Indianapolis, IN
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
Application Cycle: 2009-10
⭐ Overall Impressions
How do you rank the facilities?
8 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?
9 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
💬 Interview Questions
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
So, you're interested in medicine, and you're REALLY interested in business (so trying to sway me there...)...how do you plan on balancing both?
What was the most interesting question?
''Bassoon!'' <not really a question, referring to my lapel pin> ''What's up with that?'' <no joke>
What was the most difficult question?
A hypothetical about end-of-life issues for a cancer patient. I struggled through a response, stating that my mother had just died two weeks prior due to cancer. Yeah, a bit rough.
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions
How long was the interview?
45 minutes
How did the interview impress you?
Positively 🙂
How many people interviewed you?
2
What was the stress level of the interview?
3 out of 10
0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress
How you think you did?
10 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?
Being my first one, I may have went over-the-top:
Aside from SDN, reviewed AMCAS and several essays from apps and my History of Medicine seminar, FeedForward, practiced interview questions with Steph on the drive down.
What impressed you positively?
Indianapolis: city is tight! Great restaurants and mall area; all entertainment is within walking distance of campus (if you're not lazy); there's a Shula's (best cheesecake ever).
Riley is lovely - I got to meet with an endocrinologist the night before my interview; he gave me a tour of the clinics/neonatal ward/etc.; specialty departments at least at Riley seem to have NO understaffing problems.
IU: expanding...eventually will be largest medical campus in U.S. Facilities, with exeption of the cadaver lab, are top notch, including library system. The ''skywalk to everywhere'' is nice. THE most organized MD/MBA program I've encountered is at IU.
Personnel/interviewers: Friendly. Very nice receptionist in the microbio dept. Interviewers were a couple of jokesters...good attitudes, kept it relaxed, no complaints at all.
What impressed you negatively?
A few of the other interviewees, actually. I know we're all technically competing, but some should show a little humility and be open to stimulating conversation.
I don't really like the prospect of going to one of the satellite campuses...this is probably what will be the ''turn-off'' (if any) for most applicants.
Minor complaint: my interview was scheduled at a time that interrupted a talk by the Med School big cheese (this happened to a few of us who were scheduled in the afternoon). Would have liked to stay for that.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
With all the walking I did downtown the night before, I wish I had brought my AND-1s...
Many interested applicants may be disappointed to find out that the tour does not go through Riley, but merely showcases the lobby and McDonald's. I'd suggest you get the hookup there and get a tour the day before/after your interview as I did.
What are your general comments?
Being an out-of-stater...and a white guy...facing IU's preferential policy toward Indy residents, I was told to expect to be grilled a little harder. And grilled I was. In the end, I took it as ''they musta liked me.'' Other non-Indy residents MIGHT expect a similar experience of tough questioning. For me, ethical scenarios and one of my interviewers playing devil's advocate for most of what I said made for a...stimulating...interview. I was even asked about a topic a second time, likely to see if they could get me to change my answer. Just being honest, sticking to my beliefs, and having an appropriate sense of humor kept it cool for me, and I gathered at least one of my interviewers appreciated that.
Overall, it was painless, though a bit tough. I'm a tid bit jealous that others on SDN had such an easy interview. In the end, I got in everything I wanted to convey through them to the Committee. Good first experience for me.
📍 On-Site Experience
Who was the tour given by?
Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Neutral
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?
$101-$200
Where did you stay?
Hotel
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
Day's Inn - downtown
How would you rate the hotel?
7 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
yes
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