Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

🙂

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?

7 / 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?

9 / 10

0 = Below, 10 = Above

What are your general comments?

I was very impressed by Northwestern and am ecstatic to have an acceptance there. With that being said, I've learned a lot as I've gone to other interviews, and I don't think Northwestern is as unique as it markets itself to be. This may sounds cynical, but in the end I think that all upper-tier medical schools will give you more or less the same education and opportunities, so things like "mall-like facilities!" and "an innovative PBL curriculum!" aren't huge selling points for me. Location, on the other hand, definitely is, and NW gets a big freaking gold star in that category.

Interview questions they asked

What has been your biggest failure?

I was asked this too

What was the most interesting question?

If a physician were a player on a football team, what position would he/she play? Also the group question: Create a reality show where the winner gets a full ride to medical school.

I was asked this too

What was the most difficult question?

What has been your biggest failure?

I was asked this too

How did you prepare for the interview?

It was my first interview, so I did a lot of research on the school and practiced verbalizing answers to the expected questions to myself.

What impressed you positively?

The location is indescribably fantastic, and everyone I met was so passionate about Chicago. Chi-town is definitely the place to be, thanks to Obama! The facilities are lovely and I like the curriculum (although as I've interviewed at other schools I've learned that it's not unique to Northwestern, as they would lead you to believe). The students I met were friendly. The learning environment seems laid back and very collegial. I came away feeling like NW was a great fit for me, and the feeling must have been mutual as I was accepted in November.

What impressed you negatively?

The class size is rather large (175). There was a lack of visible diversity (both ethnic and geographic - everyone I met on my interview was white and from the midwest). Also, the folks who led our PBL session in the morning acted somewhat paternalistic towards us. If that's a reflection of the actual experience, it's off-putting.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

That all the time I've wasted watching ANTM and Project Runway over the years actually helped me get in to a top-20 medical school! (see "most interesting question" below). I find this hilarious.

What is your ranking of this school's location?

10 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

How is the friendliness of the admissions office?

10 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

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

10 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

10 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great