Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 18% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a low stress level and felt they did okay.
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the areaโs cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
๐ฌ Interview Questions โผ
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about high school achievements, career aspirations, experiences in healthcare, research involvement, ethical dilemmas, strengths and weaknesses, reasons for pursuing medicine, and future plans in the field. While some interviews follow a traditional format, others may involve Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) where questions can vary widely, possibly due to a nondisclosure agreement.
What was your high school class rank and SAT score ?
Talk to me more about your research (they were VERY interested in my research, I have been working full time in a stem cell lab for the past two years)
Open file interviewer (clinical faculty) seemed to have been impressed with my application even before (s)he met me. (S)he asked me about each of my main research projects, my plans in medicine and what I would do if I didn't get into med school (but then (s)he assured me I would get in :)). (S)he was extremely nice and tried to assure me I was doing well.
What setting do you see yourself practicing in, as a doctor? Why? / What is a strength of yours? / What would your friends say is a strength of yours? (yes, asked again) / What would your friends say is a weakness of yours? / If you had anything you could do over, what would it be? / Who is an inspiration to you? / If you could choose any one person, living or dead, to have dinner with, who would it be? / What would you do if you saw a classmate cheat? / What would you do if, as a practicing physician, you saw a colleague abusing drugs? / What would you do if that colleague were siphoning drugs off -- not for personal abuse but for the benefit of a clinic's patients (i.e., a community clinic)? / Do you have any questions for me?
Pick a current ethical dilemma in healthcare/research and tell me your thoughts on it (I chose stem cell research). Somehow this led into a discussion on gene therapy.
Int#1:Greatest strength/weakness - with examples for each
Int#2:So you've had biochemistry, whats the last reaction of the krebs cycle? Also, from glucose, how many net ATP do you get? Why isn't it 38?
Students said the most interesting question asked at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Medical School discussed a wide range of topics, including high school class rank, favorite baked goods, current medical field issues, ethics of using iPS cells, and hypothetical scenarios like bringing people back to life for dinner. Notably, some responses indicated a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format with questions related to nondisclosure agreements, while others mentioned more traditional questions about career aspirations, personal interests, and ethical dilemmas in healthcare.
What was your high school class rank and SAT score ?
What would you do if you had a terminal 90y/o patient on a respirator who you believed should be taken off the respirator and allowed to die, but the family was very resistant? How hard would you push?
What about you did you leave out on your application because you did not want us to know about it...I was laughing in my head when i heard that question.
I'm not convinced you know what you are getting yourself into, convince me why you want to go to medical school? (As if all the work and money invested over the past 3 years was just for fun!?!?!)
You are storlling on the beach and you find a lamp...a genie pops out and grants you 2 wishes...what are they??
What 3 people would you like to have dinner with??
If you could invite two dead people to dinner, who would they be? I answered Mark Twain as one of them but this lady was from England and acted like she didn't know who Mark Twain is.
What is your favorite movie? ( No wrong answer) Not a hard question of course, but then asked... Why? So if you blurt out "Tommy Boy" or something like that and then you are asked why...Thankfully I had a decent response.
Tie... 1. What are the characteristics of an effective leader? 2. If I was in Huntsville, TX (my hometown) on a Sunday, what would you suggest I do? 3. Why aren't you as introverted as other chemists?
What are the challenges your generation of physicians will face? Interviewer made me propose a number of broad categories of future challenges, and then asked me to list and analyze several specific challenges within those categories.
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Medical School discussed the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, with questions covering scenarios like ethical dilemmas, controversial medical topics, personal weaknesses, and hypothetical situations. Respondents may have been subject to a nondisclosure agreement based on the limited details shared about specific questions asked during the interviews.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake that you deeply regret
None of the questions were difficult. One of the interviewers seemed to have strong opinions that were quite different from mine (seemed to think that everyone in the U.S. had access to appropriate care, etc.) so I had to tread diplomatically around certain points of the discussion. On the one hand, I wanted to tell this interviewer about myself and my ideas ... on the other hand I didn't want to start an argument. This was unusual for me (I've had 8 medical school interviewers and this person really stood out in a negative way in this respect.) However, this interviewer wasn't difficult the entire time and the other interviewer was awesome.
The most difficult question I was asked was if I had any questions. One of my inerviews was strictly based on my questions, and it was hard to come up with quality questions after the first three or so. Everyone at Southwestern was very receptive of questions, so in reality, I had no questions.
This lady asked me "What else should I tell the adcom about you?" five times. This isn't a hard question to answer once, twice, or even three times but after that along with the other questions I answered I felt like I already recited everything on my resume.
So, your credentials are impressive, but everyone who interviews here has amazing qualifications. Why should I recommend you to the admissions committee?
If I was in Huntsville, TX (my hometown) on a Sunday, what would you suggest I do? NOT A DAMN THING! There is nothing to do except maybe attend an execution. :)
one interviewer really laid into me about my limited clinical experience, after I explained my schedule (lots of work) we didn't let off and talked about busier applicants
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by reviewing their application, studying the school's website, reading interview feedback on websites like SDN, and practicing common interview questions. Many also engaged in mock interviews, researched current healthcare topics, and relaxed the night before the interview.
Mock interview with an ADCOM/MD member of another school, practiced online videos, recorded myself, bullet points to common questions, re-read my primary application and secondary essays.
Studied the school and my application, practiced some ethical scenarios (was not asked about these), and made sure I had a solid answer to โtell me about yourselfโ and โwhy medicine.โ
Read about the school on the school's web site and SDN, read SDN feedback (very helpful!), read some med school interview books, had 2 mock interviews, have been following on current events in medicine
Read through application to foresee what questions I might be asked. Read SDN, and brushed up on healthcare issues though I was asked nothing about them.
Had an answer (not memorized) ready for any possible question or situation by compiling huge list of questions ever asked. WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY OVERPREPARED. You really need not do this, though there are just some you should expect. Know why you chose your major if it isn't the typical science. =)
Reviewed my research and future research interests. UT Southwestern has a great website that you can use to look up faculty research interests. It is a good idea to know what some of the faculty are working on that you might be interested in.
Mock interview, went through a list of possible interview questions, slept, and read some stuff on SDN. My first interviewer was very open and that helped me relax for both of the interviews.
relax
tell an interviewer that you know that the IM chair is on President Bush's Bioethics Council. Of course, at this point it would help if you knew something about bioethics (which I don't).
Nothing really. I specifically tried not to prepare for my interviews. I figured I would just go in and be myself instead of just regurgitating some predetermined response.
Applicants were consistently impressed by the social support and student-centered culture at the school, as well as the extensive clinical training opportunities at hospitals like Parkland and Children's. They also highlighted the quality of the facilities, faculty support, and the welcoming atmosphere of the campus, dispelling rumors of cutthroat competition. Suggestions included expanding opportunities for global health and enhancing the integration of the curriculum for a more cohesive educational experience.
Lots of social support and offerings like colleges system, they seem to really pride themselves on being supportive - sometimes opposite of what others say lol
It was a 2-day interview process, the first day being a day where interviewees were able to shadow in the clinic and have a full tour of the medical school and its hospital and the second being the actual day of interviews + tour of the apartments in the area. On the first day, there was also a cultural show.
There were plenty of opportunities to talk to current students. Everybody was very friendly and helpful, students were by no means as weird or socially awkward as one could think after reading this site. The new Parkland and University Hospital scheduled to open in 2014 and 2015, correspondingly, right in time for the class of 2018 clinical training, are pretty exciting. The Colleges system seems to be a hit with students. MS3 and MS4 students get a lot of hands on experience and have calls like grown ups :) It was great to tag along with a team on hospital rounds. 2nd year systems-based block schedule with non-cumulative exams every 3 weeks. Opportunities for clinical electives and away rotations in MS4. A 4 year MD/MPH. Burgeoning global health opportunities (UTSW wasnot really big on global health opportunities, but it seems to be improving). Financial information talk.
The faculty is soooo in it for the students. The clinical yrs. Research encouraged. The Colleges. Low tuition. Curriculum. Syllabus, no need for textbooks. Dallas lifestyle. Student Center.
The students seemed incredibly happy. Both Parkland and Childrens Hospitals seem unbelievable. All students receive a carrel for their first two years. New grading system is very appealing. Experts teach each lecture.
(1) It's been said before a million times but for a good reason -- Parkland! The community spirit here, as well as the impressive number of beds and scope of clinical training opps available, are unparalleled; (2) The "College" system (100% positive feedback from all students currently involved); (3) Each student gets a study desk in first and second year; (4) The supportive and very personable faculty members, who obviously value their students; (5) The new-ish student center with gym, complete with a track, new workout equipment, "free" courses like yoga (included in med student tuition) - also has a grand piano available for play in the lounge; (6) The research tower - beautiful art and city-wide view on top floor. Don't know how much time students can actually spend here, though.
The cost, the amazing amount of preparation that the students get for the actual practice of medicine, the hands-on experience, the personal involvement in the patients' care, the fact that the 3rd years go on call.
Everything - this place is absolutely awesome! Parkland and Children's alone make it an excellent place to get your medical education. Parkland is a huge county hospital and you get an amazing amount of experience working there during your third and fourth years. I was also impressed with how they ran the interview day. Even though we were the last interview group they made a point to tell us frankly everything they could about where they were in the admissions process and that we still had an excellent chance for admission (aka, we weren't 'interviewing for the waitlist'). Also, two of the current students who gave presentations/were on the panel said they were in the last interview date. ^.^ On a whole everyone was really nice and they gave a good impression of the school and the students there. They also did an excellent job of dispelling some of the rumors surrounding how 'cutthroat' the school is suppose to be and explain their grading system. They set a cutoff for an A and from there they only curve up - not down. Also, there is a new college system they've initiated that just started with last year's first years. It seems to be a really nice system. The first year class is broken up into these different 'colleges' and then further divided into groups of 4-6 people and are assigned a clinician as a mentor. They meet every week and the system also serves to give first and second years a little more clinical exposure. All the current third and fourth years said they wished they had the college system. Even though they've only just started the program the responses from the first years that I talked to were very positive.
Everything. Incredibly organized interview. They have Saturday interviews so the interviewers aren't distracted by their normal job. One interviewer is ''blind'' because he or she does not have anything but your personal statement. Also Southwestern is very humble about their high US News ranking. They say it ''only reflects our pursuit of exellence.'' Lastly, the grading curve that has everyone so scared is NOT BAD! Only certain classes are curved -- they are never curved down. The grading system puts one in quartiles WHICH EVERY SCHOOL DOES EVEN IF THEY USE ''HIGH PASS'' AS OPPOSED TO ''A.''
The facilities were nicer than I expected given the surroundings. People were nicer too, interesting explanations of supposed competition/cutthroatedness.
Students are not as ''cuthroat'' as the rumor mill says, the student center was nice, the hospitals available for clinical years have quite a diverse patient population
Parkland is an amazing teaching hospital. It delivers the 2nd most # of babies in the world, behind some hospital in India. Great curriculum obviously. Motivated student body. Great opportunities for clinical/bench research.
the tour guides were friendly and the interviewers were very nice, there was a very comfortable and relaxed environment and my interview was more conversational than an interview
parkland, the student center, our tour guide....also the guide told us she worked up to 120 hours one week as a 4th year..bit excessive..but you get excellent training.. long white coats.
Parkland is a very big county hospital and the students said they got to see alot of stuff because of it. They have group study areas or lockers called carrols and you get to know your locker mates well. The campus seems nice and big.
I'm research-oriented, so I was very
impressed by the research
opportunities. I was also impressed by several of the faculty. The faculty were easy to talk to, interested in teaching, and good at what they do. I was able to get answers to my questions and get plenty of advice. There were numerous medical students to talk to. I spoke to maybe 10 students at different stages (2nd year, 3rd year, 4th year, and even interns), and I was able to get a great perspective of the medical student experience there. All the students seemed to like the school and seemed rather open about numerous details and plusses and minuses. The school has a new rec center for the students. There are plenty of places to hang out and the school gives you your own desk / work area (carrel) at the school that is accessible at all hours.
Carrels. Each student is assigned a desk on campus in an area where students can store their books and study whenever they want. Parkland Hospital is huge and between it and the other hospitals students get plenty of exposure and experience.
Diverse patient population, good Children's Hospital, new student center, student's feel well-prepared for residency and don't seem to have any problems getting what they want; nice student housing apt. complex
The students and the general environment didn't seem that "competitive and cutthroat" as other students from other med schools portray. There was also a great amount of intramural sports and other kinds of student life offered. Finally, the medical students' video presentation is a very creative idea!!
The hospital facilities. Unbelievably nice interviewers, especially one who was in a very high adminstrative position whom I thought would be intimidating to face.
Was also very impressed by the students and by a graduate I met who spoke very highly of the school.
Some stereotypes don't seem to be true, lots of patients, traditional curriculum seems good; Interviewers were way more laid back than I thought they might be
Only negative point students thought was that the class size was too big (235). And that about 50% were married. So overall, all students I talked to were fully satisfied with their basic and clinical education.
The facilities are amazing, especially Children's Medical Center. Everyone involved with the interview day seemed very enthusiastic and warm. Overall, it had a very laid back feel.
Parkland, Children's Medical Center. I was often sick as a young child so spent many nights at Children's. Naturally I have a fondness for the place, so it was nice revisiting.
The facilities are amazing! I am very interested in emergency medicine, and I was very impressed with Parkland's adult ER. The student center is amazing, and the carrell system is pretty spiffy!
Ran into a student on the way to my interview...he wished me the best of luck, and I wished him the same with his cardiology exam. Very friendly students!
Dallas is not the backwater Texan city I thought it to be. However, it is STILL Texas (I'm an uber liberal West-Coaster). The MSTP at UTSW is one of the BEST organized in the nation. Everyone there is nice and the research facilities are amazing. Your colleagues will be so nice to you and your stipend goes far in Dallas. The MSTP is headed by a nobel prize winner...THIS IS HUGE.
The student center and the calm of the campus. It seemed safer than the other places I had been. There seemed to be a welcoming administration, and the senior videos were a neat tradition.
Everyone involved with the MST Program is so nice and will go out of their way to help you. The students were really great too. They took us to dinner (and paid for it) and then a bar afterward. The MD portion of the program (the next day) was great also. The senior videos were really funny and it was really relaxed since we did not have any more interviews.
The clinical experiences at Parkland seem great. It sounds like they throw you to the wolves there during your third year without much preparation which seems a little intimidating. The senior video clips are hilarious.
The facilities are great. New student center area w/ weight room. The students there also seemed nice, and dispersed any concerns about overcompetition at UTSW.
I went in with the preconception that the students would be really stressed out and unfriendly, but in fact, I got a chance to talk to at LEAST one student from every year except for the third-years. They were all really honest and helpful, and I felt that we could ask them anything. By the end of the day, people were still asking us if we had questions and we were all shaking our heads no. The buildings are really nice, the carrels seemed like a great bonus, and the city has lots of fine arts venues (which I happen to be into). I like that they spread out the tests throughout the semester instead of having them weeks at a time. Although the class size seemed big, everyone assured me that there were lots of small-group opportunities to get to know our classmates. I was also impressed with the amount of extracurricular activities and community outreach initiatives they had.
The architecture! The buildings are v. nice and the library has cute little displays about some of the history behind medicine. Also, Parkland is enormous and you can get all kinds of clinical experience there.
Brand spanking new student recreation center, which was very nice. Friendly students, great clinical/research opportunities.
Systems based curriculum in second year
I was impressed that the interview was on a Saturday. It really helped because the rest of my Texas interviews had put me behind on school work. After I got accepted after the match, one of my interviewers wrote a note of congrats! That really impressed me.
The students were nice, out-of-staters automatically get in-state tuition, everyone I talked to loves Dallas, excellent board-pass rates, people didn't seem stressed-out
One of my interviewers seemed very excited about the school and spent a large part of the interview talking about the rotations she supervised.
The curriculum seems to prepare students well, and the newer parts of the hospital are impressive.
The clinical experience at Parkland hospital seems great, the students were friendly (the whole gunners at SW is a myth), faculty seemed to care about the students, the new student center is great, the campus was nice. Pretty much everything about the school was impressive.
Extremely friendly and flexible administration, large student body focused on medicine and research. Funding from Ross Perot and other local philanthropists allow Southwestern to seek 15 to 20 matriculants this cycle! Southwestern built new apartments for students that appear fairly impressive, and they are building another set for 2004. The cost of living is such that students may be able to afford purchasing a home for the duration of their MD/PhD.
Everything!! The students, Parkland Hospital, the faculty... The student body seemed more diverse than other Texas med schools. A Nobel Prize winner will be your professor your first-year. The students were also really honest about the strengths and weaknesses of UTSW. And the gym is really nice!!
The level of energy the staff and students have. The research "big guns." The facilities are very nice. The county hosp is huge and the med students are involved in patient care. (not just observing)
Clearly this school has a lot of money. They exude a certain confidence, not to say pretentiousness, that made me feel excited to be there. They had humor in their presentations and kept the interview day relatively short - both good things.
How nice the students and faculty were. The student center and student housing were very nice. The school has deep pockets. They have changed their second year curriculum to a systems based method as opposed to traditional. They are working to make the overall curriculum more integrated. Each student has their own study booth for next four years.
Great school. Parkland hospital seems like it would provide great experience, but a lot of work. Friendly Deans and students. Very cheap, even for out of staters. Great research opportunities. Parking is great.
students were very forthright and honest about their experiences
I liked the fact that faculty were willing to spend their Saturdays interviewing people.
I enjoyed seeing the ER room where JFK died.
The school and all facilities are top notch. I have lived in Dallas prior, so I was familiar with the school's reputation.
The school had recently completed some additional student facilities that were also top notch. The experience/exposure that the higher students spoke of seemed invaluable.
I thought the facilities were top notch... atleast compared to the other schools I interviewed at. Their deep pockets definately show. My single favorite interviewer was at this school. I really enjoyed the laid back interviews. I also enjoyed the provided information packet on each interviewer which included their hobbies, allowing me to discuss topics with them other than just medicine.
The new student center is beautiful. The Senior video, financial aid, and general school presentations were all informative and well thought-through. The student carels (sp?) and extensive internet access were also pluses.
students are serious about their work but not too competitive- a good motivating environment for studying. the student film was lots of fun to watch. and the opportunity to follow an internal medicine team ontheir morning rounds was excellent.
Brand new student union, including study area and gym. Nice first year lecture hall. Children's Hospital is very nice. Dallas is a great place to live.
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the competitiveness and cutthroat nature of the student body, the traditional curriculum with limited clinical exposure in the early years, the outdated facilities, and the lack of warmth and friendliness among students and faculty. Suggestions included improving student interactions, updating facilities, and providing more clinical experiences earlier in the curriculum.
2nd interviewer seemed kinda egotistical and was very blunt/straightforward, could be a little more personable but I appreciated their authenticity to themselves lol.
At the MS0 Weekend, the welcome weekend for UTSW that happens in February, I was asked repeatedly if UTSW was my first choice. I was honest and said that I was waiting until I heard back from Baylor (and I eventually did and ended up choosing to go to BCM) but that I was still open-minded and wanted to hear how UTSW might be a better fit for me. Some students seemed to react negatively when I said this, even one telling me that "well, everyone wants Baylor, but I didn't get in so I went to UTSW," and these students weren't eager to talk more with me about the school. Since UTSW is a close second to Baylor but not (yet) a top 20 medical school, I felt that the admin spent a lot of time "selling" themselves as to why the school was better than Baylor, even giving us a three page packet of student testimonials of why they chose UTSW (and most of the responses were "I chose UTSW over Baylor because...").
Nothing really. The preclinical curriculum is not the most exciting, and there are not that many non-clinical electives, but who cares about preclinical stuff when you get an awesome clinical training? Grading during the second semester of MS1 and during MS2 and MS3 (p/f the first semester of MS1 and during MS4) may not be to everyone's liking, but: 1) it's a chance to distinguish oneself for competitive residencies (and quite a few UTSW graduates go to competitive residencies) and 2) grading is not curved. MS3 is quite hard because students are given a lot of responsibilities and are fully involved in patient care - but then again, you get to learn a lot this way. None of these are really negatives for me, but I can see how they may be negatives to other people.
Classes will be in south campus, not north which is more beautiful. They don't have step 1 style exams. Only like 30% are regular class goers since the lectures are streamed online.
Being asked if I had any questions for the interviewer three times in a 25-min interview, after watching three hours of Powerpoints about the school and talking to students and administrators about the school for about three hours.
4 out of 5 first and second year students, when asked, "Are you happy here?", made a sour face in response to the question. Personal happiness appears to be a uniquely belated benefit of attending Southwestern; third and fourth years seemed very well-adjusted and said all the "torture" and "hell" of the first two years were immediately put into perspective, and made retrospectively tolerable, when clerkships (particularly at Parkland) began. The grading system also apparently induces copious amounts of stress, although there is mixed emotion about how good/bad this is for students. For now, it appears to be here to stay.
The grading system/actually giving you a GPA, seems as if it won't foster community and will create undue stress. No undergraduate campus, but UTSW is such a massive complex you won't really notice, and it has a lot of the amenities as well.
The letter grading system (I'm back in college again?). One student went on a tirade about how much she hated her neuro class, and how badly it was taught. In general the maturity level of the students was extremely low; there were numerous gay jokes. The Dallas area is very much a "strip mall".
Wow. where do I begin? They know of the rumors of UTSW that it is competative and cutthroat, and spend alot of time trying to prove them wrong...but all they do is draw more attention to it. HM...maybe its that way because the program is designed that way? they give out grades/GPA and they CURVE the students against each other! Furthermore, the students do nothing to prove it wrong either...they said ''well why do you wanna go to a medical school thats laid back and relaxed? dont you want to learn how to become a doctor?'' wtf? also, they had to pay the students to take us out on tours...major turnoff because it just shows how unenthusiasitc thier students are for the program. finally, their facilities are really old and crappy and so are their affiliated hospitals. Also, the other interviewees were not very friendly, but i blame this on the program...typically you need the dean or the introduction to loosen everyone up, and the intro was really lame. The curriculum sucks also. Its your super-traditional curriculum...never see a patient until your 3rd year. finally, the student panel all said they came to southwestern because of its reputation or because it was thier second choice and they didnt get into their top choice or some lame stuff like that...none of them actually said they had a good feeling about it
Some of the students (ie the ''men'') were really immature. Sat down at a table of MSI students, and they could not shut up about their crazy party the night before. I thought people got over this in college
The students were definitely less down to earth than other TX schools. They seemed a lot less concerned about treating patients in need (poor ppl, etc), more concerned with their own interests career-wise, and one talked about making inapropriate jokes with her cadaver--such a turnoff. The overview of school seemed really stilted--stuffy--and almost political trying to make other schools look bad in comparison.
not to much money dedicated to training facilities..actually they barely have any unlike UT houston. Its obviously b/c ms 3's adn 4's take on huge responsibilities at parkland.
Students go to class from 9-5 1st and 2nd year. Not a whole lot of free time. 2nd year was described as: when you're not in class or sleeping, you study.
(See the "most difficult question" section above). One thing that struck me was how "quiet" the applicants were (40 or so people). Out of all the medical school applicant groups I have met so far, this group was by far the most reserved (perhaps nervous?). There were a few people who were conversational, but it made me wonder what the personality of the entering class at UTSW was going to be like (quiet? reserved?). Note that the medical students were not quiet and reserved.
Student videos. They went out of their way to apologize ahead of time for their potential to offend, but several of them were straight out of stuff you see in high school. For the most part this was something that they should leave out of the interview day, or do a better job at selecting which to screen.
The school managed to shake a lot of its gunner reputation in my mind, but a few doubts still linger. Also, that one of the admissions officers kept apologising in advance for the "offensiveness" of the fourth-year video compilation. It was actually kind of lame, with only some sexism and a few uses of the s-bombââโ¬âโฌยnothing that I would even apologize for unless I was really uptight and conservative.
The new grading system for this year is based on a bell curve, and seems to make the students slightly more competitive within their class; the facilities looked older to me; traditional curriculum with little clinical exposure; very large class size (250s)
Very shocked by some of the people's behaviors and responses. My tour guide was talking about how LBJ delivers over 16,000 babies and how this is the most in the nation. He then went on to say how its probably due to Dallas having a very high hispanic population....very offensive. A interviewer also added that there is a split class system in dallas with the rich folk living north of downtown and the ghetto south. He also added that " there's alot of crime over there because that's where all the blacks and hispanics live"....very surprising to hear that. Very competitive atmosphere and cocky students pushing that they're Tier 1 and dissing other schools like Baylor. One med student told me the following story: "My doctor told me that if you get into medical school, then you're smarter than 98% of the population. And if you do bad on your USMLE's but go to UT-sw its okay b/c, if you go to UT-sw, then you're already smarter than every other med student. So yeah, I'm smart" I was like wtf, did she just say that.
All of the students I spoke to seemed to have a very negative impression of their experience. They were impressed with the reputation and the opportunities made available to them but the stresses of the highly competitive environment seemed to be getting to them.
During lunch, the med students tended to group together (with exceptions of course) so didn't interact with the interviewees that much and provided little feedback.
The student tour guides kept trying to debunk Southwestern's reputation of being competitive. Also, as hard as the staff and presenters tried to be warm and funny, they were not. This school definately lacks warmth and friendliness of the other UT Schools.
My first interview was with a researcher, and you could tell. His questions were shallow and it was like talking to a brick wall. The other interviewer was okay, but he just sort of talked to himself the whole time. And the people seemed very cocky - I guess they feel they have to sell themselves over the coastal schools.
no patient contact first year; kept trying to debunk their reputation for being overly competitive (it didn't seem to be a negative learning environment, but i'm wondering why the rumor started)
The students I talked to seemed unhappy and kind of dull. Maybe it was exam time, but they seemed to have this, "school is awful; we're just surviving" attitude. The rigid curriculum and inflexible clinicals are a turn off. Also, one of my interviewers pretty much said, "you must choose Southwestern," and maybe it's immature, but I wanted to say, "play hard to get!"
They have to pay their students to give tours. They student tour guide was reading off of a script to us. Campus itself is nice but the surrounding neighborhood is a slum. Several of the house have fences with razor blades on top. If I go here, I'm definately commuting in.
didn't see much of the campus (either that or everything really is in only a handful of buildings), ABCD grading scale so students say they worry about getting elusive A's and compare themselves to the others (makes learn the material better, on the other hand), very large, public hospitals (more experience but less pleasant)
My first interviewer was a frank person and she said there's not much in Dallas to attract someone out-of-state. Also that there's not much chance to do research. Everyone else had a common background being from Texas and I was warned that it was very conservative there.
Parkland is a huge hospital...and our tour guide took us through the basement of it to get to the Children's Hospital. And the basement felt like...a basement. Students pretty much told me that it wasn't super cut-throat like everyone seemed to think it was but they did mention that sometimes they felt that their success was measured by awards and publications rather than other more intangible factors.
No patient contact during the first two years. Fairly traditional curriculum. Emphasis on research (which I am not interested in). Also, the students seem a little less than friendly. Maybe just compared to the other TX schools.
The interview was held on a Saturday, which meant the campus was deserted. It didn't accurately portray a typical day at both the school and Parkland (however, they did invite us back to go on clinical rounds).
NO patient contact your first two years.
Having it on a Saturday made the campus seem a lot less active than the rest of the schools, and I think this might have a negative impact on interviewers. When I went back for MS0 weekend, the campus does have a lot of energy, so don't let the weekend interview, sway you too much!
Well some of the students told me that the reason they studied so hard to get A's was that they wanted to make themselves competetive for the difficult to obtain residencies in the areas with the easiest lifestyle & most money. If they had said something like that during their interview, they wouldn't be there. But then again people like that are everywhere.
The students were more difficult to communicate with than at other schools. The admissions people seemed to try really hard to make the school seem cool and fun. Other interviewers seemed less friendly and more business-like.
The people associated with UTSW seem really pretentious. Dallas seems like a shallow and materialistic place...very impressed with itself, but for no good reason. The students struck me as arrogant and self-centered. There's no way I could attend medical school with people who speak about their patients with hostility and resentment. If I had to guess, I'd say the students are unhappy in their program. Tough to say.
Although Southwestern is one rising star of the MST Programs, their student body seemed intelligent but not overwhelmingly so. They also don't seem overly happy to be there and are introverts. Because Southwestern compares itself to the "big names" so often, it comes off as being insecure or having an inferiority complex. Clinical experiences don't really begin until the third year. Dallas is not the big city that I expected it to be.
the students - i really felt like they were there for the food and not to socialize with us at all. also, the interviewers really didn't have any answers to my questions - they just referred me to someone else.
To some extent the idea of living in Dallas is not appealling, and housing is not as cheap or widely available as it is at some of the other (less badass) state schools. The school did seem to have somewhat of a complex about their national ranking - they do not feel that they are ranked high enough. I, on the other hand, think that 17 in the nation is pretty much great.
All the other interviewees kept asking if the students were cutthroat and competitive. There were mixed answers, so I'm still not sure. A-F grade scales.
I don't like a Saturday interview. There's just something creepy about emptying the campus when prospective students show up. Maybe each Texas school only gets certain days of the week for interviews, but still ...
The lack of diversity in the class, the shallow arts and culture of Dallas, confederate flag decals on cars, and let's not forget the homophobic comments that the med students made. It also depressed me that fellow interviewees were laughing at the homophobic comments. My jaw hit the floor. I'm a democratic pro-choice atheist ethnic minority who went to school up North, and I felt really out of place. I'm sure there are people like me there, but they weren't the students that the school planted to talk to us.
I didn't feel I had enough exposure to the students. I was really interested in talking with them given the competitive reputation of the student body. Some kind of informal social event the night before with the students would have been welcomed. I must admit that the great senior videos for the most part squashed my worries about competitiveness. Also, I wish the interview day was on a weekday because it was rather dead that saturday.
the students I met there - some were really cool, one was a biyatch - typical at all med schools though.
But overall the students were mainly from TX and so I felt a bit left out since I'm out of state. I'm also traveled, cosmopolitan and I felt the students there weren't. I'm sure they are smart, nice people. But they aren't as suave, polished, well rounded as students from other top schools - they even came off as a but close-minded and ignorant to me. This is b/c they severely limit their applicant pool by not accepting many students nationwide from top undergrad schools.
The student tour guides are paid to be there, which is good and bad. The interview takes place on Saturday, making it difficult to see the day to day atmosphere.
Since the interview was on a Saturday, the school was kind of deserted. The interviews were a little short and felt kind of rushed. I was also disappointed in the lack of clinical experience for the first 2 years.
Southwestern has a letter grading system rather than P/F. No clinical experience till 3rd year. Parkland is a public hospital and could use some color/renovation. No invitation to stay with current students.
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time that the interviews would be more relaxed and conversational than expected, emphasizing the importance of being prepared with questions and knowing the school's atmosphere. Additionally, many applicants highlighted the need for comfortable shoes, the casual nature of the interviews, the low-stress environment, and the opportunity to ask questions and gather information about the school.
Since I don't live in Dallas, I wish I talked with the students more about the temperature. It was very cold (I'm from California, was going to school in Houston), and I wish I brought warmer clothes.
I think I had a pretty good idea about UTSW and about interviewing at UTSW before the interview, but some advice for those who may be not as well prepared: 1) do wear comfortable shoes, 2) do prepare a list of questions/topics that are of most interest/importance to you, so you can ask them when you get a chance, 3) Friday morning clinical rounds is a great opportunity to see (some of the) clinical training in action, 4) the view of Dallas from the 14th floor cafeteria is pretty awesome.
No matter how well your interview goes, all the behind the scenes decision making occurs by the ADCOM. Interviewers factor in their score and then have no further pull for you into the ADCOM.
Traffic is not bad. Do not wear a suit if you are going to clinicals on friday. You will look overdressed. Wear a tie, slacks, dress shirt & dress shoes.
If you tend to get lost driving in new areas, DO NOT stay in the area immediately around the American Airlines Center (~2.5 miles southeast of the school), unless you are prepared to deal with annoyingly circular roads, which are also a mishmash of one-way/two-way and one-lane/multi-lane streets, on your way to your interview. Harry Hines Blvd is also a strange hybrid of a highway and "regular" road. If you use google/yahoo/mapquest maps, be sure you realize where you can actually exit/enter Harry Hines. Also, beware of directions suggesting you take some tiny off-shoot road. They are very difficult to get through to.
Nothing, I was pretty well informed since grew up in the area and have been hearing about UTSW since high school. They have an optional friday program that I would recommend going to though. Even though most of the material is repeated the next day it's a good opportunity to release some tension (just being in the school without the stress of knowing you have to interview that day is nice) and meet some of the other applicants. Only about half of our group went and I was really glad I did.
I learned alot. They dispelled many myths about the school. Many people say they ''focus on disproving that they are cutthroat'' which is not true. If they did ''focus'' on the fact, it was simply because the rumor has floated around so much that many students ask about it in the question-answer sessions. Alot of what I discovered is also written in my ''what positively impressed you'' answer.
That the information on their webpage regarding programs in neuroscience was outdated/incorrect (I was contradicted often by a director when mentioning some of these programs). That one of their nobel laureate directors (Rodney Ulane) is leaving for NYU.
that i really needed to pick up more decongestant meds. and that library interviews were conducted in tiny study rooms right next to each other where you could see the interviewer/the interviewer could see you through the window.
How amazing Parkland and the Children's hospital is. They have a huge train playscape through the Children's hospital. Also, Dallas has very little to offer in terms of cool neighborhoods.
One interviewer would have my complete file and know all my information, while the other would only have my personal statement. That they would give us barbeque sandwhiches would were hard to eat in a suit.
How friendly and laid-back the students were. Grading is more traditional, which creates some competition, but the students still seem to help one another out. Rather, It was the group of interviewees that I was with that seemed to be more typical of the gunner reputation that this school continues to have.
Nothing really. I live in Dallas and been on UTSW and its tours before so I knew what I was expecting to see everything they offered (except for the random questions fired by the first interviewer).
That the interviews wereheld at the beginning of the day without any opportunity to talk to the other applicants and get relaxed prior to the interviews. I wasnt relaxed enough and it felt that I was stiff for my interviews.
Texas interviews are much more lax. Make sure you take yourself seriously, though, just in case the easy-going nature coaxes you into letting down your professionalism.
alot of the questions asked were on sdn. interviewers were given a list of suggested questions to ask.
1 interview is blinded (only has personal statement), the other open file. this is where your personal statement comes in handy.
I discovered that Dallas is a mix between Los Angeles and New York City...taking more of the bad than the good. If I had known this, I would have not applied. HOWEVER the education and research opportunities are sooooo amazing that it would have been a DAMN shame had i not applied.
Come up with way more questions than you think you need, because everyone will ask you what you want to know. You seriously have 50 opportunities to ask questions.
Their curriculum is pretty traditional which means class all day and heavy on the basic sciences. This will prepare you well for USMLE but leaves little time for research if you're interested in that.
that the interviews would be so casual. i was only asked questions for the first 15 mins, and the next ten were spent asking the interviewer about the school
That we could have called the admissions office or office of student affairs to set up a day during the week to follow a medical student on their rounds for a day. It would've been a great opportunity to explore the school further and I would have gone into town earlier or even stayed later to do it.
How laid back and conversational the interviews would be...even at Southwestern.
Parkland serves over 800,000 outpatients and delivers over 16,000 babies each year.
I wouldn't worry about the stereotype a lot of people place on UT-SW as being really competitive. The majority of the students I met were really down to Earth.
Law mandates that at least 90% of Southwestern's entering class be Texas residents. With a class of 220, this means that the MSTP students are really the only out-of-staters. Many students have family in the area or are married.
Being able to visit during the week. I would have come on the Thursday before so that I could shadow a med student on the Friday before my interview. Overall, the interview is really organized. They don't waste your time. You start at 9 and are done by 3. Your two interviews are back to back, so get them done all at once.
In Texas, Southwestern seems to have this reputation of being full of a bunch of gunners. While the students there are definitely sharp, they also seemed very accessible and friendly. Also, their recreation center is the best in Texas.
That I wasn't going to fit into the class. I matched here, and there's a good chance I'm going to attend, but I'm expecting to be the black sheep of the student body.
the affiliation with parkland hospital- a county hospital- gives students lots of interaction with patients- you actually get to really work with patients directly as a third year- you can deliver as many babies as you want as a third year student as well. =)don't need umbrella for the tour- everything is connected underground.
Curricular changes are in the works, according to my second interviewer. The changes, which may affect our entering class, will add more problem-based learning. Most students do not live within walking distance to campus, but parking is available and relatively inexpensive.
Applicants generally found the interview day to be well-organized and informative, with friendly interviewers and a low-stress environment. They appreciated the conversational nature of the interviews and the opportunity to interact with current students. Some mentioned a strong emphasis on research and opportunities for clinical training, while others highlighted the welcoming atmosphere of the school and the positive overall experience.
Overall chill in the sense of not grilling, but know your application thoroughly. Be able to articulate yourself well about who you are, your hobbies, your experiences. No gotcha, but each interviewer has their own personality -- learn to carry a conversation ;)
It was a very comfortable conversation with a PhD and an MD. They didn't ask me anything about my "stats" but focused more on what made me who I was and if I would be a good fit for the school. I was super nervous going into it, but relaxed a lot when my interviewers really just wanted to have a conversation with me.
Great interview day and great school. They really go out of their way to "sell you the school" which I really appreciate. You also have the opportunity to do rounds (I did not do this), have an extra information session the day before, and the actual interview day. The students made themselves very available to answer questions.
The interview was very well organized and there were plenty of opportunities to talk to current students, which is how I got the information that is most important to me (details on how clinical training is organized). UTSW may not be the most "hip" school, but it certainly provides a solid clinical training; graduates go to very good residencies in competitive specialties.
I was so impressed by the school, but my interviewers were the worst. The closed file interviewer said "I don't have anything to read about you, so what do you want to tell me?" and then proceeded to ask me my mcat score and gpa. (doesn't that defeat the purpose of a 'closed-file'?). The second interviewer was not a native speaker and just read her questions from a sheet. I would answer and she would look at me for a few seconds silently and then read another question. She totally grilled me on cloning and my weaknesses and a few other things. This was my second interview, so I thought this was normal and now that i'm looking back i know that interviews shouldn't be like that. Overall, this is a very good, inexpensive school that would be a solid med school experience.
Both days are very well organized, and the information packet is extremely sleek compared to those provided by other schools. The faculty that present information are incredibly down-to-earth and approachable. The Friday program ends early (~7pm), leaving you with a full evening free, prior to your interviews. Interviews are a combo of open and closed (one interviewer has personal statement only, the other has the entire application). Plenty of snacks to keep you energized in down times (cookies/soda on Friday and popcorn/soda on Saturday). Saturday lunch -- the veggie sandwich option is actually delicious: a pleasant surprise at a BBQ-centered event. Every effort is made by students, staff, and faculty to keep the event as stress-free as possible.
my 1st interviewer just tried to sell me the school, didnt really ask me any questions. the 2nd one (closed file) had a list of questions that they seemed to pick from. last question was "is there anything else you would like the committee to know?"
UTSW has a two day set up. Friday is an option program from 2-5PM where you essentially get to watch powerpoints on various things about the school. Afterwards they serve dinner with a whole bunch of the current med students. The info is mostly repeated the next day but it is more detailed on friday. It's also nice to be at the school knowing you don't have to interview that day. For me it was a great de-stressor. The next day starts with an optional 8-9AM panel for women applicants with students that are part of the American Medical Women's Association. They have a continental style breakfast. The panel was good, it gave people an opportunity to ask more personal type questions that may be harder to ask in a larger group. Also- it was pretty funny that two guys felt the need to come in. And they came in late too! From 9-10AM you get another introduction/welcome and an overview of the day. They split the group in half then; one set went to their two 25-min interviews and the others went on a tour of the med school, Parkland and Children's. Then they switched the groups. I went on the tour first and then had my interviews. The tour guide was a 4th year student who gave us some pretty good insight on why the clinical facilities available are a really important factor that should go into choosing a medical school. The interviews after the tour went really well for me. One interviewer has complete access to your file and the other only has your personal statement ââโ¬âโฌล I think itââโ¬âโ¢s a good system since you get different types of questions from each because of this. For me, one was a PhD and one was an MD. Both were very nice and I felt that they got to know me as well as you can in 25 min. The interviews were extremely low stress. Afterwards there was lunch with current students. The (in)famous barbeque sandwiches were actually very tasty. It could have just been that I was starving though, there is quite a bit of walking during the tours (UTSW, Parkland and Children's are all connected so you walk a lot!). I cannot stress this enough - wear comfortable shoes! One person in my group actually tennis shoes with him and changed for the tour ââโ¬âโฌล kudos! After lunch we had a student panel that was pretty informative. They had two people from each year so we would get a balanced perspective on our questions. They concluded the day with a tour of their student center (which was very new looking) and popcorn. Overall, a great day. Itââโ¬âโ¢s my hope that they felt as good about me as I did about them! :p
Very friendly. First one was with an MD/MPH who was very talkative. Engaging conversation. Second one was good but not as good. Still very fun experience.
UTSW is definitely going to be my #1 for the match, I really love the school and the research emphasis. I didnt click very well with one of my interviewers (Im sorta quiet, and so was he, not a good mix), but the other one went well. The interviews are pretty lax and are in one place so you wont get lost. Tons of students showed up on Sat. for the free food, so lots of ppl. to talk to.
Friday night food is great. Financial aid lecture is very helpful -- it's the first time I've heard any of it. The interviews are not stressful at all. Very friendly and down-to-earth students (not study hermits).
very relaxed. One interview was purely conversational - towards the end he asked me if I was interested in academic medicine, but that was the only question that seem interview-style to me
start day off with presentation about southwestern, two interviews at 25 minutes each, take tour of hospitals, lunch, student panel, discussion on dallas life, tour of student center
Overall, it was great. The food at the dinner was exceptional, and the students were very friendly. The seminars and presentations were informative, although Southwestern loves their aerial views of Dallas....
overall okay; one interview was great, very conversational and relaxed. the other interview was intense question-and-answer and wtf the bush question was ridiculous - i actually saw it on sdn and didn't prepare for it because i thought that it was probably an anomoly. so prepare for anything
My interviewers were wonderful people and both we involved more heavily in the non-clinical aspects of medicine such as business and preventative care. The interviews were very laid back and conversational. It was obvious that they were trying to get a feel for who I am as a person rather than slam me with a bunch of typical questions. I spent a long time talking with one of my interviewers. We got a long really well, and I just remember us both laughing throughout the interview. Very nice experience.
The interviews went well, although my first interview asked me alot of stuff about my engineering major, which was the last thing I expected to be asked about (simply because no one else had asked about it before, save for why I switched...). Interviewer was nice, sweet, very conversational.
My second interview - the interviewer assigned to me did not show, and a substitute was given. She was also very nice and sweet and conversational. Good conversation.
The tours were pretty good, organized, and flowed smoothly. Lunch was ok, talking to med students was great. The rest of the afternoon was very informative. The senior video was partly funny, partly weird... and the Britney Spears parody was... well done ;-)
Arrived at 9am; sat in for school overview presentation that lasted until 9:30am; I had interviews at 10 and 10:30am in the Library which went very well; Our tour was after interviews and then we had lunch; lunch was plain and simple...nothing fancy..but then again I would not let their interview food factor into my ranking of the school; after lunch we had two more presentations about the curriculum and student life; the senior class video followed and the day ended with a tour of the Student Center.
The whole day was a great experience, basically had a conversation with the interviewers, talked to two med students who were very helpful in answering my questions, the students & faculty were friendly, I could tell my fellow applicants were very bright people.
i was really turned off by the medical school building for reasons listed above. the sit-in-the-lecture-hall-and-listen sessions were uber boring (i actually nodded off - jet lag??) and, for a school with this kind of reputation, they did not present themselves as such. for example, they spent way too long on the senior video. even though that's something i would enjoy doing, they should have picked only the very best parts. all the other activities (tour, lunch, talking with med students) were great.
I got REALLY lucky with my two interviewers. One was an older man (OB-GYN) -- very much like a grandfather. I started talking about myself, my motivations for medicine, and this slowly turned into a conversation about my career aspirations, medicine as it fits into the greater context of my life...etc.
Other interviewer was UTSW alum -- pediatric anesthesiologist. He asked me about my research (Alzheimer's), qualities of a good physician, my strengths/weaknesses. Again, it turned into a two-way dialogue. Both interviews ran over the 30-minute allotted time-frame -- the time absolutely flew.
Overall, I think what made this an amazing interview experience was that I went in feeling REALLY relaxed for some reason. This is what everyone says, but it's true: BE YOURSELF!
I felt pretty good leaving this UTSW interview...and even better with the acceptance email.
I was pleasantly surprised with the school. People are honest when they say the school is competitive but I didn't see the cut throat mentality I had heard about, although, that could be just because I don't really. know.
Breakfast. Overview of the interview day and of the school. Tour of campus and hospitals (Parkland and Children's Hospital). 2 back to back interviews: 1 is open-file and 1 only has your personal statement. BBQ sandwich for lunch. Presentations on curriculum, financial aid, student activities and senior video. Tour of the Student Center.
It was really cool that I wasn't asked anything tough. Like I said, the interviews were mostly conversational and if you know how to carry a conversation, you should be fine
Very well organized day. I learned more about the school than i had at other schools. Intro to school, followed by interviews, tours of parkland and children's, then lunch (bbq), then more info about the school and finances, then tour of student center (which is really impressive).
Overall the day was avg..not really much to tour but parkland is simply an awsome hospital. Our med student told us she has delivered more babies than a lot of residents. Also in the ER patients have an option of seeing a MS3/4 instead of a real doctor due to the normally extremely long waits. get unbelievable clinical experience and training..get to see a lot of late stage pathology...due to the indigent pop.
I showed up and you have a presentation in the morning and then you interview or take a tour. the student who led us on our interview was really helpful and showed us parkland the library and the carrols. Then we interviewed with two people, i had MD's and one had an open file of me and the other had only my personal statement. We ended with a few more lectures and presentations on financial aide and curriculum and then we watched the student videos and toured the new student center.
I really enjoyed my time at the interview. The school is awesome and the people are also. The students were very cool and did not seem all that competitive like I expected. Definitly impressed me.
A well organized and informational day. I particularly liked one of the interviewers. I was left with the impression that UTSW is a large medical school where everyone can learn what they need to know and get an excellent clinical preparation. The research environment is outstanding. The school is well run and everything an applicant needs to know is carefully documented.
The lecture rooms were run down and in need of renovation compared with another, lower-ranked school I interviewed at the previous day.
All in all, it was a very positive experience. Presentations in the morning, tour of Parkland and Children's Hospitals was impressive. I enjoyed getting to interact with several students there. Interviewers and Admissions staff all seemed very friendly and excited to have us there. Interviews were generally more casually friendly and laid-back than Texas Tech, which was hard to believe. The student center is amazing. The location is hard to beat near downtown Dallas, but not in downtown. The student videos were discouraging given my positive experience up to that point. Otherwise, this was a great interview experience.
First interview was nice, but nothing spectacular. My interviewer was a somewhat-mousy alumna who took a while to be drawn into a nice conversation. Her question about the Schiavo case was a little surprising for how unfocused it was, given that she admitted asking it to every interviewee this year. Second interview was fabulously smooth. The academic MD started by asking me about the director of my well-regarded honors program and telling me that his son had attended it fifteen years agoââโ¬âโฌยBINGO! We talked about my background, interests, hobbies, books, and issues in medicine very easily. Everything was very reassuring in this interview: he was talented at his job and I think just wanted to make sure that I wasn't completely different from on paper.
The overall interview experience was great - the students and faculty seemed welcoming, and the tours of Parkland and Children's Hospitals were interesting. The area seems to be not too messy compared to Houston.
Fantastic. Good to get the interviews out of the way at the beginning of the day. Was a surprised that I didn't get actual faculty interviewing me, though I was more than happy with my interviewers.
The first interview is open file; the second is closed file with your interrogator only seeing your personal statement. The interview is a mere conversation and no one should be scared going in because frankly, there's nothing to be nervous about.
They give you an overview of the school, then you have your interviews and a tour. Then, you eat lunch with faculty and current students. After lunch, they go over things like residency, financial aid, etc. Then come the senior videos. Make sure you see the Britney Spears video -- I was embarassed for all involved...
Overall, a very good experience. The day started with an orientation, then the group was split up...half went on a tour, half interviewed. Very nice facilities and very nice people. Nothing too bad about the entire experience...i wish there was more time to get to know some of the interviewees prior to giong to interview...it would have loosened me up and been a little less tense when interviewing. The interviews were with 2 people...one had an open file, the other was closed.
The first interview with the doctor with the open-file went great. It was very conversational. The second interviewer, who only had my personal statement, asked the typical boring questions that every applicant has the same answer for. The day went pretty smoothly and the senior videos were entertaining.
9-10 welcome, 10-11 interviews, 11-12 tour of facilities, 1-2 cirriculum discussion, 2-3 financial aid. at lunch a whole bunch of people came out, nice mix student body and faculty. your chance to ask how the school really is.
I interviewed on the very last possible day at UTSW. I never really thought that I had a chance at this school, so an invite came as a shocker. My stats are not exactly up to UTSW standards. I used to think this school was a number whore school - that it was grossly competitive - and that there was no chance I was going to go here. The interview day completely changed those preconceptions. I had 2 pleasant interviews. At the end of the first interview, my interviewer asked me who was interviewing me next and then he gave me some extra tidbits about her, which I naturally brought up in the consequent interview. She was impressed that I knew ___ about her. =) Nearly 5 months later since my interview (gosh I wish I had rememberd to do this feedback earlier) I can't remember too many exact details about the interview day. I do feel, however, that those interviews are what got me into UTSW. As mentioned, I don't exactly have the numbers...so these interviews DO MATTER. I was also awarded a 4-yr merit scholarship. I guarantee that the interview made all the difference.
The day begins with a short presentation of the school, and during this time the staff makes it a point to emphasize that this school does not only focus on research. However, each student is interviewed by a factulty researcher, which made this difficult to understand. My research interviewer stared blankly at me as I talked about my passion for medicine and community service-- he obviously didn't get it. But who could expect him to--he's not a doctor!! Additionally, I was annoyed by the fact that several of the questions I was asked dealt with my ethnicity.
It was a tedious. Southwestern was a little hard to get excited about. I know it's a fantastic school, but it doesn't have the spark that other schools have.
Overall, this is a very well-organized interview day. Campus itself is quite lovely complete with a bird sanctuary (They don't show this to you on the tour, I just know about it because I did a summer program here). There is some amazing research going on here, great facilities, and wonderful clinical opportunities (although not until your third year).
Overall a great experience. Int#1 was impossible to read. He sat and stared deadpan at me throughout, as if I were talking to myself.. no nodding or anything. He seemed fairly nice other than that. Int#2 busts out with some biochem questions.. but I'm not convinced he expected me to know it. I bet he just wanted to make sure I remembered SOMETHING from biochem/etc. Surprisingly that interview was lower stress than the first. He was very talkative, just had some hard topics..
The school has incredible resources. Parkland was really interesting. The students were nice, but I didn't think they were all that social (I only had the chance to speak with a few, mind you). I don't think it is cutthroat as its reputation tends to support, but it is a very challenging curriculum and its students are competitive and among the most intelligent in the nation. Thus, you seem to have to learn to be comfortable being average, or possibly below average.
Quite easy-going. I didn't like that they both asked about the other schools I was applying to, I guess it helps them size you up and seems to be common practice there.
The day was very well organized and the interviewers really seemed to come to us rather than have us cross the entire campus to go to them. Interviews are scheduled to be two 25 minute back to back interviews, which is nice because that means that everybody gets to hear all the talks and go on the school tour. The school tour doesn't show you too much though, which is kind of a pity. Breakfast and lunch were provided and students who were on campus studying came out for the free food. However, they were all really nice and sat down with us to talk to us about their experiences at UT Southwestern. My first interview was extremely laid back and we just talked about how idnividual primary care practices "evolve" over time. My second one was more formal, but by the end, we were just trading reading recommendations and talking abotu the theater. Both seemed really nice. I know that some people that went got really hard questions from their interviewer though, so I guess it's just luck of the draw as to which interviewer you get.
Very nice atmosphere, I would love to go here. The location is good, but you need a car to get around! I like all the little restaurants in Dallas. Overall, this is a really great school with great people, and I enjoyed my time there.
Pretty good overall. I couldn't hear my first interviewer very well and she kept looking at me like I was an alien. The second one was really nice and laid-back and told me about his college drinking days.
It was a very organized day, starting with breakfast and a talk by the dean of admissions. They went over details of the curriculum, and had a fantastic speech by the alumni affairs person regarding life at Southwestern and financial aid. Lunch was decent, and it seemed like all the first year students came to lunch to talk with the interviewers (influenced by the free food no doubt). We had tours of Parkland Hospital and Children's. Both interviews were back to back occuring in the morning. Day lasted from 9AM to around 3PM. Overall a low stress interview day.
UT Southwestern has a great MSTP program. They definitely take care of their students and all of the students seemed happy to be there. Some of the first year students took applicants on a tour, which I don't think they were obligated to do. The administration puts forth an obvious effort to make their program outstanding. The dean and the codirector of the MSTP program actually interviewed some of the applicants which shows interest from the administration. This was my first interview, so I don't have any other programs to compare with, but I was impressed with the program overall and I would be very happy to attend this school.
My only complaint was that the interviews seemed really short. My first interviewer took the full 25 minutes (which is still short) while the second one only took up 15 minutes. They were both nice but I got the impression they just wanted to see if I was personable as opposed to learning specifics about my qualifications.
Southwestern needs to get itself together. On the one hand it's constantly comparing itself to other top-ranked med schools (during the orientation presentation they demonstrate all these random ways that Southwestern is ranked above better schools, like number of Academy of Sciences members). On the other hand, they still align themselves with the other (very unimpressive) TX public schools through the TMDSAS. They should follow Baylor's lead and go AMCAS. Plus the frustrating Aggie/Longhorn jokes are not a good way to attract out-of-staters. The students there were either people who only applied to TX schools and were lucky to get into Southwestern, or hoped to go somewhere else but resigned themselves to Southwestern. The new student center is impressive, but when the school puts more effort into showing you their student center than showing you their academic buildings, something seems wrong.
The MSTP interviews are on Thursday afternoon and are fairly relaxed. This year, a first-year convinced Rod Ulane to fund an evening dinner for current students and applicants. The MD interviews take place the next morning, and when you're not interviewing you'll be taken on a convoluted tour of the campus. Then you'll have lunch with more current students (who won't really mingle with applicants unless you make the first move). Later you'll watch fairly entertaining and well-made clips from Southwestern's senior class videos. Finally, you'll be taken to the new, aesthetically pleasing student center.
I went into this interview with Southwestern as my top pick, but I just feel like it's not for me. the hospitals are great, but the total research emphasis is not what i want out of medicine.
The Saturday interviews are great, you have don't have to take off work...UTSW has now become my number one school. Students seemed like a part of the school...there were a lot of students there on a Saturday...after lunch too.
Yet another great Texas school. This place ranks right up there with Baylor, and it will be difficult to pick between the two should I be lucky enough to be accepted to both. Southwestern is just classy. The interviewee pool was top-notch, and the opportunities during clinical training at Parkland are second to none. The curriculum / grading system lends itself to a moderately high level of competition, but it should not scare anyone off. Their board scores and residency placements are awesome, so if you can do well there, you know you will be set. It would be an honor to attend this school.
Both my interviewers were extremely nice and casual, even though there were unusual questions both seemed eager to answer any questions I had. I would definitely recommend attending clinical rounds to get a better idea of what sort of training 3rd and 4th years get. Also going to the lunch with the med students was very helpful because they gave honest opinions about their school.
I went to the Oktoberfest celebration the night before the interview and got to talk with some 4th years. The morning of the interview, I got there about 30 minutes early (8:30) and had breakfast and talked with people. There was an hour long introduction to the school. We got lots of information packets. The interviews went pretty well. My first interviewer never stopped talking, though. But they were both very friendly. Then we had lunch with tons of med students. Next was an hour long talk on life at the school and in Dallas. We got to watch some clips from past Senior Videos, which were really funny. Then we went on a tour of the brand new Student Center, which they are very proud of. It was pretty cool. That was it.
the day started off with breakfast and a chat with a med student. then we sat in the freshmen auditorium and listened to three speakers about the benefits of southwestern. the tour through Parkland was amazing. a county hospital is a really good training ground for med students. the two interviews were very laid back and conversational--no tough ethical or what would you do in this situation questions. after the interviews, we had a bbq lunch. then we listened to another speech about financial aid (which made me wonder- could i afford $25000 a year??). the day finished with a tour with their new Student activities building... a lot of showing off on their part, a lot of ooo-ing and aww-ing on ours...
Intense, driven student body. Not competitive--I think that's a myth re-told by lower ranked schools.
If you really enjoy studying and book-learning, this is the school for you. Their clinical experiences do not look as strong as similarly ranked schools. Out-of-state students get a pretty sweet deal. Also, the school projects a very research, academic-oriented image, but not many MD students are involved in research. In a few words, I would describe Southwestern as intense and vividly trying to cultivate a sense of prestige about the school. A very good school for young, smart people who just KNOW they want to be doctors.
The interviews were not stressful, but as always you tend to over-analyze after the fact. One interviewer did indicate that the interviews are important, but that the school works most off the application data to determine their classes.
I was really impressed by this school. The interview day was extremely well prepared and executed. I felt that I recieved alot of useful information about the school and about Dallas. I was offered admission to this school and I have accepted their offer. I guess that speaks louder for the school than anything else I can say.
I had really high hopes of UT SW and Dallas before I came here. I was let down b/c Dallas isn't as big/cosmopolitan city as I had thought. Its a more homogenous, rich , older population with not as many young professionals as I'd like. Also they students there weren't the same caliber as those from other schools. However the med school and hospital lived up to their amazing rep.
I was accepted here but don't think I'll be attending
I had a wonderful day at Southwestern. The welcome and financial aid/student life presentations answered almost all of my questions, and the interviews were very comfortable and laid-back. They were both more like conversations rather than question-and-answer sessions.
Both interviews were open-file, so quetions were pretty specific to me and the contents of my application. I think that both my interviewers and I got a lot out of out interacts becuase of this. I was more prepared to discuss aspects of my file than to answer more open-ended questions like, "tell me about yourself." Both interviews were really laid back and everyone at the school was genuinely nice. The school was impressive and the students were awesome - I did not expect to enjoy my experince as much as I did that day.
short and to the point which i thought was great. it was great to have the interviews at the beginning of the day so that you were stressfree for the remainder of the day. interview was not really stressful at all- standard questions.
My first interview was a pressure interview. The interviewer didn't look at me for more than a few seconds at a time, checked his pager, picked at a pastry and sipped a drink, interrupted me mid-sentence at least 5 times, and upon hearing the name of my second interviewer, said "Really? I thought he died years ago." He intensely challenged each assertion I made by making me justify each point with evidence. He asked what exactly I do in my lab research, pushing me for detail until I laid out the precise protocol of my experiments, and he asked specifically whether my research has been included in publications or grants. This was intimidating at first, but once I realized the interviewer was probably intentionally pressuring me, I relaxed. During the last 5-10 minutes of the first interview my interviewer became friendly and asked if I had questions. The second interviewer was very kind and made me feel at home (the difference reminded me of good cop/bad cop). The second interviewer let me lead the discussion, and asked for my thoughts on some current events related to the health care system and my extracurricular activities, after which he asked if I had questions for him. He answered my questions honestly and in great depth, which I appreciated. The student-led tour of the facilities was helpful. Ask to see the carrels and the trains. Overall I left with a positive impression and would be very happy to attend Southwestern.
Interviewers are very friendly, really good facilities, however the students did not seem as welcoming as at other schools (could've been 'cause it was a Saturday morning)
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants appreciated the well-organized and informative admissions process but suggested reducing lengthy presentations, minimizing repeated information, and improving student-run activities to enhance the overall experience. Some applicants also highlighted the importance of ensuring adequate resources for meals during events.
