Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 39% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did okay.
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 cover a wide range of topics, including personal experiences, motivations for pursuing medicine, challenges faced, teamwork scenarios, ethical dilemmas, future goals, and reflections on specific activities or coursework. Some respondents mentioned questions related to the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format and nondisclosure agreements, indicating a structured interview process with confidentiality requirements.
Tell me about this dip in your GPA X year/semester.
If you were the physician of a 15 y/o girl who came in pregnant and you wanted to inform her parents but she pleads for you not to do it because she is scared that they'll hurt her--what would you do?
You are working in a group and you have a different answer from your groupmates, but you believe that your answer is the right one. The deadline for your case is today. Which answer will you submit?
Lots of questions about my experiences and what I gained from them. They asked several times how I could apply what I've learned to clinical medicine in North Dakota. They also asked how I improved my MCAT score the second time I took it.
Can you tell us about this semester (where my performance wasn't so good)? / What do you know about our Patient-Centered Learning program? / Why would it be a good fit for you?
Tell us about yourself. / What's the most exciting thing you've done? / What kind of medicine would you like to practice? / Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
What would you do if someone in your group wasn't pulling his/her weight? / What's the last book you read? / How did you manage to improve your performance so drastically?
How do I know you wouldn't waste this opportunity?
I can't see you working well as part of a team [because you're a paramedic]. I think you would say ''I already know about that'' instead of studying cardiology. (not really a question, but he waited for a response)
How do you think travelling abroad has effected your view of medicine? Why do you think cultural sensitivity is important for a physician, and how can you ensure that in your work as a physician?
Just a LOT of personal stuff from my file--they did an excellent job of figuring out what I was about and really getting to the core of why I want to be a doc.
I am an outdoor person, and we talked about many of the activities I do in Montana. One question was, "North Dakota does not have mountains, or trout fishing/fly-fishing...How do you anticipate handling a move to Grand Forks w/many different activities than Montana."
I went to school @ ASU, so we talked a lot about the differences in AZ vs. ND. The question was...Explain to me some of the differences you have seen in doctors in AZ vs. ND. The following question was then...expain some of the pro's and con's w/managed healthcare (HMO's).
I had quite a few... Mostly questions about my background.
How have to prepared yourself for a career in medicine? Who has been a mentor to you, encouraging you to pursue medicine? The the ever present, "Why medicine?"
What kind of attributes do you have that would make you a good doctor? What sort of things would your students say about you? (They knew that I tutored and taught some classes)
Note the above questions. The rest were about my application. They asked me two questions about what they thought was a weakness in my application but I clearified it for them. Then they asked me to talk about my research, work, and my family.
Why UND? I answered because they a leader in rural medicine. Actually there are many schools ranked higher for Rural Medicine than them even though they state they are tops (see US NEWS Rankings).
Students said most interesting question asked at University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences discussed a variety of topics, including favorite memories, book recommendations, and teaching experiences. While some mentioned specific questions like favorite bodily fluids and controversial medical topics, others found the questions to be more personalized to their application and experiences.
Tell me about your favorite X (related to my old major).
With out letting the interview committee know your personal stance, give the pros and cons of a contraversial topic in medicine. (they said, "like abortion, stem cell research, physician assisted suicide")
I didn't think the questions were that interesting. They asked me about working in groups because of the way the curriculum is set up, which part of is done in small groups with your classmates. I liked the question about what do I like to do for fun, because I'd rather talk about that than anything else they asked me. But unfortunately, that was the last question.
I was asked if a professor or a teaching assistant made a big mistake on the board, and I knew what he/she said was wrong, would I help out or would I just let him/her keep going. I told him that it all depends on so many factors then he asked like what!! I told him the kind of instructor I am learning from, what the error was and is it going to affect the rest of the lecture? He was like let's say it is in a physics problem and the instructor ignored one of the newton's laws... Anyways, I think I did a good job answering that question but I was never asked anything like that in any of my interviews. At least I made him laugh.
You are in a group and a member is presenting information on a particular piece of a patient's case. Unintentionally, the presenter reveals information that YOU know is incorrect. What do you do?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences discussed various scenarios like ethical dilemmas, personal attributes needed for medicine, healthcare policies, and handling sensitive medical situations. Some responses hinted at an MMI format and possible nondisclosure agreements, while others touched on bioethical issues and personal reflections on experiences preparing for a medical career.
If you were a business person, and interviewing a candidate who had the ability to give you a competitive edge. Is this ethical? Would you hire them?
After being asked what I thought the necessary traits of a competent physician were the individual who asked it responding by asking "But someone could have those traits without being a physician, how are they necessary to specifically being a physician?" There was a heavy accent and slight language barrier on the interviewers part which partially contributed to how difficult the question was.
Without stating your opinion, discuss the pros and cons of the Affordable Care Act and try to keep your answer to under 2 minutes. (I think they asked this question because I was working for one of North Dakota's senators when the legislation was passed)
Scenario: You are a primary care physician and a family you know well comes in with their 12 year old daughter who has been complaining of nausea and fatigue. You run some tests and find out she is pregnant. How do you handle the situation?
Follow up: Without giving your personal opinion, please describe the pros and cons of abortion. On the opposite end of the spectrum, what are the pros and cons of euthanasia?
Have you ever been PAID for your health care experiences? (I've done a TON of volunteering, and this just seemed to be a horrible question in that light--I still don't know what they were getting at.)
There was a hot issue about some of the medical issues of abortion at that time in my home state. So, he asked me if I knew anything about it. My response was "a little bit, but not too much, just from the media". Then he was like, if I was the leader of this project, and I had all these researchers under me performing their medical research, then I am asked to write a report about the medical research to the health department, which path would I take and why? So, I told him that because abortion is not a pure scientific issue, and it has some politics in it, then he stopped me saying he was not talking about politics and he was talking about science. I told him well because it has some politics in it, I would look all the reports from other researchers and I will keep in mind that there could be some politics into these reports, so I would have to verify so many things before I turn in my final report to the Health Department. It was hard but I got out of it, too. The interviewer said "This is a very smart and great answer!!"
Are hospitals/providers responsible for infections patient acquire during surgery? (I answered that you assume risk in any setting/procedure but should strive to avoid such complications).
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
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 conducting mock interviews, reviewing their applications, practicing answering common interview questions, seeking feedback from peers or mentors, and researching the school and its curriculum. They also utilized resources such as SDN, school websites, and ethical scenarios to enhance their preparation.
I practiced with a friend who was also interviewing, going through typical questions and critiquing each other. I also did a mock interview in the career center. They also asked typical medical school questions, and threw in a few curveballs as well. Although the majority of questions they asked were not a part of the actual interview, sitting down with a panel of strangers, in a suit, and formulating the best possible answers is an excellent way to prepare for the atmosphere of the real thing. They gave me good, honest feedback which gave me a lot of confidence going in to the real thing. When I arrived on interview day, I was at ease because I was already familiar with the environment of the interview.
Went through my application, ability to answer varied questions about my experiences. I did a mock interview with my boss in a medical profession. I read up on typical questions and formulated responses to them.
I went through my application and made sure I could explain what I learned from each of my experiences and how it would help me as a physician. And I went over other questions I thought they might ask and read up on some ethical issues.
I over-prepared. I went over typical interview questions, read up on the school, briefed myself on med ethics, and browsed my application. They did not ask any of the expected question. However, I was really glad I had looked over my application because they asked a lot of questions specifically from my application, especially my essay.
I did several mock interviews, checked this website (not too many people have reviewed UND, unfortunately), I've done a couple 'real life' interviews already, which helped immensely. I talked with students at the school about it and why I would like being there.
I read all of the entries found here on this website concerning this school. I also read over my application so that I would know exactly what information they were looking at. I also had friends practice asking me questions found in various med prep books and letting them evaluate my responses.
Read up on my personal essay, looked back in detail about the platforms of organizations I had volunteered/worked for, looked at medical school interview questions from previous years, etc.
Applicants consistently highlighted the friendliness and welcoming atmosphere of the interviewers, staff, and students, as well as the genuine interest in getting to know them personally. The emphasis on patient-centered learning, the quality of the curriculum, and the willingness of students to provide guidance and support were also frequently praised. Suggestions for improvement included providing more information about the school and program during the interview process.
Students seemed to be very close to each other per the student's report. Interviewers were friendly.
The interviewers were wonderful. They were so kind and welcoming. It helped me relax a lot. The schools SIM Center is very impressive. All staff/professors/MDs very welcoming.
The simulation centers were incredible--first years had the opportunity to participate in ER simulations as early as their first block. I also liked the patient-centered learning (PCL) integrated into the preclinical years.
The interviewers were very nice and friendly. The first thing they said when I walked in the room was that they wanted me to think of it as a laid back conversation to get to know each other rather than an interview.
Friendliness of staff and students, as well as the confidence they have in their program. The school in general is also dirt-cheap for students from North Dakota.
Mix of PCL self-study with significant science lectures and 2 lab days a week. Seems a good balance of old and new. Fairly new facilities. Class of 60 is small enough that all the faculty seem to know all the students.
Everybody was really friendly. I also liked the laid-back atmosphere. A lot of the other campuses I visited were very up tight, including the students.
The students were awesome. One picked me up from the airport and took tons of her own time to show me around campus and the school and in addition the two of us hung out outside of the school atmosphere as well.
The interview was the most thorough interview I've had to date. I was not given a time limit and the questions were direct and gave me a lot of room to talk about myself and let the interviewers get to know me as a person.
They were not fake at all. They get to the point and they were soooooooooooooooooooooooooo nice. Everyone was very respectful and welcoming. The students seemed to be happy about their program. They were so open to talk about anything and everything. The building was new but there is an old part to it.. That's ok. It was a great experience.
The friendliness and hospitality everyone on campus showed me. The med students themselves were very interested in getting to know me and give me all the pointers I needed. The interviewers did a great job of making the interview itself as casual as possible. I usually have to drink a gallon of water during interviews and I never needed to take a sip during the entire 65 minutes!!!
Really Nothing, I left knowing nothing more about the school than when I arrived. UND made no effort to sell me on their program which is OK, but it discourages multiple acceptances applicants from going there.
I was suprised at how relaxed the environment was. I really enjoyed the three people who interviewed me. They were not intimidating in the slightest. I also liked the medical students who were there to break the ice before the interview. They were very comforting and understanding about the whole situation.
1. the people. The small town feel of the school was evident in its faculty and students. Everyone was especially friendly and would go out of their way to say hi.
2. the patient-centered care attitude
There were medical students availabe to answer your questions before and after the interview. They were very kind and helpful. They seemed to like the school, city, and curriculum (and helping prospective students).
The students you meet with before the interview are very friendly and wanted to make sure you had all the information you needed. The interviewers were very friendly as well and they didn't grill you like some of the other people I have read on this website.
The school was recently remodeled and is very new, the curriculum is more patient-care centered than at many other schools, and the people I met were friendly and open about their med school experiences.
Applicants commonly expressed dissatisfaction with the lackluster interview day experience, including limited engagement opportunities, disinterested interviewers, and an overall negative atmosphere. Suggestions included improving interview organization, enhancing interviewer training to ensure professionalism and engagement, and providing more information about the school's strengths to prospective candidates.
Nothing, I really loved the school and enjoyed my visit.
I thought the interview day itself was fairly lackluster. There was no programming, only a simulation center tour at certain times throughout the day. If I had been a student who traveled far to interview, I think I would have been quite frustrated.
Nothing really. The tour given by first year students was pretty short, but I'm sure if I had wanted to see more of the school the students wouldn't have minded. They were very helpful and were willing to answer any questions or help us with anything we needed during the interview day.
Slow application process, but likely attributed to the transition to AMCAS this year. Your interview date and time is picked for you, not by you. UND is in Grand Forks and their clinical rotations are lottery-based.
Location--it was freaking cold the day I interviewed, and a town of 50,000 in ND isn't exactly a cultural hotbed. Lots of opportunities to drink in the town, they tell me, not much else.
MD in my interview team was first disinterested, then outright confrontational. Interviewers seemed to see previous health care experience as a bad thing.
It took me an entire 45 minutes until one of my interviewers would finally uncross his arms and act interested. Don't be alarmed if one of your interviewers is "the mean guy", one is "the nice guy", and the other is just there to be there. I think that my "mean guy" just wanted to see how I could handle the pressure and stress. Don't let it bother you...I think that he is there to test your skills :)
I would agree with one of the prior applicants that the 15 minute video about the school was very cheesy. Granted, I interviewed on a Saturday, which was convenient for me since I work full time, but not seeing any other staff there besides the interviewers wasn't very impressive. Besides the video, which was interrupted for the interview, I really didn't get to hear about the school or about it's strong suits, I have no idea why I should go there. Oh! I guess I should read the packet they gave me...
I had to ask for a tour, nobody from the administration bother to come by and introduce themselves, the anatomy labs use prosections and have up to 10 students specimen. The medical school is mostly in a dark basement and the Problem Based Learning relies too much on groups throughout the first two years (to much opportunity for some students to slack off). My interviewers and most of the students seemed clinically depressed, I kept thinking Prozac the entire time. The medical student that interviewed dominated the process and seemed search for my shortcomings rather than getting to know me as a person and assessing my potential as a physician. I am not kidding that that not one of my interviewers smiled the entire process. Every school has their own style of interviewing candidates, but this unfriendly and rude approach help form the negative impression I have of the faculty and some of the students.
After the interview, I was suprised to hear feedback from other candidates who said it was very uncomfortable for them. If I had been a candidate in the next group, I would have been very scared after hearing how the previous group's interviews had gone.
The length of the interview, mine was barely thirty minutes. The med student was in charge and I didn't think his questions gave me the opportunity to let them know who I am.
Applicants commonly expressed a wish to have known ahead of time that the interviews were more relaxed and conversational than expected. Some also mentioned the short duration of the interview day and the importance of familiarizing themselves with the curriculum.
RELAX! I was so nervous and caught up in reciting my answers and reviewing my app that I got so tense. Luckily, the interviewers were really nice and got me to relax quick.
The interview day was very short (less than 2 hours). We watched a 15 minute video about the school, did our interviews, and took about a 15 minute tour.
The interview day is absurdly short. Arrive with a couple other applicants, watch a short video about the school, and attend your interview. Sans tour the entire interview day is less than two hours. Tour is entirely optional.
That I'd get a ticket in the parking lot... the meters can be fed for 1 hour at a time, yet the interview is 45 minutes with 30 minutes of pre-interview stuff--a video and having your picture taking. So that added $15 onto the cost of applying.
That I would be one of three students simultaneously interviewing with one of three different interview teams. I don't know anyone who was accepted that interviewed with my team.
I wish I would have been able to schedule my interview when school WAS in session, because everything was absolutely DEAD when I was there, and I think I would have been more impressed to see things actually going on there.
I knew that MN residents were pretty disadvantaged here, but I didn't know that only 6 were accepted. I don't think that I would have gone to the trouble of filling out the 17 page non-AMCAS application, and the expense of flying to ND, etc if I would have realized that.
The M3 and M4 students do their rotations in Fargo, Bismarck, Minot or Grand Forks. The school doesn't have a hospital on campus in affiliation with the academic program.
I spent a couple of days in grand forks and on campus before my interview so I was pretty up to date with how things worked at their school. Be sure to understand their curriculm and how they present their blocks. One of my questions was gear toward this understanding.
I had a few "out-of-the-blue" questions thrown at me (about my personal evaluations) that I was not expecting at all because I thought they would not be relevant to the interview. I wish I would have gone back and looked at other "self-promoting" essays that I had written in the past to be prepared for those kinds of questions.
How influential it can be to be affiliated with an undergraduate university. UND's hockey and football give a medical student something to do and follow.
Applicants generally provided positive feedback about the warm and welcoming atmosphere at the University of North Dakota (UND) during interviews, expressing appreciation for the friendly faculty and students. They also highlighted the importance of being well-prepared, particularly knowing about UND's curriculum and the Patient Centered Learning approach.
I was pretty nervous but the committee members did make me feel welcomed.
The best way to prepare is to know your application in and out. Have a story and/or a lesson learned from each experience ready to share. Think about how your experiences have prepared you to be a doctor. Ninety percent of the questions I was asked came directly from my personal statement or list of activities.
My interview was very laid back. The interviewers seemed very easy going and tried to make it as low stress as possible. I hope to have them as professors! The patient centered learning curriculum seems great and it sounded like most of the students really like it.
Their setup seems to be to have one interviewer who acts very, very nice; one who acts actively dis-interested; and a neutral third interviewer who watches you the whole time to watch how you react.
Bad experience here, which may have been due to luck of the draw. Other students who were assigned other interview teams had a comparatively low-stress experience.
My interview experience was very positive. The interviewers and medical students I met were great; they were friendly, polite, and helpful. The atmosphere throughout the experience was comfortable.
I started with a room of three other applicants and two first year medical students. Afeter a half hour, one of my interviewers came to personally escort me to the room. Everyone was plesant and I actually had a good time.
The medical student was very enthusiastic and gave an in depth tour.
When walking into the room before the interview, there will be a group of 4 students, also waiting to interview. Each student goes into a different room to be interviewed by a different committee.
The interview was not too relaxed for me. Apart from the one interviewer who just sat there, uninterested, everyone else was nice. By the end though, I think I got through to "the meanie" because he finally relaxed and started talking a bit more. The interview is supposed to run ~ 30-40 minutes, mine ran over an hour. Basic questions were asked, real similar to all the other interviews I have been to so far. Nothing to worry about, just be prepared w/your answers.
The experience (minus the actual interview) was great. The facilities seemed nice and the student body was great. The new mock clinic was great and the area actually seemed like it was nice too. I love the idea of patient centered learning (you MUST know about this if you are going to interview here, they ask about it!)Unfortunately the other schools that I've interviewed at have had hospitals attached so not having one right there made UND seem a little sub par.
I was interviewed by three men, two faculty members (one PhD and one md)and one fourth year med student. They asked a lot of questions in that time period. It was supposed to be a "pleasant conversation," but I felt "on the spot" the entire time. The questions were hard, and with all the nervousness I felt, I had a hard time answering the questions that would reflect positively on myself.
Like I said, the interview was very thorough, I felt that my interviewers really got a good idea of who I was in the interview. UND itself is a very good school, since it initiated its patient-centered learning approach a couple of years ago its students have performed quite well on the step exams. I was informed that last year 20% of the UND students scored in the 90th percentile on the first step exam. That's impressive, considering the school's average accepted MCAT score is ~27. However, I didn't hear that during the interview day, instead I watched a cheesy video of which I couldn't really tell you much.
I think this was one of the greatest interviews I had for medical school. They were straight to the point and so nice about everything. They didn't fake anything out. We first had something to eat while we were watching a tape about the university and their program. Then we interviewed and then the tour in the school.
The reason I have this interview down as a stressful one is I was sitting in front of three interviewers in the same room. It was hard for me to be watched by three people and they all focus on what I had to say, especially when I was tired. No room for little mistakes I guess. I was tired from the long drive.
Overall, I think it was all good at the end and I like the doctors and the students. They all seemed very nice. Very good school to be at.
My advise to people who apply to UND from out of state, WICHE or Minnesota residents is not to go unless you have exhausted all your options. Of my six interview experiences, this was by far the worse. The interview was on a Saturday, and no one seemed to what to be there. I had heard the interview day was relaxed and streamlined, but it seemed more disorganized and unprofessional to me. Instead, on meeting the Dean or Assistant Dean (like most schools), you watch a 10-minute video presentation from the Dean welcoming you to their school, very impressive. I was offered no tour of the Medical school or the campus even though I had spent 14 hours driving to get there. I guess they assume that every one has seen the facilities because most applicants are from North Dakota. The Financial Aide Presentation is slip of paper in a booklet they give you referring you to their web site, the student handbook is several years old, and there was no information concerning housing if accepted (basically you can get more up to date info on the net). I also found it interesting that never disclosed how their student performed on the USMLE or provided information on the residency placement of their graduates (most schools are proud of this information and make it readably available.
Being from North Dakota, I knew what to expect as far as the atmosphere at the school. The people were all good-hearted and down to earth, which is how most of the people I deal with in my life are, so I was very happy about that aspect of the day. I did not get any kind of competitive vibe from any of the other applicants or the students/faculty, which was really important to me. The facility is very nice, so as long as a person can put up with the cold weather, UND is great for them.
Overall, I really liked it. The people are especially nice, the school is small, but good. and if you are going into small town medicine, this could be a great fit for you. If you would rather the lights and glitter of the big city, well, this may not be the place.
Also, the facilities are new and impressive, including a family medicine clinic neighboring the school (not to mention the palace of ice hockey nearby)
The University of North Dakota has a well organized interview day, it is quick and to the point. They don't have a long day full of tours and talks, but get you in, give you some information, interview you, give you a quick tour of the facilities, and let you go on your way. They also have this Patient Centered Learning which seemed to be a pretty innovative teaching style that helped you learn everything and teach your fellow students.
My interview went pretty well overall: the three interviewers were pleasant, if a bit overwhelming. They asked many specific questions about my personal statement and health care experiences, which made me feel like they really took the time to learn about me. The tour was laid back and the med students were great about easing our interview fears. All in all, I had a great experience here.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants generally advise the admissions office to continue with their friendly and helpful approach, while also suggesting to modernize communication methods by relying more on email or online updates instead of snail mail.
Keep doing what they're doing because they're really wonderful.