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SUNY - Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine (Brooklyn)

Brooklyn, NY

Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit

⭐ Overall Impressions

How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

5 out of 10

How you think you did?

9 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

8 out of 10

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

5 out of 10
💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

How long I studied for the MCAT
If I had any additional clinical experience not mentioned in the application
Reasons why I got 2 B minuses

What was the most interesting question?

How will my research be used by doctors to help people, and how many people can it help?

What was the most difficult question?

Not sure. They really wanted to hear about clinical experience; Downstate is superior in terms of students' clinical exposure in their program.
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

55 minutes

How many people interviewed you?

1

What was the style of the interview?

One-on-one

What type of interview was it?

Open file

Was this interview in-person or virtual?

No responses

Where did the interview take place?

At the school
📍 On-Site Experience

Who was the tour given by?

Student

How did the tour guide seem?

Enthusiastic

How do you rank the facilities?

4 out of 10

What is your in-state status?

In state

What were your total hours spent traveling?

2-3 hours

What was your primary mode of travel?

Automobile

About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?

< $100

What airport did you fly into?

No responses

Where did you stay?

Home

What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?

No responses

How would you rate the hotel?

5 out of 10

Would you recommend the hotel?

No responses

What is your ranking of this school's location?

4 out of 10

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

2 out of 10

What are your comments on where you stayed?

No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions

How is the friendliness of the admissions office?

7 out of 10

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

5 out of 10

How did you prepare for the interview?

Just got a good night's sleep

What impressed you positively?

The school didn't waste money on frivolous lunches or trying to impress people.

What impressed you negatively?

The neighborhood around the hospital is typical gritty New York, but that's not Downstate's fault. They're the shining light in the middle of it all.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

Downstate has an actual Nobel Prize in the lobby where you enter for your interview. I had no idea, and had never seen one in person before.

What are your general comments?

The interview is like an interrogation. The interviewer just writes a summary letter and passes it on to the adcom (they don't sit on the adcom). Try to answer questions straight forwardly and quickly so you can get through them all and give maximum info to the adcom. Also, they love clinical experience and people who understand Brooklyn for what it is. All the faculty/staff I met were superlatively helpful and genuine.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

Those stool-chair things at the computers in the waiting room are weird!