Chicago, IL
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 29% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
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.
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
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools included inquiries about personal motivations for pursuing medicine, management of stress, role models, memorable experiences, empathy vs. compassion, qualities of a good physician, and reasons for choosing a specific medical school. Additionally, questions related to integrity, ethics, healthcare policies, future plans, research experiences, and personal interests were prevalent. Many responses indicated personalized questions based on the applicants' essays and experiences, with some interviews following a script while others delved into specific application details.
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How did you come to the decision to pursue medicine?
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How do you manage stress?
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Why UICOM?
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What is your most memorable experience?
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What was the worst time of your life?
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Who is your role model?
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What is the difference between empathy and compassion?
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What would you like me to know about you?
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tell me about yourself
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What got you into the field
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What sort of interests do you have?
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What are some other goals you have in your life?
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What are some qualities of a good physician?
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What kind of specialty do you want to go into?
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Others were mostly personalized, they only had my essays though and no other info
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Why medicine/What led you here?
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Why UIC?
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What is your role in a group
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why medicine
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Why U of I
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How would you want others to describe you?
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Why UIC? Why Chicago?
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How would you be an advocate for a patient?
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At what point in your life did you decide to become a doctor?
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What do you think would happen to the Affordable Care Act now? ( talked a lot about Obamacare)
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Tell me something interesting about yourself that can't be found in your essays (all 3 asked me this)
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what will be your greatest challenge
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why a doctor and not a nurse
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have you done any clinical research
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Besides X and Y, do you have any more clinical experiences or shadowing experience?
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Tell us a little bit about yourself.
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Why don't you want to be an engineer? (My dad's an engineer)
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Tell me about your research?
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what are your strengths and weaknesses (specifically a real weakness not a weakness construed as a strength)?
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Why do you want to be a doctor? Why Illinois? Why Chicago?
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Why should I save a spot for you at UIC? Are you going to come here?
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How do you handle stress?
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So I see you're a musician, what do you love about music?
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What books have you read lately?
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Obamacare stuff
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Same ethic questions that other people have mentioned
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What might I change about myself
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Tell me about your research (MSTP).
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Why MD/PhD?
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Tell me about a time when someone questioned your integrity.
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What are your strengths/weaknesses?
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What are your thoughts on defensive medicine?
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Tell me about your research. Tell me about X paper, Y paper. Why Chicago/UIC? What are you looking for in our MSTP?
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Tell me about your research. What research interests do you have? Why the dual degree? What does translational research mean to you?
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Why the low GPA? Tell me about your most significant research experience (very detailed here, talked for half the time about it). Why medicine and not just PhD (I have a lot of research)? Tell me more about your clinical experience.
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Interview 1: If you sent a patient to multiple specialists but they could not reach a consensus, what would you do? What is your opinion about government mandated HPV vaccinations for elementray school children? How would you demonstrate cultural competence as a physician? (Jokingly) If you were a kitchen appliance, what would you be and why? Most questions came from a script.
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Interview 2: There has got to be more to you than what is here on your file (great first "question"). What skills did you learn from [insert clinical experience]? Most questions were very specific to my application.
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Interview 3: How would you apply what you learned from [insert clinical experience] to your practice as a physician? Do you know anything about the other campuses? Most questions were very specific to my application.
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Do you know any Indian people? If you had a day off from school or work what would you do? Will you continue to do the extracurriculars or things you did in college at UIC? Will you continue to do research at UIC?
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How would you deal with a patient who could not speak english? How would you deal with a patient who could not afford their medications? How do you want your patients to describe you?
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What do your parents do? Why UIC? What was your favorite class in undergrad?
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Tell me about yourself?
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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Describe a time your integrity has been tested?
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What would you do if parents of a patient refused treatment for their child's club foot because the club foot was a blessing in their culture and treatment would bring shame to the family
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What's one thing you would change about yourself?
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Define professionalism.
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Keep an example of how you have demonstrated to be a highly dependable/responsible person.
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What does patient advocacy mean to you?
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What skills can you bring to the university?
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what makes you qualified to work in a multi-cultural environment?
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why are you interested in geriatrics? (wrote about this in my ps)
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why medicine & not grad school? (i have a lot of research experience)
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Tell me about yourself.
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What do you think about health care reform?
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Why Chicago?
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If your best friend in medical school cheated on an exam, would you turn them in? And he asked tons of other ethics related questions.
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Tell me a little about yourself. Name three positive qualities about you. What qualities would make you a good physician?
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Why UIC? Why do you want to be a doctor? (Actually, all three asked me this.)
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Define professionalism as it applies to the medical field.
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What do you envision the hardest part of medical school for you will be?
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What was the best and worst part of (one of my particular clinical experiences)?
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How would you like your patients to describe you?
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What are your plans for the future
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What do you know about the health care debate
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Tell me about your research.
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In light of the recent health care legislation, what would you do as a doctor to improve the health of the 400-500 (as opposed to improving the health of millions) patients that you treat?
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What do you think professionalism means?
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
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Describe a hardship of yours.
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List two strengths and 2 weaknesses, and tell me how you are going to improve your weaknesses to be a better doctor.
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What is my level of cross-cultural understanding?
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how would you reduce healthcare cost
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name a time when your integrity was challenged
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Define Professionalism
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What do you think of the new healthcare plan
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why uic
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Discuss a time when you were faced with an ethical dilemma.
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Why do you want to attend UIC?
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Describe your working style.
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Have you given any thought to what type of medicine you want to go into?
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Why UIC/Chicago? (I am OOS)
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Describe an instance in which your integrity was questioned.
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Is healthcare a right or a privilege?
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What is one attribute that you find most important in a physician?
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What do you think are some issues in health care? What are your weaknesses? What would you do if a female patient only wanted a female physician, but you were an administrator at a clinic (I'm female) with no clinical privileges & the clinic was full of all male physicians?
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What led you to medicine? What kind of research did you do? If you didn't get into medical school, what would you do next year?
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Who is your role model? What would your friend say about you? What would you do if there were no need of doctors in the world?
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Interviewer 1 (MD) : Why Medicine. Why UIC. What do you think of Pres. Obama's healthcare plan. From here on it became a rather one-sided lecture on the benefits of the public option. (I felt like I blew the interview because of the lecture-like nature of the "interview" - it didn't help that this was my very first med school interview).
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Interviewer 2 (M3) : Very chill. Why UIC. Why Medicine. Describe your journey. Than specifics about my response and my file. Also, what does it mean to be professional.
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Interviewer 3 (PhD): Also very relaxed. Why UIC. Specifics about my research experience (from my file). And, finally, what are some recent, major advancements in the science of medicine. Describe why they are important.
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Alum: 30 minutes of arguing and a few inappropriate questions/comments. What would you do if you don't get in this year? Do you agree with the public option? How would you fix the current healthcare problems? How many are uninsured and underinsured?
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Faculty: Tell me about yourself. Why UIC? Name some of your strengths and weakness. How would your best friend/parents describe you? What are the top 3 problems facing physicians? Ethical question about an uninsured patient who requests that you pretend he is his brother who has insurance who needs emergency procedure. What would you do if you couldn't be a physician? How do you handle stress?
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Student: Tell me about yourself. Why UIC aside from it being in Chicago since there are many other schools here? What do you do in your free time? Tell me about your research activities.
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What volunteering experience have you had?
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When did you know you wanted to become a doctor and why?
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Why UIC? (I'm OOS)
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How is your mother doing? (personal statement question) What is your favorite subject? Do you have any questions for me?
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What interests you about medicine? Why UIC? Do you have any questions for me?
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Why do you want to be a doctor? Do you have any questions for me?
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What interests you academically outside of medicine?
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How do you deal with stress? How do you do in a team? What are your study habits?
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What qualities do you possess that will make you stand out as a physician? What is a positive or negative aspect to health care right now? What do you think other physicians or patients will say about you as a doctor?
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Why medicine? where do you see yourself in 5/10/15 years?
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Opinion on Obama's healthcare policies and comparing it with Japan (since I grew up there).
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Why medicine?
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How would you define professionalism? Where do you see yourself in ten years?
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What is your favorite novel? What do you do to deal with stress?
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Why medicine? Tell me about x,y,z activity.
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Do you have any questions about the curriculum?
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Had a medical student interview me. Very relaxed. What is your favorite movie and book?
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What is my stance on our current healthcare system? What am I going to do to fix it?
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Describe that state of US Healthcare? What is the number one problem of our health system? What would you do to fix it? What do your parents/siblings do?
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Tell me about yourself. Hypothetical situation about abortion/parental notification. Hypothetical situation about giving a patient the wrong medication but there is no adverse effect - what would you do?
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When have you felt like you actually helped somebody?
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Do you have any questions about UIC?
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Do you have any siblings?
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What would you do if medical school doesn't work out?
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Where do you see yourself in 5/10/15 years?
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How do you see yourself working in a group or a team?
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How has your view of the medical profession changed since you were a child?
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How will you deal with the stresses of medical school?
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Tell me about yourself. What are fears/excitement about coming to medical school?
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Were you happy with the outcome of the election? What are your worries about medical school?
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Why do you want to be a doctor? What is the most important scientific innovation made in the last 10 years? If a patient was going to die in two months no matter the treatment given what would you do? Why UIC?
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Interviewer 1: Why do you do research? What makes you want to volunteer? What do you think the biggest issue is in healthcare right now? What specialty do you want to pursue? As a doctor how would you help the uninsured population? (just you) What made you want to become a doctor? Tell me about some medical innovations that have been significant recently.
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Interviewer 2: Why do you want to be a doctor? Tell me about... from your personal statement. How did you deal with that stress? What are some of your hobbies? Tell me about your research. What specialty are you interested in? What makes a doctor a professional? Is there anything else you would like to tell me about yourself?
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Interviewer 3: What made you want to go into medicine? Do you have any siblings? What careers do they have? How do your parents feel about your decision to become a doctor? Are there any doctors in your family? Where are your parents from?
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Interview 1: (Basic questions) Why Medicine? Why UIC? Where would you travel and why?
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Interview 2: Why Medicine? Why UIC? What have you done to prepare you for a medical career? Our medical school class is big, how would you handle that?
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Interview 3: What's wrong with healthcare? How would you fix healthcare? How many people are uninsured? Underinsured? Do you believe in universal healthcare/socialized medicine? Is healthcare a right or a privilege?
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How would you deal with a stressful situation?
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Outside of medicine, what are some of your interests? (They said this was to see how I would fit in at the school)
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What are your ideas on how to save American healthcare?
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Tell me one of your weaknesses. Who are you favorite professors at your undergraduate school (this interviewer knew the whole chemistry faculty at my school, wow..) Why UIC? What questions do you have for me?
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Where do you see yourself when you grow up? Tell me about playing guitar. Do you think that Quantum Mechanics and Biochemistry can be combined into a single study?(again, questions from my secondary)
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Why UIC? Do you know what Socialized Medicine is? Tell me about your volunteer experiences. Can you speak Gujurati?( this question, and other questions were asked about my secondary application)
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Describe a typical day in your life 15 or 20 years from now.
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Why UIC? What makes it different from the other schools in Chicago?
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tell me about yourself, your family and your life in general up to this point.
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what do you do to relieve stress? what do you do for fun?
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why UIC? (i got drilled on this one) tell me about your research
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Tell me about yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
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What do you think about socialized medicine? What is the biggest problem in health care right now? How would you fix health care? Why UIC? How many uninsured people are there in the US? How many underinsured?
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What kind of medicine do you think you would like to pursue? What type of clinical exposure have you had? What are you doing in your year off? Is health care a right or a privilege?
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What difficulties will you face when you are finished with residency and practicing as a clinician?
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What will you do if you are not accepted this year?
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Why UIC? Why medicine?
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MD, faculty: Have you considered other professions? Tell me about your life. Are there other MDs in your family? Why medicine? Tell me about a time when your integrity was questioned.
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MD, retired faculty: What is your MCAT and GPA. What will you do if you don't get in? (Followed by 10 minute explanation of how I should retake the MCAT [BOGUS]). What is the biggest problem in healthcare? How would you fix it?
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PhD, faculty: What do you think of the role of women in healthcare? What do you want me to know about yourself? When I go back to the admissions committee, what is the most important thing that they shoud know about you? Are you for or against universal health care and what are the pros and cons associated with it? Where do you see yourself in 2013? Why did you decide to take a year off?
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Tell us about yourself.
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What are you proudest of?
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What is your greatest weakness, both personally and on your application?
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see above
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What do you do to relieve stress? How will you deal with the stresses of medical school?
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What specialty are you interested in?
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What questions do you have for us?
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What are you looking for in a medical school?
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How would you teach ethics? What would you do if you were at a hospital that had a policy of not distributing contraception at all? Why medicine? What would you do if you didn't get in this year?
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Tell me about yourself. Based on the political candidates' campaigns, who do you think has the best health care plan and why? What makes doctors ''professionals'' versus a person that is really good at their job but not a ''professional''?
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What are your strengths/weaknesses? How would your friends describe you? If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? What problems do you think physicians (as a group) encounter? What are the most important issues in this election for you personally?
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Did you ever resent that your mother was in medical school when you were growing up and having parents on call quite a bit?
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How did you prepare for the rigors of med school/what do you do for stress?
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What are some area of health concern you can identify from your hometown?
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How would you fix the healthcare system in this country?
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When did you decide that you really wanted to go into medicine and why?
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If you were a medical student and you made a mistake no one would find out about, would you tell someone the next day?
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What have you learned from your activities in college?
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Tell me about some medical innovations (come with at least 3-4).
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The Jehovah's Witness question and other questions related to cultural competency
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Who is your hero? Why do you want to be doctor?
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See two above
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Tell me about your school.
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Tell me about yourself, starting from the beginning. (que long answer)
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Questions about the health care system and the uninsured population - would you treat uninsured patients?
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What challenges do you anticipate in medical school?
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Why medicine? Why UIC?
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''Is there any part of the medical curriculum with which you think you'll struggle?''
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''What do you do when you're stressed?''
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''Why UIC?''
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How would you describe yourself? How would your friends describe you?
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What activities/ hobbies do you enjoy? Do you think you will be able to continue these in medical school?
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What do you think about socialized medicine?
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Describe a day in your life, 15 years from now.
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How do you cope with stress?
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How would someone else describe you?
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Describe recent advances in medicine
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How would you solve the healthcare crisis?
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Name one innovation in science/medicine and its effect on medicine.
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Oral contraceptive question.
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Tell me about yourself (which progressed into health policy).
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Questions about personal statement
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Tell me something about yourself I don't know
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What's wrong with healthcare, what are some issues facing healthcare
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Give us your best and worst experience with a doctor and why.
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How would your friends describe you?
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Tell us about playing rugby?
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Were do you see the healthcare field going in 5 years and where do you want it to go?
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What obstacles do you think you'll face in medical school?
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Would you come to UIC if the Urban Health Program wasn't here? (I told my interviewer that it was a big draw for me.)
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What are some problems in medicine?
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Name three innovations in medicine.
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Questions about my personal statement.
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Why UIC? Describe yourself
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How do I manage stress and frustrations
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What is the biggest problem affecting healthcare
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What motivated me to apply to school in general
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Future problem in medicine?
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What do you feel will be the most challenging aspect of medical school?
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Extra-medical skill-sets.
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Future of medicine.
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Insights into what it takes to be a good physician.
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What do you do to manage stress?
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What do you feel are some major issues regarding public health in the future?
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Three most recent advances in medicine.
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What is the problem with our healthcare system?
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Why medicine? Why now?
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What do you think about the fact that people cannot pay for life-saving treatments?
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What would you do if you caught a classmate cheating?
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2 of the interviews were pretty pointless...no good questions...the 3rd was great...they two students asked the normal questions about stress and dealing with failure
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What are you looking for in a school?
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What do you do to relax?
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Will you go here if you get in?
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this was a while ago... i don't really remember...
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Tell me about your research
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what do you do to relax
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why do you want to be a doctor why UIC
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Tell me about some of the jobs you worked during undergraduate.
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What area of practice do you want to enter?
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What led you to become intersted in medicine?
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The U.S. healthcare and how do you plan to fix it?
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The universal healthcare!
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Why you did research before applying to med school?
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How can you compete in the law curriculum with an undergrad background in engineering?
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why and MD/JD?
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Why low grades?
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''How and why would you persuade (a) an obese stranger with no scientific knowledge and (b) a fellow classmate in college to take a biochemistry class?''
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''If you saw a classmate of yours cheating on a medical school exam, what, if anything, would you do?''
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''Why do you think that there aren't many black male physicians and how does it make you feel?''
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What do you do when you aren't studying, thinking about being a doctor?
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You mentioned that you've encountered some strange things (drug addicts, suicidal teenagers) while spending time in the ER. Can you tell us a little about that?
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Can you tell me about a time in your life when you failed at something (or at least FELT that you had)? What happened and how did you handle it?
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What interests do you have outside of academics and studying?
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What's wrong with our healthcare system?
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Tell me about your hobbies.
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What are qualities that you think a physician should possess?
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How do you deal with anxiety?
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See interesting question
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*a variety of questions regarding my extracurricular activities and what they meant to me*
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What do you do to relax when you are stressed out? What would you in medical school when you feel like you can't handle the stress?
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What is wrong with the US health care system? What can be done about it?
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See above for examples
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Describe a significant experience which led you toward the medical career.
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How would you address a patient who refused care and turned toward traditional healing practices?
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If you have two medications to treat the same health condition, how would you choose which one to prescribe?
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What is angina? How do you treat it? Can you tell me the physiology of how the medication works? (Don't worry, they probably asked me that because I work at a cardiology clinic)
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What is the problem with our health care system? What needs to be done?
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What recent movies have you seen? Any suggestions for my husband and I?
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Describe various health care systems in the world. What is wrong with American health care?
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How do you want your patients to see you?
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You have a patient who is a chronic smoker and refuses to quit. How do you address this?
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If someone came in that was underfed and had diabetes, and was not able to afford proper nutrition or medication, what is your duty as a physician?
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Tell me about your hobbies and interests.
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Why do you want to be in an MD/PhD program?
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Be sure to have some questions==you see three people and they all say : do you have any questions for me?
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how well do you handle stress?
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is our health care system broken? why? how fix?
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where will you be in ten years?
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A question about my undergraduate institution.
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How do you/ would you deal with stress and stressful situations?
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What are your concerns/worries as you enter medical school?
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How will you handle your stress while in medical school?
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Of all the medical schools you've applied to, where does UIC rank?
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What type of physician do you want your patients to think of you as?
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Tell me about how you decided on medicine.
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What do you think are some major ethical problems facing medicine right now?
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Why do you want to come to UIC?
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What are yoou hobbies/like to do for fun or in spare time?
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What is a problem in the healthcare system? How would you change it?
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Why did I decide on my major in undergrad?
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What was your research about
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What would you do to help the uninsured? do you think we should go to socialized medicine? what are problems with each kind?
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Why do you want to become a doctor
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Tell me about your experience abroad and the diversity you encountered?
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What do you like to do in your free time to relax and deal with stress?
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Why a doctor and not something else in the medical field (RN, public health, etc)?
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Out of current medical advancements, what will make the most impact in few years down the road? (it was quite worded this way, something like this.)
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What motivated you to volunteer in so many different places?
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What will you do to improve the US healthcare system?
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Discuss the 3 major healthcare systems (was kind of vague in his approach didn't know what he was looking for at first, but in case anyone cares, looking for US, England, and Canada).
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Tell me about a few recent medical technological advancements you've heard about that the general public might be interested in knowing.
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Why do you want to go to UIC? Why, straight up, do you want to be a doctor? (med student asked latter, can you tell)
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What do you do in your free time? (Asked by 2 interviewers)
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What specialty do you think you want to practice?(Asked by all 3 interviewers)
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Why medicine instead of another career that emphasizes contribution to society? (Asked by student interviewer)
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What makes you a strong candidate?
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Why do you think UIC might be a good fit for you?
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Why do you want to become a Dr.?
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in 10 years what do you see yourself doing?
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why the university of illinois?
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What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies.
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Why do you want to become a doctor now?Why the switch? (I am an engineer.)
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What are your plans if you do not get into med school this year?
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What do you like to do for fun and to relieve stress?
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What is your opinion of the state of healthcare in the US?
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Can you perform your job as a hemophiliac? Can you be counted on if you are injured?
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It takes compassion and empathy to be a physician. Can you give me examples of when you have demonstrated these characteristics?
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What is your opinion of health care in the US?
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Questions about what life was like growing up in rural community.
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What are your hobbies/what do you do in your free time?
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Do you do research? Explain it.
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what are your pet peeves?
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What are your top three choices for medical school besides UIC?
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Describe one event in your life that was like a turning point showing you that medicine is the profession you want to be in.
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What do you bring to medicine? to UIC? Also, both faculty interviewers asked me where else I have applied.
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what is one big problem facing medicine today?
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Explain your research.
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If you had to choose a medical field to follow today, what would you choose?
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How would you fix healthcare?
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What is a medical advancement in the last 10 years that will have a significant impact on your career as a physician?
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Talk about my background and things I learned while travelling
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What is a current healthcare problem and how would u solve it? If you were interested in doing stem cell research (I said i was) what exactly would I do?
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What is a weakness you have?
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Lots of questions specific to what I'd written in my essays- the only thing they have to look at during the interview is your essays.
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Problems in medicine?
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What is your first choice for medical school?
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Tell me what you do for fun.
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What do you think is the main problem in healthcare today?
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Tell me more about your traveling, research, and publishing.
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What kind of doctor do you want to be?
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Why choose our school?
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Describe a time when you took on a leadership or guidance-type role.
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If you do not get into medical school this year, what will you do? (Say that you will be back next year with a stronger resume)
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What do you like to do in your free time or to relieve stress?
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Tell me about yourself and why you want to go into medicine.
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What kind of doctor do you want to be? (this seemed intentionally open-ended...maybe to see if you'd interpret "kind" as a specialty or if you'd talk about being compassionate or whatever)
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What's a good book you've read recently and a good movie you've seen recently?
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There were questions basically pertaining to my application.
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What would you do if a long-time smoker, age 65, came to you and refused to quit smoking?
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tell me about research.
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why did you have to take physics 2 for engineers three separate times? (oops!)
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why not pursue just phd?
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What is something about you that is not in your file that you'd like me to know?
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When you're working in a group, what kind of worker are you?
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Why be a doctor?
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What have you been doing since you graduated (last year)?
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What is a personality characteristic of yours that is negative?
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Why University of Illinois?
-
If not a career in medicine, what other professions have you thought about pursuing?
-
What do you think will be your biggest obstacle getting adjusted to medical school? How do you think your husband will react to the lack of time you will have with him when you go to medical school?
-
What do you think of stem cell research?
-
What is be biggest problem with healthcare today?
-
What kind of research do you do?
-
Have you ever considered studying anything other than medicine? When and why?
-
If your best friend's 14-year old daughter comes into your office and asks for oral contraceptives, what would you do?
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What are you passionate about? How has this affected your desire to become a doctor?
-
If a patient comes to you and has done something you disagree with (i.e. morally) how would you react to them?
-
Tell me about your role with ____ (organization)? All of the interview questions came directly from my ps and supplemental questions... make sure you know YOUR words inside out and that you are able to convey them in an interesting yet concise manner (remember you only have about 25 minutes!).
-
Tell me about yourself?
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What do you feel are qualities of a good ____ (former career)? You feel that these are qualities of a good physician (he was very presumptious)? [my reply... ABSOLUTELY]
-
Asked me about why I picked the university I attended for undergraduate studies, and also wanted me to elaborate on the physicians I have shadowed.
-
Considering that your parents are both doctors, what do they think about you doing rural health?
-
You talk about going to a rural community, can you please elaborate on it? (I mentioned my experience with a rural community for a response to one of the questions on the application)
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Name one thing you wish you could change about yourself.
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Why Med?
-
What are your hobbies?
-
what qualities should a physician have? (they jumped rigtht into my application, didn't ask "Tell me about yourself" or anything)
-
you have always been surrounded by your family; if you are placed on a track where you have to spend your first year at Urbana, how will you deal?
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As a physician, what steps could you personally take at a local/hospital level to make medical care less financially burdensome for uninsured patients/low income patients?
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How did growing up on a farm shape your outlook on life and contribute to your interest in medicine?
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How do you think you will handle the stress of medical school based on your prior experiences with stressful situations?
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Describe your research. (may want to bring a blank sheet of paper and a functioning pen--the guy asked me to draw out diagrams)
-
LOTS of questions about hobbies (prepare to answer question after question about your hobby--at least have 1 good thing to say about a hobby)
-
what considerations did you take into account when deciding on a career in medicine
-
Besides patient care, what other responsibilities should doctors assume?
-
Medicine is a long career...what are you going to do so you don't get burned-out?
-
Medicine is time consuming...how are you going to handle your personal life (spouse, children) and professional life?
-
Tell me what you do in your spare time.
-
What are your thoughts on the U.S. healthcare system?
-
What area in medicine are you interested in pursuing (if that is known now)?
-
Describe a situation where your integrity was challenged?
-
How did you deal with your mother's illness?
-
how many uninsured are in this country?
-
what questions do you have for me? (i ask a question, he answers) okay, next question? (i had to ask at least 6-7 questions during one interview!)
-
would you really consider coming here? (i attend an ivy league school)
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What kind of medicine do you want to practice?
-
Which campus do you like the most?
-
Why medicine?...nothing unusual. but i did hear that a few kids got the "what would you do if you saw a student cheating" question.
-
isn't math an abstract entity and science concrete? why on earth would you like math AND science if they're two different things? (he wouldn't let me answer)
-
what do you dislike about a visit to a doctor's office
-
why do you want to be a doctor
-
A bunch of stuff specific to my application (study abroad, previous career, research)
-
Do you read a newspaper? What artistic talents do you have?
-
Why should we take you instead of all the other applicants? What do you have to contribute to UIC that is different from all the other applicants?
-
Explain or teach me how to do something that is unrelated to medicine.
-
If you caught a student cheating, what would you do?
-
What do you think are the most important issues facing medicine today?
-
How do you deal with stress?
-
What academic obstacle have you overcome?
-
Describe your research experience.
-
what do you do for fun?
-
If you caught a student cheating, would you tell on them? (I said that I might not rat out the specific student, but would notify the professor that people are cheating and that the testing conditions should be changed)
-
In your essay, you talk about compassionate medicine. What does it mean to be a compassionate physician? How will you go about doing this?
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What are some negative aspects to being a physician?
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What would you do after a tough day?
-
Your (undergraduate) school is very prestigous in medicine, why do you want to come to UIC?
-
Most questions were based on my personal statement. What was interesting was that second interviewer asked me only one question. Rest of the time he was answering my questions. I felt bad about it in the end because it was like me asking him questions rather than him asking me questions.
-
What do you do in your free time/ How do you relax/ What do you do for fun?
-
Why medicine? The interviewers only had the AMCAS personal statement. They did not have the MCAT scores either. So 2 of the 3 interviewers had some follow up questions on my personal statement.
-
Why did you go to your undergradute college?
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What are your thoughts on universal health care?
-
What is the biggest problem facing health care?
-
Hobbies?
-
Why doctor?
-
How would you balance school and Research
-
What are current issues in Health care and how would you deal with them
-
Why Do yo want to go to UIC
-
I want to be an OBGYN, so they asked me why I chose it and how I'd balance it with my family life.
-
questions regarding my personal statement, which is all they had.
-
Are you familiar with a consortium to address the problem of the uninsured? (directed question due to my background)
-
What are your thoughts on stem cell research?
-
describe difficult leadership experience.
-
why uic & chicago?
-
Tell me about *blah* experience from my essay
-
Why medicine.
-
how did your interest in birds come about? from personal statement.
-
question about my research.
-
what speciality would you like to pursue.
-
best and worse trait about you
-
What do you do in your spare time/ or to relax/relieve stress.
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When a patient leaves, what do u want them to remember about you or say about you as a doc to another person as a referrel.
-
what are you doing to do with your degrees?
-
where do you see yourself 10-15 years down the road?
-
why should we pick you?
-
How was your experience in Mexico? (Again, based on my personal statement)
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Why medical school now? (I'm a nontraditional applicant)
-
Would you be more inclined twoards being an academic clinician? (Based on my research experience)
-
Tell us about yourself?
-
what is the biggest healthcare issue facing us right now?
-
why do you want to go into medicine
-
Problems in health care
-
what do you do in your free time
-
why do you want to work with children
-
What do you do for fun/to relax?
-
Where/what do you invision yourself practicing?
-
What do you perceive will be the most difficult thing for you during you first year of medical school.
-
Why should UIC pick you.
-
Tell me about your research (I do research at a lab).
-
What speacialty have you considered? Why? Have there been any role-models in this specialty that influenced you?
-
What is a problem in medicine that you see?
-
Why should we accept you?
-
How have your experiences in working in the health field influenced your goals and aspirations?
-
Tell us about your family.
-
Why are you here, why do you want to be a doctor?
-
"I dont care about health policy/research or whatever people do on the Hill, I am a real doc on the front lines practicing on people" (Well it was not really a question as you can see).
-
Do you support to War in IRAQ? (Pick Yes or no)
-
Give me financial incentives/reform to reduce the cost of malpractice insurance for Obstetrics
-
Describe yourself in three words.
-
What made you want to become a physician?
-
Why did you apply to UIC?
-
Tell us a bit about yourself. Then various questions about attending boarding school and majoring in the humanities in college.
-
What was the last good book you read?
-
Did you ever consider the field of informatics; it is a burgeoning field in medicine ( I have a background in computers)?
-
How do you plan to balance your family life and work/education in the future.
-
What are some problems facing physicians today? This was followed up with what would you do to solve some of these problems?
-
How do you plan to finance your medical education?
-
How do your parents feel about your decision to become a physician?
-
What kind of music do you listen to?
-
How do you relax?
-
What qualities do you see in yourself that would make you a good physician?
-
Why do you want to become a doctor?
-
Are you considering doing research during medical school?
-
Give an example of a time you felt you truly impacted someone's life.
-
What do you do in your free time?
-
Describe one strength and one weakness in your personality. Tell us more about your clinical experience.
-
How do you plan to spend your last summer vacation before medical school?
-
We don't expect you to offer solutions, but what are some current issues in health care that concern you?
-
how being a nontraditional applicant will create challenges in med school
-
how has my integrity been tested
-
How do you feel about the direction Medicine is headed? (yeah, vague as to aspects of research or malpractice insurance or providing health care to everyone, etc)
-
Talk about a time where you thought you might not succeed, and how you dealt with that.
-
What qualities do you think a physician should have?
-
How would you deal with a patient who is non-compliant with his medication?
-
If you could eat dinner with any 3 people, dead or alive, who would your choose and why?
-
Why UIC? What do you do for fun? How many books do you read a year? Would you treat an uninsured child in your clinic if you knew his family could not pay?
-
Describe a time when you felt your morals were challenged.
-
What clinical experiences have you had?
-
What do you like to do for fun?
-
Tell me a time when you significantly impacted someone else's life.
-
What kind of research were/are you doing?
-
if you could change one thing about yourself what would you change?
-
tell us about yourself
-
where do you see yourself as a doctor in 10 years, what would you do if you didn't get in this year?
-
What are my concerns with the healthcare field?
-
What books have I read recently?
-
Why medicine and not social work or something similar?
-
What are some aspects of a good physician?
-
What will you do to take away stress during medical school?
-
Why do you want to be involved in the field of medicine?
-
What would you do if a woman comes in and asks you to sign a form saying her condition is not pre-existing so she can get insurance coverage? (fraud)
-
Which newspaper do you read regularly?
-
With all the quality medical schools in Chicago, why would you choose UIC?
-
List 3 words that describe you and elaborate on one of them.
-
Tell us about something you've done unrelated to medicine that has helped someone else.
-
What do you see as a major problem in the field of medicine?
-
Personal statement questions.
-
Personal strengths and weaknesses?
-
What do you want us to relay to the admissions committee about you?
-
What undergraduate class do you think will help you most in med school?
-
Why do you want to be a doctor? Why UIC
-
What do you do in your spare time?
-
Are you involved in any more extra-curricular activities?
-
Tell me about your volunteer work.
-
What other obstacles have you had in life?
-
How will AIDS affect us and why should we do something about it?
-
What do you think about the current malpractice insurance problem?
-
Why do you want to quit your career as a software developer to be a doctor?
-
Who or what have been the greatest influences on your decision to practice medicine?
-
What extracurricular activity is the most significant which you've done.
-
What's your favorite bar? (I go to U of I)
-
What's your favorite movie?
-
You mention problems in health care and ethical dilemmas in your AMCAS, can you elaborate on some of those?
-
What non-medical/non-academic activities do you participate in?
-
What is the biggest problem in the medical field today and how would you solve it?
-
Will you join any clubs/organizations while you are here?
-
The M3 student asked, "Why would I want you as a classmate?"
-
What qualities make a good physician?
-
Who did I consider to be my hero?
-
Has your integrity ever been challenged?
-
What personal characteristics might hinder your success as a physician
-
Why are you here today?
-
How do you de-stress?
-
Such long hours, grueling work, etc, etc. Why Medicine?
-
What was your hardest and favorite college courses?
-
I didn't get these questions but others did: "If money didn't matter, what school would you go to?" "Why do you want to go to UIC?"
-
Why did you choose your college?
-
Tell me about something not in your personal statement.
-
Would you be ok with the weather in Chicago?
-
Be ready for a panel interview if you are going to rockford to interview.
-
Lots of Questions about my personal statement.
-
Tell us about your experience in Bolivia.
-
Why did you attend 4 schools?
-
How do your relieve your stress?
-
what is your weakness?
-
Have you read any good books recently?
-
Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?
-
If you could not be a doctor, or anything in the sciences, what field would you pursue?
-
What qualities do you have that would make you a good doctor?
-
Name a time when your integrity was challenged.
-
Which of the campuses would you like to attend if given the chance? Why?
-
Lots of questions about the personal statement
-
Name 3 qualities that you feel you possess that are necessary for a good doctor.
-
What is the biggest problem facing the medical field today?
-
What are some characteristics of a good physician?
-
Why UIC? (Be prepared for this one)
-
Do you think you want to specialize? If so, what do you want to specialize in?
-
how do you destress?
-
where do you see yourself as a doctor in 10 years?
-
Was your decision to pursue medicine a lightbulb moment?
-
What is your favorite movie?
-
What makes you angry?
-
Do you prefer a career in research or would you rather be more of a practitioner?
-
What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?
-
Who is your model and why?
-
Why do you want to come to this medical school (UIC)?
-
If you don't get in, what will you do instead?
-
Getting a PhD requires a lot of time in the lab, do you think you can put in the time?
-
Specific questions pertaining to my resarch
-
What area of medicine do you think you'd like to go into?
-
How did you like your undergrad experience? Why did you choose that school?
-
Why do you like our school?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Illinois College of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including ethical scenarios, personal attributes, healthcare reform, and future career aspirations. While some responses mentioned MMI, Multiple Mini Interview format, or nondisclosure agreements, the questions primarily focused on ethics, personal experiences, problem-solving skills, and views on healthcare challenges and advancements.
-
How would you want your future patients to describe you?
-
What was your most embarrassing story?
-
An ethical scenario about how to respond to a physician being upset with you.
-
What question do you want to be asked?
-
How have you dealt with a stressful situation
-
A lot of a physician's life has to do with mentorship. Teach me how to do something.
-
A lot of ethical questions, but they chose from a list
-
What is your favorite fairy tale? And why?
-
what will you do if you get into medical school and you find yourself failing the first year
-
nothing really
-
What about the money?
-
Just regular questions. Nothing was really special
-
What do you like about Chicago/what have you seen in the city (b/c I had visited previously)?
-
If you knew a colleague was abusing drugs, what would you do?
-
What does translational research mean to you?
-
If you were a kitchen appliance, what would you be and why?
-
What kind of car do you drive? Did you buy it? Was it new or used when you bought it? How does it drive/ How do you drive on the highway?
-
If medications A and B were available, with A being the most effective and expensive, what would you do if your patient couldnt afford medication A?
-
What is one of your weaknesses?
-
do you want to go into medicine because of your parents? (parents are docs)
-
If a person wanted a physician of a specific gender that was not available in that field at the time, what would you do?
-
What qualities do you want your patients to see in you as a physician?
-
(I'm a double major) How do you feel your academic pursuits outside of science will help you academically in the future?
-
How would you deal with a difficult roomate
-
Do you think healthcare bill would be a success? (Note: My interview was just one day after health care bill was passed)
-
In light of the recent health care legislation, what would you do as a doctor to improve the health of the 400-500 (as opposed to improving the health of millions) patients that you treat?
-
What is your emotional intelligence? (do you have realistic expectations for yourself and others?)
-
What would you do if you saw a classmate make a nonessential mistake
-
So why is HIV such a problem in Africa? (This was asked since we were talking about my NGO work in East Africa.) What do you think about healthcare? (About which he meant: healthcare reform.)
-
What would you do if there were no need of doctors in the world?
-
Interviewer 3 : Recent Advancements in medicine.
-
Ethical question about uninsured paient
-
How will you pay for medical school?
-
What is your favorite subject?
-
Nothing really unexpected/interesting...
-
If your best friend was here and you were not, what will he or she say about you?
-
Tell me about your best friend.
-
A lot of questions about my activities, hobbies and life experiences. Everything was conversational and relaxed.
-
Would you attend a different campus? (UIC has multiple campuses for 2-4 yrs)
-
When have you felt like you actually helped somebody?
-
What does professionalism mean?
-
What is the most difficult problem you ever had to solve in school? Note: I am an engineering major, so this question is specific to one of my secondary responses.
-
If a patient was going to die in two months no matter the treatment given what would you do?
-
As a doctor how would you help the uninsured population, singlehandedly?
-
Our medical school class is big, how would you handle that?
-
Tell us about yourself (they said I could say whatever I wanted, so I started with where and how I grew up and ended with hobbies and my college experience)
-
Do you think that Quantum Mechanics and Biochemistry can be combined into a single study?
-
If you were queen of the country and you could do anything you want, how would you improve the health care system without raising taxes?
-
where do you see yourself in 15 years ? give hour by hour details.
-
Nothing. I felt like everything was pretty standard.
-
How would you like your patient's to describe you?
-
Tell me about a time when your integrity was challenged.
-
Why do you like solving problems?
-
why are there still disparities in healthcare and what can be done to solve them?
-
How would a friend describe you?
-
How would you describe professionalism?
-
What are three recent break-throughs in medicine?
-
How do you teach ethics? (not me personally, just in general)
-
Did you having cancer and your father having cancer pique your interest in medicine?
-
I didn't really get any interesting questions; they were mostly the standard ''why medicine'' type questions.
-
If you were a doctor and the 16 year old daughter of your family friend asked you for birth control pills, would you prescribe them to her?
-
If you had a patient who was a Jehovah's Witness and the patriarch of the family told you (the physician) that he did not want his wife (the patient) to know that she was going to die if she didn't receive the treatment that their religion would not allow, what would you do?
-
Have you ever had at time where your integrity was questioned and how did you respond?
-
If you could meet any historical figure, which one would it be?
-
Do you watch any medical TV shows? Which ones?
-
What do you think is the biggest problem in healthcare right now?
-
How would you fix our health system?
-
Tell me something about you that I don't know.
-
As an uninsured individual going into medicine how has that affected your impression of the US healthcare system?
-
Tell me a story about where you work.
-
It layman's terms tell me three major innovations in medicine.
-
What is your favorite cocktail drink?
-
How would your best friends describe you?
-
What do you see in the future for medicine?
-
What do you see is the biggest problem affecting health care?
-
What are three recent important advances in medicine?
-
Where do you think the future of medicine is going?
-
How many bottles of shampoo are consumed in US hotels every year? (thought process...not a number)
-
Nothing special... Pretty standard questions
-
what do you think the greatest scientific technology out there right now?
-
What would you do if you encountered a poor lecturer?
-
What type of books do you like to read?
-
Why did you apply late? What if you don't get in this year?
-
why an MD/JD?
-
1. ''What do you know about HMO's and PPO's.'' 2. ''As a doctor who is a Christian, how would you face a situation that challenged your values or beliefs, such as working in an abortion clinic.'' 3. ''How would you deal with a poverty-stricken patient who needed a critical lab test but didn't have insurance or the funds to do so?''
-
How important do you think a school/the institution is in determining the ultimate success of its students?
-
Who is your role model?
-
Can you say something for me in Spanish? (I'm a Spanish major)
-
What would you do if a woman who had no insurance and an adenoma came to you?
-
If i took a course in English before I moved here from India
-
What made you change your mind and pursue medicine? (from teaching)
-
If you didn't get that result in your research, how would you continue.
-
How do you think a doctor can play a role in health education?
-
Can you show me right now how to take blood pressure? ( I'm a medical assistant)
-
A patient comes in asking for a prescription for a relative without insurance. What do you/how do you handle the situation?
-
What is the most significant technological advancement from the past decade?
-
What would you specifically do to change health care?
-
Why medicine? What you do if you are not accepted? Tell me about a leadership experience. What kind of qualities should a pt. be looking for? What is a book you read recently? Why is communication really important in medicine? What would you like to specialize in?
-
what my criticisms of the medical field are
-
A question about my current research.
-
Will you come here? What can I say to convince you to come here? Who are we competing with?
-
Did someone tell you to take your MCAT again (I had a low score the first time!)?
-
What do you think America should do about our healthcare system.
-
What in the past decade has changed the face of medicine? (besides a technological development)
-
A specific question pertaining to my personal statement.
-
none
-
Why am I interested in life-long learning (came up out of general conversation with an interviewer)
-
A few well-prepared questions about my PS.
-
What will you do to improve today's healthcare system?
-
Straight up, no emotional bs that you'd put on an application, why do you want to be a doctor?
-
[All of my questions listed are paraphrased] What do you think you ultimately want from a medical school? (Asked by the physician interviewer) And a personal one from the admissions counselor was the most poignant/emotional
-
I moved to U.S when i was in H.S., so one of the questions i was asked was: How did you blend in with the crazy American H.S. kids?
-
What do you think of the possibility of disease eradication via genetic manipulation?
-
what type of health-care systems are found in the western world?
-
i was not asked any questions i hadn't heard before, it was routine
-
How would you tell someone who was just diagnosed with a disability, could you identify?
-
Do you plan to instill your ethical standards in your son, and how? (I have a four-month-old.)
-
What do you like to do for fun and how are you going to incorporate this in your life as a doctor
-
What are the advantages and disadvantages of starting medical school at this time in your life?
-
As a physician to a pregnant couple, would you or wouldn't you tell them that their unborn child has a developmental problem? If you would tell them, how would you break the news?
-
How would you fix healthcare?
-
How much was entering medical school my idea? What are my real motivations for becoming a physician?
-
What are you most concerned about in starting medical school? (The M2 asked me this and when I told him, he reassured me that I need not worry about it.)
-
If a good friend asked if she could cheat off of you on an exam, what would you tell her? How would you deal with the situation?
-
How would you handle the difficulties of US's privitized health insurance in general, and underinsurance in particular.
-
Tell me about a time when your integrity was challenged and what you did about it.
-
What would you do if a long-time smoker, age 65, came to you and refused to quit smoking?
-
"Describe a situation when you were unsuccessful as a leader."
-
Do you ever see yourself working with health policy in the government?
-
Who is your favorite author/what do you read?
-
Do you feel that you know 100% what is the life of a physician like?
-
What are you going to do about the 45 million?
-
What is one strength that you feel you possess that will make you a better doctor?
-
What is the most influential book you've ever read? What is the most recent book you've read?
-
Who is the one person who has motivated you the most?
-
Describe your involvement in Amensty International
-
How would you feel if the health care system was changed to something similiar to Canada vs. ours now?
-
If you don't get into medical school, what would you do?
-
How did growing up on a farm shape your outlook on life and contribute to your interest in medicine?
-
what does a school's attitudes on diversity reflect on its character?
-
How are you going to deal with the emotional toll of dealing with sick patients?
-
How did you decide between allopathic and osteopathic schools (a question specific to my personal statement)?
-
Describe a situation where your integrity was challenged?
-
medical student interview was all ethics questions, so be prepared for those, like: if you're are physician and your friend's niece comes to you for birth control, what do you do?
-
What do you think about stem cell research?
-
what do you think is the meaning of life?
-
Do you think healthcare is a right or a priveledge? I say right, interviewer says, "So you think we should amend the constitution to say that all Americans have the right to all healthcare?
-
Can you think of a situation in which you felt you truly helped somebody?
-
What's your pet peeve?
-
Name one word that describes yourself.
-
Do you think you will be satsified with the size of the indian community here? ( I interviewed at rockford and am of Indian descent).
-
None really
-
How would you manage time for volunteering if you want to do serious research?
-
What would you change about healthcare (everything was quite standard.
-
If you had a friend who had a fourteen year old daughter and she came to you for birth control, what would you do?
-
No interesting questions.
-
Did you have any role models that you have used to pattern yourself after? (based on my desire to do research)
-
What are my feelings about the current health practices in the US. (they weren't looking for a solution, just what i thought)
-
How would you change the healthcare system to address the needs of the uninsured?
-
As far as the questions were concerned, nothing was that difficult. I honestly do not remember them, but if you look at other postings you will get a rough idea.
-
typical med school questions were asked, nothing out of the ordinary
-
How will you balance your personal and professional lives as a physician? Do you think this will be a problem for you?
-
well, they didn't read much of my essays... looking for some who interviews the afternoon of March 23... trying to find out the name of the panel interviewers........ HELP
-
If the teen daughter of your friend came to you asking for stuff on sex, what would you do
-
Do you know what cretinism is?
-
How was your experience in Mexico? (This was based on a very early activity that I wrote about in my personal statement); it was surprising because I had also mentioned many others things following that, which were more recent.
-
Tell us about yourself?
-
What draws you to Chicago for medical school?
-
All questions were repeats of what I had seen on this site. Every single one!
-
How do you think the trend towards legislating morality affects the practice of medicine? (long question, this is a paraphrase)
-
Are you familiar with the theory of Evolution? If so, have you ever thought about what medicine is doing to the theory.
-
What do you think about the "economic incentives" of going into medicine? (This was taken from my personal statement)
-
Do you think medicine is a right or a priviledge?
-
Tell us about your family.
-
Why I think people choose certain specialties (radiology vs. derm vs. ER etc)
-
Use three words to describe yourself.
-
Do you see yourself more on the cognitive side of medicine or the procedural side?
-
Did you ever consider the field of informatics; it is a burgeoning field in medicine?
-
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
-
Considering the growing obesity problem in the U.S., what kind of programs would you implement to address this problem and why?
-
why medicine
-
What would you do if a patient's insurance did not cover a test you wanted to run?
-
If you could eat dinner with any 3 people, dead or alive, who would your choose and why?
-
Describe the ideal day.
-
If you were working in the ER and had a patient that kept talking to you about their problems/venting for an excessive amount of time, how would you handle it?
-
One of the doctors was French/Canadian so he asked me some questions in French which I thought was pretty cool. (since he read that I spoke french)
-
What's the biggest problem you see with adolescents? (not necessarily just a health related problem)
-
If there was a patient that needed a CAT scan but their insurance company wouldn't pay for it, what would you do?
-
How I would apply the philosophy of the book I was reading to medical school - have had a number of interviews and haven't had anything similar asked.
-
They were all pretty straight forward questions. Perhaps the most interesting question was what the last book I read was.
-
Imagine you are the President of the U.S.; how do you plan to pay for nationalized healthcare?
-
Tell us about something you've done unrelated to medicine that has helped someone else.
-
What undergraduate class do you think will help you most in med school?
-
Tell me about an instance when you impacted someone other than a family member.
-
What would someone who doesn't like you say about you?
-
How will AIDS affect us (US & world wide) and what should we do about it?
-
None really, pretty basic stuff
-
What would be the most difficult thing about being a doctor?
-
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What will be your biggest challenge in med school and how will you face it?
-
With limited resources, how should we go about rationing healthcare?
-
How many languages do you speak?
-
How would I approach an overachieving med student who was abnoxious and hard to get along with?
-
What personal characteristics might hinder your success as a physician
-
How would you encourage medical students to practice in underserved areas in the future?
-
What makes you mad?
-
Nothing interesting at all really, just standard questions.
-
What types of things do you think you will be able to offer the medical community besides excellent patient care?
-
What was a situation in which your integrity was challenged?
-
Describe yourself?
-
how do you motivate yourself
-
What are some problems with the public health system today? How can they be solved?
-
what do you do for fun?
-
Have you ever had a negative experience with one of your physicians, and how did that affect your decision to go into medicine?
-
You've mentioned your pets, can you tell us about them?
-
How would you solve the problem of medically underserved geographic locations? (The Rural Medicine program at Rockford is particularly prominent)
-
None.
-
Do you think we should pay for organ donations?
-
you said you see yourself with a family in 10 years... how do you plan to deal with the stresses of a family and being a doctor.
-
Describe your typical afternoon.
-
A survey was conducted among current Physicians. What factor do you think contributed the most to their happiness with their careers?
-
Tell me three characteristics of a good doctor.
-
what would you improve about yourself to become a better physician?
-
How would your friends describe you? (I said outgoing) Why would they describe you as outgoing?
-
How would you solve the problem of uninsured people?
-
None. All were pretty basic questions.
-
What do you plan to do with an MD/PhD?
-
What do you think about the situation in Afghanistan, specifically that the US is dropping bombs while giving aid.
What was the most difficult question?
Students said the most difficult question asked at University of Illinois College of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including personal challenges, ethical dilemmas, professionalism, and healthcare policies. Many responses referred to an MMI format, indicating scenarios involving privilege, integrity testing, ethical decision-making, and patient interactions, while some respondents mentioned facing non-disclosure agreements during the interviews.
-
What was the hardest time in your life and how did you grow from it?
-
What was your most embarrassing story?
-
During an MMI, the interviewer asked me if I was privileged. He then asked me if I was willing to give up my spot to someone less privileged than me.
-
None, it was straightforward
-
Nothing
-
none
-
How would you be an advocate for a patient?
-
What does professionalism mean to you? ( I expected the question from past responses, but still stumbled a little)
-
many ethical questions
-
Why do you want to do research in medical school? Then he proceeded to lecture me about why I shouldn't do research and how i shouldn't do anything but focus on my classes...very weird antagonizing guy
-
Who are you?
-
What might I change about myself
-
Specific questions about my research, how it is related to human health (MSTP).
-
A friend's daughter comes to you asking for a prescription for birth control. What would you do? (after I answered, the interviewer then asked follow-up questions based on my answer)
-
None.
-
How would you apply what you learned from [insert clinical experience] to your practice as a physician?
-
Pick a disease that you could live with for one week (an incurable/chronic one; not flu or colds) and why? wHAT MADE YOU PICK THAT DISEASE? What are the symptoms? What are the drugs used for that disease? mechanism of action? How could I tell you had that disease (from looking at you)
-
Describe a time your integrity has been tested?
-
" What is one way to lower the costs of healthcare? "- I was a bit confused as to whether she meant for patients or for the government as a whole...
-
If you work for a hospital/practice that only allows 15 mins for office visits and you have a patient that requires additional time (~15 more mins), would you void the hospital's/practice's policy to address that person's needs or would you treat the illness as best you could and tell them to come back?
-
what makes you qualified to work in a multi-cultural environment?
-
All the ethical questions.
-
When was there a time your integrity was challenged? What are three things someone who doesn't like you would say about you?
-
Name a time when your integrity was challenged.
-
How would you avoid litigation
-
How will healthcare bill effect the current practice of many physicians?
-
What does professionalism mean to you?
-
healthcare questions-reducing cost, physcian's salary
-
Define Professionalism
-
Discuss a time when you were faced with an ethical dilemma.
-
Tell me about yourself- start anywhere and end anywhere.
-
What would you do if a female patient only wanted a female physician, but you were an administrator at a clinic with no clinical privileges & the clinic was full of all male physicians?
-
Interviewer 1: What I think of the public option. A word of advice, don't flip-flop. If you pick a side stick with it. I think the best option is to understand both sides and discuss the pros/cons of each.
-
How would you fix the current healthcare option? (surprisingly agreed with the interviewer despite the rough beginning I guess at least it ended on a good note)
-
What do you think about Obama's health care plan? Spent 15 minutes disagreeing with my interviewer about it. Just hold your ground and make intelligent arguments and that's all they want!
-
N/A
-
Opinion on Obama's healthcare policies and comparing it with Japan (since I grew up there).
-
What would your worst enemy say about you? (This question threw me off a bit but I ended up laughing with my interviewer.)
-
na
-
Hypothetical situation about abortion/parental notification.
-
How many people in the US are under-insured?
-
In your opinion, what are three essential qualities of a physician?
-
If a patient was going to die in two months no matter the treatment given what would you do?
-
What makes a doctor a professional? What are some recent medical innovations?
-
Nothing too tricky
-
Do you think that Quantum Mechanics and Biochemistry can be combined into a single study?
-
I was given a scenario of two men who needed a liver. One was a heavy drinker and the other an upstanding citizen. The heavy drinker was at the top of the transplant list. I was asked who should get the liver.
-
compare the two political candidates. (this was not a hard question but the interviewer accused me of liking obama more and proceeded to tell me why mccain was better and how the electoral system wont count his vote because Illonois is a Democratic state.) How would you give everyone universal coverage without raising taxes?
-
Nothing really. The more aggressive interviewer caught me off guard right at the start, but I managed to comeback and defend my views, I think.
-
What is your biggest strength and weakness?
-
What do you think of the role of women in healthcare?
-
same as above
-
What was the hardest decision you have ever made? What are some current issues in medical ethics?
-
How would you describe professionalism?
-
Three questions asking in the following order: Why UIC? Why UIC if you got into another Chicago-area school? Why UIC if you got into Northwestern?
-
What is the difference between being a ''professional'' in the ''profession'' of medicine versus just a regular job that you are good at?
-
What are some of the frustrations your mother experiences in her practice? (my mother is a rural FP)
-
Do you believe there is a problem with the healthcare system in this country and, if so, how would you fix it?
-
What do you think is the best way to solve the healthcare issue?
-
What responsibility to doctors have to be culturally competent in their encounters with people outside of the hospital setting?
-
What would you do to change the state of malpractice insurance in the state of Illinois? (wtf?)
-
Name three recent advancements in medicine.
-
''What else do you need to tell me to make this happen for you?''
-
What do you think a trait of bad doctors?
-
If you were queen of the country, how would you fix the lack of insurance problem without raising taxes?
-
How would you solve the problem of the millions of uninsured in this country?
-
What do you think of pharmacists that refuse to refill oral contraceptive Rxs?
-
A 14 year old girl has diabetes (and a bunch of other medical issues) How would you solve that kind of problem? (She was looking for a big picture answer, I thought she was talking about the specific situation)
-
none really...although on the first question of ''how did you arrive at this point'' (ie, of deciding medicine)...i was very nervous...so i paused for 2-3 seconds before answering, hope they dont hold it against me. everything else was fine though
-
Nothing was too difficult.
-
None really
-
A patient comes in who cant afford treatment or prescriptions, what do you do. They dont qualify for medicare/it doesnt cover enough ( I thought I was prepared for this question but interviewer kept prodding me by making the situation increasingly difficult.)
-
How would you solve the controversy associated with the HPV vaccination
-
What qualities do you feel make a good physician?
-
as a doctor, how would you deal with those aspects of a practice that require knowledge outside of medical knowledge.
-
What are three recent important advances in medicine?
-
Are you prepared to deal with death and dying?
-
Nothing out of the ordinary.
-
i guess see above, since we went into a lot of detail on the 3 answers i provided.
-
ethical questions about the what you notice the attending do
-
What are three things your friends would say about you?
-
Do you know social medicine?
-
why did you have such low grades?
-
There weren't any difficult or crazy questions, but rather questions that just surprised me and I hadn't thought of before, such as, ''What are some of your pet peeves?'' Since this was my very first interview, I was still jittery.
-
Comment on proffessionalism and what it how professionalism in medicine is different than in other careers?
-
Basic stuff.
-
Suppose your best friend's 14-year old daughter comes to you asking for contraceptives. How do you handle it? Do you tell your friend? (NOTE: one thing I didn't know was that the hypocratic oath doesn't apply to minors! keep that in mind if they hit you with this one)
-
Same as the most interesting.
-
What about UIC interests you?
-
If you have unlimited resources, where would you start to address the problems with research funding and health care.
-
How do you motivate a patient to make changes?
-
Name a specific time where you let someone down and another time when someone let you down. It can't be a family member for either cases. How did you go about it?
-
Nothing too bad - most of the questions were either get to know you style, based on my application, or hypothetical.
-
Explain stem cells to me. Where else can you find stem cells other than the blastula?
-
What does an MD/PhD have that a straight MD or PhD doesn't?
-
What would your best friend say s/he likes least about you?
-
re: medicare spending on life-saving treatments for elder with other terminal illness and dimentia...very interesting question, but suprised me.
-
Inappropriate questions about my GPA, MCAT, other things, etc after we were told this was a closed-file interview where the school was trying to get to know us based on essays only.
-
What is the most beautiful sounding instrument?
-
What would you do if you had a child patient with parents that are Jehovah's Witnesses and the child needed a blood transfusion? (They wanted me to know the legalities of this...)
-
How is a doctor a professional?
-
What did your parents do for a living? Because neither of my parents worked. When I told the interviewer that he gave me a funny look.
-
How many people are uninsured?
-
Tell about a time when your integrity was questioned/challenged?
-
Describe how you can contribute to this school?
-
Tell me about the different types of healthcare system in the western world.
-
Discuss the three major healthcare systems that exist in the world (looking for US, Britain, and Canada).
-
What do you consider your greatest strength and your greatest weakness? (Asked by the student interviewer)
-
Apart from common yet essential qualities such as being compassionate, knowledgeable etc., what other intrinsic qualities do you think builds a strong physician? Do you possess any of those qualities?
-
explain to us why you switched majors from History to microbiology.
-
how would you combat the healthcare problems facing the US?
-
=o
-
See most interesting
-
None -- they were really quite benign!
-
How would you go about improving the US Health System?
-
General questions about universal healthcare vs. socialized medicine
-
What are two novel scientific discoveries that would be interest to the general public?
-
Why do you want to go to U of I
-
Why this school, no matter what I said, they were very critical. I guess I can't BS that well. Will take a crash study.
-
Talk about what I noticed from travelling in (country where my parents are from) over 4 years ago....what is the government like, who is the leader...etc
-
What are some problems with medicine today? (After I talked about two, anything else?)
-
What do you think is the source of the problem that 45 million people in the U.S. are currently uninsured?
-
see most interesting Q
-
If you were made king of the U.S., with all the power of the president and Congress, how would you fix the problem of 45 million people uninsured .... without raising taxes?
-
What would you do if you did not get accepted to any medical school (i.e. what else would you consider as a career path...simply saying apply again next year was not sufficient)
-
What to do with the 45 million uninsured?
-
"How would your university be different if you had never attended it?"
-
Name a situation when you were in a group and things didn't work out as you planned and how did you handle it.
-
What direction do you see the medical field headed- (using government,medicare,medicaid, health insurance topics)?- I forget how it was worded, but it was somewhat complicated.
-
If your 14-year-old niece comes to you (assuming you are an OB/GYN or Pediatrician) and tells you that she needs oral contraceptives, how would you handle that situation? Would you tell her parents that she came to see you?
-
What can you do, personally, to help the uninsured?
-
If your best friend's 14-year old daughter comes into your office and asks for oral contraceptives, what would you do?
-
What do you do when a class gets boring? They really drilled me on this question. I guess it's a question I set myself up for when I said in my personal statement that "I jokingly tell people I want to be a doctor because I never want to get bored with my career" but seriously, can't these people take a joke?
-
There were no really "difficult" questions. Do you see yourself in more of a clinical or acamdemic research setting and why?
-
How do you think you would set up a rural practice and what would be important factors in your decision?
-
it got as tough as the question above.
-
As a physician, what steps could you personally take at a local/hospital level to make medical care less financially burdensome for uninsured patients/low income patients?
-
How would you handle a manic patient who refused every form of treatment prescribed under your care? (asking about the approach you would take)
-
nothing i couldn't answer
-
Describe a situation that questioned your integrity.
-
Nothing too difficult...very friendly, conversational interview.
-
how many uninsured are in this country today? it wasn't that hard, but i couldn't remember the figure.. i said around 40 million, my interviewer said it was 45 million so i was basically right.
-
same
-
What would you do if a woman came in with a breast lump that needed immediate surgery, but her new insurance wouldn't cover the surgery because she claimed to have no pre-existing conditions. She asks you to sign a paper which states that this wasn't a pre-existing condition (even though it obviously had to have been) so that she can get coverage and have insurance cover the life saving surgery. What do you do?
-
What do you think should be done to provide health care to the 45 million people that are presently uninsured?
-
How will being a Hindu influence your practice as a physician?
-
Where do you see healthcare in 5-10 years? (It was difficult because it was so vague that I basically just sputtered off a bunch of healthcare issues)
-
None really. They just wanted to know me more.
-
What other schools did you apply? (I didn't really want to say, but I did)
-
See above.
-
The name of my biochemistry professor? (I couldn't remeber)
-
No difficult questions.
-
What was the most challenging experience you have had up to this point. I wasn't asked this question but I heard that they asked the following: Would you turn in a fellow student that you saw cheating in a test? Hint: The answer is "yes". I may seem like your being a tattle-tail but you have to keep in mind that it is a "ethics" question. IE its testing your ability to make hard but ethical question. The basis for turning in a cheater would be that this person is obtaining their degree under false pretences and my be a hazard/danger to patients in the future (as they may not know the relevant material)
-
What would I do if i saw a student cheating on a test. (I was just honest which if they were looking for the 'school' answer....they didn't get it.
-
One of the interviewers asked me whether or not I was familiar with the development of a consortium of top industry performers to deal with the problems of the uninsured. The question really wasn't difficult, I was just unfamiliar with the subject. Although my background is in Health Policy and Management I am not familiar with the consortium.
-
tell me about a stressful leadership experience
-
What have been your best and worst experiences with medicine? (I listed a couple but it did not seem to satisfy the interviewers and they kept on pushing for more and more personal family information.)
-
what would you do if you were told that medical school would Never be an option for you.
-
none really all were the one that the other student mentioned
-
If the teen daughter of your friend came to you asking for stuff on sex, what would you do
-
what can you do about our present healthcare sitution?
-
Why would you not go into academic medicine? (Based on a discussion that we were having).
-
Tell us about a time you helped someone? Tell us about a time you helped someone and it negatively impacted them?
-
have you ever thought about how medicine relates to the darwinian concept of evolution.
-
If there were not politicians, how would health care change?
-
Tell me about yourself. (Seriously, I dont like open ended questions.)
-
How do you deal with a stubburn patient who just won't take their meds?
-
Why do you think there are many people in the US who do not seek medical care?
-
Tell us about a time when you have had to adjust to something completely unexpected, and how did you do it?
-
What will be the hardest thing for you to do in medical school?
-
What do you see being the most challenging thing you will face as a physician?
-
How do I feel about the War in IRAQ
-
What do you picture yourself doing in 10 - 15 years.
-
What made you come back to wanting to be a physician (I'm a non-trad applicant)
-
How do you plan to deal with family life and your demanding lifestyle.
-
If someone was cheating off your exam, what would you do?
-
Where do you see the health care system going?
-
Give an example of a time you felt you truly impacted someone's life.
-
Describe a time that you made a sacrifice for someone else?
-
how my integrity has been tested
-
What stresses you out?
-
How would you deal with a patient who is non-compliant with his medication?
-
None were particularly difficult although many questions were unrelated so I found it difficult to switch gears quickly.
-
If you don't get in, would you reapply next year? How many times would you reapply? Would you apply to a Foreign Medical School?
-
If a patient of yours needed a procedure but the insurance company refused to cover the cost, what would you do?
-
None really, they were all pretty straight forward.
-
Other than the philosophy question, the questions were pretty standard.
-
see most interesting question
-
List 3 words that describe you and elaborate on one of them.
-
none were really difficult
-
What angers you?
-
What do you think about the current problems we are having with medical malpractice insurance?
-
How will you handle the time committment of medicine and still do all the things you want to do?
-
What makes you mad/frustrated?
-
If there was a procedure that you could do on a patient, but for some reason (insurance, for example) you could not do it on the patient, what would you do?
-
Why did you choose medicine over a career in public health? (I had expressed some interest in the developing world)
-
Why should UIC accept you?
-
Nothing too bad... What difficulties do physicians face today and how would you deal with them
-
What is the biggest problem facing healthcare today?
-
If you owned your own clinic and had 15 patients, but could only provide quality health care to 10 patients, what would you do?
-
Are you sure that the high cost of education and high cost of malpractice insurance won't deter you from entering medicine?
-
What do you think will be the most difficult aspect of medical school for you?
-
Probably the one above...but nothing really that I would consider difficult.
-
none really....why uic, why medicine...
-
very obscure current events that were an attempt at conversation but were very akward
-
What one thing would you change about yourself if you could?
-
What are some qualities a good physician should have?
-
What qualities do you possess that would make you a good physician?
-
My thoughts about euthanasia....
-
Tell me a time when your integrity was challenged and how you dealt with the situation.
-
None were really difficult . . . I was asked an ethical question that was related to a situation I brought up in my personal statement
-
the one above. but another one was-- name an instance where you were asked to do something wrong or illegal.
-
Describe a situation in which your integrity was challenged?
-
None were too diffcult.
-
The questions were simple and fair.
-
above
-
How would you approach a subject in medical school that you hated, but had to learn?
-
Describe a situation in which your integrity was challenged? How did you deal with it?
-
You say that you want to take care of people and help people. How would you feel about taking care of a patient who was a murderer? (i later learned that this was relevant because the university has a contract to care for the sick prisoners from Illinois Dept of Corrections.)
-
You so passionately stated in your essay that you'd like to further MRI technology, do you think you can do it? (it was hard to answer, without sounding cocky)
-
If you had a child who needed treatment, but the parents wanted to take him to a shaman what would you do?
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 3 people.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had a closed file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 0-1 hour traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by automobile to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent less than $100.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
-
mid
-
RFD
-
Peoria via O'Hare
-
Peoria International Airport
-
PIA
-
Ohare
-
ORD
-
O'Hare
-
Midway and O'Hare
-
Midway
-
MDW
-
CMI
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
-
Wyndham O'Hare
-
Travelodge Chicago
-
Travelodge
-
The Marriott across the street
-
Super *
-
Sleep Inn
-
Residence Inn by Marriot [Down River location]
-
Residence Inn by Marriot
-
Radisson
-
N/A
-
Marriott Residence Inn (Waukegan)
-
Marriot
-
Mark Twain
-
Mariott
-
IHSP (hostel)
-
Hyatt Regency in Downtown
-
Hyatt Regency
-
Hotel Chicago
-
Holiday Inn
-
Hard Rock Hotel
-
Gold Coast Inn Hotel
-
Forgot lol
-
Days Inn Chicago
-
Countryside Holiday Inn
-
Club Quarters
-
Chicago South Loop Hotel
-
Chicago Hilton
-
Best Western, Rosemont
-
Best Western
-
Baymont Inn and Suites
-
Alpine Inn
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by reviewing their application materials, practicing with mock interviews, researching the school website, and reading feedback on Student Doctor Network (SDN). Many also delved into healthcare issues, current events, and ethical topics to be well-rounded in their preparation.
-
SDN questions, UICOM website, Mock interviews
-
School website/sdn/spoke to students
-
Talked to current students and read online
-
Sdn, talking to other students, website review
-
SDN, Mock interviews, practice, researched school
-
SDN, read over application, practiced
-
SDN, school website
-
Practice interviews
-
SDN and school website
-
looked up info on the school
-
SDN and website for school
-
SDN, review of file
-
Read the website, Primary, Secondary, Feedback Questions
-
Reviewed their website, my application materials, SDN, and research of my interviewers. Came prepared with questions.
-
Read SDN and UIC's website
-
SDN interview feedback, reviewed my primary and secondary apps, reviewed my research.
-
Studied SDN feedback, application essays, and UIC website.
-
SDN
-
SND, reviewed application
-
sdn feedback, mock interview with friend
-
SDN website, mock interviews, went through school's website extensively
-
Re-read all of my submitted essays and practiced all of the questions on SDN.
-
-LOTS of practice in mirror & mock interviews with fam & friends -wrote down answers (bullet points) to "typical questions" -reviewed my ps, amcas, etc
-
SDN, talking to students, review personal statement and secondaries.
-
Reading this SDN Interview Feedback page and practiced with my friends. And researching the school.
-
Read this forum, practiced with family and friends
-
SDN, website, mock interviews
-
Read over my personal statement, secondary essays and recent UIC Interview feedbacks on SDN
-
Read interview feedback on here, thought about hwo I would answer the questions, read information on the schools website. The interviewers only have access to your personal statement and essays from the secondary application, so I reread those.
-
SDN, read through my personal statements and essays, looked through the school website.
-
sdn interview feedback, reviewed amcas
-
SDN, talking to medical students
-
Reviewed the website, my application materials, and practice questions from the web.
-
Mock Interview, reviewed personal statement and secondary applications
-
SDN interview feedback, talking with a friend who had already interviewed
-
SDN, mock interview, read about health care
-
Read the last 2 years worth of questions from this site (this helped). Practiced interviewing with family.
-
SDN, interview feedback, read up on current US healthcare issues, learned about healthcare systems in other countries,
-
SDN Interview Feedback, read up on health care debate issues, UIC website
-
SDN! : )
-
SDN, Cato Institute website (policy think tank), mock interview, self-reflection
-
SDN, Amcas personal statement, secondaries, I researched recent medical innovations as well as current ethical issues in medicine but I was not asked about these
-
Mock interview, re-reading all my essays, making sure I can talk about my research, volunteering experiences.
-
Read SDN feedback, reread AMCAS and UIC secondary applications, researched health care problems and issues in US, etc. Overall, I felt like I was over-prepared.
-
SDN, read several books on US health care policy, reviewed AMCAS/secondary applications, reviewed UIC website
-
read about UIC online
-
SDN, Re-read AMCAS personal statement and UIC secondary essays
-
School's website, read over my secondaries and personal statement, SDN Interview Feeback
-
SDN, reviewed my secondary application and AMCAS application
-
SDN interview thread, researched politics, healthcare, ethics, innovations.
-
AMCAS, Secondary App, Compared the political candidates healthcare plans (not that it matters anymore because Obama is the MAN!), Studied the US healthcare system, SDN questions (from these forums).
-
Read on SDN, looked up the websites for the various campus locations, checked their residency match stats.
-
Read through SDN interview feed back, researched questions I was no clear of, read my secondary application, read over my whole primary.
-
Read through previous questions on SDN, reviewed my secondary and AMCAS application.
-
SND. AMCAS. online research.
-
Re-read my personal statement, my old research notes, all supplemental essay materials, read two books on health care policy (LeBow and Bodenheimer), interview feedback on SDN (prepared a list of 60+ possible questions), and read many times over the website info.
-
SDN, reviewed AMCAS and secondary app
-
SDN, looked at UICs webpage, previous interviews, AMCAS personal statement, 2ndary.
-
AMCAS, self-reflection
-
sdn, website, amcas, secondaries, healthcare issues
-
SDN, school website, interview feedback, re-read secondary essays and personal statement
-
I read my AMCAS, read about the school, did mock interviews.
-
SDN, UIC web site
-
Read feedback on SDN, researched medical innovations and health care, familiarized myself with political stances on health care, reread personal statement and supplementary applications
-
website, SDN
-
Read SDN, went back over my AMCAS and supplemental applications.
-
sdn interview feedback, school website, healthcare websites
-
SDN was so incredibly helpful! I copy and pasted every question from people's posts from 2007 and went over all of them. Looked at NYT and CNN archives online for articles related to the health field, looked at the school's website very thoroughly, watched sicko and read up about the health care system in America and several other countries... took about 1-2 weeks to prepare
-
Reread AMCAS, SDN, secondary
-
read over secondary essays, SDN
-
Reviewed AMCAS and Secondary. Did NOT review or rehearse interview questions; prefer real-time answers.
-
SDN, school website, read over my AMCAS and supplemental apps.
-
StudentDoctor, school website, read over application, other interview
-
Read newspapers and online resources, SDN, looked at recent medical journals
-
SDN, Life
-
SDN, Wik, Sicko(VERY useful btw!) read their '02-'04 student manual on their website
-
read SDN, reread my AMCAS essay, wikied some healthcare topics and the PBS.org website
-
Read SDN, read up on US/Canada/UK healthcare systems (didn't need it though), read about current health care issues
-
Read SDN (right on with most questions), read UIC's site, read medically related news
-
SDN, school website, pbs.org has a great site comparing healthcare in US/UK/ Canada
-
read about ethical issues in medicine, look at sdn postings, talked to current medical schools
-
SDN, kept up on news in medicine, previous interview, mock interviews
-
This site, secondary essays, AMCAS essays
-
SDN, previous interview, perused the school website
-
SDN, School website (which lacked detail), Health Policy sites (needed), Bioethics site (not needed)
-
read the posts on SDN, read my essays, and read about healthcare and insurance
-
read books, mock interview...other med school interviews
-
SDN mostly. I've already had quite a few interviews, so I was ready for most questions.
-
SDN, read over app, went over health care issues (i read that a lot of ppl here ask them but i didn't get any)
-
SDN, secondary essays, personal statement
-
Read up on current events & health-related issues, browsed feedback from SDN
-
School's website, my essays, SDN.
-
SDN, the past interview experiences.
-
researched the interviewers, read the newspaper, considered answers to potential questions
-
Used studentdoctor.net :-), Used Wikipedia to look up various health care issues, Read over my AMCAS and supplementary essays, Thought of many questions to ask my interviewers (Remember you have 3 interviews that will each ask you if you have questions!), Slept well the night before, ate a hearty breakfast, etc....
-
I read my essays. Although the interview was closed-file, the interviewers did have the essays (AMCAS and secondary that I wrote). I also read SDN and outlined some answers to typical med school interview questions.
-
sdn, read application...etc.
-
went over AMCAS and secondary essays; read through SDN feedback (this was key)
-
SDN; brushed up on current events, medical ethical issues, and healthcare systems; read over my personal statement
-
SDN, other interview resources
-
Not much, like to play it by ear. Just reviewed my AMCAS and supplemental essays.
-
Review personal statement, application, SDN
-
Review primary & secondary applications and referred to website.
-
SDN,read primary and secondary essays, read about health care
-
Read SDN, primary, secondary apps, and about UIC.
-
SDN (obvi), read over my secondary, and looked over the school's website for things I would be interested in doing.
-
reviewed applications, read SDN, looked over school's website
-
SDN baby, school website, Dress to Impress!
-
SDN, review essays
-
SDN, AMCAS, Secondaries
-
Read over application essays and PS- the interviewers have access to these. Did some research on
-
Read over SD posts, read secondaries and AMCAS, researched health issues online
-
Read up about insurance issues, read my 2nd app
-
did research on ethical issues; insurance and healthcare systems in US, UK, and Canada; current events; looked through PS and secondaries
-
SDN, AAMCAS, Secondary essays, UIC catalogue
-
read student doctor.net and caught up on current events
-
Reviewed application, school website and brochure, SDN
-
Website, SDN.
-
I did a practice interview with some faculty members at my school and then reviewed materials on SDN, secondary and primary applications.
-
Looked over AMCAS personal statement, 2nd essays, and read up on recent medical sociology, tech advancements and a little on the school.
-
I didn't really prepare formally. I just ran off the excitement of finally being at the interview for a chance to become what I know is right for myself. I didn't want my responses to seem rehearsed, and so they weren't. I just gave instinctual, "gut" answers.
-
Visited a pre-med advisor Went through personal application and the history of the school thoroughly. That was sufficient, the interviews were pretty laid back.
-
sdn, reviewed secondaries.
-
SDN feedback, read school website, curriculum
-
obsess over SDN, my secondary application essay questions, AMCAS, talk to doctors about their views on the state of healthcare in the country
-
SDN, AMCAS and secondary applications
-
read over my AMCAS and secondary apps, school website, SDN
-
looked at website and my essays
-
Didn't really prepare for the interview.
-
Secondary application, medical school website, mock interviews
-
Didn't really
-
SDN, website, read own file
-
read UIC website, my seconary, amcas, etc
-
SDN, read about UIC (especially the Chicago campus), other interviews.
-
SDN, reviewed my essays, researched current issues in healtcare
-
Browsed UIC website (looked at all 4 campuses, memorized some recent stats/news about UIC, looked over my AMCAS/2ary, browsed SDN interview feedbacks
-
SDN, read over essays
-
AMCAS, supplemental application, SDN, student website, websites about ethics and health care.
-
By going to other med school interviews. (This was my last one.)
-
Other medical school interviews
-
This website, reviewing many possible questions, school website, other medical school interviewing websites.
-
Reviewed AMCAS application, secondary application, especially PS and essays, reviewed school's website and this site
-
SDN, reviewed my AMCAS and secondary applications, reviewed healthcare and bioethics books.
-
Read over school's bulletin espescially focusing on their mission and vision statements, in addition to curriculum and facilities available.
-
By reading this website, the school website, and interview stuff at the AMCAS and Princeton Review websites.
-
UIC website(s), talking to people who have interviewed at UIC in the past, SDN and mock interviews.
-
Reviewed all the information regarding the UIC RMED Program and made sure to look at SDN. However, since this program is so different from UIC's general curriculum, there is no set way to prepare for the interview. Made up random interview questions regarding rural health.
-
SDN, reread apps, read paper
-
sdn, rehearsing answers to basic questions, like "why UIC, why you wanna be a doc" (but i didn't get asked either of those).
-
Read through UIC's website, look at previous SDN respondents and researched medical ethics and current issues.
-
i read my secondary and my amcas statement...i also went home the night before and had dinner with my parents (ive discovered that TGI Fridays is my lucky place to eat before interviews --wont say what i eat, that stays a secret)
-
read my applications, this website, mock interview
-
SDN interview feedback, UIC website, bioethics and healthcare websites, practiced answering questions aloud, e-mailed questions to current UIC medical students (friends)
-
SDN, course website (not immediately apparent, but if you search, there is a ton of information - school catalogue, LCME report, M1/M2 websites, etc)
-
read overapp. sdn. amcas. website. chill out..
-
SDN, UIC catalog
-
standard
-
nothing really
-
Thought of why I'd want to go to UIC, looked at website
-
SDN, school website, application
-
SDN and UIC website
-
SDN, U of I homepage
-
Read SDN
-
Read the feedback. Thought about the obvious questions like: a) Why medicine? b) Why UIC?
-
SDN, they have a gigantic catalog online that I read through
-
Looked over school's website and catalogue and reviewed questions on sdn.
-
sdn, school's site, mock interviews
-
Reviewed secondary application, UIC website, SDN.
-
read SDN (thanks this was a big stress reliever!), reveiewed personal statement,read catalog
-
SDN, talking with other students and counselors
-
SDN, school's website
-
studentdoctor.net, school website & publications
-
Prepared answers to 10 common questions, read up about UIC on their website, SDN.
-
Looked at other interview feedback experiences, read over my essay since that is all they have access to.
-
student doctor.net read my essays.. talk to old students
-
this website, amcas
-
reviewed amcas essay, school brochures, etc
-
Read the questions on this website, talked to UIC med students that I knew, reread my personal statement, read through UIC Catalog
-
re-read my applications
-
re-read my apps
-
I didn't
-
SDN, UIC Website, Read up on health care
-
Read interview feedback, ate doughnuts for breakfast...mmmm....doughnuts.....
-
Read UIC web site and Studentdoctor.net
-
Read this website, talked to others with previous interview experience, looked up some stuff about healthcare on the web, asked others about current health care issues (such as the unequal distribution of it).
-
read through my AMCAS, SDN, read UIC handbook and website, interview practice, talking to other students
-
SDN, reviewing personal statement
-
read application over
-
Read the school catalog, reviewed this site, prepared bullet point outline for potential questions.
-
Read this site, skimmed the online catalog
-
I read this site and the UIC website.
-
Reviewed my personal statement, read through UIC handbook and interview feedback on this webpage
-
SDN, read over my personal statement
-
SDN, read the school's catalog, reread my personal statement and AMCAS application
-
*reviewed the online catalogue of UIC (all 200+pages)reviewed this website, read through the pre-med section at mommd.com (highly recommended advice for all, but especially female applicants, read up on managed care, stayed up to date on the news, mock interview, read through interview materials provided by pre-health advising office, wrote outline for main points I wanted to communicate during interview and answers to commonly asked questions.
-
this site
-
SDN, read some of the catalogue (that thing is enormous). Reviewed my personal statement.
-
REad the UIC website, reread my AMCAS application
-
Read SDN, ethics websites, talked to fellow interviewees.
-
Periodicals, UIC website, books, UW bioethics site.
-
read the UIC website, looked over personal statement
-
student doctor network, mymedline, mock interview
-
read the website, read up on health care issues, and read about medical ethics scenarios
-
Read through the catalogue online.
-
Website & AMCAS app
-
SDN, UIC's website
-
SDN, reviewed AMCAS, school's website
-
UIC Website, Interview Feedback, Personal Statement
-
SDN, read school's website, brushed up on hot topics in medicine, mock interview
-
Read personal statement, read interview feedback website, UIC website
-
Read SDN, AMCAS (interviwers only have your personal statement), practiced interviewing, read over school website
-
school web site & catalog, SDN, review personal info and potential questions.
-
Read website and AMCAS info.
-
Read over the school's coursebook that i requested in advance in the mail.
-
Read MSAR, website, sdn. Mock interview.
-
sdn, read up on health care issues, read ps, relaxed
-
re-read personal statement, SDN interview feedback, and looked at website.
-
SDN, read my secondary, READ YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT...that is all the interviewers have seen
-
Read about the school, looked over my applications and this website.
-
Read Interview Feedback, spoke to UIC students.
-
SDN and read UIC website
-
SDN feedback on this school is key. Look at the past questions they ask and prepare from those...you will be surprised how many they repeat!
-
read about the school, read my personal statement, visited SDN..
-
feedback and personal statement
-
this site, re-read application, read their brochure, practiced questions
-
looked at the website, went over interview notes, relaxed
-
re-read application; spoke to UIC alumni
-
Read the website, re-read my application, and RELAXED.
-
SDN, looked over their website
-
Read the UIC course catalogue, viewed SDN interview feedback, re-read personal statement
-
reread my essay
-
Reviewed why I would want to go there and looked at their online information.
-
Read up on info. on UIC (what kinds of advantages its curriculum offers). Did a mock interview, went over questions, . . .
-
Read their website, went over my application
-
Just read the student bulletin online--- knew the curriculum. knew what i liked about the school.
-
You name it, I did it.
-
Reviewed personal statement, read up on the UIC web-site.
-
I searched the school's website. I read AAMC's Medical School Admission Requirements. I reviewed my personal essay.
-
Interviewfeedback.com, mock interview with 2pre-med advisors, discussed potential questions w/freinds
-
Talked with friends, this site.
-
Interviewfeedback.com, school's web-site and m1 handbook - availabel on-line.
-
Read Website.
-
Went over my research, talked to current students.
-
Looked at their website
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were positively impressed by the welcoming and friendly atmosphere created by both staff and students during their interview experiences. They appreciated the emphasis on early clinical exposure, diverse patient populations, and the excellent facilities available at UIC. The sense of community, support for students, and opportunities for research and hands-on experiences were highlighted as significant strengths of the school.
-
How integrated their curriculum is with their patient-centered medicine mission.
-
The one-on-one interview
-
The people. Everyone is so incredibly nice, warm, and authentic.
-
Friendly staff
-
Faculty made every effort to make you feel comfortable
-
The faculty is absolutely amazing and so kind.
-
Their curriculum and the JUMP simulation center
-
Lots of time to talk with students who were overall happy and encouraging
-
How friendly all of the staff and students were
-
I like how UIC Med is connected with everything in the medical district, feels awesome
-
The faculty was very friendly and open. Students didn't seem very stressed out.
-
the friendliness of the students and stuff- felt very much like a family- also they gave us a tour of many areas
-
the food we had at lunch was awesome, my fellow interviewers were really awesome. I didn't like the school at all really.
-
I was really happy with the facilities at the Chicago campus and with the educational opportunities. Unfortunately I didn't get the Chicago campus, which makes the school fall in my personal rankings.
-
the city
-
All of the students and administrators were very sweet (I interviewed at Urbana)
-
Clinical preparation, closeness of all the students, location, research opportunities, number of hospitals available for rotations, how organized the interview day was, and the general atmosphere.
-
Everyone I met.
-
M4 electives can be taken at any accredited medical school. Catered lunch from Burrito Beach. Someone takes you to the interviews and shows you back to the waiting room.
-
VERY laid back. It was the best first interview to have.
-
The students seem really chill and not overly stressed. The staff was SUPER helpful and I love the traditional feel of the campus :)
-
strong sense of comradery amongst students at the peoria campus
-
Everyone I met was incredibly friendly
-
i interviewed at rockford campus. pros: -tight-knit, friendly school -profs & administrators really care about students -m1 & m2 students spend less time in lecture, compared to other sites -students seemed happy about being in rockford, even the ones that originally wanted chi -get more hands-on clinical experience, work directly under attendings
-
The campus is beautiful, has an antique look to it. Also, the admissions staff is very friendly and walked all of us to our interviews. Lecture capture.
-
The current medical students and the location
-
The location is second to none. The IMD is FAB-U-LOUS.
-
Reasons to attend urbana campus, intimate learning community
-
Overall the interview was very laid back. No tension at all.
-
I was interviewed by an M4 and two professors, one who was retired. All three expressed a great interest in the future of the school. The student said he would not have gone to any other school, not even University of Chicago, where his wife attended medical school. Everybody was happy to be there, and that really made a great impression on me.
-
The students seem to do very well on their exams, and go on to competitive residencies. Also get a ton of clinical experience sine there are so many hospitals associated with UIC.
-
the atmosphere of the interview and the attitudes taken to medical education
-
The friendly attitude of the staff and students.
-
Location (Chicago is amazing), organization of interview day (very well-structured), student interviewers, description of dual degree and Urban Med programs by the admissions dean
-
Students seemed really happy, but this was at Rockford, and I would prefer to be in Chicago. Great community.
-
The opportunities at this school. The clinical training. The diversity of the class. That the lectures can be streamed.
-
Diversity of the student body, the research building, student center, friendliness of everyone affiliated with the school on my interview day, how laid back two of my interviewers were, the openness of the MS interviewer and tour guide about the school, early clinical experience and location of course!
-
The admissions committee is very nice and friendly. UIC was my first medical school interview, and they made me feel very comfortable during the interview so I wasn't worried that they would grill me.
-
The students seem somewhat happy.
-
The faculty were super nice! You are always told where and when to go places and are even escorted there as well! : )
-
VERY friendly staff and organized interview process.
-
The interview was geared towards knowing you as an individual, the interviewers were very nice and it made me comfortable.
-
The student tour guide was very enthusiastic about the school and seemed happy to be there. The admissions staff and interviewers were very friendly. It was my first interview so I was pretty nervous at first but they did a good job of keeping the interviewees relaxed. The gym looked sweet, and everything was close to the medical campus.
-
I found almost everything about the school to be perfect for me. Anatomy lab, gym, clinical opportunities, academic atmosphere, friendliness of students, etc.
-
Gym was nice
-
The anatomy lab, the gym, the clinical skills facilities, the clinical opportunities available in Chicago
-
The students talked very highly about their clinical experiences and opportunities. Its about a 30 minute walk from the loop which is an incredible location.
-
Board scores are the highest of any campus and above the national average
-
The school's inviting and warm atmosphere, small town feel (Rockford), tightly-knit and helpful student body, new construction and renovation projects being undertaken to expand the school, decent cost of living in the area, early clinical exposure, suitable facilities.
-
The anatomy lab is on the top floor of the building and it has windows. The students seemed happy. The gym was really nice.
-
Very conversational and laid back interviews, they did not mention grades or MCAT at all, they just wanted to get to know you.
-
The school has basically every degree program imaginable and every option for students to be involved with things they enjoy. Whether it's an MBA, JD, MPH, PhD or even a PhD in a non-science field, the school has EVERYTHING including non-profit clinics throughout the city. The Chicago location is AWESOME. The students are also pretty sweet.
-
All of the students I met (my interview was in Peoria) really seemed to enjoy the campus. I like the fact that they're partnered with OSF because it's such a good-sized hospital for central Illinois. It seemed like the students got a fair amount of opportunity to participate in procedures during third and fourth year because there isn't an overabundance of residents.
-
The admissions interviewers on the whole were very friendly and did a nice job of putting me at ease. I felt good that the interviewers were interested in holding a good conversation with me intstead of having me speak the whole time.
-
The admin people were very nice and the professors seemed very laid back.
-
all the classes are held in a central location. the anatomy lab was nice. the hospital is across the street.
-
How the students (all MS4s) emphasized about how well they were being prepared for their residencies compared to other schools. Most students seemed happy with the school, but didn't get to really meet any other than the ones who were supposed to interview or be tour guides.
-
Friendliness, diversity, location
-
The school was very pretty and nostalgic of undergrad at UIUC. The medical campus is unlike any other due to the large amount of hospitals in that area. Clinicals start during your 1st year, as the medical campus is such a large and awesome resource to the students.
-
Students really seemed to like the school and were excited to become doctors
-
the early exposure to clinical medicine
-
Students at the Peoria campus LOVE their school. The dean was very nice and everything was very laid back and conversational. The Peoria site has a clinical skills lab where they have patient simulators, which I believe can only be found in Peoria.
-
The students and faculty really tried to sell the school.
-
Laid-back non-competitive student body, great location, research.
-
The interviewers were very nice and genuinely interested in your point of view and you as a person. Also, there were plenty of opportunities to talk to current students - during the interview (one of the interviewers is a current student), during the tour, and during lunch.
-
Students are very close-knit, faculty are very interested in the students and really go out of their way, class schedule reported by students was 8-12 daily.
-
While the facilities were obviously old, it wasn't as bad as I expected. They also appear to be committed to ensuring the curriculum is up-to-date (I had previously thought that their traditional, lecture-based teaching methods hadn't been updated since the 80s). They place a lot of emphasis on clinical experience and skills (which I like), and they have relationships with a lot of hospitals. There are also plenty of research opportunities (both formal and informal) if you're looking to do research.
-
Sadly, not really anything
-
The students and faculty seemed very happy there. The students are supportive of each other. Looks like a very nurturing environment.
-
The students were real upbeat and real intelligent. I was really positively impressed by the school and everyone there.
-
location
-
The students and staff are very friendly; the school has carved out a nice little area for itself in downtown Chicago.
-
The friendliness of the admission's staff.
-
Location of the school, how happy the students seem, the clinical mentorship program
-
The clinical experiences, students really well prepared for clerkships and residencies.
-
The school emphasizes early patient exposure with plenty of clinical education. Also, the cultural diversity is impressive.
-
Clinical experience, non-competitive student body, faculty listens to student complaints about curriculum, diversity
-
The students I encountered and the faculty. I interviewed in Peoria so each class is only about 50 ppl. Seems like everyone knows everyone, and I loved that sense of community.
-
The diversity of the student body and how important it is to the school. You have the opportunity to do rotations in a variety of area hospitals. Graduate student housing is literally down the street from the school.
-
The enthusiasm everyone showed. I am very excited about al the clinical experience that is emphasized early-on.
-
Strong commitment to urban medicine, exceedingly diverse student body and very proud to be so. Very student run, the school makes an effort to listen to what the students have to say. Lunch was great.
-
The friendly nature of the school, its staff and students and that each person was honest about the positive and negatives of the school
-
Emphasis on clinical exposure, very early in first year. Lots of opportunities for clerkships in a variety of locations in the Chicagoland area
-
Students were very helpful, day was well coordinated, interviewers were refreshingly friendly and humorous.
-
The interviewers were very friendly and informative.
-
Faculty interviewers seemed very open and amicable. The Medical District had a lot to offer professionally. Little Italy was nice.
-
The students at the Peoria campus were very happy and encouraging about coming to that campus. I was told that the student there are the happiest and do the best on their boards, compared to all of the other locations.
-
The facilities are pretty good - the clinical exposure 3rd and 4th year sounds top-notch. The view from the anatomy lab was a nice change from the typical basement dungeon labs I've seen at other schools.
-
chicago's a great place, very very many hospitals around to rotate in
-
clinical experience starting from M1
-
(Interviewed at Peoria, afternoon session) The enthusiasm of the student host & faculty. Volunteer faculty - meaning faculty are there because they want to teach. The support network for students also seems excellent. Interviewers were very nice and the interview session was itself was very low stress.
-
Small student/faculty ratio, staff seems easily accessible and invovled.
-
The medical loop, the lunch, the interviews were very organized
-
The staff's dedication to the students, these people really love their students, and have personal relationships with them
-
The faculty and students seem very chill and laid back and there is definitely an air of camaraderie instead of competition. Chicago is definitely THE place to study medicine and is rich in culture and diversity. Lunch was delicious, I didn't think they'd give us pizza :-)! The facilities are just fine to me, even though some people think they are a little ''dated''.
-
They gave us a lot of information and the stdent guides stayed with us as we waited for our interviews to answer questions and describe their experiences. The interviewers tried to make me comfortable.
-
the faculty interviewers/staff really sold the school.
-
The location. Chi-Town is a vibrant city and UIC:Chicago puts you squarely in the thick of it.
-
All of the interviewers were incredibly laid back and very friendly. One of them decided that he didn't feel like asking questions, instead he wanted me to ask him questions. Another interviewer ended up talking about herself half the time.
-
The students and faculty seemed very friendly
-
The students, they were down to earth and nice in general.
-
The enthusiasm, diversity of the research and investigators; plus they are expanding-recruiting new researchers, getting new grants/funding and seem to be quite collaborative with local medical schools. The students were down to earth, welcoming, and diverse (with a wide array of interests and talents).
-
My interview was in the Rockford campus. 1. Very friendly students. 2. One-on-one attention from faculty. 3. Direct patient contact early in educational curriculum. 4. 8am-12pm class schedule.
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The culture of the city was unbeatable. The staff were amazingly friendly. The diversity of the students!! The early exposure to patient care in a very diverse patient population.
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The location - Chicago and the Illinois Medical District. The number of opportunities for service, clinical rotations, diversity, and student activities.
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The students who I talked to (around 4-5) genuinely seemed to enjoy the school, atmosphere, and people, and said that they worked hard but also had plenty of time to do things that they loved. There are also a lot of opportunities for M1's to get clinical experience from the get-go.
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The facilities were very nice, and the location of the medical school was optimal. It was in a good area and right off the El, so transportation would be very easy.
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location in the ill. med district
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one of my interviewers was very hard, but i liked the challenge. another interviewer was living out the medical career path I hope to have.
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Students at UIC are laid-back and friendly. The old buildings have some charm. Seems like an adequate place to pursue your MD.
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The attitude that students interviewing early in the cycle are likely to be admitted.
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There are a ton of community outreach programs that UIC partcipates in. UIC also really listens to the students so when there's an issue (like having too much lecture time all at once, having anatomy too early in the year, etc), the school takes action to make the curriculum better. The schedule was just recently changed to make the first year easier to adjust to. The professors are also supposedly very accessible in case you have questions about lecture material. The Dean of Admissios was also pleasantly nice!
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The laid-back/community feel of the school. The students really seem to support each other. The anatomy lab is NOT in the basement! (There are windows in there!)
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the people seemed very enthusiastic about the school, everyone was relaxed and nice, and the admissions staff was also very supportive in terms of calming people down
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The faculty was really welcoming and supportive of their students. All of the students that I talked to seem to love UIC. The students were also very close with one another.
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the student rec, which you share with undergrads but is still nice. Brand new, and thats all the tour guide focused on. Its nice, but people are not going to go there for the rec center...
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Everyone was so enthusiastic about the school, and the interviewers tried to make you feel at ease (for the most part). Great clinical opportunities, you can't beat the location, and everyone answered questions honestly - both the good and the bad.
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I loved the school. UIC seems like it is up and coming among medical schools in the US. If NU and UChicago weren't in such proximity, I'd venture to say UIC would be ranked a lot higher. The hospital seems like it is great - I'm sure one would see a lot of diverse pathology here. The students were cool. There are sooo many opportunities for leadership, research, clinical experience, etc. The research program is extremely strong at UIC - it seems like more and more money is being poured into UIC's research developlemt. The new research building is awesome as is the new Outpatient Center.
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Because I heard so many complaints about the facility, I made sure not to have any big expectations upon my arrival, but it was not as bad as I had imagined. Lecture halls were not much different from ones I was used to and actually felt more or less like home. Student lounges were somewhat of a nice surprise and extraordinary, and I really love the atmosphere.
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The staff and students were very friendly and my student interview and school showed the type of people I could expect to go to class with. They seem very helpful and like all, the new gym was pretty nice.
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The kindness of all administration involved first and foremost. The new research building was nice. The lecture hall was much better than the ones I'm used to. The school's eagerness to provide opportunities to students' individual needs(something I thought might not exist at a state school)
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The faculty and students of the college with whom we interacted - they were extremely nice. Also the quality of students interviewing.
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the old school feel of the campus, red brick buildings, etc... plus the school is basically in downtown chicago, lots of diversity when doing clinical rotations
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How friendly and welcoming everyone was? they tried to keep the process as stress-free as possible. This was at Chicago so I am unaware of all the regional campus interviews.
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everyone was very friendly, saw diversity in the racial mix of my fellow interviewees
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Attitude of students and facilities
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The school really seems to be one that takes to heart the adage that they're not only interviewing us, but we're interviewing them. They did their best to make the day flow easily and with very minimal stress, from escorting you to interviews if need be, to giving an overview of all the things you would normally be expected to know on your own (coursework, campuses, etc.).
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The enthusiasm of the staff/faculty members
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The gym is sweet. Diverse students and the focus on independent learning. Also, clinical exposure to med students seems great.
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The programs the school offers, the surrounding city and the faculty and students. The students seemed like they work together.
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Tuition
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Site itself is beautiful
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the school was a lot nicer than I thought. i heard it was run down, but I was impressed, i thought certain buildings were quite beautiful. nice new gym. laid back interviews for the most part. pizza for lunch, diversity of students
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Friendliness of faculty and students. We were told that we were all being strongly considered and our invitation for interview was a good sign because they don't like to waste our time. Facilities were nicer than expected, and location is fantastic! Great new gym too.
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How laid back all the students were, the emphasis on research
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Everyone was upbeat and interested in helping me gain admittance to UIC.
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The location of the school and the fact that the current students seemed happy to be there.
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I interviewed at the Rockford campus and was impressed with the more personal feel as opposed to the Chicago campus, the students all said they were happy with their choice of school.
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I toured at the Chicago campus, and was impressed by the fact that the students took the initiative to change the curriculum regarding the testing schedule. Also, I was amazed by how friendly everybody was, from the admissions staff to the interviewers to random students. The medical students seemed down to earth and satisfied with the medical education they were receiving. This place is modest when it comes to boasting about their curriculum and facilities on their website, but when you tour, you will find that they, too, have a new and amazing fitness center. The anatomy lab is on the top floor, and is well-lit. The grading is honors, pass, fail, and everybody can pass if they do the work. In addition, they have an excellent standardized pt. program that is videotaped, so you learn clinical skills early on. of Also, I love the fact that UIC is situated in the heart of Chicago proper, and you will having amazing clinical experiences during the 3rd and 4th years. Finally, to quote one of my interviewers, this place is a "smorgasbord" in regards to the opportunities that abound, from earning dual degrees like MD/MPH, MD/MBA, and MD/PhD to finding research opportunities after M1. They also have a UMed program, which offers courses specifically for the health concerns in an urban population.
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i was able to select faculty members with which to interview
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How interested the woman was during my first interview and how well she got to know me and how she was able to realate her life to my expereinces.
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The students were very happy with their location (interview was in Peoria). They said that their Step 1 and Step 2 scores are higher than any of the other U of I locations. Also, they said they get alot of 1-1 time with their faculty and staff, and physicians during rotations.
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How nice everybody was and how small the class size is (only 45 students!)
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The large number of various hospitals in the vicinity.
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How happy the students were with the faculty. Evidently the dean had stayed extra hours one night so that students could study for am exam a little longer in the facility's library.
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There are no residents at the Rockford campus, so when you're doing rotations you work directly with attendings.
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Regional Dean and the Assistant Dean were incredibly friendly. They actually sat down with us in a boardroom-type setting. Students commented several times about how receptive the faculty and staff are to changes. They seem to really listen to students.
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Very welcoming people. I knew the recruiter. Generally everyone was very nice.
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How much everyone loved the school
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It was in Rockford, so i liked the fact that the class is only 40 students, and that there are no residents filtering med students from attendings. Rockford is really cheap.
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The interviewers were all very interesting and personable--and the lunch was delicious too. Seriously, though, I also really liked the fact that the cadaver lab is on the top floor of the med school building. It has large windows and lots of natural sunlight--much nicer than every other one I've seen that are tucked away in a dark corner of the basement.
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i really like how the school places the med students with a preceptor and has early exposure to the clinical setting. the people seem friendly.
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the staff is super friendly and willing to take care of you while in med school.
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Definitely the diversity of the school, both the students and the patient populations that the students are exposed to during rotations. The way that UIC respects minority and underserved populations convinced me to want to go here (because these goals align with mine).
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Students were real.
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the diversity of students -- the interview i had before UIC was in Wisconsin.. where there was not much diversity at all. big campus. relatively close to downtown chicago. affordable.
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The Dean met with the group at the beginning of the day and we had a good q & a
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it was cheap, one adcom person was really nice. the day went smoothly
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The price, my interviewers were great, the students we met seemed nice and normal, clinical exposure
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Low cost, very diverse, more exams during M1 than M2, patient exposure during first and second years
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students seemed happy to be there, community outreach programs, free housing available (Peoria campus)
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Great network of hospitals. 3rd and 4th years are able to see a diverse demographic of patients by working hospitals that range from large indegin hospitals such as Cook County to small private hospitals to University hospitals. The anatomy lab is on the top floor with a view of the Chicago skyline. Brand new research facility. Chicago is a great city.
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Rockford is small, but the air is CLEAN (i'm from LA, so I appreciate the clean air)
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The students were very sincere and nice to talk to. The Peoria campus is very small so that students can really get a lot of attention and also apparently has the highest board scores and best residency matches compared to other campuses. The hospitals in the area seem top notch.
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Lot of things. They have new research facility going up. You can do your rotations at any other medical schools in Chicago area or elsewhere (I think it is true of most medical schools though). They seem to have cutting edge research facilities. I didn't understand why they are not ranked in top 50 research schools though. They told me that they were going into privately funded research now since the state funding has been decreasing constantly. I liked the attitude of the interviewer. I know medicine is a buyer's market (that is medical schools have the upperhand), but they made me feel that they were trying to sell the school to me rather than me trying to sell myself to them. They had lot of good volunteer opportunities in many minority communities around Chicago. They didn't seem to have an organized program for international medical experience. But then I have seen very few schools that do have organized program for international medical experience. Students have to take the initiative for such experiences at most schools.
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The applicants really wanted to go to this school.
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The medical students are very happy and very excited about the school. They were willing to answer any questions and were very honest.
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everyone was very nice.
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The interviewers were friendly and incredibly easy to talk to. They genuinely appeared interested in me as a person. I liked the campus but I am biased because I'm from Chicago.
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Really liked the interviewer, REALLY liked the student tour guide, impressed with research oppurtunities open to students and support programs
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other interviewees, the student giving the tour and the conversation at lunch, as well as the lunch itself, it wasn't a bag lunch. Also how friendly the people were interviewing me.
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The interviewers appeared to be interested in my comments and often nodded in agreement when I addressed a particular question.
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Location is in the center of Chicago.
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students and curriculum
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Enjoyed being interviewed by 2 MDs and a 4th year. Had an opportunity to ask a few questions to them, which was refreshing. Friendly staff and students in Rockford. Good diversity and great clinical facilities in Chicago. Also very convenient to the subway stop in Chicago.
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the lay back atmosphere of the entire day. should not be stressed about the interview.
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nothing really.... look like every school i saw. maybe the cadaver
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nice resident halls and student center. close to L train station
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kindness of people, wealth of research resources, the small med school class sizes
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Every student I met was in love with the school, the faculty members were very personable; gross anatomy lab is on the top floor of the building- the tour guide said that it was very well ventilated and had windows all around so it's not as dingy.
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Student tour and having lunch with the students.
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tour, students had lunch with us and were so nice, met a professor who was very approachable
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Students loved all the hands-on dissections (half of them are interested in surgery as a specialty) and enjoyed the rigorous schedule. That is not something that I particularly want but I was impressed with the hardworking students.
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I left UIC knowing it was my top choice. The admissions staff was the nicest I have every come across. There are tremendous research opportunities including a scholars program. The rotations and early clinical exposure are amazing. Chicago is wonderful. The facilities were better than expected (there are even reclining chairs in the M1 lecture room).
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The interviewers, nice looking anatomy lab, good lunch
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The different research opportunities available and the amount of diversity in chicago.
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The interviewers were really nice, the people were welcoming and laid-back, the whole process was pretty efficient.
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UIC Rockford is very small and therefore students get a lot of personal attention and help.
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Everyone was incredibly friendly
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everything BUT the interview. Although I interviewed at ROCKFORD and the campus was isolated.
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The students and faculty were great. They answered any questions and were very accomadating.
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That the interview was just their way of getting to know me and that they seemed genuinely interested in what I had done before applying to med school.
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The resources the school and affiliated hospitals possess.
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The interviewers as well as all the other candidates were really friendly. No one was out to get me, and the people who were interviewed before me were forthcoming with information.
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The student's board scores ranked second in IL behind Northwestern.
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I was impressed by the wide range of research and work-abroad opportunities available to students! I was impressed by the fact that just about every student I talked to seemed happy about his/her experience at UIC!
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EVERYONE was very nice- (the Dean was on holiday break but I already met him and I know he is extremely personable and warm) the admissions counselors and student tour guides were very welcoming and informative. I was impressed that the students had such vibrant personalities and that the interview was purposely low-stress and just an opportunity to get to know you better.
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the interviewers were really interested in my motivations for medicine
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The students and faculty at the Peoria campus were great.
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The interviewers were friendly, they had an information presentation about the school.
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Reputation of the school, teaching hospitals, facilities (they have EVERYTHING), admissions staff was friendly and efficient.
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3 of my 4 interviewers were former engineers and I'm an engineering grad so I felt we really connected. The interview was my most painless. I also felt like the school was really solid on fundamentals, but also down to earth.
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good support system for Latino students at least
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the medical students were very enthusiastic when they spoke with us and told us the real deal with the school
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the resources available to the students
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The students had a lot of good stuff to say about the school.
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The interview was very laid back and quick. All the questions were straight forward and pretty standard.
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low cost, great affiliated hospitals, windows in the anatomy lab
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Students seemed laid-back, approachable and well educated. Cost.
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Current students there who interacted with us were down to earth, intelligent, funny, and friendly.
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The interviewers were really nice. It seemed like they wanted me to feel comfortable during the interview. There was also a lot of time for the prospective students to talk with current students, who were very eager to help answer any questions.
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Quality of teaching. Location within major medical district. Broad clinical opportunties. High degree of support for away rotations (4th year only requirement is the internal med Sub-I)
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Students seemed happy, positive atmosphere, good match lists and you gotta love Chicago.
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I found out about the many minority programs at UIC
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The clinical rotations available. Student tour guides were very friendly & helpful.
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Everyone was very friendly and helpful.
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Seems like a solid school for a good price.
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Facilities were decent, students seemed relatively happy, Cook County hospital is literally next door, Chicago is a fabulous town. The interviewers gave me some good insights after I answered my questions, i.e. they told me what they thought about the questions they asked me after I answered for myself.
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Friendly students. Good campus shuttle service. Strength of UIC in a number of subspecialties.
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The students are really friendly. The program seems difficult, but M4s say they are well-prepared for residency. Also, the longitudinal primary care program is really cool. You also have the flexibility of choosing the primary doctor you would like to work with. Chicago is a great city.
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The Rockford campus, small community based, not as competitive as Chicago campus, early clinical exposure.
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COST!!!! Peoria students can have FREE housing at apartments within walking distance of the school. Peoria is not as bad as I thought. Students appear happy and everyone knows each other very well. Students are well prepared for Step 1 and 2.
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The price of the school is good if you are in state compared to most medical schools.
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The number of research opportunities for med students. UIC is building a new research building to be used in 2004.
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I like the clinical exposure that students get here. It seems like the M3's and M4's get a lot of patient responsibility. The patient population is also very diverse and largely underserved.
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MD/MPH program at the rockford campus. Also, the Rockford campus is one of only 11 US medschools affiliated with the World Health Organization! wow.
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The longitudinal medicine program starting from your M2 years continuing all the way till graduation. The friendly students, faculty, and staff! The small college atmosphere and cooperative atmosphere at Rockford.
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early clinical exposure
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the early exposure to clinical experiences, the small-group learning, self-directed learning
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students were pretty excited about their school. everyone we saw was really friendly. the anatomy labs were pretty nice.
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location; current students' positive attitude;
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The anatomy labs are NOT in the basement, like every other school. There's actually ventilation here. And, we actually got to see a cadaver.
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One of my interviewers said some of the students from this location had placed in top residencies (ex - out east, California)
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How laid-back the campus seemed (it is Rockford, after all, and not Chicago).
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the faculty and students seemed nice, the cost compared to other schools
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The information provided during the tour by the M4's, they were very positive about the school and were up front about the amount of work involved but also talked a lot about all the clinical opportunities available.
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The enthusiasm of the medical school students I talked to during the lunch and tour.
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The lunch
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the students we interacted with really did seem to like the clinical training. they were m4s so they kept saying how they were given so much responsibility. some of their students also said how 'other' med schools in the chicago area don't accept public aid patients so they don't get to see patients. Also, with the patient population the patients actually want you to work on them-- wheareas in other private hospitals... patients sometimes won't let med students touch em.
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The friendliness of the students and seeing a cadaver(sp?)
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Kind students. Decent facilities. Urban location. Extremely diverse student body.
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Great complimentary lunch!
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nothing really
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Everything!
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Not a bad school, despite all the red-tape and virtually no attention given to students.
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The friendliness of the students. The residencies that graduates got into. Sensed a very cooperative environment. The clinical experience seemed second to none with a university hospital, a VA, a county hospital, and ~10 community hospitals each serving very different patient populations.
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Flexibility of program structure. You can do PhD work first or MD work first. Friendliness of the director and staff.
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The Chicago campus was in a pretty clean area.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants were commonly unimpressed by the outdated facilities, disorganization of the interview day, lack of engagement from interviewers, and the feeling of being rushed or stressed throughout the process. Suggestions included improving facility conditions, enhancing organization and communication during interview days, providing more engaging and supportive interactions with interviewers, and creating a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for applicants.
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The chaoticness of virtual MMIs
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The length of the interview day
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Negative experience with one of the MMI interviewers
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Didn't have someone handing out name tags
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The med school is only one building in Rockford
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They didn't have a vegan option for lunch even though I requested it twice through email (upon them asking), so I didn't get to eat anything all day.
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Had to walk around outside in 40 degree weather
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Buildings seemed a little outdated
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Atmosphere, the actual med students were pretty great (Super friendly and nice). However, the other interviewees were a bit off (I did not like how they showed everyone's alma matter) and the people managing the actual interview day don't really know how to make the whole thing feel relaxed (Uncomfortable seating, feels like they are always watching you etc...)
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The tour was led by two first-year students who had only been on campus for 5 weeks... They didn't really seem to know where they were going or what to show us. One was very enthusiastic though.
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No tour of any of the hospitals. The admission committee still gives you admission via snail mail.
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none really- i was very stressed with the first interviewer (student) but the other 2 made up for it
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Pretty much everything...I couldn't find the room where we were supposed to meet, I had to ask the woman cleaning the bathroom (she was super nice), no one showed up to talk to us until 15 mins after we were told the day would start, the interviewers were late getting there, my first interviewer pretty much attacked me the whole time and was very negative (im not sure if he was acting or something like that but I did not appreciate that treatment), the facilities were old and run down, student lounge was in the basement, deans talk was uninspiring to say the least, seems like they were almost forced into designing a more up to date curriculum. Yuck.
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My admissions committee interview was really intimidating and stressful, which I thought was unnecessary and made me think twice about if I really want to attend that school.
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the lunch options
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They didn't really know much about the curriculum changes from what I could tell. They also didn't really talk much about any student organizations or give a tour of the facilities. Wish we could have learned more about the curriculum or other resources that the school has to offer.
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Older facilities. However, I was told renovations should be complete by 2016 and I doubt it will affect the quality of the education.
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Everyone says the buildings are old. I actually like the old look to the outside of buildings. I don't mind the old looks on the inside of the buildings. But I don't like how the heating system is old too, so I was walking through some parts that felt like a sauna and some that felt like a cool box. But this is not a big deal, and all the research buildings are nice and shiny.
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3rd interview began immediately after 2nd. No financial aid session. Final decision only given through snail mail.
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An interviewer answered a phone call and burned ou tthe remiangin time; The facilities are mad old, outdated and the school needs revamping. Also the tour they took us on did not show us the facilities or labs or lectures.
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The interviewers were so excited about UIC that I felt like they had more time to talk than I did.
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There does not seem to be a good support program for USMLE preparation.
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-rockford sucks
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Nothing.
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The Dean was late to his portion of the presentation so they had to flip the tour with his section of the day. The problem is that because they made the change so late, our tour was significantly shortened which irritated me as our medical tour guides gave really great advice throughout.
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They kept talking about the facilities being older. Personally, I didn't notice this (to me older building does not = old facilities), but the fact that they kept mentioning it made me feel uneasy...
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My student interviewer didnt show up and my tour guide who was also another interviewer had to interview me.
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Like at other interviews, I was afraid that my interviewers would forget important detials before they got to wirte their evaluations because they interviewed one or two other applicants within 5-10 minutes of me, and I noticed that one interviewer did not even write anything down before he took the next applicant.
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The UIC buildings were kind of run down. Not a huge deal - but it was freezing outside and some rooms were warm, and other were blazing hot.
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The building
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The Dean's welcome message.
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The town itself. It's very rural and kind of in the middle of nowhere.
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The buildings/classrooms are a bit old. But, it's downtown chicago (I think that's to be expected).
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Nothing really, I knew what the facilities were like beforehand and don't think that's an adequate reason to base a decision on the school. Sure it's great to have new facilities, but UIC actually reminded me of parts of my HS and undergrad institution. Older buildings don't bother me as long as the school offers modern accommodations such as lectures online.
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I interviewed at Rockford; the student tour guide did not seem to know much about the school or other campuses, and so the tour ended up being really short.
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The admissions office was unresponsive to my requests to change my interview date. My interviewers did not seems to have any interest in talking with me, and either were more interested in talking about themselves or nothing at all!
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We got out a little later than expected and I almost missed my bus back to school. : (
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Facilities were older, as to be expected, and the tour was lackluster because it was the first one and we had like 20 people led by one guide who had trouble fitting us all in elevators and then not talking loud enough... etc.
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I interviewed at the Peoria campus and it seemed like their focus in mainly on their students getting the best scores on board exams. That's what the students praise about the school as well, the fact that they do better on board exams than even the Chicago campus. There are also lots of lecture hours. What I am looking for is a campus where you get clinical training as early as possible and the Rockford campus offers this so I hope I get to choose where I'm posted. otherwise it is a very good school.
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The campus is huge and has too many students. Close to 200 in each class. The lecture hall was a little run down.
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We had a substitute speaker during the dean's presentation who was a very nervous, inarticulate speaker. Still everything else about the interview day was perfect.
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The interview day seemed a bit haphazard. No one was there to greet us when most of us wandered in. There was no signage regarding the interview. The tour was an entire group of ~30 interviewees--should have been smaller.
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The only negative aspect of the Rockford site is that you are not there your first year. Students in the Rockford track spend the first year in Urbana-Champaign, and then transfer to Rockford for years 2, 3, and 4. As for the campus, the area, the people, the facilities, the curriculum -- there is nothing negative to be said about any of them.
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Some of the facilities are old.
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Food wasn't that great.
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The building was kind of shabby, but that's not a huge deal. I don't like the idea of moving after the first year (unless you choose the Chicago campus where they do all four years). There didn't seem to be a lot of technology integrated into the education system.
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I felt like the students who were apart of the admissions staff were not as interested as ones I have met during my experiences volunteering.
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The students don't really attend class and don't seem to have much interaction with each other.
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the students did not seem very happy or act as a cohesive group.
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The buildings. Very very old, but then again so is most of Chicago. The anatomy lab was shown to us, and it reeked of preservatives and chemicals used in histology, but then again that is sort of to be expected.
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Some of the facilities seemed dated
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My second interviewer had to be 95 years old. He had two pairs of glasses and at times, I swore he fell asleep during the interview. Because of his age, he only asked about 2 questions, and spent the other time trying to get out his rants about certain topics. This took a large amount of time because of his old age. I was concerned as to why this man was interviewing at all. Does faculty not wish to interview their potential med students?
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Regional campuses are really rural and most people match into midwest residencies
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older facilies, large class size
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The facility is a little bit out-dated and there was lots of down time during the interview day.
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The facilities weren't as nice as some of the other schools I interviewed with.
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The facilities.
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The tour was really uninformative - they showed us a hallway in the hospital, the gym, a classroom, and the student center (which felt like a tunnel). I really wish they had shown us labs and more of the hospital.
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First year in Champaign/Urbana, small campus, a little outdated, but they just got a donation and are building more soon.
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While two of the interviewers were very nice and asked basic interview questions (tell me about your research, how did you get interested in medicine, have you had any healthcare experience, tell me about a time when you helped someone, etc), the third interviewer was rather abrupt and asked questions that some people would probably find adversarial or even inappropriate. He wasn't intentionally mean, but I couldn't tell if his questions and responses were meant to evaluate me as a person or merely judge how I would respond to a stressful Q&A session. The questions were initially benign and demographic in nature (how old are you, what do your parents do, do you have any siblings, have you applied to medical school in past, etc). They then moved to the classic ''what would you do to fix healthcare in the United States.'' At this point, however, the conversation basically became political and it was easy to tell that he was very much in favor of a universal or socialized healthcare system. I tried not to completely agree or disagree with him, but I didn't want to start a political debate either. I just hope that I wasn't given a negative assessment because I didn't always agree with his politics (by the way, if you're a hardcore conservative, God help you if you get this interviewer).
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The tour guides were not happy. Supposedly, the administration is extremely understaffed.
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Before I arrived I read on SDN that the facilities weren't the best so I came in expecting it to be worse than it was. It was my first interview and tour so I don't really have anything to compare it to so to me it wasn't that bad.
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The interview itself. It was a panel interview in a tiny room. It was really very uncomfortable and one interviewer kept asking me incredibly hard questions that I stumbled through.
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facilities are very old, no one goes to class, M1 is overloaded with too many classes (unnecessarily hard)
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Facilities are a bit old and need updating.
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We were supposed to get an introduction from the dean, but did not.
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Price to attend as an out of state resident.
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Nothing really - the classes are large lectures, though.
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The tour was average. The guide showed us some facilities but didn't give us an idea of the type of teaching technology they used.
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Overall, people seemed a bit standoffish, I visited the Rockford campus last semester and the atmosphere was a little warmer, I expected it to be this way though
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The school is small, literally just one building but that's not a big deal for me...students graduate very well prepared according to their Step scores and residency placements
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That we didn't get to see the library on the tour but saw the gym. It was nice but not a top priority to me. They have a co-op note taking service that you can buy into (about $100) in case you miss lecture. Most schools have lecture available via video or audio for free for their students. Also, the 1st year seems very lecture heavy and there's no ''formal'' PBL.
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Although they have a great gym, I wish we cuold have seen more dorms, libraries, etc. And nothing on financial aid (just a packet)
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It was a bit disorganized though I understand it was the first day of interview season. My first interviewer, an M2, didnt show up because she didnt know she had me at the time. Had to wait around over 1.5 hrs while everyone else went through 2 interviews b4 I had mine, my 2nd interviewer left so I had a replacement interviewer and then i had to stay late to make up my missed 1st interview.
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that some of the interviewers were late, which shortened the interview sessions toward the latter part of the day
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Seemed like the first 2 years at UI-Chicago are not that great, but it is made up during M3 and M4 with the wide array of clinical opportunities available. M4 student interviewer said that school is slow to use criticism from students to change curriculum.
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Facilities could use a face-lift.
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The information session gave a lot of statistics, but I got the impression that this school was slow in responding to suggested changes to its curriculum. The facilities aren't that great, the students talked a lot about how they didn't need to go to class, they emphasized how the last two years of studies were great at the university, giving me uncertainty as to how good the first two years of studies are. There is very little problem based learning (PBL) offered at this school, which seems to be out of step with national trends.
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MD would be a pretty dismal place to live. Little Italy is pretty small.
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The facilities were old and there was only one building.
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The tour guide focused more on hitting the bars than the facilities and academics...I had to interview with my tour guide because my interviewer didn't show up...the student facilities are very old, in the basement, falling apart...no one interviewing that day seemed impressed or excited to be there... Alot of the students said that they didn't attend the lectures (which are held in a concrete pit) because they aren't helpful...they are only affiliated with one free clinic and they didn't know how many students were involved, there wasn't any big emphasis on research....I think that the most dishearting moment can be summed up in the comment, ''all you have to do is memorize enough of the lecture notes to pass, then everyone goes and gets drunk on test days''...personally, my goals aren't just to pass and get drunk...
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Students didn't seem that happy about the school. The lecture/lab schedule is mostly 9-5 the first two years
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chicago's very cold, not great facilities
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age of buildings, although not too bad
-
3 on 1 group interviews were a bit disconcerting (faculty, administrator, and M4 student). My interview was dead last and the student interviewer seemed tired. Computer facilities are somewhat dated. Library is on the small side. Peoria lacks some of the perks of big-city living (a plus or minus depending on one's tastes).
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Interviewed at satellite campus (not in Chicago) and the facilities were old and small.
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Supposed to be a partial blind interview. they don't know your GPA, MCAT. But one of the rude guys ask me about that... so i have to answer
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the interview portion was short, only 20 minutes, with 4 interviewers and myself. The tour took all day, but the interview seemed over in an instant.
-
They didn't prepare a presentation that throughly explained financial aid or housing, which are two very important issues for students to know about in my opinion. The tour seemed a bit short and could've been a bit more thorough through including the bookstore and other miscellaneous places.
-
I interviewed at Peoria (and I'd like to attend the Chicago campus) so the facilities were pretty small. The students indicated that the Peoria curriculum is the most lecture-intensive of any of the UI sites. Lectures 8am-4pm for M1 and M2.
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the student interviewer acted like he was hot sh#t.
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Tourguide didn't have a whole lot of positive things to say about the school. Same for the med students we ran into in the halls who all kept urging us to ''turn back while there's still time,'' haha
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From what I read on SDN most people say that the lecture rooms look old, but they were similar to what I had during my undergrad so that didn't really bother me.
-
The facilities are old, but given the low tuition it's a minor complaint.
-
nothing really that stands out in my mind
-
1. No information given to help plan the visit. 2. The informational component was not structured. 3. The facilities were not impressive. They need some updating. 4. The cost for out-of-state residents is ridiculous (over $50,000 per year). 5. Poor financial aid package. 6. The town is not as urban, as expected (Rockford, IL).
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The facilities are a little bit old and need some remodeling. But not too bad.
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The age of the facilities.
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The facilities were a bit old (apparently histo is still on microscope boo), and the student lounge was a bit rundown.
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There was something about the students in the program that rubbed me the wrong way...not sure what it was, but I didn't feel like I would fit in there.
-
facilities seem...not the most modern, but hey...
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disorganized; the opening session was boring and unimpressive- i suspect largely b/c the dean was out of town; my student tourguide didn't seem to take school seriously. i simply felt bad for those interviewees for which was their only impression of the school.
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A total stress interview with one of my three interviewers--this man was both critical and unfair with his questions. Also, after visiting other Chicago schools, UIC was disorganized in comparison. Instead of being greeted individually, we followed signs and wandered down a hall, to a big table where there were packets with our names on them and no instruction about what to do. It was good to have a schedule but mine was wrong--had different interviewers than those admissions took me to interview with.
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The day was unorganized and the interviews were not very enlightening.
-
The study lounge seems small compared to the class-size (roughly 300) and the desks are super tiny in the classrooms.
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The histo lab are still done with microscopes, which you have to rent on your own. All the students seem to hate histo.
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The facilities are a little older, but I don't think there was anything particularly negative.
-
The only thing that I could think of was that I didn't like the student lounge.
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interviewer, lecture hall, seems really uncomfortable, its like the chairs which you pull the desk up from the side.
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The directions to one of the interviewer's offies were poorly written and I had trouble finding it, and also one interview ran over because it started late, making me late for my last interview. The tour guide was in a rush to get to the hospital, and a number of the tour guides (M4s) didn't show up.
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Nothing really. I knew the facilities weren't going to be brand new (very few schools' facilities are), but I liked the rugged, mature look. You can tell the school has a lot of character.
-
Some construction around the area.
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Nothing really. While everyone complains the buildings are older, it's a homey feel, and on top of that, it's a med school, you shouldn't worry about comfort, you'll fall asleep :)
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Nothing significant comes to mind. I just wish there were more interviews at the UPR campuses, since the likelihood of attending the Chicago campus is slim this late in the season and it would be nice to be able to have a look around of where we would ultimately be attending.
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the school is basically located in downtown chicago. if you're not used to a big city atmosphere don't come here (i.e. the people, etc...)
-
facilities are not as new as other med schools in the area
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Interviewers were activly hostile. Don't know if it was a good cop bad cop thing, but I wasn't aticipating such a hostle interview
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The buildings are fairly old and need a good makeover, but that doesn't affect learning medicine at all! I also wish the directions had been a bit clearer on how to get there. Once you arrive, they were great; however, you have to arrive in the first place!
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Some of the student tour guides
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It seems that since the incoming classes are so huge, faculty-student interaction is not the best. Not the most flexible curriculum either.
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I don't think I had any negative impressions during my visit.
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Didn't get a good picture of the school.
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Everyone I encountered were so full of themselves. The level of their inflated self was just too much for me to handle in a large dose. If it was from only two individuals, I would have wrote it off, but EVERYONE was pretty snippy and uppetty. They didn't speak like human beings. This was the major and pretty much the only turn off from the school. Also, a very high strung, competetive environment. After the interview, this school fell to the bottom of my list.
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the library supposedly sucks so everyone uses Rush's library. they didnt go over the other different campuses at all. i dont kno how i will really pick which campus to attend if i get in
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The facilities seemed old and run down, due to the large size the school had a bit of an impersonal feel to it
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Same as when I had interviewed before for GPPA- the facilities are not as great as at my undergrad inst. However, this time around, I did see some improvements- new research center, new athletics complex, so really, not many negatives.
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Facilities are a bit run-down.
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The students told us that 60% of the first year students at the Chicago campus fail at least one course and have to make it up during the summer, facilities are old, students in the tracks outside Chicago take 11 courses during their first year all at the same time, the school is very sink or swim due to its large size...also, despite students at Rockford saying they were happy with their choice of school, they seemed less than enthused to be there.
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The only thing I didn't like about the interview day was having to run around from building to building to find my interviewers. It makes the situation kind of stressful if one of your interviews runs a little long, and you only have 10 min. to rush to the next one. It all worked out, though, so no real complaints.
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The amount of interviews - several tag-team style interviews plus even more individual interviews
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My second interview only lasted 15 mins and the guy didn't seem to really care. But I still got into the GPPA program so it's all good.
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They need to remodel!
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How old the computer labs were and the "green house" is the only "fun thing" in the campus - no place to exercise and de-stress; the fact that the cafeteria closes at 1:15pm
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On the tour, the med students seemed immature...as if they had never been exposed to the world outside academia.
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I interviewed at a regional campus that was most convenient for my travel accomodations. Unfortunately, this campus is not the one in which I would like to attend, and facilities were VERY sub-par.
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The school building is older and small and the tour was a bit disorienting. I'm from the area and when I asked what there is to do for fun as a young professional in Rockford they listed off a bunch of stuff, but it just sound like a lot of public relations stuff meant to 'sell me' on the city.
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The campus is in one building (as most med schools are). Rockford feels somewhat isolated and does not have the campus feel of many other med schools that feed off undergrad campuses or large teaching hospitals.
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I was interviewed by a panel of 17 people ranging from doctors to agricultural specialits to anyone you can think would be related to a rural area. Although I can see how this would be the best way for them to decide who is suited for the RMED program, it certainly was extremely intimidating.
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Long lecture hrs.
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facilities are old, barely have an ethics class, no real campus feeling, have to take a HUGE coarse load in M1 year at Chambana, and there is no 24hr study space. the library closes at 10pm.
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There was some down time because there are four interview time slots but only three interviews/candidate. As a result, I had about 30 minutes in the middle of my interviews where I just sat around in the lounge area. I could brought a book or something! Still, that's not a big deal.
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the building "has character" which is code for "old" and i hear the administration has a bad reputation for turning a deaf ear on problems.
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nothing...but one of the med students said the school lags on technology (they are just about to get wireless this year) and sometimes professors don't give out notes
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Not much. Perhaps the only negative thing are the old facilities.
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Facilities not great, but I've seen worse.
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med student facilities seemed old and crowded. not very nice or new computer labs. cadavers were REALLY old and one i saw was left laying out... with a big textbook on top of it and a pen jabbed into the styrofoam next to it.
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A really annoying girl from NU
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the interviewers were unwelcoming, facilities are old, area is really bad
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The outdated curriculum, classes 8-5 everyday, some of the rotation sites are known to be crappy hospitals,
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Lack of innovative curriculum (PBL)
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the town of Peoria was small
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Anatomy room is kind of cramped. Some days, students are stuck in class ALL DAY LONG.
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The campus is isolated. If you go to rockford, you have to spend the first year in Urbana, then move to rockford for the second, third, and fourth years.
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The facilities seemed old, which probably doesn't matter. Also they did not provide lunch so I would make sure that you eat something before you get there.
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Their facilities were old. You probably will see this at many places. But I don't think that old facilities would be a major factor in my decision. I guess we all like new facilities, but there is nothing wrong using the old facility if they work fine. In anatomy lab, students were not careful while handling formaldehyde. Some of the students had gloves (w/ formaldehyde) on while they used door handles, while others opened the doors without any protection.
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The first 6 weeks students take 7 exams. The students say it is the hardest part of the 4 years.
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Nothing, it was a really organized, relaxing visit.
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none
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At times it appeared disorganized.
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nothing
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The building really was a lil' old.
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I got mixed messages regarding the school's commitment to diversification. The staff informed us that one of the school's missions is to diversify their student body. However, when I spoke to one of the students she commented that the student body truly wasn't as diversified as the school made it out to be. In particular she commented that there truly aren't as many African Americans in the classes. That was a bit disconcerting for me because I am an African American.
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The student tour was not that efficient.
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some areas of the school were worn down and needed renovation
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Rather old facilities in Chicago and Rockford. Rockford site is really too small for a med school environment, even though the people are great (only about 150 students total). I just feel like I would be missing out on the collegial med school environment because few schools have fewer than 350 students. The campus in Chicago is a little like a prison. The students seem to think of med school as just four years of torture they need to get through. Also, it's amazingly difficult to get placed at the site you desire even though I interviewed in January and was accepted by February.
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the facilities are very old
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nothing.. they were down to earth
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on average it takes 9 years to finish their md/phd program
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Buildings/facilities are generally on the older side. It was a bit worrisome that one could potentially spend every waking moment within the building (I think they said that even housing was attached to the medical school building).
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The interview. It seemed as thought the interviewer were tired and put words into my mouth.
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tone of interview - seemed like they were out to make me feel uncomfortable, very argumentative, putting words in my mouth.
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UIC has a very inefficient teaching method - about 8 hours of lecture a day!
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Not much at all. More expensive than some state schools.
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Facilities were a bit old, and the student body didn't really blow me away.
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The Facilities are kind of old. Also, during the tour, a medical student in an elevator jokingly said, "don't come here." It made me wonder whether the students are happy with their school.
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The student-lead tour could have been better organized; didn't get to see the cadaver room.
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Some of the students I met seemed to be extremely stressed out.
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The Interview. I had already been on a few interviews, but this was one very UNPLEASANT. It is the luck of your panel, mine was very abrasive and unfriendly for no apparent reason. No one really smiled or seemed interested in learning about me. Rather one doc asked me a series of difficult health economics questions and was unrelenting. He seemed bitter and tired and not interested in being there, more interested in being condescening towards me. Another M4 student asked me if i supported the US in Iraq. But when I tried to give a moderate answer, he cut me off and said he only wanted a "YES or NO" answer. I found this abrasive and irrelevant. I have middle eastern heritage so I felt very uncomfortable about this. I also have an advanced graduate degree, I have papers published, however they never asked about anything. Instead the doc berated research and claimed that he "is on the front lines of medicine actually seeing patients". I found this to be quite immature as he minimized my work in research and I had to defend the integrity of my work. This interview tested my patience and questioned my desire to attend UIC. The interview was anything BUT a "get to know you" opportunity like the nice people in the admissions office like to tell you. They did not leave me any time to ask questions. No one gave me feedback of any kind. Other students have had pleasant experiences, but I probably had the same panel as the other NEGATIVE posts for this School.
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The tour was done in a large group by a woman who was rushing because she had a class.
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Comfortable environment and friendly students and interviewers.
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The facilities were a little run down, but I don't think it's anything that would impede my success as a student or doctor
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It was in Peoria, a very boring town, and not a place i would enjoy living.
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The fact that the staff did not realize the cafeteria would be closed over the holiday break, but they took us out to lunch at a nearby restaurant instead which had good food.
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The format of the interview was Horrible! Because it was closed file, we wasted a lot of time talking about stupid things they really should already have known about me. Also, the interviewers were really just reading questions from a list- generic medicine crap that we all have formal answers for. Didn't seem like they care to get to know you. They more want to know if you're qualified rather than fit in within a community.
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The classrooms and facilities were a little on the older side.
-
It's easy to get lost in the building. They accept 300 students (although they are distributed among various campuses)
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The building was incredible warm. We were all dying on the tour and because of the heat, it was tough to concentrate. Also, there is a lot of waiting downtime that added some anxiety to the day.
-
facilities are a little old and the library is shared with undergrads
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That one of my interviewers didn't show up, thus there were only 2 of them and there was another room of interviews going on with 4 interviewers...It didn't seemed equal/fair. They didn't seem to know alot about the other campuses.
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lot of lecture time spent during the first two years - especially the first year
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Not much to complain about.
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I didn't like the fact that I had to interview at a regional location. I wasn't interested in attending medical school at Rockford but I had to defend why it would be a good school for me. They didn't know much about the other campuses so I couldn't get a feel for what it would be like if I were to attend the Chicago campus.
-
facilities are run down
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It feels like a state school. (facilities a bit old, etc)
-
The whole med school consists of one very run down building. Aside from the interview, most of the day was a complete waste of time. Although our tour guide was very nice, the tour was terrible. Most of the time we were just wandering around the building getting in everyone's way. The tour guide was so confused- it felt like she was just trying to distract us for an hour by dragging us up and down the elevator in the same building we were in all day. This was especially annoying since I didn't interview until 4, so they basically wasted my time all day before that with really pointless stuff.
-
Run-down facilities. Sense of not being the best med school in city. Relatively little tuition break for being a state school.
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Labs were older and didn't get to see lecture halls.
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The Chicago campus might be full already, also their support services aren't too strong-meaning your pretty much on your own at the school.
-
Facilities are pretty nasty and area is really run down. Attitude. While it is true that you should expect students to be adults & self-sufficient, I think it is still reasonable to expect professors & staff to actively contribute and facilitate your education. Otherwise, save me the tuition for the basic sciences portion of the education and I will prepare for the boards myself!
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The site I interviewed at was very small and there weren't a lot of activities around. Still, everyone seemed to be pretty happy.
-
The facilities are a bit antiquated, but I'm sure I'd learn what I need to know whether or not the facilities were new.
-
school is kindof in the ghetto, the two-on-one interview was intimidating, especially because the doctor wouldn't look me in the face during the ENTIRE interview and the med student seemed more interested in impressing the doctor than interviewing me.
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Facilities were a little old, but adequate. I was informed the Chicago campus might be or is already full.
-
The cold weather and the large lecture-style classes.
-
The long wait to be interviewed.
-
The Chicago campus fills by early December; all others spend M-1 at Champaign and are then spilt between Peoria and Rockford (~50 each)
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The student lounge in the basement is like a sauna, and most of the facilities are pretty run down. It's expected at a public school, though.
-
We didn't talk about financial aid.
-
The facilities seem a bit old, but not that bad really.
-
Rockford kind of sucks. The student who showed us around.
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Nothing really...it's a change from the chicago urban lifestyle but it's nice.
-
no more Cook County affiliation
-
i had 2 separate interviews and the 1st one was fantastic and the 2nd one, though ultimately positive, was with a very akward socially inept doctor so was a major strain. unimpressed also by the lack of organization for interview day (meeting with more people, etc.) compared to other schools
-
the library was disappointing - pretty old, with slow internet and not many good places to study. the student center in the basement was pretty crappy too.
-
cadaver lab--seemed too small and cramped for the large number of students; the building we were in was HOT!!
-
Some facilities were not too clean, but it wasn't anything too bad.
-
Quite a bit. The day was horribly organized. I was told the wrong time for the interview and arrived two hours early. (They were aware of this problem, but did nothing to correct it.) The dean never showed for the opening presentation, though he did answer questions later. This location doesn't have a cafeteria or financial aid office. There is a very small class size.
-
How small and somewhat antiquated the facilities were.
-
the facilities seemed antiquated
-
The facilities seemed a bit old.
-
It seems that the environment is more competitive than cooperative. The administration does not seem to be very involved with student's concerns.
-
The fact that many of their interviewers didn't show up, so they had to improvise
-
the basement was warm- it seemed like the ac was off. The lab where they meet for histology and small groups seemed really run down.
-
lack of AC in waiting room and in parts of the building (very humid and warm)
-
I was told about the excessive bureaucracy factor and red tape that students have to deal with.
-
I wish I had met at least several medical students.
-
rockford
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Nothing!
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Nothing really.
-
The responsiveness of the administration to the concerns of students. The quality of 1st and 2nd year lectures was something many students complained about.
-
Not MSTP funded yet.
-
Some of the facilities, such as the anatomy labs seems a bit run-down. Also, think Labyrinth.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the diverse range of questions in MMI interviews, the laid-back nature of the interviews, the reliance on essays for questioning, and the campus preferences for accepted students. They also recommended being prepared for potential changes in interview formats and having a clear understanding of the interview day schedule and parking options.
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The diverse amount of questions you will get for MMI. There will be some general interview questions, some ethical and some scenario based.
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They didn't ask me about why the school
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That it was an MMI
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How draining the MMI would be but the questions weren't bad
-
nothing
-
You will be outside, so definitely bring a coat
-
How chill the interviews were
-
Nothing much
-
think of things interesting about myself not included in the essays and research more in ethical questions
-
That it would be a negative experience. I had an open mind going in but I really did not like what I saw.
-
My chances of getting the Chicago campus were lower than I thought
-
lunch was provided
-
The day was very chill. Lunch was pretty decent. Everybody was really nice there (I did Urbana campus).
-
Nothing, I was well-prepared and informed ahead of time by the adcom about what to expect at the interview.
-
Just how much some interviewers pick through the application essays. I should have carefully read through my essays at least 2 to 3 more times.
-
the curriculum is going through vast changes to reduce lecture time. AS far as interviews. Most of the SDN questions were not asked. They tailored the interview based on what you wrote on the secondary essays. everything else is based on the interviwer.
-
How laid back it was.
-
The interviewers only had access to my essays. It was also apparent that they didn't really read them; they glanced at them quickly.
-
-i overprepared for this interview. it was extremely laid back!
-
Nothing. All the questions they ask are on SDN's interview feedback.
-
The school doesn't do that good of a job selling itself, but the medical students give great advice. And I'm not entirely sure how to interpret the odd facial expressions of one of my interviewers...
-
That I was only going to get a little time with current students. I wanted to ask more questions!
-
The tour was not really a tour
-
Just know that the interviews are very relaxed and that afternoon interviews are the best because you have a dean's presentation, lunch and tour first before the interviews.
-
I was pretty prepared after reading others' comments on here. It truly was very laid-back.
-
What time the day would end. Where to park. The schedule for the day.
-
Don't Panic, its a really low key easy interview. It may take some time before you are accepted though
-
That (at least at the Chicago campus) interviewers would only have a few of your essays. NO numbers whatsoever- if you have gotten to the interview stage, you deserve to be there.
-
How to better prepare for the lecture style "interview" of my first interviewer.
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What time I would be done.
-
Believe it when others say that this interview is pretty stress free. : )
-
Parking is an absolute nightmare. Go really really really early and read their travel page to find parking if driving there!
-
That the afternoon interview began at 11:45 and not at 11:00 like they told me. I ended up waiting for an hour in the huge waiting room feeling nervous.
-
That these interviews would actually be FUN. Also, I had heard through SDN that UIC's Chicago facilities are run down. I disagree. At worst, they are charmingly old-fashioned but still more than adequate. But does anybody really need to pay $50,000 per year for a pretty lecture hall with Chanel drapes and Versace seats?
-
That parking is so expensive. It cost ~$18 to park in their garage.
-
Having an interview this early has a huge probability of acceptance.
-
That the interviewers would rely solely on my secondary and personal statement to ask questions (it is much different at the Chicago and Peoria sites), that it would be just one 30-minute group interview with me and three interviewers (at Chicago, its 3 one-on-one interviews that each last 30 minutes), that there would not be any lunch (I don't know if this applies to the other sites).
-
The interviews are really not stressful at all
-
To relax and not try to come up with memorized answers.
-
The names of my interviewers before the day of the interview.
-
A box lunch was provided, and current students joined us and talked about the school.
-
That the interview I had with the student would be the most challenging.
-
I thought i was interviewing in front of a panal of 3, but instead was 3 separate interviews.
-
How to specifically use the train system and how to get to office once you get off the train.
-
nothing, really
-
I drove to the school, and the street leading up to the entrance wasn't very well marked. Plan on setting a few more minutes aside in case you get lost. The Chicago campus was nearly full, and they said to count on getting to the Peoria or Rockford campus.
-
I was glad I'd read SDN the night before. I read about the ''3 medical break-throughs'' question, and got asked it at my first interview! If you say ''stem cell research,'' be sure to be able to answer some questions about the technology itself! I winged it, and think I did fine.
-
That there are three seperate interviews and they are all closed file academically, meaning that they have read your personal statement and your supplementary application but have no idea what undergrad you went to or any specific extracurricular activities/medically related experiences unless it was mentioned in one of those.
-
After the interview you are free to go. Other schools had me stick around for tours, presentations, etc.
-
A little more about their admissions process (although I doubt it would have had an impact on my performance). At the morning presentation they told us that they interview around 800 people, accept around 600, and enroll around 300 once everything is all said and done (about half the people they offer acceptance to either decline the offer or accept the offer only to decline later).
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Not really anything.
-
To come with more questions. Between the opening welcome, tour and 3 interviews, I should have had some more questions prepared because by the end of the day I ran out!
-
That the above was going to happen.
-
nothing really
-
The exact location of the office- it is somewhat confusing to navigate yourself around the medical school building.
-
I wish someone would have told me that the cook county hospital garage across from MCW was closed off to the public. So I had to park at the garage near Taylor and Wood.
-
All three of my interviewers seemed to be very concerned about the uninsured, underinsured, I felt I was adequately prepared, but wasn't expecting quite the level of interrogation about the issue that I got
-
probably that it would be so relaxed and conversational....i worked myself into a frenzy reading too many SDN horror stories.
-
That I wouldn't be asked any of the questions I read about on SDN so I was definitely over-prepared. Better than under-prepared I guess. Also, that Cook County Hospital's parking structure is directly across the street. I wasn't entirely sure if I was allowed to park there but when I left, there was a list of prices at the cashier's booth and public parking was listed ($8). So it's an option for those that are driving but park there at your own risk.
-
I pretty much knew everything there was to know...
-
Theres a lot of downtime if you do the afternoon interview.
-
Nothing, from the area and have toured the school and area numerous times
-
All the spots for the Chicago campus are filled, but spots will free up when people matriculate at other schools.
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Interviewers only have your essays (secondary and AMCAS)
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Where to find parking.
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Nothing, really.
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When you get accepted to the UIC system, you express a preference as to which site you would like to attend. 175 students are in Chicago all four years and 125 students go to Urbana-Champaign for their first year, then 25 students (MD/PhD) stay in Urbana-Champaign, while 50 go to Peoria and 50 go to Rockford for the next 3 years. Also, the Chicago campus tends to fill up early.
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There was no space left at the Chicago Campus left even if I am admitted...
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The Chicago campus is full currently. They say there is some turnover in May, but it looks like I won't be able to go to the Chicago campus.
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how cold it is with the wind chill in Chicago
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The interviewers and hosts were able to reinforce many positives regarding the Peoria campus which I felt would have been nice to convey in amore accessible manner beforehand, e.g. on their website, through a brochure, etc.
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First you're accepted to the school and then you rank your choice of location between the four campuses and they let you know what you get.
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If you are an OOS, you have to pay $ 50 k a year for 4 yrs
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The interview would be so short.
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The the interviews would be so laid back. UIC does a really good job of trying to get you know you beyond what you wrote on paper, and show genuine interest in their applicants.
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The interviewers and guides would be from Peoria and not have too much information on the other sites. I figured they would be from Peoria but it was frustrating to get answers like, ''I can't really speak for how it is in Chicago/Rockford....''
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nothing really...
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Though the CTA trains allow you to skip the crazy morning traffic, they still take about 1.25 hours to get you from O'Hare to campus.
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We had to be there exactly at 1pm.
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To show up at 1pm. I showed up early to look around. but there was nothing to see, except the one building.
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Not so much discover as thought ahead, but scheduling for the AM session. Having a morning interview means not driving out in rush hour. Although I guess you'd be driving in during rush hour for the AM session.
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not a thing.
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I wish I would've known that the second day of the interviews was not necessary. All the interviews were conducted on the first day, and the second day was devoted to talking more about the program and seeing specific parts of the school, which we pretty much did the first day of the interviews anyway.
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Do the morning interviews--you get them over and then just chill. Otherwise, you have to wait wait wait wait...
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That it would be more disorganized than other schools. That I would get the full-court press from one of my interviewers and that I would feel very uncomfortable after talking to him. It would be better if the school would send out a packet with parking instructions, and maybe an informational sheet about our day at UIC, that we were supposed to just walk in and take a seat, etc. Perhaps with a little more prep, I would have felt like I was more valued by UIC despite the fact they have such a big class.
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Nothing. It was a really easy interview day.
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I really liked it at UIC- the students are great and I would definately want to go there.
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To take the cermack train not the forest park train (blue line) and get off at polk street and the medical school is 5 mins away. You cannot take the UIC shuttle if you are not a student. Also, do not get off at UIC medical center.
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that chicago campus was full, it gets full before december. If you are looking to go here, I suggest you go to the champaign campus, they have better grade average and pass rate. I went there for undergrad/grad and it was the best 5 years of my life.
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If you apply late, you can pretty much forget getting onto the Chicago campus.
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Where to park. The UIC lots are cheaper than the Cook County lots.
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Just wish I had known a little more about there decision timeline and that I wouldn't be hearing about whether I get in or not until after the May 15th deadline due to the late interview.
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they have a rolling admissions policy!!! send in your secondary as soon as possible. not in late january bc you might get stuck in peoria.
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Nothing.
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that it would be so laid back and lunch was going to be served
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That I would have a hemotologist on the panel
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It was Christmas break and so many students were not around. The campus was empty
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Nothing really. OH..i heard that they interview upwards of 800 people and accept something like 600 people so if you made it to the interview...you have a good chance of getting in.
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The process of ranking the four campuses once accepted.
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Wouldn't be seeing any of the surrounding hospitals.
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That none of my interviewers would be running on time
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Whether they had a preferred protocol for students to send thank-you notes. I ended up emailing those whose emails I got and snailing the rest.
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That I would be grilled on health care problems in the U.S. AND how to fix them.
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The Rockford and Peoria tracks are a sharp contrast to the impersonal feel of the Chicago campus. These tracks are much more geared towards students who want some personal attention, while the Chicago campus has the research dollars and opportunities, but very little personal attention from faculty. The 60% retake rate at the Chicago campus was also very surprising.
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Chicago is much colder than I expected. Bring extra coats if you are from the south like I am.
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How ugly the undergrad school looks.
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That the first year you have to study in Champagne or Peoria - you go to Rockford for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years of med school.
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That my interviewer would compare me to other (presumable successful) applicants during our interview process...in a harmless yet nerve-wracking way!
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The University of Illinois regional campuses/facilities seem to be in worse condition than the main campus (downtown Chicago)
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There were a dozen of us and only 3 sets of interviewers, so if you were last on the list you had to sit around for almost an hour and a half before your interview.
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I was not expecting the 3-Panel(2MDs and 1 M4)interview until the Dean mentioned it. Apparently, only the interviews held in Chicago have adopted the "new" one-on-one style. So if you interview at a regional campus be prepared for one shot (and about 25 minutes)to make a good impression. It's somewhat intimidating to face three people at once, make eye contact with all three while answering their questions in the most concise yet informative manner in a dimly lit conference room setting. Retrospectively, I felt like a contestant on 'American Idol'.
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That I was going to be interviewed by 17 people. I was so nervous for the first few minutes that I must have drank three glasses of water and my hand was shaking the entire time. Also these guys read every word you have written in the application as well as your AMCAS. So make sure to review what you have written.
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Interviews at Rockford are in a group whereas at Chicago the interviews are now 3 one-on-one interviews.
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nothing really.
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Nothing--I volunteer at an affiliated hospital, so I've picked the brains of several UIC med students and residents. UIC kind of has the reputation of being "correspondence school". Since it's all lecture, and since many of the profs aren't so great, many students don't even attend lecture. They form study groups and learn that way instead. You really need to be proactive because tuition isn't high enough to have anyone hold your hand. It probably makes you a better doctor in the long run though.
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the interview would be 3 seperate interviews. from the previous posts on student doctor net i thought it was going to be one 3 person interview. for me, it is 3 seperate interviews with interviews I II III having 1 2 1 people interviewing me, respectively.
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check flight status if it's snowing!!!!!!!!
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That it was so much more laid-back than I originally thought!
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Where to park.
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lunch not until 1pm - i was hungry by then! it was good lunch tho -- italian food: pizza, ravioli, salad, pastries, soda. catered!
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that the interviewers fished for their answers and some were inexperienced and asked lame questions for the sake of asking questions
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I liked UIC more than I thought I would. It's not the best school in Chicago, but for a state school it's pretty good.
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Lunch was not until 1 PM
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no lunch was served
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That there are 2 parking garages and that one is really close to the school and one if far away (I parked in the one that is 6 to 7 blocks from UIC)
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It doens't matter which campus you interview at...if you are accepted you can choose where you want to go (but it is on a first come, first serve basis)
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They don't provide food. I had to go find a vending machine :(
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The interview day starts at 9!
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It was not going to be a panel interview. They decided to change it to 3 one-on-ones.
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Lunch was later in the day than i thought. I was very hungry.
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That I could have parked closer to the building the interviews were held at.
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Volunteer programs avaliable to students to gain more clinical experience.
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hotel and cab fares in chicago are on the expensive end
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How Rockford is not really a city -- it doesn't have a vibrant downtown area and is more a suburb with one main road with lots of strip malls. How important it is to schedule your interview as early as possible to be placed where you want to. (Probably before Christmas in order to get a Chicago spot.)
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the class was already filled, even though they were still accepting students.
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hummmmm, the cost for out of state!!!!!!!!!!
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for the neuroscience program for the phd, you have to pick a "match" during interviews because you don't get rotations.
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Nothing really; reading the other feedback and the catalog helped me get to know the school pretty well.
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That this might be a closed interview, but they do have half of your personal statement
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parking is tough to find/not free. The interview is quasi-closed file; they have your AMCAS personal statement and nothing else.
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That most people desire to do their four years at the chicago campus. I was told that the chicago class was already full.
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Knew a lot already, I work at UIC.
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Nothing negative
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a whole bunch
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The public transportation system in Chicago is very good and cheap.
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That the interviewers would be so interested in letting me talk instead of asking difficult questions. It would have put my mind at ease.
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I wish I would have known just how easy going the interview process was, so I wouldn't have been so nervous!
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thanks to all of my prep work, I was fully prepared.
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that i would have to visit the anatomy lab before my interview
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Make sure to find out about how you can end up at either Peoria, Rockford, or Chicago, and which one suits you best.
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That I might end up going to school in Rockford or Peoria depending on when I get accepted.
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Tuition for out-of-staters is 46K+
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No leftie desks in the MS2 lecture hall. Certainly not a deal breaker, especially since I'm a righty.
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the later you interview, the less likely you are to be accepted at the Chicago campus
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All they have is your personal statement and they said that the rest of the AMCAs had been prescreened. (ie. they assume everyone is equal at the interview point).
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the campus is huge
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The catalogue is very helpful. If you read it, you will know pretty much everything there is about the school.
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I wish I had known more about the Rockford campus (curriculum and students).
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Lots of downtime: my tour ended at 1:30 and I wasn't interviewed until about 3:30.
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Ask about teaching style, student attendance in classes, and the note taking service.
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There weren't really any surprises
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Had researched school well - so no real surprises.
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I might have to leave Chicago and go to Urbana, Peoria, or Rockford if I get accpeted
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They were 5 students short in last years class - and I was still on the wait list! I wanted to slap the whole admissions staff.
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Info about how they assign you to a campus.
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Waiting time is annoying.
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The interviews are two-on-one.
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I was informed the Chicago campus might be or is already full.
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The waiting period between interviewees is pretty long.
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That each campus had different types of curriculums.
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Chicago was probably full.
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If you are scheduled in the morning, you have to wait for everyone else to finish their interview and then you will go on the tour with the afternoon group.
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I wish I knew more about Rockford and its area.
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that is was a panel interview not one-on-one
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the potential for long waiting periods before/after interview; the interviewers only had the personal statement for reference
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Any of the above things, that way I wouldn't have been so disappointed. If you interview there, CALL ABOUT WHEN YOUR INTERVIEW STARTS! DOUBLE CHECK!
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They gave us the wrong meeting time, so everyone showed up about 2 hours early.
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Nothing comes to mind
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i wish i had known that their 1st 2nd years are set. no flexibility and no chance to take other classes like public health.. you can do dual degree, but you can't drop one class and take a different one.
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none-talked to a couple of students who are acquaintances of mine.
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nothing. there were no surprises.
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I didn't know it was a 3-on-1 group interview. I talked extensively to a student during lunch and then he turned out to be my interviewer.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally provided feedback on their interview experiences, with most expressing positive impressions of the school, faculty, and students. Some noted the relaxed and conversational nature of the interviews, while others mentioned specific questions asked during the process. Additionally, there were comments on the facilities, tour, and overall organization of the interview day.
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Overall good
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Great school, students were enthusiastic
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Wonderful school!
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none
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I had 1 faculty, 1 physician, 1 student. You may have no students or no faculty, so it's just luck of the draw. Had a good hot lunch!
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Maybe I just had a bad day? However, all the other interview days I had at other med schools were super comfortable!
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I think it is a good school. The staff could do a better job in with the tour.
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in general i have a good impression of the school- great transportation and access to a wide variety of patients- appeared to have a family environment
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i interviewed at the peoria campus and absolutely loved it
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I really wish they could make the dates more flexible so that people can interview at the sites that they would like to attend. As OOS I ended up having to fly into Chicago and then drive to Urbana because that's the only day that was left. The panel interview was interesting. It went by pretty fast.
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Loved it. Large, public school with many opportunities and organizations, plus collaboration with other Chicago institutions. Happy, close, and social student body. Reputable clinical training and great match list. Outstanding biomedical research. Quality without pretentiousness.
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My student interviewer held a completely blank stare the entire 30 minutes. It was kind of unsettling, and I had no idea how I was doing. The other two interviewers, however, were both very friendly. It seems like UIC gives each interviewer a packet of questions to choose from, because my interviewers would look down at a sheet of paper each time before asking me a new question, and I also got asked the same questions by multiple interviewers. They asked a bunch of ethical questions, combined with some personal ones.
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Awesome admissions staff and faculty (MSTP). Awesome current students. On the next section, the amount spent is low because the MSTP pays for hotel and reimburses airfare up to $150, and provides your meals and subway tickets. The money I spent was just on taxi rides and toursity stuff I did on my own.
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The general info session presenter said that the accrediting agency suggested for UIC to update the curriculum at Chicago and better unify the curriculum among the campuses. There is a possibility of multicampus standardized tests to measure and compare performance among the campuses. Expect curriculum "transformation".
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This school does a poor job of marketing their campus and program.
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Loved my interview day, felt like I did a good job getting my story across and learned alot.
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This seems like a fairly good university. The biggest downside is the out-of-state tuition cost.
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Amazing school!
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I love the location of the school and the current students are really nice and chill. This was my first interview so I was probably more nervous than everyone else but the interviews are pretty laid back. Lastly, I would not pay too much attention to the complaints about the school being old. The anatomy lab looked nice and the buildings were not unbearable.
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Loved this interview day. Very low stress, very fluid. Definitely liked my interviewers. The location is amazing, 7 affiliated hospitals practically envelop the school itself. Plus it's hard to argue with that in-state tuition :)
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COM class building is old but Illinois medical district makes up for it.. it has four major hospitals in one square mile of the school. You can't beat that.
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After my interview, UIC became my top choice
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My interview was the Chicago campus of UI. The admissions process is rolling, so the sooner you get your interview done, the better. The Chicago campus is quite big, and there are a lot of hospitals that are very close to the school. The students seemed happy, and the student population was very diverse. Living in Chicago seemed to be an issue based on cost and commuting, but the students seemed very happy living there. Lots of research opportunities are available for the students, both clinical and wet lab (too bad medical school is so time consuming). Also lots of opportunities to do additional degrees (MS, MPH, PhD) with an MD, and innovative ways to work with underserved populations (Umedicine, and Rmedicine programs).
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The food was great, the staff friendly, and the interviews easy and not combative
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This interview feedback is only for the Rockford Campus. Coming from a Chicagoland suburb, I was not very excited about coming here for an interview. When I arrived on campus (or lets just say in the building), I was very disappointed. I had an afternoon interview and while all my fellow interviewees were very friendly, I knew that I would not be happy if I had to spend 3 years at the Rockford Campus. I had an afternoon interview and was supposed to report to campus at 12:45. The Dean of the Rockford Campus gave a brief overview of all the sites. Yet, he was not informed about the specifics about the other campuses. After that, we had an tour of the building. We literally saw the library and one classroom (where the majority of classes were conducted). There was no anatomy lab (anatomy is taken at the Urbana-Champaign campus during the first year). Following the tour, we waited in a conference room for our interview. Many students came in to answer some of our questions but even then, they weren't very knowledgeable about the interview process. I luckily had my interview very early in the afternoon. The interview is panel style with 2 faculty members and a medical student. It is closed file; they only have your personal statement and answers to your secondary application essays. The interview was very relaxing and my interviewers were engaging/easy to talk to. The time flew by...Immediately after the interview, applicants are able to leave the campus. I was very happy to have the opportunity to tour the Chicago campus a few weeks prior. Because my interests lie in urban medicine, I will not attend UIC if I do not get placed in Chicago. Nevertheless, both Peoria and Rockford seem to provide excellent opportunities to students interested in rural medicine. In addition, because of the small class size, students receive more personalized attention.
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NOTE that all of this feedback is for an interview at the Chicago campus- I cannot speak for the other campuses.
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the opportunities you get through this school are amazing. Most of the interviews are very relaxed. The interviewers really only have your essays (primary and secondary). If you do get the lecture style interview, it is really important to 1) relax 2) if possible discuss both sides (as best you can) 3) smile. Do not get flustered/angry.
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Great experience with very friendly staff and happy students.
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I enjoyed the interview! I actually had a nice time which I thought was unusual but still great because it really made me relaxed for my interview
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Overall I was impressed with the school. No one really talked about the faculty so it was hard to tell how the quality of the teaching is, but the students all seemed satisfied. The interviewers have no intention to grill you, they simply want to get to know more about you (although my student interviewer was just firing away questions from a list so it was a little intense. But they were all standard questions.)
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I really enjoyed everything about this school and can't wait until classes start this fall!
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Overall, I really enjoyed my time at UIC. The interviews weren't too stressful--but they were meaningful. I surprisingly liked the campus a lot which I didn't think I would (having heard that the facilities were run down). Everyone seemed friendly and happy to be a part of UIC.
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I will preface my comments by saying that I am a Chicago native, and want to take the Chicago track. My interview, however, was at the Rockford site, which I knew almost nothing about. It should be noted that if you are interviewing at Chicago or Peoria, reading this feedback will most likely be a waste of your time; the interview style/format at the other sites is quite different. The University of Illinois at Rockford gave me the impression of a school that is genuinely concerned about its students. The M2s and M3s that we had a chance to meet had nothing but praise for the curriculum and the school. The curriculum at Rockford is unique in that students get REAL clinical experience starting their second year. Now, the students at Chicago can boast and say that they get clinical experience their second year too, but the students at Rockford are trained to take patient histories and assess basic symptoms by the time they are halfway through year two. By the time they start M3, they've already got as much skill as someone who has done a family medicine rotation, making their transition into a hospital setting a very easy one. They continue to spend one day a week in a Family Medicine setting, and during the fourth year are completely responsible for the well-being of dozens of local families. Rockford only has one residency program: Family Medicine. Therefore, while students at the Chicago and Peoria campus are receiving training from residents during their rotations, and also competing with residents to be able to perform procedures, the M3 and M4 students at Rockford are working directly with the Attending Physicians and performing "front line" procedures that they normally wouldn't be able to perform until residency. As for the interview, it is a very quick and easy process. The interviewers are generally very courteous, and the entire interview only lasts 30 minutes. This is in stark contrast to interviews at the Chicago campus, of which I have heard several horror stories. The interviewers here had access only to your secondaries and personal statement, they did not have any GPA/MCAT information. They did not ask too many of the standard questions (why do you want to be a doctor, why do you want to come to school here, etc), rather they asked a question from your PS or secondaries, and then used your answer to lead into more questions. In a way, this style of questioning makes it impossible to "rehearse" your answers, because you never know what they are going to ask. But, the questions usually are not difficult ones. Overall, the interview day was a good experience. Although I prefer the Chicago site due familiarity, I came away with a new appreciation for what the University of Illinois is accomplishing out west in Rockford.
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They have a pass fail honors system and it seems as if many student don't show up to class since most of the classes are recorded or videotaped and you can download them on your ipod. They did a good job of finding out about you as a person and not trying to make you feel nervous. The interviews were very relaxed and they really tried to promote their school. It was great that the tour guides took us to all of our interviews throughout the different building so we didn't get lost. All they have is your personal statement and two of your secondary essays so they don't know anything else about you. The M3 student I interviewed with was very laid back and seemed to be very much on my side. They review their interviews on the third Thur of each month and we are supposed to hear back by the end of the month w/ an acceptance, rejection, or waitlist. Good luck everyone, it's really not as stressful as we all imagine!
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Awesome school.
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Between all of the campus locations, this school accommodates a ton of students. The interview day was simple enough, and depending on where you fall alphabetically you can be done as early as 2:30. The interview was with a local doctor, and M3, and an M4 (none was on the actual admissions committee). The doctor was especially nice, and he ended by giving me his card and welcoming me to the "brotherhood" of physicians because we all need to band together. There were about 14 kids interviewing that day, so they tried to be efficient with the interviews. The only information they had was my personal statement and the secondary essays.
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Good location, some nice people, but a lot seemed disgruntled.
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Overall, a school that didn't really change my views about it too much. Still relatively neutral about it. The day (for afternoon sessions) starts with the Dean's Welcome (about 30-45 min), then you have lunch with some students (M3, M4s), then you have a short tour for about 45 minutes. Then you are all sorted off individually to interviews. The admissions staff take you to each of your locations, so you're never lost. :) For some reason, I got many more questions than what seems to be the standard (3) per session. It was rapid-fire question and answer for all 3 interviews. Here are some more questions, that I didn't list below: 1. What recent advances in science do you think will change the face of medicine in the near future? OR Which field of medicine do you think will change the most in the future? (I had to pause for a few seconds to think about this.) 2. Does your school offer courses that teach you how to do research before you actually go into lab? (My answer was no, but for some reason the interviewer decided he wanted to debate the usefulness of the class for 5 minutes.) 3. What do you do to relieve stress? 4. What do you think will be the most difficult part of medical school? (Got drilled on this by 2 out of 3 interviewers.)
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My first interviewer was very warm and kind, and seemed as if she really wanted to get to know me as a person. My second interviewer was too old and it was a big disadvantage to have him because he only got to ask me about 3 questions because he asked them so slowly. After I did answer them, he would also rant for a good amount of time and this cut into my interview time as well. He also asked what my MCAT was, which is on the lower side. He then went on for a while about how I should retake it, enroll in a post-bac program and take UIC's MCAT preparation course and THEN I might get admitted. I thought this was completely unncessary considering I had already passed the preliminary "screenings" so to speak to make it to the interview. He should have used that time to get to know me as a person. My last interviewer was very intellectual and played the devil's advocate with every answer I gave. This added an undue amount of stress to the interview. He also was very hot and cold with me as to how he perceived me as a future physician. At one point, he'd nit pick every part of my application, and at the next he'd commend me on my character. So, it was hard to gauge how any of my interviewer's felt about me and my application.
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i was in the morning group, it was done by 2. i recommend the morning since the interviewers are first and then the tour and presentation. we had lunch at the end. there were 3 interviews. there were 2 faculty and supposed to be 1 student, but student couldn't make it, so an admissions staff member did it instead. all were closed-file. they were all nice and inviting and all asked if i had any questions for them. i had 2 biochem professors. the first guy, dr. vary, was retired. he asked about why i wanted to go into medicine, what problems there were in healthcare, what technological advances were important recently, how to solve healthcare disparities, nice guy. the other one was dr. ho, awesome guy, he teaches biochem for M1s. he asked about my hobbies, what i would do when i faced an ethical problem with a patient, what i was interested in besides biology and medicine, the last was a lady, linda singleton, she asked about why i picked uic, where is saw myself in 10 years, what would three of my closest friends say about me, they all ask if you have questions so make sure you do, and they all liked the fact that i was from uic undergrad, so if you are, make sure you mention that.
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Upon arriving at the med school the group of interviewees sat in a common area and had a welcome/intro from the dean. This was followed by a tour by 3 med students around the building. Interviews were done in 3 separate rooms and were conducted infront of a panel of 3 interviewers. I was the 3rd up in my designated room, so I had some down time before it was my turn. I was only interviewed by a MD and 3rd year student - the other MD could not make it. The actual interview was very conversational and laid-back. There were mostly the typical ''why medicine, etc.'' questions. Hardly any relating to my personal experiences from my essays which I was surprised about.
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There was one interview in front of a panel. It is supposed to be in front of two MDs and a medical student, but I had only two that day. I thought it would be intimidating, but it was actually very conversational and interviewers were very friendly.
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The students and faculty I met were nice, laid-back and friendly, and the clinical training amazing. I also loved the location downtown. However, the facilities were pretty worn (1930's dark musty building, microscopes for histology instead of online slides & computers, etc.), and didn't stand up so well in comparison with other facilities I've seen. The student resources/computer lab/lounge area is in the basement. While the facilities were lacking, and the curriculum pretty lecture-heavy, the clinical training is great the first two years, and amazing the last two years. I felt like UIC probably offers some of the best clinical training opportunities around. If you can see past the facilities, I think this school offers a great medical education. I recommend the afternoon interview slot since you get the dean's presentation, the tour, and lunch with other interviewees first, and then your three interviews (one was a PhD, one an MD, and one a 2nd year student). If you do the morning interview, you have your three interviews first, and then join the afternoon interviewees for the presentation, tour and lunch. Going for the afternoon interview gives you a lot more to talk about during your interviews.
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I interviewed at the Chicago location. There were about 8 total interviewees in the morning and they didn't really welcome us - they just handed us folders and took us to the first interview. Also, the tour was just not that great or informative, some of the students seemed disillusioned (although I was glad to hear honest opinions) and the dean's welcome never happened because the dean was busy.
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This was for the RMED program. Interview was 30 minutes in front of a panel of 15. I knew this ahead of time, but it was a little intimidating at first. The panel was nice and asked questions mostly to find out how well you would fit with the program rather than academic questions.
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Overall it was pretty positive. I definitely felt reassured that while the school was working to increase the amount of research it is doing, it isn't at the expense of teaching or clinical practice. The day was fairly laid back. I was in the afternoon session so my day started at 11:30am. There was a presentation about the school from the Dean of Admissions, and the Dean of the Medical School stopped by briefly to give a short talk and answer questions. Everyone was extremely enthusiastic and helpful. After this we were broken up into groups and went on a tour of the school. My group was led by an M1 and an M4. Both were very nice and answered all of our questions. They both had a generally positive impression of the school. We toured some of the classrooms and buildings (which were obviously old and could use some renovation but probably no more so than any of the other older medical schools in Chicago), and we went through the student recreation center (which was pretty nice). After the tour we had lunch (which was actually pretty good), and then we waited for our interviews to start. There wasn't a whole lot of downtime between interviews; there were a total of three interviews, each one-on-one. They were supposed to last about 30 mins each but two of them finished early. I was interviewed by two MDs and an M4 (the candidates in the other group were interviewed by a PhD, an MD, and a DO). They didn't appear to have access to my full file, but it did look like they at least had a copy of my supplemental application. While I found the political interview questions to be adversarial (see above) I was a little surprised I wasn't asked any ethical questions (perhaps the candidates in the other group got those). Since my interviewers didn't always take the full 30 mins, my day ended a little earlier than everyone else (~3:00pm). Overall I found the interview experience to be enjoyable, informative, and only a little stressful.
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The interviews themselves were more or less pleasant. However, the school did not do a good job selling the school.
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It was great! I was very pleased with everything. I felt very prepared and went in there feeling confident. Although some of the questions first threw me off, if you prepare well there is nothing they will ask you that you haven't already thought about in one way or another. Just make sure you have thoroughly thought about 1. why medicine? 2. the tell me about yourself question 3. medical innvoations 4. what you would do in ethical situations and you will be set. I left the interview day absolutely loving the school! They did a great job of proving to the students that it is a great school to attend. Also a tip to the girls...don't wear stilettos...one of my interviewers (an older guy) commented on a girl that could hardly walk up the stairs because her shoes were so ridiculously high. You don't want your interviewer to notice that about you :)
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A really great school that I would be happy to go to. Definitely one of my top choices. However, when you go for your interviews, watch out. Panel interviewing is WAY different than one-on-one, and I didn't expect it to be as difficult and unconversational as it was. Overall a great experience though.
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Great! Pretty relaxed, the interviewers were nice and put me at ease.
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Although I was nervous about the three closed-file interviews, they were really straight forward, and the interviewers were nice and down to earth. The admissions staff are great, and escort you to each interview. Overall, the day was well structured and I learned a lot about the school.
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The best part of UIC is the incredible clinical training. Students love it for that.
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Overall, I was impressed by the amount of clinical exposure and independent attitudes the school fosters. On the tour, all of the medical students seem very friendly and are willing to share their good and bad experiences at UIC. The tour was okay, but did not show the learning facilities to the extent that I would have liked. After the tour, we received lunch which was a sandwich, soda, chips, and a small cup of dessert. The lunch was fun because we ate with medical students and they did their best to field our questions. The interview session was great. I was interviewed by two M4 students and one faculty. Both of the M4 interviews were very conversational and my interview with them went a little long. The professor that interviewed me was a nice man, but a bit of a low-talker. That and he was a bit irritated since I was late to his interview. But after we started talking, he livened up and we had a nice conversation regarding science and research.
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Overall, it was a well-run event, one interviewer grilled me on big picture issues for awhile until he found an issue I didn't know the answer to. He seemed to appreciate that I was honest when I said I wasn't familiar with the issue. Other than that is was a positive overall experience
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I think it was great. I interviewed Asst. Dean for student affairs and an M3 and both were really relaxed and positive. I just hate that I was so nervous, it was great and after visiting I'm really interested in the Peoria campus and their rural program
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Overall, I wasn't as impressed as I could have been but nothing that would keep me from attending if I'm accepted.
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I had the afternoon session which was nice because we got the tour first, and got to mingle with the other intervieews. We had a delicious lunch, and then awaited our interviews. The interviews were a bit unorganized with some people going out of order because of the interviewers, but overall it was laid-back and non-stressful. Everyone is very nice and really wants to make you feel comfortable. Awesome school, I definitely want to go here!
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I could only laugh about missing my first interview, it didnt really stress me out but it was kind of annoying waiting around while people finished all of their interviews b4 I even started. Overall, the actual interviews went well and I was talking with all of them until time ran over. Surprisingly, my M2 interview was the hardest, though it could have been that I was so tired ( I got there at 11 and my last interview wasnt until 5pm). SDN was dead on, all my questions were questions I had seen on SDN.
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It was not as stressful as I fathomed it would be. However, I did leave not really knowing what to think of my performance. It was one of the situations in which you just ''don't know''
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There was no food in the morning at the Chicago interview, so make sure you eat a big breakfast or bring snacks if you do the AM interview- lunch isn't until about 1:15pm! The AM interview at the Chicago campus was very badly organized. We were moved at the last minute to another room first thing in the morning, the interviewers were late throwing the entire itinerary off, it was difficult getting between the 3 interviewers. Don't take the M1 tour guide- mine was excited to tell us about the post-exam parties and how he parties more in med school than in undergrad. And for the dean's talk at Chicago, sit in the front- he's a low talker.
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i interviewed at the Peoria campus: there's a ton of construction work and you WILL get lost a little- give yourself enough time. They don't give you ANY refreshments, so bring your own bottle of water. Dress impeccably and be yourself.
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Overall, the interview experience was satisfactory. I thought it was very well coordinated and organized, and the interviewers did a great job. The information session given by the director of admissions did not have a big impression on me. He gave a PowerPoint presentation which was presented well, but he went too quickly through his slides. The tour was decent, but left me with some doubts about the program.
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Like a well oiled machine, but not a lot of personality. The Dean speech wasn't until the end, which was a little odd.
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This interview experience was very positive. I was a little concerned about going to Peoria for the interview, but they did a really great job of selling their school.
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Overall, I wasn't impressed, the only thing that students seemed happy about was the fact that they can get drunk often...the facilities were cave-like...very disheartening
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I was definitely more impressed than I thought I would have been. The students seemed nice, but not overly enthusiastic about the school, but the medical district would be a great place to learn and go to school. I was dissapointed to hear that the Chicago campus was full, as I had specifically asked the admissions office 2 weeks prior if the campus was full and they said no. My interviews were all really conversational and laid-back. I'm definitely considering this school, thought I'm not sure I'd want to attend the Champaign-Urbana campus. The day was really smoothly run and the admissions officers were very friendly.
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go for the AM interview, much better to get it over with.
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I was very impressed by the school, but if I get in I hope I do not end up at one of other campuses
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UIC-Peoria made the interview session as low-stress as possible, with plenty of time to ask questions and converse with other interviewees. Afternoon session consisted of introduction, tour, then interviews.
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Very relaxed. Stayed with a host. Interview was completely conversational.
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I chose the morning session. My first interviewer was old, late, blunt and rude. The second one is neutral, he's a student. The third one is faculty and he's ok.
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Good considerate people, most of the day spent recruiting you, and very little time spent actually interviewing.
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1st interview was hilarious with an enthusiastic retired Biochemistry professor who was a really nice Indian woman. She spoke a lot about herself, how she worked with obese people, and other things. We talked about my favorite TV shows and music and she asked me to sing some Prince for her before I had to go! 2nd interview was with an M3 and was very chill and she asked mainly about my motivations, personality, convictions, and desires. 3rd interview was with an Indian pediatrician. At first she seemed a little mean, but perhaps it was to see how I would react to her, but eventually we just had a great conversation about various health issues, what I do for fun, and what I liked about UIC. The interviews each went rather quickly!
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It was a 25 minute interview with myself, 2 doctors/professors and a 3rd year medical student. The doctors asked questions regarding professionalism in medicine and problems facing health care while the student asked about my hobbies and some experiences I mentioned in my essay. The interview would have been much more stressful if not for the med school student asking the lighter questions and making me more comfortable. The doctors weren't mean or intimidating; they just asked more serious questions and weren't as conversational.
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All in all, it was an awesome experience. Had interviews with an M2 and 2 admissions counselors. They were so laid back and conversational, I found myself forgetting they were formal interviews. Morning session started at 9 A and went until about 2-2:30 P. Although they give you a fatty lunch at the very end, I suggest bringing snacks!
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I had my interview in Peoria. The interviewers very realy nice and just wanted to get to know me. My interview was fine and i got accepted 2 weeks after the interview.
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3 interviews, 2 doctors and 1 student. Interviews were mostly laid back, the student was very nice! Last interviewer was an old doctor who asked about my GPA and MCAT (even though it is a closed-file interview, I don't know if this was a test to see if I'd say ''but this is a closed file interview!'' or what, but both of my scores are, Thank God, good, so I told him). This man also asked a lot of health care questions to get an idea of what the current state of medicine is like. There are 2 sessions, morning and afternoon. Each consists of about 7 or 9 students. Morning sessions' interviews start immediately and the morning is split into 4 'blocks,' you have interviews in 3 of the 4 blocks and a break in a 4th (so you can have 3 interviews straight, or 1 interview, then break, then 2 interviews, etc..). After interviews you have a small presentation about UIC (at this point the afternoon session has joined you), then a tour, then lunch. Then morning session is free to go and afternoon sessions' interviews begin, not sure when they get the tour though, probably while morning sessions' interviews were going on.
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It was kind of long, but I had a good time learning about the school and the program.
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Depends on who interviews you. Seems like the other interviewers were more laid back. My interviewers looked in your application and asked related questions. I recieved more ethical questions than expected.
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Overall, it was very positive. The faculty, staff and students were really friendly. There was even a professor who came during her lunch to talk with the interviewees that were waiting in the lobby their next interviews. It was great because it was very informal and she was there to just help with any questions we had. In addition, it was great how you can sit and eat lunch with M1s and M2s to ask anything you would like in an informal setting. You got to get a feel for the type of students that attend the university and actually see their personality.
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Overall the day was pretty low stress. The little bit of down time during the day is in waiting for the information session and then between interviews.
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I very much enjoyed the interview process as well as meeting some M1's and M2's. It was low-stress and a positive experience.
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Overall I loved the facilities and the city. I was not impressed by the students or faculty. I didn't have one interview that really stood out and made me really want to go here.
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It was fine, I took the red line to the pink line in (If you try to take the 54/cemark blue line, it only runs like once evrey half hour). Honestly, just be yourself. They accept more than half of the people they interview--as one of our guides said, just don't say anything crazy!
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i think uic can and should do a much better job of selling itself. i was impressed with several of the students i spoke with and one of my interviewers, but not terribly impressed with the overall experience.
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It was overall, fine. My other two interviewers were friendly and positive, but I was upset by the third interviewer's manner and behavior.
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Bizarre. Not very professional. UIC was presented as a second-rate school. They didn't do a good job of selling the school or highlighting the stregths. Part of this was b/c the Dean had another commitment on this day...
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The afternoon interview session started at 11am and the Dean formally welcomed us with a Powerpoint presentation. We then took a really quick tour of the med school building, saw the lecture halls, and had lunch. I had three interviews (one with a med student, one with a retired surgeon, and one with an advisor from the Hispanic recruiting office), all of which were super laid back. I was not stressed at all. None of the other perspective students including myself seemed stressed and there were zero curve ball difficult questions in either of my three interviews. They seemed to only have access to our secondaries and Personal Statement. I spent two of the interviews talking about what was on my Personal Statement.
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Really good experience- the interviewers were really nice and responded well to all my questions. The dean seems to really care about students.
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I definitely stressed over this a lot more than I should have, but I guess that's ok because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been as prepared. I like that they try to sell you the school too, not just have you sell yourself. It was also fun to talk to the other interviewees, and four of them were actually from my college. The questions were definitely manageable. And during lunch, you could sit and talk to med students, which was great. One thing that surprised me is that no one asked me why I wanted to be a doctor, and I was definitely expecting that. One of the reviewers also showed me the evaluation sheet and said he only had access to my essays and PS. So I don't think they see your grades or scores.
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I really like UIC. I don't know why they are not ranked higher. 88% of the studerts get their top three residency choice and 98% get their top 4. The average boards score is 2-3 points higher than the national mean. They also built a new research facility and are in the process of building a new gymnasium. I also liked the students. They were very helpful and seemed normal and easy to talk to. The interview is laid back, but I was still a little nervous anyway.
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the first interviewer was really easy, I didn't get asked anything hard just personal questions like why do I want to become a doctor etc. Second interviewer was also easy, how many people are uninsured, what do you think about socialized medicine etc. But, he then asked me which other schools I applied too. Ok so I start listing them off and for each school he made a comment i.e. if the school was
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Overall, very positive. MD faculty and students were wonderful, and they answered all of my questions. My last interview was with a faculty member who did research in the dental school - not sure why they had her interviewing for the medical school. Questions were drawn mostly from my essays and filled in the blanks about who I am as a person (closed file interviews).
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Great interview. The students and admin seemed very enthusiastic about the school.
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Overall, administrators and admission staff were welcoming and very helpful. I really felt that interviewers wanted to get to know me as a person. They tried hard to make me feel comfortable, and I really appreciated it. I really hope that the closed-file interview plays in my favor.
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The interviewers were nice, an MD, a PhD, and a med student. Overall pretty relaxed and quite nice. Got a few tough questions but I had prepared for them to some degree so it wasn't too bad. Definitely puts UIC near the top of my list if not the top and if I get in, I will probably attend.
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UIC-COM really impressed me on the interview day. Not only were the facilities better than I had previously thought, the people were much more friendly and caring than I had preconceived from hearing stories about an apathetic administration. The buildings may have some dreary hallways here and there, but there are some comfort zones to be found. Overall, I got a real good gut feeling from the school, something that has heavily influenced my decisions in the past and made me happy so far.
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Excellent experience overall - the University of Illinois became my top choice (it was top 3) after the interviews at other schools on my list. By far the best food provided as well.
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one interview was with a couple of the students, they were interesting. but they were trying real hard not to show a dislike for the school. the second interview was with an MD faculty and this was an awsome interview, very inquisitive and asked compelling questions. the third interview was with someone in admissions, this person did nothing but tell me about their education, weird interview. but all in all not too bad.
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Being from a suburb of Chicago and having attended UIC for my undergrad. degree, I was very optimistic about the interview and I was not disappointed. They treat every candidate with respect and they try to sell the school to the candidates instead of us selling ourselves. It is a very casual experience, more like a friendly conversation about politics and social issues.
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It was a great experience for me, I had great talks with my interviewers, they were so wonderfully interested in me. They were really trying to sell the school to us,and that was a change from how other schools treat their applicants. Facilities are old,but still okay; Dean gave a funny and engaging presentation;
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Everything seemed to be going well at first, but then I was asked a couple of questions about my hemophilia that put me on tilt for the rest of the interview.
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Overall, this was a great interview experience. VERY low stress, and very accommodating and understanding of applicants' positions in this whole med school app process. Everyone stressed the importance of just being yourself
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Three interviews but each one was short. One is with a person on the admissions committee, one a counselor and one a student. Very low key,
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The day exceeded my expectations. My view of UIC was that the med school was in a state of disrepair and that the admissions office was disorganized...not the case. The students seem content with the school, not exactly ecstatic but not whiny either. Clinical exposure is great cuz you are in the city. No breakfast was served so eat before you come, trust me. I had 2 great interviews with faculty, who were quite interested (surpisingly) in what i had to say so I thought it was a good day overall
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All three interviews went well. I don't think any of the questions deviated from my application and they were just seeking elaboration of it.
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Kind of disappointed. Flew all the way to Chicago and still don't feel like I have any better idea of what the school is like.
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Not bad, just did not flow naturally. Very structured and very antagonistic.
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pretty laid back. i was nervous about there being 3 interviews but the attitudes of the interviewers are easy going. i met with 2 M2 students first who were nice and also allowed me to ask them questions, then a pHD who was tricky but conducted a solid, fair interview, then another pHD that didnt really ask me any questions about myself but more about what came up in our conversation to start with.
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The interviews were very laid back. I had a great conversation with an admissions faculty member who was very interested in getting to know me, and she explained how their admissions process works. The next was with a retired MD who was somewhat opinionated, but he assured me I was a strong candidate. Finally I had an interview with an M2, which was very conversational and I asked him plenty of questions. The presentation and tour were pretty standard- the M4 who gave the tour was really cool and laid back. The lunch was nice, and then the morning ppl were free to go.
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Although my interviewers were all nice, I did get asked quite a few tricky questions. It didn't help that they were all running late, so I ended up having to cut one interview short in order to make it to another.
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Easy, breezy, beautiful.
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Overall a good experience, but this was my first interview, so I have no baseline to compare it to. If I get accepted, I will probably attend. I love Chicago.
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The interview was held at the Rockford campus, and was only a half day, starting at 1pm. The day started off with short presentations from two deans and then a short tour with a student (the campus is tiny, so the tour is about 15 minutes). After that, there was some downtime, and then a short panel interview with an MD, PhD, and a student. Then we were free to go.
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My day started out early, with a morning interview schedule. They were back-to-back, 30 min. long, with a Ph.D., medical student, and an M.D. It was pretty low-stress, as the interviewers just wanted to get to know me better. Afterwards, there was a talk on the various tracks, and then a great lunch. Susan Steucheli was very kind and *surprisingly* remembered my name (an amazing feat given the fact that so many people apply to this school). The random students I talked to gave unsolicited comments that really helped put this school at the very top of my list -- they're honest, REAL, and truly satisfied with their medical school experience. This school is as tightly-knit as you want it to be, but nobody is going to hold your hand. Sounds good to me!
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I enjoyed seeing the school, learning about the program, and exploring Chicago. I was accepted to the program only a few days after the interview, and will be starting the MD/PhD program in June.
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Considering that this was for the GPPA program, the interviewers may have been a little easier on us than traditional students. Overall, I was impressed with the first interview and disappointed with the second one. But it all worked out in the end.
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I was impressed by the enthusiasm and friendliness. The interview was fairly laid back and the interviewers were friendly- they seemed interested in my answers.
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I had a great experience during my interview at Rockford. After talking with the dean we took a tour with a medical student and she was really nice and honest. We then waited in a conference room until we were called for the interview. There were 8 people having their interviews on the same day and I ended up being the last one to be called, which was not so nice because I wanted to get the interview over with, but on the other hand, I had a chance to ask tons of questions to the medical students while we were waiting.
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I went to the morning session of the interview. We were greeted with a brief explanation of our schedules before our interviews. After our interviews were over, we were given a powerpoint presentation of the school by the dean. Then, we were led on a tour of the school. The day ended with catered lunch at 1pm.
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After the initial icebreaker, I was asked a very difficult question (see below). As I didn't know exactly how to answer it, I became VERY nervous which probably permeated through the rest of the interview. I didn't think I had done very well. Plus, because the interview was only 25 minutes, I felt like a had an extremely short amount of time to "sell myself", making me even more nervous. However, I was accepted to the medical school. Students that interview at regional locations and are accepted aren't bound to attending that particular campus.
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Interview day started at 1:00 p.m. ended at 3:30 p.m. No lunch, lots of downtime. There were 12 students. They split us into three groups. Following the deans discussions we went on a tour of the building. We then sat in the conference room (and cont. to talk to med students) and waited our turn to interview. The earliest interview as at 2:00 pm and the latest at 3:45. Pros- no fancy presentations, lunches or rhetoric...what you see is what you get- just lots of informal/straightforward information. Cons- You don't get that "special" feeling that you get at some schools where you feel like the 'red carpet' is being rolled out.
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I found that I was going to be infront of 17 people before I walked in. It feels like you're surrounded by the interviewers and although they were supposed to 'make me feel at ease', I felt like I was being interviewd by Robot Gestapo Police, with very few people responding through body language to my answers. I am a great public speaker, but I did not anticipate this.
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Very laid back, just RELAX. I know its hard but its all you have to do.
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Well, it was one interview that was supposed to be scheduled for 25 minutes, which is really really shory. i had two MDs and a MIV interviewing me, all at the same time. One MD looked like she did not want to be there at all, and even asked me what undergrad institution i was from; clearly she had not read anything from my application. The other MD was a bit more prepared, but it was the student that asked most of the questions. They all seemed fairly stone-faced and not very welcoming. Don't know if they meant to be that way. The interviewee before me said she experienced everything that I just said above, so it wasn't just my interview.
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Very organized--Susan Stuecheli is really on top of things. The only reason I gave a 3 to the stress level was because my final interviewer gave some tougher questions and really tried to pin me down on "what would you do" types of questions (as though medicine is a black-and-white profession--whatever, he was a PhD). Otherwise, it was very conversational because the interviewers had no access to my GPAs, MCAT score(s) or even the majority of the UIC questions. All they had were my AMCAS essay and my answers to those "pick two of the four" supplemental questions. You are a blank slate, so it's all about how your present yourself. Will your personality fit with the "feel" of a state school?
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i like the school. i found out that i got in recently. they normally start the response process 1 month after your interview.
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Both MD's and the med student were very nice and willing to listen to what i had to say. They only have your personal statement and addendum, so they don't know what your numbers are. It was more like a coversation.
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Very relaxed! The interviewers (a person from admissions, an MD, and two M2's) were very friendly, and the interviews resembled enjoyable conversations more than strict interviews. The day was very informative, and because of what I learned from the Dean's welcome presentation, the tour guides (M2 and M4), and the interviewers, I really want to attend this school now. Great diversity and so many opportunities!
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Three one-on-one interviews. Two with some combination of a physician, admissions committee member, or vice-dean/dean. One with a M2 (mine actually had two M2s interviewing me).
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i hadn't thought much of UIC before my visit. i applied because it was my state school and i hoped to get in _somewhere_. once i visited though, i was actually quite impressed! i could totally see myself attending this school. it's affordable, the people are down to earth, it's pass/fail grading, and holds a lot of opportunities. being in chicago is also pretty cool.
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Overall positive -- they are trying to get to know you...but I'm never sure how relaxed it's supposed to be. The meeting with students was very laid back, as was the meeting with the admissions rep.
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It was terrible. I had two medical students interview me at hte same time, and they were really bad. They asked me lame questions that really only needed one sentence to answer, and they just looked at me for a good 3 seconds after each question. they were dour and seemed unhappy. the last interviewers was also really unwelcoming. he asked me questions about medicine and why i wanted to be a doctor (totally expected) and criticized my answers and asked me millions of questions to fish for his answer, which he obviously thought was right. students seem stressed out, facilities and area are bad.
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The interview day was good, there were three interviewers who had very different styles. One asked me hard questions, but I didn't feel threatened at all, he was just trying to see my though process. The tour was really short, lunch was really good. The attitude I got from UIC was what I think of a typical state school, it's a sink or swim attitude. There are lots of good opportunities there if you seek them out and take advantage of them, but no one is going to hold you hand or even encourage you do to anything. For a state school, it's a good choice. It's probably one of the best "values" (as in bang for your buck) you can get for a med school
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Three one-on-one interviews that were 30 minutes each. All three interviewers were easy going (M.D., student, admissions officer). Some of the questions were difficult, but fine in the end.
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The interviewers were all really friendly. I had two PhD's and one 4th year--the 4th year was the most intimidating one. The questions were straightforward and easy to answer. I really felt they were trying to gauge me as a person. I felt really relaxed throughout the interview--we were chatting and laughing the whole time.
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The interview was very laid back. I met with an admin, 2 med students, and a MD. All of the interviews were one on one. One of the med students was an M2 the other an M4. The interview with the med students was extremely, extremely laid back. All of the questions they asked me were nonacademic. The MD and Admin were also very pleasant. The school was great and the interview was low stress.
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It was good, the students seemed very nice, but kept emphasizing how much they had to work. It seemed they were being required to study much harder than students at other schools. They kept talking about how hard it is.
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I interviewed on the Peoria campus. The admissions staff said that they have no idea when I will hear back.
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I liked the school. The school had students matching into all the competitive residency specialities (but not at competitive places). About half of the students go into family medicine, and the other half go into specialities. The school has opportunities available. A student who is a self-starter and resourceful can take advantage of those opportunities and succeed. I would seriously consider going to the school if I get accepted.
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There were 3 interviews but they were all really laid back. I interviewed with 2 faculty members and an M4. It's set up so that I was in a group with 3 other students, and we took turns interviewing with the 3 different interviewers. It really was a relaxed conversation about medicine rather than a grilling.
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The facutly and staff were very unwelcoming! It is a two way street. WE want them to accept us, HOWEVER, they need us for their school to surivive. The faculty seem to isolate their students and leave them on their own. Not supportive at all. Some administrators seemed very phony! Counselors do not help at all. With drew my application.
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I didn't not like the school. It is very old-looking. And the faculty were not welcoming at all. I withdrew my application from the school after being accepted to my first choice medical school
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The interviewers did an excellent job keeping me comfortable and at ease. Everything was very organized and the tour was very informative. Do not stress about this interview. It was very laid back and simply felt like conversation rather than an interview.
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I was little late to the interview. DON'T BE LATE! I think because of the change in format to one-on-one interview, interviewers are asking tougher questions. I was told that other students were asked questions such as..."why are manholes round?" and "how many quarters stack up to the hight of Sears Tower?" But most importantly...be your self.
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The interview questions were pretty standard and they were no surprises. I hope most of the faculty and students were as friendly and easy going as my interviewers.
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The interview went really well. All members of the panel were very friendly. Most questions were based on my personal statement. Other Than that they asked the questions given in the question section. I wasn't asked this question but I heard that they asked the following: Would you turn in a fellow student that you saw cheating in a test? Hint: The answer is "yes". It may seem like your being a tattle-tail but you have to keep in mind that it is a "ethics" question. IE its testing your ability to make hard but ethical decisions. The basis for turning in a an individual that has been cheating would be that this person is passing their classes and obtaining their degree under false pretences and may be a hazard/danger to patients in the future (as they may not know the relevant material). The tour and lunch were nice and the tour guide (a m4 student) was REALLy cool! I also heard they asked questions like: Have you thought about doing the DO (docter of osteopathy) instead of the MD? (I'm not really familiar with the intricate diffrences between a DO and MD degree so I didnt have a good answer for this one). Good Luck ! and thanks for the Help!
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It was a really good exerience, I wasn't nervous and afterwards I reallized there was no need to be nervous anyway. It really was laid back.
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The interview went smoothly and was low stress. I interviewed with a Ph.D, an M.D. and a 3rd year medical student. After reading some of the comments posted on this website I was actually preparing myself for the worst. However, I didn't need to. I came away feeling that it was best interview yet (this was my 4th interview).
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Overall it seems like a good school. More affordable than other med schools. If this posting helped you out, please post one of your experiences online as well. We should stop competing with one another during this process, because the honest truth is that it is all random where each of us goes anyways.
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interviewees met in alumni room and waited for students and lunch, then went on tour, followed by interviews at the end of the day. interviews were three-on-one and not stressful at all. interviewers go out of their way to just find out about you in a non-confrontational way.
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The student body is very diverse, both in background and also academic interests and capability. I like that. There is an opportunity to come to UIC and really earn one of the top residency spots in the most competitive specialties. In other words, it's really what you make out of your time here that determines what happens to you. The clinicals undoubtedly will be great in Chicago, although I think the first two years are not (teaching is not up to par and the environment is not great.) Chicago... great city, would be hard to pass up an opportunity to be there.
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went very well, just waiting to here back.
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not sure that they hated or liked my answr..... will tell you in a few weeks...... also
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interview was with a panal of 3 (one med, 2 others). For my panel, it ended up being 2 med students, and one admissions person, no drs. Interview asked basic questions. some ethical ones by the M4 student. Lunch and tour was okay. I'm writing this about a month after the interview. i just found out I have to go back for a second interview so that they can "get to know me more". Very big hassel since I live in California, but what can you do but go. It's annoying have to fly out for a second interview.
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incredibly low key, we stayed at student's houses and got lots of time to interact with faculty and other students, don't stress
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Both faculty and students were great (we encountered quite a few students during the tour; some were preparing for an exam, but they took some time to greet the group and wish us well; it was a good chance to see what their lifestyles were like). They all seemed happy in general. The tour guide knew every face; showed that despite the large size, there's a strong sense of community among the students. And although it's a state school, the school seems to invest a fairly impressive amount in its program and students. As for the interview, I was extremely nervous, but most of was spent as a discussion of what I had done as a nontraditional student; no surprising or challenging questions.
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Overall, the day with the medical students went well. The interview was the hardest part of my visit
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the rest of the day was really good, i liked the campus, everyone i met, and had a good impression, although the interview was very unnerving.
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One of the panel interviewers was this old man that spent a lot of time asking me to slow down and repeat things...he kept saying that young people "turned him off" with their speech. Also, he said I have a South Asian accent (which I felt was offensive because he told me this after I had only introduced myself...btw, I grew up here and have no accent). He was quite rude throughout the interview and the rest of the panel just sat back and watched the show. I also disliked the numbers of hour devoted to lecture. Anatomy lectures tend to be 3-4 hours long. So you could have 8-11 hours of lecture alone on a given day - pretty inefficient way of learning in my opinion. The students don't really get out much, the dorm is literally connected to the medical school so you don't even have to go outside. I didn't like the facilities either - they are very old and I think it would be nice to spend four years of your life in a building with windows which was very lacking. Also, the panel was talking crap about other Chicago schools which I found to be unprofessional. I guess this is a good school if you are only willing to go to school in Chicago and don't mind working your ass off for your first two years engrossed in books and with little clinical exposure.
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I read a lot of interview feedback that said to expect cold interviewers who didn't smile and just fired questions at you, but I actually found that, while my interviewers did tend to ask very directed questions, they were also very warm and conversational....plus they laughed at my bad jokes. As for the school, it was passable and is still a great deal for the lower cost. As I said before, the student body didn't exactly give me the impression that I was surrounded by the greatest minds of my generation...but at least that means you can graduate towards the top of your class.
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The interview was pretty low stress. The interviewers were pretty nice and they were just trying to get to know the applicants. It was my second interview so I was pretty relaxed and confident. I think the interview went pretty well.
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It was enjoyable; my panel was really good and asked me relevant questions.
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Very laid back interview and a good first interview experience. The students that gave the tour were really helpful and the interviewers seemed really interested in getting to know about you.
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The interviewers had only read my personal statement. They seemed to start their questions by addressing what I talked about in my statement. The remaining questions were asked to just get a better feel for who I am as a person and what my background is like.
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See above. the whole interview was bizzare and uncomfortable.
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The interview was very laid back. We had lunch with a variety of 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students. The campus tour was worth it as you got to see some of the lecture halls, dining facilities and students hangouts.
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When they say their interviews are laid back, believe them. All the interviewers have seen is your personal statement, so it's really your time to shine.
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Some interviews were held in the morning before the lunch and tour sessions. Other interviews spanned the afternoon. My interview was in the afternoon. I was one of 8 applicants that rotated through the interviews, each with two faculty and one med student. All three interviewers were asking questions or followup questions that were based upon my personal statement etc. My interview was later in the afternoon so I spent the time reading the school catalog and talking to the other applicants. The interview was very laid back.
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I think the questions were fair and straight forward. There were no surprises.
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It was my first interview so it was a little stressful than most other people. They asked me all the questions I expected them too. There is a good question and answer session with students that covers everything you would want to know about the school.
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Overall I had a very pleasant experience. Students and staff alike did a good job of addressing my questions and concerns.
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This was an extremely positive experience. I met some other very talented, interesting, and friendly pre-medical students. I truly felt that the interviewers were interested in getting to know me on more than a surface level and were very welcoming and laid back. Be prepaed to have initiative during conversation. My interview didn't even start off with a question. It began with..."So, it is so interesting to see that you are a [non-science major]" and her facial expression and silence was my cue to take it from there. Great school, great staff, great students! Wear comfortable shoes and warning that the building temperature is quite warm when you're walking around in a suit.
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Very positive yet very thorough. the interviewers probed my motivations. probably because i am a non-traditional applicant
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The reputation of the school is good, and academically it seems like it really will help you wherever you want to take your career. But, the attitudes felt cold and formal (see below), especially if you end up at Chicago.
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Overall, it was a good experience. It was my 5th interview so there weren't any suprises. The campus was very barebones, I did not see a lot of state of the art equipment anywhere. The whole experience was positive, but there was nothing about the school that set it apart and made it special as far as med schools go.
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The interview was in panel format but was very laid back. The questions were tough but not impossible to answer.
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Overall, it was a really good interview day. The waiting facilites and the cafeteria they took us too were very nice, especially for a state school. The building is a bit run down, but seems to have up to date equipment. I loved my interview, but I think I just got very lucky - it was like they hand-picked my interviewers and questions just for me.
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The people I spoke to were really nice. The interview itself was a little intimidating with the 3 person panel but they try to relax you which is good.
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It was pretty laid back and lunch was decent. Pretty painless interview, mostly questions from my personal statement and some how I would react questions. So know your personal statement well and know what parts of it you can use to bring out your characteristics. The overview of the school they give answered alot of my questions as well. They also give you a catalog that tells all about the school when you get there. If you interview later in the day there is a decent amount of downtime.
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positive experience overall, and i was impressed with the resources available to the students that go to this school
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Had problems finding parking. If you don't know Chicago well, have a decent map before you go for your interview or take the train in. Once I got there, I was ushered into a reception area where a 2nd year med school talked to the eight of us who were interviewing that day. During that time we were individually taken out to be interviewed by a panel of three or four people. The interview was very laid back. Then we had lunch and a tour. It was a good experience and since it's a large state school, there are lots of services for the students that you can't get at a private school (gyms and such).
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pretty intense panel of interviewers - fired question after question - tour was excessive, felt more like orientation - cafeteria food was poor
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I wasn't expecting the three-on-one interview format to be as laid-back as it was. They weren't out to GET anybody... they just wanted to get to know their interviewees a little bit.
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Be prepared to talk about your personal statement. It is the only part of your file they have. The day was brief and there is downtime before, after, or in-between interview times. Overall, great experience and seems to be a place where you have great resources but where your initiative will precede your involvement level.
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Overall the day was kind of annoying, but the actual interview was great so I can't really complain. UIC isn't a bad school, but the day could have been organized a little more efficiently. Despite all the negatives, I would still consider going to UIC med school since I did get a sense that the students still got a decent med school education.
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The interview part is rather easy, so much so that I forget the questions. :) - if you've interviewed anywhere else and been okay, you'll do fine.
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Positive - although had to wait a while for interview, I advise that you come prepared with newspaper etc...
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The interview was ok. Two medical students and a PhD interviewed me. Since there were a lot of people there, the interviews were limited to 30 min.
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The school definitely has it's rough points, but overall I think it is good. You can definitely get a good education - you just may not be happy while you do it.
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Overall very good. UIC is one of my top choices because it combines a solid medical education with a reasonable price. Students there also seemed very nice and down to earth.
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The interview experience was okay, the two-on-one interview structure threw me off (didn't read SDN in advance, shame on me!). The doctor interviewing me was a little gruff. Students don't really find their lectures imperative to attend, I don't know how I feel about that. Even though I felt pretty ambivalent about my interview experience, I still got in!
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Panel structure is more difficult than one on one. My suggestion is to keep composure and give honest, well thought out answers. Also, it helps to give eye contact to each panel memeber
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Overall, pretty chill.
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Overall, the interview was very laid back. The student that gave the tour was very informative and seemed excited about the Rockford program.
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The interview is fairly laid back but interviewers are still very direct w/ their questions. If I get in but must go to Peoria I would give it serious concideration whereas before I might have not.
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The interview was very easy. The interviewers (one student and one faculty member) seemed awed by everything I said, and they let me steer the course of the conversation for the most part.
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A great deal of waiting around. Good food. OK tour. Friendly people.
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Overall, I liked this school. One of the members of my panel did not show up until about 5 minutes before my interview ended. The interview itself is very relaxed for a 3 person group (panel) interview. They only have access to your personal statement, so be prepared to talk about whats in it and what else you would like to share thats not in your personal statement.
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Low Stress, whatever you do, dont get nervous. They made it seem like once you got an interview there your chances for acceptance were excellent! Met a fellow SDN'er there which was nice.
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It was a great experience, my first in-state interview and the tuition is dirt-cheap compared to the 50 G's on average for all the other medical schools I visited.
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Relaxed interview.....don't stress it
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overall very positive. seems like a FANTASTIC school - if you can handle living in springfield for 3 years. i interviewed at springfield but also checked out carbondale - recommend doing so if you've never been down there.
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it was pretty good. lots of sitting around, but it gave us a ton of time to ask questions of students and to chat with people.
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i didnt know much about UIC coming into the interview, and was quite impressed by the school. the information presentation was ok, but the tour was good--given by M4's--which included a question/answer/advice period. my interview was with an M2 and an admissions officer (not an MD or PhD), but others had an MD or PhD plus a med student. the whole day was pretty relaxed and quite informal. ask a lot of questions...
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It was great; very relaxed, very laid-back. My interviewers were even laughing with me. I went from not knowing anything really about the school to really loving it and hoping I get in....
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Overall I thought the day was pretty disappointing. There was a half-hour introduction, and then a half-hour tour given by some med students who also answered questions. Then the students were interviewed by one of three different three-person panels. I was lucky and went first, but some of the other applicants hung out in the student lounge until their interview.
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This was my first interview, and it went well. Two docs, one M3 were my interviewers. Afterwords, the M3 fielded any other questions I had. Relaxed, somewhat informal atmosphere. Be prepared to go over your personal statement in some detail; this is the only part of my application that they had readily available.
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it was very laid back and being my first interview, I was very surprised and sceptical- i thought the interviewer was like a salesman and just waiting for me to mess up but he was genuinely honest
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I enjoyed the day but my interview experience itself was very unpleasant. The people interviewing me did not smile at all and kept firing questions at me one after the other. Perhaps intimidation was their approach.
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My interview experience was great! The medical student was not very talkative and did not smile at all but I tried to communicate with him more when I asked questions. My other interviewer was a retired professor and it was really easy to talk to her. My advice to everyone would be--if you are at a lack of something to talk about and the topic comes up, tell them about a good book your recently read. I've done this at two of my interviews and it has really worked in getting the interviewers excited and involved in listening to you.
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Pretty normal, not too stressful, the students were pretty friendly too.
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it was great. i really enjoyed it and i think i'd be happy there. it's tough no matter where you go and you'll have to learn alot of stuff no matter what, so it's the clinical training that separates uic-- the anatomy professor is apparently very good as well.
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It was a very laid back interview. I even met a fellow SDNer at the interview. I really enjoyed the campus tour, and meeting the students. They are building a brand new research building by fall 2004 which I hope to be in when I am an M2.
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Definitely a positive interview experience. I was really impressed with the student body and my fellow interviewees were really nice people that would be great to have as classmates. The interview was more conversational, "tell us about yourself", "your interests", etc. Low stress. The interviewers were really nice. The tour was good and we had a cool tour guide that gave us a lot of inside info about UIC. She seemed very genuine and eased a lot of my fears about UIC med.
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The three interviewers were: one faculty who is a member of the admissions committee, one staff member, and one first-year medical student. They take turns to ask me questions. They had access to my personal statement, but not my academic records.
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VERY laid back interview. Don't stress.
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Relaxed. Try to speak to the students. The student that interviewed me later joined a group of applicants for lunch. He sat there and told us every negative that he could think of and every gripe he had. That way, we could decide for ourselves if the positives outweighed the negatives. I believe they really do. State tuition still beats many of the private tuitions out there.
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It was a good interview, learned a lot about the program and hope to get in!
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I liked the school, but I want to be at a place with a more supportive administration. I had a great time at the interview. Talk to a lot of students.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested improvements such as enhancing website navigation, providing clearer communication regarding interview scheduling and status updates, utilizing electronic communication for decisions, and improving the overall interview experience through better organization and friendlier staff interactions. Suggestions also included accommodating dietary restrictions, allowing online interview scheduling, and providing more detailed information for out-of-town applicants.
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Hand out name tags
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Keep being amazing individuals!!
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Make sure to accommodate peoples dietary restrictions, especially if you ask about it. Otherwise just specify that accommodations won't be made and people can make their own adjustments.
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Directions to the conference room were not good. Directions to the interviews were very specific, but let applicants know they will be outside.
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The application status page looks archaic
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Using anything more immediate than physical mail for decisions would do wonders to relieve anxieties of all applicants.
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Change the system for signing up for an interview date... it's very inconvenient to have to check online for dates that are open and then call in the office to schedule. The website in general is very awkward and hard to figure out. Also, the Chicago spots fill up quickly and they won't give more dates until the other campus interviews fill up. Makes it kind of awkward for OOS who need to interview in Chicago.
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Nothing, great experience, really laidback, got to meet a lot of people.
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Send final decisions through email (and regular mail if accepted)
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I found the website to be very difficult to navigate. It seems like there is a lot of very good information on the site, but I had to go through multiple pages to find what I was looking for.
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utilize email
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None.
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There needs to be an explanation of status changes on the status website. If it wasn't for SDN, I wouldn't have known to call in to schedule an interview when the grid shows up. Also, please make the Dean come on time to his presentation!
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Without SDN, I would have had no idea how the whole status update thing works...
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Allow students to know who is interviewing them before hand.
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Status check website is quite mysterious and steps should be taken to make it less cryptic.
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When offered an interview at the school you need to call in to set up the interview date. The person on the phone was really rude, and I was very unsure where online I could find the dates for the interviews that were being offered. I had to call in twice to get all the date written down and the locations the interviews would be. The person on the phone was quite rude, and very unhelpful. Also, they did not send me a confirmation email till almost a week after my scheduling of the date (4 days before the interview!). The email was very vague about what the day would be like, and what time the day would end, which makes it very challenging for those coming out of town. Basically, since my interview was in the afternoon (11:30 am slot), the day was: 11:30-12:15 Dean of school describes school !2:30-1:30 Lunch with med students 1:30-2 tour of campus 2-4:30 3 separate interviews
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Allow applicants to set up interviews online and inform applicants of their status electronically
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Email applicants in regards to completion status and interview invites. I would have not known about
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Allow students to reschedule! The lady I talked to was sooo rude.
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gino's pizza
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Find better interviewers! One of my interviewers suggested that I should not come to the school beca
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Make sure that your interviewers are prepared for interview day. I am definitely understanding thoug
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Update the website. Go paperless in applications.
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Send mail to preferred address on the AMCAS application instead of the permanent address.
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UIC has, by far, one of the friendliest admissions staff I have dealt with.
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Revamp status page so that it is more user friendly and informative.
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I was never contacted by anyone to tell me that I had an interview. This actually happened two years
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The staff in admissions was very nice and helpful, no complaints.
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One of my interviewers seemed indifferent on getting to know me. I was happy that he would allow me
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Very friendly overall.
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Do a ''welcome'' at the beginning - it just promotes a higher level of feeling comfortable.
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Staff more people.
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Abandon the panel interview in favor of two individual interviews.
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