Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

🙂

How did the interview impress you?

Positively 🙂

What was the stress level of the interview?

1 / 10

0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress

What are your general comments?

I really enjoyed my day at Vanderbilt. The campus and facilities are what one would expect from a school with such a reputation. The administration/students seemed to focus on interviewees as individuals rather than just one of many faces coming through that day. I think Vanderbilt's curriculum is a significant strength. Through the Emphasis program and electives beginning the first year, I get the sense that students at Vandy are encouraged to go beyond accumulating the knowledge that the administration/boards say a student should know; they are encouraged to incorporate their own interests and goals into their education to make the basic science years more than just a series of required classes, but an opportunity for students to begin to shape who they want to become as physicians.

Interview questions they asked

You were a non-science major. How did some of your non-science classes relate to the field of medicine?

I was asked this too

What was the most interesting question?

A question that was really more in the form of a discussion of the role of alternative medicine in the US healthcare system.

I was asked this too

How did you prepare for the interview?

Vandy website, SDN, read over my application

What impressed you positively?

The facilities, their new Emphasis program, the friendliness of students and administration. Also, my interviewer directed the session such that we were having a conversation as opposed to a series of disjointed question-answer sets. I felt like he didn't come into the day with an agenda set of exactly what he wanted to know. Instead, he came prepared to listen and get a sense for who I am via a conversation focused on various life/global/medicine related issues.

What impressed you negatively?

The presentation by administrators did not go into much depth, but on the other hand, they were very willing to take the time to answer questions one-on-one.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

Vanderbilt really is its own community, so if you really want to get a feel for Nashville, you will need to drive/rent a car or pay for a cab to take you around.