Nashville, TN
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 14% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.8
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 1,200 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about personal experiences such as describing a book or movie that influenced one's worldview, discussing times of disagreement with authority, detailing difficult decisions faced, and sharing accomplishments and failures. Additionally, respondents mentioned mixed formats of short, closed-file interviews focusing on ethical and behavioral questions, and longer, conversational open-file interviews covering personal, creative, and academic aspects, indicating potential exposure to an MMI format and nondisclosure agreements.
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Tell me about yourself.
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Describe a book, movie, etc that has changed the way you view or approach the world.
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There was one short, closed-file interview (30 minutes) where they asked you ethical/behavioral questions, and one longer, conversational open-file "summary interview" that lasted approximately an hour and 20 minutes with another interviewer.
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Tell me about a time when you disagreed with authority (or something like rules).
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There's 2 interviews. One short, one long. The long one is traditional (OPEN FILE) type questions, the short one is personal/creative questions (CLOSED FILE). In the first interview we discussed global health and my background and interests. The most difficult questions were regarding my research, but they were only difficult because I didn't prepare this!
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years (career wise)?
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Describe a difficult decision you had to make (and other similar behavioral questions in the closed file interview)
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Can you give me an example of a time you failed?
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Give an example of a time you gave someone the benefit of the doubt and were glad you did.
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Tell me about your childhood.
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What would you contribute to Vanderbilt? Why should we choose you over thousands of other applicants?
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Did you have any shadowing/volunteering experiences to make sure that this (becoming a doctor) is something that you want to do?
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Elaborate on _______ activity on your AMCAS.
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Why Vanderbilt?
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Tell me about a difficult situation and how you handled it.
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What one accomplishment are you most proud of?
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Activities on AMCAS - which most meaningful
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Do patients that make poor lifestyle choices deserve to get one of the limited number of organs available for transplantation? (This was the only ethical question)
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tell me about yourself
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What are you looking for in a medical school?
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Tell me about your weaknesses?
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None really.
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What do plan on doing with medicine?
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Tell me about your timeline (I have a confusing one with regard to what school when, what job when).
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Questions about non-science classes I'd taken.
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Why did you decide to pursue an MPH?
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What community service activity had the most impact on you? Leadership activity?
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Tell me about your family and growing up
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Why would you want to stay at Vanderbilt? (I go there undergrad)
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Tell me about your background/personal history.
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What is the one accomplishment you're most proud of?
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What are 3 adjectives to describe yourself?
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What are you doing right now?
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Just a few questions about my motivations for medicine and specific classes I took.
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Why medicine?
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What I wanted to know about Vanderbilt?
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What qualities do you have that would make you a good doctor?
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Tell me what a day in your life is like?
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Have you been to Nashville before?
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How/When did you decide you wanted to go to medical school?
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How involved were you/what was your specific role in your research experiences?
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Tell me about your research project
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Tell me about this EC activity. What do you want me to know about you? Tell me about your basic sci research & why you stopped it. Why didn't you apply to medical school last year? What are you looking for in a medical school? Any questions for me?
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Tell me about your research experiences.
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What distinguishes you from the rest of the applicants?
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Research
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Tell me why medicine? Why Vanderbilt?
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What three qualities would your best friends say you have?
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Tell me more about X (on the AMCAS)
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Where did you grow up?
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What other schools have you interviewed at?
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What should I emphasize to the adcom?
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Tell me about x research
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About my family
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How are you? How was your flight? Will you be staying for a few days or ...?
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what type of setting do you want to practice medicine in?
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Tell me about one of your research experiences.
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Tell me about your research experience.
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What Vanderbilt?
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Why engineering?
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Asked about my research.
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Why did you take X course?
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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Tell me about your path to becoming a doctor.
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Explain past experiences
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Do you have any questions for me?
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What did you do during your summers
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Tell me about anthropology.
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How did you become interested in medicine?
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what other schools did you apply to
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how did you come to choose medicine?
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Tell me about yourself. This led to a 60-minute conversation.
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What do you look for in a medical school?
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Why medicine
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Questions specific to my application.
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asked about my activities briefly
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Tell me about your research.
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There really weren't questions, per se. At least not any that I remember directly.
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How would you like me to present you to the admissions committee?
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Tell me about your ___ experience
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How did you decide on your undergraduate university?
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Tell me about your family
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Why are you interested in medicine?
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
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so what do you know about vandy?
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Why are you taking a year off?
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When did you first develop an interest in medicine?
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What draws you to Nashville?
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Tell me more about yourself.
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Why did you choose your major/degree?
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Why are you taking time off before medical school?
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Describe a specific example of how you helped another individual and what you learned from it?
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Why did you pursue your advanced degree?
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Tell me about Earlham College and why you chose to go to school there.
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You have a good record, but your grades have slipped at certain points; why?
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Do you plan to practice in the USA after your training?
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How long have you been interested in a career in medicine and what spurred that interest?
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Tell me about your research
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Tell me a little about yourself...
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TEll me about urself.
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tell me about yourself and your family
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What made you decide to pursue medicine?
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How do you think your major will help you in medicine?
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Why do you want to become a doctor?
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Major healthcare problems/solutions
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Favorite/least favorite class?
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Why do you want to be a doctor
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Where have you demonstrated leadership? What are you strengths/weaknesses?
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strengths/weaknesses
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I see you have athletics in your backround, compare that to medicine.
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Explain your current research.
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What was your favorite class? What was your least favorite class?
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What other schools have you applied to?
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Tell me about your volunteerism abroad
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asked about my research
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Why did you wait until you graduated from college before applying to medical school?
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Do you plan on continuing your research in medical school?
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we talked about dogs for a while before even got started
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Tell me about yourself?
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Why I am studying for an MA at Columbia.
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Tell me about your extracirriculars
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Do you know what kind of medicine you want to go into: specialty? academic/private practice?
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What is your favorite nonscience class?
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Why Vandy?
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My extracurricular activities
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All of your community service is admirable, but I don't understand how that connects with your desire to study and practice medicine....um...so how does it connect?
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Tell me about the latest book you've read.
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What's your biggest accomplishment?
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Most meaningful community service?
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Why do you want to go to Vanderbilt?
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Tell me about your undergraduate experience.
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Tell me about your undergraduate experience -- why did you choose ABC university?
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what do you want me to tell admissions committee about you?
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Have you considered what field you might enter.
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Tell me about your medical leave
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Describe your college experience.
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tell me about your family.
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I was asked about the C's on my transcript
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Have you thought about what field you want to go into? Why that field?
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Tell me about your research/college/other experience.
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How would your friends describe you?
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why did you choose your undergrad institution?
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How was your "introduction to modern culture" class?
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What do you want to get out of medical school besides just learning the academics?
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How did you choose your undergraduate school?
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Tell me about this piano class you took.
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What makes you better than everyone else?
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Why do you want to study medicine?
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What do you want me to tell the admissions committee?
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Tell me about your life before undergrad.
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Why do you want to attend Vanderbilt?
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If you could decide where to go to college again, would you go to the same school?
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Why did you take the MCAT twice?
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What are your strengths?
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What are you going to do about a family? (Aaack!)
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I am writing a recommendation for you to the admissions committee - what do you want me to put in it? I mean, what differentiates you from any other student?
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tell me about your childhood and growing up.
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Name the top three reasons you want to enter medicine.
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What volunteer experience do you have?
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Tell me about a specific volunteer experience.
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Is anyone in your family a doctor? What made you want to go into medicine, then?
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Tell me about your relationship with your family and your experiences growing up in a small town.
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Tell me about what brought you here, why medicine, why vanderbilt etc.? (all given as one big question)
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Tell me about yourself (growing up, school, family values)
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What motivates you to practice medicine?
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What do you want to talk about?
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Describe your thesis research in terms that I could understand
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Wh o is your role model
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what do you do if a patient dislikes you?
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How did you like (name of your college)?
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You were a non-science major. How did some of your non-science classes relate to the field of medicine?
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How did you spend your summers? What extracurriculars were you involved with?
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What was this like, that like? etc. on my essay
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Give me a 2-minute autobiography.
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Tell me about your undergraduate experience?
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-What were the positive and negative aspects that you've gathered from your experience with health care? How would you improve it? -Why Vanderbilt?
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What book are you reading now? Strengths and weaknesses? How would your friends describe you? 4-5 words or phrases.
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essay-specific question
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If you could spend two hours in any museum, which museum would you go to?
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Why Vanderbilt? Why medicine?
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all pertaining specifically to my amcas
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Why do you want to go into academic medicine?
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What in your college career has made you believe that medicine is the right thing for you?
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Tell me about your experiences in the medical field.
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What has been the most rewarding experience for you so far?
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What's it like to be a whitewater kayak instructor?
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Describe your research.
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Describe a Clinical Experience
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Again, lots of questions on me (my undergrad experience, how I became interested in medicine, how I completed my pre-requisites, what other schools I applied to, my work experience....
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What was your most valuable research experience?
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Tell me about XYZ research project.
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Tell me about your experiences?
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A difficult and complex case study of a patient with a potentially terminal illness that only responded to an exotic therapy that the insurance company refused to pay for because of its' contract. What would I do?
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What questions to you have about Vanderbilt? (asked over and over)
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What's the most meaningful volunteer work you've done? What's the most impactful leadership experience you've had.
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What questions do you have for me? (Ask what the strengths and weaknesses are)
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My questions were mostly about my extracurricular activities - I didn't have any of the standard questions about my personality or motivations. But be prepared to defend yourself if you don't have clinical experience involving lots of hospital time during recent years.
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do you have any questions for me about the school?
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Tell me a little about time you've spent abroad.
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why is your second degree (unlrelated to med or phd) useful in the career you have ahead of you?
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what excited you the most about your college?
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Tell me about your research activities.
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Who is your role model?
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What are your strenghts/weaknesses?
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How diverse is your school?
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What do you think of the politics in the Sino-taiwan region?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics such as personal experiences with authority, perspectives, hobbies, and career choices. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) given the diverse nature of questions, and respondents may have been under a nondisclosure agreement due to the variety of personal and unique questions asked.
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The "summary", longer open-file interview had read my file very detailed, and asked me a lot of questions about small tidbits in the essay. It was really nice!
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Tell me about a time when you disagreed with authority (or something like rules).
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Discuss a time when you had to see something from someone else's perspective.
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What do you like to do for fun?
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When was the last time you asked "Why?"
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Nothing really out of the ordinary
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When were you glad that you gave someone a second chance?
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Is there anything that you wish that you could redo or do more?
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Discussion of the differences in the healthcare systems of the US and the country where I grew up.
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What would you do if you could not go to medical school?
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Are you sure that you want to be a doctor?
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our discussion on family life and time commitments in medicine
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Why did you take a year off
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What do you know about Nashville?
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Not really any.
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None in particular.
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What was the purpose of your personal statement? What was your intent for the reader?
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Imagine you are being interviewed on a news channel. Tell us about your math research in layman's terms.
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Asked me why my band (something I mentioned in app essays/AMCAS activities) wasn't "getting big" on Music Row
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The 2 words for just meeting one.
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Background because I have a lot of stories to tell :-)
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What's the deal with Mugabe?
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Why are you in a sorority?
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None.
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I really didn't get many questions, and when I did, he usually interrupted me after a sentence or two. The interview was basically an hour of him talking at me. He was nice, but I didn't feel like I was able to express myself much at all.
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Why Vanderbilt? (the interview was very conversational, I was able to take the direction of the conversation where I wanted to)
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If you could choose one social cause to take up what would it be?
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What other schools have you applied to, followed by, what do other schools have that Vanderbilt doesn't?
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Before entering medicine, what did you see as the pro's and con's?
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(When talking about my research) What color does it fluoresce? (She wasn't testing me, she was curious)
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The interview began by asking me to ask questions and we went from there.
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What was your marathon time.
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I see you teach MCAT prep class. Do you feel like those prep classes are actually helpful?
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Do you think there should be a 1-year mandatory civil service law in the US?
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What do you think about the health care reforms proposed by the presidential candidates?
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none
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''I see you've done X... do you think you would be interested in continuing your work on that in medical school?''
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Don't remember
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None, he was pretty quiet and got interrupted during our interview by his beeper.
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Tell me about yourself--let's start from the beginning. (Didn't read any of my essays because she wanted an unbiased interview.)
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Describe a situation (medical) that did not go well.
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None of the questions were especially interesting. It was more of a conversation about why I was applying, what I was looking for, and how I got interested in medicine.
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What is the biggest problem in the area you live?
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Could you explain why your grades improved after sophomore year?
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Really none...
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I was asked: Do you have any burning question for me? about 3-4x so I wonder what else to say. Please arm yourself with info about what your interviewer does. and you can ask them about their work.
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I shadowed a Dr. in England so my interviewer asked, ''What are the differences in medicine between the US and UK?''
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If you could address any issue, anywhere in the world, what would it be?
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Questions were all rather routine.
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Nothing too "interesting"
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If you were assigned to be the leader in a group in medical school, and you had someone who was a obvious slacker, how would you handle them?
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Why engineering?
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pretty standard really. really conversational.
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Nothing interesting per se. They have your information there and ask questions from it. He asked about some courses I had taken.
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Do you consider yourself to be an MCAT expert?
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What do you do for fun?
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Specific stuff about my resume...
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About something in my application.
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Who is your favorite philospher (i'm a philosophy major)?
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What is your most significant community service experience?
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So I see you're on the Academic Dishonesty Committee . . . What's been the most challenging case you've seen?
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What do you think about USC (I go to UCLA - cross town rival)
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Tell me about anthropology (my minor).
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The interview was really open-ended. He just asked me to talk about myself.
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What do your bracelets mean?
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None - all questions were straight forward
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Tell me about a time you helped someone. What did you learn from it?
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Tell me about a time you helped someone.
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Do you think all McDonald's should close down?
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What does the term 'doctor' mean to you
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None that I can remember, really.
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Why should we accept you?
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tell me about yourself
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What do you think about the TV programming available to modern youth?
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How did you come to be Korean?
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A question related to a unique part of my application.
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I see you have a background in medical imaging, could you see yourself exploring this opportunity in our emphasis program?
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Have you given any thought to what it's like to be a woman in medicine?
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What was the one most imporant thing you learned from being a pastor?
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N/A
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What do you think of Paul Farmer (public health guy)?
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What makes you want to come to Tennesee?
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tell me about XYZ class...
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What would you like for me to highlight about your application to the admissions committee?
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How did you like your summer at Duke?
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All pretty generic questions, although there were a couple interesting questions relating specifically to why I took a class or expanding on a hobby.
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Given your interests in ____ and ____, how have they influenced your decision to become a physician?
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It was a friendly chat, everything was interesting but also very laid back.
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What are some of your hobbies?
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If you have a choice between two med schools, what are your criteria for choosing between them.
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Why did I start a particular organization on campus and what was the value?
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Why did you decide to take Weaving as an art class?
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What can I say to make you want to come here?
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What is your ethnic background?
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I was asked about my foreign educational background. The interview was very positive and I found this to be very encouraging because a lot of people have negative attitudes towards degrees from outside the USA, though from my experience, there is a lot of spoon-feeding in the USA educational system.
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What do you think the sol'n to America's obesity problems is? (follow up to something in a previous question)
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If you could have dinner with 2 people, living, dead or fictional, who would you choose?
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What would you propose to teach students a more humanistic approach to medicine?
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My favorite undergraduate course
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None really
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Tell me about something not on your AMCAS
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Tell me about your research...i mean let's spend like 20 mins talking about it in depth.
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Tell me about your high school - it was interesting because I just didn't expect to go back that far.
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The interview was very conversational, not a lot of direct questions. Nothing really stuck out
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What do you think the greatest challenge facing medicine will be over the next 30 years?
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The traditional questions were asked, "Why do you want to become a doctor" and "what do you do to relax"
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What do you think the major health issues are for women in the Middle East?
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So what do you think about universal healthcare? (This was really just asked in a joking manner in response to something I had said, nothing serious)
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If I asked your mom about your three best attributes, what would she say?
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who's your favorite artist
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Was there one thing that led you to medicine.
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Can you help me set up a program like this here next year?
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The interview was more of a discussion. We talked about my research and background.
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What kind cancer did your mother die from (They get specific on your AMCAS personal statement file!)
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What sort of Emphasis Program would you do if you attended Vanderbilt?
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My interviewer asked me to summarize a few interesting courses I took in college.
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Why did you choose your undergraduate institution?
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My interviewer didn't really ask many questions - it was more of just a conversation.
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Why did you fly in on American Airlines and not Southwest?
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tell me about your dogs
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Nothing unusual.
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Nothing really thought-provoking.
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Nothing to interesting.
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Everything was totally standard.
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what frustrates you?
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If medicine did not exist, what profession would you be in?
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How my undergrad major (not a typical pre-med major) prepared me for medicine.
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What was your favorite nonscience class?
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Describe neuromarketing (for me_
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Are you familiar with Chinese philosophy?
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All of your community service is admirable, but I don't understand how that connects with your desire to study and practice medicine. Do you?
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although we talked about interesting things, they all came about through the conversation. No really interesting questions were posed.
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Why Vanderbilt?
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Name the other top 10 schools you are applying to?
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the interviewer asked very open-ended questions. it seemed like she was simply trying to get to know me.
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What do you look for in a medical school program?
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What gets your blood boiling? What makes you really really mad
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What has been your biggest accomplishment in college?
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None. I was really disappointed by all the boring questions. She wouldn't even bite when I mentioned things that other people usually find interesting.
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(for me): why did you join the military?
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He asked me to talk about my clinical experiences, my research, my major, my family... really just trying to get to know me.
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A question about my research in management - business fraud.
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Nothing really interesting
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Why did you decide to study in the US?
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Nothing particularly interesting
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Nothing very interesting
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If you had a day off to spend time with your family and a patient called, what would you do?
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My interviewer asked me many questions regarding my volunteer work, some of which had little to do with clinical/research work (strictly speaking), which seemed unusual but were very much welcomed.
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How would your friends describe you?
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Aww, it just escaped my mind.
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So what do you think about the situation in Ukraine?
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Do you have any concerns about medical school (i.e. are you worried about it)?
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Describe your usual role when working on a team.
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we talked about the importance of literature / the humanities in medicine, but I can't remember a specific question
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Nothing too interesting... Just basic questions you would expect.
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What's the best thing that's ever happened to you? The worst?
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You have had many extraordinary experiences, which one was your greatest? Which one was your least favorable?
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We had a discussion about how my research related to his work.
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Nothing interesting...
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The interviewer had my AMCAS file memorized. He knew that I took a piano class my freshman year. When he asked me about it, I was kind of shocked.
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I was really only asked two questions: What makes a good doctor? And what makes you better than all the other applicants? She seemed to disagree with my answer to the first question. I didn't particularly like the second question, since I don't know anything about the other applicants. I just tried to say what made me different, which didn't work. At all.
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What percentage of the GDP is consumed by healthcare in America? Don't worry guys, I probably led to this question by discussing the health systems in other countries and how much of the GDP it was consuming.
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Nothing too intersting, just asked how I got interested in medicine.
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Out of your community service experiences with people, describe a positive and negative experience.
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why a year off
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Nothing too out of the ordinary really.
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the whole thing was basically a conversation so it wasn't stressful really at all.. the questions just flowed and followed naturally.
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Why did you travel after college?
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What makes a good doctor?
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Tell me something interesting about what you learned as a political science minor.
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Nothing super interesting. He had me discussing my AMCAS application (which is all they have to look at), and I know mine like the back of my hand.
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Did you find your thesis project or did it find you?
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What one aspect of your time at 'insert hospital here' most surprised you?
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How a class from my major could apply to medicine (not a typical cell bio, biochem, etc. class).
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Have you ever been accused of something that you didn't do?
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What role does religion play in a physician's life?
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How exactly does a basic swing dance step go? (I told him I teach swing dance lessons)
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Tell me about yourself growing up.
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What do you do in your free time?
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Describe your best friend.
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Tell me about what brought you here, why medicine, why vanderbilt etc.? (all given as one big question)
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Nothing really super sweet
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How have your parents' professions influenced you to become a doctor?
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All of the questions were about things on my application
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Nothing that really threw me - all pretty standard and expected.
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Who has been an important mentor for you?
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There wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
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Who is more musically talented, you or your sister?
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Why pole-vaulting?!
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Do you watch Sex in the City?
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how do you show compassion?
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Nothing was that interesting.
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A question that was really more in the form of a discussion of the role of alternative medicine in the US healthcare system.
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what is the best thing that has ever happened to you?
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Tell me about a time when you felt that you let yourself and other people down.
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Tell me what other schools that you've been looking at and if you have any questions of how they compare to Vanderbilt.
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Hmm . . . nothing too crazy. I guess I liked the question, "If you had an absolutely free weekend, no strings attached and no cost applied, where would you go and what would you do?"
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What would you do if you were partnered with another student who vehemently opposes your interest in serving underrepresented communities?
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None really---all were related to my AMCAS
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Not really anything interesting. Lots of personal stuff like my undergrad school, my family, aspects of health care that I've encountered, my research and clinical experience.
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What makes a musician great? Can you tell the difference? (Don't worry - I wrote in my AMCAS that I play a ton of violin!)
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What books have you read recently? (Interesting b/c it lead on to other related questions)
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If you could spend two hours in any museum, which museum would you go to?
-
If you were writing your bio at age 70, what would it say?
-
How would your roommates describe you?
-
nothing really. all were very fair and off AMCAS
-
Nothing really. Very conversational. Extremely nice interviewer. I was nervous before the interview because there was a large portrait of the Dr who interviewed me hanging in the First Year lecture hall but he was great.
-
How did you get a C in General Chem and then an A in Organic?
-
What type of medicine do you want to go into and why?
-
How do you manage to do all of this stuff?
-
What has been the most fascinating place you have seen in your travel experiences?
-
Nothing especially sticks out.
-
How did you get involved in whitewater kayaking?
-
none particular
-
Very conversational interview, so there were a lot of interesting topics, but they weren't really ASKED, just arrived at them naturally.
-
What do you do in your spare time? The questions were pretty standard.
-
No unexpected questions - very conversational. You were basically given a chance to explain yourself. The interviewer tried to make you as comfortable and possible and just got to know you.
-
Nothing really
-
Tell me about your Bioethics class
-
None really, just a no stress interview. The basic getting to know you better.
-
What did you learn as a team player?
-
How is it living in Las Vegas?
-
No really interesting/difficult questions. The interviewer was incredibly nice, and she basically let me discuss whatever experiences (research, volunteer, etc) that I wanted to.
-
Tell me about the impact of immigration on human capital. (a project i'd done some research on)
-
What is the worst situation you been in?
-
Questions about my research and research group.
-
The interviewer described a difficult case study of a patient with a potentially terminal illness that only responded to an exotic therapy that the insurance company refused to pay for because of its' contract. What would I do? This lead to a discussion of the pitfalls of the current medical economy set-up
-
What were the best and worst experiences of your life?
-
What was the most meaningless extracurricular on your AMCAS?
-
interesting convo overall - we talked about politics, healthcare, rural medicine (while I have experience dealing with rural patients, its not what I want to do)
-
None, didn't really seem to ask the "usual" questions
-
What extracurricular activity did you enjoy the least, and why?
-
Tell me about your interest in art.
-
Who is your favorite jazz musician?
-
none... all were specific to my file
-
What's the difference between country music and bluegrass?
-
please make a simple flowchart of the complex variants involved in healthcare mobilization based upon the Olerick model of statistical exchange. kidding. chill, its realy easy.
-
If you had all the resources in the world to do whatever you want for a weekend, what would you do?
-
Mainly discussed research and some current healthcare issues (i.e. malpractice insurance)
-
What was your favorite and least favorite classes?
-
all specific to me - very chatty
-
After a long discussion of various problems in the health care system, what would I do to fix them?
-
What are the advantages and disadvantages of socialized health care? (As a Canadian, I expected this question)
-
1) Who is your role model? 2) How do you get a 10-year-old child to practice a musical instrument?
-
Why did you choose the high school that you attended?
-
How would you compare what and how much students read for pleasure compared to 10 years ago?
-
Nothing terribly exciting; mostly standard "why did you transfer?" "what was your most favorite and least favorite class?" "how did you like Stanford?"
-
Nothing was particularly interesting.
-
What does poetry do for you
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine discussed various specific behavioral and ethical scenarios, research-related inquiries, and reflections on personal experiences. The interview format appeared to be conversational for most, with a mix of traditional questions and some challenging topics, including ethical dilemmas, research details, and future healthcare system perspectives.
-
The short interview questions were more specific and took more thought than those in the long interview since the longer interview was mainly focused on my application.
-
From the short interview: "When have you wanted to go back in time and change a decision you had made?"
-
Tell me about a time when you disagreed with authority (or something like rules).
-
Regarding my research.
-
Give an example of a time you had trouble being empathetic.
-
Lots of very specific behavioral questions
-
Do you know specifically what type of research you would like to do?
-
Explain an ethical decision you made that you later regretted.
-
What is your take on abuse in nursing homes?
-
When talking about my volunteer experience at the hospital, the doctor asked me whether I have looked at the patient's medical chart and why I have decided not to.
-
What is the most interesting fact you know?
-
Tell me about a time when your integrity was challenged.
-
What do you think about the US health care system?
-
What could you do better?
-
None really - it was very conversational
-
Why did you take a year off
-
No difficult questions.
-
Interview was pretty casual. Length of interview is suppose to be around 1-hour, mine ended up being over 1.5-hours long, but you have plenty of downtime anyway so it was nice to have an extended interview.
-
There weren't many questions, just pointless banter.
-
Lots of grilling about my research.
-
What do you think you will change about yourself when you come to medical school?
-
What can you bring to this school?
-
Questions about the future health-care, though we both came to the agreement that we don't know what was going to happen so we laughed it off and continued
-
Chronic disease question
-
Why should we pick you over the other 5,000 qualified applicants?
-
Very specific details about my research
-
none.
-
Why Vanderbilt?
-
What are you most passionate about?
-
What do other schools have that Vanderbilt doesn't?
-
Do you see yourself more likely to do basic science or clinical research?
-
None were difficult. It was really very conversational and chill, as you can see from my examples.
-
Asking me to ask questions
-
Why not pursue an MD/PhD
-
Why did you stop your basic science research? Did it lead to any publications?
-
Nothing too out of the ordinary that I wasn't prepared for.
-
none
-
None really... probably something open-ended like, ''is there anything else about you that I should tell the admissions committee?''
-
Don't remember
-
None really.
-
How did you survive your family ordeal?
-
above
-
A series of questions about protein purification and preparation of a mutant protein. Not exceedingly difficult, but they were very on the spot and brisk, so I felt a bit flustered.
-
Why did you change your path?
-
Actually no 'difficult' question..
-
What should I emphasize on your application to the Adcom? He told me that I'm an amazing applicant so I wasn't sure of what else to say from my experiences. Hey, but I said smthg and I think he loved it! OOh, pls try to smile as much during the interview to show that you are interested. It's not stressful at all....RELAX my friend.
-
There were no difficult questions. All of the interviews were relaxed.
-
Nothing was difficult, but he did challenge me regarding my (lack of) interest in bench research and choosing not to retake the MCAT.
-
He asked for more detail about my research and the implications of it than i was prepared for
-
What are the qualities that make a good physician? You could say so many things here!
-
What is your main weakness?
-
Nothing really difficult. It was very laid back and conversational.
-
Nothing really.
-
If you could go back and do things differently in college, what would you do?
-
What do you do for fun?
-
What is special about Drug X---why not use Drug Y? (for my research)
-
Nothing too crazy... I guess I had the most trouble with the ''what is your least favorite class from college'' question, just cause I hadn't really thought about it too much.
-
Tell me about a leadership role? Some initiatives you took with that role?
-
1st question: Tell me what you know about Vanderbilt.
-
How would you bring diversity to Vanderbilt?
-
Explain how you differentiate between B1a and B1b cells (from my research - very specific question!)
-
What was your most difficult class?
-
There weren't any...it was very conversational
-
If you have to chose between (other school) and Vanderbilt, how will you decide?
-
Tell me how you got to where you are today.
-
What do you think is the most significant problem facing health care in the next ten years?
-
How would you change the curriculum?
-
Everyone seems to come into med school wanting to change the world and when they leave this seems to change. What do you think happens?
-
None were too bad
-
what else do you want to know?
-
Personal question about AMCAS essay.
-
Why not apply to your in-state schools?
-
What is a problem with the current health care system and what would you do to solve it?
-
N/A
-
What was your least favorite class?
-
Describe a challenge and how you handled it.
-
none really. although some of the questions were indirect. it seemed like the interviewer wanted you to talk rather than ask you a direct question
-
Nothing was really difficult. Maybe "What are some of your concerns about entering medicine?"
-
What area(s) of medicine do you see yourself participating in?
-
Were do you see yourself in 10 years?
-
Nothing difficult
-
If you had to choose, what area of medicine would you go into?
-
What will be 3 major challenges in medicine when you graduate from medical school and how should the curriculum address those challenges?
-
Tell me about your experiences as a homeschooler in high school.
-
What would you like me to highlight about your application to the committee?
-
Really none. We had a very healthy discussion with my interviewer.
-
Why did you spend time on X activity if you already were very committed with school and work?
-
Tell me one social issue that interests you the most and why.
-
Should more money be devoted to education or healthcare?...Prevention or intervention?
-
Identify some problems with the current healthcare system.
-
same as above
-
Why medicine, why not another health care career
-
Nothing difficult, it's all about the AMCAS
-
none were difficult, most were just clarifying parts of my application
-
How do you think that a medical school curriculum should be designed to meet that challenge?
-
Nothing difficult.
-
Question about my Amcas activity...
-
see above
-
How would your acquaintances describe you?
-
What's the difference between an applicant and a supplicant?
-
describe yourself in one word
-
None really
-
All straightforward.
-
What else do you think we should know about you?
-
There really weren't any.
-
Nothing
-
Of the activities you listed on your AMCAS application, which activity are you most proud of?
-
Nothing really difficult.
-
Nothing too difficult.
-
tell me about your family
-
What makes you better than other applicants
-
Nothing to difficult.
-
Nothing. No surprises.
-
What diversity would you bring to the medical school?
-
Specifics about my research
-
Whether or not I see myself in academic medicine. Only difficult b/c I don't know.
-
Describe yourself.
-
Are you familiar with Chinese philosophy? (No)
-
Same as above.
-
What would you want the admissions committee to know about you?
-
What kind of research would you pursue if you did research here?
-
"tell me about yourself" -this question is so general; i wasn't really sure how to start answering it.
-
How do you feel about Nashville?
-
If you could choose two people to have dinner with, who would you choose and why?
-
In ten years, what field of medicine do you see yourself in?
-
Nothing.
-
nothing really difficult
-
(for me): what do you think of the military mother camping outside of Bush's ranch?
-
Nothing too tricky.
-
You scored a 9 on the Verbal section of the MCAT, and your English grades are your lowest grades. Why do you think that is?
-
Regular questions
-
He was well versed on my personal statement and asked me to clarify very specific things I had written.
-
Tell me about this "medical leave" <I went nuts>
-
If a chronically ill patient asked you to assist them in committing sucide, would you do it?
-
Nothing much. Most questions were in regards to the details of my AMCAS.
-
No difficult questions, really. The interview was very conversational.
-
What was your least favorite college course and why?
-
what frustrates you?
-
How do you think developed nations can contribute to improve the health care situation in developing countries? Do you think they should train more physicians in the developing countries or train physicians for instance here in the US. ( I think I steered the interview in this direction).
-
I see you had a hard time in some of your physics classes, but you stuck with it anyway, huh?
-
What other med schools are you applying to? (Is this even allowed??)
-
Why Vanderbilt? (first question asked)
-
What other schools would you like to go to? (I don't know if this is a completely "legal" question in the med school interview process.)
-
which do you prefer - the canadian health care system, or the us health care system?
-
You have had many extraordinary experiences, which one was your greatest? Which one was your least favorable?
-
What don't you like?
-
All-open ended, nothing difficult
-
Nothing difficult, just a friendly conversation about Vandy and Nashville.
-
Explain your research and tell me what you learned from this. This was not hard but I did some research that can be hard to explain...(don't laugh)
-
(I would be an international student): You have many options for where to live, where would you choose? Talked about what he knew about people getting residency in US, asked if I knew about it.
-
none was difficult, all expected
-
None really, we ended up chatting after a couple of questions about my application. I guess "Is there anything else you'd like to let the committee know?"
-
I wasn't asked any particularly difficult questions.
-
Talk about how your research applies to the larger objective of the lab.
-
What was a mistake you made? (My mind filled with answers, couldn't pick just one)
-
What makes a good doctor?
-
Where do you see yourself in 10 year? (PS. I have no clue because I do not know what residency I want to pursue).
-
none were too bad.
-
about a detail in my application that most people won't have to answer
-
What was the one part of my study abroad that was most memorable or educational or something to that effect.
-
What percentage of Americans exactly are uninsured?
-
Tell me about yourself (this one always gets me nervous, I just want to say "I'm fine, how are you?")
-
Will you add diversity to next year's class?
-
Was asked about one of my weaknesses in a round about way. Basically the question was what do i want to do in the future to improve a weekness of mine.
-
No really difficult questions
-
Describe your best friend.
-
No difficult questions
-
How would you like me to explain to the admissions committee that you had a poor freshman GPA?
-
You got four C's as an undergraduate. How do you explain these grades?
-
About the content of a bioethics paper on abortion
-
Your MCAT score was lower than I would have expected given the strength of your application. How do you explain that?
-
How do you think the new HIPAA privacy regulations will impact the future of research? (I kinda brought it up, so don't worry it wasn't completely random or anything)
-
What are you least proud of? What do you want to talk about?
-
Tell me about yourself.
-
What are your weaknesses?
-
How did you choose your major?
-
Why a doctor, why not another type of helath care professional?
-
A very specific question about my research.
-
Why did you take a year off and how would you like me to explain that decision to the Admission's Committee?
-
Tell me more about your trip. (It's very hard to squeeze evrything releveant about a year in two to three minutes)
-
Nothing too hard either. He asked what I thought the hardest part of being a doctor would be. He also asked what one sentence I would give to describe me.
-
What is a health disparity?
-
There were some really personal but appropriate (family, religion)questions related to my AMCAS. I came prepared, so it wasn't a big deal.
-
Why Vanderbilt? What did you do to reinforce your desire of becoming a doctor?
-
Tell me about a good deed you have done. Or what is your biggest accomplishment.
-
What would you do to improve healthcare?
-
a question specific to my essay
-
Why don't you draw a picture of my daughter while we talk? (Note: I wrote on my AMCAS application that I was an artist, so this will not happen to the unsuspecting.)
-
Something about health insurance...
-
very conversational...just relax and enjoy the opportunity to speak with a faculty member
-
What's your worst quality?
-
None -- all were laid back
-
What do you think the committee will most question about on your application?
-
Why do you think that you, personally, would be an asset to the school.
-
No real tough questions: very conversational.
-
Why I chose to attend the high school that I did. (It's public, and the ONLY one in my tiny town.) I couldn't explain that well enough to my interviewer.
-
How did you hear about Vanderbilt? I know this is an easy question, but it was probably the most difficult one that was asked.
-
What did you do during the three summers in college? This question caught me by surprise, and my answer came out less refined than I would've liked.
-
None, all very straight-forward.
-
What was your most important leadership role and why?
-
No medical ethics or healthcare questions. Just stuff like: hardest/easiest class, why doctor, tell me about yourself, family, hobbies, research, weaknesses, etc etc etc
-
What do you think is an important problems that future physicians will face?
-
None were really hard
-
None, again this interview was not stressful at all.
-
So, what kind of person are you?
-
Nothing really...most questions centered around getting to know me.
-
See above.
-
None were really difficult
-
No really difficult question
-
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing doctors today?
-
The same case study question.
-
Do you travel a lot?
-
None were really bad, but after being asked about 8 times if I wanted to ask him anything else about Vandy I about ran out of there. There's only so much to ask!
-
Tell me about a failure and how you dealt with it.
-
What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment thus far in life?
-
nothing really
-
My first and pretty much only question for the first 40 minutes was "what questions do you have about Vanderbilt?"
-
So you have a 4.0 GPA. What's wrong with you?
-
Why haven't you done community service or had experience in a clinical setting?
-
A detailed question about my research because the faculty interviewer have done research in the same area as I have.
-
Out of the many applicants, we selected only 700-800 to interview, and then we admit about 100 students. Why should we accept you into our school compared to the rest of the interviewees?
-
Sorority? Greek letters? I'm not from the US, could you explain that system to me?
-
what can i do to convince you to come here
-
What do you think is the greatest difference between Western and Eastern religions?
-
Do you see a difference between disease and illness?
-
what do you think of the whole managed care thing?
-
None, really-- all were very cordial questions
-
Why do you want to come to Vanderbilt?
-
How can we stop people from engaging in unhealthy behaviors like smoking or eating junk food? Doesn't it all begin with personal responsibility? (I come with a public health background and don't always agree that everything begins with personal responsibility. We need to also modify the environment to make it conducive for healthy behavior.)
-
What is the number one problem faced in the world today?
-
What do your friends think about your reading Dostoevsky for pleasure?
-
"How would your friends describe you?"
-
Why is your MCAT essay score so low? (second question)
-
Do you think you write stream of thoughts versus real poetry?
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of more than 50 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 1 person.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as low 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 AMCAS application, reading interview feedback on SDN, researching the school's website, and conducting mock interviews with friends or classmates. Suggestions include practicing answering common questions, researching the school's unique programs, and familiarizing oneself with current healthcare issues.
-
Looked at questions on SDN, prepared answers to the most common questions.
-
Thought about how I would answer interview questions I saw on SDN.
-
Read SDN, researched school
-
Read SDN interview feedback, re-read my app, and practiced with someone else
-
SDN. No need to super prep tho.
-
Reviewed my secondary
-
Researched the school and reread my application
-
Read primary and secondary applications and read through the school website.
-
Read the CV of my interviewer, read up on Vanderbilt medical, reviewed my research and AMCAS essays, and read the interview questions posted here at SDN ahead of time.
-
Reviewed AMCAS, SDN, and Vandy website; mock interviews with classmates
-
SDN, website, review my AMCAS and secondary
-
SDN, The Paddle, mock interview with friends
-
SDN, Reviewed AMCAS, VUSOM Website
-
SDN interview feedback, reread my AMCAS (be super familiar with your AMCAS activities! Pretty much the entirety of my open-file interview involved the interviewer asking me to elaborate on each AMCAS activity), talked to student host, read the Paddle (Vandy's guide for incoming first years).
-
SDN interview feedback, mock interviews, spoke to VUSM students on campus
-
SDN, read about the school, read my application.
-
Reviewed my AMCAS and secondary applications. Did some introspection. Did research about Vanderbilt SOM.
-
reviewed AMCAS. Prayed. Researched the school.
-
SDN, talked to students
-
Reviewed why I liked Vanderbilt, SDN.
-
SDN, chat with student host, Vandy website, etc.
-
Mock interviews. Interview workshop. SDN. Reviewed my AMCAS app and secondaries.
-
SDN feedback, website
-
Reviewed my application materials
-
SDN, mock interview, talked with a friend
-
kept up with New York Times and NEJM (sort of), reread primary app, reviewed old research experiences, read through admissions website
-
SDN, talked to friends who had interviewed there, mock interview
-
SDN interview feedback, current medical student feedback, researching school
-
AMCAS book. Online material about the school. Talked to a current mstp student.
-
SDN interview feedback, read my secondaries for all schools, reviewed AMCAS application, school website.
-
read SDN reviews, reviewed my essays and AMCAS application,
-
SDN, read website, read over AMCAS, practiced with friends
-
MSAR, SDN, Talked to other students, School's website, Reviewed AMCAS.
-
Researched Vanderbilt's programs, looked over my application
-
Read SDN, read over my application
-
Read some McCain and Obama health care plans.
-
Slept
-
SDN interview feedback, school website, MSAR
-
Mock Interview, School's Website, Interviewer's Online Profile, Peppering Admin secretary with questions
-
I didn't really. I never do.
-
Vandy website, read through my primary and secondary apps, SDN, a book called "the Medical School Interview" by Jeremiah Fleenor
-
SDN feedback, School website, read blogs on healthcare, reviewed my applications and essays I had written for all schools
-
SDN, school website, read primary app (interviewer does not get secondary), slept well.
-
Amcas, school's website, talking to students
-
SDN, read personal statement, school website
-
SDN, Website, Amcas, the usual.
-
Having other interviews before this and going over the typical why medicine, and tell me about yourself questions as they pertained to me.
-
SDN, AMCAS application, vandy website
-
Website, sdn, amcas
-
Read over primary and secondary applications.
-
Vandy website, SDN interview feedback, going over my AMCAS and Vanderbilt secondary.
-
Visited the school website, talked with my student host
-
This website, reading newspaper, school's website.
-
I read the interview feedback and read over the really long secondary essays I wrote.
-
sdn interview feedback, website, student host
-
vandy's website
-
SDN, school website, read over my application, read over faculty descriptions of my interviewers
-
read SDN, my application.
-
Vandy website, SDN, practiced interview questions
-
sdn, school website
-
hmm.. SDN, mock interview, really RESEARCHED school's website...random questions
-
SDN, didn't browse the school's website alot (My mistake! Please please send a lot of time on the web and asking students prior to interview). AMCAS and experience from my 3 other interviews.
-
Read AMCAS, talked to student hosts
-
Looked over my AMCAS and Secondary, SDN, and school's website
-
SDN feedback, talked to several Vandy med students I know, researched my interviewer online, read Vandy's website on the Emphasis program and their computer technology.
-
AMCAS, this website, brainstormed questions that someone might ask me about background and interests and answered them
-
Mocks, SDN
-
SDN Interview Feedback and researched Vanderbilt's website
-
SDN, NY Times, School's Website
-
SDN, school website, reviewed AMCAS app
-
read vandy website/sdn
-
SDN, Vanderbilt website, talked to a friend who went there
-
I re-read my AMCAS application (the interviewer has seen your AMCAS, but has NOT seen your secondary), looked up information about my interviewer (the school will provide his/her name to you ahead of time), read about the Vanderbilt curriculum, and read the previous interview feedback posted here on SDN.
-
Read AMCAS, talked to students, SDN, Vandy's website
-
Reread AMCAS app and secondary essays, SDN, school website
-
Read previous interview questions from SDN, Read Vandy's website, reviewed my AMCAS application and secondary essays.
-
Reviewed sdn pages, researched the new curriculum, reread my primary application. (The interviewers do not see your secondary.)
-
school's website, studentdoctor.net, thought about potential interview questions, read over AMCAS and secondary
-
Read over primary and secondary (even though the interviewer doesn't see the secondary). Read over info regarding the school.
-
Read over primary, secondary, researched Vandy, and wikipedia'd some small details from my primary and secondary (plots from books I had mentioned)
-
SDN, online, read over my primary and secondary
-
SDN Interview feedback, school website, reviewed my AMCAS application
-
AMCAS, SDN, talking to myself as if I were answering questions...yeah, sounds lame but it actually helps.
-
VMS website
-
sdn, current events, read apps, practice interview, read website
-
read over ps, sdn interview feedback, standard questions. no mocks though
-
SDN, Vanderbilt's website, my own application and research
-
Read SDN, reviewed health-care articles, explored the school's website, talked with an alum of the undergrad program.
-
read websites, interviewed at other schools
-
SDN feedback, school website, my app.
-
School's website, my application
-
Read over AMCAS application, SDN feedback, Vandy website, research pubs, interviewer biography.
-
StudentDoctor, AAMCAS, website, MSAR
-
Vanderbilt website
-
SDN, Vandy website, read over my apps.
-
SDN, read the school website, asked questions of friends currently attending, looked at questions from other interviews
-
AMCAS, secondary, school website and SDN
-
Read AMCAS application, researched interviewer, studied the curriculum/website info
-
Read over primary (that's all the interviewer has) and read SDN feedback.
-
SDN interview forums, previous investigation for interviews
-
SDN, website, read over my AMCAS (interviewers have not seen your secondary)
-
Read Vanderbilt's curriculum, looked over primary and secondary app, practiced answering questions
-
SDN, read secondaries
-
Practice interviews, read up on the school, reviewed AMCAS
-
SDN, AMCAS, read website, reviewed secondaries
-
Read through the website. Spoke to a friend who's currently a med student about interviews. Read comments on studentdoctor.net
-
Read the latest news articles (esp. medically-related ones) from CNN.com and NYT online, googled my interviewer and printed/studied info about her and her interests, studied the school's website (esp. the research aspects, which is what I'm interested in), practiced some questions w/ a friend
-
Read SDN questions, browsed the website, reviewed my interviewer's profile
-
SDN, prepped some interview questions from Interview Feedback
-
read over my AMCAS application
-
Researched the school (of course, I did this before I even applied), read about my interviewer.
-
SDN, read about the school, spoke with medical school students
-
Reviewed my application. Secondary app not necessary to review. (your interviewer won't have it.) Answered practice questions from this website, Vanderbilt in particular. Studied the website.
-
School Website, SDN, Students
-
Reviewed AMCAS (interview did not have access to 2ndary or letter of rec), studied school's website, MSAR
-
SDN, school interview feedback, talked to myself a lot
-
I had a nice breakfast at a friend's house.
-
Read all the tips I could find about interviewing.
-
Looked over the school's website.
-
Reviewed my AMCAS application, this site
-
Reviewed my AMCAS and secondary, SDN, interview advice from undergrad school
-
Browsed school's website, read some articles
-
SDN, reviewed AMCAS application
-
this site, Vanderbilt website, practice from other interviews
-
AMCAS, website, student hosting
-
read SDN, talked with students the night before
-
Read SDN, read an interview prep book, got a lot of sleep
-
Practice questions
-
Vanderbilt's website has very little information about the school itself. Good info on the programs during the summer and if you want to take a year off.
-
read over SDN stuff, looked at website curriculum
-
SDN, Vandy's website, mock interviews, reread AMCAS, prepared for frequently asked questions
-
SDN, mock interview
-
re-read AMCAS (they do not use the secondary) and information about what makes the school unique, practiced with friends and family
-
AMCAS, SDN.
-
reviewed my AMCAS
-
Reviewed some application things, mock interview, researched school.
-
SDN, Interview Feedback, Vandy's website, my AMCAS (don't look at the secondary, the interviewer doesn't have it)
-
Looked over my application, looked at other responsed from interviews of this site
-
SDN, Vanderbilt's website and programs, The Paddle (first year student guide), MSAR
-
SDN website, AMCAS application, Vanderbilt website
-
This site, read up on health policy, mock interview, re-read secondary and AMCAS, school website.
-
read over SDN, AMCAS
-
SDN, read AMCAS, practiced interview questions, mock interview
-
Looked over AMCAS, read interview feedback on SDN, Vanderbilt website.
-
Read SDN, website, one or two mock interviews with friends, AMCAS application.
-
asked lots of questions of vandy students and people who had inerviewed, internet site
-
website, review applications
-
amcas, website, sdn, reviewed my research
-
Website.
-
Reread AMCAS application and read past feedback for this school.
-
Read over my AMCAS, read the school's website, looked up info on the interviewer.
-
SDN,MSAR,schoo website
-
SDN, mock interviews, re-read AMCAS, vandy website.
-
Read SDN, look over my AMCAS and read about Vanderbilt's curriculum
-
SDN, Vandy website, read AMCAS, read interviewer bio and text book
-
Read over AMCAS, talked to students
-
Read some stuff on their website, reviewed my AMCAS app.
-
read over AMCAS, secondary application, posed mock questions to myself
-
Read school's website, SDN, watch TV. (I was still trying to finish my essays)
-
Read Vanderbilt prospectus.
-
Reviewed school website, SDN reports, talked to other past interviewees, looked over the MSAR, and other typical stuff.
-
read SDN
-
SDN, princeton review book, drank tea
-
Not much. SDN mostly.
-
read over AMCAS app, this website, researched some healthcare issues
-
review AMCAS application, read SDN reports, really wasn't prepared enough for this interview
-
The interviewer only had access to my AMCAS application (not the secondary or my letters of rec), so I read over the AMCAS really well. I also looked at studentdoctor.net and copy/pasted a bunch of questions that had been asked at previous Vandy interviews to practice answers. DEFINITELY PRACTICE if it is your first interview, as it was mine. The practice was invaluable.
-
this website, read over my AMCAS application as well as secondary essays
-
SDN, Vanderbilt website.
-
SDN, amcas and secondaries.
-
SDN, read interview book, definately re-read AMCAS
-
SDN, AMCAS, Secondary, Vanderbilt website
-
not enough, just read some info on the school. Bring up how they are one of the highest rated in terms of NIH grants
-
SDN, website, reviewed app.
-
SDN, web-site, reviewed app.
-
Read SDNet, browsed Vanderbilt's website, prepared a few questions to ask my interviewer regarding Nashville.
-
Read AMCAS app, read the material on Vandy's website, spoke with current students.
-
sdn, some introspection
-
Read SDN, the schools website and my AMCAS application
-
This website, read my interviewer's bio ahead of time.
-
SDN, read my AMCAS, read about the school
-
I knew my AMCAS file, read the website information and the interviewer's bio available on the day of the interview.
-
SDN, read school's website, reviewed AMCAS application
-
sdn, vandy website, read up on health policy, read amcas app
-
SDN, read my AMCAS, thought about some basic questions.
-
studentdoctor.net, reviewed research papers, website, AMCAS
-
I only read about my interviewer for a couple of minutes the night before the interview and it really helped, especially when it was my turn to ask the questions.
-
Read over AMCAS, made a list of questions.
-
Read AMCAS, this website, and my reseach.
-
Vandy website, SDN, read my AMCAS stuff.
-
SDN of course...read through the website etc. I really went all out preparing for this one.
-
Went over AMCAS app, read over SDN, went over interviewer's bio
-
Read SDN, school webpages, talked with host, prepared for questions.
-
sdn, went over research
-
Looked over AMCAS application...that's all the interviews are given. Looked over my research to make sure I could explain it well.
-
read over my interviewer's page on the Vandy website, read over my app but i didn't need to b/c your interviewer does not see your Secondary, only your AMCAS..
-
Read their website, reviewed my application.
-
Read SDN, vanderbilt website, practiced interview questions, read up on healthcare/health policy
-
Read AMCAS, SDN, Interview Feedback
-
read up on the school and brushed up on healthcare issues
-
SDN, Primary, School website.
-
Read SND interview feedback, read up on Vanderbilt
-
Read SDN, looked over application
-
Student Doctor, mock interview, re-read AMCAS and got familiar with my research again.
-
read my amcas, read information about the school
-
Read the website (especially the section on Emphasis), read about my interviewer (your status page should tell you his/her name), talked to a student host the night before.
-
I looked over the website and practiced answers from a general medical school admissions book put out by Pfizer.
-
Health care reports, Vandy website, SDN, etc
-
Re-read AMCAS and Supplemental. A lot of online research on the school and different medical issues.
-
Read SDN, Vandy website, reread my AMCAS (they don't see your secondary), mock interview
-
SD.net, read over amcas (the interviewers do not see your vandy secondary app), scanned website, practice answering questions out loud.
-
Read this website and the Vanderbilt website, reviewed my research and AMCAS
-
read SDN, reviewed AMCAS, medical ethics, talked to current students
-
Read interview feedback, read Vandy's website, talked to other people who had interviewed there.
-
SDN, re-read AMCAS and Vandy secondary, got familiar with me research, mock interview, read about the school on the web
-
Mock interviews, read all the questions from SDN, re-read my AMCAS and secondary applications, brought a demo of something I do research on.
-
Read my application, reviewed website, talked to several friends who go there
-
Just read interview feedback and looked over the school website.
-
read over my amcas and reviewed the research i've done, read feedback, did a mock interview at school
-
read earlier feedback
-
I read SDN, read their website and had a mock interview.
-
Read about the school, looked at SDN
-
Read SDN.
-
Read SDN, read over my AMCAS and Vandy secondary app, researched the school on its website
-
Vandy website, talked to Vandy prof, read NYtimes, SDN
-
read website, read my application
-
This website, the school's website, and a quick review of my AMCAS.
-
read over this site and my application
-
Vandy website, SDN, read over my application
-
Talked with other students, looked over Vandy website, re-read my AMCAS statement. On the day of the interview, I went to class for a few hours then went on the student tour and finally interviewed.
-
Walked around campus, talked to people in department I was interested. Read this site, the VU site
-
Nothing. Just chilled and relaxed.
-
SDN website, student hosts, other medical students that I met the day before my interview.
-
This site and the vanderbilt website
-
Look up the website, but I didn't find much. Found out the name of the interviewer on the status page. Reread my files. Brush up on medical issues (completely unnecessary).
-
Here, talking to students, looked over application...
-
reviewed my AMCAS, visited this site.
-
SDN, webpage, read up on my research
-
Printed out AMCAS app, read these, read up on the Emphasis program
-
Read about special programs at the school, read over my secondary essays for all the schools
-
This website, reviewed my file, talked to others that had interviewed
-
read over my application
-
sdn, talked to current students, reviewed applications
-
This website.
-
only needed to review amcas. they didn't even have a copy of my secondary in front of them.
-
Read about Vanderbilt and read this website. Kept up with world events and health care issues.
-
Read the school's site, my AMCAS, looked over SDN
-
Read school website, my application, MSAR; talked to friends who go there
-
I went over some typical interview questions. It was completely unnecessary, though, because we just sat around and talked about my AMCAS.
-
Read this and the school's website. Reviewed my application.
-
I read the website and my AMCAS
-
I stayed with a student host who loved to talk about the school, read over the website, reviewed current events, used this website, and talked to a lot of med students before my interview.
-
SDN interview feedback, website, vanderbilt med students
-
SDN, read through my application, read about vanderbilt
-
Interview feedback, read AMCAS/secondary application.
-
Lots of research on the school. Its helpful to look the school up in lexis nexis academic universe and see what comes up.
-
Read SDN, review AMCAS and secondary, mock interviews
-
Read over my application, looked at the website
-
Read as much about Vanderbilt on their web page, reading interview feedback here, know yourself.
-
Read SDN, feedback, thought about basic questions, read over application.
-
Re-read my AMCAS application, my secondary application, SDN interview feedbacks, made some notes on the classic questions I expected (why medicine? why this school?)
-
I way overprepared for the interview by reading up on health policy, bioethics, etc. I wasn't asked anything regarding these issues. It was only about what was in my AMCAS. The interviewers don't even see your secondary responses.
-
Read SDN, read up on school, relaxed...
-
read school website and read my application
-
Reviewed my application. Got a lot of sleep and relaxed.
-
Read applications, read up on the school to have questions to ask them, kept up with the news, reading these reviews were a help too.
-
Read my secondary, looked up some info on Vandy, talked to the students before the interview.
-
SDN
-
SDN, read about their program online.
-
really looked into the opportunities available there for me and why I would want to come there, sdn, talk to friends
-
Read papers to catch up on current events
-
attempted to meditate briefly
-
read over website, thought about likely questions, read over application, etc
-
Read AMCAS applications and secondaries. Looked at SDN.
-
read about some old interview questions, read about the school online and their thick book at the admissions office, read over my application, and slept.
-
went over what the school has to offer
-
Read about Vandy med.
-
Read their website, read the feedback here
-
nothing
-
Read up on healthcare issues and bioethics, although I wasn't asked anything remotely related to these areas. I also went over my AMCAs, secondary, read this site and sdn
-
Reviewed current medical issues
-
went to the website and took the virtual tour, went online and read about my interviewer, reviewed my application materials
-
websites, interview feedback, read my app
-
Relaxed, Read some books on health care, etc etc
-
SDN, mock interviews, surfed the school's website
-
Mock interviews; read the school's website and their bulletin; talked with my student host about the school
-
SDN, relaxed
-
Read SDN interview feedback and a book called Severed Trust on health care issues.
-
Just relaxed and read some AMA newsletters to see the state of medical care in the U.S.
-
Read materials on school and application.
-
My interviewer wrote a book. I read it. Score!!!
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and enthusiasm of the faculty, staff, and students at Vanderbilt. They appreciated the supportive and collaborative environment, the top-notch facilities, the emphasis on student wellness, and the focus on individualized student experiences through programs like Emphasis. Many also highlighted the beautiful campus, the new Children's Hospital, and the overall happiness and satisfaction of the student body.
-
The school did a great job of having friendly faculty/staff for interviews and was available to answer any questions we had. Interview day was small (only 6 other students in my "group") and didn't drag on for forever.
-
Pretty much everything. The interviewers were super super nice, the students were all nice and pretty relaxed. The building we spent most of the day in was very open and all the school of medicine buildings were easy to get to. On my interview day, the M1s were on a field trip break day and they still came to say hi in the morning. Students seemed happy there and the faculty was really supportive.
-
The interviewers were really kind, and especially all of the deans of admission. Also, the research is really impressive here.
-
People at the admissions (not just my interviewer) seem to have read my app!
-
Curriculum 2.0, Nashville, facilities, administration
-
Friendliness of students/faculty, student enthusiasm, curriculum, research opportunities, surrounding Nashville area, facilities...
-
The interviewer knew my file completely and was very open about the whole application process.
-
Strong focus on student wellness, personally and academically. Very friendly, down-to-earth environment. I didn't detect much, if any, pompousness among students or faculty. Very positive, constructive, collaborative environment.
-
Prestige, organization, polite/supportive faculty, staff, and students, commitment to innovation, excellent facilities, and increased diversity efforts
-
small class size, people were friendly
-
Faculty and students were really friendly and nice.
-
The people there are very friendly - we had many current students drop by the office to chat with us and a couple even stopped us while we were wandering around to ask if we were interviewing there. The facilities are also top notch.
-
Close faculty-student mentoring relationships, huge focus on student wellness, really friendly interviewers.
-
The fellow interviews were awesome. Administration and interviewers create a very calming and comfortable atmosphere.
-
Everything about the school. It's beautiful, has great facilities, the people are really nice...
-
How nice everyone was (the interviewer, admissions office, students)
-
I love Vandy! Spent the summer here! It was AMAZING.
-
Vanderbilt's simulation center (CELA) is by far the most extensive and impressive I have seen (I have interviewed at 10 schools including 3 top in the 10). The campus is beautiful. All of the staff seemed really fun to work with.
-
The students at Vanderbilt were the most happy, chill and friendly of any medical school I've visited. Facilities were outstanding, although I wish I could have seen their new anatomy lab. Nashville seems like a fun place to live. The admissions office is the most friendly I've come across.
-
Friendly students, admissions staff, and physicians. Many facilities are new, and the children's hospital is impressive. The students seemed happy to be at Vanderbilt. The brand new (opening next week) ICU.
-
Overall friendly atmosphere. Nice facilities (anatomy lab, CELA, Children's Hospital), Value student feedback,
-
The medical campus. The children's hospital. The friendliness of everyone around. CELA.
-
Facilities, CELA, anatomy labs, cohesiveness of students and campus, board scores, match list, Children's Hospital, everything...
-
Everyone LOVES vandy, the faculty seems VERY involved with the students, there is a lot of effort from the school to make sure students have fun, there is A LOT of support for independent research of any kind
-
Judy! Being walked to/from my interview, Children's hospital, CELA, friendliness of random people passing us in the hallway
-
umm...EVERYTHING???? incredibly friendly and blazingly intelligent people everywhere, beautiful, state of the art facilities, gorgeous campus, lots of new education technology
-
Everything!
-
Everyone seemed very happy. I liked how much peer mentoring there is (and how second years pass their textbooks onto first years...how nice!)
-
The facilities, students
-
Students were nice and actually go to class. They are also pretty honest about how hard medical school is. My interviewer was nice and pretty honest about the schools good and bad points.
-
friendliness of everyone, amazing facilities - , med students seem really happy and have good relationship with administration, professors; they also get good board scores and matches
-
The friendliness of the medical students. They seemed to have a low stress-level, and they loved Vanderbilt.
-
Everyone here was INCREDIBLY nice, including the admissions staff, the interviewer, tour guides, and even random medical students walking by. The new Children's Hospital is exactly what a children's hospital should look like. The campus had a comfortable feel, and the hospitals are huge. The new anatomy lab is the best one that I've seen yet!
-
The students really seemed to like the school, and the facilities were great. Curriculum updates seem to have gone over well.
-
The medical center is unbelievable. Everyone around was super friendly and upbeat! Nashville is unparalleled as a city - large but easy to navigate with a very vibrant social scene.
-
The facilities are unreal. The anatomy lab and children's hospital are awesome.
-
The people and the atmosphere of the school.
-
Everything, the campus, facilities, the people
-
Fantastic new anatomy lab Great similation wing Extremely friendly students Three hospitals, med school and undergrad all on one campus
-
The anatomy lab and children's hospital were amazing!
-
The facilities are VERY nice. The new anatomy lab and CELA show that the school puts a lot of money into improving the medical student experience. Also, the flexibility of the curriculum allows students to explore their own areas of interest and feel supported.
-
Everything was amazing. The curriculum is so well suited to students needs. There is flexibility and excellence at the same time. The CELA is incredible, the anatomy lab was over-the-top amazing. Nashville is just the right size. 5, soon to be 6, hospitals in a two block district would pay dividends as a rotating student/resident.
-
Children's Hospital, CELA, Judy, undergrad campus (so beautiful!), students were very happy
-
Children's Hospital, CELA, friendly students, school spirit, nice interview day box lunch, Emphasis Program, advisory colleges,
-
CELA, happiness of students, Judy
-
Bright, friendly and happy students, hot chicks, excellent facilities especially CELA, the anatomy lab and the Children's Hospital, and the emphasis program sounds awesome.
-
My interviewer spent more time trying to sell me on the school. Also, everyone seemed really nice there even in the city, the shuttle driver, the hotel staff, everyone seemed to know interviews were going on.
-
The students seem really happy. They have a lot of really fun traditions and the students seem to be involved in a lot of activities outside of med school. My interviewer was fantastic. The interview was a conversation, not an interogation. No tough questions were asked. The only information she had about me was my AMCAS so we talked a lot about my activities and interests. Also, the new children's hospital is incredible!
-
Very laid back atmosphere. Students and faculty seem to love the university.
-
The facilities, the faculty, the students.
-
New simulation facilities, new anatomy lab, new research building... pretty much new (or soon to be new) lots of things since there was so much construction going on. Students, faculty, and administration are all very enthusiastic about everything and really sell the school well. Also, this interview was by far my lowest-stress and most fun out of all of my interviews. My interviewer and I ended up going over the allotted time and he personally walked me back to the admissions office. Vanderbilt itself is also in a very awesome area in Nashville. Lots of little restaurants and shops nearby and within walking distance of some cool bars.
-
The children's hospital - it is really a state-of-the-art facility.
-
The student tour guides were soooo enthusiastic and they had only good things to say about the school. It wasn't like they were trying to sell the school, they were really genuine about their passion for the school.
-
The hospitals and facilities were very nice.
-
facilities, admissions staff, students
-
happy students, great facilities, pretty much everything
-
Students, administration, faculty, facilities, Cadaver Ball!......and list goes on...
-
The students really seemed to like the University and the Children's Hospital is unbelievable.
-
The students were SO happy there. The atmosphere of the school was relaxed but professional. I liked the small class size and the way the students all know and hang out with each other.
-
Vanderbilt looks like a really fun place to go to school
-
The students and profs. They really LOVE it there.
-
The close proximity of the hospitals to the medical school that is you don't really need to drive to diff. hosp. to do rotations. everything is there! Lectures are also recorded so you can listen at home if you prefer. Also the new curriculum is amazing. I'm very glad that many major medical schools are moving to this system of educating us. It may not be the best but it is definitely excellent and on the right path to producing very competent physicians. One of the things that will impress you is that all the students will finish med. school with very unique experiences. There are vast opportunities to do whatever you want! Please read more about the medical scholars program. but overall, I was really impressed although I felt that I was way underprepared for the interview.
-
The students really seemed to enjoy that we were there and they came and talked to us at all possible times
-
The whole atmosphere at Vanderbilt really impressed me. It's a collegial collaborative research environment.
-
Everyone truly loves the school. You can tell there are great opportunities to have unique experiences. Facilities are all being updated.
-
Children's hospital, everyone seemed to love going there
-
Facilities and enthusiasm of the school!
-
facilities, how well the students were treated
-
The reception of the faculty and students, the admissions office escorted you everywhere you needed to be, the children's hospital, the lunch (it was actually really good), the tours, and everything else
-
Great facilities, awesome faculty, incredible resources, laid back feel, not competitive, emphasis program
-
great school, excellent opportunities, very supportive faculty and administration, friendly students
-
the FLEXIBILITY of the curriculum. You really can do anything you want to.
-
The students are VERY happy. The associate dean is a psychiatry major and is very focused on student health. His office is directly across from the first year lecture hall, he made a point to talk to all of us. The secretary and the deans know all of the students personally. The professors I listened to had a great sense of humor. They are getting a lot of new facilities in the next month including a state of the art anatomy lab.
-
1. The students seem friendly and appeared to have good camaraderie. All of the first-years were wishing us interviewees luck when we saw them in the halls. 2. The office staff were extremely friendly and helpful; Vanderbilt is an example of Southern hospitality at its best. 3. The interviewer was pleasant and conversational, and he had clearly taken the time to learn about me before the interview. 4. The facilities were on the whole very nice, especially the new Children's Hospital, the Cancer Center, and main Vanderbilt Hospital.
-
The facilities were beautiful and the school had very advanced technological resources for students. Everyone was so FRIENDLY. Southern hospitality at its finest!
-
The student body is really close, relaxed...tons of faculty support and mentoring opportunities...the Emphasis program...Electives...Amazing hospitals and clinics
-
LOTS... How nice everyone was (including my interviewer); how happy the students seemed to be there; the investment and new construction that is going into the school; the emphasis program; the new curriculum; Children's hospital is beautiful
-
The facilities, children's hospital, new anatomy lab and simulated classrooms.
-
This is a fantastic school- students are really happy there; rotations seem really valuable; great student-faculty relations and student-student relations; great location
-
How happy everyone was! Apparently Vandy med students rate highest on the ''happiness scale?!''
-
EVERYTHING at Vanderbilt is AMAZING! Everyone is friendly and the facilities are unbeatable.
-
It's true what they say ... the students really seem to love Vanderbilt ... and I think the reason is that they seriously cater to the students - they try and make it as easy as a process for you while your're there. I was impressed by the new Childrens hospital and just how major of a medical instution it is ... theres 5 hospitals on the immediate campus all wihtin a 2 minute walk of each other
-
The facilities, happiness of the students , casual tone of the interview
-
The students were very friendly and very enthusiastic. They truly love the school.
-
enthusiasm of the student tour guides
-
students very happy, Emphasis program is interesting with good opportunities for international study, interviewer very proud and excited about school
-
administration, students, and overall vibe of the school
-
The students and my interviewer took a lot of time out of their day to ensure all my questions were answered and show me to locations they thought I would find interesting. My interviewer saved time to escort me to an office she knew I'd be interested in, and told me all about opportunities to study abroad, do service, etc. The students seemed to seriously LOVE Vanderbilt; I definitely saw why this school supposedly has the highest self-reported student satisfaction in the country. Between scheduled activities, an MSI student invited me to come sit on a lecture they were in, which is right across the hall from the admissions office.
-
The emphasis program and available selectives are really neat. It seems like there is a lot of contact and individual work with professors here.
-
everything! nashville isn't that bad (though still not home), the students were incredibly intelligent and down to earth. It's a bit more formal than some other schools. The facilities are great. The new curriculum looks like it will be incredible.
-
The environment as a whole
-
The people were very welcoming, warm and more than willing to answer any questions I had
-
The facilities, and the way that Vandy seems to really take care of their students. The area surrounding the campus was very quaint and had a lot of southern charm. Downtown Nashville would be a fun place to spend 4 years.
-
the students are supposed to be the self-rated happiest in the country
-
children's hospital is unbelieveable. library is also nice. students seemed genuinely happy.
-
The STUDENTS.
-
The facilities were state-of-the-art, all of the medical buildings were on-campus (no travel! Yay!) and were pretty new. Also, the students seemed really happy and welcoming.
-
enthusiasm of students for the school, Emphasis Program, how concentrated the facilities / hospitals are - everything is right there
-
My interviewer, who was humorous, knew my application front to back and was a genuinely great guy, in general. Also, how supportive different classes are of one another. Emphasis program, funding for med scholars program, intersessions, really hands-on rotations.
-
The school is phenomenal, as are the hospitals (especialy Children's). All the med students were really enthusiastic about the school and loved it there.
-
How nice the campus is, but that's expected for 53K/yr
-
Everyone was so enthusiastic about the school. You can tell they really enjoyed it there. My interviewer said there is a lot more diversity in Nashville than you might think. Children's Hospital as everyone before me has said, is amazing.
-
EVERYTHING. Vanderbilt was amazing. Both the students and staff were remarkably happy and very helpful.
-
The Campus and Nashville!!!!! So beautiful. The student body is the happiest out of any where! Vandy bends over back wards to make them happy.
-
Emphasis on teaching students, great faculty/student relationship, quality of facilities, co-location with undergraduate and other professional schools, happiness of students, proximity to downtown and cultural activities, affordability of housing
-
I basically was impressed by everything about the school, especially the student's excitement over 8 AM class.
-
Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Students were really enthusiastic and happy with the school.
-
children's hospital
-
The Children's Hospital was really nice, all facilities were great, the library is new and would be a great place to study, and the students all seem to have a good social life in addition to med school work. Also, my host was SO kickass!
-
The students are insanely happy. It's almost scary. The first years had their first biochem test that morning, and they had breakfast prepared for them by the other classes. New labs for the first and second years are in the process of being constructed, and the new Children's Hospital is amazing. Construction and remodeling seems to be a way of life.
-
the facilities are NICE, especially the Children's Hospital. Everyone was extraordinarily friendly.
-
the medical center, friendliness of faculty/students
-
Everything. Nashville is a great city. The facilities are amazing at the medical school. The new children's hospital is top notch. Everybody was happy and friendly. It was almost surreal how great everything was.
-
The students all seemed like they absolultely loved Vandy. The campus was beautiful and the Children's Hospital is amazing.
-
The facilities are top notch. All the students love it here. Vanderbilt graduates are known to be the most satisfied with their medical education than any other school in the nation. Nashville is a nice friendly town and a great place for families. Students are encouraged to pursue their own interests and electives. Teachers are encouraged to teach in the manner that they feel is most effective for them. i.e. lecture, problem based, etc. Some may see the lack of problem based learning as a downfall but Vanderbilt's students do great without heavy emphasis on it.
-
How friendly the students, faculty, and staff are. Everyone seems to be really happy to be at the school.
-
Facilities are first-rate, Children's hospital is fantastic. Students, faculty, and admissions staff alike were all very energetic, friendly, and seemed to love their school. The area around campus seemed very nice and there was a lot of food and entertainment within walking distance.
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a whole lot... everyone is really nice and laid back; traditional curriculum with classes 8-5 (which is being much more integrated with a curriculum rehaul in 2007); P/F system eliminates competition; good residency matching; faculty really enjoy teaching; beautiful undergrad campus and nice medical facilities (all 10 schools, including law, business, medicine, nursing, education, and music, are on same campus as undergrad); electronic medical records and evidence-based system really help doctors make decisions
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The students and the facilities.
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The reception by the diversity office and most students that I spoke to.
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The students all seemed really happy, and the Children's Hospital was gorgeous.
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Everyone was very laid-back and very friendly. The school is awesome, great facilities. Everything: med school and hospital very close together. The new children's hospital is amazing. I was very interested in the Emphasis program and the Electives for the 1st and 2nd years. All the students seemed really happy to be there and they enjoyed themselves there.
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the medical students, weather, & children's hospital
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The friendliness of the people at the school
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I really expected to love Vanderbilt based on all the good things I've heard about it, but nothing about the school really impressed me. I've filled out a bunch of these already (seven) and this is the only one I'm giving a negative impression to. Everyone was nice during the day, but a lot of the med students giving us tours were bent up on criticizing other schools. It gave the impression that they were insecure about the quality of their school.
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Students seem really happy, very nice facilities, lots of oportunities for research
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The caliber of the school and the girls there are hot.
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everyone really loves the school. the admissions office is also very nice, and they have a lot of candy.
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Facilities are amazing -- Children's hospital and new wing of main hospital. More new facilities should be ready by 2nd year.
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Happinness of the students
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The caliber of fellow interviewees. Nothing spectacular, especially for a university that considers themselves the Harvard of the South.
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The students were very nice and seemed really happy. But the big draw is the Children's Hospital- I'd go there for that alone.
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Nothing unimpressed me. I absolutely loved the school!
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Children's hospital is amazing!
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Everyone was very friendly and it seemed like a big happy family. The Children's Hospital was amazing. There are lots of opportunities for students, something for everyone. Everyone I met in Nashville was very frendly (not just at the school) and it was a safe area.
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The people are exceedingly friendly and satisfied with the institution.
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happiness of the students- evident cameraderie- good student host program
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The sincerity of the students and staff.
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The facilities seemed nice, and Nashville is a great place to live (not for culture, though). Cost of living is low and the people were the type that seemed to have fun on the weekends.
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Everyone was so friendly! The students also seemed very happy. The newly built Children's hospital was amazing!
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sense of community and friendliness toward one another; the fact that the students were just naturally hanging out in the student lounge; children's hospital; how well they treat medical students; diversity in programs for medical students; cadaver ball (look it up!)
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The facilities are absolutely amazing and they are constantly building more. Every person I came in contact with seems to have loved their experience and the graduation rate is amazing!
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1) The PEOPLE 2) Nashville 3) Facilities, especially the children's hospital
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really supportive environment--they treat the students well, and take their feedbacks seriously, and a lot of positive changes have been made as a result of that
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everything! the rapport of the students and staff, the facilities, the friendly people...
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The hospitals and facilities are amazing, and everyone was extremely friendly.
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Pretty much the entire day impressed me. My interviewer was very helpful and willing to share various aspects about the school, students and culture. The buildings are all gorgeous. Parts of the medical center look like a 5 star hotel. They are definitely technologically advanced. All of the students are incredibly friendly, even during midterm week. The anatomy class I observed was very lively and an enjoyable experience.
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every single person here loves it
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How happy the students were.
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students, faculty, curriculum, research opportunities, campus, new facilities
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Attitudes, personalities, facilties. A beautiful place with a positive attitdue.
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It seemed very organized, and the students were very enthusiastic, friendly, and open to answering questions. Try to get a morning interview so you can take the tours in the afternoon without rushing or leaving early.
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Great facilities -- their children's hospital looks better than anywhere I've ever had a birthday party.
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Cohesiveness of entire medical student population as well as the entire campus
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The extreme enthusiasm students, faculty, my interviewer have for Vandy & Nashville. The emphasis program & flexibility of curriculum to accomodate independent projects/dual degrees.
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The students are very friendly and seem to have a lot of influence at the school. The professors and students get along well. Everyone seems proud of their school but not arrogant. First-years receive a lot of mentoring and help from faculty and older students.
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children's hospital, nashville
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The students were so welcoming, everyone was so nice
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The facilities are pretty awesome, especially the new pediatric hospital. The students seemed to be really happy with the school.
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The students are VERY enthusiastic about Vanderbilt. There appears to be little competition among students, and the class is really close-knit. The fact that the undergraduate and all graduate programs share the same campus is a plus due because of the access to additional social and cultural opportunities.
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P/F first year. students were really nice. 1st/2nd year mentorship program. Biomed library
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Quality of students and faculty, impressive location and campus of Vanderbilt.
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great facilities; nice people; well organized
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The entire medical complex is wireless! Physicians can call up lab reports, medications, and recent relevant journal articles from anywhere on the medical campus.
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I stayed with a student which was an awesome experience, I really liked Nashville, Children's Hospital
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ENTHUSIASTIC students! great tour. curriculum seems well planned. looks like a great school
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Vanderbilt faculty seems extremely committed to their students. I was blown away by how cohesive the environment felt among everyone involved. The local community also seems to recognize this (or at least, my cab driver did.)
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The interviewer was very friendly, making it a very relaxed interview; the students seemed really happy to be there and seemed to have lives outside of medical school
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The facilities are absolutely amazing, much has been built within the last few years. The students are enthusiastic and really nice. I also sat in a couple of classes that were interesting.
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The Children's Hospital is the premier children's hospital in the nation in my estimation... just incredible; the students are collegial and friendly; the campus has some very pretty spots; first year is pass/fail (2nd year is honors/pass/fail); the Emphasis program is really cool (they'll explain at the info session); my interviewer was just a really nice guy, as were all the faculty/staff I met.
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The students and faculty were SO friendly. They all seemed to be really happy there. It seems like they make an effort to have fun and have a life outside of studying.
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The student body, facilities, people, Children's hospital, their match list, the emphasis program.
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The curriculum, which encourages research in a wide range of fields, and allows you to conduct research over a 2 yr period so u can really focus on one area or try out a whole lot of things.It is a wonderful school, and the faculty and students take such awesome pride in everything that they are.
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School was awesome, every student I met loved Vanderbilt, town had lots of interesting things to do, living facilities for students were really nice, good tour.
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The students were so friendly and seemed very comfortable there. Student body seems to be getting more diverse.
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I loved the school, the students were genuinely happy to be there. Aside from the cowboy hats, Nashvillians are mad cool, not nearly as rednecked as I thought; very refreshing city
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the professors seemed really down to earth; my interviewer was very nice
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the lecture Power-Point slides are posted on the web; financial aid; students
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I was a little worried that there would be a lack of ethnic diversity in the faculty and student bodies at Vanderbilt, but what I saw and heard at Vanderbilt during my interview day was very encouraging. For one, my interviewer was herself a woman of color. Also, during our group talk with several medical students, one girl who was Asian-Indian said she has had no worries so far despite the fact that most of the student body is Caucasian. The students and my interviewer were also quick to emphasize how supportive the faculty is of the students there and how the school values cooperation and camaderie among the faculty and among the students. Also, the Children's Hospital on campus, which was built only a year or two ago, is gorgeous.
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The students! All of the current students I met seem to be having a wonderful experience at Vanderbilt and in Nashville. Their enthusiasm, even after just finishing finals, certainly improved my opinion of the school.
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The students really seemed to enjoy going to vanderbilt. In addition, when I slipped into a classroom to observe the student sitting next to me randomly introduced herself and gave me her email in case I had any questions. She went out of her way to make me feel welcome and to say good things about the school. In addition, the admissions staff are wonderful, friendly people.
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beautiful student lounge and library, facilities are pretty fancy
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The students loved where they were and what they did. I thought the Cadaver ball was very funny.
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The facilities are great, I encountered some really friendly people, Nashville (despite what other people say), high quality of life among students, good student/faculty relations.
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the students love the school, amazing Children's hospital
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Everybody was very open adn friendly. They wanted you to engage them.
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As others as said, the interviewer had thoroughly reviewed my AMCAS application. Everyone-students, interviewer, admissions staff-was very friendly and warm. The campus is beautiful and improvements are continuously being made. Lots of space in the city!
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children's hospital is amazing, though eerily empty. all of the construction is also impressive - shows how successful hospital is
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The school is awsome! Beautiful campus, friendly and happy students, very nice faculty, nicest children's hospital I have seen.
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The people. Vanderbilt prides itself on its collegiality, with good reason. Class size is barely a hundred, competition is non-existent, everyone seems to get along, and USMLE averages are top notch to boot.
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The students displayed great group dynamics and seemed to like the program. Mrs. Williams was a great hostess and her life story was an amazing testimony to Vanderbilt's excellence. I also had an informal interview with one of the faculty members and I was amazed at the level of detail to which she knew my AMCAS application and how she really wanted to know me as a person.
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The students LOVE the school. I stayed with a student the night before and she showed me around the town. It was great to talk with her and then get to go to her class the next day. The students are so happy there, they have a really good history of scores on the MLE and in residency placement.
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Students were all very happy
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The interviewers are trained to be gentle. The students there seem to love Vandy.
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Vanderbilt has a very nice campus. I like how all the parts of the school are adjacent to each other. Nice weather. The new Children's Hospital is pretty amazing, and if I were gung ho pediatrics I'd stronly consider Vandy...but I still don't know what I want to do. Vandy ranks in the top 3 every year in student satisfaction, which I think is partly due to the selection of a specific type of applicant (not much diversity), but it's still a pretty impressive stat. Um, nice student lounge.
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Everything from the campus to the lovely staff.
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The students were all incredibly nice and happy. The staff and faculty seem to be very supportive of all the students.
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Admissions very friendly, organized. Host was also. Nice campus, construction in progress and new children's hospital.
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everyone was very friendly, great children's hospital
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How happy and comfortable all the students at Vanderbilt seemed. It seemed like they had a close relationship with each other and also the faculty and support staff there.
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OMG...you have not seen a Children's Hospital 'til you see the one at Vandy... wow. also..students were happy. and vanderbilt has so much $$$.. tons of scholarship
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The interviewer was very friendly and clearly well versed with my AMCAS application. The students seemed very happy.
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many things. the students are incredibly happy and they told us that the faculty is always there to help. Also, the medical students seem to be a big part of the medical center and not just at the bottom level. Vanderbilt also has a great campus and Nashville is pretty nice. Emphasis program.
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Everyone was really nice and seemed very happy. Like everyone else said, the interview was VERY laid back and comfortable, which is great for a first interview experience.
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The commitment to students. We had multiple people talk to us - students, deans, financial aid peeps. They wanted to make the experience as stressfree as possible. The facilities are great - there is too much brick in my personal opinion, but otherwise, decent campus and lots of sunshine (always a plus)
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The Children's hospital is beautiful! The campus in general is very beautiful. I relally liked the rec center also. I was impressed with how friendly everybody was. The med students seem to get along with each other very nicely and the faculty is very nice.
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Beautiful campus! The weather was perfect (mid 70's, clear skies), and this only enhanced the school's appearance despite all the construction.
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Talking to students and realizing that they are super happy. The new children's hospital. Everyone is so nice and excited about the school.
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Academics are incredible, pass/fail encourages teamwork, and everything regarding the students (happiness, attitude, etc).
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the huge amount of construction and funding at the school, the medical informatics program, the genuinely happy student body, the low cost of living
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the facilities are all amazing. everything is new. they seem to have money flowing out of their ears. the complex is really incredible. nashville is also a great city, not too large but not too small either. cost of living is low in relation to most cities its size. they are investing a lot of money into the school right now.
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The collegiality of the students, administration, etc. Even my interviewer was incredibly nice. Also the Emphasis program is impressive. I think most schools of Vanderbilt's caliber have ample research opportunities, but with this program the funding is guaranteed, and the structure should lead to productivity with a tangible outcome (e.g. a publication). Lastly, the vast majority of students in both the first and second year classes attended the lectures we had a chance to peek in on. When asked why, they said because the teaching was so good.
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Everyone was so friendly. Everyone I saw came up to me and told me what a great program Vanderbilt had. I was also impressed by the organization of the hospital and school. Additionally, I was impressed by the timeliness of all events.
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ease of life in Nashville, professor excitement, administration
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The enthusiasm of the students. They REALLY love being there. I thought they had to be put up to looking this enthralled.
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Every medical student I talked to was bright, happy and energetic. Student satisfaction was really high and there was lots of participation during classes, even with 105 people there. Be
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I think everyone says this about vandy, but the satisfaction of the students...they are just all around happy to be there
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How happy the students were, how nice the admissions staff and faculty were, and the quality of the instruction in the two classes I sat in on.
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the Emphasis program and the happy and upbeat student body. also, the fellow interviewees seemed like genuinely decent people.
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Beautiful facilities, very very nice and enthusiastic students, sat in on two classes whose instructors were great, p/f first year, h/p/f second year, emphasis program and electives.
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Student satisfaction was really high, the facilities are pretty nice, everyone seems really into the program there
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Everyone was so happy to be there. Vanderbilt ranks number 1 in student satisfaction. The students have a lot of freedom -- the Cadaver Ball, the golden shovel award, the portrait of Yoda on the Wall of Deans.
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Proximity of the hospitals to the school and to the university campus, all the students are happy, decent amount of research opportunities, lots of resources for ECs (dual degrees, away clerkships, time off to do research), family friendly neighborhoods close to school
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The students seemed very happy - not just the ones that spoke with us or gave the tours, but the ones I spoke with in the halls and in the restroom!
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How happy and friendly all the students are - they seem to be having a great time and learning a lot too. My interviewer said vandy gets the best student satisfaction rating every year in a survey of all the med schools. They seem to have great faculty too, and the administration is really helpful - the school is very focused on the students.
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happy students, supportive faculty and administration
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Everything. The medical school is actually part of the main campus yet the hospitals are all within walking distance of the classes. Everyone was extremely friendly. I was early and I spoke with several medical students before their calss. They truly love the school.
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The people were friendly in Nashville and at Vanderbilt. The hiking in the surrounding areas was great. There's a lot of interesting research going on at the school.
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The students and faculty are supportive. Vandy gives you a ton of options for what you want to do there.
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The students there are actually happy. There is tons of student and faculty support, and the professors have the best personalities I've ever seen on a staff. The facilities are much newer and nicer than I expected as well.
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THe studnets are incredibly happy
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the cohesiveness of the students
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Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. There wasn't too much lecturing about the school, so it wasn't too boring.
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Nice hospital (which we didn't even tour)
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The facilities, their new Emphasis program, the friendliness of students and administration. Also, my interviewer directed the session such that we were having a conversation as opposed to a series of disjointed question-answer sets. I felt like he didn't come into the day with an agenda set of exactly what he wanted to know. Instead, he came prepared to listen and get a sense for who I am via a conversation focused on various life/global/medicine related issues.
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how collegate the students were w/ each other, stressed that fact that it is not competetive
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The students are incredibly friendly and social...not your typical med school students. They seem very close-knit and supportive of one another. The school provides a lot of support (in terms of professors donating extra time/tutors) for any students who are having academic difficulties, and before my visit I didn't realize how well Vandy students did on the Boards. The medical school and hospitals/medical facitlities and undergraduate institution are all located is close proximity.
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Seemed like it was a bit less nerdy than a some of the other top schools, but everyone did just as well.
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The interviewer was terrific. He was really laid back and sold the school more than grilling me. It felt just like a conversation where he was making sure I was normal.
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Vanderbilt students are simply awesome! My interview fell around their finals, but they still took some time out of their busy schedules to talk to me about the school and to give me advice concerning my interview. I was very impressed by how concerned they were about my welfare.
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The campus and facilities were very nice. The faculty, staff and students were extremely friendly. Everyone seemed content. Being from the south, I find Nashville to be a pleasant city to live in. I was surprised and delighted to see as many minority interviewees there (around 50%, 25% URM). But only a dozen or so students were in my group, so take those stats however you'd like. Finding out about the first year P/F and second year H/P/F grading system.
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The overall positive attitude of the students and the faculty. I really like the campus too. The cafeteria is not all that bad either. Their facilities are all modern. I think the coolest part was the underground network of tunnels, allowing one to go from one building to another without ever going outside (definitely helpful since it was cold).
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Students are really happy. School is very student focused. Great class comraderie. All first years are paired with a second year, and they really, really help them - much more than at other schools. Cost of living is so cheap. Very musical city.
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everyone's gung-ho attitude about the school. they definitely sold me!
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The overall happiness of the students. The gorgeous campus.
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Facilities, weather, good natured people
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How friendly people were! And my interviewer was very complimentary and supportive.
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Vandy cares a lot about its students and wants them to be happy. The admissions staff made sure you were comfortable and took you to your interview, etc. I go to Vandy undergrad, which I have been impressed with, and I continued to be impressed by the medical school. The 2nd year students help out the 1st year students A LOT.
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The manner in which Vanderbilt caters to specific students needs was outstanding. Everyone was extremely accepting.
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the campus, the students, the facilities, the student-focus and support of staff in helping students
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Great city, great hospital, a nice area to spend 4 years.
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people were all very nice and the day was real low key.
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The interviewer, the happiness of the students, the beautiful campus
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The genuine happiness and kindness of the students. They were all excited about being at Vandy and all were ready and willing to answer any questions or just have a chat.
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Friendliness of staff, faculty and students; high level of student satisfaction; gorgeous library
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Everyone love this school. I am not kidding. This includes students, faculty, and staff.
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The people, close proximity of hospitals, location!!!
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I absolutely love this school and everything about it!!! Vandy is number 1!!!!!! The students were so helpful and nice and everyone was happy that you were there.
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Every single student I talked to, and I talked to a lot of students, seemed to love Vanderbilt. More than one student stopped the tour group to say "Come to Vanderbilt. We love it here!" Everyone was extremely friendly, and students seemed particularly supportive of each other. Vanderbilt really made clear that their emphasis is on the education and training of the current med students more than anything else.
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Man, all the students were so excited about Vandy. A wonderful experience.
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The faculty and staff are so warm and wonderful, very intelligent students with impressive board scores and residency placement. and although I'm a minority from California and didn't know what to expect of Nashville, I loved it, and it wasn't hick-ish, and even heard there is a salsa club and lots of regular hip-hop clubs, not just country music :)
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Nice city, campus. Brand new pediatrics building. Changes in curriculum. The student hosts/tour givers are really nice. I was told by the students (both male and female) that the student body is very attractive (no pun intended).
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Very laid back, nice location, great school.
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The student satisfaction rate and very high average board scores
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Everyone was really friendly and all the students only had positive things to day about Vanderbilt. Take advantage of the student hosting, you learn a lot.
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The medical students are very very happy to be here.
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Students Challenging and fun classes Overall balance of student body.
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The students, faculty and staff. They were all very happy to be at Vandy...even the cashier in the cafeteria told me how much he enjoyed Vanderbilt!
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The school seemed really concerned with letting students explore their interests through electives. Their also implementing a new "Emphasis" program so students can spend two years studying an area of their choice (ethics, health policy, mol biology, etc)
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Students were amazingly laid-back. I really like the curriculm & option to take electives, not to mention the MedScholars program. The dean of admissions is so eloquent and approachable--seems like a really nice person. The admissions office people are too nice; faculty are very laid back and dignified. highest board scores/residency matches in the nation for 3 years' running!
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The students and the faculty were very friendly and supportive
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The students were so happy and friendly! Nashville is a great city.
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Everyone in Nashville is incredibly friendly, the students and faculty at VUMS seem very excited about the school, and they did a great job of not only "selling" the school and program, but the campus and the city as well.
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high board passing rates
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The students are literally giggling with excitement about the place. Their curriculum and electives are awesome, and even though they do not have an entirely pass/fail system, they seem to be on target with how they grade for specific classes.
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Gorgeous campus, good school.
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The students are so happy, the administrators and faculty are really cool, they are aimed at training "leaders in medicine", cool student lounge and nice atmosphere overall.
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great hospital!, cool students, the med students are really respected and treated well here, they are all genuinely happy and thats hard to find at many schools
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The place was awesome. The students really seemed to like the school, and they had time to do things outside of school. They'd answer pretty much any question you'd ask.
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The happiness of the students. Cheap cost of living. School's seemingly increasing reputation. Good looking students and fellow interviewees.
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The students were so enthusiastic and happy. They really tried to "sell" the school - but in a genuine way.
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everyone was all smiles and very gung-ho about the school. student lounge atmosphere reminded me of movie starship troopers
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The faculty was really nice and he was selling the school to me. Moreover, he made a nice comparison of the medical practice on the East Coast vs. West Coast. He also gave some comments on Vanderbilt and another school in the area, from which I also had an interview offer.
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The people: they were so friendly and personal. The school was beautiful, and the students seemed happy.
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the campus, the happiness... etc
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Flexibility of curriculum, happy students.
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1. High(est) USMLE scores 2. Great Advising/Support system 3. Substantial opportunity for clinical research
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the facilities are gorgeous - and the students are happier than a pig in
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The facilities and the extreme friendliness of people in Nashville.
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Friendly students and faculty
-
how much EVERY student I came across could not stop bragging about how much they love it there. I never thought I would want to live in the South, but the school is incredible.
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happy people
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The level of satisfaction of students and faculty of the SoM, The quality of instruction, The new Hospital under constructions...
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EVERYTHING! Students raved about their school, faculty were supportive, facilities were great, seemed like a fun place to go to school
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Faculty's dedication to help students succeed; high student satisfaction at the time of graduation; tradition of second year students helping first year students with reviewing for biochemistry and anatomy; beautiful student lounge with a pool table and ping-pong table
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Student happiness!!!! Beautiful campus. Beautiful people. Great hospitatlity
-
The students' level of satisfaction and happiness with Vanderbilt.
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The passion the faculty have for undergraduate education, the happiness of the students, the extent of the brand-new facilities.
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The students are all about Vandy.
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The interviewer was a perinatologist who was very accomplished; the students were incredibly helpful and enthusiastic
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the lack of diversity in Nashville, the interview process being too rushed or stressful, the traditional lecture-based curriculum, limited clinical exposure in the early years, and the minimal campus tour provided. Suggestions included more interactive interviews, improved campus tours, increased clinical exposure, and addressing concerns about diversity in the city and school.
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nothing really
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I'm not too sure I like Nashville
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My open-file interviewer was a very stern person. He just went through his list of questions and didn't try to have a conversation with me at all. The lack of response from him made the interview a lot more stressful than it needs to be.
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Racial Diversity, Liveliness of Fellow Prospective Students
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nothing. love this school
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The interviewer did not give me much time to speak. I felt like I was being lectured to.
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The interview process seemed a little rushed. Specifically the faculty all seemed very flustered and almost too busy to really invest any time in us. It wasn't that they had an attitude or anything, they were just too busy (they were friendly).
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My first interviewer seemed to be unfamiliar with my application
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My long interview, which was supposed to be conversational, was very difficult. My interviewer was initially rude, but I feel I began to earn his respect by the end. He asked multiple difficult questions about healthcare, abuse in retirement homes, and other questions that I would not consider "conversational" at all. I spoke to other students who interviewed with me and it seems mine was an isolated incidence. Most other interviewers are more relaxed, especially for the long interview. Hopefully you don't get the same person I did, it was a very unpleasant 70 minutes!
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Some interviewees can be really competitive and obnoxious.
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Fellow interviewees were pretty intense. The student body overall seemed very young (I've taken time off, and only met one current student who didn't go straight through from college).
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nothing.
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Nothing really...
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They only have pass/fail for the 1st year.
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Public transportation in Nashville.
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A few students I encountered did not seem very professional. I realize that they were trying to make the day as relaxed as possible, but a few times I had to wonder how they made it into medical school.
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the interview itself - I don't feel like was given an opportunity to portray myself as a person or even an applicant
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Nothing
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Such a short campus tour. Should be longer.
-
didn't get to see the beautiful new anatomy labs *sad*
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Lots of downtime for interviewees especially those who interview in the morning.
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My interviewer talked most of the time and he was pretty cynical. I don't feel like he gave me a enough time to portray myself to him.
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4 more years in Nashville might not be the best thing.
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I'm not sure I will like the city. Lack of emphasis in primary care (especially family medicine). I was also told that the school isn't that involved in the surrounding community, but work is being done to change this.
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Nashville is a car town (I prefer public transportation)
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Nothing in particular.
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Interview style, general feelings about the school and how I felt there. I'm also not very enthusiastic about going that far South, although Nashville does seem like a nice city.
-
We sat in on some real people talking to Med 2s about having cancer - pretty depressing!
-
Nothing. Just the stiffness of the competition at the interview day (they weren't competitive-natured, they were just excellent candidates) and the realization that it may take a miracle for me to get in :/
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Down time between certain parts of the interview day.
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nada
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Nashville isn't my ideal locale, but its also not as backwards and boring as one might be led to believe. Also the complaints about having too much down time are fairly accurate, but I can't say that I was actually bored at any point during the day. Honestly I tried to get every person that I met to state even one thing they wished they could change about the school and not one gave me a remotely consequential answer. Dare I say that this school might be perfect?
-
Long lecture hours
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That I came during fall break when all of the students were out of town. Also that due to my afternoon interview which was rescheduled at the last minute, I missed the Children's hospital tour.
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The students spend a lot of time in class, more so than at other schools I've visited.
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Although we did get to see the children's hospital, I wish the tour had taken us through the main Vanderbilt hospital.
-
My interview - it was quite bad
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I was upset by how short the interview was. I didn't feel that I really got to discuss all aspects of my application. I felt like I was leading the interview, pulling for questions.
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Uh... there wasn't as much friendliness as I had hoped there would be...
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Nashville sucks
-
one interviewer was a bit on the negative side towards MD-PhD....
-
There was nothing to do for most of the day, they left us on our own to explore and it got pretty boring.
-
Don't want to sound cliche, but I didn't find anything that was negative...
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The culture of the medical school seems much more professionally inclined than academically. Not necessarily a bad thing, nor does it mean there isn't a lot of excellent research. But being a southern gentleman seems to still be in style
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hmm everything seemed soo compact..
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The lunch was okay but I'm personally tired of sandwiches for lunch. See, I would love my rice or pasta...
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classrooms are a little bit cramped and old
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There was quite a bit of construction.
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Bread & Co has great lunch, but their selection of sandwiches was horrible. I had two 2-hour breaks with nothing to do while waiting for the tours.
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Nashville isn't particularly vibrant when it comes to cultural life
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not much
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Vandy is $50K a year after living expenses!!!
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lack of diversity (but it's really not that bad)
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the competition is a little daunting - everyone i interviewed with seemed so qualified - i don't have any idea how they will decide between everybody.
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The weather was both rainy and muggy. The tour guide seemed out of it, but that was probably because he had to give the tour alone and impromptu because someone cancelled.
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I can't think of too much to say here, but just to caution future interviewees, there is a lot of construction going on right now at Vanderbilt, so be careful where you walk. Also, the cafeteria is pretty expensive, but the medical school gives you a voucher for $7, so it doesn't cost you out-of-pocket. Vanderbilt is a conservative school, so you should dress appropriately; ladies, wear skirt suits here, and save the pants for when you interview up North. Finally, if you go to Vanderbilt this early in the interview season, keep in mind that this is the South, so you can expect it to be HOT and HUMID.
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Nashville is smaller than I thought
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There was a lot of down time between information sessions, tours, and interviews. The tour could have been more structured (we didn't get to see classrooms, labs, etc...).
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Nashville is pretty small
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I don't know how much diversity there is in the city of Nashville- the Vanderbilt student body is diverse, but I don't know about the patient population.
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Is there such a thing as TOO MUCH country muscic?
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Nothing, really.
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humidity (im from so cal soooo)
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Long period of open time between interviews and tours.
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The humidity and torrential downpour,although that has nothing to do with the school.
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starting new curriculum next year, haven't yet encorporated PBL, attended a very boring lecture
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one arrogant fellow applicant - otherwise all good.
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Although it's great in one way that the medical campus buildings are all so close to one another, it seemed claustrophobic to me, like I couldn't really get out into the city. I was also not impressed by Nashville; everyone was incredibly nice but I just don't like the culture of country music and chicken wings. Also, I am interested in an MPH and while Vanderbilt has great opportunities for sending you overseas, no one could answer questions about the MPH program or even tell me where its office is.
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Anatomy lab is very rigorous--but the students do well on their boards.
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the first years have all their classes in one classroom, same for second year (lecture classes). Depending on how much time is spent in class, that could get old.
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nothing specific
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My interview was during fall break so I didn't get a chance to get a feel for the student body, and nashville doesn't seem like the most diverse of places
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Nothing really. Perhaps just the cost of the school and the fact that the students I met were somewhat repetitive.
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Vandy is re-doing their curriculum next year and some of the faculty were a little unsure about how exactly things would run next year
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lots of construction. some people had to wait around all morning for their interviews.
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I wish students all lived together, but they seem really spread out. The hospital is really nice, but it's private so I wonder how much third and fourth year students really get to DO.
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nothing, really
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Nashville's car-driven.
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Having class from 8-5.
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Mostly just the money. I also think they did a poor job making sure everyone saw their hospitals. Also, we only met a few of the students, at all of the texas schools we were able to talk to tons of students, but not here.
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I wasn't too worried about the location in Nashville until the 18th time someone said
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The tuition. Ill be in debt 200,000 when I graduate
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southern atmosphere, limited diversity, smaller town
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Nothin really--I guess it seemed that many of the students are from a small number of elite schools, but that could be a misconception.
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Cost.
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Most of the students live off-campus (but in really nice apts), and I'm a little worried it might be kinda hard to build class camaraderie at first. Also, my interviewer was telling me how hard it is for women in medicine and I was kinda thinking wtf.
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The gross number of Ivy League applicants shocked me, and I felt a little alienated from my group being from Miami.
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The seats in their lecture halls are a bit stiff.
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none
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Nothing at all.
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Too humid for wearing a suit!
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Only a little bit of financial aid besides loans is available to students.
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Nashville is kinda hard to get around without a car.
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The hospital tour couldve been a bit more thorough.
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Vanderbilt had encouraged interviewees spending the night in Nashville to stay at a particular inn, which was supposed to shuttle interviewees to the interview venue. The shuttle proved unreliable and I was late for a few minutes, though not for the actual interview. The admissions office secretary was not warm in the way she received me, and I found some of her actions very unfriendly. For instance, after the interview I was supposed to go back to the diversity office but she tried to stop me.
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My interview was really confrontational; I left expecting a rejection only to later find out that he'd given me the highest interview rating possible. So, don't let a weird interview experience worry you. The other thing that negatively impressed me was the financial aid- almost no grant money available.
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I applied for a host student a month in advanced and I wasn't able to have one arranged. I do understand...they have quite a bit of work and this was the beginning of the semester.
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Students spend so much of their time in lecture, few small-groups, even though the med school is integrated with the rest of campus, the whole school just didn't seem lively at all. All the first year classes are in one lecture hall and the lecture I attended was a lot worse than ones I've been to at other schools.
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Very hard classes in general, according to medical students; and if you don't like country music, Nashville may not be the best city in the world
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not much, just the location i suppose is not the best...
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nothing, everything was pretty okay. i guess it would of been nice if we could have toured the school more, but they have exams now
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It seemed like a couple of the student tour guides "settled" on Vanderbilt -- it wasn't their top choice and they all just kind of happened to end up there.
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I did not feel treated as well as other schools have. The tour by the students sucked...I was basically disappointed. I expected a lot more from Vanderbilt, but they are probably saving their time and energy for the accepted applicants during "second look weekend".
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How rough the interview was.
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I'm not really into country music.
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Somewhat quiet (i.e. missing that electricity in the air).
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Light Hall (where all the classes are 1st and 2nd years) seemed kind of cramped (it's under construction)
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Vanderbilt is a small undergrad. Being from a large university, it was different to see hardly anyone walking around campus at night.
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I didn't get to see everything because I had an early interview, so I got the abbreviated tour (Outside plus Light Hall). Hopefully, I'll make up for it on Second-Look weekend.
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not really ANYTHING
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I would have liked to see a few more facilities during the tour, but otherwise the day was awesome.
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Not much, a few details.
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no good Chinese restaurantes around
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The humidity, but I've been to Taiwan so this was not a very big deal.
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tour was kind of short and not that informative
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Nashville doesn't have much besides ribs and catfish for eating out options. This was really the only bad thing, though, which is pretty impressive.
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The tour was very short. We didn't get to see much.
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It could be somehwre on Long Island, than it would be a better school than Harvard.
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Not much ethnic diversity. The coasts and other large cities are several hour drives away.
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Nashville can be boring
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That the children's hospital tour is scheduled during some of the afternoon interviews. I had to skip it to go to my interview & I was disappointed b/c of the positive feedback I've read about it on this site.
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The facilities are nice but not extremely impressive. Someone's car was broken into at the hotel I was staying at after I was told that I was in a very safe area of Nashville.
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HEAT, 96degrees
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Nashville, I felt very isolated, not only becuase it's in the middle of nowhere in TN, but because you need a car to get anywhere.
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I was one of the only students from a state school at the interview, and it really gave the impression that Vandy is out for the Ivy League kids. It also seemed like the town and student body lacked diversity.
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Limited places to eat. The cafeteria was mediocre at best and all other options are fast food establishments.
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Nashville, TN
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tour guides were new M1s - they had only been at Vanderbilt for about a week.
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nothing...
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Seemed a little cramped, but then again I come from a small school with lots of space.
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The students leading the tour had only been there for 5 days themselves--it was a case of the blind leading the blind.
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Nashville isn't the most amazing city on earth; the curriculum is pretty traditional, with lots of hours spent in lecture halls; not a whole lot of clinical exposure integrated into the first 2 years of the school (though you can get it if you seek it out).
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The tour was not very informative. We didn't get to see that much of the school.
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I wish the curriculum wouldn't be so conservative, but I would be willing to overlook this fact to attend Vandy.
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It was open-file, but it was either my interviewer had not bothered to look at my file at all, or he found it very boring.
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Tour ran over into lunch, had to leave without eating to make interview
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mostly ivy-league undergrads.
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It was WAY TOO COLD! So I couldn't walk around campus much. But overall I was impressed and wish I had done better on this interview
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very traditional lectures; the day was not very organized; the tour wasn't very impressive
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The weather was really strange to me, perhaps because I'm used to the mild weather of California. Maybe Hurricane Ivan (which was quickly approaching Tennessee on the day before and on the day of my interview) had something to do with it, but it was unbearably hot and humid during my entire stay, and even the increasingly heavy rain didn't help cool things down. Also, Nashville doesn't seem very lively, even in the area immediately surrounding the campus. The medical campus of Vanderbilt itself is somewhat drab, all brick and concrete.
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A bit too much down time, but it was understandable, given that finals had finished the day before and many of the students were leaving for break.
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We didn't really get a tour of campus. In addition, we had 3 unscheduled hours with which to sit in on classes, explore campus, etc... but we didn't really know where to go, what to see, etc. A bit more structure would have been better.
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the tour was very short, vandy didn't really seem like it was trying to sell itself, interviewees waited in the admissions office most of the day, there was way too much down time
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A medical student actually bagged on my school when he saw the list of interviews for the day (in the admissions office), not knowing I was in the room! It came to his attention that I was there, and we held a brief conversation (about unrelated things) in which he was extremely condescending toward me. I met several med students that day who seemed cool, down-to-earth types, but that one experience left a very negative impression on me.
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very standard curriculum, long class days, staff/faculty seem to hold your hand
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I got some side-swiping comments from my interviewer about the northeast and ivy league schools, even though a huge percentage of Vanderbilt's students are from the north and/or from ivy league schools.
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the curriculum is straight up old school. real patient interaction isn't introduced until third year and for the first 2 yrs, you're in lecture from 8-5
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A lot of construction and rain.... but nothing too bad.
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Weather (it was raining), and the student tour consisted of a trip to the library, and then the cafeteria. Fairly weak.
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The lecture days are just too long! Also, I didn't really understand why Vanderbilt had such a reputation. I didn't get to see much of the campus. I only got to see the biomedical research library, which is adjacent to Light Hall. I had an afternoon interview and I was left to myself for most of the morning.
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Students were a little bit too happy. Also, the pace of the place felt a little slow.
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The day was sort of slow, do your own thing. I went and visited a class, which was good. But the day wasn't organized well.
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Externally the school and some of the new buildings are very nice, but I left with absolutely no clue why Vandy deserves its reputation. Which isn't to say that Vandy is overrated. I'm just saying there was almost no attempt to sell the school. Apart from the Emphasis Program, I have no idea what goes on in Years One, Two, Three, or Four...or what makes Vandy better than anywhere else. Easily the least informative interview day I've been to. Also, from what little I saw of it, Nashville didn't seem that interesting.
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The students were not as wonderful as I thought. Everyone has this proclivity for courting name-brand schools. without mounting my soap-box, let me say that the name of the school says absolutely nothing about the quality of the student. In many cases, students with poor academic performances lean heavily on and hide behind the names of their schools. Tell that to the admissions assistant dean!
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Didn't tell us that 1st years had a huge anatomy exam that day, so only 2nd years could meet us.
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didn't get to see much of nashville because of rain
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Nothing, really. :-D I loved Vanderbilt...the only thing is that they interview 1000 and take 100.
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the one thing students said they'd change about the school is the fact that they're in lecture all the time.. this is straight traditional style..no PBL whatsoever...don't know if that's a negative though?/?
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Nothing. I would rate my experience at Vanderbilt very positively.
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Tour was short (only saw the library and the student lounge); TONS of down time but I got to know some other interviewees
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not much - I just don't know about Nashville
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They have a poster in the admissions office showing a picture of all the first year students and listing where they went to undergrad. It looked like everybody went to Harvard, Columbia, or Yale. Public schools were far and few between .... great, that means I have a wonderful chance (insert rolly eyes here!).
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Campus is mediocre, the class-building isn't too cool. The weather sucks, too.
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it is true, there isnt a lot of diversity
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Not much really. I wish the curriculum were system-based (just a guess about how I will learn best in med school).
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My interviewer was anal, the students spend two years on one hallway, lots of class time
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My interview was almost a little too laid back. It was very unstructured and my interviewer hadn't even looked at my application when I walked in so we went over it together.
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not much of a tour, didn't get to see the hospital.
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Homogenous class, most seem to be rich white kids, from what I could tell, tour wasn't very extensive (i.e. didn't even show us the HOSPITAL), and there was too much down time.
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The tour seemed a bit too brief. I am sure Vanderbilt has a lot of great things to show prospective students, so they really should take the time to do so.
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nothing!