Emory University School of Medicine

🙂

How did the interview impress you?

Positively 🙂

What was the stress level of the interview?

3 / 10

0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress

What are your general comments?

I was in the afternoon interview group, so we took the tour in the morning. After lunch, a faculty member came to get me for my individual interview, which lasted about twenty minutes and was entirely stress-free. No hardball questions, just friendly conversation, and he had seen my personal statement, my undergrad institution, and my GPA. After that, I went upstairs for the group interview with two other interviewees, who I already knew from the morning tour. The interview was conducted by two faculty members and the student who had given the tour, who I had also talked to a lot before lunch. The interviewers had seen only our personal statements and colleges, but not our grades or credentials. The questions were aimed at only one person at a time, so I never felt like I was competing to get a word in, and most of the questions were not repeated for the other candidates, so I didn't have to worry about their answers being better than mine. It really wasn't all that scary.

Interview questions they asked

Tell me about yourself and your family.

I was asked this too

What was the most interesting question?

If you could be anyone (living or dead) for a day, who would you choose to be and why?

I was asked this too

What was the most difficult question?

We have many talented and gifted students here, and many gifted applicants for next year's class; what makes you special?

I was asked this too

How did you prepare for the interview?

Read everything on the Emory website, reviewed my AMCAS personal statement, reviewed current events (although they didn't ask me anything about current events).

What impressed you positively?

The school is really fantastic, with great facilities and several affiliated hospitals or research clinics. The national headquarters for the CDC and the American Cancer Society are also a block away from the medical school. First, second, third, and fourth year students came by all day to meet us and answer any questions we had, and it was obvious that they all really love Emory; they also seem really well-rounded, no eggheadedness or pomposity. The curriculum seems like a healthy balance between traditional methods and problem-based learning. The interviews themselves were very low-key and focused mainly on my personal interests and background, not at all on academics. The admissions staff stressed that receiving an invitation to interview means they already want you, so the interviews are just a chance to get to know you better and strut their stuff for you. The whole day was actually pretty enjoyable.

What impressed you negatively?

The idea of a group interview was horrifying and had me nervous for days, but it was actually not as bad as I had feared. The cost of tuition is pretty high, even higher than many Ivy League schools. Real estate in downtown Atlanta is also pretty steep.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

Egleston Children's Hospital, which was a major selling point to me, is now only loosely affiliated with Emory University.