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Duke University School of Medicine

Durham, NC

Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit

⭐ Overall Impressions

How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

10 out of 10

How you think you did?

9 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

9 out of 10

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

9 out of 10
💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

Abuse of narcotics and alcohol is a big problem in medicine, why do you think doctors abuse these things?
How will you make sure not to get overwhelmed at Duke?
Tell me about your research (can be dangerous because it is so open-ended)?

What was the most interesting question?

What was my most significant relationship, both non-academic and academically.

What was the most difficult question?

Same as above, simply because I wasn't expecting it.
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

30 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?

10 out of 10

What is your in-state status?

Out of state

What were your total hours spent traveling?

7+ hours

What was your primary mode of travel?

Airplane

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

$501+

What airport did you fly into?

RDU

Where did you stay?

Hotel

What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?

Hilton Durham

How would you rate the hotel?

9 out of 10

Would you recommend the hotel?

yes

What is your ranking of this school's location?

8 out of 10

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

8 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?

Reviewed my application, went through example interview questions, read Duke website (very nice and comprehensive), talked with mentors and advisors, read up on current events (especially those in healthcare).

What impressed you positively?

The campus is absolutely beautiful. People were very friendly. Students were very approachable and willing to answer questions. Everyone seems very laid-back and relaxed, but they work very hard and it shows. Duke Hospital and the Children's Hospital are both very impressive facilities. Great student interviewer! Both knew my application and asked questions that prompted meaningful responses. Not a lot of ego, which was nice. Faculty and administration very down to earth and courteous. The ampitheater where you have most of your first year classes was AMAZING (like the UN, only better, you'll get what I mean when you see it). I'm very happy that I traveled to the campus.

What impressed you negatively?

Not a lot. The laboratory classrooms were a bit sparse. There wasn't a big student presence on campus because of the time of year (four days before Christmas).

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

The alpha and beta interview classifications don't always apply. Don't be too geared towards classifying your interviews. Also make sure to know your research and explain why it's important. Research is a big priority at Duke. Be sure to buffer in time to get around and find locations. Be careful during lunch with the students, apparently they report back to the SOM office.

What are your general comments?

Arrived at SOM Admissions @ 8:00. Met in group with the Associate Dean (great guy!). He mainly went over curriculum, the curriculum at Duke is unlike other schools in that all the basic sciences are crammed into the first year and the third year is open (usually used for research). Then we had a brief meeting with Financial Aid. Shown a video on Duke's financial aid package (not that interesting a video, but lots of money is available). Then we went on a tour given by a student, it was somewhat unstructured but the student was very cool. After the tour we had lunch with medical students in a conference room nearby the admissions office, nice way to unwind. Then interviews were given from 12-3:00. Most of the interviews in our group ended well before 3. They aren't back to back which is nice, the wait varied person to person. My faculty interviewer was very nice, little intimidating though. My student interviewer was fantastic. The interview became more like a conversation. Everyone at Duke is very welcoming. I'll feel extremely blessed if I get in. This experience definitely moved Duke up my med school list.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses