University of Massachusetts T. H. Chan Medical School

🙂

How did the interview impress you?

Positively 🙂

What was the stress level of the interview?

4 / 10

0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress

How you think you did?

6 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

What are your general comments?

Overall it was a somewhat positive and low stress day. Of 6 interviews, only 3 were difficult. Everyone was super-nice and there seems to be a very collaborative environment built around the whole institution. Bring your walking shoes, cause you'll be trekking all over the campus, which was fun in the Worcester winter weather. Don't pass up this gem of a school because it's not in Boston. If you have any doubts about Worcester, it's a great city to live in on the med student's budget. Some of the Mud Phuds even bought houses with their cushy $24k stipends.

Interview questions they asked

So, tell me about yourself...(They mostly want to get to know the person behind the AMCAS and secondary...paper only tells so much)

I was asked this too

What was the most interesting question?

You're sitting in my chair, what do you ask an MD/PhD candidate to show you that they are the one who you'd like to put into your program?

I was asked this too

What was the most difficult question?

8-10 years from now, your wife who is pregnant with your second child asks you why you're doing your stupid research when you could make so much more money to support your family in a clinical practice. What do you say?

I was asked this too

How did you prepare for the interview?

SDN (the one MD/PhD posting), School's webpage, practice interviews, reviewed research

What impressed you positively?

The new research building and the HUGE amount of funding that the school is drawing from NIH grants and pumping into research. They've really built up what appears to be a solid program with a strong committment.

What impressed you negatively?

Honestly, the fact that everything was so rushed over and that there wasn't more time to spend with the six interviewers and exploring the school and research facilities.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

That UMass Worcester serves as the main health care system for everything west of 495.