Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 31% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a low stress level, and felt they did well.
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 include inquiries about the top challenges in healthcare, ethical scenarios, motivations for pursuing medicine, reflections on personal experiences, opinions on healthcare reform, and questions about handling difficult situations with patients and colleagues. Some respondents also mentioned facing Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) formats and being asked about nondisclosure agreements, suggesting a structured and confidential interview process in those cases.
What is the most common type of cancer? (I don't have anything cancer related) I gave an answer, and was pressured to say how confident I was in my answer.
If you are a 3rd year and see a doctor making a mistake while doing a surgery and he said, "don't worry about it and don't tell anyone, I'll fix it," what would you do? He would be able to fix his mistake with no one knowing.
If my patient has a friend without insurance who needs a certain medication, would I prescribe it to the patient/patient's friend without first seeing him/her?
if your friend has a copy of your test before and offers to share it with you, what od you do? if a fellow 3rd year is drunk on rounds what do you do? if the head researcher fudges data what do you do? one interviewer asked one ethical, the other asked 3...
How do you feel about the current state of healthcare in the US? What do you think is wrong with healthcare today. The first interviewer was just asking generally but the second interviewer was more intense and kept on asking questions off my answers and started lecturing me on socialist and capitalist views.
Ethical Questions: What percentage chance of remission would you need to override parental decisions (ie take them to court) to stop treatment of their child? What do you think is the best way to infer whether someone is a person of integrity? A patient faces a life/death decision and asks you to make the decision for him. What do you do?
I'm sure you've seen bad doctors on your unit. Describe something you see doctors do that you don't like. What is the criticism you hear from others that is the hardest for you to take? What is the thing about becoming a doctor that worries you the most? If you couldn't be a doctor what would you do? What would you like me to tell the admissions committee that I don't see in your file?
Lots of ethical questions and questions about my file. Ethical Questions were clearly given to interviewers on a list so they are probably asked to include at least some of them in their interview.
An ethical question: A married couple comes into your office, and they have been your patients for a very long time. They come in together, you run some tests, and you find that the man tested HIV positive, and he tells you that he's been cheating on his wife. How do you handle this situation? And a few more ethical questions about abortion, euthanasia, teen pregnancy, etc...the usual.
Tell me about the worst experience you've ever had. This led to a 20minute conversation on cancer, and my interviewer and I found much commonground through this question.
Say you are on rounds with a resident who is behaving in a way you consider harmful to patients, how do you respond...what if he brushes you off? What if we are doing rounds together and I pull you aside and tell you that you are a terrible communicator.
If a patient asked you to stay with them overnight after an operation, but you were really tired and wanted to spend time with your family, what would you do?
it was too long to remember specific questions. just look through all the questions listed on this site backing up to a year and practice those, that was helpful. know your stance and WHY you believe it for the common ethical questions.
If you are taking care of an elderly gentleman with multiple organ failure. Only his medication is keeping him alive but he is in lots of pain. What do you do in this situation?
First question I was asked by my first interviewer: What do you know about the school? I wasn't expected to know much, since my interviewer ended up telling me a lot about the school and the area.
Do you have any leadership experience? Can you tell me an ethical scenario you've faced in your life recently, and how you handled it? (I had to think for a minute, but that was fine).
Suppose a few years from now the surgeon general calls you and asks what the current problems in the American Health Care system are. What do you tell him/her and what are your solutions?
My first interviewer talked with me about sports for 30 minutes. Afterwards he confirmed my gpa and mcat scores, said I should get in, and then asked me if I had any questions.
My second interviewer talked with me about my family, her family, medically related TV shows, and how my parents felt when I went to an out of state school for undergrad. She said she would give an excellent review and told me to email her if i get accepted.
Which of your Extracurricular activities were the most important to you? What are the biggest weakneses in your record as you enter medical school? What is the first thing you would do on your first day of medical school? If you don't get into medical school this year what are your plans? What if you don't get into medical school for the next four years?
If you were a physician, and a patient came in with all sorts of pain and wanted you to find out what is wrong with him/her. But they are telling you that if it is cancer, then they do not want to know about it. As a physician, would you respect that patient's request, or do your duty and not conceal any information?
It seems like you are a very passionate person, but when will you know to draw the line between being professional and being too passionate? The actually PHYSICAL LINE?!?! (geez.. i didn't know there were a physical line between the two..maybe when you start inviting your patients over for sleepovers?)
Other questions came directly off of my application, and ranged from my childhood family experiences to my college education. Very conversational, low stress!
We know there are no correct answers, give your opinion on the healthcare issue,and where do you think we stand in healthcare today? How would you address these issues?
How many people (percentage wise) do not have healthcare in America? So do you think we are paying too much for healthcare, too less or just right? So do you think the distribution of doctors is just right, too much one way or too much the other way (concerning regional distribution)?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences discussed a wide range of topics, including the rewards and challenges of being a physician, ethical scenarios involving patient care, personal interests and hobbies, decision-making processes for pursuing medicine, and societal issues in healthcare. The interviews featured a mix of standard questions and thought-provoking inquiries, with some participants mentioning ethical dilemmas, while others engaged in more casual and conversational discussions with interviewers.
What do you think will be most rewarding about being a physician? Most challenging?
There are 3 steps in deciding to pursue medicine. 1. Considering it, 2. Something triggers the decision and 3. Self-doubt and questioning the decision. How have you gone through the 3 steps?
Ethical questions: what to do if residents show up late, what to do if you only have 1 bad of blood and 3 patients who need it, what if a patient hits on you,
between the two interviewers, i was asked both normal questions (tell me about your research) and ridiculous ones (crazy ethical scenarios, what is the point of shadowing if all you do is just stand there and watch?, etc)
What would you do if a woman came to you seeking birth control or some procedure, but in her culture, the male is a dominant figure, and refused her receiving this?
If you had a patient with a sexually transmitted disease, and he/she asked you for an extra prescription for his/her spouse (he had been having an extra-marital affair), would you give it to him/her?
None. Standard questions. Chatted about outside interests quite a bit. There were some standard ethical questions they had to ask, but they weren't difficult. Just use common sense.
You said your favorite course you took in college was philosophy, why is that? (This led to a fairly lengthy discussion that I think was more to get a feel for my personality, beliefs, and character than anything to do with my direct qualifications for medical school or interest in the medical field).
If you were a doctor and was treating a patient with terminal cancer and that has a signed DNR, and the nurse finds the patient struggling to breathe with an empty bottle of pills lying next to her and a suicide note, what would you do? (ie. do you treat?)
What would be your threshold for patients who repeatedly came to a free clinic for treatment with no intention of changing their lifestyle at any point?
A professional baseball player comes to you complaining of sharp pains in back that radiate down to his testicle. What might be wrong with him? (Pinched nerve, kidney stone; she was happy with my answer)
I did get a long talk about students that know they will drop out but just keep going. I can't even remember if there was a question in there, but I tried to expain as best I could that I was not that student.
I found it interesting that I was asked two of the exact same questions that I had read on this website (1. do you give a man extra doses of STD medicine for his spouse and 2. what do you do if you catch a classmate doing illegal drugs in the parking lot?)
Strangely, It really didn't seem like I was asked any direct questions. This was the only interview I attended where the interviewers had ACTUALLY read and were very familiar with my file. Both of my interviewers just asked for clarification about me. One interviewer talked more about herself and her life than about me! It was extremely laid back and conversation.
Nothing really hard, they just wanted to get to know me. One of the interviewers asked me a lot about scouting. One Doc asked me something about geometrical objects, but he said he asks that question to everyone to see how they think on their feet, so I won't ruin his fun.
cant reveal too much info here, as i would be easily identified. the second or third interesting question i was asked was if i was having a bad hair day.
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences discussed a wide range of ethical scenarios, including euthanasia, disclosure of medical information to patients, and healthcare system reform. Many respondents mentioned facing questions related to healthcare issues and ethical dilemmas, while some highlighted personal attributes and challenges in the medical field, with a few referencing an MMI format and potential nondisclosure agreements.
What would you do if a resident 3 years your senior was "stupid and doesn't get it?" Apparently I was supposed to assume that mean they were giving terrible care and stand up for the patient.
[brief synopsis] You're a first year resident, and you have a suffering cancer patient who wants you to given them a lethal dose of a pain killer. What factors do you consider in making the decision?
Standard ethical questions about what you would do if you caught someone cheating/lying/etc. I think a lot of students have trouble with the healthcare issues question though because it seemed like a "gotcha" question to analyze how much an interviewee knows about the state of healthcare
Say you are doing rounds and your attending becomes very irate and starts cursing and going off on all of the nurses and staff? How do you handle the situation?
The healthcare one. Ethical scenario1: you are a 3rd year student and while driving, you witness a motor vehicle accident, what do you do? Ethical scenario 2: you have a patient that has appendicitis and needs immediate surgery. The patient has an overriding fear of hospitals and doesn't want to undergo the surgery. How do you deal with this difference in opinions?
How cultural diversity is a problem in the medical field--not that it needs more minorities but the problems doctors face dealing with different cultures.
The infamous "abortion" question, probably because I'd never heard it before and it caught me of guard. (For those who don't know: A friend's teenage daughter comes to you requesting an abortion. What do you do?
How would you fix our healthcare system? (I have a pretty well formed opinion on this, it was just difficult because it's a complex question, and I could tell that my interviewer didn't share my viewpoint).
No really difficult questions-- no ethical dilemmas-- although my first interviewer began with the very open-ended, "So tell me about your family."
none were difficult. Most of the interview was a discussion on health care problems and solutions, but I've taken an entire semester class on the topic and it was a breeze.
A wife accompanies her husband to see you (you are a doctor) for a certain set of symptoms, and she is very inquisitive. You suspect AIDS, but would need testing. What do you do? (i.e. tell him with her in there or ask her to leave?)
How come doctors lose their passion as they approach residency and become more business like. (Kinda through me off, but I disputed that not all doctors are this way. Hope it worked.)
'18 month old presents to clinic (w/mom) with sore feet/pain upon standing, and when standing only: Go about asking me, the mom, q's in order to achieve your ultimate diagnosis.'
Interviewer "mom" did give me some clues/tips along the way.
----->P.S: studying for bio portion of MCAT did pay off!
What do you think of alternative forms of medicine? As a doctor, what if you had some patients that told you they were beginning to believe in alternative forms of medicine and had less faith in doctors?
What do you think about the tort problem in Ohio? (I said I wasn't sure about OH but I knew how large the problem is in PA, which led to a discussion of lawyers, malpractice, etc.
So do you think you will be judgemental when caring for your patients? (I thought this question was very off base and he probably asked me it cause of my political affilations assuming I was racist or something....no, im not in the kkk.....hehe)
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 reading feedback on Student Doctor Network (SDN), reviewing their application materials, practicing common interview questions, and researching the school's website. Suggestions included mock interviews, discussing ethical issues, and staying updated on healthcare news.
Read up on SDN and the UTCOM website. Talked to people who had interviewed there already. The viewbook on the website had some good info.
Interview feedback from this website, lists of commonly asked questions from other websites, reading up on healthcare and ethical issues (stem cells, abortion, etc.), talking to a family friend who is a physician, going over my application.
Read this website, and go over my applications. Also read up on healthcare, stemcell research. I found a great website that has a lot of current healthcare/science related issues that they asked about:
... took me forever to find this site againe, but here it is
http://www.healthpolitics.com/
Read up (watch the broadcasts) on all the issues, and you will be prepared.
Reading other interview experiences and just sitting down and thinkig about why I want to become a physician and the expereinces I've had along the way that have motivated me.
I came to the interview last year assuming that I was just coming here for the experience - MCO was not in my top two list. So I didn't prepare at all for the interview, becuase I thought that there was no way I'd be coming here. When I left the interview, I had completely changed my mind. This is a fabulous school. You won't find a more student-friendly school out there. Everything from parking to the state of the art gym that is free to students make the quality of life here great.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and helpfulness of the people they encountered, including faculty, staff, and students. They also appreciated the school's focus on student well-being, the beautiful campus facilities, the integrated curriculum, and opportunities for hands-on clinical experience. Suggestions included continued emphasis on diversity, improving facilities, and maintaining a supportive, non-competitive environment.
The people are incredibly friendly and helpful, especially if you look lost
The friendliness of the staff. Also, the girls were pretty good looking, I must say. The physician-interviewers were all very receptive and fun to talk to. Very down to earth as a school.
The med student host I stayed with was incredibly cool. He had a bunch of people over the night before my interview to hang out and talk to me about the school. They were all really friendly.
Whole campus is connected through underground tunnels; school seems to really be making an effort to improve rankings and is building new buildings all around campus
Their students ran a coffee-get-together the evening before the interview. They gave us a quick tour and answered our questions. It was very informal and completely optional and was a lot of fun. Also, it seemed that multicultural diversity was important to them--they seemed to go out of their way to recruit minority students, which I think is very important.
everyone was extremely friendly. nicest that ive met. really seemed into training good quality of physicians. excellent match lists. some have said that the facilities arent great, but i think they're fine. overall i really enjoyed my time there.
The student-faculty relationship, community outreach programs, how happy the students are, 4 students per cadaver, USMLE testing center on campus, etc.
Medical Center is directly integrated with the school. USMLE Testing Center is onsite. They do a really good job of supporting students in the residency match process. Great research opportunities.
facilities are great. The campus and hospitals seem to be built up around the med school which builds credibility. The library was large and seemed to provide a great atmosphere for studying. The new barnes and noble is a nice addition.
the campus is beautiful, I wasn't expecting that. The faculty and students were all very happy and friendly. Toledo actually seems like a very nice city, I was surprised.
facilities. close attention of faculty to students' feedback about curriculum. organized and very helpful administrative staff. disciplined yet cooperative atmosphere.
I liked how you can get to any building through tunnels and walkways. They also have a USMLE testing center on campus. Also the school is attached to a hospital and associated with a large university.
Faculty is truly devoted to students' well-being. Board pass rate is incredible with great match list. Campus and facilities were very nice. Curriculums are well integrated.
Honestly I did not know too much about the school and did not expect much. BUT after my interview day, this school became one of my top choices! Great facilities, safe & beautiful environment, very student-oriented, excellent match list, etc. Everything impressed me positively.
Everyone (faculty, student tour guides) were very enthusiastic about the school and seemed to enjoy being there. The school also has an impressive residency match rate and the students have high board scores.
I really enjoyed the whole experience. I felt that everyone was very kind and helpful, and really went out of their way to make us feel like we belonged there. The facilities are pretty decent, as well as the before-stated 98% pass rate and 218 average score on step one of the boards.
While there are better-known programs in the state (Cincinnati and Ohio State U), never did I feel like MUO was trying to keep up with "big brother." Reps simply laid out the strengths of the program, including high board scores and placement into competitive residency spots.
Pretty much everything. The facilities are beautiful, the students are friendly and seem quite happy in general, the faculty and staff are supportive of the students and the match list is good too. I also liked the integrated, non-traditional curriculum. The biggest positive to me was that they seem to take a genuine interest in you as a person and how you would be as a practicing physician, which was very refreshing to me versus selecting candidates who are the best academically that they can get to come there. Oh, and the in-state tuition after one year is a big bonus. Additionally, the cost of living is quite cheap (like half or so for housing costs) compared to coastal California or the Northeast Corridor.
The students are extremely motivated and driven-have exceptional board scores (avg. 214, national avg. 180) and 99% residency match last year. MUO students are very competitive in residency matches at top programs.
The residency placements of the graduated students. Some of the best programs around. MUO isn't the most prestigous name but the avg USMLE step 1 is 218; 98% pass.
Interviewers were very courteous and inquisitive about their potential students. The students were ultra enthusiastic about being there, even guys i knew from undergrad who were less than enthusiastic about school in general were relatively positive about the school.
The faculty seem very inviting and accessible. The students all seemed to love the place and seemed happy to be there. The cool little walkways between the buildings (both above and underground) were nice so you don't have to go outside.
98% passage rate on Step 1 of the board exam. Brand new facility for taking Board exam and mock clinical sessions. Integrated curriculum. Flexibility of rotation scheduling. Financial Aid presentation.
The school is really nice. Its a USMLE testing site (both for clinical skills and computer testing). Students really like it there, and are treated really well.
Dr. Burns was SO nice! It's an MD school which is neat (I had only had DO interview beforehand). The USMLE test center...The campus is not super cute but lots of trees...Everything is connected with a glass tunnel which is cool in the winter...Workout facilities were all right...You get to use the on-campus Hilton's indoor pool and hot tub. VERY CHEAP for OH residents, and out of staters qualify after 1st year (but that first year will suck!) Lecture halls were fine, comfy chairs it looked like. Match list looks great, avg USMLE is 217 which is a solid score.
I enjoy the small school/community atmosphere. It is a professional school with about 2,000 students total. Med students were excited to be there and very helpful
Beautiful facilities- the clinical training site is amazing, and the lecture halls are super nice too. Also the residency match lists are quite impressive. Campus was lovely and people looked happy.
The facilities are extremely new and high-tech. They have cameras that record the performance of medical students in mock patient interviews/examinations so med students can have constructive criticism about their bedside manner. The faculty and students were very friendly and seemed happy to be there. The school has its own USMLE test center (there are only eight in the nation). Also, the school promotes a non-cutthroat atmosphere whereby students can succeed together rather than worrying about grades too much.
The focus on the students impressed me greatly. They really make it apparent that the school is there just for the medical students. There is no undergrad attached to divert any resources away from the med students. Facilities are pretty sweet, clean, and new. All buildings are connected. 4 students to one cadaver. Pretty nice curriculum, more focused on problem based learning. 40% of lectures had been cut down to fit in more PBL. I was pleasently suprised by this school and hope to be accepted. Cross your fingers :)
Has all qualities of a much more highly rated school with a smaller community feel
Med students came up to me during a down time to talk- described their interesting research
I was very impressed that my first interviewer knew everything that was in my file. He had thoroughly read everything about me. The faculty and students are extremely nice. The faculty are extremely dedicated to teaching students. The students are willing to collaborate and help each other which makes for a non competitive atmosphere and it fosters maximal learning because of the cooperation. Also there is no curve in the grades, for example honors is not just reserved for the top 15% of the class. The campus facilities are awesome. As an out of state applicant (east coast), I was very impressed with everything I saw and will definitely be attending since I was accepted.
the faculty were great, seemed to really care about the success of the students. my interviewers were awesome, the school is really clean and nice, the facilities are nice, it has a USMLE testing center in it so you can practice and get 1st dibs.
MCO seems like it would be a pleasant place to be a medical student. The school sits on a tranquil campus full of trees and small streams. In addition the facilities are clean and modern. Free parking is another nice bonus.
Everything! The Medical College of Ohio is truly student centered. The school invests in the students from every aspect and takes the time to guide them throughout their educational experience.
Everything! An excellent school, and an excellent choice! I was pleasantly surprised by my experience at MCO. The interview environment was very laid-back and stress-free. The school is very nice, campus is beautiful, and the facilities are outstanding. Another plus is that MCO contains 1 of only 7 or 8 USMLE testing centers in the nation. You don't have to go anywhere else to complete your boards (except the clinical skills portion).
The campus is very beautiful especially in the fall months when trees are changing colors. Also the openness of the deans on exactly how the admissions process worked at their school.
The area was really pretty, and all the buildings were connected. School was small enough for all the faculty and students to know one another. It was also pretty diverse in student population.
Loved the small feel of the school and the Toledo tour. The day was well organized and the city tour was unique in my six interviews I've attended. Nice facilities and has the "students come first" feel I've haven't experienced at other MD schools. The most beautiful campus I've visited.
I really liked the fact that there was a lot of patient-student interaction involved. They have a shadowing program so that you can further reinforce what you learned in class. Also the profs are very friendly and really want to help you learn as best as possible.
The school is so friendly. Everyone I encountered, from the Dr Myers (the asst. dean) to staff, was extremely friendly and helpful. The whole campus is modern with very nice lecture halls, a student lounge, computers everywhere for student use, nice labs, free parking, a great fitness center, and a new testing center. The new testing center is amazing. It is one of eight in the country housed at a medical school that meets the requirements for the USMLE. The tour of Toledo was helpful, especially for those who have never been there. Toledo is a large city (750,000 in metro area) without a great deal of traffic problems. The actual campus is in a residential area in South Toledo, not the downtown area. This is a huge positive to most other schools I've seen. There is grass (or snow) and trees everywhere with parks nearby. It should make the medical school experience more enjoyable and lower stress.
the admissions staff were very friendly, organized and realistic. they said that if we didn't feel happy or comfortable there that we should choose a place that fit us better. they also put us in a bus and drove us around toledo telling us all about the area
Very low stress interview; Deans Myers and Burns are awsome and SO nice; the clinical experience that students have a chance to practice even in the first 2 years (especially in the free clinic that MCO offers)
Interviewers were laid back. One of the interviewers was a PhD and was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. Faculty was very enthusiastic about the teaching standards at MCO.
Overall, I was really impressed by the school. Esp. the emphasis on their student. I liked the block curriculum, the grading system, the continuous improvement on their usmle scores, extra usmle classes given by the school, the cheap cost of living.
Everyone was really nice. It was a non threating environment. Dr. Myers is super nice and the staff is there to make you feel stress free. Oh and the parking is free all year long
Very friendly staff. They really let us know in the beginning that they were happy we were there and what the admission process was about. The tour of Toledo was nice and the med students who gave us a tour of the campus gave us great insight into the school.
The school is awesome, the students were great, the facilities were great, the faculty members I met were outstanding also. Plus the interview day was extremely organized and even included a tour of the city.
Friendly, open and candid students and faculty. The building and facilities. (Designed by the same architect as WTC) Glass hallways and tunnels connecting each building. (No need to step out in the cold) Being able to establish Ohio residency after 1 year.
Everyone is so friendly! They tell you everything about what they do during the selection process so you're not left in the dark. There are tons of parking spaces and it was free!!
I was really impressed with the faculty and stafff, and extremely impressed with the gym - which by the way has been a great stress reliever this year!
Applicants were most commonly negatively impressed by factors such as rude interviewers, dreary campus atmosphere, lack of excitement from student ambassadors, poor facilities like the library, the rural location of Toledo, unprepared interviewers, disorganization, lack of diversity, and the overall impression of Toledo as a city. Suggestions included improving interviewer professionalism, campus facilities, diversity efforts, and providing more engaging experiences for applicants visiting Toledo.
The student ambassadors were not excited to be there and a few of the interviewers were incredibly rude.
My first interviewer was very rude. He arrived 20 minutes late, took/made 3 phone calls during my already abbreviated interview, and spent most of the time reading my file (which he hadn't read ahead of time). He only barked out 1 line questions every few minutes, then went back to reading my file. My interview ended 10 minutes early. I could tell throughout he was just asking questions from their evaluation sheet. "are you compassionate?" "did you grow up poor?" "are you humble?" If you don't have the time to actually interview somebody, don't sign up for it.
Also, although med students gave us a tour, there weren't enough of them to take us to our interviews, and most of them were in offices that aren't accessible from main hallways (behind receptionists and locked doors) ,so we were made to explore and find them on our own.
The library is really poor quality, in my opinion, and other student facilities are lacking. The Toledo area is also complete garbage. Nothing to do. Plus, my tour guide seemed to be one of those people who you just hate because they are so stubborn and self-righteous. Oh well.
Location, location, location. Also, it seemed like the school itself was cramped as they had just opened up a pharm school and parking had become an issue
The area is a bit out there. However, being from a relatively rural area, I was used to it. Also, the YMCA on campus is not that "state of the art."
One of my interviewers was 45 min late to our interview, and then spent 5 minutes with me, because they had to buy something at the store before it closed. It was very disappointing.
My 2nd interviewer (who hadn't even reviewed my file like he was supposed to to ahead of time) was running in out of my interview to go to the OR and my interview that was supposed to last 20-45 minutes lasted almost 2 hours!
Curriculum is a bit lecture heavy. Competitive grading scale during M1, M2 of Honors, High Pass, Pass, Fail, which to me is really no different from ABC grades.
both interviewers were 20 min late and there were constant interruptions. also, MCO doesn't really have a college town or a real campus, it's kind of just a big medical complex.
...everything: awful location, students didnt seem happy, my interviewers were complete a-holes, they have no commitment to technology, ugly buildings, etc
Nothing really, besides the fact that several students made it known that this school was their only acceptance...esp b/c school feels like it is much better than just a backup school
I was negatively impressed by the lack of diversity on campus. The school administration needs to do a better job with recruiting more minority students.
Nothing really... except maybe the location. (i am orignially from a big city)
But i didnt have a chance to go check out downtown area (the campus is maybe 15-20 minutes away from downtown) so can't really say anything about it.
It is true that there isn't much to do in Toledo (i've lived here my whole life), but how much time will you really have anyway? There are all the typical places and things to do (bars, nice Metroparks, a great art museum, etc.) to keep you occupied.
"Sticker shock" for out-of-state tuition, really expensive. However, Ohio allows students to apply for in-state status after one year, so after the first year it will be much cheaper.
Toledo is actually pretty nice overall, but it was cloudy and gloomy that day, the trees were bare, and the grass was brown. It's still very much winter in that area in late March. I could see it being depressing if you lived through 5-6 months of that. The biggest negative thing was that the morning presentation by one of the faculty members reeked of waitlist (since it's so late in the interview season). This is more of an FYI than a negative, but the school (and area) is pretty conservative in general (probably why my plug for national health insurance didn't go over so well) and I wouldn't bring up touchy issues like abortion or euthanasia unless specifically asked. Oh, and does anyone else find it strange that 90% of the cars here are American made? My rental car was Japanese (randomly), and I seemed to be getting some dirty looks for driving it around the Motown area.
Toledo is a "big small town" according to one of the interviewers, if your used to big city life you might have a tough time adjusting to this city, but it seemed very nice.
Nothing specific, but I wasn't very impressed with the whole experience. It seemed somewhat unorganized, interviewers didn't really seem interested that you were there.
Nothing, I was impressed with everything about the school. I did not get the chance to explore the Toledo area but I read brochures about the musuems and other offerings.
Toledo seems like an OK place to live but it lacks some of the features I'm used to coming from a relatively big city. However the lack of nightlife and major sports teams makes for less distractions I suppose.
I passed several students outside of the lecture hall that didn't acknowledge me. Of course they don't have to, but at the other schools I've interviewed at the students at least smiled or wished good luck to us nervous guys in the black suits. Hospital seems really small.
The school was too small for me, it reminded me of high school. My second interview was not as engaging as my first one and I felt that the interviewer was not interested in making much conversation with me.
There is only one major hospital on campus that students rotate through. The other major hospital students rotate through is ~20 minutes away. Also, there are THREE Level I Trauma centers in Toledo and two children's hospitals. For a city the size of Toledo this may dilute some of the cases you will encounter. Neither of these may end up being a problem.
My second interviewer was an hour and a half late. Up until that interview, I loved everything about the school. The interviewer for some reason kept telling me the school was just ok and that Ohio State and Cincinnati were much better. I did not know what to make of that. I was accepted a month later, so I guess it went fine.
My first interviewer was late for my interview and was quite interested in asking me all the standard med school questions: socialized medicine, HMOs, stem cell research, cloning...yeah we covered it all.....it was as though he wanted to have reasons as to why he shouldn't reccomend me to the committee...
The tour of Toledo. While Toledo is nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be, the tour of Toledo on the interview day seemed to be a complete waste of time.
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the need to navigate the campus to find interview locations, the emphasis on ethical questions during interviews, the informal and conversational nature of interviews, and the potential wait times between different parts of the interview day. They also mentioned the high cost of out-of-state tuition, the lack of diversity, and the need for familiarity with topics like healthcare systems and ethical dilemmas.
You will have to walk around the hospital/campus to find the offices of your interviewers. Don't be afraid to ask for directions.
The admissions office asks for interviewers to use ethical questions, be prepared for these.
That you're on your own to find the actual locations of your interviews; get fairly familiar with the campus beforehand so you're not aimlessly wandering and lost
At any school, if the interviewer does not give you a fair shot (ie, only interviews you for 5 minutes), speak up and say something to the admissions office. They want to hear that kind of thing before you leave your interview day. Usually they will give you another interview the same day or will have you come back for another interview.
The interviews are really informal-think of it as a conversation rather than an interview. Also, I did not know until interview day that most clerkships in the 3rd and 4th year are completed at UTMC.
I read that the interviews were laid back, but I was not expecting how laid back they were. The interviewers really cared to get to know me, so I wish that I was a bit less nervous in the beginning of the day
The Hilton on campus is extremely convenient and nice. There is also a huge discount for people that are interviewing. Make sure to mention this when booking a reservation!
That one of my interviewers would literally be reading down a list of ethical and professional conflict questions. Also, you are given a map, a point, and a shove to find your interviews...hehe.
I wish I had known about the lack of diversity. Since I was accepted to several schools the lack of diversity will affect my decision in choosing this school.
How low-stress the interviews would be. I really found them to be conversations between colleagues rather than them grilling me about why I should be accepted. Also, the interviewers only received my file at the beginning of the interview, with my 2nd interviewer not even looking over it at all.
It caught me off guard when they announced MUO would be merging with University of Toledo around the summer of 2006. All involved said this should be seen as nothing but a positive, as UT will now be the 3rd largest public university in the state, etc.
Well, I kind of enjoyed learning this first hand at the school from the students and faculty, but MUO is very focused on the students and training them to be a good doctor who can relate to their future patients, and use the knowledge they've gained to help them. It's a school for people who want to be clinicians, not researchers. And that's okay. In fact, that's awesome in my opinion.
Everything was cool. My first interview was very conversational, it lasted about an hour and ten minutes. My second interview was really short (25 min.) and I was a bit worried but it ultimately did not reflect on my chances of getting in since I received an acceptance letter.
How hard the interviews were going to be. It was the most unfair and difficult interviews ever! but that's okay, it's MCO's loss, because now i'm accepted to UVA and U of Mich.
I wish I had known going in how friendly the people were and how conversational the interviews were going to be. I was pretty nervous going into the interviews, and this was completely unwarranted.
How friendly and helpful EVERYONE is at MCO and how student-centered they really are--giving their students a great educational and clinical experience and training seems to be their top priority versus reputation, status, etc. -- this really impressed me! Also, I didn't know we were going to step into a gross lab--if I'd never seen a cadaver before I probably would have been a bit nervous about that...
MCO is a teaching college first, research college second. Faculty are judged on their teaching practices rather than how much money they can generate through research grants.
That we would see a cadaver. We toured the facilities and peeked into the gross anatomy lab. I know as a med student, you get used to working with cadavers but I hadn't seen one before and would have liked to have been a little more prepared mentally! All in all, I am glad that I did, though...there's a first time for everything!
Although Toledo is not a thriving metropolis like LA or NYC, it is still a fairly good sized city. There are a lot of things to do and they're renovating the downtown area.
They send acceptance letters a month after the interview, not three weeks like the Dean said. I was miserable for an entire week waiting for that deciding letter. Also, I wished someone would've helped me find my first interviewer's office... that was a challenge.
That my interviewers were pretty much quizzing me with hypotheticals and ethical questions left and right even though the admissions directors at the start of the day made an effort to say they try to make the interviewers conversational and low pressure.
For the Tour of Toledo, they actually load you up in a van and drive you around to see part of Toledo. I really enjoyed this because they take you by a lot of interesting things Toledo has to offer, and it's all located close to MCO.
Applicants generally provided feedback about their positive impressions of the school's faculty, curriculum, and student body, as well as the supportive and friendly interview atmosphere. Some mentioned concerns about the location of the campus and diversity within the medical school. Suggestions included improving coordination within the admissions office and providing clearer information about programs and services offered.
It's a good program, but not too too much to do in the city. Student body seemed like good people, admissions staff were super nice and helpful.
Decent school with very down to earth people. The staff has recently had a lot of turnover. Coupled with an increase in applications, I can very reasonably see how there might be confusion within the admission's office. I had to ask multiple sources the same question in order to get a response that I trusted--not everybody is knowledgeable of all the programs and services offered at the school.
The school impressed me a lot more than what I thought it would. Def considering going here after the tour. The only downside is the location of the campus is kind of iffy (area surrounding campus seems pretty rundown) and lake effect winters suck if you're used to a warm climate
great school, really like the curriculum. School does a great job of preparing students for residency and boards. Very transparent about the admissions process.
They have a USMLE testing center on site, which I'm sure would come in handy during testing time. Also, you can switch to in-state status after the first year of living in OH.
Stay at the on-campus hotel. It's a very short walk to the medical center, or, you can take their free shuttle to the exact interview location.
I had this one oddball interviewer, who started out nice, conversational, then went into a long string of convoluted ethical and technological imaginings. These ethical questions were VERY random, most not medically related, a couple were quite offensive. To give you an example: "What do you think of people who come to our country illegally, don't bother to learn English, and then use taxpayer dollars when they go to the ER?" or "Don't you think people nowadays are too touchy, and they don't think about how those who have less PC opinions (i.e. homophobes, creationists) feel when they're attacked?"
Technological, as in he mentioned a recent finding of, like, nanomachines or something, that go in the blood stream. I responded with interest, surprise, and a bit of skepticism. I asked him about the mechanism, and he said, Oh, you know, at the atomic level. I asked him what medical center/university was doing this. He said, oh, actually, it's just something I think would be cool, that people should look into, that should be coming soon.
This went on for over an hour, more towards 1.5 hours.
...
My interviewer was really good in that he asked penetrating questions and was able to find out a great deal about my motivation to study medicine and my preparation. I was intimidated at first but was able to get into a groove a quarter of the way into the interview
Be prepared to answer questions about your activities or your secondary essays. Also be prepared for ethical scenarios. They're required to ask at least one ethical question but some interviewers take that too literarily and ask more than one. They just really want to see your thought process through it not necessarily the right or wrong answers.
The interview day is very low stress and everyone is really nice. The interviewers genuinely want to get to know you. They had a sheet of questions they were required to ask and they write down your response. They do ask ethical questions, so be prepared.
Interviews were more of an exchange rather than a 'grilling' barrage of gotcha questions and ethical situations. I know it sounds cliche but they really do just want to get to know you.
Great school, friendly faculty, supportive of students, nice and collegial student body. Curriculum is a bit too traditional for self-learners like myself.
The interviews were very laid back. One interviewer had looked up my hometown, asked me questions about growing up where I did, and knew *everything* that was on my AMCAS application.
Well organized day. The interviewers don't come to you like most schools, you have to go to them. We were each given a map and shown how to get to the interviewers offices. One of my interviewers was on the floor in the hospital, so I had to hunt him down via nursing staff and then had to wait outside of the patient rooms until he finished rounding on them.
the first interview went extremely well - the interviewer was enthusiastic about me and MCO. the whole thing was very conversational and went by very fast.
the second interview was somewhat bizarre. the interviewer seemed very tired and apathetic about me and MCO. he mentioned that the clinical experiences at MCO wouldn't be as good as other big institutions like CWRU and OSU. he also referred to MCO students as being "average" and "adequately trained".
Overall a great experience. My impressions of the medical school, high quality of faculty, and student body were significantly strengthened as a result of my visit.
All-in-all, the people there were very friendly and the buildings seemed pretty nice. I'm looking forward to seeing the campus when all the snow melts.
awful...the interviewers literally repeatedly challenged every single point that I was making in my responses, to the point that it was both obnoxious and absurd.
Overall it was positive. My interviewers were nice and I randomly had a conversation with a nice lady on my way to the building--she happened to be one of my interviewers.
The campus is beautiful and the people seem friendly but the medical school does not have enough diversity. This component will affect my decision, especially since I have already received my acceptance letter.
There was only two interviews, which really isn't that bad. I really like the campus, what they are about, and what they offer. They do really well to prepare their students for the boards. The facilities were nice also.
MCO is a great school and it is unfortunate it isnt rated better simply because their faculty do not receive as much grant funding for their research simply because they are more dedicated to the students than other schools. i guess i have to choose now if it is more important to have faculty who are dedicated to teaching or a highly ranked school. they dont seem to go together from my experiences.
I had a wonderful time. My second interviewer was outstanding. I could have chatted with her all day. The students were all excited about the school and made me want to attend even more.
The people were friendly. The intervews were low stress. Good to know that the grading structure is not curved. Not impressed by the local scene.
Pretty fast decision: Accepted in early December.
My interviews were in the afternoon. One is with PhD and the other is MD. Both are really nice... down to earth nice. They said they have to ask me some ethical questions... they are super easy to answer... I thought i did ok... but i didn't have a chance to say much about me... that's my only worry
Unlike other schools I have interviewed at, I knew that some interviewers might ask tough questions related to healthcare and ethics. It turned out one of my interviewers was one of them and although i did not have a definite solution to any of problems, I think i managed to do well on those questions. I think they just want to know your thinking process and how well you can support your own argument. But definitely be prepared to answer those kind of questions!
The first interview was really laid back and easy. The second interviewer canceled and I got someone who was not used to doing interviews. I think he must have searched the internet for a list of questions because I got asked lots of hard ethical questions and there wasn't much conversation in the second interview.
1 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon.
It was actually very tough with lots of healthcare/ethical issues, but at least they were fair questions.
The hospital on campus, connected through underground tunnels.
More research facilities currently being added.
Great school.
The day starts in the morning with an introduction and financial aid presentation. There are 8-15 students interviewing on the same day. Some students have their first interview around 11. Everyone meets back for lunch and a tour of the school around 12. Second (or first and second) interviews are then continued around 1.
My first interviewer wasn't in his office when I arrived, so I waited about 10 minutes outside. When we sat down, he seemed busy and a bit in a rush. He didn't ask me any questions about healthcare or ethics, didn't focus on my file too much, but instead just talked to me about the school and the area and how much he liked it. After about 15 minutes, he asked if I had questions and we spent the rest of the time discussing those. The interview was over in about 30 minutes.
My second interviewer had really gone through my file, and spent time going over every single thing in the file so I could explain anything I needed to. He was super nice and allowed me to explain my lower grades so he could bring it up with the admissions committee. At the end, we talked a lot about the area and his family, until he asked me to leave because he had another appointment. This interview lasted a little over an hour, and made me feel really confident about the whole day. I was a little surprised that I hadn't been asked any healthcare/ethics questions, especially since quite a few of the other students that day were asked some tough questions.
Overall, the entire experience was great. The campus is very nice, it is in my home town, and it has a good reputation. Also, the upcoming merger with The University of Toledo is a major improvement for the medical school, with many more research grants and other opportunities as a result. If I am accepted, I certainly plan on attending.
Interview experience was overall very good. Approximately 20 others interviewed on the same day. The day started with an introduction from a faculty member, then the financial aid presentation. Interviews were in all over campus. Others have listed this as a negative, as they hand you a map and point you in the right direction, as opposed to holding your hand and walking you everywhere. We're going to be DOCTORS! If this evokes such strong stress as to judge the school negatively, perhaps you should consider a career change. My first interview was with an FP doctor. It felt like a conversation about medicine with a colleague rather than an interview. We went way over time but had much in common and much to talk about. My second interview was with a staff member who had a scripted list of questions, much more traditional format.
Interspersed was the general campus tour, box lunch and Q & A with current students. The students were very positive about their school and encouraging. This was mirrored by all faculty, staff and administration, who genuinely seemed to believe the program to be strong, yet improving at the same time.
Campus facilities were modern. The oldest building, the library, is being torn down soon and rebuilt. The fitness facility was above average from what I have seen.
I had one faculty interviewer, and one with a current student who was on the admissions committee. Both were pretty laid back, especially the faculty interviewer. The student had a list of prepared questions, but it was still pretty conversational. My faculty interview was pretty informal, and he was quite positive. He seemed to have already made up his mind after about 30 minutes and then asked if there was anything else I wanted to talk about (but I think this was a good sign, because he was quite positive). Basically, I thought the interview day was great and I would love to go to school here.
The day began with a presentation from the Associate Dean for Admissions as well as the Financial Aid director. The first interview was at 11:00 a.m., followed by lunch and a group tour of the campus. The next interviews were staggered-mine was at 2:30, so I had to wait for a while. Both interviews were really conversational and laid back. I don't feel the interviewers had an agenda of what they were supposed to ask-only what they really wanted to know about you! In fact, my first interviewer did not ask any questions after we talked about my research-we just talked about MUO and where it is headed in the future. The second interview lasted an hour and a half-I really enjoyed talking with my interviewer-he was really laid back and conversational. The overall impression of the school was positive-and it seems this relatively young program is headed in the right direction for the future.
Overall I was very impressed by the people at MUO. They're extraordinarily dedicated to the success of their med students. Seriously. (Example: there's curriculum time put aside so people can find the specialty that fits their personality the most, and learn more about the "practical" side of medicine). The facilities were good, though nothing amazing. The personality of the place is friendly and it seemed that most of the students were happy there.
My interviewers were both very relaxed and made it a very low-stress experience. In fact, I got the impression that they wanted to answer MY questions about the school or Toledo. I had plenty of questions and I felt both my interviewers were able friendly and inviting about answering them.
MUO is still a (relatively) new medical school and it's still working out its identity. It's an open environment and seems like a great place to go for med school, though I don't think I'd want to be in Toledo for when I actually have the time to enjoy the place I live (i.e. after med school). The weather is mild for the Midwest.
Both interviwers I had were very nice and laid-back. The first one tended to ramble a bit, so I probably learned as much about him as he did about me! The second interviewer asked perceptive questions and laughed a lot. She did point out that MUO isn't really a school that turns out researchers-- they turn out clinicians.
All the students seemed very open and friendly and satisfied with their school. They emphasized repeatedly the student-centered, non-competitive atmosphere of the school.
The facilities were a LOT more impressive than I thought they would be. We were also presented with the impressive statistic that MUO students have a 98% pass rate of step 1 of the boards.
overall it was a good one. the interviewers were courteous and seemed genuine in their questions. One interviewer started asking questions about different social theories and society in general and i absoluteley loved that. seeing a post doc in a hard science interested and knowledgable about social issues was refreshing.
Overall it was a good experience. My first interviewer was really tough, he asked a lot of challenging questions. It began to feel like he only wanted to hear himself talk. The second interview was much more relaxed.
It was very laid back. My fist interviewer didn't even ask me any questions, we just talked about playing sports and doing research. My second interview was more standard and I was asked the usual ethical questions and questions about healthcare
I was highly impressed with everything I saw (see below). The two interviews were both conversational and probably wouldn't have taken as long but I asked a fair amount of questions.
My interviews at MUO were very laid back. I was only asked two questions related to medicine and we briefly talked about my application. I felt like they had already made their mind up about me were just trying to make sure I had a personality and wasn't crazy.
The first interview was a really laid back and comfortable - my interviewer was super friendly. My second interview was more of what I expected to get - more stressful, but I think I was okay.
I enjoied my interviews, the intrviewers were genuinly interested in me, and why i wanted to pursue medicin.I enjoyed my interviews, the interviewers were genuinely interested in me, and why i wanted to pursue medicine.
We started the day with a little informative session with Dr. Burns and other man whose name I don't remember...FInancial aid really quick, an overview of the school and the curriculum. It seemed a lot shorter and less drawn out than other interviews. We had 2 interviews scheduled, one pre and one post lunch..You do have to find them yourselves but it's easy and everyone's helpful unless you have an off campus one which I didn't have. Lunch was all right, just sandwiches back where we had been all morning...Then we had a tour w/ a student which was fine...THen the second interview and then you were free to go.
Both interviews were very laid back. They looked at my file and asked me about my home, my school, and my path to becoming a premed. Everyone was nice, and I liked the other students who were in my group.
Arrived in the morning, two admissions people talked to us for an hour and a half about the admissions process and the classes that we would take and such, we were supposed to hear from a financial aid person, but we didn't have time and they were in a meeting, then I had my first interview (important note, the person interviewing you does not pick you up, you are given a map and must find their office and this can be tough), then we had lunch with some current first and second year students who then led us on our tour of the campus, and then I had my second interview. One of my interviewers was a PhD and the other was an MD
I had a good interview experience and I was very comfortable. My first interviewer was about 5 minutes late and then answered a page 15 minutes into the interview. I thought that was a little bazaar.
I spoke with two physicians. Both of them were extremely nice and friendly to talk to. I really enjoyed the conversations we have. I am not even sure if I can call my second interview an actual interview, the Dr. just told me why MCO is a great school. Not sure if that is good or not but we filled an hour through me asking questions about the school.
The interview started at around 9 AM. There were about 10 interviewees total, inlcuding myself with a wide rage of backgrounds.
The Assistant Dean of Admissions came in and talked to us for about 40 minutes and asnwered all of our questions. He was very honest about the selection process for MCO and talked in detail of how it worked. He also talked of how the chances of getting in once you are interviewed is about 50%, which is good to know.
After that we had a brief financial aid presentation, which can be summed up as: fill out FAFSA, apply for scholarships, be prepared for lots of debt. Standard procedure for all schools basically.
Also mixed into this was being allowed to sit in on a classroom for awhile. It was a kinda boring because and I had a hard time concentrating on anything as I was too busy looking around at everyone.
MCO has us interview 1 on 1 with two different faculty members. Some students had two early interviews while others, including myself had later interviews, basically early afternoon.
We also had student guided tours inbetween this. It was a good experience. The guide(second year) was very enthusiastic and extremely helpful. He even let us into the cadaver lab, which was busy with lots of first year students and lots of dead bodies. Good stuff.
When it came time to interview, it was up to the student to find the faculty offices using maps we were given. It was a tad confusing but luckily everyone there is extremely helpful and noticed the dazed look in my eyes and guided me correctly. After my first interview, my interviewer had a secretary personally take me to my next interviewer, which was very nice of him, and very much appreciated.
My first interviewer hadn't read my file really and just basically asked, why MCO and why medicine. No ethical questions. He also asked about my family. Nothing too hard or stressful. It was very casual. This interview only last 20 min total.
The second one was even shorter. He was the guy who asked me the element question. I kind of stumbled over an answer, because I thought it was a strange question, but I thought I have a decent answer because he didn't grill me on it. The rest of the interview was him just looking at my grades. Luckily I have a pretty high GPA so he was impressed with that. But he also mentioned some stuff about his son, who seems to be a genius, because he has gotten into some fantastic schools. It was a little intimidating, but I don't think he was trying to be condescending about it.
That interview lasted 15 minutes if even that, but he did say he would highly recommend me and even gave me his personal email address if I had any questions.
I was a little nervous at my short interviews, because my student guide mentioned how when he interviewed, he was talking to one of his interviewers for nearly 2 hours! I could barely crack 40 minutes for two interviews total. But they seemed to go well and nothing really went poorly. So who knows.
I am posting this January 10, 2005. I interviewed at the school approximately December 9, 2004. I called the school and they said my application would go under review January 25. So I guess I have to wait until then.
I stayed at the Hilton Hotel that's located on campus. The good thing about it is that they offer a shuttle to and from the airport, which is about a 15-20 minute drive. In addition, you can get from the hotel to the medical school using their underground tunnels which is very handy.
The interviews were non-directed. That was good for the first one, where the interviewer spent a lot of time making sure I knew why MCO was a kick-a&& place, but slightly difficult for the second one because there were a lot of awkward silences where I ended up saying "Is there anything else you want to ask me?"
I loved MCO. Although, I'm from the east coast, I just loved the atmosphere, the faculty and the students. The Faculty really care about the students. This school is not for cut-throat competitive people. It is for students who love to work together toward academic acheivement. If you want a nurturing environment, filled with friendly people and faculty who care then MCO is for you.
i was interviewed by an MPH/PhD (i think) guy and a cardiothoracic surgeon, who was absolutely awesome. he was the friendliest interviewer ive ever had even though he asked me lots of tough questions about policy, controversial issues, etc... he gave me a HUG at the end of the interview (not a handshake!) and even wrote me a personal letter of congratulations after i got in which i thought was really sweet. he said he wanted to see me in his chem class in the fall so he could "give me a hard time" so i said "i'll be prepared." if toledo didnt suck so much i might go there bc of him! the faculty really seem to care about the success of the students
I would be happy to attend MCO. By all accounts the school seems to provide a solid medical education that allows its students to match into competitive residencies.
It was horrible, the worst interview ever. the interviewers weren't asking fair questions, and just bombarded me with questions for 2 hours. they asked questions that were impossible to answer, which made them look ignorant. (i.e They asked me what would i personally do to change the healthcare system in medicine today since so many people are uninsured and underinsured, HMO, and etc)..i thought i was applying for medical school and not law school, am i suppose to propose a bill to change healthcare in this nation???
You will be scheduled to attend two interviews, both of which are one-on-one, and can last up to an hour. The interviews are designed to be non-threatening, and the interviewers that I spoke with conducted the interviews more like conversations. It was a fantastic opportunity to ask questions, and get the feel of the school. Usually one interview is scheduled before lunch and the tour, and one in the afternoon. The tour is nice, the students are helpful. There are sessions on admissions and financial aid in the morning. I interviewed with 8 other students.
It was my first interview, so I was a bit nervous, but Dr. Burns and Dr. Myers made everyone feel very welcome. Box Lunch. Clinical skills center is brand new. Lecture halls are standard. My first interviewer grilled me on healthcare. (kept saying..."so what about that healthcare, huh?"). The second interview was extremely laid back and the lady was really nice.
The interviews were really laid-back, and even though I had tough questions in each, it never really felt hard. Ultimately, its hard to stress when you know that they accept around half the students they interview.
Morning session was rather mundane, with an overview of the school's education presented by an alum. Also listened to two more people speak about the college, followed by the financial aid discussion. We were provided boxed lunches and then given a tour by 2nd year med students (who were just coming out of an exam) Afterwards we all split up to go to our interviews. Overall was a pleasant experience.
Awsome school for those who want a school where teaching and students come first. I can't get over how beautiful the whole campus area is. My first interview was the worst one I've had out of the six schools I've attended and the second was the best.
the 2 deans who spoke to us in the morning were really down-to-earth and enthusiastic! they made us feel extremely comfortable there. I was really impressed by their talk because they seemed genuinely willing to help us. My interviews were the MOST laid-back interviews I've had - totally informal and stress-free. the day was organized well, and i was also impressed by the tour of the city of toledo!
The interviewing experiences were great. I interviewed with a biochemistry prof and she was extremely nice and she genuinely wanted to get to know me. Also my other interviewer made me feel relaxed and comfortable. It is a great school indeed. I was really impressed how the students and the profs really emphasised working together and learning together instead of cut-throat competition.
The interview was very positive. One of my interviewers asked me to diagnose a hypothetical patient and that was stressful but everything else was wonderful.
MCO is an awesome school. After coming away from my day (the tours, talks, and interviews) I am even more excited about going there. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to arrive at the campus. You'll be travelling at the busiest time of the morning to campus, and there is also a good chance of bad weather. It took me 10 or 15 minutes longer than I expected to get there.
I got there at 845, there's free parking that is easy to find. We met with the deams of admissions and they talked to us all about MCO, anwsered all our questions. Then we had a finicial aid meeting that was very informative. We went on an hour tour of toledo in a nice van that had a DVD player and screens with a DVD about toledo. we got back had lunch and toured with med student. then we had two interviews that were very laid back. i actually enjoyed the conversation. not much to stress about here!
What an awsome and low-stress experience! MCO really has its act together with an innovative curriculum, offering out-of-state students residency after a year, letting students volunteer in their free clinic, and having a USMLE testing site on campus. We each had 2 interviews which we had to get to ourselves. Both of mine were pretty low stress and conversational--I was surprised at how much the 2 physicians I spoke with were willing to share THEIR stories and experiences, which was cool. Overall, if you're into a non-competitive environment and close-knit atmosphere, this is the place to be. Oh, and Toledo isn't THAT bad--everyone here seems to bash it but theres some cool restaurants, old neighborhoods, and what looks like an awsome art museum.
What really got me was the night and day difference between both of my interviewers. My first interview was completely laid back...lasted about 30 mins. My second interview was the toughest interview I ever had. It lasted almost 2 hours!! I got grilled on every aspect of our current healthcare system and universal healthcare. Even though I thought that I was decently knowledgeable about this topic, I felt totally overwhelmed.
I think this is a great school despite being in a smaller town. The COL is very cheap and there are many options on where to live. Overall this is a good school with a friendly atmosphere.
The staff and students were very friendly. The admissions director spoke at about 9:30am, and then there was a financial aid presentation. We had a boxed lunch and then went on a tour of Toledo and got to see downtown and places to live. Next, we had our interviews. We had to walk to them ourselves, so it was a little challenging finding the offices. It was a pretty long day.
Overall, this is a great school with a strong curriculum. They house 1 of 8 USMLE testing sites in the country which means you are familiar with the facilities and feel more comfortable during the exam. My second interview was a challenge. I was basically put into the philosophical grinder and, at some points, felt a little insulted by some of the comments made. However, I found this session more engaging than intimidating and that is what made my interviewer impressed overall. My first interview was more straightforward - some healthcare policy issues and a general desire to get to know me.
MCO seems like a great school with a lot of personality. part of that personality is that everyone at MCO seems really self-conscious of the fact that toledo is not a great city. the school does not have all that great of a reputation right now but seems like it is really pulling its act together and in the process of becoming a really great school (new director, new programs)
ehhhh, it's weird. My first interview was around 15 mins long. Then i had to wait 1 hour 30 mins for the second one. Then the second interviewer warned me that his questions are not going to be easy to answer but still told me to relax...and this interview lasted 1 hour 40 mins.... ;0
Great! It probably was the most difficult interview I've ever had. A lot of hypothetical questions were asked, as well as healthcare policy questions. However, honesty is always the best policy, if you go over all the questions that could be asked and form your own opinions, you should be fine. MCO is an awesome school, the curriculum, students, profs, administrative people were all fantastic.
Overall, I wish I hadn't interviewed here. I got mixed feelings about the school. My first interviewer was awful and the second interviewer was overly enthusiastic about my application...it didn't make sense!
MCO really tries to emphasize its good rapport between the students and faculty. It's pretty evident that the school is very supportive and nurturing. The interview day is designed to be low stress and a chance for interaction. All the med students will tell you to relax for the interviews and that they are generally conversational. However, beware and don't be too relaxed so that you're caught off guard by the typical med school questions.
Out of the five Ohio schools at which I've interviewed (all except Wright), I think this is the school I liked the most. It's friendly, nice, inviting, etc.
When I first applied to MCO and got the interview, I didn't think that it would be a place that I would really like to go. I did some research about Toledo, but nothing really impressed me that much before I went to the interview. But after taking the tour, and assessing the atmosphere in the small city, I really liked it. I'm from a relatively big city (not as big as NY or Chicago) and Toledo was much smaller, but it is so much less stressful to get around and living is very inexpensive. After thinking about it, what is most important to me for medical school is not the city in which the medical school is located, but the facilities, the curriculum, the residency matches, the people, and the stress level (I don't want to be stressed out just getting to class or an exam). I know that I wouldn't have to worry too much about road rage and parking (which will take a lot off of my mind). The campus is beautiful and the facilities are pretty new and they're gorgeous. The entire campus is connected, so I wouldn't worry about weather issues, and there are lots of living options near and around the school. The interviews were really laid-back and friendly. The first one was a full hour - we had a great conversation about random things like traffic logisitics, even though he did run down a list of questions he planned for me :) and the second interview was very short (~20 min) but he was really nice and told me a story about his neighbor. My advice: Just be yourself - don't try to act like you're something you're not, because people do see through it, and most likely - they'll like you for what you truly are. Also, don't be afraid of saying what you believe... They'll respect you as a collegue when you can talk to them like one.
I felt that I had the most rude interviewer I have ever dealt with in my life (including job interviewers and elsewhere). This person had the nerve to say to my face that all my post secondary experiences (which include volunteer work at several facilities, over three years of research work, and several publications) are nothing compared to shadowing a "real" physician at a clinic. I ended up arguing with this person for the last half hour of the interview due to his comments.
This is just to clarify that the interview I just posted was actually on 11/7/02, not 9/7/02.......anyways, I think the person who posted on 11/7/02 about an interview on 11/7/02 had the same second interviewer as me cause he asked similar questions and I know he interviewed multiple people that day.
Like I said above, i was really surprised by the difficulty of the interviews. I think it was just bad luck that I got two "hard" interviewers. My first interviewer asked me a ton of healthcare questions which I think I answered really well and we ended up talking a whole hour about stuff like that. He ended up walking me to my next interview which was nice. The second interviewer was even tougher, he pretty much looked at my file and started giving me questions relating to my character and others about healthcare and specific questions about things in my file. Overall, I was really surprised about how hard the interviewers were.
You have two interviews, and at least one of the interviewers is on the admissions committee. They give a rating on a scale of 1-4 (with 4 being the highest) and then place everyone on this ranked list. They accept the top people off the list every so often. Both of my interviewers were very nice and asked me common questions and then commented on things off of my application, such as my activities, grades, and MCAT scores. Overall, I felt very comfortable at my interviews.
Everything was perfect up until my second interview (the last part of the day). Unfortunately it left a really bad taste in my mouth, but otherwise, things were impressive (except for the gym).
Toledo isn't a big booming metropolis, but it has enough to offer. The students I met were all friendly and very willing to answer questions. The facilities are nice, especially the fitness center.
Yes, Toledo isn't a booming metropolis, but if you think you're going to have time to explore the city, think again. I've been here 3 1/2 months ,and still haven't had time to go downtown.
Very laid back interviews, interesting people, great facilities. This is definitely a top choice. Realize, though, that this school may only match with certain personalities. If you want to be in the center of a bustling city, with lots to do, this may not be for you.
MCO plesently surprised me in a number of ways. From the rumors that I had heard going in I was expecting a very small complex with a high propensity for family medicine. What I ended up seeing was a very advance medical center with a diverse population of students who were being trained on the same level as any other Medical School. Toledo isn't nessesarly the city of my dreams, but I guess while you are in medical school you don't really have that much time for exploring anyways. The school though is fiercly loyal to it's students and very open to thier questions and sugestions. It is very impressive and a worthwhile choice. The interview as a matter of fact was rather rigorous. I was interviewd by one clinical and one non-clinical faculty member for an hour each. They asked some very hard questions, but for the most part where fair. The rest of the time there included a talk from the admissions staff, a tour and a lot of time with students. In fact there was nearly one medical student for each interviewee. Overall, MCO is definitly a good school that is very interested in your education, not just their reputation.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested improving interviewer training and etiquette, making interviews more accessible, reducing unnecessary email communication, providing more student perspectives, ensuring consistency in communication, transitioning to online applications, and enhancing the presentation of the school to attract more diverse applicants nationwide.
Train interviewers better, or choose interviewers that aren't rude and won't interrupt students in the middle of answering questions.
Students were't necessarily able to take us to/from our interviews, many of the interviews were in rooms that are not accessible without speaking with receptionists, so it's difficult to self-navigate.
Everyone should be on the same page in terms of admissions policies and financial aid. I constantly received different answers from different people for the same question.