Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

🙂

How did the interview impress you?

Positively 🙂

What was the stress level of the interview?

2 / 10

0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress

How you think you did?

8 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

What are your general comments?

Bring something to read and eat, because you will have a little down time b/t interviews. This is a comprehensive but no-frills interview process. You will have to find your way to your interview rooms (unless you are lucky enough to have a student take you), there is no breakfast/lunch set up for you and you are pretty much on your own...but this all probably goes hand in hand with being a self directed learner, which they stress. The interviews are relaxed and stress free. Both of my interviews, one with a student and another with a faculty member who was also an alumni, were more of a casual conversation where they tried to get to know me on a more personal level. They did their best to put me at ease and make me feel comfortable. I stayed at the Best Inn, located 3 blocks from the school. You can go to orbitz and reserve a room for $32...it is not a high class hotel, but it definatley works if you don't want to spend a lot of money.

Interview questions they asked

What small group settings have you worked in? (PBL)

I was asked this too

What was the most interesting question?

Tell me about your family

I was asked this too

What was the most difficult question?

Why Illinois? (I had a different state residency last year)

I was asked this too

How did you prepare for the interview?

SDN, AMCAS application, SIU website, researched my interviewers (you will know who they are weeks ahead of time) and PBL, talked to some students from the school

What impressed you positively?

small class size, low stress/ family-like enviroment, PBL sound like a great learning method (especially for part 2 of the new USMLE), low cost, exposure to patients from the first week

What impressed you negatively?

first year in Carbondale (but all of the students said it was wonderful)

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

I'm glad I did a little research about the PBL system. The only questions that could throw you during the interview relate to the PBL system and how you would fit in.