Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 12% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a moderate stress level and felt they did okay.
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 good.
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 good.
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 healthcare systems, challenges faced, family background, and activities they have been involved in. Some respondents mentioned being subject to a nondisclosure agreement, indicating an MMI format where specific questions asked during the interview cannot be disclosed.
Interviewer #1: Tell me about yourself. Can you tell me about your family and siblings? Where did you grow up in? How would you describe this area? How would you describe the education that you have received? What are you doing right now? Can you tell me about some of your volunteering activities? Why do you want to go into medicine? Why do you want to go to UCLA? Do you have any questions for me?
Tell me about the research that you did. How was it relevant to the other projects in the lab? How is it relevant in general (As a doctor, why would I care about this drug)?
All the questions asked were to clarify any questions my interviewer had about my experiences and my background. Just know your experience well and be ready to talk about yourself.
Why I wanted to pursue medicine, what were some of the deciding factors, explain my research, explain my interest in religious studies, what my view is on a physician’s responsibilities, and how all these factors equate to me being a physician.
Would you tell someone they have debilitating disease (e.g. cancer) even if spouse begs you not to because it would crush them because a relative died of the same disease previously?
Tell me about yourself, your family, high school and college experiences.....well, just tell me everything! (My interviewer had not read my file prior to the interview.)
Tell me about your family? She wanted to know about immediate AND extended family. She was seriously asking about aunts, uncles, grand parents, cousins, etc. Why??
Students said the most interesting question asked at University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including personal experiences, decision-making, future aspirations, societal issues, and ethical dilemmas. While the interview questions varied, some responses referred to a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, suggesting a structured approach with diverse scenarios, and noted the possibility of respondents being bound by a nondisclosure agreement due to the nature of the questions asked.
What would you do if you were drafted tomorrow in the army?
My interviewer had read my application VERY thoroughly. All of the questions he asked were very directly about my experiences and statements in my application, but it was interesting to see what was the most exciting to him and what did/didn't come across from my essays.
As a woman, how would I handle the demands of medicine and having a family? Do I know the situation about the King Drew Med Center (I'm not a Drew applicant)? Should medical students do research while in school?
Why didn't you answer all of the essays on the secondary? (This was interesting since the secondary instructions tell you it is neither necessary nor required to answer all 9 essay questions.)
Mostly research questions, and some "where do you see yourself in __ years?"-type of questions. Nothing stood out as strange or blindsided me.
What will you do if you are put into a situation where an attending is hell bent on showing he is in power, and he/she tells you to perform a procedure you are ethically against?
How would I feel if salaries shifted and physicians began getting paid the same as school teachers where I would be living in an apartment, driving a crappy car, and sending my kids to a trashy school?
At this point in the process, all of the candidates look more or less the same in terms of grades, MCAT, and life experiences. What sets you apart from everyone else?
We tend to send out acceptances later, and it doesn't matter when you get them except that some people get nervous, so don't worry if it's a while before you hear from us. :)
Most questions were elaborations of the UCLA secondary. The secondary basically looks for significant volunteer, leadership and/or research experience. The goal of the interview was to give me an opportunity to express a passion for medicine by describing these activities at a greater length.
None. The interview seemed like a conversation with a long lost friend that wanted to catch up on my life till now (with an emphasis on Why Medicine?).
Are you afraid to travel to France considering they are pro-terrorism?(I'm going to Europe in a couple of weeks and I think she just wanted to see what I would say.)
It was mostly just questions about my life, family, interests outside of school, etc. It seemed like she was searching for times when I overcame adversity or struggled to get by. I think in the end, it seemed like I grew up disadvantaged, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make. She just kept asking about that kind of thing- for example she was very impressed that I worked during college, am the first non-blue collar person in my family, etc, but I'm not disadvantaged, and have had an easy life. (I'm not minority, by the way)
This interview was for the Drew/UCLA program, where the focus is on underserved populations. I got a few questions on my volunteer experiences/commitment to underserved.
Students said most difficult question asked at University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including ethical dilemmas, healthcare reform, personal motivations for pursuing medicine, and challenges in the healthcare system. The interviews may have been in an MMI format based on the variety of questions asked, along with some responses indicating a nondisclosure agreement, while other common themes included inquiries about volunteer experiences, healthcare system improvements, and personal qualities for the medical field.
There were 2 difficult interviewers who asked ethical questions and then proceeded to attack whatever argument you put forth.
none. all of the questions were pretty easy. all about me. not even any question about why I want to come to UCLA, and about healthcare etc...i was really surprised.
What does DKA do and what is the mechanism behind it? (I wrote about how a doctor I shadowed told me about it... unfortunately I had forgotten all about it when he asked me)
Why medicine? It was a pretty conversational interview. Just basic questions about what was on my application. He asked why my grades were bad the first semester.
the one above handling family life and medicine. at first i was shocked to have been asked this question, but in the end, I wasn't offended. it seemed a logical question.
''Why medicine?''
It's a question to which I have dedicated many hours, days and years, but one that nevertheless requires the mustering up of passion and presage, rationalism and reason, in order to respond lucidly.
They asked a lot of questions about my research, and challenged any assertions I made with questions like, "How do you know that for certain? What could you do to rule out __ as a possibility?" The interviewers were all very kind and respectful (not condescending), but they did make sure you knew what you were talking about.
As simple as it may seem, the above question was by far the most difficult for me. An inner war erupts: shall I respond with the canned, reliable answer? but won't that be cheesy? shall I attempt to be humorous? but won't that sound flippant? shall I then only be honest?
Tell me about your non-major research. (this question took me unawares because I'd always been asked to talk about my more significant research experience, so I wasn't too prepared to answer this particular question)
The grocery store employees in Los Angeles have been striking because the stores are asking for them to pay for part of health care. What should be done?
What are some of the negative aspects of practicing medicine and being a physician?
You went to UCLA as undergrad and grad student (I did my masters at UCLA as well as my undergrad). What do you think UCLA will offer you by staying here for medical school?
Where else did you apply & where have you interviewed? I answered honestly, but emphasized my desire to stay in CA.
(I would have expected this question more @ private schools.)
Most respondents had an interview of more than 50 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 1 person.
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.
No responses
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by reviewing their primary and secondary applications, practicing mock interviews, researching health care issues, reading the school's website, and seeking guidance from websites like SDN. Some also engaged in mock interviews with physicians, current students, and mentors to refine their responses to possible questions and gain insights into the interview process.
Go over list of potential questions and did mock interviews.
i had a 3 interviews before this, so i was in a rhythm. i skimmed through a few health care policy books, read everything about the school, and read current events.
Most people note, in this space: SDN, ''a health care prep book,'' the website. Indeed, I used all three. But let me offer some additional tools:
1) The New Yorker
2) The Economist
3) The Wall Street Journal
4) The New York Times
5) NEJM Perspectives
6) The Daily Bruin
7) UCLA News (http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/)
8) UCLA Today (faculty & staff)
9) UCLA Magazine (quarterly public.)
10) Los Angeles Times (a must)
Scheduled interviews at less ''top-choice'' schools to get into the rhythm, reread my secondary app (save everything you submit on a Word file somewhere!), spoke in front of a mirror for fifteen mins before going to bed
Thoroughly went over my AMCAS, secondary, resume, etc. This website was helpful; I spoke to UCLA med students about their interview experiences; had mock interviews.
Read SDN, ucla website, secondary and AMCAS, composed answers to interview questions, read "health care meltdown" - a great book for learning about health care in the u.s.
Read through some information on the school and program, read over my applications, read some papers by my interviewers, reviewed my past and present research
Read SDN, researched on UCLA website, talked to knowledgeable people, reviewed my AMCAS and secondary and just thought a little bit about my motivation.
I browsed others' experiences here at SD.net, enjoyed an LA cheesesteak from Damon & Pythias (mmmmmm...) in Westwood the night before, and dove my head into a book whenever anxiety came.
Read SDN interview feedback, AMCAS and secondary application, and UCLA website. Got a good night's sleep! I stayed with a student host that told me so much about UCLA Med School.
Visited this summer (didn't get to do much; just saw a lecture room, the admissions office that gave me some material, and saw the campus). Got here a day before my inteview to tour campus, get familiar with student life and opportunities on campus. Read AMCAS/2ndary, knew their curriculum and website very well, tried to answer questions asked by other interviewers at the same school, tried hard to relax because I get really nervous at interviews--spoke with my best friend, et al, for a confidence boost and reminder of the big picture. It's so hard to lose focus on you who are, so it's good to step back and remember why you're special, and why you deserve to be here more than anyone else.
Read school website neurotically. Read Forums on SDN. Knew who I was. Reviewed my Personal Statement, Secondary Essays, Research and Clinical Experience. Performed 7 mock interviews. Read up on Medical Sociology, Public Health issues and Biomedical Ethics.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the new curriculum, the genuine passion and friendliness of the staff and students, the state-of-the-art facilities at UCLA, the emphasis on student well-being and work-life balance, and the opportunities for research and clinical experiences. They also appreciated the location, diversity, and supportive atmosphere of the school. Suggestions included more information on the curriculum and city for prospective applicants to explore.
The Director of the Curriculum gave a great intro speech, was very approachable, and has put together a really amazing curriculum at DGSOM. Her talk was the best part of the morning.
new Ronald Reagan Center, friendliness of the students, the immediate Westwood area (clean, diverse, very student-friendly), PBL/small-group curriculum
The Ronald Reagan Medical Center is GORGEOUS and a fantastic teaching hospital as well. There are opportunities and resources for just about anything here. The school's mission is very appealing, but this could be different for every person. The students seemed happy and friendly. The curriculum is P/F for all four years, with chances for letters of distinction during clerkship, but this doesn't necessarily mean that it's not competitive.
The school really seems to take care of its students and to value their input and feedback on curriculum. 8 members of the admissions committee are students- two from each class. Unlimited research opportunities and clinical experiences.
The day was short and to the point. They allowed me to sit in a lecture and it was pretty interesting. I love the curriculum! Students had time to do things outside just medical school.
GREAT student liasons and GREAT faculty. Also, interviewer was very relaxed alumni doctor from the area. Really wanted to get to know me beyond my grades.
The students and professors really seemed to love the school. We had a chance to talk to several MD students and all of them had great things to say about the school.
Prime location in LA, happy students, very nice interviewer. Small interview group (5) so we could really ask our tour guide students a lot of stuff over lunch.
How well taken care of the students are-- they get a printed schedule of everywhere they need to be all week placed in their mailbox ever Monday morning.
The students were awesome. They seemed very down to earth and happy to be at the school. My interviewer was very positive as well and we got along well.
The students I interacted with were very enthusiastic and loved the school. The UCLA Health Center is amazing and as a student, you get tons and tons of exposure. The students seemed relaxed and happy. I really liked my interviewer, nice Doc and very relaxed.
during the guided tour, one of the professors walked by and started talking to us about the school.. he seemed pretty close to the students and seemed to care a lot about the students and the school.
The students and how happy and relaxed they were really made a good impression on me. It meant that they were not streseed out. I love UCLA campus. I am from the central valley and the last time I was at UCLA was 2003 and even then it seems like the school keeps expanding (there is always construction going on).
The MISSION of UCLA is awesome, the DIVERSITY of UCLA is tremendous, the LOCATION can not be beat by any other campus, the FACULTY is nicer than any other school i have been to, and most importantly, the P/F grading system is a Blessing!!! SO much other things to mention.. but those are just a few for you guys to think about!!!
the students were SO happy. they were relaxed and enthusiastic. i didn't sense the level of stress and competitiveness that i had felt at other schools. i'm looking forward to the opening of the new hospital.
My faculty interviewer is the nicest professor I've met on the interview trail--he chatted with me for over an hour, so that I wouldn't have much down time between his interview and my student interview. The school's location is unbeatable--great weather, located in a very nice part of town, new hopsital being built that is supposedly the most technologically advanced, friendly and good-looking students/people, very diverse class, on the main campus so you really feel as you're part of UCLA, P/F all four years except for third year where you can get letters of distinction, etc.
The student tour guides were really awesome and were willing to answer all questions truthfully. I love UCLA and definitely got along well with the other students.
The fact that the students were very happy with the curriculum and had time to study or enjoy themselves outside the classroom (only ten hours of lecture a week).
the students were very warm and chill. The technology within the curriculum(ex: all slides online, so you don't need to rent a microscope). The supportiveness of the faculty and administration. As one med student described it ''they will wipe your @ss for you, so all you need to do is study and push yourself.'' He explained that fin aid, student affairs, housing staff all help you out so much. If you ever want to talk to a famous prof, student affairs will make it happen. The faculty really listens to the students. New hospital to open very soon. The weather and setting of westwood. The unlimited research and clinical opportunities. residency placement is impressive(50% go to a UCLA affiliated hospital). The school being part of UCLA's main campus helps keep everything close together. Students seem genuinely happy. Really Pass/Fail grading system. The PBL system(with lectures mixed in) really gives you time to study outside. Great, interesting elective classes. The curriculum really try hard to get a holistic approach to medicine.
Everything. The tour guide described the school as ''essentially, perfect,'' and he's essentially, right.
If you haven't had a moment to review the curriculum or visit the city, I highly recommend both! (http://dgsom.healthsciences.ucla.edu/education/md/curriculum-phase-one)
The sheer amount of resources and opportunities UCLA has, the fact that the medical school is on the UCLA campus and not in a totally random place, and the enthusiasm of the students
the school is really strong academically and is located in a nice part of a very diverse and good-weathered city. if you are interested in staying in CA it should be no problem as most of their grads get CA residencies.
How much the students liked it there! They all urged us to pick UCLA should we get in. The admissions office people were also very warm and friendly to us frazzled people in the black attire.
The enthusiasm and helpfulness of the student tourguides and my interviewer. The clinical facilities and integrated, block-curriculum with PBL impressed me as well. LA is just a beautiful city and it's so rich in culture, westwood is amazing.
The Office of Academic Enrichment and Outreach was extremely helpful! My med student interviewer had nothing but wonderful things to say about the curriculum and the academic atmosphere... classmates help each other out. The community service and international opportunities are endless. Also, the other applicants were pleasantly friendly.
The faculty interview was a lot of fun! The extensive facilities for neuroscience/neuology/psychiatry/brain imaging facilities. The botanical garden adjacent to the school.
my interviewer was amazing, we got along great. my friend who's a first year introduced me to my tourguides and went along for the tour with me. the work's not so difficult the first couple of years.
the students seem happy. the tour guides seem very enthusiastic about the school. they were selling the school to me and i think it kind of worked. they increased the lunch voucher from $5 to $10 this year.
UCLA is gorgeous. The students are really happy and lax. Their curriculum has to be the best out of all the med schools (only 2 hours of lecture time, WOW). Students study quite a bit (as with any school), but they sure have a lot of fun too. Very culturally diverse place too, which is particular enticing to me.
the student interviewer (i had two interviews) had read over my application thoroughly, and was comfortable with talking about several aspects of my app and asking me to elaborate
The students were really nice and welcoming. They were very down to earth and truthful about their experiences. There are also about 8 different hospitals to do clerkships which is pretty amazing and the diversity is great.
Nearly everything! The curriculum is really well thought out. The MSTP Committee seems solid and cooperative. Research facilities (especially the new ones) are outstanding. The students seemed very fun and happy there. The interviews are also well-timed, so that you don't feel too rushed (unless you get lost... see below). All exams are taken on the computer (simulating the USMLE), and there are weekly evaluations that help you stay on top of it.
Students were nice, happy, and outgoing. Although the old hospital is a dump, their new facility (designed by I.M, Pei) is amazingly beautiful, as are the vast range of new research buildings. Also, UCLA has a great location and the weather is unbeatable. Also, proximity of the medical school and hospital to the undergraduate campus is a big plus.
The medical students actually seemed happy and there seemed to be cameraderie. There was also an abundance of hospitals within a block (Lots of resources!!)
it was a very sunny, warm day and everyone there was super friendly and helpful!!! my student interviewer was 4th year who got into ucsf residency for neurosurgery! he was cute!!!
How relaxed and friendly the students are; the short lecture time (i was told only 2hrs/day)and the great curriculum; the interest in international medicine; great opportunities for research
The students are so laid back and have time to explore outside interests. The classrooms are cool and so was the anatomy lab. Having all 4 years P/F is great and the professors worked hard to get that. The new curriculum is definitely great as the students mentioned. They like the integrated/organ-based approach. They have outstanding faculty like Dr. Clemente who has written the Anatomy text.
Students love it here, new curriculum has awesome reviews (I was a bit nervous about it being the first year, as compared to UCSF who revised their curriculum a few years ago), 3rd/4th years use PDA instead of notecards (a big advantage), the beautiful campus and opportunities here (for example, the student bookstore is as big as Borders, and the gym is being totally rennovated and I'm told it "will be awesome" even though it looks fabulous already; it even has a rock climbing wall). The website for students, ANGEL, has some neat features (like shows you your grade compared to the class for every quiz/exam) and students post all kinds of study sheets and interesting websites for each other. All 4 years are pass fail (with letters of distinction for the super super students, but I assume these are pretty rare). I was told that almost every student gets their 1st year pick for match, which is a huge advantage. Most students study outside, because this is as cold as it will be all year (it's about 60 degrees now).
I love the campus and the med school curriculum. students aren't in class 9-5 as in some other schools (ie UCSD). Schedule varies MonFri and TuWedTh. strong emphasis on primary care and clinical experience
the campus is beautiful, and unlike other med schools, it is connected to the undergrad campus so it feels like part of the campus. the program sounds very progressive and everything looks new and state-of-the art. they are also building a new hospital.
The Breadth of opportunities available at UCLA. The students were all very happy. Literally none of them complained. (It was kinda eerie; they were too happy. Maybe they've been brain washed... hmmm...) Laid Back interview. Supportive Admissions Committee. HUGE CAMPUS. HUGE LIBRARY. IMMENSE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES. NEARLY LIMITLESS JOINT DEGREE PROGRAMS. EXCELLENT NEW CURRICULUM. etc. ad nauseum.
The interviewer's attitude. She was extremely nice, friendly, and helpful. I mentioned that I was interested in pediatrics and emergency medicine, and she quickly gave me the phone number of a resident so I can ask him more about that field. I ended up changing out of my suit, putting on scrubs, and going to the ER and shadowed the resident for a couple hours!
Its UCLA, so theres alot to be impressed with just by looking at the facilities. My student interviewer was one of the nicest people on the face of the earth.
hey its UCLA, they know there are highly saught after so they didn't cater to interviewees that much. In other words, its a great place with a new hospital in the works.
the interview itself was very conversational. the interviewer did not ask any ethical or current issue question. the campus is very nice, centered, and friendly
The interviewer's enthusiasm for the school. The medical school is located in the medical center and everything is in one place so one doesn't have to trek very far.
1) During the tour, we passed by the impressive new hospital scheduled to open @ end of 2004 or early 2005.
2) Everyone described the students as "happy".
3) The vibrant & diverse rush of doctors/students through the corridors
All of the students seemed very happy to be there and encouraged me to come. Even though they have exams coming up, everyone seemed pretty chill. Also, the area is really upscale and safe (although it's crowded). There is plenty of housing in the area, but no on-campus housing for med/grad students. Most people I talked to said they pay around $1300-$1400 a month for a one bedroom, or $1800 for a 2 bedroom. It sounds like a lot, but tuition is cheap so that makes up for it (plus you get to live in Westwood). The new hospital that is still under construction will open in early 2005, and looks very nice, and is supposed to be the most advanced hospital around (w/ electronic charts at the bedside). Student lounge is really cool, and set to be remodeled, and is only for med students (dental students not allowed). The med campus is big and nice (and highly regarded), but is located on the main campus, which is nice. The main campus is beautiful, by the way.
How nice and accomodating my student-host was, the random conversations/comments from roving doctors and professors, P/F grading system and how much the students love the school.
the education and experiences are unbeatable. First two years are done at UCLA campus and then rotations are at King County Hospital, where you get A LOT of hands on clinical learning. Very cool.
Applicants commonly expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of organization and structure during the interview day, including minimal interaction with students, uninformative tours, and a general feeling of disinterest from the admissions office. Suggestions included providing more detailed presentations about the curriculum, financial aid, and campus facilities, as well as improving communication and engagement with interviewees throughout the day.
Instead of having someone really debrief us at the end of the day/end of the interview, they played a video about DGSOM that basically just consisted of the Dean listing reasons of why his school is "the best medical school in the universe".
The lack of a presentation by the admissions office -- had no idea about the details of the curriculum, financial aid, living options, etc. A little student contact would have been nice too! The only opportunity to talk we had was during our tour.
students were a bit TOOOO laid back, that it kind of worried me. the grades are only pass/fail and the med students stated they cram alot, etc...just because they have a degree from UCLA, would you want them as your doctor?
The Admissions Office makes no attempt to make you feel welcomed. The teaching facilities are definitely older, while the school itself is like a maze. The graduate housing for the first two years is expensive, but nice. Driving around LA can be a nightmare. This city is definitely great, but not for everyone.
unlike most schools, UCLA doesn't have early morning meeting with a dean or someone else from admissions committee. questions are asked during your tour, but i found the first years (at least on my day) weren't good at advertising their school or knowledgeable enough to answer several of my questions.
the other students that were interviewing with me weren't really friendly but i was pretty much like whatever. the horrendous traffic was also very annoying (i drove from san diego)
Faculty interviewer seemed bored with my answers. It was not conversational with either interview. I felt grilled and pressured to have like the next 20 years of my life planned out. Faculty interviewer kept saying "you're a very unusual applicant"... Like he didn't know what do with it.
The way that applicants are treated, at least on the surface. It seems as though the policy of Admissions is to seem completely indifferent to the kind of students that come to UCLA and whether or not students like the school.
Adm staff didn't really explain anything to us, just expected us to go with the flow.
A lot of down time and interviewees weren't given a time range for when their day would end. I expected to be done by like 3, but my last interview started at 3:30p. Would have been nice to know this before scheduling my flight.
UCLA has the least robust interview day of any school. There was no presentation, no hospital tour. The tour was not organized and was just sort of wandering around, not seeing important places.
The people in the admissions office (mostly the first desk) were very RUDE! Not friendly and did not provide ANY information. It was like it bothered them that we were there. Almost turned me off, but then everything besides them was great. Don't let it bother you.
Also, they don't give much information in their interview packet.
it was really annoying that the only thing good the student tour guides had to say about the school was the location and the weather. they didn't seem to know too much about some of the school programs and were more interested in partying. receptionist at doctor's office was very unfriendly and rude. interviewer was late.
The tour needed more direction and structure. The places we saw seemed to be in the discretion of the med students...but to their credit they openly admitted the lack of structure of the tour and really made it up by answering all my questions making me feel welcome and feeding me lunch.
Ha, where to start. I felt like the entire day could be summarized by ''We're UCLA, we don't have to tell you why we're wonderful.'' My tour was literally five minutes long and told me nothing. There was no presentation about the curriculum, admissions process, international opportunities, financial aid, research opportunities, etc etc... the things that you actually want to find out more about. I spent most of the day alone in a room waiting. My faculty interviewer completely lacked a personality.
The tour wasn't very thorough. We just saw a couple of facilities and then went off to lunch. The weather was also crappy that day, but I live in L.A. so I know that's not the norm.
the facilities look a bit old on the surface, but they are remodeling soon. The international opportunities are under developed. These are minor complaints showing how awesome the school is on the whole.
Well, it happened to snow in Malibu and surroundings the week I traveled there, but this rare occurrence hardly left me with a negative impression. Indeed, it allowed me to precociously (in the etymological sense) purchase a UCLA Medicine sweatshirt to fend off the cold!
This might have just been my student guide, but he really emphasized how ''easy'' UCLA medical school is (''Finals are next week and we're all chillin, I'm going to see the Lion King at the Pantages tonite'' and ''Grading is pass/fail and EVERYONE passes'') and also the fact that grading is pass/fail with no honors or anything... though I admit these are things I'd probably come to appreciate if I were actually IN medical school :>.
The tour is very sparse, and I didn't get to see any actual facilities except the library, some hallways, the cafeteria (from the outside), and study spaces. Luckily, I went to UCLA for my undergrad, so I knew some things about certain parts of the hospital at least.
The admissions office doesn't put as much effort into the interview day like a lot of other schools do. Essentially the day consists of a tour and a single interview (2 if you're lucky), and there can be a long wait in between the two with nothing to do.
The organization of the whole day for the applicants was kind of all over the place... also, the 1st yrs that were suppose to give the tour never showed up so there was no tour. The only student I got to talk to that day was my interviewer... fortunately I'm familiar with UCLA already, but for those who aren't this would be a big turn-off.
Seeming lack of effort that the school puts into the interview day--lots of time waiting around, no opportunity to visit classes or see classrooms (tour was brief)
the medical center is super confusing. there's this random system of corridor, floor, room, and building etc. could be that i have no direction sense also.
I had to wait 3 hours between the tour and my interview. There wasn't even a real tour. We just walked from the admissions building to the place that we ate lunch. I would have liked to see some classrooms or a hospital.
The traffic. I live only an hour from UCLA but it took me over three hours to get there. I am also not a real big fan of LA and its smog. The directions from the admissions office were pretty poor.
the traffic. the classroom descriptions (typical standard classroom), they only give you a $50 printing card (opposed to free printing at other campuses), no information session about financial aid, no regents scholarship...
The interview date isn't very informative. Most other schools usually have a talk about financial aid, student housing, etc... the day just consisted of a tour, lunch, and the interview. I just wanted a little more info about UCLA, seeing as how excited I am about the place to begin with.
The day was very disorganized. The "tour" was a walk up the street, a stop at a cafe that is too expensive for medical students normally, a stop at the student lounge a bit further up, and a staring contest with the pretty new hospital from across the street. The tour guide was very friendly and enthusiastic but nonetheless an uninteresting, average-joe type. The administration, while friendly, was somewhat useless with regards to my needs. Providing directions is apparently beyond them (although i don't have the best sense of direciton in the world =] ). To be fair, though, the campus is a bit of a maze.
The campus has a lot of traffic both in and around it (it's in the middle of the city). The drivers don't seem to understand the concept of "yield to pedestrians."
Students spoke very nonchalantly about the school and portrayed ucla like a party school. they did not talk about any of the professional or academic qualities of the program.
There were not any directions as to how to get from one interview location to another, so I got lost several times and was nearly late on a few occassions.
This was by far the most disorganized of all the interviews I have done. UCLA is an awesome school, but the admissions staff needs to get its act together. You should expect to be there half of the day: there is a short tour, lunch, and then interviews. I had only ONE interview, while some others in my group had two. This sucks, because I have only one voice to represent me, and my interview did not go great.
when i sat in on a lecture, and the doors to the hall are at the front of the room. so when people come in late, its distracting. that could get annoying as a student. my faculty interviewer kept asking me about my parents for the majority of the time, but i think there are more interesting things in my application that we could have talked about. i didnt get a chance to talk to many students about the school.
i am not into the new curriculum. too much pbl, leaves too many holes and gaps in education. also, the anatomy class is based on prosections, i want the opportunity to dissect.
The day was really unstructured. Luckily, I had the first interview of the day (9:00AM), after which they dispatched me to amble aimlessly about the grounds.
I didn't get to go on the tour because my interview ran into the lunch hour. But, the others didn't get to tour the hospital anyway, so I guess I didn't miss much.Also, there's no info session or financial aid talk, so make sure you ask the medical students and interiviewing faculty all such pertinent questions about housing, transportation, financial aid etc.
Old, ugly lecture hall (hey, it does what it needs to, just not as beautiful as UCSF's). A 2nd year said, "If you get into UCSF, drop everything and go there. It's way better than here..."
I spent about 4hours doing nothing in between the tour and my interview. The student led tour sucked, I was not impressed by the facilities or their crappy study rooms. We got a meal card for less than the cheapest meal at the cafe where we ate, so I had to dish out my own money for lunch. The day was unorganized and the students weren't too enthousiastic. I sat in a lecture, nothing impressed me, it just felt like another day in undergrad. The students didn't approach us even though we were obviously interviewing (dark suits) and the professor was kind of boring. My interviewer was uninterested and showed no signs of emotion or interest in me. Taking notes while I spoke, she rarely made eye contact.
nothing, we had a really quick tour which was fine for me because I wanted to get going, however anyone who wants to see the school more might be disappointed. Also no free printing.
My tour guide's not a fan of the weekly quiz evaluation, although that doesn't determine the final grade; less hand-ons clinical experience than say, schools like USC
Scheduling of the day. Letter wanted me there at 1145. It was then I learned a student tour was at 12 and my interview was at 4. The student tour lasted all of 5 minutes so I had 4 hours to wait.
The interview day felt disorganized. The student tour wasn't very good. There isn't very much in the student hosting category--the admissions office only gave me the name of one person and when she said no that was it.
The tour- a couple of first year students were supposed to show us around, but they didn't really know where to take us. They said though that they had the same experience on their interview days but once you're a student there, you're treated really well.
Since it was during exam week, all the students seemed tense and probably not as friendly as they have been described previously. Also, our student tour guide told us that he skips most of his classes, prefering to study on his own. He felt that case-based classes & early clinical training are a waste of time (i don't think most students there think like this, though).
I get an impression from my student and faculty interview that the school may not have the best teaching quality. When I asked about it, my student interview gave an ambiguous answer like, "There are prof that I like and prof that I don't like, same as every school." But I didn't sit in to their class, so I can't really say for sure.
The day was not well organized, and the tour was pretty worthless. There is really no info session, financial aid talk, or formal welcome. I showed up at 11:45 am, had lunch and a tour with 2 students, went to my interview, then left for the airport. The students apologized and said that the school doesn't give them any agenda or instruction for the tour, so they weren't really sure what to do. On the positive side, this made for an informal, low stress day- but it would have been nice to learn more.
The interviewer. Had it out for interviewees. I think I was pretty
much considered a rejection. That was my impression, considering
how negative he was towards my application and interview. I wonder
if there was anything I could have done to prove him wrong.
The interview day was unorganized and way too long. I arrived at 9am and sat in the waiting room until 1:30 pm, when my interviewer was finally ready for me. That was ridiculous. I didn't even get to go on a tour because all the groups had gone before I was done with my interview. Bad timing, bad sheduling. Furthermore, by the time my interviewer got to me she was exhausted, as i was her fourth and last interview of the day- she didn't seem very excited about the situation- or me.
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the amount of downtime during the interview day and the potential challenges with navigating UCLA's large campus. Suggestions included arriving early to allow for extra time for parking, being prepared for multiple interviews, and planning for potential delays due to traffic in the area.
traffic really sucks (more than I remembered it to be; I used to live in LA). also wish that I went to find the admissions office on another day....UCLA is HUGE -- I spent a good 30min looking for the room.
My first interviewer did not show up and I had to jog across campus with one of the admissions officers to catch up with the nearest tour group. Wear comfortable shoes.
I knew that the traffic would be bad, and that parking and finding the Admissions Office would not be easy, but was still barely on time. Give yourself a lot of extra time!
That I would be grilled and that the med school is a maze. That's another downside. The crappy facilities/classrooms (although the clinical facilities are nice)
That they school does not do anything to really impress you. You arrive, pick up a packet, wait, tour, wait, interview. Now meeting with Dean etc. They know they don't have to sell themselves but it does make you wonder how much they care about the students. But students there did seem very happy!
That I would have a student interview! The admissions office guy lied to me when I asked him if I would have a student interview, and then changed what he said when our group was getting ready to leave for the tour.
how short my day was going to be. they had me arrive by 9:45, interview at 10am, got out at 11, waited at office and chatted with other interviewees until 12, lunch and done at 1:15/1:30pm
Lots and lots of downtime. Its not a structured or organized event. They give you your time and then say, come back when its time. So, you could literally have hours to kill. Just not very considerate in that way. But again, its a great school.
My interview was at 3pm and I was on campus for the lunch tour...I wish I could have been given the option to attend one of the lectures when I signed in early that day instead of just waiting walking around campus.
For supposedly being a school focused on community health, I sure felt like the school was full of a bunch of snobs that were more concerned with their rich West LA lifestyle than actually reaching out.
waiting list changes a lot. As high as 15%(maybe more) of students comes from the waiting list. don't give up the hope if you are waitlisted. No student hosts for in state students! I guess they believe people in CA know how great they are, which is true for me.
The Drew program has a bad reputation with some people because of its affiliation with Drew/King hospital, but the students in the program really seem to like it and do well (and do most things the same as other UCLA students). Had I known more about it, I probably would have applied to that program as well.
The actual time of my interview and that the tour would be so poor. I would have tried to make arrangements on my own to sit in on a lecture or at least SEE a lecture hall.
That there would be such a small amount of interviewees that day(3). Also, I knew ahead of time from the SDN feedback about the possibility of a long waiting period between the tour and interview.
That I was going to be so comfortable and relaxed during my faculty interview that when asked to I would actually SING (one of my most favorite things to do)! There was no need for me to stress as I did...
You have to pay for parking at the little information booths before you can enter the parking garages. Also, the address for the admissions office, 12-105, means floor one, corridor two, room 105. Once I realized this it was a lot easier to find the room.
That I was the only student being interviewed for the day. I had three tour guides for one of me, which was a bit awkward for me at first, but then a really great experience because I could ask any question I wanted to. I was the center of attention, and that's always fun, isn't it?! :)
Had I known that some people receive student interviews while others don't, I would have strongly requested the second interview; I think more people arguing for you, especially a peer, is invaluable.
I wish I did not fly all the way from the East Coast to have my interviewer challenge the way my parents raised me, etc. It would have been nice to actually talk about my resume or why I would like to go to UCLA, but that did not happen. It was obvious that my interviewer made no effort to read my file.
That the other interviewees were so nervous.. Just relax, the interviews (since open-file) are more about your application so just make sure you know what you wrote and that it is honest.
It is so easy to get lost on UCLA's campus. Luckily, everyone I ran into was friendly and helpful. Maybe do a dry run of the campus before you go on interview day.
That I would have an interview of an hour and 45 minutes. I'm from California, so it was no big deal, but I had no idea when to expect the afternoon to be over. It would have been a problem if i had needed to catch a plane.
that you can randomly be assigned a student interview, like i was. i was not prepared for it, & i missed the tour. also its unclear how they evaluate this if its only for some people.
that i should have budgeted my time getting to the school more wisely; there was a lot of traffic, but luckily i got to the school only one minute late, so it wasn't too bad.
UCLA campus is gorgeous! The only downside is that it's mostly a commuter school, so majority of the students drive to campus. Parking permits are kind of pricey, but I guess that's the same for most CA schools.
santa monica freeway is 10E coming from LA (or maybe that's wrong) i took another route home and winded up in a parking lot. i was even thinking of getting off to get something to eat and start the slow crawl home later but i found myself in compton. it took 2.5 hours to get home and it only took half the time to get there.
Acceptance rate for out-of-state people is much higher than I thought; 15 of 195 interviewees last year matriculuated, so I was thinking they'd accept about 30 or so, but it turns out they accept b/w 30-50% of the out-of-staters!
The time spent waiting for the interviewer. I should have brought my books to study for the 4 hrs that I spent staring at the wall in the cafeteria or sleeping along with the med students in lecure.
that there are morning interviews! by reading this website ahead of time, i planned for an afternoon interview. however, i got there at 10:45, interviewed at 11, had tour at 12 and was ready to leave. if you happen to have an afternoon interview, take some time to walk around or find a nice bench on campus to read. it's a gorgeous campus.
you will get a voucher for lunch worth $5.
There are at least 2 bus lines that can get you to UCLA--lines 2 and 3 of the Big Blue Bus...it beats looking for parking and buses come regularly (15-20 min)
I arrived ahead of time (by a few days), and gave myself my own tour. Much better tour than the Student guided one. Gave me the opportunity to think up some questions for the interviewer.
No one could tell me much about the curriculum change. The medical school students seemed happy enough but they weren't dancing in the street happy either.
hey I live near by so for all of you guys flying in make sure and give yourself ample time, I'm talking about two or three hours from the aiport or from anywhere. traffic is bad.
It is really random what kind of interviewer you get. The majority of interviewers are nice and easy going but I heard from another candidate that he had one last week but the interviewer only spent 12 minutes and hadn't read his file. In the end the so called interview was useless and he had to come back again. Also there are two shifts of interviews, the morning when you meet at 9:45 AM and the afternoon one when you meet at 11:45 AM. Lunch is provided in the form of a meal ticket worth $5.25.
Make sure that you find the location of your interview ahead of time b/c navigating some of the corridors might be tricky. Also, my invitation to the interview said that I should arrive about 1/2 hour early, which I really didn't need -but I didn't drive there...(leave yourself maybe 15 extra minutes at most to find your interview room). If you're driving, you will definitely need extra time- parking is a major issue (as I learned from a few people there).
curriculum is undergoing major changes so that next year will be the first year that a largely case-based or organ system approach will be used. the committe is still deciding exactly how the curriculum should be.
1) For those told to come @ 11:45 am, your interview may not happen until 4 pm and you may have an hour break to wander @. Be prepared to wait more than 30 min even past your appointed time.
2) The committee meets on Thursdays (I'm not sure if once a month or more)
3) You have to check in @ one of the parking kiosks in the middle of the street b/c they have over a dozen football-field sized lots, some of which may be full already (also, don't stack park--i didn't do it since i wasn't sure what time i'd be done).
Just make sure and arrive to the campus early becuase finding the admissions office can be a little confusing. If you are lost, people are happy to help though so just ask.
Applicants generally found UCLA's interview process to be low-stress and conversational, with interviewers showing genuine interest in getting to know them. However, some noted the disorganization of the interview day, lack of structured presentations, and varying experiences with interviewers. Many appreciated the positive atmosphere, friendly students, and faculty members, but some expressed concerns about the school's competitiveness and unimpressive tour experience.
Loved the MMI process. Seemed low stress to me, and the interviewers were very responsive and encouraging.
Love the school, although the admissions office could put an 30-45 presentation to put us at ease and talk about the school a little. Besides that, the reputation of the school speaks for itself- - it's awesome. Love Westwood too, really nice area, beautiful people.
overall, i enjoyed my interview at UCLA. I was really nervous going in, since UCLA is ranked as a top med school and I was expecting a tough interview. But the med students who are super laid back impressed me with how much they love the school. But I was not impressed with the informal nature of the whole day. wish that the tour / day was more organized with demos maybe and with a financial aid advisor.
UCLA has a lot to offer, you just wouldn't know it by being there at the interview day. They are almost arrogant in that they know they don't have to work hard to convince you to come, hence their interview day structure (or lack of it). They have a PBL type of learning, so there isn't a lot of traditional lecture time. Ask the students to see how they feel about it and see for yourself if that's what you like. It's nice that the school is connected to the undergraduate campus. It makes things more lively. UCLA is a great school, but perhaps not for everyone.
I was scheduled to arrive at 9:45, and I arrived early. I was given information about the day and had an interview at 10am. It lasted an hour. My tour and lunch began at 12. I was allowed to leave by 1:30pm. However, there were many students interviewing with afternoon interviews so they had to do a lot of waiting. Also, only selected students were given two interviews. The interview was very conversational. You'll find that all the students love the school.
i was actually surprised at how laid back my iview was; i didn't feel like i was being interrogated or anything like that. the doctor was very relaxed and friendly.
Bah humbug. There should have been more interactions with students. Interviews should not be scheduled over lunch, it's just too awkward to eat and answer questions at the same time.
I had a gap between my student tour and my interview, so I went into a clinical training class with the students. TONS of fun...although I was their 'test' subject and had to remove my jacket and shirt...but it put the interview in perspective
Talk to students outside of the interview, that's where you will get to see how the school is and how it fits your needs. The interview will probably not make you want to go there if you didn't already want to.
As has been said on many of these reviews, there is little organization to the interview day. Unlike other schools that give a powerpoint or a huge packet about why the school is so great, UCLA knows it's the sh*t, so it does not put much energy into pushing the school. Be prepared to wait around. I was prepared for all of this, so I was not disappointed.
The interview was really relaxed. It was more on the conversation side than anything else. My interviewer was extremely friendly and made me feel comfortable. The questions were not made to test me, but more to get to know who I was. They were a little unorganized for the tout, but that just gave us more time to ask questions.
I didn't get a good vibe from the interviewer. He couldn't answer my questions very well. The streets were confusing around the area. I really liked the student's attitudes though. It seems great to go there
Pretty casual day. Since the admiss office didn't give us any guidelines on the day, the interviewees took upon ourselves to get to know each other and facilitate our own day.
Great school. Has always been a dream of mine. Facilities aren't perfect, but hey, it's no new school. Although, they are in the process of completing the new hospital.
Was a little caught off guard by the depth of the health care questions. Introduced them by saying, tell me a bit about U.S. health care. We just want to make sure you know a little bit about it. No stress. And then he launched into these intense hypothetical questions about problems and potential solutions to complex health care issues.
I love UCLA and it is my number one choice, but if I knew nothing about it beforehand, the interview doesn't say much. Talk to students and walk around the campus (not just hospital area).
I arrived at the admissions office and was given a schedule. Ten minutes later, my interviewer arrived and took me into an interview room for 90 minutes. After the interview, I met up with two other interviewees and the three of us were taken to lunch by three first years, then given a tour. Done by 2.
I arrived at the office at 9:30 for a 10:00 am interview, was given a folder with information and a schedule. My interviewer came down to the admissions office at 9:45 and took me into a small room where we talked for 90 minutes. After the interview, I returned to the waiting room. When the two other interviewees arrived, we were met by 3 students who took us to lunch at a nearby cafe then gave us a tour of the school. Then I was done by 1!
Got to the office in the morning, (after sitting in traffic for 1.5 hours). Whilshire is jam packed. You get there, they hand you your agenda, and said you can leave, just come back by this time. So, about an hour later I wander back into the office and have my interview. It was great, and very conversational. The Doc followed up on many things I said--after that I had another 1.5 hours to kill before lunch, again left and walked around--then came back for a student tour/lunch. The tour was ok, didnt see much. They didnt know what they were supposed to show us, but were nice and gave lots of information about the school. After that I was done. and left. some people had to wait a few hours after that for the interview. just be prepared to do a lot of sitting and doing nothing. they have no presentations whatsoever. UCLA is awesome, minus the lame interview day.
Open-file faculty interview.. he did not greet me or shake my hand when I walked in. The interviewer would ask me a question and have me talk ultra slow so he could write down what I was saying, word for word. I felt like he was following an interrogation protocol and it made me feel nervous. Halfway through the interview, he looked up from his notepad and tried to make me feel less nervous by smiling at me.. which helped a lot. Towards the end, I really liked my interviewer because I could tell he was probably a very thorough doctor and cared a lot about the school and the students.. just really intimidating. Asked some specific questions I couldn't answer and didn't get to cover or talk about what I really wanted to talk about.
UCLA is my top school and I attended the PREP summer program so I have a major bias towards UCLA. But compared to the other schools that I have visited it just feels at home. The students and staff made me feel comfortable at the school. This is undoubtedly an exceptional institution but I did not experience any aggorance among the students. Instead I felt like they were really down to earth and genuinely happy. The interviewer was great, he really just wanted to have a conversation with me and wanted to be an advocate for me and made sure he got the information he needed to defend me in committee.
My student interview took place over lunch so I didn't ge to eat much and was so worried about lettuce being in my teeth :/ I also waited over 2 hours for my next interview which was not cool. They don't have formal interview days so you don't get much of a tour and no info on financial aid or when they expect to make a decision about you. Other than that, the school seems really wonderful..I hope I get in!
My interview experience at UCLA was my best med school experience out of all of the schools I interviewed at. The atmosphere was great! The students really love the fact that they are going to UCLA..and all of them said they made the absolute right choice in going there. UCLA is a great campus because they really focus on diversifying the medical field and reaching out to all populations that are in need of medical care. Overall, UCLA solidified my choice of wanting to attend there.
It was a positive one. I got to the admissions office close to noon, had a tour, ate lunch with med students, and had my first interview with a faculty member. then, i had a student interview. my student interviewer and i got along VERY well. he was genuinely interested in knowing me, and i wish he wasn't an M4, because I would love to have a classmate like him. he asked questions to learn about ME and not silly questions that could easily be gleaned from my AMCAS.
Both interviewers were relaxed, but they did ask some hard questions. My student interviewer told me that he turned down a full scholarship to another in-state private school to attend UCLA.
Showed up, waited, had my 5 minute tour, lunch with a med 4 student, waited a couple hours, faculty interview. Read up a lot about the school beforehand because you won't find out more.
This was my first interview, so I was definitely nervous. I went on the tour and to lunch first, and the students were really nice. They were honest about everything and truly loved being a student here. They said if anything, they complain about little things because they are babied so much by the faculty/administration!
The entire day was very laid back and stress-free. I had my interview early in the morning, and then had time to sit in on a lecture for about an hour before starting the tour. The medical students were really friendly and made a conscious effort to tell you about how great the school is. The tour guides were also very chill and told us how the pass/fail system creates a relaxed atmosphere. The tour itself wasn't very impressive, though.
Got there at 11:45am. Only 3 of us interviewed in the afternoon(more people in the morning). 3 student tour guides took us to lunch and a unstructured tour. A few people get student interviews, vast majority do not. I read on SDN that people have complained about the tour but my experience was great. since it was a 1:1 ratio of guides and interviewees we got a lot of info and a very welcoming experience. I think it really depends on who gives you the tour, mine tried really hard to sell us the school. All three of them came off the waitlist, so definitely don't give up and contact the schools if they haven't gotten back to you for an interview. After the tour interview at 2, that lasted for an hour. That was it. No intro talk or housing talk or fin aid talk. The packet I got was pretty thin, only useful was the residency match list. In the end, I absolutely adored UCLA. It is my top choice for sure, I would go in a heartbeat.
UCLA is a fantastic place to study and practice medicine. The school is immensely diverse, the campus is located in a gorgeous area with round-the-clock endorphin-stimulating weather, the people are friendly, the curriculum is solid, the teaching tools are years ahead of the competition, the students are bright but humble, the professors collegiate and genuine, the package - perfect.
My interviewer struck a perfect balance between finding out information from me while telling me about the school. Pretty laid-back and fun; not very stressful.
Of the three interviews I've had so far, this has been the closest one to being a ''stress interview,'' but I still had fun with it and didn't feel antagonized or threatened or anything like that :>
School is in the UCLA hospital. Right in Westwood. Students seem bright and happy. Only 10 hours of lecture a week, the rest is small groups, PBL, etc. Had two interviews, one faculty, one student. Both were very nice. I was the only interviewee that day. The tour was very short, more pointing to buildings than actually visiting them. UCLA has a visitation day for accepted students, and the tour guide believed (and I agree), that interviewing students care much more about the whole presentation of the school when they’re accepted.
the day is really short, i got there late in the morning, had two interviews, one with faculty, and then one with a student who i got a tour and lunch with before the interview. lectures start at 10, so if you are free then you can sit in on a lecture. there is little planned, so if you really want to see some things make sure you have an idea what those things are beforehand and tell the admissions staff or your tour guide and they can help you put it together.
I had an interview with an OBGYN in her office (though the names didn't match the stuff on the wall... hmmm). It was very strange to have to travel to another floor by myself to find this office in the OBGYN department, but the admissions office is very good at picking close to the elevator locations.
The actual interview impressed me positively in that UCLA really wants to know more about YOU and your background. I spent a majority of the time talking about my childhood and filling in gaps in activities I listed in my application.
What negatively impressed me about the interview is that the doctor had two calls come in while I was answering two different questions. (Do they not get to turn their phones/pagers off?) It was okay in the long run, but unexpected. My interviewer didn't particularly volunteer any information on herself or the school (I got ''Uh huh,'' ''Of course,'' and ''Great,'' as responses) Also, I wasn't given the chance to ask my interviewer any questions during the short time I was there. I had some good ones lined up too!
So, to tell the truth, the positive and negative aspects mushed together is why I gave the ''No Change'' rating. I truly was jealous of the lucky people who were also able to have a student interview scheduled for them.
Overall, the interview day was very pleasant, the student tourguides were friendly and helpful, and my interviewer was wonderful. My interviewer did a great job selling the school, which is something that's not emphasized by the admissions office in their planning of the interview day. This was a very low stress event.
It was great to come into both my interviews and see that they both were very interested to know more about ME! Between both my faculty and student interviewer we covered almost everything in my application; mt road to medical school. It was great... a very fulfilling interview experience. Like I said before, the admissions office could have gone a little more out of their way , and some sort of tour would have been nice... but overall, I loved UCLA!!!
The website and other materials for UCLA aren't as informative as other schools, so the interview was a good chance to learn more. It didn't feel like the admissions office put in a lot of effort, though, with all the time I had to wait around, no info sessions and only one interview. The student tour guides were great, though.
My interviewer was awesome, seemed totally like a conversation. We talked about current health care issues and the things that I did during myundergrad years...totally stress-free!!
I arrived very early and walked around. The campus is very nice. We met the other interviewees in the waiting room and were greeted by other medical students, first years, who toured us and took us to lunch. They were all very very nice and answered all of our questions and were honest. My impression was that they were very happy and that the curriculum allowed enough flexibility to pursue your career goals, whether it be research or clinical.
I really enjoyed me day at UCLA. My first interviewer was extremely busy that day but he did a great job of transitioning into the interview. He was direct and to the point and this allowed me to be equally agressive in explaining my application. The interview was intense but I enjoyed it. My second interview was with a student and was very informal. I had a lot of fun speaking to her and I felt fortunate that I got to have a second interview. The only stressful part of the day was getting to the school. The tour is pretty cursory and I would have liked to see some of the facilities where instruction takes place. From the outside everything looks pretty nice. I was done by 1:30 but one of the other interviewers didn't have her interview until four.
my interview was at 10am, so the letter said to arrive at 9:45. my interview was taking place a distance from the admissions office, so i was glad i came early. interviewed for about 55 mins. lunch and tour was at 12. four MS1 gave us the tour (only about 5 of us interviewed that day). went to buy and eat lunch and the day ended at a little before 2pm.
Wow, my interviewer was amazing. She was so friendly and so sweet, didn't ask a single question that made me feel uncomfortable. It was a conversation, and we talked about everything from her own childhood to what I should do to get as much info as possible before making a residency decision. I learned a lot from my interviewer, which is really awesome. You go into an interview expecting to be grilled (I saw a lot of previous posts about the abortion question, and found out during my tour that it is a very popular question to be asked)... but it was the exact opposite. I'm so excited about UCLA!!
The interview day was not very well-organized. The students took us on a brief tour that didn't show much, and it doesn't seem like there's a distinct space for the medical school at UCLA. The students I met were definitely a little too laid back and uninteresting compared to the students at other schools. The facilities were old and run-down, and my interviewer definitely lacked social and communication skills.
The interview was what really ruined the experience for me. The interviewer's name was Dr. Ravagendra/Ragavendra. He stared at his paper and pen while asking questions, refusing to make eye contact with me. Some of his questions required lengthy answers, but usually as I was beginning the second sentence to my response he would interrupt me, believing the answer to be either finished or simply not to his liking, querying a completely new topic. It seemed that he was simply trying to decide whether he liked me rather than getting to know me. For instance he asked whether I thought we should nationalize or privatize the healthcare system. I said I think we should privatize because... and evidently he didn't want to hear my reason. He interrupted me and moved onto the next topic. He asked early on whether I had ANY problems as a child, and being the honest guy I am mentioned that I wasn't very motivated in highschool, though obviously my high college GPA etc proves that's no longer the case. Nonetheless, he repeatedly referenced that answer during the interview as though I was still unmotivated, and I had to be especially careful in letting him know that it was very obviously no longer the case. He also seemed especially self-righteous. He commented that the volunteer activities, including EMT certification so i could work on my campus emergency response team, were more selfish (because the certification provides me with a job as an EMT =/ ) than benevolent. He also allowed no questions on my behalf. When it was over he said, "alright that's it. Here's my card if you..." and he didn't finish that sentence for whatever reason, nor did he hesitate in heading for the door before I could ask anything. He was also quite demeaning of my passions, scoffing as he reiterated a simplified, incomplete list of them and how they seemed unrelated to medicine. I was disappointed and believed he wanted only to determine whether or not he liked me and/or agreed with my opinions/goals. I didn't receive a student interview, which is ashame.
Anyway, luck is necessary in this process, and i was unlucky. I've heard only good things from other interviewees I spoke with about their interviewers so don't concern yourself too much. Looking back, I think I was a bit too friendly with him; a disrespectful person does not deserve respect. However, during an interview that's difficult to determine. In my thankyou note I told him that the interview "was as enlightening as it was enjoyable," neither of which I qualified. So at least i could damn with faint praise 8D.
Very, very unimpressed with this school. But first the good stuff. The professors and lecturers seemed very knowledgeable and enjoyed teaching. I was lucky enough to sit in on a lecture and a seminar, both of which were great. LA is a pretty cool city, though Westwood is a bit too yuppy for a med students.
On the other hand, the students did not seem very interesting and actually not even very smart (I know that's a ridiculous blanket statement, but I must have just come across a bad bunch of them). And my interviewer was awful. She was the image of what I do not want to become as a doctor: boring, bitter, and no fun.
i got to ucla pretty early, about an hour before check-in time, which was nice because it gave me some time to explore the hospital and walk out my nerves. i had two interviews scheduled, the first one with a student and the second one with a doctor. not everyone had the same setup for interviews, so i have no idea if it's a positive thing that i have two people arguing for me in the committee, or a bad thing if they thought i needed the help. at any rate, the student was very nice, and we had our informal interview over lunch. i didn't eat too much because i talked most of the time, but that was fine since i wasn't that hungry anyway. the second interview was with a doctor who had little to no knowledge of my application, but was very nice and interested in finding out who i was as a potential doctor. my day ended at 2:30 p.m. after starting at 11:45 a.m. and i went home.
Most of the interviews were spent going over my research. Three out of four interviewers asked in depth questions to test my knowledge of my field. We were fed two really good meals, a catered lunch and a dinner at a nice restaurant. The current MSTP students were really nice and helpful.
The interviewer was SO nice! He wasn't even late. I've read about how laid-back the interviews have been, but I was still expecting it to be at least a little intimidating, but the entire interview was actually very pleasant. (Pointer: pretend you're talking to a friend; you will feel more comfortable and will be more likely to be yourself.)
Overall my experience at UCLA was great. Everyone was really welcoming and nice and answered all my questions. They are currently undergoing a new curriculm with only 2 hours of lecture a day and a lot of on-your-own study time. It's P/F so there isn't a competitive vibe between students and HELLO, it's LA, who wouldn't love sunshine all year round?
The student tour was short and we only got to see the library and the hallways of the med school building. My interview started with my interviewer being late. Then my interviewer asked questions about my childhood, which is fine if his goal was to learn more about me. However, he tried to criticize the decisions that my parents made in raising me and also tied that into how I have made decisions throughout my life. I almost forgot. He also called me a sexist since my favorite movies have male leads. That was on top of telling me that my grades were bad (even though they are the same as UCLA's average) and then suggested that I should not have participated in extracurricular activities and that may have effected my grades. But keep this in mind, if my interviewer had actually read my application, he would see that my extracurricular activities did not even occur while I was in school. But that was just one of many things that he did not know about me. I would talk about what I have done (which was clearly on my application) and my interviewer had no idea what I was talking about. Considering that I flew from the east coast, I would expect that my interviewer at least know something about me other than how my parents raised me and what my favorite movies are. And here is the finale. He looks up at a broken clock in the room and tells me that we should wrap up the interview. Don't ge me wrong. I love UCLA the school. The interview definitely left a bad taste in my mouth.
overall it was positive. i was more impressed by the faculty and staff than by the student body. my interviewer went over in great detail my application and asked me to clarify my work experience and personal history.
I arrived at 11:45 and we had a tour/lunch until 1:30. Unfortunately, my interview was at 4:00 pm so I had way too much free time. On top of that, my interviewer was 45 minutes late. By the time I finished, the admissions office had already closed. The interview itself went rather well and the doctor was able to answer all of my questions.
The interview day seemed poorly planned. They ask you to come in 15 mins. before your interview and give you no orientation or information about the school. My interviewer was an hour and a half late, but I excused it because, let's face it, doctors aren't known for their punctuality. As soon as we sat down, he explained to me that he conducted interviews for the subcommittee on disadvantaged students. When I told him that I wasn't disadvantaged, he responded, "Well, then I don't know why they sent me to interview you." Thanks. He then made me go through a whole list of things, trying to see if somehow I qualified as disadvantaged - Was my family impoverished? Did I grow up in a gang-infested neighborhood? Did I attend sub-par schools? Frankly, it was insulting. After all that he told me that the admissions committee had a question about my application because I didn't answer all of the essays on the secondary. I tried to explain to him that the instructions had said that it was necessary to answer every essay question, just the ones that might give the committee a better understanding of you as a person. He didn't really seem to understand this, so he made me give answers to the essays I had left blank, one being "Are you a disadvantaged student?" Throughout the interview he kept saying, "You should always answer all the essays, even if they tell you not to. I've never seen this before." After the interview, some students took us around the hospital for a quick tour (~10 min) and then we ate lunch. After lunch (around 1p) the day was over. You really couldn't get a feel for the school or even the students (it was the day before Thanksgiving so all the students had gone home). Overall, the interview experience left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
I arrived at 7:45 AM and had to travel quite far across campus for the 8 AM interview. The interviewer was very good-natured, and it was extremely low-stress. Most of the questions (like that concerning Africa) were related to things that I had mentioned in my application. Then I sat in on a second-year class for two hours. First year students then led a tour that pretty much consisted of getting lunch. After that, my day was done at 1:30 PM.
I had a great time. My student interview was very nice. I dont understand why only some students get student interviews, but to me it seems like that was the most informative part of my visit. Still, dont worry if you dont have a student interview as they say it doesnt help or hinder you, plus you can talk to the tour guides if you have questions.
All aspects of the interview day were wonderful. I thought the school was outstanding on a number of levels. A lot of effort is taken to ensure a solid curriculum, access to advising for MD/PhD students, and good integration of the medical and graduate schools.
the california schools were originally my top choices, but after checking out UCLA i have changed my mind. the day was totally disorganized. they didn't show us anything. all you get is a tour and an interview. most schools try to at least sell themselves a little. i can't believe i flew all the way there for that.
UCLA is an amazing school and its hospitals are among the very best. The admissions staff, however, was not too kind nor was the interview day organized. My negative review is not a reflection of the school, but rather of how the admissions office handles interviews.
i had one interview with an md, and another one with a student. the md was really kick-back. this was my best interview yet, as it was very conversational and relaxing. don't stress about it
i truly love ucla, but the interview is not that impressive. they dont really ask any difficult questions. also fyi the personality of some of the classes is not 'study hard, party hard.' maybe more the former. no one i talked to could explain the 'clinical colleges' that ucla has. the second interview stressed me out a bit b/c i wasnt expecting it.
Good experience - everyone did the best they could to accomodate me even though there was a scheduling error (they were double booked). There were no real "questions," just "Why do you want to be a doctor" and just kind of a flowing conversation from there. We talked about me, we talked about the interviewer, we just talked like two normal people would talk. I was reminded that this is not an oral exam, just an...informational conversation.
Overall I feel like I had a good experience. Two second year students led three of us around and were really friendly. They really did seem happy and personable. The curriculum sounds awesome if you are more of a hands-on interactive person who can't stand looooong formal lecture time but self-directed is important. I was a little worried when a second year student visiting the admissions office told me he knew my interviewer and had a worrisome look on his face--that definitely added to the anxiety bc the student made it seem like my interviewer was super intense and mean. It ended up being okay. The Dr. asked some random questions just out of the blue but he was friendly and had a nice demeanor. Although my interview was fairly short, he had a lot of encouraging words to share and made me feel confident as an applicant in general. WORDS of advice: Although it was conversational and laid back, definitely think about what your opinions are in regards to ethical issues and the pros and cons of your experiences!!!
it was mostly low key, as far as interviews go. it IS ucla. how could it not be impressive? students were mostly nice and helpful and seemed pretty happy. i could dig it.
I can't imagine a more compassionate and thoughtful interviewer! He knew my file very well and asked very thoughtful questions based on things that I had written. Even when I had some problems answering a few questions, he took the time to cull the meaning out of my confused spiel and calmed me down to a point where I could answer cogently and honestly. I don't know how representative he is as a UCLA med interviewer -- but I hope everyone's experience in the interview is as wonderful.
I LOVED UCLA!!! I just hope I get in. Great curiculum, students, faculy , reputation, and LOCATION!! The admissions staff were so friendly and the students were happy and excited about the school.
The day was different from most schools I had interviewed with in that there was no scheduled informational meeting. As soon as I got to the admissions office, I was told to go to my interviewer's office and after the interview, we had a tour and lunch with first year students. During lunch, we got to talk to a fourth year student, who was really great. As he was already going through the Match, it kind of gave us a perspective on what we were all working towards. Also, he obviously really loved being at UCLA and it showed as he described his years both during the basic sciences and the clinical years. After lunch, the day was over, although some people had 2nd interview (I only had one). I left by 2pm.
The Heatlh sciences building is a labyrinth of corridors and rooms! You definitely need a map to get around (I got very lost trying to find my interviewer's office). I had to wait for about 30mins for my interview, but I guess that's understandable since many of the faculty also have clinical practices. Anyway, my interviewer was very nice and warm. She asked me to talk mainly about things I'd written on my AMCAS and secondary applications. It was more of a conversation than an interview. UCLA has an academic medicine department, so be sure to talk about that during the interview if you're interested in teaching at all. They're really interested in knowing why you want to come to UCLA over all other schools; read up on the curriculum, student-run clinics and medical opportunities in Los Angeles. UCLA is a great school, and one student I spoke with said he picked UCLA over Harvard because the environment was more student-friendly and geared towards community based healthcare and not research. Los Angeles is nice, but it's not exactly cheap to live there. Having a car is a big plus, but the med students say you can get by with public transportation for the first two years. Since the hospitals are very widespread, third and fourth year students need to have cars for their clinical rotations. Traffic is quite bad; it would be very useful to have some knowledege of surface streets. There is a considerable amount of waiting period for people with afternoon interviews, but you can hang out at the student lounge (equipped with widescreen TV, ping-pong table and pool table). Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport via public transportation, and make sure you have the exact amount of change.
LA is a great city and I could definitely see myself being there. The school is phenomenal and has great professors and opportunities. The interview day was quite short for me. I got there for an early interview (11am) then had the tour/lunch and I was out by 1:30pm. The students love the school and my student host told me what many students chose UCLA over more prestigious schools (UCSF, Harvard)because of the great environment. The housing is priced pretty well but a car is a necessity. Public transporation is good but not fabulous.
My interview packet still hadn't come by the Friday before my Tuesday interview (and I was flying out on Sunday), so I had to call and get it faxed to me. It had info about student hosts but since it hadn't come by earlier the week before I sent an e-mail out and one of the students (not on the student host list) e-mailed back saying I could stay with her, which turned out to be the best idea--she was so nice and I loved not having to stay in a hostel. Hung around campus on Monday (while studying for finals, groan), especially the med library. Got to the Admissions office 11:45 am. We went on a tour at 12 which wasn't as bad as people made it sound; my tour guides were really talkative and showed us good parts of the medical campus (I'd seen the rest so didn't care about going again). The only problem was that my interview was at 1:15 so I had to rush through the amazing lunch (got a salad with the $5 lunch voucher) and conversation with the 7 or so other interviewees. All of them were in-state except for one other besides me. My interview was right across the street, really easy to get to. I was upset that all the bathrooms in the building were locked but asked another clinic to let me use theirs. At my interviewer's clinic, I was shown into his office and was told to sit on the couch. Looked at all his impressive awards (was featured as one of US's top physicians). He was a great guy to interview with, I think just because he seemed very relaxed in general despite his impressive breadth of specialties. It was supposed to be open file but he made it seem like he wasn't shown a lot of my application, and he didn't really mention much that told me he'd really read it. But he asked some thoughtful questions, and tried to make standard questions (why want to be a doctor, how fix healthcare) more interesting by asking them in different ways. I was nervous and didn't like how my answers sounded, but think I did a good job in explaining my reasons, my personality, my desire to come to this school, and that I'd be a great addition to the class, so I went away pretty happy and pretty confident that I'll be accepted. :)
It sucked. Very unorganized and students didn't seem very happy. I also didn't like my interviewer and I felt like she wasn't really interested in me as an applicant. I don't know what the big deal about UCLA is and it would have been nice to tour the hospital or at least meet the Dean of Admissions.
i was told to come at 11:45 but i got there at 9 because my friend who i stayed with had to go to class in the morning. there were about 6 of us interviewing that day, but everyone had different appointments, and some people had a student interview as well. we had lunch as a really nice cafe. my interview was with a nephrologist at one of the medical offices across the street. overall he asked pretty standard questions. he said although it is supposed to be open-file he doesn't like to know much about the interviewees. but i was very impressed with the school as a whole and i hope i get in!
The questions that my interviewer asked was really very general, so I tried to elaborate more and make the conversation more interesting. At one point I was rather taken back though, when I mentioned that I did a research related to measuring EEG on autistic individuals. My interviewer is a neurologist, and he keep on saying that that was stuff that was done in the 60's and he couldn't understand why any researcher would still be doing that.
I had already attended summer school at UCLA, so I already had a little exposure to the school. I didn't find out that many more things that I liked but I didn't see anything I didn't like either.
overall, I think it was about my worst inteview day. I did pretty bad during the interview because it was pushed back and I was stress about missing my flight, so I think that hampered my experience. I didn't get to talk to too many students, but the ones I did talk to were nice. the Student interview is over lunch.
I arrived at the admissions office before my 10:45am scheduled time and my interview was at 11:00am. I was given directions to the interviewer's office which was just down the hall. The interviewer was 10 minutes late due to a conference call. We had a wonderful conversation for about 50 minutes and I felt like she got to know me very well as a person and student. She walked me back to the admissions office while we chatted. Two first year students met me and one other applicant in the admissions office. They took us on a tour of the medical school and part of the medical center and answered all our questions. We were given a $5.25 voucher but this was not enough for lunch so I had to use some of my own money. The interview day was over at 1:00pm.
Everyone, its UCLA. The school has a tremendous reputation. So walking into the room with the interviewer I was serioulsy nervous, already began on a bad note. I tried to calm myself down and relaxed. Lots of smiling and thinking. The interviewer was not harsh adn yet he wasn't warm, he was neutral. The hospital is huge so make sure and give yourself enough time to get to your interview. The staff is great, but not outstanding. hey if you are sitting in the admissions office you have made it, if you screw the interview up then its your ass that messed it up so don't go and blame anythign else. Not to scare anyone but its up to you to stand your ground and represent. Know yourself very well otherwise don't even walk into teh place. Best of luck to everyone else.
I had an 8:00 am interview, attended a class, had an hour in betweeen and met a friend for coffee and then had a brief tour and lunch with the other applicants. UCLA has become my first choice.
I was asked to come to the admission office at 11:45. I got there at 11:30. We had a tour with 2 first year medical student which was very short, only like 15 minutes. We ate lunch together until 1pm. I had my interview at 3:30 so I had 2 hours to kill. The interview was very casual, getting to know more about you, conversational. However, I was still nervous since this was my first interview. Student life seems less stressful than I thought. Every students I met seem to like UCLA a lot.
faculty member was extremeley nice. seemed that they paired you up with someone who practiced in your field of interest (if you expressed one) - interviewer was really interested in you and your reasons for being there and being interested in medicine - seemed as if they really wanted to get a good idea of who you are and if you've thought things through that you've presented on your application
The interviewer was very nice and chatty- my interview ended up being longer than 2 hours... He knew everything about me from my file (though he didn't have it in front of him). This was a really low-stress experience.
Although the interview day is pretty unstructured, I really enjoyed it. My interviewer was very nice - it felt more like a conversation with a new friend.
the day wasn't as disorganized as a lot of previous people have said. two first-years gave us a long tour of the med school and we had lunch together. some people had 2 interviews, some had one. my interviewer made me feel at ease and asked very standard questions based on my application. unfortunately there was no overview to the school or financial aid session by a faculty member, so you have to make sure you ask the students or the interviewer your most important questions.
When other interviewees tell you that they had a great interviewer who was really nice & it was conversational, don't get too relaxed since it's random who you'll get. In my case, because it was my first interview, I was a bit more nervous and spent a decent amount of time prepping. God, am i glad i did b/c my interviewer was nice, but a tough cookie, which made for a more stressful interview. She didn't ask questions any different from what's been reported before. However, her manner of interviewing was really abrupt and she started off w/ the much-dreaded "So, tell me @ yourself ....". So I began w/ my family background & she would interrupt me when she'd heard enough or wanted to interject w/ a question or switch gears. This style was tough & took me awhile to adjust to.
When I first came into the office, several interviewees from the morning group were still there to wait for the afternoon folks to arrive so that we could all go get lunch & do the tour together. It was great to chat w/ other interviewees--I actually learned more useful details from them than from the admissions office.
I got to the admissions office and waited for my two interviews. My student interviewer took me on a very short tour and we ate lunch while interviewing. I found that to be very difficult, answering questions, thinking, asking questions, and eating all at the same time. I then came back for my second interview. The faculty member was dozing off at certain point and I wasn't sure what to do. But later on we talked about health care and he became more excited. At the end, he seemed to have a good impression of me and said something like he wishes to see me next fall. Overall though, there is no organized tour, no admissions talk, and I didn't even get to meet many other interviewees. I did like the admissions office people a lot. They were very friendly and helpful!
At UCLA they go over every part of your application with you in depth. Be prepared to talk in depth about anything you wrote about on your AMCAS or secondary application. In addition, know a little about health care and ethical issues in general.
The interview is really low stress. They just seem to be interested in your personality and family life. Be prepared to think of something catchy that you'll add to the class. She also asked me for a moment during my hospital volunteer work that was particularly important. It's a great school, and they seem to know that everyone wants to go there, so they just don't have to put a lot of work into a great interview day. The woman in the admissions office did say that they offer a "very nice" recruiting day in the spring for people that are accepted in the first batch (which is in Jabuary). I got along very well with my interviewer. She even had one of her research students bring me hot tea because I had a sore throat! At the end of the interview, she told me that she hoped to see me here next year, and said she would do her best to "sell" me to the committee, but said she can't make any guarantees. That made me very happy!
My interviewer closely adhered to the interview sheet that was given by the admissions committee. My interviewer knew my file very well and would ask a lot of detailed related questions...mainly just to clarify any confusion on the secondary. We talked for over an hour, which was a good sign, I suposse. It was a very thorough interview and a lot of different aspects of my application and character were discussed.
I really liked UCLA. the atmosphere was very laid back and the students all love going to school there. the faculty was approachable and caring. you could tell everyone was very intelligent but not patronizing or snobby.
It was very stressful. I felt like the interviewer was very
bitter and mean towards premeds. I requested a second interview,
and the guy seemed apathethic and disinterested.
I had a lot of apprehension concerning UCLA. Aside from my interviewer, I didn't feel much better about the school. Everyone seemed really competitive and there wasn't a good vibe associated with the place. Didn't get to meet any other medical students there. The entire affair was pretty unorganized.
be forwarned that the interview time they send you has nothing to do with your actual time. i got an email saying i would have one interview at 1:30, got a letter saying to come at 11:45, and then when i got there was told i had one interview at 1:30 and one at 4:00. (??) most people don't have student interviews, so don't worry about it if you just have one. the second years do interviews and are all studying for boards, so people only have student interviews when they can actually find a second year with time.
anyways, the students were all very nice, and the student and faculty interviews were both very helpful. i think i just got a negative impression of the school because i was so tired of the process by that point. after traveling for a whole year, it just becomes annoying when things are unorganized.
don't stress over this one! The interview was very conversational... and don't worry if you only have one interviewer (no second interview with a student won't hurt you at all)
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants suggested that the admissions office should improve their website for better user experience, provide a welcoming presentation to introduce the curriculum and financial aid, and offer a more organized and informative tour. They also emphasized the importance of having friendly and interactive staff to enhance the overall experience for prospective students.
The website could use some work to make it more intuitive and user-friendly
