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Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

New York, NY

Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit

⭐ Overall Impressions

How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

2 out of 10

How you think you did?

8 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

No responses

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

No responses
💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

Tell me about your Crohn's Disease. How long did it take for you to be diagnosed? What medicine did you/do you have to take?

What was the most interesting question?

Given your different medical experiences, are you more interested in surgery or medicine - why?

What was the most difficult question?

None - all very conversational, thought-provoking, insightful questions.
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

50 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?

No responses

How do you rank the facilities?

No responses

What is your in-state status?

No responses

What were your total hours spent traveling?

No responses

What was your primary mode of travel?

No responses

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

No responses

What airport did you fly into?

No responses

Where did you stay?

No responses

What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?

No responses

How would you rate the hotel?

No responses

Would you recommend the hotel?

No responses

What is your ranking of this school's location?

No responses

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

No responses

What are your comments on where you stayed?

No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions

How is the friendliness of the admissions office?

No responses

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

No responses

How did you prepare for the interview?

Read SDN, interviewfeedback, read up on Columbia, talked with current students (friends)

What impressed you positively?

Contrary to other opinions, I thought the day (for the most part) was very organized. I really liked how the admissions office made an effort to make me feel at ease - that was nice. I also thoroughly enjoyed my interview with Dr. Frantz. He was just so engaged and interested in me (not my numbers or scores), and that was really refreshing. Conversation flowed and I was really excited to learn that Columbia prides itself on accepting students who are passionate about things OTHER than medicine, and that they want to craft a well-rounded physician. I was also impressed with the student - they seemed very happy across teh boards - and with the number of different medical clubs! Jeez! Oh, lastly, I was able to sit in on a class (a clinical correlative class relating anatomy to actual practice) and it was very, very interesting.

What impressed you negatively?

Although the students all seemed very happy, at times this seemed a bit forced. Also, looking through the student handbook, it seemed as though 85%+ of the students went to an Ivy. That's fine, I guess, but for a school that prides itself on diversity, they don't seem to be practicing what they preach! Also, our tour guide was extraordinarily ditzy; not a great representation of the school. Lunch was edible, but nothing to write home about.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

Nothing - felt pretty well informed about the school.

What are your general comments?

My interviewer was Dr. Frantz. He's a sweet old man who just wanted to get to know me. He was very kind, knew my file in and out (had a knack for memorizing details; very impressive), and just wanted to hear all about me and my musical/theatrical pursuits, family, early experiences (I have Crohn's Disease, so we talked about that at length). He is so proud of Columbia - and it's obvious that he puts a lot of stock in the students he selects to join the class.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses