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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?

No change

What was the stress level of the interview?

4 out of 10

How you think you did?

8 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?

5 out of 10
💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

What type of doctor do you want to be? (The secondary application requires you to designate your medical interest, but you are not locked into this category. You just need to justify your interest to the interviewer. It's almost better to say that you are unsure and are waiting for your experiences in medical school to make a decision)
Why Penn State? Since this school is in the middle of nowhere, the admissions staff really cares about your answer because it's certainly not for the surroundings.

What was the most interesting question?

My interviewer basically went through my AMCAS in front of me and asked me to verify that I did participate in all the activities. With each activity, I tried to explain why it was relevant to where I am today.

What was the most difficult question?

Detailed questions about my current job as a healthcare consultant.
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

20 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?

Student

How did the tour guide seem?

Enthusiastic

How do you rank the facilities?

8 out of 10

What is your in-state status?

Out of 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?

No responses

What airport did you fly into?

No responses

Where did you stay?

Hotel

What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?

No responses

How would you rate the hotel?

6 out of 10

Would you recommend the hotel?

No responses

What is your ranking of this school's location?

1 out of 10

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

1 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?

Read website, AMCAS, SDN

What impressed you positively?

The facilities are nice. School is big. Penn State is a Level I trauma center for the entire state so basically, everyone outside of Philly or Pittsburg is flown to Penn State for medical emergencies. This gives students a lot of opportunity to learn from unique situations.

What impressed you negatively?

The town (Hershey, PA) is so tiny. There are barely 10 restaurants. The school and patient population is not diverse.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

Interivew time is very crammed.

What are your general comments?

The interview schedule is extremely tight. I barely had time to talk. Each student is given only 15-25 minutes per interview. The day I went, 14 applicants were all interiewed by the same 7 faculty in 2 hours! If you want the admissions staff to remember you, you better make sure that you have your "pitch" and say it fast because you might not get the chance otherwise.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses