SUNY - Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine (Brooklyn) Individual responses

⭐ Overall Impressions ▼

How did the interview impress you?

Negatively

What was the stress level of the interview?

3 out of 10

How you think you did?

8 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

2 out of 10

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

1 out of 10

💬 Interview Questions ▼

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

Are you working now? Why medicine?

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Clarify what you did between certain dates on your AMCAS.

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What volunteer activities have you participated in? How did you prepare for the MCAT?

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What was the most interesting question?

No responses

What was the most difficult question?

What volunteer activities have you participated in? (I hadn't.)

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🤝 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?

Enthusiastic

How do you rank the facilities?

1 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?

Train or subway

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

< $100

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?

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 SDN, read website for school.

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What impressed you positively?

Nothing.

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What impressed you negatively?

The facilities are falling apart and dirty. The students didn't seem especially accomplished. The clientele consisted of uninsured "lead-pipe beatings," stab wounds, and other gang-related type violence. We didn't even get to see the library. 8 to a cadaver. The neighborhood is dangerous and there is nowhere to shop and nothing to do.

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What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

Nothing. I made a practice run down to the school previously to time how long I would need to get there. I recommend this if you are in the NYC area.

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What are your general comments?

The interview was fine and not stressful. It was very much based on the AMCAS, which I don't think is the best way to interview. I spent a large part of the time clarifying what exactly I was doing between specific dates (I am a postbacc) since I graduated from college. I talked about my research and the specialty I am interested in (Neurosurgery) and my interviewer told me my current grades wouldn't "cut it" to get into such a competitive specialty. She seemed to really love the school (which she thought was pretty crazy - I did too for that matter, but didn't mention it) and so did quite a few of the other interviewees. Overall, I thought the facilities were horrendous, the location is the worse ghetto you can possibly imagine, and the patient population is going to be bottom-of-barrel. If that is something that you want in a school ("gritty" is the euphemism I have heard) then this could be the place for you. The one thing it does have going for it is that the patient population is largely uninsured or medicare, etc, so medical students are allowed to "practice" on the large patient volume (which would never happen at a private hospital, for example), so you do end up leaving with a very strong set of clinical skills which will serve you well in residency. The neurosurgery program was shut down a few years ago and there is talk of reinstating it but no final word yet (for those interested in that specialty). On the up-side, the neurology residents/med students pick up a lot of the slack that neurosurgery residents would be doing so it could be a good experience. The only wireless is in the library and besides the dorms which are across the street (and you may have to share one small dorm room with another person), you will have to commute to this school because the surrounding neighborhood is depressing and mad shady. To end on a positive note, Kings County is the busiest hospital in the country. If you can grit your teeth and bear it, a medical education at Downstate can serve you well as a resident.

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What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses

SUNY - Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine (Brooklyn)

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