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University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Philadelphia, PA

Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit

⭐ Overall Impressions

How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

4 out of 10

How you think you did?

No responses

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

No responses

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

No responses
💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

What do you do for fun?
Where do you think medicine is going?
Why didn't you become a veterinarian?

What was the most interesting question?

"Do you know what one thing would most significantly improve global health? Potable water." (I suppose this was more of a comment by my faculty interviewer. It underscores the nature of our conversation, though - infectious diseases, preventive healthcare, etc.)

What was the most difficult question?

(by student) "We get so many qualified applicants and the admissions decisions are somewhat arbitrary. So, what could you contribute to this medical school?"
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

35 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?

No responses

How do you rank the facilities?

No responses

What is your in-state status?

No responses

What were your total hours spent traveling?

No responses

What was your primary mode of travel?

No responses

About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?

No responses

What airport did you fly into?

No responses

Where did you stay?

No responses

What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?

No responses

How would you rate the hotel?

No responses

Would you recommend the hotel?

No responses

What is your ranking of this school's location?

No responses

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

No responses

What are your comments on where you stayed?

No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions

How is the friendliness of the admissions office?

No responses

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

No responses

How did you prepare for the interview?

Read info on their website, talked to my host, read about their curriculum.

What impressed you positively?

The admissions people really did a great job of showcasing the school, and they tried to make it as low key as possible. It was Halloween, so the admissions director wore little devil horns and her assistant wore cat ears. Penn is just a great school, it's integrated with the main campus, the students are really unique and accomplished, the curriculum is accelerated so you get much more time in the hospitals. There's a lot to like. Also, my faculty interviewer was very well matched to me - uncannily so.

What impressed you negatively?

Nothing, really. It made me a little nervous hearing the other applicants talk about the interviews they'd had, where they'd heard from, where they'd been rejected from.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

Philly trains do not run that often. I left Penn at 4:30 to get to a stop about 10 minutes away and did not catch a train to the airport until 5:15. Leave early if you have to. Also, they will offer you the chance to spend 40 minutes in Anatomy lab with the first year students. Take your chances with the smell.

What are your general comments?

It was a nice experience. They tried really hard, even though the school sells itself, and that meant a lot to me. The interviews themselves were low stress, so I guess the stress came more from worrying about keeping my suit nice until the afternoon, not being comfortable because the buildings were hot, and worrying about getting in.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses