Oregon Health & Sciences University School of Medicine

😐

How did the interview impress you?

No change 😐

What was the stress level of the interview?

8 / 10

0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress

How you think you did?

5 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

10 / 10

0 = Below, 10 = Above

How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?

9 / 10

0 = Below, 10 = Above

What are your general comments?

Don’t be fooled by the interview process. This is a great school. The interviewers have your file minus your MCAT scores and grades.

Interview questions they asked

How did you go from being an engineer to being here?

I was asked this too

What was the most interesting question?

How were your leadership experiences different between working with your peers and leading enlisted troops?

I was asked this too

What was the most difficult question?

Explain how you are well-rounded.

I was asked this too

How did you prepare for the interview?

I read this Web site, newspapers, NIH MedLine Plus news briefs, and much, much more. All of this turned out to be of no use for the interviews.

What impressed you positively?

The campus is nice, and development next to the river is progressing quickly. OHSU is seeking to become a “top 20” school, and NIH funding shows that they have been making progress. The troubled aerial tram project has been saved in a close-call funding showdown. The Portland area is so smart, pleasant and beautiful. It has great hiking, running, and biking trails. The transit system is superb. Powell’s Books is a nice place at which to spend the day. The weather can get rainy but is relatively mild.

What impressed you negatively?

I didn’t think the interview day did the school justice. There were no in-depth informational presentations. Many applicants were already displeased by the parking situation. The interviews seemed to follow a “good cop/bad cop” gimmick, in which I actually felt more comfortable with the apparent “bad cop” interview. My first interview lasted 30 minutes. This “good cop” interview was completely conversational dealing with irrelevant outside interests. I felt that it didn’t give me any opportunity to distinguish myself. Then, the “bad cop” gave me an hour-long interview, in which he did much more talking than I could. The early questions were premised on arguments that seemed intended to discourage me from being a doctor and give me an impression that my chances of getting accepted were low. There were no questions about my research or current events and issues. At the end of the day, I was a nervous wreck because I had no clue as to whether or not I had done well, but a month later they did accept me.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

Studying medical issues would not help me.

What is your ranking of this school's location?

10 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?

10 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great