Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

🙂

How did the interview impress you?

Positively 🙂

What was the stress level of the interview?

1 / 10

0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress

How you think you did?

8 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

5 / 10

0 = Below, 10 = Above

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

5 / 10

0 = Below, 10 = Above

What are your general comments?

Penn State COM has lots to offer for those comfortable with living in a rural setting. I'm not sure it's fair to judge its program on the basis of only one visit, but overall I wouldn't say it's an amazing school - just good.

Interview questions they asked

The usual... why medicine? why Penn State? how do you feel about research?

I was asked this too

What was the most difficult question?

The PhD that interviewed me took me to his lab to show off the facilities. While there he asked me to go introduce myself to students working in the lab (there were only two girls there at the time). The first girl I spoke to had come from China just two months previously, and spoke hardly a lick of English. We had a nice conversation, but it was quite a challenge trying to communicate since I know zero Mandrin.

I was asked this too

What impressed you positively?

The new Cancer Institute; the required research project; the desire of the administration to constantly improve the curriculum; the obvious attention my file was given by my interviewers ahead of time.

What impressed you negatively?

Of all my interviews, I saw the students the least amount of time here - almost erie how little I saw them. Those that I did meet weren't mean, but they also were not as outgoing as any of the other schools I've been to. During our lunch time (not particularly memorable lunch), one of the students repeatedly kept asking me if I had any questions for him to the point of being rather awkward. Additionally, during our time with Dean Davis, he lectured us for five minutes about how single payer universal health care was the only legitimate policy options doctors should support. Seemed like an odd soapbox moment for an interview tour. Interestingly, I asked both my interviewers what they thought about a single payer system and they both rejected it outright.

What is your ranking of this school's location?

6 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

How is the friendliness of the admissions office?

7 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

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

2 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

4 / 10

0 = Bad, 10 = Great