Oregon Health & Sciences University School of Medicine

🙂

How did the interview impress you?

Positively 🙂

What was the stress level of the interview?

7 / 10

0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress

What are your general comments?

We checked in at 7:45 -- like practically the crack of dawn. The admissions lady gave a little spiel. She was really nice, and then we all went to our interviews - most people had one at 11 and one at 2 or so --> I had three (combined degree) and they were at 9, 10, and 11 ack! The first guy was really cool - he said he could clearly tell why I wanted to be a doctor from my app(they get everything but the grades and scores) so I dodged that frustratingly long answer. We talked about his art and he said he had no problems with me or my app (rock on!). The second guy was the MPH person - an epidemiologist, he was scary and grilled me for like 35 minutes and then proceeded to go over the MPH program in excrutiating detail and leaving me 2 minutes to get to my third person. Luckily my third person was later than me and I looked on-time. He was a super touchy-feely nice family practice guy and we had a good coversation about universal healthcare and the need for improved federal programs - but he was also the guy that at the end of the interview asked me about cutting (see below) just completely randomly --> he said he knew nothing about it but wanted to know my opinion -- it was a little weird but ok. The student lunch after the marathon interviews was awesom as the med students they had were nice and super informative.

Interview questions they asked

Why do you want to be a doctor? (the third guy)

I was asked this too

What was the most interesting question?

What is your opion on cutting? (the public health issue - people cutting themselves based on emotional distress)

I was asked this too

What was the most difficult question?

What is the difference between a room full of qualified MD's and MPH's and a room full of qualified MD/MPH's (what can one group accomplish the other couldn't)

I was asked this too

How did you prepare for the interview?

talked to an advisor, talked to med student friends, wrote an answer outline (points I wanted to hit etc.)

What impressed you positively?

curriculum is super flexible - all the students seemed really happy, and cost of living rocks

What impressed you negatively?

cost of tuition... there is practically no student body diversity

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

the campus is smaller but more confusing than I realized - they give you a list of interviewers and send you out... it is a bit nerve-wracking (the fear of getting lost on your way to an interview)