Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Individual responses

⭐ Overall Impressions ▼

How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

1 out of 10

How you think you did?

9 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

6 out of 10

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

6 out of 10

💬 Interview Questions ▼

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

Both interviewers (primarily Interviewer #1): At what point, or during what period, did you finally decide for sure that this was the path you wanted? (I had changed my mind about medicine at least twice, and it wasn't until 9/11, when I worked close to Ground Zero, that I resolved to become a doctor.)

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Interviewer #1: Why Penn State? Being from New York (City), can you see yourself here in Hershey? [I answered that I'm originally from upstate NY, as is my fiancee. She attended college in nearby Carlisle, PA, and we're both familiar with rural PA and would be happy to move out there, particularly because we'd be starting a family and because I would want fewer distractions from my academic study.]

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Interviewer #2: Why not MD/PhD? (I have an M.S. in Biology, and will have accumulated 2 years of full-time biomedical research by the time I matriculate. My answer was that I'm already a lawyer, I would like to engage in health policy work, I'm getting older, and I cannot stretch myself out so thin. He got my drift.) Also: Tell me about your research (particularly about cell culture work I did, because he was in stem cell research).

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What was the most interesting question?

Have you seen 'Harold and Kumar (Goes to White Castle)'? [I'm Indian, both my father and brother are surgeons, and I attended Princeton University.] I anticipated this question, having read SDN feedback, so I had a semi-scripted answer, but my interviewer cut me off, saying he was just joking around.

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What was the most difficult question?

No question was difficult - they were standard questions catered to my AMCAS Part I application. I'm a New Yorker - just make sure you have a good reason for wanting to be in Hershey, PA (I had good reasons, being originally from Upstate NY, my fiancee having attended college in Carlisle, PA, and our desire to leave NYC and go to a quiet place).

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🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼

How long was the interview?

45 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?

Other

How did the tour guide seem?

Enthusiastic

How do you rank the facilities?

9 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?

$101-$200

What airport did you fly into?

No responses

Where did you stay?

Hotel

What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?

Comfort Inn

How would you rate the hotel?

8 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?

3 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?

SDN, website, MSAR, my AMCAS, my secondary, NPR, watched news the morning of 9/11, RELAXED

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What impressed you positively?

student happiness, robust research program, opportunities to go abroad for electives and research, ever-expanding school infrastructure, beautiful surrounding countryside, match list, got escorted EVERYWHERE (for interviews, tour, lunch, even bathroom!), significant number of non-traditional students

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What impressed you negatively?

admissions presentation was overly scripted, no real opportunity to sit in on any classes, admissions staff friendliness was forced (and i felt it easily), parking situation is apparently worsening

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What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

that my first interviewer was former Secretary of Health for Pennsylvania - i found this out from my tour guide as he escorted me to the interviewer's office. ultimately ended up enjoying discussion about health policy, government, and political frustrations

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What are your general comments?

I really enjoyed my visit to Penn State. Some of the other interviewees, probably because it was their first interviews, were incredibly stiff and unfriendly. My first interviewer was incredibly pleasant, soft-spoken, and sympathetic to my background (I'm a musician/EMT/lawyer), and I was glad to be matched up with a physician who had served in government. My second interviewer was a PhD in stem cell research, and the flow of conversation was more awkward and strained, though we did establish some rapport (I currently work in biomedical research full-time). Because I enjoyed my first interviewer so thoroughly, I was distressed to have my interview cut abruptly as the next interviewee knocked on the door. But to be fair, both of my interviews lasted the appropriate 45 min allotted for each of us. Both interviewers got a good idea of what I'm about, and at least my first interviewer gave positive feedback continually throughout the interview (he even winked a couple times when saying, "Well you and your fiancee would be welcome here.") My second interviewer escorted me back to admissions around 4:15 p.m., and we continued talking about things such as the housing market, the climate (he's from Turkey), etc. Penn State is "not ranked", per se, but that's primarily because the school's only 30-some years old. Don't rule it out - it's a solid program with strong residency matches!

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What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses

Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

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