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SUNY - Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine (Brooklyn)

Brooklyn, NY

Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit

⭐ Overall Impressions

How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

5 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?

10 standard interview questions: Research experience? MCAT preparation? Studying habits? Hobbies? Why Medicine? When did you decide Medicine? Why Downstate? What are you doing now? Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years? How did you like [undergraduate institution]?
Rest of the questions were asked by me.

What was the most interesting question?

What do you want to know?

What was the most difficult question?

What else do you want to know?
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

45 minutes

How many people interviewed you?

1

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 a regional location
📍 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?

Mock interviews, AMCAS, NYTimes, SDN, SUNY Downstate Website

What impressed you positively?

Students leading the tour were hard workers and never missed their classes. Staffs were eager to assist. Interviewer was cordial and attentive.

What impressed you negatively?

Feeling out of place on the streets of Brooklyn.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

I had to eat my lunch in 5 minutes.

What are your general comments?

I went to SUNY Downstate with an open mind and was pleased with the interview process. The staff ushered me to a waiting room where I met a few morning interviewees who were waiting for their tour and lunch. Most interviewees were generally reserved and quiet but I spent a lot of time chatting with a fellow interviewee. Then the associate dean of admission entered and gave his informal and "matter-of-fact" speech regarding SUNY Downstate's qualities. He admitted to not having experience working with students and was rather defensive over SUNY Downstate's shortcomings. The tour guide consist of three 2nd/3rd year students. The anatomy lab was a well-lit and spacious space (typically 4 person per cadaver). The lecture hall and student center (gym) were outdated, but the students stressed that Downstate emphasizes curriculum and clinical care over appearance of the infrastructure. Lunch consisted of a variety of wraps, chips, and soda. Morning interviewees have plenty of time to relax afterwards but I had only five minutes to eat!! My interviewer was fantastic partly because we went to the same undergraduate institution. He clearly have gone through my file as he recalls activities and courses that I mention without flipping through. He also kept eye contact and never wrote anything down, so I kept my answers brief since he won't remember the details anyway. He was clearly passionate about his work and environment which I had several opportunities to ask about. On the way out, he escorted me to the exit, passing by the ER/trauma room. I walked away with a smile.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses