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University of California San Diego School of Medicine

San Diego, CA

Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit

⭐ Overall Impressions

How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

2 out of 10

How you think you did?

9 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

9 out of 10

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

8 out of 10
💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

What makes UCSD a good fit for you?

What was the most interesting question?

How does Penicillin work? Where is this quote from? (both references to specific things I had written about in my personal statement)

What was the most difficult question?

What are some of the weaknesses in your application?
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

60+ 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?

Student

How did the tour guide seem?

Enthusiastic

How do you rank the facilities?

9 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?

$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?

Marriot

How would you rate the hotel?

9 out of 10

Would you recommend the hotel?

yes

What is your ranking of this school's location?

9 out of 10

What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?

6 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?

10 out of 10

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

10 out of 10

How did you prepare for the interview?

Studied the school website.

What impressed you positively?

The new curriculum is really exciting. Systems based classes means no huge finals at the end of each quarter, and hopefully helps students better retain the information. Obviously La Jolla is gorgeous and the weather was a frigid 70 degrees in the middle of December. San Diego being the only medical school in San Diego means that students don't have to share resources with other schools and have several fantastic hospitals at their disposal. Research is big, with a very high NIH grant per faculty member statistic. And the students seemed much happier than UCSD's old reputation led me to believe they'd be. It seems as though the new curriculum has reduced the amount of lecture hours they have to sit through, and helped expose them to electives, preceptorships, etc.

What impressed you negatively?

The new medical education building is very nice but apparently first year med students take classes in the pharmacy building. Only second years get the new lecture hall. It would have been nice to see student housing, but they are all so different and spread out it wouldn't have been that valuable. La Jolla is....nice. If you like suburbs and grass, La Jolla is great. But if you're looking for a vibrant night life, lots of great restaurants, etc. you'll need a car.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

No breakfast, eat beforehand.

What are your general comments?

Fantastic school and definitely one of my top choices

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

Some bagels and coffee in the morning would have been good, but otherwise no complaints.