Pittsburgh, PA
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
Application Cycle: 2009-10
⭐ Overall Impressions
How did the interview impress you?
Positively 🙂
What was the stress level of the interview?
1 out of 10
0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress
How you think you did?
8 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
10 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
10 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What are your general comments?
The interview format was one student interview (blind, 35-40 minutes) and one faculty interview (half open – they see AMCAS personal statement and extracurriculars, but not UPitt supplement or grades/MCAT; 45 min-1 hour)
💬 Interview Process
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
Tell me about yourself/your interest in medicine.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Reviewed school's website, admissions materials, stayed with a current student and asked about the school.
What was the most difficult question?
The faculty interview was challenging, because I almost felt like the woman wanted me to lead the interview. It felt more like a conversation, and she didn't always lead with a question, so sometimes, instead of waiting for a question, I would just respond to something she had said. I was not expecting this level of informality, so it was a bit of a challenge to roll with.
What impressed you positively?
friendliness that felt more genuine than other schools I'd been to; students seemed really happy and not competitive (with each other or even with themselves); AOCs; mini-electives; opportunity to take 6 credits of courses at undergrad (eg language); incredible research opportunities; about half students non-traditional (so am I); diverse academic strengths - both in my interests and in fields I may become interested in in the future; the easiness of living in Pittsburgh!
What impressed you negatively?
block-style classes (only one at a time very intense for a few weeks); Pittsburgh doesn't seem like a huge or very diverse city (went to school in NYC) - although this was also one of the things I liked; some of the facilities seemed a little old, but this didn't appear to impact the curriculum (the curriculum was definitely dynamic and not stagnant).
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
I heard from several different students throughout the day that the school puts a decent amount of emphasis and pressure on students to do research. If you're interested in research, definitely mention it.
Also, that the curriculum is block style - one course at a time (i.e. different from most undergraduate curric styles)
🤝 Campus and Facilities
How do you rank the facilities?
7 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this school's location?
7 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
5 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
maybe a shorter tour, but the entire day was enjoyable.
📍 Travel and Logistics
Who was the tour given by?
Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Enthusiastic
What is your in-state status?
Out of state
What were your total hours spent traveling?
4-6 hours
What was your primary mode of travel?
Automobile
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
< $100
Where did you stay?
With students at the school
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