 30+ minutes when it is all over with.
it was nice, my first interview, so it was good practice for the schools i really want to go to. i really was turned off by attitude of students towards class/learning in general. they were nice and nurturing, but i mean you're in med school, you shouldn't need to be babied so much... one guy basically said he would have failed out of medical school had he not received so much care from A&M which other schools may not provide... which i thought was scary (who wants THAT guy as his doctor?)
It was a long day. We didn't see much of the College Station campus, but it didn't seem very impressive. Temple was much nicer, and I can now see why the drive is necessary. My first interviewer was unpleasant, but Filo and the other staff members made up for it.
Overall, it was a great experience. As I was walking out someone pointed out that despite the long day you didn't leave thinking about that, you left being impressed with the school and that is very true. ATM has an impressive program and its worth being tired!
The school makes a great effort to make interviewees feel welcome. Lunch is really nice and there are so many students to ask questions, so you do get a really good feel for the school. Overall though, it is a really long day, especially if you have to drive home that night, so I recommend getting plenty of rest the day before and taking snacks for the way home.
Overall very positive. I went in expecting to hate the location and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. I came out thinking much more highly of the school than I went in. And they really are the most enthusiastic students as a group (ALL of the students were crazy about the school).
Kind of a long day (began at 7am, ended at about 5 pm). Overall, it gave me a very good view of the school and their motivations. Had a panel of 2nd yrs that spoke to our group in the morning and a handful of 3rd and 4th yrs at Temple who took us around Scott and White. Didn't see too many other students which kept me from asking questions of students who may have a different view of the school.
Two interviewers, one at Temple and one in Collge Station. Nice breakfast and lunch. Scott and White Hospital is impressive. No horror stories; extremely positive.
Very positive. The interviewers had obviously read my material and were efficient and professional. I felt like these were excellent doctors / administrators reviewing me in a logical way. I really was left with a sense that this was a competitive program that will continue to improve as it grows and offered a very positive rewarding experience for the students who are going through the program now (albeit with a lot of hard work required).
I had a PHD and DO, one at CS and one at Temple both were ok. They both seemed to have really read over my application and asked me specific questions about my application one even wanted to know about my MCAT writting score. the other asked about various volunteer opportunities.
Overall I had a great experience at TX A&M. People were very nice there. I had one interview at 8am on the College Station campus and one at 3pm on the Temple campus. I have to say this was not a typical interview day for me. We had a fire drill during the morning interviews. Luckily, I was already done with my morning interview when the fire drill happened, but it was funny seeing the other applicants being interviewed outside under the HOT sun. The tours at the Temple campus were amazing. The school really has some wonderful stuff for the students. Oh yeah, one more thing about my interview. One of my interviewers dozed off for a second or two while I was in a middle of a sentence. There goes my chances of getting in. Despite all the funny things that happened that day, I really like the school. Right now, it's my top choice for the match!!!
it was a very good experience. i met a lot of people i could definitely see being my peers in the future. i'm a little wary of living in college station and temple because i've always been in a big city. a&m looks like a very good school though relatively unknown and it is fairly high on my list.
Day was organized well, and you are exhausted by the end. They feed you very well. Also, I can't stress enough how great a guy Filo seemed. As for interviews, my 1st was a PhD and it went like a normal conversation. Talked about research and the personalities required for med school. Very nice guy - even gave me reprints of his publications. Made me feel I could be valuable to the school, as did my 2nd interviewer. He was an MD in academic medicine who did most of the talking during the interview, explaining his life as a clinician-educator. Overall I emerged with a very positive feeling about the program, which seems very underrated.
This was definitely the easiest interview I've had thus far. Laid back and organized and we weren't left alone to wander or be bored for a moment. The staff and students do an incredible job of selling the school and the program.
I had an interview with what seemed like one of the deans in College Station, and then an interview with Filo (great guy). Both were great. They were both very impressed with me. I didn't think my application was that impressive.
7-7:15 AM-Continental Breakfast
7:15-7:30 AM-Greetings from Filo
7:30-7:55 AM-Student Panel
8:00-8:15 AM-Tour of LRU
8:30-10:30 AM-Interviews in College Station
9-10:00 AM-Overview of Financial Aid
10:10-10:25 AM-Tour of the Anatomy Department
10:30-12:00 PM-Drive to Temple
12;1:30 PM-Lunch and College of Medicine Powerpoint Presentation
1:30 PM-2:15 PM-Tour of Simulation Center
2:30 PM-3:00 PM-Tour of the VA
3:00-5 PM-Interviews in Temple
A&M does an excellent job with their interview day. Filo is an absolute asset to this medical school and makes you feel completely at home and makes sure you are comfortable throughout your time both in College Station and in Temple. I also think S&W Hospital in Temple is quite underrated. However, I'm not too gung-ho about the idea of moving to Temple. Without a doubt, A&M is a young but rising medical school and I would not be surprised if it becomes more prominent in the coming years.
Overall, it was a great first interview. If anything, it's prepared me for my next interview and others to come (I hope!). A&M is a great school and they are VERY friendly. Everyone knows everyone there and I am looking for that kind of environment in a medical school. I wasn't really considering this school as one of my tope choices but I think my opinion has changed drastically. The location is somewhat of a turnoff though.
Overall, I was very impressed by the atmoshpere at A&M. They seem to be interested in each individual student. Every student I talked to was very happy with the school and highly recommended it. The day went very smooth due to great organization and the friendliness of the staff involved.
Both interviews were in a very relaxed, stress free atmosphere. It was more like a two way conversation than a feeling of being on the hot seat. In my second interview the interviewer didn't care about my application, he just wanted to sit back and have a friendly conversation. I asked him more questions than he asked me.
Great atmosphere at the school, however one student on the panel stated, "I'm here because of the Texas match." Driving to Temple isn't that fun. Interviews were random, one good, one not so much.
My whole attitude regarding A&M is positive! The administration was exceptional. When I walked by Filo's office, he asked me, "How was your flight from --?" How could it be any more welcoming!? The students were very approachable and anxious to answer questions. The student panel was professional and took extreme pride in their school and representation. The interviewers were tough (toughest of all the schools I've interviewed at), but by feeling so welcomed, I was confident and ready for their questions. Both interviewers were very familiar with my application, experience, and education, so be sure to know yourself as well as they will. The only situation that would keep me from ranking A&M #1 would be the dislocation to Temple during the clinical years. My girlfriend is a physician, so relocation would be difficult. S&W is very well thought of, and residency matches are good.
I really loved this program. Dr. Pliego is awesome if you're lucky enough to get an interview with him. The drive to Temple really isn't that bad. There was a whole line of cars that were clearly heading there so getting lost wasn't a problem. I just don't know that I could stand living in the middle of nowhere for 4 years. Nonetheless, I will rank this one highly because I can tell it is a really great program.
The day was extremely well organized and Filo was very nice. For those of you who don't know, Filo is the Assistant Dean of Admissions and he is one of the coolest guys you'll ever meet. The financial aid lecture was really informative and applicable to students everywhere, not just A&M. The Scott & White facility was really impressive and the interviews were really laid back.
The day was well-organized and planned. Other schools schedule tours of their facilities but, if they occur while you're interviewing, you're outta luck. TAMU has intermittent tours so everyone can go on all the tours. The drive to Temple took about 1.5 hours and the heat was unbearable in a suit. The tours at Scott&White were helpful (S&W is the only level 1 facility in central TX, the nearest one being Houston!!!). The VA Hospital was very nice as well. I was very impressed with the facilities both in College Station and Temple, and with the small size of the class. The M3s and M4s seemed very well prepared for residency, due to the individual attention. All the faculty know all the students...wow! Overall it was a great but extremely tiring day.
It was great, the admissions director, financial aid director, students, everyone is so nice and they really want to get to know you. I really liked A&M.
GREAT!! I enjoyed my time there even though when I went in I really did not think that I would like A&M. I love the small class size and how close knit everything was. They treat you like you are one of the them already. The financial aid seminar was great and it applied to any school you would want to go to not just A&M
Overall, my experience was a positive one. I really don't have any complaints. The entire day was laid-back and relaxed. Both interviewers were polite and non-confrontational. The interviews themselves felt more like conversations and no difficult questions were asked. A few other candidates I spoke to seem to have received more challenging interviews with ethical questions.
I had an excellent experience! I came in to the interview experience thinking that A&M would be one of my top choices, but left knowing that it is THE top chioce for me!
It was a long day -- started at 7am and I didn't get back to college station until 7pm. The interviews were totally laid back so I wouldn't stress out about it at all. Texas A&M wasn't a top choice for me at all -- in fact, I almost didn't want to go; I have, however, changed my mind since then. A&M isn't as well known as a lot of other med schools, but it's definitely moving up.
I absolutely enjoyed my interview day at Texas A&M. It starts off at 7am in College Station where you have breakfast and are greeted by Filo and his presentation. The M1/M2 panel was informative as was the financial aid briefing. My interviews were with an M2 and a physician in Temple. They both were VERY conversational and not stressful at all. I got the sense that the students and faculty share an almost familial relationship. Everyone knows each others names and care about each other.
Overall the day was very long and tiring. And it was HOT - especially with a suit on. Be prepared to walk a lot on tours and also to and from your interview room. The food was grand - like a banquet.
Very full day, but they feed you well and there aren't any dull moments. I loved the tours of the facilities and the medical student panel. Med students were really helpful and friendly. I was very, very impressed by what A&M has to offer. Even though Temple's a small town, the hospital facilities are state-of-the-art, and both the VA Hospital and S&W are paperless!
Overall, a great day, low stress, GREAT people, super food.
They had staff or stident escort taking you to every interview, and although it was all very structured, they were so Friendly, you just appreciated it a lot.
Best Financial Aid Breifing so far!
Turned out to be more interesting than I expected; however, the tremendous amount of information seemed to be overwhelming and not entirely relevant from time to time.
Great Interview Experience! They really go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and special. They only interview 500 out of the 2300 applications, and they accept 230 for a class of 80. So you basicly have a 50% chance of acceptance if you get an interview :) The interciewers at Scott & White will find anything wrong with your record and make you defend it, so be ready!
The day is long. Get plenty of sleep the night before otherwise it will drag, especially in Temple. The interview day starts at 7:00am with a quick introduction, a 1st and 2nd year student panel, then it's tours and interviews followed by a financial aid presentation. You will be in College Station from 7-10:30, and then drive to Temple and have lunch starting at noon. Filo gives a great presentation aout the school and its philopsophy, then there's the tours of Scott & White and another interview. Some people were able to leave at 4:00pm others had to remain until 5:30pm.
My first interviewer was exptremely nice and I was able to build a good rapport with him, howeve rin the afternoon, the interviewer was the complete opposite, I felt like every answer I gave the interviewer wasn't satisfied with it.
A word of warning in the interviews...be prepared to defend your application. Any deficiencies will more than likely be addressed in one or both interviews. Be able to explain low MCAT scores, dropped classes, low GPR, etc. It seemed to happen to several people.
I didn't have high hopes for this school before I went. It quickly became one of my top choices. The class size will only be 80 students. They are very focused on you as a student.
Overall, I am very impressed with the school. The curriculum are well constructed, with the help from students. The College Station/Temple location change is not that bad, especially with the perks of hands-on clinical experience you will get. This is a great school to be!
The day is really organized. College Station seems like a nice college town. I think I would have like A&M a lot more if all four years were there as opposed to Temple. The "good ol' boy" system seems to be thriving at A&M. It seemed like every med student I met was a white male...and white men are great, but they could mix it up a little.
Filo Maldonado is a warm man who makes you feel completely at ease. He informed us that we were the 9th group of 50 to be interviewed, and that there were 9 more groups that followed. A&M only has a class of 80. So if you want to go to A&M badly, make sure you stake your territory by telling your interviewers. They are looking for those that are committed to serving in underserved areas and working as general practitioners.
There was a considerable amount of down time at both sights.
This is a very long day, but definitely worth it. I was a little nervous going in because of what some previous posts said about the interview process and it was my first interview of the year. I found the interview extremely enjoyable and relaxing. Both interviewers made me feel at ease. The interviews were conversational, mostly, and the questions just flowed from what was said.
overall, a very long day - expect that. both interviews were open file and asked me about specific experiences, quoted parts of my personal statement and asked me to expand. the interviewers were very nice and laid-back and all the students said that working at Scott&White is worth living in temple. overall, i didn't fall in love with the school, but i left liking it a lot more than when i came. they do a great job at selling the school's high points and a great place to come especially if you're interested in any type of primary care medicine. however, be ready for ethical questions and list questions in your interview.
First interview was with a PhD and seemed a little distant. I would answer and he would just shake his head and say "yeah." He was nice but I couldn't read him. The second guy was great. I think he was manic or something because we talked about 100 things in about 40 minutes.
Overall, I did like the school and the people there. college station seems like a very nice, safe place to be. i just don't know about having to pack up halfway and move to temple. oh well.
We arrived at College Station 7:00am and didn't leave Temple that afternoon until 5:30pm so it makes for a tiring day. Overall friendly atmosphere. Students were available to answer any questions that you might have at both sites during the day. Not much free time, very structured. Don't stress though, everyone goes out of their way to make you feel comfortable.
Overall, I had a very good experience. The only negative portion of my interview was a mixed feeling of my second interview. Theimportant thing is for you to relax and be yourself. Good luck to all.
A good school. Their biggest asset is their class size, which will be around 80 next year. The campus and facilities for the first two years are not exactly inspiring like some others, but Scott and White seems to be a good place for years 3 and 4. The students were very kind and helpful on the tours. This is a middle-of-the-pack school, but they put on a good interview day.
As mentioned, I left the school with a strange feeling that originated with the final interview and it caused me to feel differently about the school as a whole. The school is a fine facility and it could be that I just had a unusual experience.
They are so nice and helpful throughout the process. I was expecting tough ethical questions, but I didn't get any. Know all the material you submitted. They basically focus on that stuff.
They gave it their all. It was the best presentaton on any interview. They acted like they wanted every one of us, and they gave all they had. Some schools with more resources only gave enough to call it an interview day. A&M wants its students and they let you know it in the interview, and when you get here.
the interviewers were very intimidating even after they both said that they didn't believe in stressful interviews and that they just wanted to converse. by the end, i felt like my brain had just been picked clean!
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest that the admissions office should provide more information on financial aid, tuition costs, and housing options, and ensure interview locations are convenient for all candidates. Additionally, there were requests for interviewers to avoid asking inappropriate questions and for the admissions office to consider covering parking fees.
Mentioning the financial aid, and cost of tuition etc would be useful. Also discussing housing.
