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University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Philadelphia, PA

Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit

Application Cycle: 2009-10

💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

What made you decide to leave the Navy and pursue medicine? (asked by both interviewers and straight out of my AMCAS app)

What was the most interesting question?

When was the last time I made it back to ND for a football game?

What was the most difficult question?

I would not say I was asked any "difficult" questions. The tone of the entire interview day was relaxed and conversational.
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions

How long was the interview?

30 minutes

How did the interview impress you?

Positively 🙂

How many people interviewed you?

2

What was the stress level of the interview?

3 out of 10
0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress

What was the style of the interview?

One-on-one

What type of interview was it?

Open file

Where did the interview take place?

At the school

How did you prepare for the interview?

I read all about Curriculum 2000, reviewed the webpage and my AMCAS essay.

What impressed you positively?

The RAH-RAH-PENN!!! attitude of all the students I talked to. Everyone loves it there and is VERY enthusiastic about the school.

What impressed you negatively?

Philly.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

If you are driving into Philly: I-76 gets pretty backed up during the traditional rush hour times.

What are your general comments?

The entire interview was extremely relaxed and non-confrontational. It was as if I had two conversations instead of two interviews. DO NOT SWEAT THESE INTERVIEWS. The whole day revolves around them selling you on Penn (which, given the curriculum, is an easy sell) and they seem to want you to use the day to evaluate whether or not you think Penn is a good match for you. Both of my interviewers asked me questions directly from my AMCAS app, so if you have taken time off after college or have some special/unique experiece (e.g. military, like me) then expect to discuss it. Also, Penn seemed to make a point of matching me with a student interviewer who was also 'non-traditional' and a faculty member who shared my alma-mater so it would appear that they try to give you interviewers you have something in common with.
📍 On-Site Experience

Who was the tour given by?

Student