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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?

3 out of 10

How you think you did?

10 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

7 out of 10

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

8 out of 10
💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

Tell me about yourself.
What research did you do in [person]'s lab?
What should I tell the admissions committee about you? Why are you special compared to other applicants?

What was the most interesting question?

What is your passion?

What was the most difficult question?

Tell me about yourself. (I hate that question.)
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

40 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?

10 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?

Hotel

What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?

Comfort Inn Hershey

How would you rate the hotel?

10 out of 10

Would you recommend the hotel?

yes

What is your ranking of this school's location?

10 out of 10

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

7 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?

No responses

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

No responses

How did you prepare for the interview?

I didn't really. I re-read my research abstract from undergrad. After my first interview I decided not to spend time preparing.

What impressed you positively?

The facilites are great. The area is beautiful. Every student I saw said hello and that Penn State is an excellent school. They have an awesome simulation lab. My interviewers were very enthusiastic about the school and the location. The faculty all seem dedicated to serving community-wide healthcare needs and training physicians to treat the whole patient as a part of society. And again, the students were EXTREMELY enthusiastic about the school, which was nice to see.

What impressed you negatively?

I'm not sure if the curriculum (lots of PBL, blocks of one or two courses at a time, essays on tests) is right for me. I wasn't impressed with the students we ate lunch with, who mostly talked about their cadaver's penis and what bars were in the area.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

No responses

What are your general comments?

The day was well organized. Directions on getting to the school (from the web site) were great. I had a morning interview, so at about 8:45 I was led to my first interviewer. My first interview only lasted about 30 minutes, at which point I walked back to the admissions office area. I was told I should have waited for the girl who was leading us around (oops :p). Then I waited a while, and at about 10:25 I was led to my second interview. That interview lasted like 50 minutes. Both interviews were fairly laid back, but I was asked specific questions. After the interviews we had a somewhat pointless presentation about the school, followed by lunch with students, and then a tour. I would have appreciated more mature students to eat lunch with. The tour was given by a hospital volunteer, an older man. I was impressed by the hospital and the school facilities. I absolutely love the area (lots of beautiful land, fields, and tress around -- my type of place). I came away from the day with a positive impression of the school. If not for a few misgivings about how suited I am for the curriculum, it would probably be raised to one of my top choices. (If you have an afternoon interview you will first have the presentation, lunch, and tour with the morning interviewees and then have your interviews in the afternoon.)

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses