St. Louis, MO
Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 10% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did okay.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.9
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 903 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 revolved around personal experiences, motivations for pursuing medicine, research endeavors, extracurricular activities, views on healthcare, and future aspirations. While some interviews were more conversational and open-ended, others delved into specific details from the applicants' files such as research projects, ethical dilemmas, and past experiences. It is worth noting that some respondents participated in an MMI format with questions tailored to their application materials and personal background, possibly under a nondisclosure agreement.
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My research and career transition
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(Just a note, 1 session is open file and the other is closed.) Tell me about [this unique hobby]?
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They do not have pre-planned questions for interviewers. Some interviewers like to ask ethical questions: If you saw an attending mistreating a patient with a disability, will you, a lowly medical student, do anything?
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Tell me about your self. What do you like me to know?
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"The more you tell me about yourself, the less questions I have to ask you. So, tell me about your life and how and why you're here now."
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Tell me about yourself
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What are you up to these days?
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Tell me about yourself.
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Tell me about your research
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So, tell me about yourself.
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Why WashU?
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Where did you hear about WashU?
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What is a scape goat (part of a story the interviewer was telling me) He tended to ramble about things and I felt like I didn't get to talk as much as I would have liked.
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What books have you read recently?
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How did you become interested in medicine?
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Tell me about your family.
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Why medicine?
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Tell me about X activity on your AMCAS application.
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What do you think about the current health care reform? (The question was pretty broad. I was just asked about my opinion and we didn't go in to too much detail)
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Have you always wanted to be a doctor?
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Interviewer #1: What haven't you done? How is your (basic science) research relevant to medicine? Why did you apply to WUSTL?
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Where do you see yourself in ten years?
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what do u see yourself in medicine
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I couldn't imagine how an interview could be less stressful. Both interviewers were genuinely interested in what I had to say and made me feel completely relaxed as soon as I stepped into their offices. I wasn't even asked why medicine or why washu (a question I was dreading to answer since washu is pretty traditional). We really just talked about interesting things that would pop up in the conversation, or things they found interesting from my file (they really read it carefully beforehand). However they did ask me in depth questions about my research. Overall the best interview experience I have had so far.
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What have you been doing since graduation? We then went into a very in depth conversation about my current work.
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Tell me about your research at each lab you've worked in (had to go down to extreme detail, so know your stuff!)
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Lot's of questions about academic background and activities.
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Mostly conversational. Things on my AMCAS application
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Can you explain how you got your last name to me? It doesn't sound very African and I'll have to explain it to the admissions committee.
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Why St. Louis? What are your hobbies? Research?
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Have you traveled abroad? Did this experience teach you any lessons about cultural diversity?
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What are your thoughts on McCain/Obama health care policies?
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About me, my research, my interests. Didn't ask me at all about medicine. Really relaxed.
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What do you think of St. Louis?
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Tell me about what you did after high school.
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Tell me about x experience
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Tell us more about (your app experince)...
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Tell me your life story.
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Tell me about growing up in [the country where I grew up] and how you ended up in [my undergraduate school]
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The very first question I was asked was, ''What brings you to WashU?''
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i thought i wrote about this alread...
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I saw you read such-and-such book that you talk about in your essay, tell me more about it.
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Tell me about [insert AMCAS experience].
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Any siblings?
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Case study referenced earlier.
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See questions above...
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What do you like to do in your spare time?
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Why did you take a Buddhism class?
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(1) Tell me about your research
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''What about your clinical volunteer experiences negatively surprised you about medicine?''
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What has been a very hard decision for you?
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Tell me about X from AMCAS (literally almost the entire interview was me talking about each and every one of my AMCAS experiences!)
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Tell me about x, y & z experience (from AMCAS).
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Why do you want to become a doctor?
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Tell me about your parents.
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Why did you choose your undergrad school >? (Some no name public school)
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why wash u (even the students that go there told me to be prepared for this), why medicine
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tell me about your family
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Tell me about this activity/award/research/experience.
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Tell me about your passion to become a Physician Do you have any interests outside of medicine?
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Describe research experiments.
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What is the last book you've read?
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tell me about X
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Was your dad being a dr a positive, negative, or neutral influence on your entering medicine?
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Problems in health care and how to address them?
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What is your crowning achievement so far?
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Why are you vegetarian?
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About my family
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What do you do for fun?
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Tell me about _______ experience (for all my research and extracurriculars)
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Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?
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What do you think about universal healthcare?
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How do you feel about all the vulgarity on television?
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Describe the process of how you decided to become a doctor.
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(My interviewer had thoroughly looked over my application--he had four pages of handwritten notes/questions to ask me.) "When did you come to the United States?" (Apparently, WashU is big on diversity and not afraid to show it. My interviewer said that many of the applicants/students were born in another country and immigrated to the US.)
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tell me about your parents
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What do you do in your downtime? (I read.)...So what are the last three books you read and enjoyed?
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tell me about yourself. about your typical day.
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What do you do outside of school?
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how did you decide to pursue medicine as a career?
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tell me about yourself (life history basically)
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Why Wash U?
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Why did you come to Washington University as an undergraduate?
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Describe __________ experience.
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Tell me about your undergraduate classes
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What do you do in your spare time?
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Describe the experience that first sparked your interest in medicine.
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Tell me about experience A.
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Why did you look at ________ in your project...what do you hope to accomplish (from my research)?
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What do you plan on doing with your musicianship while in medicine?
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Defend both sides of the stem cell research argument.
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From your application, and the way that you present yourself, it seems that you are pretty competitive. Would you agree with such a comment?
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tell me about how you decided to become a doctor
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What other schools did you apply to?
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tell me about how you got interested in medicine
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tell me about your research, x/c's, etc. nothing that's not been asked before - and most were drawn from my file. that was a plus, that my interviewer had obviously read my file.
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Tell me about your high school? College?(why did you go there)
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Tell me more about your research.
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So, do you have any questions about Wash U?
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What are you looking for in a med school?
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Tell me about your research.
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So, what have you been up to?
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the rest of the questions were typical. why do you want to go into medicine?
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What got you interested in community service?
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What questions do you have for me?
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What are you views on when life beings?
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What do you know about healthcare trends?
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See Above
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What do you want to talk about?
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see above - also, are you from a huggy kissy family?
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Tell me about your research experience?
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what is the role of the doctor in the community?
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Tell about your research
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What was your research experience?
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Which community related activities would you be interested in (Med)?
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Why medicine? What specialties interest you?
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why doctor?
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have you had any long-term relationships with a physician?
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Clinical experience?
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What are some of your concerns about healthcare issues?
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The above and, Trace your past experiences and let me know how they led to medicine (standard question).
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Most about specific experiences during my undergrad
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Normal questions. Don't worry... just look over your AMCAS app and supp.
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is anyone in your family in medicine?
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Biographical questions like, Do you have any siblings and what are they doing? What do your parents do?
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name your biggest strength and weakness.
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You are 60 and looking back at your career. What have you accomplished?
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Tell me about xyz extracurriculars.
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How did you choose your undergraduate institution/major?
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Which extracurricular activities do you think you would be interested in participating in if you come here? (Really look at their website)
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How did you write your AMCAS personal statement?
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What do you think about the Medicare bill?
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why do you want to be a doctor
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Related to my medical school app.
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nothing... very conversational, all based on my AMCAS app.
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All the questions were based on information from my file.
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if only I had been asked specific questions!
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How do you relax?
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Who is your favorite greek philosopher?
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Have you been to St. Louis before? Why Wash U?
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Tell me about this project you did in your humanities class.
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see above for my 2 big questions; everything else was really just minor
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What leadership roles have you had, and what have you learned from them?
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Tell me why you think medicine is for you.
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application stuff
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Do you have any close friends?
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Tell me about your family?
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elaboration/informal discussion of life experiences in application
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Very conversational interview, most questions specific to my app.
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Very few typical questions were asked. The only one I remember being a prepared question was "where do you see yourself in 10 years?" It was essentially an hour long informal conversation.
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What makes you think that you would make a good doctor?
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Tell me about your research-- know it well!!!
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Tell me about your research, why did you choose that lab?
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What can you contribute to our entering class?
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This really wouldn't help as every question was directly off of my application. It was just pleasant and conversational.
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are you close with your mother/father/brothers and sisters and what do they do for a living?
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Questions about my thesis?
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Tell me about yourself and how you became interested in medicine.
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Talk about your mentor/tutoring experience.
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Why MD/PhD
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what are some problems that arise when biologists and statiticians work together
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Why did you choose your undergrad school?
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About 2 courses on my transcript.
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How did you learn about Wash U?
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Typical questions about my application
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Washington University-St. Louis School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including favorite songs, societal changes, career aspirations, and personal reflections. The interview format seemed conversational with a mix of standard questions about motivations for medicine, cultural perspectives, and reflections on life experiences.
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nothing too popping out
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What is your favorite song?
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Do you have any reservation about going into medicine?
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What is an aspect of the world or culture you would like to change?
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nothing too unusual
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What are you looking for in a med school?
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Musicians are like doctors. Why?
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Questions about my family. He seemed to find a kindred spirit in my mom. It was nice talking about her.
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If you couldn't be a doctor, what would you be?
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How do you compare the health care system in the country you lived as compared to the US. ( This came up because I spent some time in another country)
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Isn't frisbee the perfect sport for dogs?
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So how did you decide that psychology was not your calling? (I mentioned that I tried out a lot of fields before medicine)
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Which hero/superhero do you like the most?
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Do you like science fiction? (we were talking about relativity, black holes, and time warps)
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what do u see yourself in medicine (cuz i never thot of it)
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Why are you proud of yourself? How would you change the washu curriculum (this popped up only because we were talking about the subject)
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None.
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Of all the schools you've gotten in to, which is your top choice? (this one surprised me)
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What did you learn from your doctor shadowing experience?
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Got into a discussion about a subject that the interviewer and I are both passionate about.
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How would your friends describe you?
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Nothing in particular. There weren't many actual questions it is more conversational.
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Life/work balance
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When you moved away for college did you have an emotional struggle with a relationship break-up? (not without context--his daughter suffered from some sort of depression because of that situation....but it was still a little odd)
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Why are you interested in coming to WashU for medical school?
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Tell me more about your research project, and how it relates to medicine?
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Nothing that stood out, it was just all very conversational.
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How do you think the culture in St. Louis compares to that in other places you've lived?
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How have your experiences validated your choice of medicine as a career?
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Nothing was that interesting....
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Nothing interesting. We mostly just talked.
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What would you do if you couldn't do medicine?
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My entire interview was kind of random actually. We started off discussing ancient Greek history...
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Nothing interesting, just run of the mill questions
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What kind of music do you enjoy?
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How has your school contributed to its surrounding community?
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What did you learn from your ER volunteer experience?
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Where do you see yourself in ten years?
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What do you recommend we do to change the shortage of doctors in underserved areas?
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(1) Who would you rather vote for this candidate or this candidate (2) Why do you think youth these days aren't into political protest
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If you could change anything about your hometown, what would it be?
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What accomplishment are you most proud of?
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What do you think about the recent hospital consolidations proposed in NYC (where I live)?
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Tell me about the political situation in Mexico today (I wrote about being a 1st generation American in my personal statement).
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Do you have any reservations about coming to St. Louis?
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what do you mean by cultural competency? why is this important? why should I bother?
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What is the difference between the health care system in your country and in the US and how would you change both.
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None, they all were killer questions.
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Something like: do you think your ethics/morals or your patients' wishes are more important?
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What's your favorite poem and why? (Interviewer's daughter is an English professor and he saw that I'm currently in a poetry class)
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Tell me about your hometown.
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Why did you choose to go to NYU's Summer Program?
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Normal stuff.
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Tell me about your research. (I like to talk about my research)
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Nothing out of the ordinary.
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nothing specific
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How did [experience mentioned in AMCAS essay] affect your ability to do your work and all of your activities? (This was a good q for me b/c it's something I specifically wanted to address to prove it wasn't a weakness.)
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this is your time to really let them know what you're about, so make sure you can articulate your application well. that can be difficult if you are caught off-guard.
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What to do about health care disparities?
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Some people wonder if its worth saving premature babies who won't have a very good quality of life--do you have an opinion on this? (or something to that effect)
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n/a
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He asked my about politics and vegetarianism.
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What do you do for fun?
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About
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Most of the questions were tailored to my AMCAS application...I don't think many were generally applicable
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Whether a well known personality is still alive. Caught me completely off guard.
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How did reading the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe compare now as an adult to when you read it as a child?
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What do you think about the theory that says the language that uses clicks in central africa was the predecessor of all modern languages?
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tell me about your family
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Are you popular/do you have many friends?
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If you were selected to choose three items for a time capsule to be opened in 500 years, what would you pick?
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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Martini? (after I said no thanks to coffee and tea)
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Do you read Harry Potter?
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tell me what do you think people's impression of your home as separate island entities vary from your own impression.
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What do you like about Southern Literature?
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What do you think of the current administration
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nothing too interesting, just general "tell me about yourself" kind of stuff.
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What do you think are the major issues surrounding physician-assisted suicide?
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Tell me more about medical anthropology.
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Discuss the pros and cons of physician assisted suicide.
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Follow-up question to discussion of a class I took: Some say that Locke's writings were based on Plato's, what do you think? Who would you say would most likely agree with Plato-- Hobbes or Locke?
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How do you think English classes will help you in a career in medicine?
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Nothing that interesting, just went down my list of ECs and had me explain each.
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Do you think the learning of languages is linked to the learning of music theory? (Question was asked as a follow-up to my response regarding my language studies.)
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Very general interview
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Questions about my research
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Why did you want to stop playing music in a band?
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Tons of ethics and health policy questions regarding California, my home state.
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"I didn't get to read your file, so where are you from?"(I mean do I really want this guy to present me to the admissions committee. He came in 45 minutes late too).
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Tell me about the economics / politics of the places you've lived in.
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What classes did you seem to have the most trouble in college and why?
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nothing interesting
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nothing extraordinary
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After your college experience, what would you look back and say you wish you could have done?
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Would you like to grab some cookies from our holiday party before you leave?
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It was actually not a question - it was "I wasn't good at physics, either!" How do you respond to that?
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Can't remember the exact wording, but something about race relations in Mississippi (my home state).
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I really couldn't understand my interviewers' questions. I thought they were asking questions, but then they seemed to turn into lectures, or self-guided commentary.
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nothing super interesting
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What makes a good medical student and what qualities do you have that would make you a good student next year.
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Do you know the origin of the word "migraine"? (I have them...)
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So he started by asking me what questions I had for him and this is why my interview was so short.
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About my views on when life begins (related to thesis research)
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Questions regarding my research.
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My interviewer didn't really ask any questions. It was really laid back, and we just chatted about random stuff for over half an hour.
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My interviewer asked me a total of three questions, all listed below. I was the one asking questions.
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if you were in an interview and the interviewer had something in his or her teeth and you thought you were going to crack up would you tell her/him about it?>
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"Would you write me a sentence in Cherokee?" (I had taken 3 semesters)
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How would you handle someone else's pain?
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Is there anything about your application that you'd like to clarify? (likely bc of my below avg GPA)
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What was your research experience?
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About my research.
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The interviewer asked me a bunch of physics questions because he was trying to help his son with his homework. (I was an engineering major and have taught physics.)
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I think he talked about things that had to do with my ethnic background. Not personally, just general stuff. That was interesting.
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why do you think the US is so hated around the world? and then ... so what do you think? (this sortof arose out of a discussion we were having)
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standard questions
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nothing too out of the ordinary to report
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Why did you apply to two schools? You should have applied to more! (I know, but I hold a teaching appointment and a research appointment at the university!)
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So, you have lived outside the U.S. How was that?
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No particularly interesting questions. The interview was conversational for the most part.
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The questions were basic questions; nothing was out of the ordinary.
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There are a lot of applicants who take a year off before medical school. Do you think this indicates a lack of motivation? Do you think it might even be selfish? (I am taking a year off.)
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Do you have any regrets about your undergrad experience?
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What are some drawbacks that you see in a career in medicine?
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What books have you read recently?
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How did your hometown get it's name?
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What do you think of Kofi Anang? (Don't worry, I have relevant UN stuff, and it evolved out of another question)
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the most difficult one
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What do you think about the Medicare bill? (i have relevant things on my application; I expected this question)
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Questions about whether a doctors religous views should override his duties as a doctor. e.g. abortion
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How do you react to adversity?
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Interview was purely conversation and based on my background and application. My interviewer had actually gone through my app and taken a page worth of hand-written notes on me, so he knew me particularly well and tailored the interview around me so it was very laid back.
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The interview had read my file and annotated it! I would suggest that you definitely review every piece of info you sent in to them to refresh your own memory. There were mostly questions about my childhood (I wrote about it in my secondary)
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what were your mcat scores again? and your gpa? (shouldn't this be in my file?)
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Do you hold a grudge against your dad (he's a doctor) for his long working hours...do you feel he hasn't been there for you?
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Have bicyle tires improved as much as car tires have in terms of avoiding flats?
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All pertained to my research.
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Have you seen "Kill Bill?" (We had been talking about my thesis, which was on film)
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What's your recipe for lamb?
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What is fencing?
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Where have you been scuba diving?
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What would you say if you wanted to sell your undergraduate school to a prospective student? What do you like least about your school?
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What was the hardest thing about being a resident advisor?
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Honestly, the 2 hardest questions she asked was: 1.) why are you applying to med school and 2.) what did you do in college? Really straight-forward.
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How do you handle stress as it relates to seeing other people in pain?
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What is the best movie you've seen lately
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What haven't we talked about that we need to?
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Have you ever failed?
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How do you think the low ratio of females to males (1:8) has affected your social interaction?
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He literally flipped through my file, and just asked about stuff as he saw it.
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How did you find Japanese people to be? (I lived inJapan for a year)
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interview was based on life experiences in application, and sharing/comparison of those experiences with that of the interviewer.
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What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you?
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Have you ever been iceboating? (related to the fact that I'm from Minnesota)
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Tell me about yourself?
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Who do you think should be responsible for the regulation of the use of the knowledge gained from stem cell research, genetic engineering . . . (Came out of a conversation we were having)
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Are you aware of the positive and negative ways in which health care had changed in the past twenty years?
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Why I thought marine organisms hold the most potential for cancer treatments (part of my research...don't worry).
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Tell me about Spain (study abroad).
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Why is medicine more of a business in Asian countries than in the United States? (Don't worry -- This came out of a discussion we were having... I brought up the topic due to background)
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Why shouldn't North Korea have nuclear weapons?
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what I thought the patients (at a particular hospital where I had volunteered) wanted from me, what were they looking for
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Discuss how your time in London affected your perspective on different types of medical systems.
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Lots of questions about my thesis?
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None really--pretty straightforward questions.
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Why do you think there is a disparity in health care amongst blacks and other minorities?
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Nothing interesting--the interviewer basically dissected my AMCAS and supplementary, point by point.
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Arcane research questions...can't remember the details. I think I did ok in the group interview.
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can a man call himself a feminist? (md interview - my history deg conentrates in gender and intl human rights).
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What was your most excellent experience?
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how have parents affected your decision to pursue medicine
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How has September 11th affected you and your generation?
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I was asked about my views on patients with Alzheimer's but this was related to my personal statement
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General questions about my hobbies, interests, and jobs
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What in the medical news was interesting
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Washington University-St. Louis School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics from personal experiences to healthcare challenges, with a focus on leadership, personal motivations for pursuing medicine, and ethical dilemmas. A significant number of respondents mentioned a conversational and relaxed interview experience, with some facing technical questions related to their research or being asked about specific scenarios such as patient counseling or addressing healthcare disparities.
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The close-file interviewer basically asked to give him as much info as possible. I found it quite hard to fill in all the info I wanted to say...
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Tell me about a time you either stepped up into a leadership position or stepped down from one and how you handled the transition.
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Why did you study TCM instead of going to medical school directly?
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Technical question about my research
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What does patient autonomy mean to you?
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So, what do you want to talk about?
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What are three challenges facing healthcare today?
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How do you think your major (non science) will help you as a physician?
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They were all very straight forward
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Why are your grades lower than your MCAT score?
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Nothing. This was a very relaxed conversation. He even offered me a Coke to drink, bless his heart.
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None. All were straightforward.
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Nothing. The interview was very relaxed- we chatted about the activities on my application and about opportunities at Wash U.
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How would you compare the education system in the country you lived versus in the US. ( This came up because I lived in another country while completing my undergraduate degree)
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How are you going to deal with the pt population in St Louis?
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How do you think your experience with baking will help you in your future career?
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none, it was really conversational
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No difficult questions
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what do u see yourself in medicine (cuz i never thot of it) well i knew my intentions, but i have never really rehearsed it so it came out blundering
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If you were to develop a specific research project what would it be? (again it was very conversational and I comfortably told him that I had not thought about this yet since diff med schools offer different opportunities)
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None.
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When I responded that I would probably do research over the summer, he asked: "why?"
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What will you bring to WashU?
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none really
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How would your friends describe you?
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What three specific activities led you to pick your future and specialty?
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See #2, above.
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Honestly, everything was straightforward
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Nothing was that difficult.
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Life/work balance
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none
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Role Play: Obese 15 year old girl and her father. telling her nicely to loose weight
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A teenage rape victim comes in and find out she's pregnant. What do you counsel her about her options? Why wouldn't you recommend that she have an abortion?
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Nothing. The interviewer was very chatty and we mostly expanded on things I had done or written in the AMCAS.
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Nothing really difficult.
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Why did you switch from Computer Science to medicine? (This was only difficult because she asked it so many times with different wording)
-
Nothing really, my interviewers just seemed really interested in my background as a foreign highschoool graduate.
-
Why WashU?
-
What would you add to the medical school class.
-
How do you see yourself practicing in the future?
-
...then I got grilled over my research=(
-
How did your parents' divorce affect you? (I was just caught a little off guard; no real difficult questions)
-
A case study about a young child with sickle-cell, obesity, depression, and lots of other bad stuff going on. How would I try getting through to him in order to help turn his life around?
-
How would you go about the getting rid of healthcare disparities?
-
How do you feel about religion and medicine?
-
Sell yourself. Tell me why you should be admitted to this school.
-
Given that the committee doesn't meet until three weeks from now what do you think will make me remember you?
-
(1) Do you have any questions for me? This was after a 1.5 hour tour (3 applicants to one tourguide) and after another interview where i'd asked all my questions...also the questions are heavy into your research
-
What about your personality would make you a good physician?
-
----
-
Are doctors in NYC sensitive to issues of race and diversity? If so how?
-
What do you think is the most important public health issue today, and what should we do about it? (I don't think pre-meds are in a position to have all the answers for this one... but I guess if you are familiar with the important topics you should do fine)
-
Nothing overly difficult that I can recall.
-
imagine you're the surgeon general. how would you solve obesity?
-
What is the difference between the health care system in your country and in the US and how would you change both.
-
What do you know about healthcare. I happened to get an interviewer who was very involved in health care policy.
-
Define leadership, why you didn't do research, what does dedication to medicine mean?
-
How do you respond to challenges?
-
Discuss a moral dilemma you've faced.
-
What is the biggest problem with the health care system?
-
What would you do to address the problem of the uninsured?
-
NOthing difficult.
-
Nothing...pretty standard.
-
Nothing. All standard. They make a point to keep the interview low stress.
-
same
-
Nothing difficult. She asked a lot about my research. I feel like it's always impt, in that case, to ask how much experience your interviewer has w/ your particular type of research, to avoid sounding too condescending if he/she knows a lot about it or being completely incomprehensible if he/she has never heard of your stuff.
-
what will be the toughest part of going to med school?
-
What to do about health care disparities?
-
What's your greatest weakness?
-
n/a
-
Why did you take these courses?
-
How will society affect your practice?
-
None, really. Everything flowed extremely well, natural conversation.
-
What do you think will be the biggest healthcare issue you have to deal with as a physician?
-
Comparisons between healthcare in the US and my home country; comparisons between undergraduate institutions
-
There were really no difficult questions, all the usual questions with some fun ones mixed in.
-
None of the questions were difficult.
-
why wash u? (for some reason i couldn't remember what to say)
-
What do you think about genetic screening tests?
-
Do you think the the United States' power is declining and that China will surpass us in power?
-
The interview was pretty relaxed -- it was a fun and interesting conversation. There weren't really any hard questions -- we just talked about experiences in my AMCAS application and my plans as a doctor.
-
If you were the president of the United States, what would you do about our heathcare system?
-
what would you like me to know that's not already in your application
-
How have you grown and matured during college? Not too difficult but I hadn't anticipated this one so a little thinking on my feet was required...
-
a lengthy discussion on genetics, genomics, and special populations
-
What do you think of the situation in Iraq
-
nothing difficult
-
Do you think that it is selfish for students to take a year or more off between college and medical school?
-
What plans have you envisioned yourself implementing to improve or correct the problem of social inequality in health care?
-
Same as above.
-
If I could only have one of my attributes, which would be the most useful in life?
-
none of the questions were particularly difficult.
-
Is there a reason you did not engage in any research?
-
Nothing; questions were very light and conversational.
-
See above
-
Tell me what experiences brought you to the path of medicine.
-
Hypothetical: Prisoner on death row gets a heart transplant (cost to taxpayers: $150K). Dies a few weeks later. Is it a waste of taxpayer money, especially considering that the heart could have gone to an honest, young man with a family and health insurance to pay for the transplant?
-
Would you say that you are a natural-born leader?
-
what sort of medical pratice do you see yourself in in the future?
-
Why do you think people are getting taller?
-
why not md/phd? hard to answer b/c i didn't want to seem like a slacker.
-
nothing extraordinary
-
none really, maybe the one about, is there a particular medical issue that you follow on a daily basis?
-
none really ... everything was just about myself and my experiences (personal, research, extra-curriculars) Just be able to expand on your AMCAS application and you should be fine
-
Which issues in medicine concern you most.
-
Honestly, it was what I'm looking for in a med school. It doesn't have a discrete answer, since I've never BEEN in med school and I can only guess what will work for me.
-
How would you solve the problem of uninsured Americans?
-
So what did you do in Europe? (after I had answered three times that backpacked through Europe, toured cities museums, met people, sample local cuisine and beer, etc. I really didn't know how else to answer it, but he kept asking).
-
nothing hard
-
same thing
-
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
-
None were difficult at all
-
Dr. Barrow kept talking about his experiences in medical school in the forties and I was unsure how to respond
-
Questions regarding my research.
-
All questions I was asked are listed below.
-
what will you tell a patient who asks you to . . .(i cant remember what the exact situation was, but it was basically to commit insurance fraud in order to have some perscription that they needed covered.)
-
"Would you write me a sentence in Cherokee?" That was over a year ago and I hadnt practiced it much!
-
How would you handle someone else's pain?
-
Why medical school?
-
No really difficult ones, but probably would be about research.
-
No really difficult questions.
-
I forgot.
-
the what do you think part from above.
-
again, nothing too difficult. if i had to pick something i'd say: are you concerned about entering the healthcare field (ie, because of all the "issues" we hear about)
-
Do you know what you're getting yourself into?
-
Realistically, how are you going to combine clinical care with research. (You can't do it all.)
-
No difficult questions.
-
I was asked how I would correct current problems in the medical field (ie. uninsured people, malpractice, ect.)
-
Why I received certain grades? (I guess you'll only get this question if you have inconsistencies.)
-
If not medical school, then what?
-
What could someone say about you that you would consider hurtful?
-
Tell me about your research (my interviewer was a researcher and asked very in-depth questions about my research)
-
I have read you file, so is there anything else that isn't here you would like me to know? ( this was the first question I was asked as I sat down. Kind of threw me off).
-
Prove to me that you have a sense of humor by telling me a funny story. (What!?)
-
What about your mother? Where is she? (after talking about my father and stepmother but not mentioning my estranged mother)
-
If for some unknown reason, you were prevented from pursuing a career in medicine, what would you do?
-
I wasn't asked any health policy/ethics questions. No really difficult questions.
-
the first question was: do you have any questions
-
What is my greatest strength?
-
Do you plan to do research during med school? (I didn't want to lie, but I'm not really into research, and I didn't want to make a bad impression at a research-intensive school...I ended up saying no).
-
sorry, I know everybody writes this but there really were no hard questions, it was just a pleasant conversation.
-
Again, pertained to my research.
-
What will you be doing in 15 years? (Nothing too weird)
-
Why medicine?
-
What is your biggest failure?
-
none, it was all conversational, mainly about traveling and scuba diving (because my interviewer is also certified)
-
So St. Ignatius is Catholic? You did well there? How was it going to an all boys school [note, has not been all boys since 1967]?
-
nothing was really difficult, everything centered around my application
-
Who is the most influential person in your life and why? (Nothing too difficult)
-
What lead you to decide to become a doctor? Followed by: What lead you to decide to become a doctor? That's so weird to be asked the same question twice...
-
See above- not too tough!
-
See above.
-
What do you know about Schitzophrenia?
-
Nothing too difficult. It was really laid back.
-
to elaborate on my own observations of immigrants from various locales.
-
Same as above
-
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? (not that diffiuclt)
-
What is going to be the biggest problem for the future of medicine?
-
Nothing really.
-
None really. Very laid back.
-
What happened on your first MCAT? Do you believe the MCAT is structured to favor males over females?
-
Will you really come out to St. Louis if accepted? (I'm from California)
-
It was very conversational; I really didn't think they tried to make it difficult at all.
-
What is the future of medicine (before I answered he admitted that it was not an easy question to answer, but he just wanted to hear what I thought in general)?
-
What was the worst thing that ever happened to you?
-
same thing.
-
None really--see above.
-
Where do I see myself in 10 years?
-
Can't remember anything that I wasn't able to answer satisfactorily. Though I'm very good at BSing.
-
nothing - just relax
-
What can we offer you at Wash U?
-
none difficult--very conversational and low key
-
What would you want to say to the admissions committee?
-
Nothing was really difficult. The interviewer just wanted to get to know me.
-
None were particularly difficult -- the interview was very conversational and enjoyable
-
They were typical questions but I guess what is your strength and weaknesses was the toughest...i know its not tough at all
✅ 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?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by reading their AMCAS application, reviewing the school's website, and practicing with mock interviews or questions. Many also sought insights from Student Doctor Network (SDN) and engaged with current students to gain perspective on the interview process and the school.
-
SDN, talk to students
-
Looked at their website
-
I read the information from this website, practice questions on Interview Prep books, and had several mock interview with the advisor at college
-
SDN interview feedback, mock interviews, reading school website
-
Read SDN interview feedback, my app, and Wash U website
-
Read my personal statement.
-
Practice interview at my undergrad university.
-
Re-read my application, talked to students at the pizza party the night before
-
Mock interviews
-
Mock interview with my school's premed office, reviewed my AMCAS
-
Website, spoke to students at the pizza party
-
WashU Website, SDN, Reviewed AMCAS
-
WashU website and SDN
-
Looking up questions & advice on SDN and other sites, practicing with friends & family
-
Read up about the school online and on the MSAR book.
-
Read AMCAS, secondary, website.
-
Read over my AMCAS (the interviewer knew my application VERY well- make sure you can talk about anything you wrote), read over my secondary, studied the school's website, read the Dis-orientation guide given to applicants the night before the interview.
-
Prepared around 3 questions that I could ask the interviewer. Read about the health care reform. Read about the school. Practiced talking to friends/family. The interview here was pretty chill, so don't worry. Everyone's friendly and they just want to get to know your personality, because that's something they can't read from your file.
-
Read through my application
-
Partied all weekend.
-
I rehearsed common interview questions and read up about the school on the WUSTL website and SDN forum
-
SDN, application, reading news
-
Read application, Student Doctor Network
-
Three previous interviews.
-
SDN, looked over AMCAS, not a lot of prep necessary
-
sdn, read my amcas app and essay to washu, read up interviewer history (plainly academic)
-
Website, SDN (waste of time, didnt really have to prepare)
-
This was the most relaxing interview that I've had all season! Read some feedbacks and maybe review your application, but you shouldn't need more than that.
-
Read over AMCAS application, SDN, school's website.
-
SDN, their website
-
SDN interview feedback, read my secondaries for all schools, reviewed AMCAS application, school website.
-
This site was very helpful
-
SDN, read my application, read their website.
-
I didn't really do anything. It is true that the interviews are very relaxed and conversational. You have the ability to control the direction of the chat. Most of the time, you are talking about yourself, so what would you need to prepare?
-
reading reviews
-
SDN, reviewed information about WUSTL, reviewed the interviewer's CV, reviewed my application materials
-
n/a
-
Read up on school's website and brochure.
-
Read SDN, school website, reviewed AMCAS
-
Read about the school, SDN, read my application and essays.
-
stayed in dorm so had dinner and breakfast with students
-
SDN, and it was interview #5
-
Read the school's website, talked to current students.
-
mock interview, reading ethics book, AMCAS review, buying a suit
-
Practice interview with family.
-
SDN, ethics, WashU website (none of which were necessary)
-
I read general interview questions and looked at the feedback here.
-
SDN, went over my AMCAS application, Personal Statement and secondary essays
-
studentdoctor network, MSAR 2004-05, personal statement, supplemantary essay, talking to current students, handbook from school.
-
This site, read my essays and AMCAS, talked to students.
-
sd.net
-
This site.
-
this website and the older posts are a must!!
-
AMCAS application
-
prepared outlines for commonly asked questions, read stuff about the school, looked over my app
-
My grandma made me breakfast and I ate it. Also, I stared into the mirror and told myself that I can't blow this interview.
-
amcas, secondaries, brochure, internet healthcare sites, uofw bioethics page, mock interview, prayer
-
Reviewed application
-
Researched the school, SDN, read articles.
-
Read the guides they gave us, looked at the website, and thought about tough questions they might ask.
-
Studentdoctor.net, wustl.edu, guide they gave us at olin, guide they mailed me, read over AMCAS, read over research
-
Reread both applications to remember what I said; practiced speaking before going to bed; thought about answers to tough interview questions commonly asked at med school interviews (do research on the Internet to learn what they are)
-
SDN, website, viewbook.
-
SDN, AMCAS
-
Read over AMCAS, my secondary, SDN interview feedback, school website, school info (they give you a book about Wash U written by the med students), researched my interviewer.
-
SDN forums, school's website, interviewers' bios, re-reading AMCAS app
-
read website, thought of questions, took a yoga class day beforehand.
-
SDN, school's website, my app
-
reviewed AMCAS and secondary, read the brochure they sent.
-
Just the regular
-
read over amcas stuff, prepared to talk about research, read about the school
-
Looked at this website, the school's website, mock interviews
-
Reviewed AMCAS, browsed interview feedback, and relaxed with another SDNer the night before.
-
SDN, the schools website, and other interviews.
-
Went over my why WASH U points and the medicine brochure.
-
Website, brochures, prayer.
-
Read my interviewers bio online, read info about Wash U, went to the website, read current news articles, asked my Olin Buddy some questions, reviewed my AMCAS, looked over SDN
-
Read some SDN. Basically just went over my answers for the common questions.
-
read sdn, researched school's website
-
SDN interview feedback, printed lots of info from website, read the materials the admissions office gave us in the down time b4 my interview, talked to students, looked up my interviewer's info, this was my 4th
-
i've had a bunch of interviews, those were enough prep.
-
SDN, School Website
-
SDN, read through essays, talked with med students
-
Read int. feedback, SDN, etc.
-
Studied website, AMCAS, secondary apps.
-
my app, SDN, school website
-
Read SDN, Reread AMCAS, etc. school's website
-
SDN, reviewed AMCAS
-
sdn, amcas, supplemental, school brochure, dialogue with current students, school website, current issues
-
Re-read my secondary essays, my AMCAS, the school website and viewbook, my interviewer's bio
-
browse feedback, review app
-
Read SDN feedback and my AMCAS application
-
i didn't really prepare
-
SDN, talked to students
-
Read my application, looked at the website, talked to some students I knew, and read SDN feedback
-
Read SDN interview feedback, WashU brochures, secondary application & personal statement
-
Read over my AMCAS, extra WashU essays, and SDN feedback.
-
SDN, school brochures
-
review AMCAS and supplemental apps, review common interview question guide, school website, SDN
-
SDN, Website, Re-read AMCAS and Secondary, Read materials Wash U sent out
-
read sdn, read about the school
-
read over stuff about the school
-
Read studentdoctor, my AMCAS, the school website
-
Read SDN, read WashU website, reviewed AMCAS application
-
Mock interview, practice questions, read over personal statement, asked a million people for help, talked to 3 first year med students, etc. (It was my first interview so I was slightly on edge)
-
School website, books, this site
-
SDN, AMCAS, school website
-
reviewed my application.
-
looked over app, sdn, ethics issues
-
I browsed this website, read a medical ethics book, thought of aspects of my personality that I wanted to make sure I got across.
-
SDN, reread all secondary essays and primary, school's pamphlet.
-
Read sd.net, reviewed a brochure from Washington University, prepared a few questions to ask my interviewer.
-
typical
-
read amcas, browsed sdn interview feedback
-
SDN, newspapers
-
this website, school's website
-
didn't really, this was my seventh interviewing experience.
-
SDN, website.
-
looked over sdn, my application.
-
Read the website, studentdoctor.net, read "understanding health policy", practice questions
-
look at school website
-
read over my file, looked up the school online, spoke to current students
-
read SDN and the school's website. Talked to students that went there
-
just went through my AMCAS application and this website
-
Prepared questions.
-
I read the interviewer's papers, contact friends enrolled at the school, read the materials provided and some of the website and look at the feedback on this website.
-
Talked to myself, read sdn, the school website, etc.
-
Read SDN, read my application
-
looked over personal statement, research, etc
-
read this stuff
-
this site, reviewed my app, mock interviews, WUSTL's website/brochure
-
Read this website, talked to students there.
-
SDN, questions I prepared, etc.
-
Standard fair
-
Reread my personal statement.
-
This website, my application, secondary apps from other schools (reminded me of possible stories to tell), my AMCAS app, Wash U website, mock interviews with pre-med advisor, practice questions with friends, etc.
-
SND, the school website, looked up my interviewer, reviewed my app
-
Read Application, Reviewed Wash U website and research, Looked up interviewer profile, SDN
-
nothing
-
all of the usual and then went to the pizza party
-
Read pamphlet, brushed up on past research expreiences, read this site
-
Reviewed my file and related research. Read about interviewer's research. Read Wash U website.
-
Reviewed viewbook on the plane. (I ran out of time.)
-
I read through viewbook, came up with pros and cons and questions to ask.
-
here, wash u website, read over apps, read interviewer bio
-
re-read amcas, download research papers from labs I was interested in (not very useful, but I didn't have an MD or PhD interviewer), looked up my interviewer on the web, read medical ethics/health policy books
-
reviewed school's website, MSAR, US News
-
Read their brochure, review notes from last year, read this website, sleep early
-
usual - school website, this website, my 2ndary, my AMCAS
-
Read AMCAS app, secondary essay.
-
website, pamphlets, AMCAS.
-
read MSAR, website, AMCAS app, secondary, talk to med students
-
website, sdn
-
Read my AMCAS and Wash U secondary application, the Wash U website, and this website
-
Kaplan book, review apps
-
reviewed my app, looked at school website
-
Read and reviewed the website, viewbook, MSAR, and my AMCAS application
-
sdn, wash u website, talked with previous students,went over my application and AMCAS, read a bioethics site and a healthcare book. followed current events.
-
sdn, read appl, read the school website
-
I read this website and read through my AMCAS application. I also found information about the school and my interviewer.
-
talked to students
-
this website, wu website
-
Read my secondary application, reviewed my AMCAS essay, read interview feedback postings on SDN
-
read interview reports, looked at their booklets, reviewed AMCAS, secondary and my research
-
Read the Wash U viewbook. Talked to Wash U. students.
-
sdn, wustl website
-
SDN, read school brochures
-
SDN, read application and brochure/website info
-
Read Wash U website, re-read my AMCAS, talked to students, took the tour.
-
Re-read my app.
-
Read this site, Wash U website, my own AMCAS application
-
read interview reviews, stayed with student, looked over secondary
-
Read materials
-
studentdoctor.net, Wash U website, my application
-
Read interview feedback, read about Wash U on their webpage, talked to students.
-
Read their brochure, talked to current students, read my application, looked over my research paper
-
Not much...probably'll do more for other interviews
-
Read website and my application.
-
Read brochure, website, Interview Feedback
-
Read the website, my application
-
read the website, reread my amcas app, looked up my interviewer
-
I didn't really do anything.
-
Slept well, went for a 6 mile run.
-
Read about the school, went to the pizza party.
-
Looked at this website, Aamcas stuff, school website.
-
taking a walk around the medical school. talking to students and faculty about the school's atmosphere
-
Read the website and my app.
-
Reviewed my AMCAS, research, and literature the school had given me. I also prepared a list of questions.
-
Website and looked over common interview questions.
-
Looked at the web site, looked over my applications, and practiced answering the common interview questions.
-
Read interview feedback, read student manual, looked up interviewers.
-
Website mostly.
-
Read AMCAS, read the WashU website, looked up my interviewer.
-
Look over their website, read my own application, check this website for others' feedback
-
Read my AMCAS, my secondary, and relaxed.
-
read website, my amcas and secondary, their brochure, found a mini bio and picture of my interviewer on the school's website
-
read website, secondary
-
read their brochure, website, looked over my secondary
-
Read the school's website and viewbook, read this website, read over my application/secondary, read over my research lab notebook, thought of answers to questions that would probably be asked, and talked to current/past students.
-
read AMCAS, read about Washington
-
Read Wash U web site, reread AMCAS and supplementary, etc etc.
-
web page
-
Almost nothing...I barely read upon the faculty research. sorta collected my thoughts. I already know my research very well didn't need to prepare for that.
-
read research. not much else.
-
Talked with students, read the school brochure, interview feedback
-
read up on disctinctions of wash u and read over personal statements
-
Read their website and my AMCAS.
-
Relaxed.
-
I looked up information about my interviewer on the Wash U. website. I went over my AMCAS and secondary applications.
-
Reviewed the Wash U. literature
-
I read over my application and reviewed my ECs
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the warm and welcoming atmosphere, supportive environment, and friendliness of the students, faculty, and staff at WashU. The top-notch facilities, opportunities for research and community involvement, and emphasis on student well-being were also highlighted as positive aspects by many applicants.
-
They are very welcoming and warm. It's the first interview I had for the season, and it definitely made me feel like a good start. Another thing is that they were happy to learn that I did my homework for WashU. Unlike many other schools that don't bother to ask the student a why school question, they clearly wanted to hear why I am motivated to go to WashU. I provided my answers and one interviewer echoed quite enthusiastically to a very specific point I made.
-
Both my interviewers had been at WashU for a very long time. They described how supportive an environment is. One interviewer said that WashU knows St. Louis isn't that attractive of a city for a lot of people, so the school does a lot of work to attract students and keep them happy by supporting them more than other schools might.
-
The students are very supportive and approachable. They would dedicate a hour or more talking with interested candidates and offer them breakfast or coffee. The admission staff are also super nice, and they walk you to the interview locations and treat you like their own students. In general, I feel that every one at the school is very supportive to each other.
-
A very relaxed and conversational atmosphere!
-
How well us interviewees were treated on the interview day (the food was AMAZING!!)
-
Amazing facilities, excellent match list. Lots of flexibility especially in clerkships
-
Generally beautiful environment and brilliant people
-
The facilities and the wide range of student clubs and electives.
-
Facilities, friendliness of students/interviewers, hospital, research opportunities. The museum in anatomy lab is really cool.
-
Students were very laid back and normal.
-
Both interviewers were extraordinarily kind. The facilities were all modern and new.
-
Fantastic facilities, the school has lots of money, great faculty willing to help students, the few students I met at the pizza party were awesome
-
Admissions office extremely friendly and accommodating to students' travel needs.
-
Students, Facilities, Admissions Office
-
Great Medical School Building! Attractive Hospitals. Lots of opportunities. Really take care of their students. Good Breakfast and Lunch. Convenient stay at the dorm.
-
The students are very, very happy at Wash U!
-
The research, the facilities, the interesting and happy students, the curriculum, the Saturday free clinic, etc.
-
How friendly everyone was, that all the buildings are connected by tunnels, the playground area in the children's hospital.
-
I fell IN LOVE with this school. The students are so HAPPY, and the administration is so nice. There seem to be an endless amount of opportunities.
-
The people. Everyone was really nice.
-
The facilities
-
Some of the current students. Excellent facilities for student studying. Lecture I sat in on was excellent with students being in attendance and highly attentive.
-
The students are all very bright and interesting, really fun to be around. There seem to be a lot of resources available for students, specifically, money, for students interested in pursuing research, community, or student life activities. Students come from schools all over the country. It seems like students are picked on numbers and personality with less emphasis on undergraduate institution.
-
The facilities, friendliness of everyone there
-
Everyone was really nice and the facilities are really nice.
-
True Pass/Fail for first year. Nice recreational facilities (weight/cardio rooms in Olin Hall, Forest Park).
-
the people, faculty and students
-
school was awesome, and interviewer was super friendly
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How they treated us during the whole interview experience (great food!!) also the ppl that were interviewing were really really nice. I was under the impression that washu was going to have a competitive environment but the students seemed amazing! I had dinner, breakfast, and lunch with students and they all seemed so nice and interesting. I was afraid of the grading during the second year but found out that the grades are not curved, so it does not foster completion, but does give you something to show for while applying to residency besides the boards. The Childrens Hospital is the most amazing thing I have seen!
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All of the students that I met were very down to Earth and friendly. The medical complex is huge and in good condition. The faculty are very dedicated to their work and students. The financial aid packages sound pretty good. Olin Hall is a nice option to have, but it seems like housing should be very cheap around there.
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beautiful facilities, great faculty.
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AMAZINGLY facilities, friendly students, lots of opportunities to interact with 1st-4th year students. Also kept well fed!
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My interviewers! They were great. The school also has a lot of funding for students to pursue their interests and the faculty/staff are all about supporting their students. Low cost of living in St. Louis.
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Everyone was very friendly and relaxed. I knew this was a top-notch school going into the interview/tour, but was still very impressed. Relaxed style of interview was great, especially since it was my first interview.
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Learning facilities are new and really nice. I liked the carrells they have for the students. Students were friendly.
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Very nice and clean facilities. The new learning center is amazing. Even the food was great. The students love it there!
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The interviewers were completely laid back and sincere in their desire to get to know you as a person rather than a GPA and MCAT score The administration and teachers actually listen to student suggestions and care about their success
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The facilities are beautiful. The people are extremely nice. St. Louis is not ideal, but neither is it a pit. It actually has many diversions and cultural features for those few moments that you might spend away from the books in medical school.
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the students were friendly and happy. they have nice facilities. housing is super affordable around the school.
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The facilities are fantastic. The students seem to absolutely love it there, and the faculty and staff were the most student-focused I had seen. Cost of living is extremely reasonable. The med school is located in about the nicest area of St. Louis.
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The students seemed very happy. Wash U's facilities are absolutely amazing. The doctor that interviewed me was very kind and really did a great job of making me comfortable and getting to know me during the interview. I really appreciate that because it hasn't been the case at some med schools I've interviewed at. Olin Hall isn't anything fancy, but I it was nothing to complain of. Staying there greatly simplified the interview day.
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The school is amazing, the students were very friendly and down to earth, the program is exactly what I would want for my medical education.
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really great facilities. people seem happy and the one lecture i sat in was amazing.
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work-out facilities, got to see a cadaver, students seemed relatively happy
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The facilities are amazing! The dorms, the learning center, the lecture halls, Barnes-Jewish-- everything is truly state of the art. The students seem to LOVE WashU and seem very well taken care of.
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The number of programs! Both during the school year and during the summer. The building was pretty nice and campus is beautiful.
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Awesome facilities, everyone seemed relaxed and happy.
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Flexibility of curriculum.
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Everyone seemed really friendly and down-to-earth. Also, there wasn't any pressure to attend WashU over any school.
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The facilities for the first and second year students are awesome. Forest Park is also great, and the Central West End in general is a very nice area. The students are also super-nice and not crazily stressed-out.
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the campus was very impressive.
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The students! They all seemed happy and glad they chose WashU. Also WashU has a traditional lecture-based system, which I like.
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students were great. tour was fast but covered lots of ground. i knew more about this school after the tour then others.
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The facilities are amazing, especially Children's Hospital. The classrooms are new and beautiful and well-lit study rooms with couches abound. The school obviously pampers its students. The class I sat on was very interesting. The student gym was great.
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Facilities. Can't beat them. They really put their students above all else.
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The facilities were AMAZING. The admissions office and financial aid office were also incredibly nice and accomodating.
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the school's resources, they're very student friendly, new facilities
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The school was very pretty and the area of Saint Louis looked safe.
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The facilities were absolutely amazing. Everyone was extremely helpful and all of the students seemed genuinely happy to be there. The location is amazing, right across from Forest Park, and near great shopping, food, and entertainment.
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The facilities are phenomenal (no construction here!!!), students are so enthusiastic! I sat with a few med students and felt like I was a student here too! Amazing people and wonderfule opportunities. Plus, its always ranked top 5 :-)
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1) Amazing, brand new facilities. 2) Strong curriculum: pass-fail first year, Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail beginning second year, but there's no curve/maximum number of people who can get honors. 3) Great board scores, average is mid-to-high 230's. 4) Strong match list: lots of people go into competetive specialties and/or go to very prestigious programs. 5) Students seemed really happy.
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Great facilities, first year is P/F, students seem happy and relaxed, new library and some new classrooms, etc.
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The facilities are beautiful and the number of student-run organizations is amazing!
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The faculty(weird i know), my interviewer is like my personal hero, the free lodging (caution no internet connection or tv so get in as late as possible)
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Omg. Before I came I thought of this school as a practice interview; I was even thinking of just withdrawing because I was so sure I wouldn't attend. Now it's one of my top hopefuls. Everything about my visit impressed me. The generosity, warmth, and pride of both the students and faculty; the facilities; the fact that the medical school/center is like a world within itself; and the fact that the student body is by far the most diverse I've seen so far, with students from every background as well as every state in the nation!
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Everything about the school. All the students really seem to love it. And facilities are brand new and can't be beat, except for....
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The facilities were all top-notch - hospitals, anatomy lab, student center, really everything was brand new.
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the amount of $$$ Wash U has and spends on their students, the affordability of housing in the area, the amazing amount of research going on, the opportunities for community service/volunteering at free clinics/international medicine programs, the non-competiveness of the students (1st year is P/F).
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Everyone was really enthusiatic about the school and seemed to love it there. They treat applicants really well - three full meals and a place to sleep! The school's facilities are brand new and amazing.
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very nice facilities, amazingly large hospitals. first year is pass/fail. there seem to be a lot of resources for students to study abroad/do research, etc.
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Students are beyond eager to tell you how great the school is.
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You get to meet students from all 4 years. The school lets you stay in the dorm one night for free and pretty much provides you with all the meals you'll need.
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Still a great school and would definitely go regardless of the horrible interview experience.
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facilities and financial resources up the wazoo
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Our tour guide was amazing and she was a great example of how you get out of school what you put into it.
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The massive and brand new facilities are phenomenal! The amount of money the med center wields is truly obscene.
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How well interviewees were taken care of - free oncampus housing, free dinner, breakfast and lunch, etc.
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The way the school caters to the students. How convinient it is to get from Lambert to the school, my tour guide, the security guard that drove me to Olin for the night, the fact that both breakfast and lunch were full meals, no crappy continental stuff here. I'm talking about potatoes, bacon, sausages, cereal and biscuits and omlet orders--I like food. And lunch? I won't spoil it for you.
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I think the students are really down to earth and cool. I had thought that there would be a huge research focus, but clinical seems cool, too. The interview day was very nice.
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Everything!!!!! I loved loved LOVED Wash U, even more than I expected to!! My interviewer was very nice and well-organized, and she was the one who gave the intial info speech, so she was very helpful in answering my questions. She even printed out info about a faculty member there for me to contact about research! Students were wonderful, and I could easily be friends with everyone I met. The hospitals were absolutely gorgeous/fantastic. Lunch was great (hot food, and nice 3rd years to talk to). They give you dinner the night before and breakfast the day of. My Olin Buddy was perfectly matched for me...seriously, we were like the same person! I ended up being the only one on my tour, and it lasted for over an hour, and my tour guide introduced me to doctors in the hospital and even offered to buy me coffee :) Wash U the most accommodating, welcoming school I've been to...and they don't even have to be b/c they make their big cut after interviews! I love them so much, and I miss being there.
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The facilities, the amount of money the school throws at the students (they give money to first years after exams to buy beer and throw parties), and mostly the type of kids that go there. I was expecting really dorky students but the people there were really laid back and personable for the most part. Definetly can see myself fitting in there.
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pretty much everything about the school except for the dorms (but you dont have to live there!) the town that it is in is sooo adorable, the students seemed happy and the facilities are top in the nation
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Everything!!!!! I feel like I really fit in at Wash U. The facilities are amazing! It's all connected indoors, to help you avoid the bad StL weather. Their first year p/f really is p/f. The rest of the years aren't curved (i.e. all students can get
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this is the most well-rounded school i have visited. the patient population is diverse, the research is top notch, the students are friendly, and the usmle scores are through the roof. i encourage you to apply to this school because it is awesome!
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How nice the interviewer was and everyone there. It was very laid back and not stressful at all. Plus my group of interviewees were awesome.
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The facilities were amazing, especially the new student center and the childrens hospital.
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Nearly everything. WashU lets you stay in their dorm for free, gives you a pizza party the night before to meet applicants and med students, free breakfast of your choice, as well as a nice lunch at the tower top restaurant. This lunch is typically with a med student, but I ate with one of the assistant deans! This experience alone would be exceptional for a school, but throughout WashU makes the best effort of any school ive seen to impress and wow the applicants.
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Facilities, faculty interviews, friendly students.
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great facilities
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The facilities. Wow they are nice
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facilities! extremely friendly students! met with 1st-4th year students at different events. The rooms at Olin are very comfortable and you run into students and get to ask lots of questions.
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facilities, friendly students/faculty/staff, financial aid
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The students-very smart but also very approachable and friendly and excited about medicine. The facilities are also very nice, and the cost of living in St. Louis is low. The hospital serves a very large patient demographic.
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students were happy
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The facilities. Very, very nice. Also, students seemed to genuinely feel well taken care of by the administration. No air of competitiveness.
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i actually like st. louis. it has so much to do.
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The students I met at the pizza night were all very nice. Whoever did the match for the Olin Buddies did a good job matching me and my buddy. I was pleasantly surprised at how down to earth all the students seemed to be considering how highly Wash U is regarded as a research oriented university.
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The students really seemed to emphasize that the atmosphere at Wash U is not competitive; the students seemed very friendly, sociable, and happy; the Barnes-Jewish complex has something like 1400 beds and is top 10 in nearly every specialty; new teaching and learning center is awesome and each 1st/2nd year is assigned their own work area.
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Interview day was extremely well-organized -- they even have a pizza party the night before your interview! They also give you a full breakfast, not just a granola bar and coffee. And, they offer you a free night of housing in the student dorm (you get your own room, towels, linens, alarm clock; you share a hallway bathroom). The faculty are super friendly and accessible. The administration is so open to feedback that they actually give out small gift certificates to students who complete their feedback surveys. Lots of new facilities (the new learning center with the M1 M2 lecture halls is really nice). Barnes-Jewish would be a great place to do rotations and it's very conveniently located (you can access it from the med school by tunnels and above-ground passageways without going outside). Children's hospital is also impressive and well-designed.
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The facilities are amazing! Also, I was amazed that everything was connected (no need to ever walk outside) and that Olin Hall is literally right next to the med school (actually, they were connected).
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facilities are so nice, lots of new buildings and programs
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They have so much money they don't know what to do with it. Facilities and finaid are amazing. They could wallpaper the bathrooms with hundred dollar bills from their humongous endowment.
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students' personalities, excellent and gigantic facilities, outreach from admissions staff, free night in olin hall, olin buddies, lots of emails, pizza party
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Everything. Literally.
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the facilities are great, and every person you meet (students, faculty, etc) is very happy to be there and loves the school.
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the children's hospital
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facilities are really awesome. students were friendly and surprisingly normal. everyone seemed very focused on the students.
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The faculty seem very accessible and the facilities are incredible, everything is brand new.
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Everything! I was expecting WashU to have a much more competitive and intimidating feel. What I found was an amazing school with first-class facilities and resources, AND very normal, friendly, down-to-earth students. I really enjoyed everything about my visit to WashU.
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The faculty I had lunch with was AMAZING. He's involved in the clowning ministry at St. Louis Children's hospital and does prison visits to encourage incarcerated individuals.
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School really tries to get students involved, they want students to maintain a lite and be happy.
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I really loved this school! All the students seemed very happy and involved. There are tons of opportunities to get involved in the community, etc. And the facilities are beautiful!!
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my interviewer's enthusiasm, and the efforts of the school to recruit us. We got a pizza party the night before to mingle with the students, we got breakfast before our day, and a 1-on-1 lunch with a faculty member.
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The people are SO nice: both students and faculty, the facilities are amazing
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The students at the school. From the night before the interview to lunch on the following day, we had ample opportunities to interact with medical students (first, second, and fourth years). It is clear that the med students love going to Wash U. and have made close friendships with eachother. I don't think students are burdened by unnecessary competitiveness here. Everyone is talented, but secure enough in their abilities to help one another out instead of gunning for top rankings in the class. There's even a website where students share notes and post study guides for classes. Also, the facilities are top-notch. The newly constructed Learning and Teaching Center is beautiful and filled with nice touches to make studying and going to class very comfortable. The residance hall for students has its own basketball court and a new weightroom/fitness center. The school bends over backwards to take care of its students.
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Absolutly everything. I fell in love with WashU. The people are the nicest, coolest, most fun people ever. I walked into anatomy lab on the friday morning i interview, and every single person i talked to was someone i could see being friends with and learning medicine with. They all say they love it there. Forrest Park is amazing, their new teaching building is pristine, and their children's hospital is really cool, too. I want to go there!
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The enthusiasm of the students; they seem really to enjoy being at Washington University. The hospitals are HUGE, and it's obvious that the medical school is very, very well-funded.
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Students, also the facilities were very nice. Great FinAid talk, best yet. Very nice and low key.
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The facilities at the school are really top notch. They are building a new building for students. The hospital complex is enormous and looks to be brand new. There are many research opportunities for those who are interested, and the hospital is well respected in many areas. Rent in very cheap and students can live in a nice apartment for less than 500/month/person. There is a large park across the street from the school. The curriculum is Pass/Fail 1st year. Overall it deserves its reputation as a top 10 school.
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The facilities are very large. There seems to be a lot of resources and money at this school.
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school's facilities, faculty
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the student: the happiest, most genuine, down-to-earth and enthusiastic bunch). that there are endless funds to do research. the administration really cares about the students.
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Enthusiastic tour guide, we got to see the students interact as a group at the pizza party & very diverse backgrounds, very tight group; great facilities, not everyone does research, the school gives a lot of money to its students for student groups & merit scholarships. Friendly people.
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everything: the students, the facilities, the fact that money seemed to pour from the fountains and the halls were lined with gold. The students are some of the nicest most enthusiastic people I've met.
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I was extremely impressed by how well the students and all the interviewees were taken care of. During my entire stay, I didn't have to purchase food and the atmosphere was so supportive and friendly.
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facilities, friendly students, friendly admissions office, free food, free knicknacks, franklin park
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the students seemed satisfied with their education, P/F for the first year is good
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the people are soo nice here. I love it, the school genuinely cares about its students and facilitates a great learning experience. the whole interview day was great
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The students seem so happy to be there. The school seems to have a lot of funds and there seem to be an incredible amount of opportunities to be involved in a wide range of activities
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Tons of free (and good) food. Very nice staff.
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Um, WashU is amazing? They are rich and the students are happy.
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Everyone was so nice! The staff was infinitely helpful and the students were all very friendly and excited about being there. Also, the facilities are great and the new learning center should be amazing.
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Not too much. The day was very organized. That's about it.
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students are very happy, interviewer was super friendly, lots of free stuff :).
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Students! I came in thinking they would be a bunch of high-MCAT nerds. not even close. They were so down-to-earth and they seemed very close and happy about the school. This is now my top choice by far.
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everyone loved it, great facilities, very much individual attention, very closeknit class
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I student body and the administration. They were amazing and really contributed to my experience there. I also really liked the other applicants who were interviewing that day. Some of us got done in the morning and we were able to hang out for part of the afternoon.
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the students
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The students were also a lot of fun to hangout with. Also, the administrative support seemed top notch - they really take care of their students.
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How NICE all the students were, and how friendly they were. They treat you like you're already a part of the school, and whenever they talk to you , it's not 'if you get in,' it's always 'when you come here next year...'. They really made me feel welcomed, and the hospital facilities are IMPRESSIVE. I originally wasn't very serious about coming to Wash U. I didn't even bother sending a primary until they had sent me some information about the school, but after being there, it's become one of my top choices. The school, the people, the facilities, and the opportunities they offer are all top rate.
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The beauty of the facility, the amount of money the school has.
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the students are all very happy. everyone that i talked to was very enthusiastic. the school goes out of its way for the students and for the interviewers. they give you lots of info and little gift sort of things. my interviewer had done a lot of research on my file and was very well informed about me to ask questions. he had looked up several of the organizations that i am in on the internet etc., something that i thought reflected positively on their interest in me
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The facilities, faculty, and students are amazing. The whole interview was aimed at selling the school to us. I didnt feel like I had to prove I was capable or worthy of Wash U.
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The hospital complex is HUGE and beautiful and offers everything you could ever want.
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The staff, everyone was warm and welcoming
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Fabulous facilities - fabulous curriculum - student body very open and friendly
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People are all really friendly (including your interviewers). Insanely nice accomodations. Students are all really happy.
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Opportunities for exposure to wide variety of medicine, students were really interesting and seemed very happy, great facilities.
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The school is amazing. They have awesome facilities, research faculty, clinical faculty, and everyone is surprisingly nice. Plus, they put you up in Olin Hall at no expense to you and have a pizza party the night before interviews. They also have really good financial aid.
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The affiliated hospitals, the number of activities they have planned for the day, the fact that I got to go home right after my interview and that they seemed to care about my flight schedule.
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the hospital is soooo nice
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Nice people and great school.
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clinical facilities: these were superb, diverse, and booming. you can tell they have a lot of money. there is a mix of private and public facilities, as well as every specialty you could ever think of other applicants: the people I interviewed with were normal people, who I'd be glad to spend 4 years with financial aid: the overall cost is very reasonable for such a prestigious school
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This time? Nothing really, except for the really nice tour guide (an M4)
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clinics seem modern - esp. Children's Hospital match list
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WashU truly is an amazing school. Almost every aspect of the medical school impressed me--the extraordinarily talented student body, the quality of the faculty, the cooperative and nurturing academic environment, the hospitals (freakin incredible)... just an amazing school. Now I understand why WashU is so highly ranked; its reputation is well-deserved.
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Med students all seemed down to earth, pass/fail first year eliminates some rivalry, nice facilities and they seem to have a good deal of money
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they seem like they treat their medical students really well. First year is pass/fail... students say there's no competition. And they have much more free time than I would have thought. Also there's so much opportunity to do research. Also, The hospital is connected to the medical school, which is connect to the med student dorms. This makes it convenient.
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the extensive interview and the students
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The students were very nice and they were very straight forward with their answers, including their likes and dislikes of the school. The school makes a concerted effort to have the applicants meet as many medical students, professors, and staff members through pizza parties, luncheons, etc. I felt that I gained a good overall sense of what the school is like from these people. Finally, the people I met were extremely helpful and most of them gave me their contact information in case I had any further questions.
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Students were incredibly down to earth
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The student's were very friendly aand honest, and the interviewer (despite having some odd questions) was easygoing
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Facilities are are new and beautiful. Anatomy lab has windows! Love that is has a separate children's hospital right there. Students seemed genuinely happy and friendly - two different med students stopped me randomly during the day to wish me luck. Excellent academic reputation, extensive research opportunities. The atmosphere seemed really cooperative and non-competitive. Administration and faculty seem genuinely interested in the needs and concerns of the students.
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Everyone was very friendly and helpful. The first year students had a final the following day but took time out to have pizza with us and they seemed very relaxed and at ease considering the test the next day. The new library is wonderful and I loved the anatomy lab.
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the students are so nice. The tour was personalized-- one 4th year student to 2 interviewees.
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the students were awesome, the anatomy lab was nice
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very well organized, a seemless and well thought out interview process.
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WashU seems fantastically supportive of its students on many different levels. The administration is receptive to student views and suggestions. The facilities are really nice, and there is a new learning center in the stages of being constructed (slated to be complete by spring 2005). They provide a nice lunch for you, and you can stay at their medical dorm for one night. WashU is situated in a nice area of St. Louis- nice big park nearby.
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1) the day is very organized (though it starts early!) 2) my interviewer, for knowing so much about me and for, immediately when i walked into his office, pointing out the impressive things in Forest Park, which made me feel like he was really promoting the school and its location to me 3) the fact that i felt the school very much took interview day as a time to sell itself to the applicants, not just a time where the applicants needed to prove themselves to the school 4) facilities & the responsiveness of the administration to the students 5) The provide overnight housing for you, even if you're not Md/PhD. Thanks!
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The students and staff (especially the first years) were very laid back, down-to-earth, and friendly. The clinical tour was pretty cool. At the children's hospital, there's this great rooftop garden with a cork floor!
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academically great school, students very happy, despite st louis not being a big city
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The interviewer had clearly read my file and had good questions to ask me specifically about it. I also got lucky and got a one on one tour by a fourth year student of the campus.
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pass/fail during first year, no PBL except in "selectives," VERY nice and relaxed students! There must have been something in the water there! :) Lots of extracurricular activities to do and lots of free time during first year. Classes run from 9-12 most days with a few afternoon classes.
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Almost everything...the hospital is amazing, patient contact within the first month, research funding everywhere, Pass/Fail 1st year and all-elective 4th year, anatomy lab isn't in a dungeon, not a single irritating "pre-med type" student.
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Barnes-Jewish is an amazing complex. No place like it in the world. And while I know you New Yorkers won't believe me, St. Louis is a GREAT place to live and your stipend will go further here than anywhere else.
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The students are SO friendly; they are obviously all smart and motivated, but seem to use competition positively. They love the school and love to talk to you about it.
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The facilities were nice even though a bit older than some schools. Housing seemed easy to find. I finally got to see an anatomy lab.
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The institution is impressive. Students are not the people that some negatively told them to be.
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Everything! They bend over backwards for you. They put you up for free in their dorm, throw a pizza party for you the night before, serve a fancy lunch buffet, and make sure it's as low stress as possible.
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The students are very laid back, esp for a top top school. The clinical facilities rock. The faculty is apparently very accessible. They are building a new centre just for teaching med students (ready for 05 school year).
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The facilities are amazing, especially the children's hospital. The students, including the prospective students that I interviewed with, were very nice and outgoing. My interviewer was unassuming and seemed genuinely interested in me and my interests, even though he is quite distinguished as a doctor and a scientist.
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This school is amazing. Everything impressed, the admissions office is very friendly, the students are really excited and friendly, and my interviewer was very nice.
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everyone was relaxed--so relaxed I'm wondering if they were faking it...People there loved WASHU.
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The facilities, the students, the staff, everything! This school is exceptional!
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They really try to help the interviewees. We got to stay at their dorms for free, got a free clock (?), pen, books, lots of literature on the school, and the best interview day lunch ever. The hospital is the nicest I've seen. It looks like a hotel (and I'm not talking Motel 6, either). The faculty is top notch. There is research money lying around everywhere, waiting for someone to pick it up and use it.
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The facilities are amazing, the Central West End is really cool, the med students were incredibly nice and really showed up for all the functions
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facilities (particularly b-j, children's hospital); friendly, accessible medical students; very unpretentious faculty who are trying to sell the school.
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The people were much more down to earth than I expected.
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How happy people seemed to be there, group study facilities, administration attitude.
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Students were so friendly, facilities and location are unreal (since I don't mind that St. Louis is a bit small, particularly when you factor in that rent is so low).
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The curriculum is awesome!! First year = P/F, Forth year = Entirely electives.
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facilities, concern for academic and social success of students. encouragement for students to participate in community activities. emphasis of community role of the physician rather than as a "mover/shaker"
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The students - they were VERY friendly and seemed closely knit. A bunch of them even took some of us interviewees out for a drink the night before and we chatted about the school.
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The admissions office staff was very hospitable and the doctors I met seemed genuinely interested in applicants and were quite friendly.
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The interviewer was great as was all the staff and students.
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They take good care of the interviewees and make you feel like you are really wanted there. It seems as if they go to great lengths to make you comfortable.
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Facilities, friendliness, variety of schools (undergrad) represented in student body and interviewees
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The students and the hospital. The students border on ridiculously happy and the hospital is nothing short of mammoth.
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Everyone was incredibly nice to me. My interviewer had amazing stories! Hospitals are the best.
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Friendliness of students/faculty, hospitality of St. Louis in general, and the amazing pediatrics department
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Really how nice my interviewer was! But there were a lot of things that were impressive - the students were smart and friendly, the facilities were simply amazing, the faculty were open and easy to talk to, and you were treated well from beginning to end. I think they really do go out of their way to make the whole experience stress free and enjoyable.
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the comraderie of the students, the general friendliness of the staff, faculty and students. it seemed like a very supportive environment
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The hospital, Barnes-Jewish, is amazing--large, new, innovative, everything you could want. The students at Wash U. were also wonderful, they all went out of their way to ensure that I had a good experience there.
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the facilities are absolutely amazing, and among top schools I've seen its probably the most cost effective school
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Facilities--everything, especially the hospital, seemed bright, shiny, and new. The students seem to really love the school, and they give you plenty of opportunities to talk to students. First years have a pizza party with you the night before, second years have breakfast with you the morning of the interview, third years have lunch with you, and fourth years lead the tours. Saint Louis seems like a nice city, but I'm not sure how I feel about the mid-west in general.
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Pediatric facilities
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Lunch
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The tour was fabulous (it's very non-traditional, with a pathology faculty giving a mini-lecture). The hospital was gigantic. The depth and bredth of research is excellent. Stduents seem (on the most part) very happy. The school has money flowing out its ears. MD/PhD is ~1/4 of the medical school class, hence has a big leverage.
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the amount of money the school has - damn. the administrators are the best in the country hands down. they will do anything for you it seems. the program is all about md/phd's, there is a large cohort so you wil have plenty of friends in it with you. its a great place.
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The cost of living is EXTREMELY low.
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quality of hospital facilities, particularly the children's hospital. also, proximity to forest park
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The hospital and the students. In addition, they let you stay in the dorm for a night and have a pizza party with the med students the night before. You also have lunch one-on-one with a doctor in a nice restaurant.
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The students and the low stress life the first years are living.
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Great facilites. If you come early--the St. Louis Zoo is closeby and free as are some of the museums. Check out Ted Drews (a great ice cream place everyone in St. Louis knows about)
-
The St. Louis Children's Hospital and Siteman Cancer Center were amazing facilities for clinical rotations and are located adjacent to the medical school.
-
The hospitality. They pay for one night stays at the resident Hall..they throw a pizza party the night before...they take you out to lunch to a nice restaurant during the day and they give you a little clock as a gift.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the lack of consideration for Asian individuals in diversity classifications, the cramped and outdated living conditions in Olin Hall, the intense academic atmosphere with some students showing "gunner" behavior, and the dissatisfaction with the location of St. Louis. Suggestions included improving the scheduling of information sessions, addressing diversity definitions, updating residence facilities, and fostering a more inclusive and supportive student community.
-
Nothing. If I have to say, it is a bit shorter than average interview length.
-
I hate how the info sessions are spread out at random times during the interview week. Very annoying to keep up with.
-
They do not consider Asians in their People of Color definitions, classifications, and statistics. This is a problem.
-
If you live in the Core, the studio can be very small, really like a "cell." (you know what I mean..)
-
The day ended a little late. The majority of people on my day (me included) had to rush to the airport immediately afterward
-
Olin is okay, location overall is okay
-
Olin Hall is free, which is nice, but truly reflects the price.
-
Olin Hall (their on campus residence hall) is positively disgusting.
-
Grades in 2nd year; Some gunner vibes from a few students at lunch.
-
Olin Hall is unsavory to say the least. Also, grades in the 2nd year are not appealing.
-
Location. St. Louis sucks... that's the primary complaint from all the med students I spoke to as well.
-
A lot of downtime between interviews.
-
In the midwest.
-
Absolutely nothing. Honest. I was smitten with WashU.
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Location. Not much around the school. Concerns about safety.
-
Nothing- this school is AMAZING.
-
People usually put the residence hall here,as something about that was negative, but I can't comment on that since I didn't stay there or get to see the facilities.
-
Olin Residence Hall
-
Some of the current students who came to the pizza party seemed a little bit stressed out and appeared to be hardcore gunners. I think the first year class is way gunner but the second years I met were very chill, talented people. While I wouldn't expect anything less considering the average stats of the students at WUSTL, they should really try to get some more socially adept students to the pizza party.
-
Dislike the city
-
Nothing really impressed me negatively
-
Olin Hall didn't exactly seem modern.
-
location, dorms
-
suburban shock, but more than willing to walk a month to the school if offered admission.
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lack of diversity, lack of non-traditional students, main hospital isn't that nice, midwest
-
Second and third years are intense. I did not meet many students from those two years. I'm glad that arrangements were made for us to stay in Olin Hall, but that place has super thin walls, so good luck if you have loud neighbors! The pizza party was a little awkward because a lot of Med Buddies didn't show up and the students were more content talking to each other. It defeats the whole purpose of the event. St. Louis is not for everyone, but I can think of far worse places to go to school.
-
Minimal doctoring practice until 3rd year.
-
The dorms, if anything. They weren't awful, but could probably use an update.
-
The students. They weren't very exciting and seemed really stressed out all the time!
-
Both interviewers talked inappropriately about my race which was a real turnoff. One interviewer asked me about Mayo Clinic (where my parents work) and said, "Oh, is Mayo Clinic an HMO?" Olin hall was horrible. I slept terribly and I cannot imagine living here as a student.
-
Nothing
-
nothing, I absolutely LOVED it
-
The interview was actually 80 minutes in length -- we ran 20 minutes over the hour allotted for the interview. However, of those 80 minutes, I may have spent 10 talking and the remainder listening. It was a bit disconcerting, and gave the impression that the interviewer wasn't particularly interested in me, but I hear from friends who have interviewed here that such an experience seems to be isolated.
-
nothing really. the anatomy lab wasn't impressive especially compared to vandy's
-
Nothing, other than being in the midwest and maybe being a bit too numbers-oriented.
-
Some of the other interviewees didn't seem very friendly. This doesn't mean they will be my classmates, however, and all the students I met at WashU were very friendly.
-
Nothing. St. Louis in general is not somewhere I'd choose to live but it's not enough to keep me from attending WU.
-
stress b/c of grades, st. louis is not very nice
-
pizza party/''MedBud'' was a bit unstructured (my medbud didn't show up) it's super-expensive (though there are scholarships and financial-aid)
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The second year is not pass fail. The students seem very serious.
-
My interview was 30 mins late getting going.
-
Nothing.
-
There was only one interview, and that WashU invites A LOT of ''qualified'' applicants. Plus, although WashU is highly ranked, they did not quite sell the program well; it doesn't seem to have many unique or innovative aspects.
-
The tour was kind of rushed. I wish I had more time to visit the hospital and school because there is so much to see.
-
St. Louis isn't exactly the nicest place to live.
-
the medical students were not as friendly as i'd expected. But, many of my fellow-interviewers were quite nice and easy to talk to.
-
St. Louis, but I'm from California, and spoiled. Also, my interviewer did most of the talking, so it was hard to tell how well I did.
-
the campus is huge and my interview was a 15 minute walk. i was worried i wouldn't find it but people in the hospital were helpful when i asked.
-
There really isn't any emphasis on clinical experience in the first two years. Olin Hall was noisy and the rooms were extremely plain. That said, only 1/3 of students live there, and off-campus living is very affordable.
-
At first, the city. Not because I saw it, but because of the stereotypes I had heard before.
-
St. Louis is a dump. But this in turn translates into a better chance of serving the underserved, which is a huge plus=)
-
the interviewer seemed slightly apathetic, which is probably not the school's fault but is still a turn off
-
The students, they all seemed extremely intelligent, but I don't think I would ever want to be in a closed room with any of them telling about my ailments!
-
When I was leaving the parking lot after the interview, the gate wouldn't go up. Turns out I had to push a button to call security.
-
Nothing really, dorms are pretty small, but i could easily get an offcampus apartment if i really wanted.
-
The weather was colder than I'm used to, but I'm from California.
-
Students' lives seemed completely immersed in medicine--little outside interests. This could just be the sample I got.
-
Olin residence hall is really impersonal and the walls are thin. St. Louis doesn't seem like the most exciting place as most people were quick to point out that ''It isn't THAT bad''
-
some of the students, the lack of interaction w/ students at the pizza party, the lack of food options for lactose intolerant, the fact that i just got a map and had to find way to far away interviews
-
IMHO Olin Hall was less than impressive :> The rooms are tiny dorm rooms with NOTHING but a bed, a closet, a chair, and a heater, and even the oldest dorms at my undergrad institution seem better kept. BUT I would still happily live there if I ever became a student at WashU, I mean come on, it's directly connected to the school and nothing is better than being able to wake up 5 mins before class and attend in pijamas while everyone else had to wear coats and scarves to get to class
-
Olin Hall. Very dorm-like and not where i'd want to live.
-
Olin is very dorm-y and yet was really, really quiet sort of contributing to the anti-social rep that Wash U has. Also, St. Louis = blech
-
The city & weather.
-
Absolutely nothing.
-
other interviewees seemed young and immature, I only had one loooong interview (nearly two hours!). The focus on research, research, research got a little old. I wanted to know more about my clinical time.
-
Location
-
Location. Why is such a great school in the middle of nowhere?!? Students (at least 1st years) seemed intense. They all know that they are really smart.
-
I got grilled to the bone. The only question that I was waiting him to ask me was ''why the hell do you even exist?'' I had to justify every aspect of my application, one little phrase after another.
-
less culturally diverse than most east coast cities, not as many resources in public health (though they support you pretty well if you decide to pursue that stuff on another campus)
-
The res hall was noisy and it was hard to get a good night's sleep.
-
The dorms (Olin Hall). Great to stay in overnight, but you couldn't pay me to live there. These were seriously worse than any of my undergrad dorms.
-
My interviewer seemed so disinterested in what I had to say, ouch.
-
The fact that someone at the admissions office forgot to pass my name down to the Olin people so I could have somewhere to stay. Also, the people I signed up to meet at breakfast did not show up. Only three M1's showed up and no one mentioned anything about the absence of the representatives of the organizations I was interested in.
-
St. Louis weather kinda sucked. Indicated by the fact that all their buildings hook together.
-
Nothing at all. Even if the weather's bad (which it was), you can get anywhere staying indoors, so you never have to go out in the cold if you don't want to.
-
The residence hall leaves a lot to be desired but a lot of students live off campus and rent is supposedly cheap so its not all bad.
-
the dorms were reminiscent of freshman year of college
-
Apparently a couple of the 1st yr profs aren't too good at teaching (esp physiology), although the students are able to complain and have things changed easily. Little clinical experience in the first 2 years => not quite as good at preparing you for the boards (which are largely clinically-based, according to a student there) as it could be.
-
the only possible knock against this school you could have is that it is the location (ie in the midwest). this doesn't bother me, but to some it matters.
-
Nothing...maybe the weather
-
The school was very traditional, not a strong sence of community.
-
Well interviewers dont come to you, and mine was reaaaaly far away. But this wasnt really a negative, as it let me see the place better.
-
weather
-
Olin dorm isn't in amazing condition, certainly not up to par with the rest of the facilities. Area of St. Louis isn't that appealing to me.
-
To be honest, some of the 1st years seemed weird.
-
as can be expected, st. louis isn't the most exciting city
-
less opportunity for clin/res abroad? st. louis was very quiet, but it was a sunday night...
-
Public transportation isn't very good. A car is really necessary to get around to the grocery store and such. In response to several critiques about the safety of the subway system, I would say that you take the same precautions that you would in any major city. Traveling alone at night is generally not a good idea in any city. Oh, and this school is pricey, and they count your parent's income, regardless of your tax filing, marital, or other status.
-
Visiting downtown STL, except for the Arch there is nothing there.
-
City seems bland, and it's a 20min drive to get to good Asian food/groceries. Can't get around without a car.
-
the weather gets awful in the summer
-
Olin Hall (the place where they house us) was rather plain. The entertainment rooms were great, but our personal rooms, which are identical to the rooms students stay in, were small and uninspiring. Perhaps I expected too much, but it seems like Wash U spends so much money on new facilities that I expected the residences to be as nice. However, the location was convenient, so I would recommend anyone interviewing to stay there.
-
The first year classes don't sound like they correlate very well with one another; the grading system changes between 1st and 2nd year; the advising program is unclear.
-
St. Louis doesn't seem like the greatest place to live -- off-campus is slightly dangerous, and St. Louis isn't as much a cultural center as other large cities. BUT, housing is incredibly cheap. Seriously, you could buy a condo for the same price you'd be paying in rent elsewhere and still have money left over.
-
Not much. Some sketchy people loitering around the metro station, but it's just like any other big city.
-
...nothing...except the shady homeless people clustered around the metrolink station. That was a little disconcerting. I would highly recommend NOT traveling via foot or metrolink at night if it can be avoided, especially for girls...
-
homelessness, not being able to walk thru farrell learning center as indicated, felt like a ghost town on sunday
-
the city
-
nothing. i had a blast
-
not much.
-
Nothing (seriously)
-
I don't like all the construction going on around the hospital
-
There is definitely a focus on research.
-
n/a
-
nothing!
-
Several students advised me not to go to Hopkins. I wonder what the motivation was behind this.
-
The fact that the medical campus is 20 minutes from the rest of the campus.
-
The medical school emphasized the research much more than they did the curriculum, it seemed. Tuition is very expensive, and the campus is surrounded in part by a large industrial section which looks pretty deserted and dangerous at dark.
-
The curriculum is H/HP/P/F for the final 3 years. While they say its noncompetitive, I find that hard to believe based on this. Second years that talked to us seemed pretty stressed out. St. Louis is not a very safe city (4th most dangerous in country). One person on my interview was mugged, and a friend of mine had 2 girls on his interview get mugged (I think that is pretty outrageous).
-
Some of the students (not invovled with interview day) seemed to think that the atmosphere was a tad too stiff. They kept saying, competition isn't that bad here....relative to what? OBviously there will always be competition, but I just got the feeling that the student body wasn't as supportive at other schools I've been to.
-
st. louis
-
the teaching facilities were kind of old, but they are working on completing a new teaching center, which should be ready for use in Fall 2005.
-
Industrial-looking, bad weather on the day, Olin Hall, we had to find our own way to interviews, unsafe at night on Metrolink.
-
Olin Hall. It's worn down and not very comfortable for people accustomed to living in apartments or homes.
-
st. louis. there's nothing there.
-
saint louis isn't the most exciting place in the world
-
the gym in Olin isn't as great as it could be, I am hoping the one that is on campus is much better.
-
The residence is not the nicest of places ... then again it's really cheap so ...
-
The current facilities are mediocre at best. Luckily, they're opening a new learning facility soon.
-
They try so hard to sell the city of St. Louis, which I understand, but I felt it a bit over-the-top. Also, the dorms are bleak.
-
They can't seem to decide what kind of school they want to be. Everything they said contradicted something that was said previously. "We are NOT a research school!" followed by "We have a huge research program here, along with one of the biggest MSTP programs and NIH endowments." My interviewers seemed incredibly bored and uninterested in getting to know me. One interviewer told me flat out he doesn't actually listen to the interviewee's answers. Very nice. The school is too big. They don't want their students to do any dirty work (your main goal is to learn which sounds nice but is BS in my opinion). There are virtually no extracurriculars for the students. They claim to have a very cohesive community but it didn't seem like it. I dunno, I just didn't like it.
-
it was dark at 5:30!! sorry, not used to that!
-
40% of students live in a dorm, some of the students that I met seemed very immature, no faculty members spoke to us like at other schools
-
My interviewer answered pages while we were having our interview. Reason number two why it was so short. We also didn't really talk about me. I don't know why.
-
Two full years of academic science
-
Some of the faculty who I met with one-on-one. Also, the size of Barnes-Jewish was a little to big for my taste.
-
I wasn't too impressed with Olin Hall, which is where I stayed (although it was free so no complaints about that). The introduction at the beginning was really long and boring. Our speaker (sadly, I actually don't know who it was) was really....monotonous. Plus the french onion soup at the hospital restaurant was really bad.
-
My interviewer's approach to the interview. The immaturity of some of the students.
-
the weather was crappy the day i was there so i did not get to walk around the area too much, but i got mixed reviews from students. some said that it was a great area (one told me it was a great place to raise kids) but others said that they did not feel safe there. i talked to several people who had had cars stolen and a few who had been mugged.
-
It rained the entire weekend. My wife and I did not fall in love with St. Louis.
-
The students seemed as a whole a lot more subdued and less excited than other places I've been. The meeting with the dean also did very little to tell us what a great place this is-- she just wasn't very effusive.
-
I always get lost on this campus
-
The interview seemed almost TOO easy-going. Especially after some of us interviewees compared notes. Some of them seem to have gotten grilled.
-
Not much
-
A large number (1/3 or so) of students live in Olin Hall, which, let's face it, is a dorm, complete with twin bed and rickety closet.
-
It seemed like the interview process was too mechanized. As if, they took the highest scoring students from all over the country and bunched them all together. There were so many interviewees. They processed us like cheese. Also, the area surrounding the school is awful. Smokestacks everywhere.
-
the lecture halls are old. and dark. (they are building a new place to be ready by 05)
-
Lack of diversity in student population in terms of experiences, age, and interests. (I don't have a complete picture, but it seems to be mostly 22 year old white asians with no time off in between. There are exceptions, but they are exceptional.) St. Louis--ouch! Not sure I can live there.
-
Olin Hall: this is very much a typical dorm. if i end up at WashU, I won't be living in Olin. Lecture Halls: nothing intrisically wrong with them, they're just rather standard and the desks looked rather small. they're building new, though I don't think it'd be ready before my class would start 3rd year.
-
The interviewer did not seem to be enthusiastic about my application.
-
lots of claims of great clinical training - wish they had been more concrete.
-
St. Louis--not a great city by any measure, but it's dirt cheap! It was freakin cold when I visited.
-
It was cold, city seemed a little dull
-
Maybe because of winter, but the school and city seemed pretty dead. Also, I did not see many URM's--which is important for me.
-
the admissions dean that did our orientation was dry and unmotivated
-
wish my interviewer had been a doctor herself, and perhaps a little warmer
-
The students and administration really stress research, even if you have no prior experience. I was told by my tour guide that primary care clinical education suffers a little by default.
-
Tuition is high. Also my tour guide said the worst part about going to Wash. U is the weather in St. Louis.
-
The study corrals and classroom area is a bit rundown and doesn't seem to inviting, but they will all be remodeled by 2006 so it's not really an issue.
-
Olin isn't the place for me. But then, I don't have to live there.
-
St. Louis is even smaller than I imagined.
-
Fairly old school curriculum, rest of WU is serveral miles away
-
The medical school dorm leaves some things to be desired.
-
very little. st. louis may not be the place for me though, and that is the only reason against washU for me. otherwise, it is obvious why this school is so highly ranked.
-
The weather. It was exceedingly warm the first day I got there, and then freezing the next day.
-
orientation before interview focused on how competitive it was to get in, but the chairman also gave us good pointers for the interview and a clear overview of the admissions process
-
discipline-based curriculum in the first year (rather than integrated)...also, St. Louis isn't the nicest city (but there's a decent amount of stuff to do if you bring a car, and cost of living is through the floor). And the dorms are tiny and have really thin walls (I woke up to someone else's alarm clock playing as loudly as if it were in my room).
-
The med student dorm is a little bleak and outdated...but you don't have to live there, and housing is cheap in st. louis.
-
My tour guide was the only student I found who was kind of snooty and not too receptive, but even he wasn't so bad.
-
All the exams are crammed together, but at least you get a day or two off after them.
-
The tour was an hour and a half long, very unnecessary
-
Very little. The classes seem to get along very well and are laid back, but they were highly selected for #s, so they are rather high on the dorky quotient.
-
The Dean of Admissions. He was supposed to give us a welcome and an orientation to financial aid, but he spent the whole time telling us how selective Wash U. is and how they pick their class. He and others gave me the impression that Wash U. cares more about the MCAT than anything else and they try really hard to get students with high MCAT scores, to the detriment of other qualifications. I heard several students say, "Well, I never volunteered in a hospital before I came here." or "I never did research before I came here." or "I was kind of a slacker in undergrad."
-
nothing much
-
The down-time during the interview day! Luckily, all of the other applicants were awesome!
-
The classrooms are cold and look kinda old. More competitive school. More traditional curriculum.
-
I had a lot of time to kill during the interview day - luckily the other applicants were great people but might be worth bringing a book!
-
austere university housing, but it wasn't too bad.
-
Not much, maybe that I had to miss the end of the welcome spiel/financial aid talk because of an early interview.
-
Living quarters on campus.
-
Nada
-
I found the students a little arrogant. Also, St. Louis is a weak city.
-
emphasis on beer drinking as a primary source of relaxation among student culture; "sterile" dorm environment
-
Lack of technology incorporated into the curriculum
-
Nothing except for St. Louis itself.
-
The room they put me up in was drab. But considering that they are not required to give us a place to stay, it was pretty good.
-
many of the med students who attended the pizza party did not talk to the applicants at all -- just to each other.
-
It was a bit chilly (I'm from San Diego) and my interviewer didn't exactly wax poetic about the weather in summer.
-
A bit too much talk of numbers in the interview.
-
The night before the interview they have a pizza party, which was definitely interesting as you got to meet some first year students. The only thing that didn't impress me was that some of the students were clearly there just for the pizza and just ate and talked in their own clique. But there were students who were willing to talk so overall this was still a good experience.
-
the public transportation options, having a car would make life easier (transporting groceries) and is necesary for travel to some clinical preceptorships and entertainment options
-
The dorm? Although it wasn't as bad as others I've stayed in.
-
st louis isn't quite a social hotspot
-
I was very impressed that they offer you a free one-night stay in their dorms (you get a room all to yourself!). But, the dorm is not impressive. There is a hallway bathroom, the rooms are relatively small, and the temperature is hard to control. Not great living for a year, but when you interview, they provide towels and linens, and there's a sink in the room--so I can't complain too much!
-
some of the facilities, weather, pretty traditional
-
The size of the interview group, and the chaotic nature of the whole experience
-
the facilities
-
WashU attracts a particular kind of students, very typical midwestern working class (think constant football talk), many from rural communities. St Louis sucks as a city.
-
st.louis wasn't bad at all - but if there is any drawback i suppose its there. the med school is in a great location, and you stipend goes reeeal far.
-
My interview -- I didn't get asked anything about myself, only what I wanted in a Med School and how Wash U could supply that for me.
-
students ate all the pizza at the pizza party!
-
St. Louis is really beautiful and cheap, but I don't know if is "happening" enough for my taste.
-
They hadn't turned on the heat yet in Olin Hall and it got pretty chilly overnight.
-
The school doesn't place as much of an emphasis on primary medicine
-
The second-year lecture halls are cramped, but renovations are underway.
-
My Tour guide seemed a bit disinterested
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known to practice more for closed-file interviews, that the interview day is laid-back and relaxed, to take advantage of interactions with current students for insights, and to bring comfortable shoes for the extensive campus tour. They also advised not to stress, to prepare questions for the interviewer, and to utilize the provided resources and amenities during the interview day.
-
Nothing.
-
I wish I had practiced more for the closed file portion. It was my first closed file interview, so I didn't do a great job answering some basic questions.
-
St. Louis can be depressing
-
The interview isn't very hard and too much preparation can actually harm the performance.
-
The admissions office has bottled water available - I just had to ask lol
-
There would be a lot of 20-30 minute periods of time between interviews and other events. Also a lot of getting yourself from one place to another with out any guidance except for some directions on a piece of paper.
-
I ended up having lunch with my tour guide - a lot of that one perspective on the school
-
That I would get little time to eat lunch. I had to get my lunch packed because my second interview was scheduled so tightly. You will be eating lunch with just 1 other medical student, MS4, but its not in an interview setting. Its relaxed. Or it might be 2 interviewees with 1 MS4.
-
The metrolink is very easy to take to the school from the airport.
-
That they give this neat little care package of a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and a deodorant wipe-type thing when you arrive to Olin Hall. I still use the toothbrush (unsanitary)
-
That it's a really laid back interview day.
-
The pizza party in Olin the night before the interview was a fantastic way to meet tons of current medical students. Everyone was so friendly, and a couple of students took the applicants on an informal tour of the school and answered a ton of our questions- it really got me excited for the interview!
-
That carrying a purse around is ok for girls. ( Seems silly I know) I kept running to the locker room every time I needed to get something from my bag.
-
Having a really friendly interviewer doesn't mean that you're going to have a long, rambling conversation.
-
That I would be accepted despite having what I perceived to be an awful second ("quality control") interview.
-
The interviews are extremely relaxed. Seriously- my interviewer and I talked about how great dogs are for 15-20 minutes.
-
I wish I had practiced more
-
That the pizza party was one of the main times to interact with students
-
They give you anything and everything you need if you stay in Olin Hall, including all toiletries and a towel.
-
that i had better know my app better (which i knew), but limited rehearsals made me bleh on the spot
-
How convenient and cheap it was to get from the airport to the medical campus using MetroLink!
-
The metro link only gives change back in coin form! That's a LOT of coins for a 20. Bring some 1s or a 5 and some change as well.
-
That St. Louis is kind of a depressing city.
-
to relax and how incredibly nice everyone was
-
They have a program whereby you can stay in their medical student residence hall for a modest fee ($34, I believe). This can save a ton of money in a very expensive process, but I didn't receive notice of this program until two nights before the interview.
-
That you can't get health insurance through the school for your spouse (I'm married)
-
n/a
-
that my interviewer would be amazing. i was intimidated because he's really famous and well-known but he was incredibly positive and nice.
-
The interview is low key.
-
WashU is not very strong in general practice.
-
I wish I had believed everyone about how relaxes the interview was and didn't stress out so much.
-
try to schedule your interviews when the first year med students DON'T have exams. They're are not approachable or conversational under stress.
-
Don't stress over this interview. It's really relaxed and casual. Also, I didn't know that 1/3 of the patient population was over 300 pounds.
-
none
-
That my interview day would end so early. Call and find out what your schedule is! I didn't and ended up at the airport for 5 hours!
-
How wrong the stereotypes were!! I'm here now visiting because I was just accepted off the wait list but I didn't think I could be happy leaving California. Seeing the rest of the city first-hand was essential! Plan accordingly!
-
Beware the alarm clock they give you at Olin Hall!!! Mine didn't work, my cellphone woke me up at 7:30, so I had exactly 30 minutes to wash, hop into my interview suit, groom and sprint to the admissions office.
-
Everyone at the interview was a lot smarter than me.
-
take the MetroLink!!!
-
Apparently St. Louis has the highest crime rate in the nation. I was surprised. I felt completely safe there.
-
That there is a good amount of downtime during the day. But they treat applicants really well.
-
St. Louis cab drivers suck. Mine got lost and charged me 50 dollars from the airport to Olin
-
It snows in St. Louis! (Yes, I am an ignorant out-of-stater :>)
-
The professors aren't paid to teach, they all volunteer b/c they want to do it.
-
The Metrolink really IS awesome... I took a taxi from the airport because I got in late at night ($40), but took the metro back and it was $2, totally hassle-free.
-
That the lunch would be a one-on-one affair ...
-
The financial aid process is pretty demanding- they take into account both biological parents' incomes, even if one of your parents was not part of your life.
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I met some students who actually hadn't done any research, but it's weired that my interviewer just kept pushing me on that issue.
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In the fourth year all classes are elective. Also the second interview is just a way to get a second opinion on an applicant when the first interviewer is new to the admissions committee.
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Everything is provided for you in Olin, including beddings, towels, even soap haha.
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That there is so much to do in Forest Park, and that you can pretty much get away with riding the metro link for free.
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It was weird because the second interview was closed-file. They have this regional committee member thing that is weird.
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No need to bring your own sheets, pillowcases, or towels (unless you want a hair towel like I did) if you stay in Olin. Everything they give you is actually really clean.
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That it gets cold in St. Louis this time of year.
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probably wont hear anything till january
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Stay in Olin: it's actually very clean and it feels as much like a hotel as it does like a dorm. I brought extra pillowcases, etc b/c I don't trust things like that and I'm super-clean, but I didn't even need them. The bed was already made w/ very clean sheets and a down comforter/duvet. They put you on a floor w/ med students, but you don't see anybody on it if it's the night before exams like my night there was :) About 50% of 1st-years live in Olin, and some people from all years live there too b/c it's nice for a dorm and it's very convenient to everything (like I said earlier, you never have to go outside). They have really good pizza for the night-before-interview pizza party! If you sign up for breakfast with
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the school does a great job emailing you every detail of your interview day, so you know exactly what's going to happen and you can read up on your interviewers. thus, there were no surprises.
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That the earliest acceptance is in November
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The train from the airport is incredibly easy and 1/10th the cost of a cab!
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The lunch with a faculty member is really just that: a lunch. No interviewing involved. So relax :-) My faculty member cancelled, so I had lunch with two other applicants and a 4th year student.
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If you stay at Olin for just one night you have to check out in the early morning before the interview day begins. This means that you can't go back to your room during all the hour-long breaks that you get between things.
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Nothing
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If you stay in Olin Hall, you can borrow a iron and ironing board. Also, I read this in someone else's post, so I'll post it here again. You can walk around without ever stepping foot outside, so you don't need a heavy coat during your interview day.
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My day had two hour-long breaks in which I sat in the admissions office- the schedule could have been better planned or I should have brought a book.
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If you're not living on campus, you can call protective services for an escort to the dorm or admissions office (314 - 362-4357). Oh, also, M1 is P/F but M2 is H/HP/P/F.
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No need to bring a coat. Went outside for like 2 minutes -- and afterwards discovered that I could have gotten there without ever stepping outside by going through some walkways.
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lots of bridges, all of the buildings are pretty much connected, so don't need a coat
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LONG TOUR! WEAR COMFY SHOES! Bring some to change. I actually took my heels off during the tour (there are long carpeted hallways that you walk through a lot of the time, glassed-in overpasses between buildings and such...perfect to kick off the old heels and give my tootsies a break :)
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the amount of construction going on (the school is constantly expanding, wow)
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The tour is quite long - bring comfortable shoes.
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you walk a lot cause the campus is huge, so either wear comfortable shoes, or bring some to change into.
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that the city is really really unattractive
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st. louis has this reputation for being ghetto but at least the area around the school is really nice. oh, and if you go to the pizza party, try to get a few pieces right away because the med students come and chow down on it.
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How much I love St. Louis!!
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I didn't know the lunch would be one-on-one. But it was not a problem.
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That the curriculum was more traditional in nature, but had several elements of organ systems and problem based learning. That students do not interview applicants.
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If you're staying in Olin Hall, make sure to bring a CD player or something to pass the time, because otherwise it can get very quiet and lonely in the room all by yourself.
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The facilities are beautiful but be careful traveling in St Louis especially on the train from the airport to the school (It is NOT safe especially if you are alone, and sadly if you are a woman).
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It has the largest number of MD/PHD student of any school (I don't even know if this is true...a few students told me this)
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They're very good at providing food. The great class dynamic.
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Don't forget your flip-flops if you're staying in Olin for the showers.
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How cold it was going to be in St. Louis. Flip flops for the Olin showers. I wish I had known how easy and laid back the entire interview was going to be...that way, I would've prepped more questions for my interviewer instead of preparing to answer questions!
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it's cold, but most of the structures are connected - so a heavy coat to wear over your suit isn't necessary
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bring flip flops if you are staying in Olin, so you can take a shower and walk back to your room without having to wear your own shoes.
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Nothing ... the tips from this website were useful ... wear comfortable shoes (the tour is long) and take the metro (it's so much cheaper than a cab and the station is right by the university) and it's not a bad idea to bring some warm pj's (my room was freezing in Olin)
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Some of the interviews are not until the afternoon.
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Nothing that I can think of.
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How much I would dislike it. I cancelled Georgetown for this.
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How relaxed the students were. How well the admin. takes care of them. How freakin huge the campus is!
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that the students are friendly & down-to-earth
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No real surprises. Wish I didn't decide to wing it as much, but the admin really takes care of their prospies.
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The the students are not ultra-competitive
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That they let you know in a week by phone, good or bad.
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I wish I had looked up my interviewer before I went there. This was my fourth interview, and I just assumed from all my previous interviews that they would give me some information about my interviewer before the interviewer. Yeah, they don't do that, so definitely come more prepared than I did. It turned out okay though, because my interviewer turned out to be a 4th year resident, and I wouldn't have been able to find him in the system anyways.
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This site prepared me pretty well -- I wore comfortable shoes for tour, changed into heels for the interview. Take Metrolink from and to the airport if it's daylight hours -- cheap and the stop is basically right next to the medical school.
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Make sure you have an umbrella if the weatherman says it could rain. I had to walk outside to my interview...they will loan you an umbrella, but it isn't a very big one!
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St. Louis isn't so terrible. My med school buddy took me on a driving tour... if you can swing this, do it, it's important to see the city.
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That the pizza party was a good opportunity to meet lots of students. I had too many obligations to make it. Also, Wash U is pretty open about the fact that they tend to lean toward specialization rather than primary care.
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Your room has a washer/dryer :)
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My interviewer's research interests overlap with mine. I should have learned about him beforehand.
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That I wouldn't offend anyone if I failed to ask for a buddy. I dont't think anyone else asked for one. I just wanted to seem more interested than I really was.
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olin hall is very noisy. not students really, but construction, etc. I def had trouble sleeping
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St. Louis
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nothing - they were very good about providing all the information I needed, both about the school and the logistics of the visit
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The interviewer could get confrontational unlike what other people said.
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make sure you spend a little extra time to look around Saint Louis; it is a bit different from cities on the Coasts.
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Not to stress this interview, also bring sandals for the community bathroom if you stay in Olin
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If you stay at Olin hall the night before, know that you have to check out by 11:00am. My interview/tour lasted until 2ish. You can, however, pay to stay longer. Also everything is inside--you don't have to walk outside to get to your interviews.
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I heard over and over again how relaxed and casual the interview is but I was still nervous since it was my first one. Really, there was no need for me to be worried. The interviewer was great at carrying the conversation along and was very friendly.
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that it's a really positive place to be
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The student's answered so many questions the night before that I had very few left for my interviewer.
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St. Louis was a surprisingly nice city (wasn't expecting to like it at all). Didn't realize the med school had such a non-competitive, friendly atmosphere.
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Just how low stress the day was going to be. And, don't be worried if you don't have specific q's for your interviewer, you will be asking questions all day so you may not have any left. I wish I had more time to check out St. Louis, but none of the students had bad things to say.
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You really need a car to get around in St Louis
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how small St. Louis is
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If you do stay in Olin Hall, the bathrooms and showers are shared (on the floor).
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That there are a number of full scholarships available. I also discovered, after receiving my interview invite, but prior to going for the interview, that WashU is very numbers based in how they make their cut offs and that intimidated me.
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the interview is basically to see if you are a freak. they interview 1200 students to give 250 acceptances for a class of 120.
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Nothing, but it is a good idea to remember to wear shoes you can walk in because the campus is large.
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That the school has a great emphasis on research (75% of students do research; my tour guide wasn't into research but said she felt pressured to do it, so she did some).
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If you don't grab one of those one-day parking passes, they DO ticket, and its $20.
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They call you within a week whether you get in or not.
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that it would be so hot in St. Louis in October! Check the weather before you go--I've been to St. Louis in winter and assumed it would be cold now, but I walked of the plane into 80 degree weather
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That Wash U. cares about more than just your MCAT Score.
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Wear comfortable shoes!
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First acc date is Nov 15ish this year.
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St. Louis has a great public transportation system for a city of its size, especially in the midwest. It also helps that Wash U. has its own shuttle system that serves the main campus, the medical campus and several of the surrounding neighborhoods, and anyone can ride it for free.
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The tour is really long, so be prepared to walk, but it is good you get to see a lot of stuff.
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nothing notable
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Parking is a little tricky, but not too bad. Just make sure you give yourself enough time to find a spot, go inside and get a permit, and come back out to put it on your car.
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You can park anywhere overnight, but before 8am, you have to get a permit from the Admissions office (which opened around 7:15am) and put it on your car, and park in the surface lot. To get on the surface lot, you have to push the intercom button on the blue poll, and ask to be let in. Same goes for getting off the lot.
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If you're driving, go get a parking permit early- spaces really fill up.
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they don't give you toiletries besides a towel. sounds obvious, i know, but i had to borrow toothpaste, shaving cream, et al. again, hooray for friendly med students.
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1. Wear comfy shoes, you will walk a lot 2. It's not as snobby as people like to make it out to be 3. If you want to talk to 1st-2nd years, go to the pizza party
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As others have said, tour is long, long, long - my feet were blistered and unhappy by the end.
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The hospital is huge, so if you have an interview that looks like it's on the other side of the hospital, plan on giving yourself at LEAST 20 minutes to get there. I gave myself 15 minutes to get there and it took me about 20 - I was late (but luckly he was too).
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there was only 1 interview.
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I had an late afternoon interview, which created quite a lull in the middle of the day.
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That I would be finished in time to make it to the airport for a 5:00 p.m. flight. I ended up getting a flight for the next morning. Take the metro, it doesn't cost much and you get there in 30 minutes.
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You do not have to go outside for the tour! Do not take your coat and do not dress in too many layers -- youll burn up!
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How enormous the place is. I didn't have the most comfortable shoes for walking and it turned out to be rather painful.
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The tour really IS as long as people say on here. My feet still hurt.
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Bring a hat if you're going to go out at night! It's quite cold! There was even some snow! Gloves and scarf would be good too... but mainly the hat!
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That the financial aid is actually much better, even for people who don't get full-tuition assistance. The school is actually much cheaper to attend than it looks on paper. Also the lunch is with 3rd year students on some days and as one-on-one with a faculty member other days. I personally enjoyed talking to the faculty member, who was very nice and easy to talk to. I know some of the people who interviewed with me though felt a bit intimidated being 1-on-1. It's not part of the admissions process though so you should just relax.
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how relaxed everything would be, there was no need to be nervous (if you get Dr. Robert Packman as your interviewer you're in the clear, he tells jokes and will not ask you difficult questions)
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If your interview is in the afternoon, you'll have a few hours of time to kill during the day.
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get to the pizza party early, or the students will eat it all :(
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The school is relatively easy to navigate, especially because they give you a map and explain how to get to all your interviews, so don't worry about that. The tour is pretty long because the campus is HUGE, so make sure you have comfortable shoes.
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bring comfortable shoes, a coat, and some gloves
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That it actually costs a lot to take a cab to the Vernon Schnuck's, and unneccesary since there is a closer one.
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They give out decision in a week.
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everything is on the house. everything.
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Stay with a student in the Central West End -- it has alot of character, neat shops, and it'll be nicer accomodations than Olin Hall, the residence hall.
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Get ready to walk on the tour. This a great opportunity to get info on the school from the tour guide.
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Take the MetroLine to and from the airport -- it's much cheaper, and just as quick, as an expensive shuttle.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview experience at WashU to be positive and laid-back, with interviewers focusing on getting to know the applicants. The school's facilities and student support were highly praised, though some expressed reservations about the location of St. Louis. The free accommodations, meals, and friendly atmosphere were highlighted as positive aspects of the interview day.
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WashU is the best school so far in sharing school-related info and student support ahead of time. I got emails from relevant student groups, which I have indicated interest in in my secondary essays. As a final tip, I think interviewees should do their homework carefully and thoroughly to find something that they genuinely like the school and program
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Enjoyed my interview very much there and was grateful to meet so many interesting students and the welcoming atmosphere at the school. They have fantastic facilities and students can get support very easily from the school. Highly recommend it. And I hope I can get in.
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THERE WAS ONE OPEN FILE AND ONE CLOSED FILE INTERVIEW.
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Very conversational, stress-free and friendly
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Great school
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The interview definitely changed my view of this school for the better, however, I am not sure if I can see myself living in St. Louis.
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Pizza party and breakfast are a great way to chat with current students.
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I love everything about this school other than the location. But, I don't think the location is that big of a deal to make it a deal breaker. I still think this is a fantastic school and I would be honored to go here. The second interviewer really emphasized to me that the curriculum is tailored and customized to each student, rather than making the student mold to the curriculum. This is done through electives starting in the first year. Also there is good international opportunities for research. Other things that are good to know but I found difficult to find on their confusing site: first year P/F, then Honors/HP/P/F. There are multiple student clinic opportunities. Two of the hospitals are really close to the school. Cost of living in the area is very low. Crime in the city is high, but not near the medical school. If you use common sense you should be fine.
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Great school! If you are flying in I recommend taking the Metrolink from Lambert to Central West End and then walking ~ 5mins to Olin Hall. Go to the pizza party if you can. We had the chance to meet with many MS1/2s and they all seemed very relaxed and happy to be at WashU. I stayed in Olin Hall and they provided a pillow, sheets, towels, and soap. You can also ask for an ethernet cable from the front desk if you need to go online. There is an early breakfast the next day that I also recommend (there is no food other than candy in the admissions office). Most people will have 1 open-file interview lasting ~1hr but a few have a second, short "quality-control" interview. The interview itself is low stress and more of a getting to know you experience. The tour of the hospital complex was one of the best I have been a part of. We had the chance to see the main hospitals, the anatomy lab, and also sat in on one of the first year lectures. The facilities were excellent and there was a diverse patient population. I think most people were done around 2-3pm. If you have some extra time I would also recommend checking out the nearby park and zoo.
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Stunning facilities. Great med school!
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Everyone in the admissions office will tell you to relax and smile, so take their advice! People (including interviewers) like happy, friendly people.
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So impressive.
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Everyone is SO NICE!!! The faculty and administration seem to truly care about the students, and the atmosphere is very welcoming and supportive. The facilities are BEAUTIFUL- the study carrels, lecture halls, lounges, penthouse, gym, even the anatomy lab are all extremely nice. The students have so much support and opportunities to pursue outside interests via 4 selective courses first year and other extracurricular activities. Children's Hospital and Barnes Jewish area also fantastic hospitals, and I love that Wash U does not have to share those hospitals with other medical schools- so Wash U students are given full attention during third and fourth year. Finally, I love that the grading is pass/fail first year, which is a great way to allow students to adjust to the rigors of medical school and eliminates any competitiveness. But the honors/high pass/pass/fail system 2nd year gives residency directors an additional way to evaluate applicants going in to competitive specialties.
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The interview at Washington University was really relaxed. It's in your best interest if you're relaxed as well, and that you enjoy your time there.
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I loved WashU and could very well be attending next year.
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We were told at orientation that we (applicants) obviously have great credentials (or we wouldn't be interviewing), so the interview is really to assess how our personalities "fit" the school. I suppose this is pretty normal for interviews, but they aren't kidding around about that. However, the lack of intensity and difficult questions makes judging my performance difficult- I keep wondering did I get my key points across?
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All the students seem pretty happy, overall a pretty impressive medical school
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Very low stress interview. No "why medicine" question. The best overall experience I've had so far.
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i love washu
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Washu really exceeded my expectations. It is a great school, with great students, a great rep and renowned faculty.
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I didn't know what to expect because of some things that I had heard about the school. But honestly, this was one of the best interviewing experiences that I've had all season, and I've gone to many. My interviewer was very nice and we literally had an easy going conversation for the whole hour. They are willing to talk about anything, so as long as you have some direction to what you're saying, the interview will be great! I came away very impressed with WashU and the opportunities that going to a school of this caliber entails.
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Interview was conversational and enjoyable.
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Some students will have 2 interviews because WashU does internal reviews to make sure interviews are fair and accurate. It doesn't mean anything either way so don't sweat it!
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Olin Hall isn't that bad...for one night. To be honest, I can't remember much about this day except the actual interviews...
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My stress level was only due to it being my first interview, the process itself was very laid back and not stressful.
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I liked the school and the students but both interviewers commenting about my race in inappropriate ways REALLY left me feeling negatively about the school (or at least the selection/training of their interviewers). I have heard that 2nd years are extremely stressed because only 1st year is P/F.
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I had two interviews. One was closed file and lasted 25 minutes. The other was open file and lasted an hour.
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I was very impressed with Wash U. It seems that they make their school a great environment. This was my first interview, so I was pretty nervous going in. The interview was very low stress, however, and I found myself really enjoying the conversation my interviewer and I had. Although the students I met were very intelligent people, they were friendly and not eggheads. I was accepted about a month after my interview!
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great place if you can look past St. Louis. Our student tour guide was sortof a jerk. People would ask questions and he'd say, I'll answer that later and keep rambling. Everyone else was so nice that it outweighs him but still...
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It was neutral. Not bad, or anything--just okay.
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The night before the interview there was a pizza party with current students. The next morning, we had breakfast with current students, then an orientation meeting, then interviews and a long tour, then lunch with a current student. Done around 2.
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Three people around a table taking turns to ask me questions. The questions were mostly about stuff on my application. They were friendly.
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Hard to tell how I did with the first interviewer, who preferred not to study my file until after the interview. Second interviewer seemed ready to admit me and focused on why WashU would be my best choice. Overall, I was very impressed!
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The day started extremely early, with the intro spiel, followed by a tour, about 2 free hours, lunch, interview.
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This was my first medical school interview so I was surprised that it was very relaxed. We had a visit with the financial aid person and an overview of the medical program. They took us on an hour-long tour of the facilities (the cadaver lab, the group study areas, the hospitals). Then I had about 2 free hours while most others had interviews. We all had lunch together. After lunch, I had two one-on-one interviews. Both were very unstructured and conversational. We pretty much talked about everything that wasn't on my application. Overall, I really enjoyed it.
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I had heard a lot about how friendly and laid back the students were, but I did not really get that impression. Perhaps my interview was just poorly timed (they had an anatomy exam that day)
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I had one subcomittee interview which was closed-file and only ~20 minutes. It wasn't enough time to really express anything convincingly; she just asked what activities I did, etc. My hour-long interview with a faculty member consisted of him talking and me listening. I didn't really say much, so it's hard to tell if I did well or not.
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awesome. loved it. st louis gets a bad rep but you can tell the area the school sits in is very nice and safe. there seems to be alot to do. the students cant be happier but they are still down to earth. you dont feel like they try to sell you something like at some other places.
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The pizza party the night before was great! There were definitely a wide variety of breakfast options, though it was not the most delicious meal I've ever had. We were given our schedules, and then a brief welcome and financial aid talk. Then everyone was pretty much out on their own schedule. My interview was early, and then I had a ton of free time from then until the tour, so I sat in on part of a class. I had actually already seen everything along the tour, because my interview was all the way across campus, at the end of the indoor tunnels. So its true, bring comfy shoes. Lunch was delicious and both students and faculty members showed up. Oh! As for the one-on-one lunches, they only happen certain days a week. On the busier days, they lump everyone together. That was the end of my day, and a bunch of us took the metrolink back to the airport. Definitely take metrolink unless its really late.
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Students were awesome. Faculty interviewer was very nice and professional. He did not try to scare me. If you can, you need to take some extra time to see what the city has to offer. The park right next to the school is amazing!! there are free broadway musicals in the park at night! The zoo is amazing and free! The boat area on the lake is awesome!! The art museum is a must see! The area the students live is is shockingly nice! Just walk a few blocks north of campus, restaurants, bars, and even little shops (but these are expensive). I wish I would have explored more and not had to fly back out, I would have said yes in a second.
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I had a second closed-file interview with a subcommittee chair that lasted about 20 minutes. It was also very laidback and sweet. The lunch was the best--they serve you at the Queeny Tower restaurant. Yes, an actual restaurant meal! I was also paired up with a non-adcom faculty for lunch, and he turned out to be the coolest, nicest person ever. That was a very sweet one hour...
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WashU is an amazing medical school-facilities, students, and faculty. They make it clear that the number one thing necessary to be admitted is an exceptional MCAT. Also, make sure your shoes are comfortable.
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great school, great facilities, overall good experience, students were available all day and very helpful
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Liked the school, the students were a bit stuffy though.
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Overall, the interview was great. I actually had fun, which is weird, because I usually dread things like this. I love St. Louis, I love the school, the people, the treatment I received. I probably won't get in, but at least I gave it my best shot.
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Awesomeness... read the other reviews... they are soooo accurate.... I had two open-file, one-hour interviews first thing in the morning... great experience... I want WashU!!!!
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Overall a wonderful experience. My two interviewers were very impressive. They were both warm and friendly and seemed genuinely interested in me. Both asked about activities on my AMCAS. The second asked about what attracted me to Wash U, and both talked to me about St. Louis and life in the midwest etc.
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This was my first interview and I'm really grateful that it was so laid back and everyone at the school was so friendly. I love the school but the location leaves something to be desired in my mind.
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Overall, I loved the facilities and faculty and about half of my fellow interviewers. the students seemed stressed(but it was exam time) and a little standoffish/geekish.
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wonderful wonderful! Definitely a great school even though few ppl in my home state have heard of it.
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Overall great. Got there the night before and stayed in olin hall. Went down for pizza and chilled with whatever med students showed up. Got to talk with them. In the morning had breakfast, orientation/fincial aid, then everyone has different schedules. I had 2 interviews and seemed to be the only one where they were both open file. They were really laid back, just talking about everything and anything with very few questions. After that lunch with med students and tour with the same students.
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Breakfast in the morning with a few students all who seemed pretty nice (though the niceness of the breakfast is overrated - if you hate eggs, like me, then you're kinda out of luck). Then a quick, 45 minute long orientation + financial aid session. Most people only have one interview, though about half of us had two: the regular open-file interview which is about 1hour and half long and then a 20-30 minute closed file interview. The tour is pretty intimate (ours had 4 people only because 1 tour guide couldn't make it) and lunch was really yummy. At lunch, you eat one-on-one with someone, either faculty or a med student. I got a med student, but it was the same person who gave me the tour so though he was really sweet it would have been nice to get another student's perspective. There was a lot of downtime in the afternoon so read something (I recommend the Dis-O guide that they provide - very informative and funny!)
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It was my first interview so I was a little nervous, but everyone was so easy-going and friendly that it went really well. The facilities & hospital are amazing, everything is connected by covered walkways so you never have to go outside. The lecture halls and study areas for 1st & 2nd years are brand new and beautiful. They give you a ton of free food (breakfast & lunch the day of the interview, pizza party the night before - definitely go & talk to students!). Interview day: 7:30am breakfast with students (they didn't really push the student orgs they were supposed to be representing, which I thought was a little suprising), 8am check-in, orientation & financial aid presentation, 1hr break, 10am interview, 12pm lunch with a faculty member (not on the admissions committee, so it was totally relaxed), tour by a 4th year med student (definitely gives you a different perspective than the 1st & 2nd years). An amazing school!
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Very laid back, both my interviewers did their best to put me at ease.
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Overall, a very nice day. Admisssions staff are friendly and organized. Student schedules vary- you may have two itnerviews in the mornign, and a tour in the afternoon, or one before and after lunch. Lunch is on the top floor of the tallest building with an amazing view.
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Long but the interviewers seemed as though they'd read my file and asked me pertinent questions about my experiences
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Wash U does more and is well prepared for the applicants. They give you free accomodations, detailed directions, and 3 meals (dinner the night before, breakfast and lunch the day of the interview). Overall, I think they did the best job in making the applicants feel welcome, which made the experience almost stress-free.
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It was horrible. I have interviewed at six places and this was the least laid back overall. They say it's pretty laid back, but it was a pretty bad experience overall. The interviwer did not make any attempts at all to make me feel comfortable. I even made a joke somewhere during the interview and he did not get it even though it was really obvious, I actually had to say that it was a joke! Horrible experience overall, might have been a result of Olin's thin walls not letting me get enough sleep. I don't know.
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interview was easier than my state school interview... VERY laid back. all the usual questions, but absolutely no grilling...
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Overall it was pretty positve. The facilities and opportunities are amazing. Most people were really nice and friendly.
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Flew in the night before, stayed in Olin Hall, then had breakfast with MS-2s in the lobby. Short info session, a very impressive tour, then an hour open file interview which was pretty much just rehashing AMCAS with a few tangents. Lunch was in a 17th floor conference room with a stunning view of Forest Park. Quick 20 minute closed file interview followed in the afternoon. These second interviews are apparently assigned at random to a certain percentage of applicants to ''standardize'' their procedures (whatever that means), but are nothing to stress over.
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It was a long day, starting at 7:30 and going until 3. You could have one or two interviews, I'm not sure how much each counted so take them both seriously. Wear comfortable shoes, Wash U is HUGE and the tour covers a lot of it.
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The day starts with breakfast, then you go to the admissions office and get directions to different parts in the medical center where your interviews might be. Then you attend an orientation session and off you go! Well it all really depends on your schedule. most people have only one interview. I had two and while other people's second interview only lasted 15 minutes, both of my interviews were over an hour long EACH! I was answering a lot of questions on ethics and my passion for medicine and health care disparities. The facilities are amazing, and the school has beaucoup money for students.
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It was a good interview day. The Olin Buddy system is very welcoming. They do a good job. The weather was very sucky, though, but yeah. Oh, and St. Louis won the World Series while I was there.
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Pizza party (with really good pizzas, like BBQ chicken!) the night before, met Olin Buddy and friends and they showed me the anatomy lab and other stuff, stayed in Olin that night, breakfast the next day, info session was good, some down time (but it was spent well, talking to students who were really helpful and nice), interview, fantastic lunch (talked to a 3rd yr for over an hr b/c he didn't want to go back to hosp :) ), personal tour, very sad to leave
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Very laid back, and enjoyable. A lot of free food and cool people for the most part. St. Louis is not exactly a college town but the positives definetly outweight the negatives in this case.
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I came in the night before and stayed in the dorm (free!) which was perfect for an interview night but you probably couldnt pay me to stay there during medical school. I had my
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pizza party night before stay in olin hall breakfast morning of info session/fin aid 1-hr break 1-hr interview 1-hr break (i talked to a bunch of 1st-yrs) really nice lunch 1-hr break (talked to a 3rd-yr) tour (i was the only one scheduled for that tour, and it was really nice b/c it was extra long, and i got a lot of good info from the 4th-yr student one-on-one)
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i loved this place and it seemed like everyone else i was there with loved it too
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The interview day was awesome...first we had breakfast which was just okay...then we had an informational session followed by a tour of the medical school...then I had my interview and was really converstational and flowed well...then lunch which was okay...and then another interview that went well also
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There was one open file interview for 50 minutes which was very relaxed. We just went over everything in my application. I also had a second interview that was closed file and 20 minutes.
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The interview itself was the most laid back ive been at. We talked about my school, its environment, how that related to me. We talked about WashU and its environment as well. The only even remotely probing or difficult question was as follows: 'do you have a general idea of healthcare and its problems/how to fix them?' - if you cant field some answer to that, you shouldnt be interviewing lol.
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Very positive, friendly, informative, stress-free. I have been accepted.
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Really relaxed and friendly interviewer. I was actually surprised when it was over.
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WashU is a great school. They obviously have a lot of resources, and their new learning center is amazing. However, the pizza party the night before kind of worried me. The students there were kind of weird, and not very social with the applicants. I was worried about fitting in. The interview day made me feel a lot better about the school though. Everyone I met that day was very nice (and seemed normal!). Also, while it sounds really convenient, I don't think you could pay me to live in Olin Hall. It was the most depressing, institutional feeling dorm I've ever been in. It was fine for the interview day though -- convenience and $$ is a big advantage.
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The interviewers were very familiar with my file. I felt like they knew it by heart. They asked very probing questions about my experiences that tested what I learned, and their impact on me.
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great! she was insightful, encouraging, kind
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The night before there was a pizza party at 8 pm with mostly 1st years attending. The interview morning starts off with breakfast with some of the students (a second year for us). The official schedule then begins with an introduction by the Dean and financial aid. I then had my interview, which was very relaxed. We actually spent some of our time talking about Project Runway, which was great. We then had a tour of the school by a 4th year, and then lunch in the Tower Restaurant in the Jewish-Barnes Hospital. Overall, very relaxed, and lots of opportunities to ask the students questions about the school and get their honest opinions.
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Nice interviewer, he had written notes on every part of my app and we just went through it all and I explained why, how, what I did, etc.
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Very laidback.
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the pizza party was nice, a bunch of students eventually showed up to talk and answer questions, lunch was incredible - great food, one-on-one with a physician, amazing view of the city from the top of queeny tower
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The interview was wonderful. The questions were so seamlessly interwoven into the conversation that it felt very natural. I feel like because it was so conversational, I didn't get to talk about some things that I've talked about elsewhere, but otherwise, I left feeling good.
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Wash U is an amazing school with wonderful students and faculty. I had a wonderful visit and no major complaints about the school.
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Overall, very enjoyable. I left with a very favorable impression of the school -- they really take care of their students.
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Interview was very laid back. My interviewer said that his job during the Oct-Feb season is mainly interviewing applicants (then again, he was also like 80+ and had given up the whole private practice/clinic world a long time ago to write books, research, and be on the admissions committee). The interview is nothing to be worried about, and my lunch with a faculty member went just as smoothly. In fact, she insisted on taking me on her own tour because she was afraid that the student tour guide wouldn't have time to show me everything. The day is VERY organized and everyone was so nice. Show up early the night before for the pizza party!
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i went to the clinic where my interviewer worked, and waited for him outside in the waiting room. He was seeing a patient at the time, so we didn't start on time. Very laid back interview. Afterwards, he walked me to where lunch was held.
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My interviewer was such a nice guy. Very conversational like everyone says but not too casual. I still felt like he was directing the course of the interview but at the same time he was very receptive and responsive to my comments so I really feel like he was truly listening and trying to get a feel for who I am as a person, beyond the statistics on the paper in front of him. Honestly I am shocked I got an interview at this school. My MCAT was good but not so superior, in my opinion (35) and my GPA is flatout average (3.6 total, 3.3 science which is below avg for this school I'm sure). I did do a lot of research and I am an articulate writer (not that you can tell from this piece here...but I'm decent on essays and the like) so I think that may have helped me out. What a great day, if I get into this school I would give my life to go there.
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washu med school goes out of their way to make sure that their students (including applicants) are happy. everything from shiny brochures to support for student groups, the infamous nightly pizza parties, and general feeling of student body coherence... all are positive characteristics of this school. food and lodging were good, and mass transit to campus was easy.
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I got into St. Louis at 11pm the night before my interview, and checking into Olin was not a problem. The room was spacious, but it was a bit cold (good for me, others may disagree). They gave me an alarm, towels, and blankets. I woke up at 6:30, showered, etc., and checked out - they store your luggage for you. I then joined the other ten applicants for breakfast at the Cafe next to Olin lobby, and then to the admissions office for the orientation session. I had a 9am interview, so I had to leave the FinAid presentation a bit early so as to compose myself - I shouldn't have, because my interviewer was about 20 minutes late. The interview was very conversational, and the interviewer was very complementary - a really nice man. After that, the other student who interviewed at 9 and myself went on the tour with an M4. The facilities are amazing, especially the Children's Hospital and the new Medical School building. After the tour, Lunch in Queeny tower with a doctor who must have been my twin, separated by birth and 20 years - try the honey glazed salmon, it's really good! Then back to admissions to drop off my name badge and survey, and then back on the road.
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it was very laid back and fun. there were about 20 students there together, and everyone was really nice. plus the food was excellent. my interview seemed a little short, but it was good and i felt very confident about it.
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the interview was nice and low stress
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the day was very well-organized and fun. my interviewer was so laid back, and i got to have lunch with another doctor who was really cool. i was sort of intimidated going there because the school has a such a good reputation, but everyone was really normal and down-to-earth.
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My interview was basically a conversation. It lasted for an hour and a half and we just chatted the entire time about anything and everything. Then towards the end he asked me two questions, why wash u and why medical school?
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The night before there was a pizza party in Olin Hall and some of the first-year students took us on an impromptu tour of the med school and the hospital. It was a really fun night and I really enjoyed meeting all of the students and other interviewees in a relaxed environment. The next morning I had breakfast with an AMWA member, went on a tour with a 4th year student, had a 2-hour interview (I think that was a good thing) and had a fabulous lunch in Queeny Tower.
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The interview was extremely relaxed and conversational. I really felt my interviewer was interested in what I had to say, and he even said he learned something new. He took lots of notes and asked me very specific questions from my application, so I felt he read my file carefully. The tour was a little boring but only because I already know the campus well. The lunch was delicious and a great effort by admissions to woo us for the school. We got to lunch one-on-one with a faculty member.
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AMWA breakfast at 7:30,orientation from 8:15-9. I then had my interview at 10 with Dr. Brand, who is the nicest man I have ever met! It was a very conversational interview and he didn't ask me any hard questions. We mostly went down my list of activities. Lunch was one-on-one with a member of the faculty (I think they do this on tuesdays and wednesdays when there arent as many interviewees. Other days there is a group lunch.) I then had a tour at 1:30. Lots of downtime during the day, but overall a great interview experience!
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The interview itself was conversational and low key. I was a little nervous at first, mostly because this was my first interview and I have a strong desire to attend this school. However, the interview was long enough so that I could settle down. The doctor who interviewed my really wanted to gauge my personality and my desire to go into medicine. They are looking for people who would fit will with the class they are assembling, not necessarily students with incredible credential and extemely high numbers.
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Breakfast at 7:30, info session at 8, interview at 9, tour at 10:30, lunch at noon.
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Washington is definitely a good school that encourages research and gets you ample funding for your research interests. The curriculum seems almost eclipsed in the process, however, and it's hard to tell how the pricey tuition translates to an outstanding and unique medical education here.
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Very low key and comfortable
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I think that the school itself is great. Barnes Jewish and the Children's Hospital are among the best in the country. This brings great research opportunities and clinical opportunities to its students. First year seems great but after that the grading system seems to create a stressful environment. St. Louis seemed like it could be a good place to live but safety was definitely a concern.
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There were some problems. First of all, the interviewer was very nice, but it didn't seem like he was interested in hearing anything I was talking about. Almost as if he had a preconceived notion of my beforeo I walked in the door and anything I did or said wouldn't alter his opinion (his opinion probably wasn't bad, but feeling like the interview is predetermined doesn't feel very good either way). Also, the student tour guide was just annoyed....she buzzed through everything and said how much she loved it here, but I could tell she didn't give a shit. Another problem was that the class was EXRTREMELY Young...most people came right out of undergraduate...i want a more diverse student body. People who took more time off...i dunno, that's just me. It felt like most of the students were still in college in terms of emotional maturity.
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This interview was unique for several reasons. It was my longest interview (90min). It was the only interview where I was asked any ethics or health policy questions. About 75% of the interview was ethics and health policy questions. The AdCom seems really nit-picky. This was the only school that asked me why I got a C in my class (only C I ever got).
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I had one interview with a clinial professor who showed up 45 minutes late and who made it obvious that he did not read my file before hand. He proceeded to criticize the efficacy of MSTP programs, claiming that MD's do better research than MD/PhD's, and that the MSTP funds are better off being used for providing research funding for all MD students. keep in mind that Wash U has the oldest, and the largest MSTP program. This is their claim to fame. Moreover, he bashed the speciality which I interested in pursuing (infectious diseases) saying that it was "extremely boring". My other interview (luckily, I had two) was much better. The lady had thoroughly looked through my application. She had specific questions about my file, in order to clear up things before presenting me to the admissions committee. She also asked me a lot of questions in order to learn more about my personality, character and interests.
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Was surprised by the stimulating chat. It seems a standard question for them to ask "What are the problems with that?" after you say what you want to do in your career. (they mean challenges).
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I was interviewed by a member of the admissions commitee, many others were interviewed by doctors or professors. The interview was pretty standard but lasted a while, over an hour. I don't remember too many actual questions being asked, but just a long conversation about what I'm doing with my life, the kind of doctor I want to be, etc. I think they're just trying to get a feel for who you are as a person. Also she answered a lot of questions for me concerning the University, the student body, and the St. Louis area. Definitely go to the pizza party the night beforehand, it's a great opportunity to meet tons of current students and become nervous about your fellow impressive candidates.
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Brilliant experience. I felt so taken of and spoiled during my visit. St. Louis is okay, but the school is wonderful...it lives up to it's reputation. I absolutely loved talking to the students because they all seemed to realistic, friendly, enthusiastic, interesting, and diverse.
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they day is pretty standard - i'd say that the breakfast in the morning isn't very necessary, you'll get opportunities to talk to students at lunch anyway. i didn't go to the pizza party, but i had friends in STL so i didn't feel like socializing with other applicants was that important. overall, it's not a bad place, it's a pretty relaxing interview day and the education, allegedly, is top-notch. i've seen more impressive hospital facilities but Barnes-Jewish and its associated hospitals is definitely pretty huge. how this actually translates into your med school experience, i can't say, but it probably won't suffer for a lack of opportunities, if you look for them. maybe i'm just tired of interviewing, since this is my fifth, but i didn't get that great of a vibe from washU, although i'd be more than happy to get accepted.
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Overall the experience was amazing. The students are so nice, and you get to talk to a variety of them. They clearly love to be here and care to show it to the prospective students. The stay at Olin was great, it's good to know people or having something to do in your down time, I encourage you to not sit in your room and just be lonely. The whole day went by smoothly, there was about an hour of downtime between the tour and lunch so I went to the library to use the computers, you can attend classes and check out the facilities. Interview was very relaxed, it was all about getting to know who I was, and using the amcas application as a guide.
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All in all a very positive experience. Every effort was made to make students feel welcome and relaxed :)
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Pretty standard interview day.
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I got "lucky" with two interviews; one of the interviewers was new to the committee, so they were double checking her, I think. Anyway, the whole day is great, especially the amount of student interaction.
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This school is totally bizarre. They have absolutely no idea what kind of institution they want to be. They contradicted themselves at every possible moment. They claimed they weren't a research institution, but then boasted about their top notch research program (claimed it was one of the best in the nation). They told us flat out that the US News and World Report rankings really dont mean much, yet thet used EVERY opportunity to tell you that they were a top 3 school. No one (students, faculty, staff) seemed excited about the school AT ALL. There was no effort made to sell the school. In fact, both my interviewers made reference to how you could get a great medical education at so many other schools, right after they proceeded to bash Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, etc. My interviewers seemed bored. They had no interest in being there. One had absolutely no personality, the other just lectured me and didn't give me an opportunity to answer questions. The whole day was just weird. I tried so hard to find the positive side of this place, but I came up empty. I left with a migraine. The Gateway Arch is awesome though. Definitely check it out.
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read above
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My expectations of WUSTL & of ST. Louis were completely shattered -- I really like what I saw of the city & of the school. No one was stuck-up like I had read; if anything, it was too far in the opposite -- some of the students that I met seemed not to take any of it seriously.
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I had a really good experience overall despite my interview. Even though it was short, he asked me to come around the hospital with him when he was doing rounds and meeting up with his residents and fellows. I thought that was kind of unique and interesting. The people are great. The administration was great.
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Very positive
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They take care of all your travel arrangements, and you get to stay at, probably, the nicest hotel in St. Louis. They keep you pretty busy, but you'll have a little downtime in the evenings. The interview day, Friday, comprises several one-on-one faculty interviews, a one-on-many committee interview, and a "wrap-up" with a committee member - a supposed chance to save yourself if you blew the committee interview.
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The interview was really nice. I had mine in the afternoon, so I got to St. Louis the night before, went to the pizza party, stayed in a room in Olin Hall, and then the next day had breakfast, went to an intro/financial aid presentation, went on a tour with a 4th year med student, had lunch with another 4th year med student, and then had an interview with a 4th year resident. The actually interview was really laid-back. My interviewer didn't ask me questions like 'so, why do you want to be a doctor?' or 'tell me about HMOs'. He was just like, 'so what do you like to do for fun?' or 'how do you like St. Louis?' and the conversation just went off from there. He asked a bit about my research, and I was really impressed that he was actually interested in the topic/the actual research instead of what my role was in the project. Overall, I really appreciated the fact that he didn't pound me with the usual, mundane questions that you get asked at every interview.
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Washington U. seems to go out of their way to show that they want you. The free night's stay in Olin, the pizza party, pairing you with a "buddy" (a first year) who has similar interests to you, the breakfast, the lunch with a faculty member (not your interviewer), the tour. I had a very nice impression of the school. However . . . my interview was terrible. I don't think I was terrible in it -- I was calm and articulate. But my interviewer opened with "What do you want to talk about?" NOT "Tell me about yourself" (which is easy!) but "What do you want to talk about?" How awkward! I thought I was here to talk about myself but do I really WANT to talk about myself? In retrospect, I should have said, "This is my first medical school interview. You have so much more experience at this than I do -- could guide me as to what you think would be helpful to you, to me?" But I didn't say that. I wound up asking him the questions. What did he think of his time at Wash U (he went to school there)? How did he choose his specialty? etc. I don't know, maybe he'll think it was a great interview because he got to talk about himself. I believe that he had not read my file -- however, I put that the interview was open file because he had the file in front of him and so he could have read it. I doubt it. There are some very strange elements in my application and I can't believe that, if he had read it, he wouldn't have asked me about them. He was very nice but totally uninterested in me. I'll admit it -- I was (and am) pissed off. I am poor, I spend money to fly for an interview because the school expressed an interest in me -- I'd at least like someone to fake that they are interested in my story (which, as I said, before, is a very bizarre one). Ah, well. Live and learn. I'll never let that happen to me again. I don't think the guy set a trap for me -- I think that (1) he didn't know anything about me and didn't want to expose his ignorance and (2) he thought his not asking questions made it a stress-free interview. NOT!
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I thought that Wash U did a great job presenting themselves and making you feel that they were interested in you as an applicant and a potential student. this school has a huge endowment and they seem to use it well. there is construction going on everywhere, and their financial aid packages seem to be really impressive. the students were very happy and enthusiastic. i got mixed reviews on the area (see below), but overall it seemed like an excellent place.
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The interview was very enjoyable. It lasted almost an hour and a half and was mostly conversational. I was able to talk about what I wanted him to know about me. Several times he allowed me to initiate the conversation. Just know your application and answer questions honestly and you will do fine.
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Everyone was just too quiet and not so very interesting. They just didn't have that much to tell me. I couldn't see myself there, but that's a personal opinion.
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Overall it was very relaxed. Again, I emphasize how great the staff and the students are at WashU. Everyone is happy and willing to help. I like it!
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It was very easygoing. The interviewer seemed to already have a good impression of me and seemed to ask questions to simply confirm it. Then he spent the rest of the time telling me historical medical anecdotes. The breakfast, orientation, tour and lunch meetings were great. Everyone was very helpful.
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Make sure you have your research spiel down (what did I do, significance, etc.), everyone will ask you about it. Do not BS, you have limits and make sure you acknowledge them. Many of your interviews are like conversations, so the more you know about your interviewer's research, the easier it is.
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I was extremely impressed with Wash U. The interview was very low-stress, lots of just chatting about stuff that was only marginally related to med school. We talked for about an hour, which made me late to lunch, but it was worth it.
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Terrific
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Washington U. has a great reputation (probably for a good reason), but they don't seem to have any soul. They just want to get the smartest kids together without giving much thought to having a real mission statement. You could just feel that you were surrounded by a bunch of nerds. Granted med students are all a bit nerdy, it was just wierd there. They didn't seem to care about who we were. The dean gave a phony explanation as to why they only do one interview vs. two. I think that they just care about what's on paper and not what's in your mind or your heart. My interview was very nice but very short.
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overall I liked it a lot. the interviews were low key and people were very friendly, esp as wash u gives you so many free meals etc.
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Relaxed Friendly.
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WashU certainly seems entitled to their reputation as a top school. The clinical facilities are better than most every I've seen while interviewing. The interview day goes from around 8 till 3, but it's rather loosely structured. You'll probably have some free time to wander about and sit in on lectures. You only get 1 interview and it's open-file. Mine was very stress-free. My interviewer seemed intent on mainly seeing how I communicate my ideas, and never even grilled me on why I haven't done research. I got the impression she simply wanted to see how I'd fit into the WashU "family." You can also tell that WashU realizes they're competing with the schools on the coasts, and I think they make a good sell. St. Louis seemed like a very liveable city to me, with enough stuff to do. They were also nice enough to let us know that us late interviewees still had a shot at acceptances, not just waitlist position.
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It was not the best interview experience I had. The interviwer, who is an administrator, lectured me on why I should apply to 10 different medical schools instead of just two. The interviewer also questioned my volunteer and patient contact experience. Overall, if you don't like me in the first place, then why invite me to fly over to St. Louis for an interview!?
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interviews were very conversational - always nice to talk about oneself. Student pizza night was useful. stay in Olin Hall to get a better sense of student life!
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The faculty that runs the interview process are extremely welcoming, my interviewer was extremely polite and carried the conversation very well.
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Overall, its hard to judge how the interviews went. It is true about the unstressful interviews. They were very conversational. The interviewers were extremely nice and even walked me to my next session to make sure I got there ok. Also, you practically don't have to pay for any food--I had dinner, breakfast, and lunch all provided to me.
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the interview barely asked anything. we just chatted about st. louis, research, and american airlines.
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Night before: Free pizza & accomodation Day of: Breakfast, orientation, interview, lunch, tour
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conversational, some odd questions, no ethics questions
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Interviewer was very friendly. Asked all the basic interview questions about my extracurriculars, majors, family, experiences, etc. Wanted to know how I became interested in medicine and asked a few general medical ethics questions (nothing too difficult). When she found out I was staying that night in St. Louis, she gave me lots of recommendations on things to do in the city. Part of the interview was more conversational where we discussed books, interests, etc.
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I was pleasantly surprised by the entire day. It was my first interview so I was nervous, but there was absolutely no need to be. My interview was almost 2 hours long, but it didn't seem to be long at all. I was simply having a nice conversation with him and I didn't even think he asked me any questions, that's how well things flowed. I was very happy and would love to go to Wash U.