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Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Nashville, TN

Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit

⭐ Overall Impressions

How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

7 out of 10

How you think you did?

4 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?

Do you have any questions for me?
Various friendly and light questions about my post-secondary experiences.
Why do you want to become a doctor?

What was the most interesting question?

My interviewer asked me many questions regarding my volunteer work, some of which had little to do with clinical/research work (strictly speaking), which seemed unusual but were very much welcomed.

What was the most difficult question?

Nothing much. Most questions were in regards to the details of my AMCAS.
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

60+ 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 SDNet, browsed Vanderbilt's website, prepared a few questions to ask my interviewer regarding Nashville.

What impressed you positively?

I was a little worried that there would be a lack of ethnic diversity in the faculty and student bodies at Vanderbilt, but what I saw and heard at Vanderbilt during my interview day was very encouraging. For one, my interviewer was herself a woman of color. Also, during our group talk with several medical students, one girl who was Asian-Indian said she has had no worries so far despite the fact that most of the student body is Caucasian. The students and my interviewer were also quick to emphasize how supportive the faculty is of the students there and how the school values cooperation and camaderie among the faculty and among the students. Also, the Children's Hospital on campus, which was built only a year or two ago, is gorgeous.

What impressed you negatively?

The weather was really strange to me, perhaps because I'm used to the mild weather of California. Maybe Hurricane Ivan (which was quickly approaching Tennessee on the day before and on the day of my interview) had something to do with it, but it was unbearably hot and humid during my entire stay, and even the increasingly heavy rain didn't help cool things down. Also, Nashville doesn't seem very lively, even in the area immediately surrounding the campus. The medical campus of Vanderbilt itself is somewhat drab, all brick and concrete.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

How hot and humid it would be. I would have packed T-shirts and shorts, and maybe a towel and a nice heavy-duty fan, if I had known the air would be so heavy and sticky. Fans of cooler & drier weather, beware.

What are your general comments?

Vanderbilt begins its interviews much earlier than most medical schools, so it was nice to ease into the interview process starting here. The interview itself is exceptionally non-threatening, and the staff and faculty try to make you as comfortable and relaxed as possible. The hospital and children's hospital are wonderful. The dreadful weather and somewhat lukewarm environment of Nashville notwithstanding, this is a good school.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses