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University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine

Vermillion, SD

Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit

⭐ Overall Impressions

How did the interview impress you?

No change

What was the stress level of the interview?

8 out of 10

How you think you did?

7 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

3 out of 10

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

3 out of 10
💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Why be a phsician instead of a nurse?
Why do you want to be a physician?

What was the most interesting question?

None really...everything was pretty standard. They asked a lot about my upbringing and where I was from.

What was the most difficult question?

"why do you want to be a physician?" Not the hardest question, but to EVERYTHING I said one interviewer said "doesn't a nurse do that, doesn't a nurse do that?" It's like I couldn't win.
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

25 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 another location
📍 On-Site Experience

Who was the tour given by?

Admissions staff

How did the tour guide seem?

Enthusiastic

How do you rank the facilities?

3 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?

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?

2 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?

Looked at this website, talked to my classmates who had already been on interviews.

What impressed you positively?

The people seemed really nice.

What impressed you negatively?

The facilities are really weak. One other thing that did NOT impres me was the second interview. I interviewed with an allergy doctor in the city of Sioux Falls. He asked me what my future plans were, I said I didn't know. He then pretty much attacked me for nto wanting to live in rural podunk SD for the rest of my life. Hello, where are you? Why aren't you out on the prairie if its so great?

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

I had known that USD really wants kids to stay in state, do family practice and live in small towns...but I had no idea to what extent. My advice is to lie through your teeth because if you don't want to do that your file will basically be put at the bottom.

What are your general comments?

There were 2 interviews - one at the actual school with a researcher and one in Sioux Falls with a physician. The first interview was unbelievably laid back...we barely even discussed my file at all so I'm sure it was hard for him to defend me on my credentials. I discussed the second interview above a little bit...he played devils advocate. Everything I said he contradicted to the point that it was ridiculous and we were getting no where. He was a fairly nice guy and he said he was doing that on purpose, but if you have an allergen specialist in SF as your interviewer be prepared for that. Lie Lie Lie! You DO want to live on the reservation and work in family practice! If you do not have any ties to keep you in a small SD farm, be ready to strongly defend your reasoning for wanting to practice in one.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses