University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Medical School

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How did the interview impress you?

Negatively ☹️

What was the stress level of the interview?

4 / 10

0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress

What are your general comments?

The MSTP interviews are on Thursday afternoon and are fairly relaxed. This year, a first-year convinced Rod Ulane to fund an evening dinner for current students and applicants. The MD interviews take place the next morning, and when you're not interviewing you'll be taken on a convoluted tour of the campus. Then you'll have lunch with more current students (who won't really mingle with applicants unless you make the first move). Later you'll watch fairly entertaining and well-made clips from Southwestern's senior class videos. Finally, you'll be taken to the new, aesthetically pleasing student center.

Interview questions they asked

Same old stuff.

I was asked this too

What was the most interesting question?

Nothing very interesting.

I was asked this too

What was the most difficult question?

Interviewer probed my knowledge of my research. Know yours and you'll do fine.

I was asked this too

How did you prepare for the interview?

Read my application, interviewer's publications.

What impressed you positively?

Extremely friendly and flexible administration, large student body focused on medicine and research. Funding from Ross Perot and other local philanthropists allow Southwestern to seek 15 to 20 matriculants this cycle! Southwestern built new apartments for students that appear fairly impressive, and they are building another set for 2004. The cost of living is such that students may be able to afford purchasing a home for the duration of their MD/PhD.

What impressed you negatively?

Although Southwestern is one rising star of the MST Programs, their student body seemed intelligent but not overwhelmingly so. They also don't seem overly happy to be there and are introverts. Because Southwestern compares itself to the "big names" so often, it comes off as being insecure or having an inferiority complex. Clinical experiences don't really begin until the third year. Dallas is not the big city that I expected it to be.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

Law mandates that at least 90% of Southwestern's entering class be Texas residents. With a class of 220, this means that the MSTP students are really the only out-of-staters. Many students have family in the area or are married.