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 UMD website, reviewed standard med school interview questions from a few books, went over AMCAS application, went over UMD sec app, went over details of significant activities/research/awards
I tried to go over too much info, and couldn't quite find the time to finish everything I had wanted to get through...this left me a little nervous on the day of the interview and lacking some sleep (got about 6 hours).
What impressed you positively?
The facilities are gorgeous and students were enthusiastic. My interview was the just a few days after Match Day, and the fourth-years I met had all landed competitive residencies.
What impressed you negatively?
Nothing in particular stands out at this time (two months after my interview date.)
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Nothing really...if you go through their websites (both the school's and the medical center's) you should know enough to not get any nasty surprises.
What are your general comments?
My interviews were in the afternoon, and I was kind of feeling tired after eating lunch, listening to a fin aid presentation, listening to Dean Foxwell's pitch, and touring the campus. In addition, I felt a little nervous during my interviews for some reason. In short, I felt like my two interviews went completely different.
The first interview was with a PhD and he had probably skimmed my file to latch onto one thing that were of interest to him. The interview was very informal and off-the-bat; we ended up doing the interview in an empty classroom since all the conference rooms in his research bldg were occupied. We discussed one thing in my file kind of in length. This one activity elicited research-specific questions, travel questions, cultural questions, political questions, etc b/c of the nature of my activity. The interview seemed almost like a conversation. Near the end, the interviewer commented upon the high caliber of the other schools I applied to and gave me reasons why I should attend UMD. He then gave me a quick tour of UMD shock trauma (he showed me some of the old trauma facilities and talked about his graduate experience at UMD while walking me to my next interview.)
The second interviewer was an M.D. and had quite obviously read my file *very* thoroughly. I could even see some highlights and circles on my AMCAS application in his folder! This interview was definately the more traditional type -- he asked the questions and I basically answered them. By this time, I was really quite tired and more nervous. I've been through quite a few interviews, and this interview was definately my worst. I, at times, rambled, was a little too blunt, and paused too long. Basically, I knew I was tired and constantly kept thinking in my head of alternative answers I should have been giving (or of more eloquent ways of putting things.) A few times (maybe twice), I think I saw some ill-hidden looks of mild surprise on my interviewer's face, which made me feel even more nervous! Basically, the entire interview seemed a little akward and forced.
Afterwards, I felt like I had done reasonably well during my interview with the PhD, but done poorly with my MD interview. However, I remembered a story Dean Foxwell had told us about a girl who thought she had done extremely poorly on one of her interviews but who, in fact, received the only top score that that interviewer ever gave! So I decided to just wait things out and hear back from UMD...
...four weeks later I got an acceptance letter in the mail!
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
No responses
