Nothing difficult, but the most thought-provoking question was a scenario where you have one unit of blood to give someone, but three people who need it to survive: a seven year-old girl with leukemia, a seventy year-old male who was in a car accident, and a mother who has just given birth to a baby. Who gets the blood, and why?
Read the interview feedback at SDN, studied my application that was sent to VCOM, and thought about how I would answer the typical interview questions.
What impressed you positively?
The high-quality faculty that was hand picked by the Dean, the enthusiasm of the faculty and staff, the affiliation with Virginia Tech, the high-tech building and classrooms, and their mission to make the school top notch in every area.
What impressed you negatively?
For me personally, the fact that they really stress rural medicine was a bit of a concern since I am pretty certain that I don't want to go that route.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
You have two weeks to respond to an acceptance offer. A $1,000 non-refundable deposit is required at that time, which makes it tough if you're still waiting to hear from other schools.
What are your general comments?
I walked away very impressed with VCOM. They want to make their school on the cutting edge of technology, education, and research. It seems that an excellent plan was drafted from the beginning, and the mission of becoming an awesome medical school is being carried out. The day was very low-stress, and their goal is to get to know you better. They said that they received 1,500 applicants, and they are going to interview 300, so if you've made it this far they are obviously very interested in you.