Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center School of Medicine

🙂

How did the interview impress you?

Positively 🙂

What was the stress level of the interview?

8 / 10

0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress

How you think you did?

10 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

8 / 10

0 = Below, 10 = Above

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

8 / 10

0 = Below, 10 = Above

What are your general comments?

830am chat with MD/PhD administrative assistant; 9am MD interview one-on-one with associate director of MD/PhD program; 10am PHD interview with MD/PhD director, Professor familiar with avenues of my research as well as my hometown (yay!), G2 student doing spinal cord research; 11am Info session with 9 other students (1 other MD/PhD, 8 MD applicants) regarding financial aid and another questions; 12pm Tour led by M2 students, 1pm lunch with med students and other applicants; 2pm Lab interview with a young PI; 230pm Lab interview with a professor from my PHD interview; 3pm interview with Professor whom I would like to work with. 4pm... head toward the airport!

What was the most interesting question?

PHD: You appear to be a great candidate, why are you interviewing so late in the season? Lab: You have been involved with RNAi, is there any advice you can give on problems you have ran into?

I was asked this too

What was the most difficult question?

MD: The person who reviewed your file indicated a problem in your secondary. They wondered why you raised some family issues, how does this apply to medicine? PHD: Tell me how working as an undergraduate differs from working as a lab technician, walk me through the steps you would go through to design an experiment.

I was asked this too

How did you prepare for the interview?

this website, going over my application especially my research, reviewing VCU/MCV's MD/PhD website

What impressed you positively?

Every single interviewer I had was so encouraging! I really enjoyed the laid-back style of the interviews, it really allowed me to feel relax and let my true self show. I think that is a smart move for interviewing style.

What impressed you negatively?

Nothing, I have been in love with this program from day 1, and my interview merely reinforced this opinion.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

Nothing. SDN was very helpful, plus going to dinner with MD/PhD students the night before the interview helped weed out any questions I had.

What is your ranking of this school's location?

8 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

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

9 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great