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Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

Hershey, PA

Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit

⭐ Overall Impressions

How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

1 out of 10

How you think you did?

9 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

6 out of 10

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

6 out of 10
💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

What do you think you would like least about being a physician?
What do you think you would like most about being a physician?
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?

What was the most interesting question?

My interviewer set up a long situation that was essentially asking about how I would deal with stress,, but phrased in a very open-ended way.

What was the most difficult question?

None of the questions were particularly difficult, both of my interviewers seemed to just want to have a conversation.
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

30 minutes

How many people interviewed you?

2

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?

Other

How did the tour guide seem?

Enthusiastic

How do you rank the facilities?

7 out of 10

What is your in-state status?

In state

What were your total hours spent traveling?

4-6 hours

What was your primary mode of travel?

Airplane

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

< $100

What airport did you fly into?

Philadelphia International Airport

Where did you stay?

With students at the school

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?

4 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?

10 out of 10

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

10 out of 10

How did you prepare for the interview?

Read through the website, the school scheduled a couple presentations on the school before the interview (useful to have talking points), reread my AMCAS application

What impressed you positively?

Everyone (even folks not associated with admissions) was incredibly friendly and helpful. All the admissions staff did their best to make the interview low stress. Gave the interviewees plenty of "off the record" time with medical students and made sure to emphasize when we were "off the record" and not being observed. Also very well organized and timely.

What impressed you negatively?

The directions to the admissions office were somewhat cryptic, but everyone I bumped into was super happy to help me find where I was going.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

This was honestly a very fun interview. I wish I had known not to be as stressed as I was going in.

What are your general comments?

Penn State sells themselves as being friendly/non-competative, patient-focused, and team-oriented. From what I gathered from the interview and discussions with the medical students, this is very true. I had a fantastic experience interviewing.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

The dean of admissions is, perhaps, the most jovial person I have ever met. He had something personal and nice to say about each and every one of the applicants present at the interview. He was also incredibly receptive to questions and wanted applicants to be as low-stress as possible. Keep him around, he's a gem.