Durham, NC
Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
Application Cycle: 2009-10
⭐ Overall Impressions
How do you rank the facilities?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
9 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
9 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
8 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
8 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
💬 Interview Questions
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
Abuse of narcotics and alcohol is a big problem in medicine, why do you think doctors abuse these things?
What was the most interesting question?
What was my most significant relationship, both non-academic and academically.
What was the most difficult question?
Same as above, simply because I wasn't expecting it.
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions
How long was the interview?
30 minutes
How did the interview impress you?
Positively 🙂
How many people interviewed you?
2
What was the stress level of the interview?
10 out of 10
0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress
How you think you did?
9 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What was the style of the interview?
One-on-one
What type of interview was it?
Open file
Where did the interview take place?
At the school
How did you prepare for the interview?
Reviewed my application, went through example interview questions, read Duke website (very nice and comprehensive), talked with mentors and advisors, read up on current events (especially those in healthcare).
What impressed you positively?
The campus is absolutely beautiful. People were very friendly. Students were very approachable and willing to answer questions. Everyone seems very laid-back and relaxed, but they work very hard and it shows. Duke Hospital and the Children's Hospital are both very impressive facilities. Great student interviewer! Both knew my application and asked questions that prompted meaningful responses. Not a lot of ego, which was nice. Faculty and administration very down to earth and courteous. The ampitheater where you have most of your first year classes was AMAZING (like the UN, only better, you'll get what I mean when you see it). I'm very happy that I traveled to the campus.
What impressed you negatively?
Not a lot. The laboratory classrooms were a bit sparse. There wasn't a big student presence on campus because of the time of year (four days before Christmas).
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
The alpha and beta interview classifications don't always apply. Don't be too geared towards classifying your interviews. Also make sure to know your research and explain why it's important. Research is a big priority at Duke. Be sure to buffer in time to get around and find locations. Be careful during lunch with the students, apparently they report back to the SOM office.
What are your general comments?
Arrived at SOM Admissions @ 8:00. Met in group with the Associate Dean (great guy!). He mainly went over curriculum, the curriculum at Duke is unlike other schools in that all the basic sciences are crammed into the first year and the third year is open (usually used for research). Then we had a brief meeting with Financial Aid. Shown a video on Duke's financial aid package (not that interesting a video, but lots of money is available). Then we went on a tour given by a student, it was somewhat unstructured but the student was very cool. After the tour we had lunch with medical students in a conference room nearby the admissions office, nice way to unwind. Then interviews were given from 12-3:00. Most of the interviews in our group ended well before 3. They aren't back to back which is nice, the wait varied person to person. My faculty interviewer was very nice, little intimidating though. My student interviewer was fantastic. The interview became more like a conversation. Everyone at Duke is very welcoming. I'll feel extremely blessed if I get in. This experience definitely moved Duke up my med school list.
📍 On-Site Experience
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?
7+ hours
What was your primary mode of travel?
Airplane
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
$501+
What airport did you fly into?
RDU
Where did you stay?
Hotel
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
Hilton Durham
How would you rate the hotel?
9 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
yes
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