How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.51 | 49 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 44 |
| Negatively | 3 |
| No change | 2 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.90 | 49 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.53 | 49 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.70 | 47 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 2 |
| 15 minutes | 10 |
| 20 minutes | 16 |
| 25 minutes | 9 |
| 30 minutes | 5 |
| 35 minutes | 0 |
| 40 minutes | 5 |
| 45 minutes | 0 |
| 50 minutes | 0 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 41 |
| At a regional location | 1 |
| At another location | 6 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 41 |
| In a group | 8 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 49 |
| Closed file | 0 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.51 | 49 |
"Asked about a specific class that I didn’t do well in."
"What was the most memorable moment of your backpacking trip and why?"
"How are you misunderstood?"
"Why podiatric Medicine"
"What did you do differently to improve your grades (upward trend)?"
"Why did you retake the MCAT (and how did you improve?)"
"How did you decide on podiatry as a career?"
"How did you study for the MCAT?"
"Why did you take the MCAT twice?"
"Why podiatry instead of allopathic medicine?"
"Why did you choose podiatry over any other profession?"
"Why should we pick you for one of the 48 spots in our class?"
"Why did I perform poorly in two courses?"
"Why should we not accept you?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What do you think of the MCAT?"
"What was your worst class and why?"
"Why do you want to go to CSPM if you live in the east coast where there are many schools near you?"
"Do you think the MCAT tests your knowledge or your test taking ability?"
"Have you ever failed a class?"
"Why CSPM (3 times)"
"Why podiatry? Why CSPM?"
"Why CSPM? x 4"
"Interview was split into 4 separate ones, with 1 faculty and 3 professors. Was very long, so I'll try to put down as much as I can remember. Why DPM? (times 2) Why Samuel Merritt? "
"Elaborate on your personal statement"
"Why do you want to be a podiatrist?"
"What questions do you have for us?"
"We see you have a lot of health care experience, but why podiatry (over other areas)?"
"Why come to school on the west coast when you are from the east coast and have a number of pod schools nearby?"
"Why podiatry, how did you learn about podiatry?"
"Why podiatry."
"Why Podiatry?"
"What is your most proudest moment?"
"What will your legacy be at this school?"
"Why did you withdraw from a course?"
"Why CSPM"
"You took the MCAT twice. What did you to do prepare for the MCAT?"
"Explain any low grades from undergrad"
"N/a"
"Why do many withdrawls?"
"Why should we consider you for one of our 48 spots?"
"What would a family member consider a personal strength of yours?"
"Do you think your biology section on your MCAT score reflects your knowledge of biology?"
"What are your time management skills like?"
"What is a misconception that people have of you?"
"What is one of your weaknesses?"
"Why not allopathic medicine?"
"How does a podiatrist fit into the medical community?"
"why CPSM?"
"What did you do to increase your MCAT score?"
"Tell me about an experience that was particularly difficult, and how did you cope?"
"Have you ever withdrawn from a class?"
"Why should we accept you? (3 times)"
"Tell me more about your research?"
"Why Podiatry? x4"
"I read over your essay, besides the main reason you listed for pursuing this field, what other reasons do you have? Can you explain your undergraduate grades? (times 2)"
"Why podiatry?"
"Besides location, why Samuel Merritt?"
"Why did you choose to apply to CPSM?"
"Do you like your undergrad experience?"
"Do you think you have enough podiatry experience to make an informed decision to pursue a career in it?"
"Why CSPM?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Why do you want to go to Merritt?"
"Do you have enough exposure to the field to be sure that this is what you want to do and do you know enough about the career?"
"What other schools have you applied to?"
"why this school?"
"Why this school."
"Are you applying to md/do schools?"
"How have your medical experiences abroad influenced your decision to pursue podiatry over allopathic medicine"
"What is one weakness/strength that your family or friends might say you have?"
"N/a"
"Tell me about your support system."
"Do you think the MCAT is an accurate indicator of your knowledge?"
"What would a family member consider a personal weakness of yours?"
"What would a family member say is your biggest strength?"
"What is one of your strengths?"
"Some questions regarding grades - study skills, study habits, overcoming adversity"
"What do you do for stress?"
"Do you see yourself living in the Bay area?"
"what are your hobbies?"
"With limited seats, why should we choose you?"
"How do you think you will handle the courseload?"
"Why CSPM?"
"Questions from my Personal statement "
"Did you apply to other schools?"
"Interview was causal conversation and enjoyable. "
"What was your undergraduate experience like compared to your post-bacc one? What did you think about the undergraduate college you went to? Do you have any questions for me?(times 4)"
"What do you look for in choosing a school?"
"What are your thoughts on working while in Pod school?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"Why should we accept you at CSPM?"
"Why should we choose you?"
"Have you spent any time shadowing a podiatrist?"
"Do you have any questions?"
"What were your GRE scores?"
"what are your criteria for a top school?"
"Name an event in your life that defines who you are today."
"What do you think MD/DOs think about DPMs?"
"You applied to DO schools at one point. How will you choose between DPM and DO?"
"What are you looking for in a school?"
"N/a"
"I see you've traveled the world, tell me about that."
"Do your family members realize how busy you will be studying?"
"Do I feel like I deserve to be here?"
"What was your least favorite class in undergrad and why?"
"What has been my most favorite class in undergrad?"
"What is your ejection fraction? Good thing I knew anatomy for that one..."
"Tell me what your thoughts about podiatry are."
"Did you receive any interviews from MD/DO schools? (Yes)"
"Nothing odd at all, I expected everything and anything they could ask."
"What are your hobbies??"
"-"
"what are the roles of podiatrists in public health?"
"How do you motivate yourself to study?"
"What was your most favorite/least favorite course in undergrad?"
"Tell me about your research"
"What's the story behind your email address?"
"If you were free to take any class, what class would you take? (I had asked if they recommended taking any classes. They said I should enjoy the opportunity to learn about whatever I was interested in during the last year of my undergraduate career.)"
"Pretty much only asked the two questions and chatted about a few things from personal statement."
"the undergrad vs post bacc one"
"How well do you think you'll be able to adapt to city life?"
"Do you think that the MCAT is more based on knowledge or test-taking skills?"
"Explain why you wrote that you didn't have regular healthcare in your letter of intent."
"What lead you to choose podiatry?"
"What can you offer to the class of 2013?"
"What did you think of the MCAT?...Do you think it tests more for knowledge or test-taking skills?"
"Why did you delay your MCAT?"
"Do you think the MCAT tests more for knowledge or for test-taking skills and why."
"I see that you have also applied to allopathic medical schools. Can you tell me why you would be interested in podiatry as opposed to allopathic medicine?"
"What did you think of the MCAT?"
"I'm sure you're familiar with many of the positive aspects of podiatry. What are some of the negatives?"
"Did you ever consider becoming a profession piano player? and... "
"why podiatry?"
"Are you applying to DO schools?"
"What will your legacy be at this school?"
"You applied to DO schools at one point. How will you choose between DPM and DO?"
"What is something your parents would say you need to work on?"
"N/A"
"Nothing really. Just some really specific questions about my personal statement and extracurricular activities."
"None were difficult."
"What would your family members say is something that you should change about yourself?"
"What MCAT score would I give myself based on my basic science knowledge?"
"Why should we not accept you--really thrown off by that one!"
"What is something unique about you?"
"I noticed you applied to both MD/DO schools, how is (did) that going?"
"Why not allopathic medicine? (make sure you stick to your guns on this one!)."
"Tell me about the mcat."
"Is our school on the top of your list?"
"what are the roles of podiatrists in public health?"
"None were difficult"
"None, really."
"You have been out of school for 2.5 years. Do you think you will have a tough time adjusting to the curriculum?"
"Can you tell me something about yourself that is not on your personal statement/file that would lead me to recommend you for acceptance?"
"No questions were terribly difficult."
"Pretty much only asked the two questions and chatted about a few things from personal statement."
"The essay one"
"List three things that a school must absolutely have or else you'd refuse to go there."
"Why should we accept you?"
"none"
"What can you offer to the class of 2013?"
"Why did you delay your MCAT?"
"can you explain weak grades/scores"
"None really -- the questions were the typical interview questions."
"Favorite/Least Favorite Class?"
"See above."
"Do you really think you can keep up with the curriculum, considering you haven't been in school for a while?"
"why this school?"
"Why podiatry?"
"SDN, practice with friends"
"Looked at prior interview questions and researched the school."
"Practice against friends on adcoms"
"SDN, mock interviews, looking over the website and faculty research, and going through my application."
"SDN."
"I didn't prepare too much. I found lists of potential questions from various sources and rehearsed how I might answer them."
"SDN, mock interviews, and research on the school."
"SDN"
"read on here"
"SDN, read my app"
"My school's pre-professional advisement center"
"SDN and be very honest with yourself and your goals. This way, you will feel relaxed because only you can understand yourself best, and minimize any interview-anxiety you may have on the day of!"
"Look at the forums on sdn"
"Mock interview with pre-professional adviser. Read the SDN forums."
"reading through SDN posts"
"SDN and read about the school"
"Read SDN"
"SDN Interview Feedback. ;)"
"SDN. Personal Statement"
"Partied all night in downtown SF. Seriously! Don't rehearse or anything. You come off sounding fake."
"Read SDN, practice questions online."
"SDN, Personal Statement, CSPM website, Instant messaged several CSPM DPM students on SDN about specifics."
"SDN, interview feedback, reviewed my application"
"Sdn, Reviewed app, and personal statement"
"SDN forums / feedback, read over my app, school website"
"SDN, reread personal statement"
"Read the forums, the Samuel Merritt webpage, and had friends interview me for fun."
"Interview Feedback and reading over LOI"
"Read over my application"
"Woke up 6am, worked out, had a good breakfast, just tried to relax before the interview."
"SDN, school's website"
"Just made up questions for the interviewers and got decent sleep the night before."
"talk to myself on the 1.5 hr drive there"
"Read their website, AACPM, used SDN"
"SDN, read over school info and my application"
"SDN, spoke with podiatrists, read on podiatry websites."
"Read this website; rehearsed answers to the predictable questions"
"sdn, website, mock interviews"
"Talked to myself on the way there."
"SDN, online"
"Really nice assistant dean of admission and faculty!"
"Early clinical experience."
"Student body and their candid responses about the program"
"The research center and hospital."
"The professionalism and enthusiasm of the faculty and students"
"The campus, faculty, and students were all great."
"Students and faculty were super friendly. It was a very welcoming environment. Good cafeteria food."
"The friendliness of Andre and Dean Venson. The willingness of the 1st year students to answer a million questions and share their contact info (they eat lunch with you)."
"Shadowing current students in the hospital/clinic during the interview day. MARC."
"Faculty"
"The clinical experiences at highlands hospital during rotations"
"Smaller class size, Clinical work starts beginning of second year, nice facilities"
"facilities, sim lab, busy clinic"
"The facilities, shadowing students in the clinic rather than just seeing it, being able to interact with patients."
"Great clinical rotation that we visited (students start 2nd year), new gait laboratory, and very friendly staff/students"
"Everything! The faculty, students, Highland Hospital, and the campus. The students and their transparent honesty and enthusiam for their school really sold me on CSPM. They did not need to bad mouth other schools, but were thrilled to tell us why they personally chose CSPM. The neighborhood around CSPM is not ghetto or sketchy, it is perfectly fine and slightly urban. Even as I was waiting in the lobby for my interviews, Dr. Dutra came over, introduced himself, and we just made small talk. Everyone speaks highly of him, and he was very frank and honest as to his position in the school and his belief that CSPM does prepare students at a high level of excellence."
"Really friendly students, small class size, clinical learning and diversity of cases, and biomechanics professor."
"The friendless of the staff. SMALL class sizes."
"school facilities and location"
"The admissions team. Andre and Dr. Tran are very nice people and are willing to help you with any questions."
"Podiatry is the top program there, so students are very close-knit. They have a lot of scholarships tho."
"How busy the clinic was, and how many of the students actually new Spanish!"
"Location, nice people, good faculty"
"Location of school and clinics. Weather. Early clinical exposure duining P2 year."
"San Fran! Very low drop out rate compared to some of the other schools. Small class size."
"The friendliness of the faculty and students. "
"Clinical rotations, early clinics, San Francisco, faculty, class size, and student population"
"The location, small class sizes. Students were open to all questions."
"everything"
"I liked how we began the interview process by speaking to current students and residents to get more insights on the school. It made the interview day a bit more relaxing. Everyone was so encouraging and kind including the doctors, admissions staff, and dean. CSPM seems to have very strong clinical training. The podiatrists that teaches you in your second year surgical lecture are the ones who will train you during your third year rotation. The new dean really cares about doing w/e to make everyone strong podiatrists. Overall, I was very impressed!"
"They listened to their students and modified the curriculum for the better. Everyone we met asked us how we were doing so far. We were allowed free reign to ask questions to students, residents, faculty, and staff without anyone looking over our shoulders. You start clinicals in second year and they are taught by the same faculty member as in your classrooms. Small class sizes and open door policy with faculty. Everyone there is soooo nice. "
"The school is the ONLY one to start clinicals in the second year...right at the beginning. You'll be coming out of this school truly prepared and ready to treat patients and work in a hospital setting as well. Facilities are great.... and of course, LOCATION!!! SF Bay Area is the ultimate cultural experience and is a wonderful place to go to school. BART and MUNI can get you all over the city cheap! At least go check it out if you get an interview!"
"-Very small class size that is capped at 48 students (Not tuition driven like some pod schools) -Part of a healthcare university -Main building has open-air areas -Located in a better part of Oakland with hospitals and clinics in SF and O-Town -Great weather in the Bay Area!!! -Close to a BART station so amazing San Francisco is only a few minutes away -Begin clinicals early, seem quite diverse -Have a great simulation center (mannequins) which pod students ACTUALLY USE...unlike Temple -Very nice admissions staff and Dr. Tran is awesome -New dean seems great, very forward thinking about podiatry and CSPM -On campus dorms, they will be getting an apartment complex if those are torn down -Awesome scholarships (based on GPA/MCAT) one can get up to $60,000 over 4 years -Diverse class -Pool on campus -Samuel Merritt College will be undergoing a massive expansion/renovation very soon -Legit interviews - with phd and DPM's -Get to see the campus along with a 2nd/3rd year clinical site"
"almost everything because what I had read on here did not seem to coincide with what I had learned at the interview...small class size, clinicals start during second year (HUGE), the faculty that teaches in the classroom is the same that teaches in the lab, nice campus, great location, the school appeared to do everything possible to keep their students instead of being "survival of the fittest" "
"Small class sizes (capped at 48 students), earliest clinical exposure compared to the other 7 pod schools (start after first year), St. Mary's and its pod clinic is very nice, on-campus housing, great weather, bay area location, interesting research opportunities ie combining AIDS and podiatry. The area where the school itself was located was not bad at all (like a medical center complex) unlike what a lot of people complain about on the pod forums. The BART train is very good and you can walk or take a shuttle to the station from campus (which gets you to san fran, berkeley, etc)."
"staff, students, facilities, location, dorms"
"The fact that everyone was so friendly. Everyone loved the school and was happy to be there. Merritt starts its clinical exposure during 2nd year."
"Clinical experience starts in second year. The on campus housing is actually really nice. Great Mexican food for lunch."
"San Francisco! All the students were very laid back and seemed happy."
"The faculty; the residency program; the facilities on campus & at the hospital; how quickly clinical rotations start in this program."
"everything..the faculty and students were very nice. a very relaxed atmosphere"
"The Simulation lab; the faculty's relationship with thier students; the small class sizes; and how they consistently review their program by using student feedbacks."
"The clinicals seems very strong. There is very early exposure."
"Seemed a little unorganized."
"The gym facilities or lack thereof"
"N/A"
"Did not get to see the anatomy lab and the Oakland area."
"Tour seemed rushed, didn't really see everything. Didn't talk much detail about financial aid/tuition expenses. No on-campus housing, bad area."
"The rain. Lol! The location initially turned me off, but over time I have found that it's really not that bad. It's right on the edge of the "nice part" of East Bay."
"Traffic is crazy."
"Rigors of second year combined with clinicals."
"the city of Oakland"
"The cost of living in the Bay Area is extremely high, the board pass rates"
"no electronic testing, lectures not recorded, location right around school is a little shady"
"Nothing really, but students say there is a lack of study space on campus."
"Nothing."
"Area/ high cost of living"
"-"
"does not seem to have the best pre-clinical curriculum compared to other schools"
"Oakland"
"Located in downtown Oakland. Not safe. Board pass rates are not very impressive (poor students or poor curriculum?). Small and old facilities. Gym is the size of my bedroom."
"Way too much construction. I don't like how it doesn't feel like a school since everything is so separated. Also, there were some first year students that we were paired with that just had way too many negative comments to say about other programs."
"Not as nice facilities as other schools. Small school (not personally my thing)"
"The school is under a lot of construction right now. Also, the clinics seemed slow when we were there."
"Second year 1st semester looks challenging. 9 courses plus 2 days in clinic every day. "
"The location in Oakland."
"Having to pay for bridge tolls and parking everywhere, the oakland campus"
"Clinics seemed a bit slow. Thus more time for the students to answer questions. School was fairly far from the clinics."
"HAving to go from Oakland to SF, high rent"
"The gym and library was a bit small compared to what I'm used to at a UC, but that's no big deal. "
"I did feel like I was rushed in and out of the interview. Even though they asked if you had questions for them, you really didn't have time to ask because they were kind of pushing you out the door. "
"Nothing...."
"-Traffic sucks -Expensive cost of living -Library a bit tiny but is currently being renovated -The "gym" is quite tiny and pretty bad -Area around school not terrible but not amazing -Number of students bitched about a particular 1st year professor -Facilities pretty decent, but not like DMU/AzPod/OCPM -Anatomy lab quite basic compared to some pod schools (cadavers on a metal gurney) -Early clinicals result in LOTS of lecture time in 2nd year (8am-7pm two days a week, one day like that in 3rd year)"
"school in oakland...clinic in san fran; however, there seemed to be ample modes of transportation between the two loations, on-campus housing is dorm-style, classes are not taped but there is a blackboard for notes "
"Maybe the travelling between San Francisco / Oakland clinics and the main campus. It seems like you definitely need a car. The good thing is that you have FULL days of clinic/class which is definitely more doable. Some of the students I talked to did not look at other schools and mainly picked this place cause it was close to home."
"nothing"
"The fact that St. Mary's (the hospital where the students do their clinical work) is in San Francisco while the college is in Oakland. It is a very long commute (30-45 min. and a very congested)."
"Living in Oakland, commuting to San Francisco. Very short interview with the 2 main guys (surgeons) and all they asked was 'Why Podiatry' and nothing else. They accept you at the end of the interview so if you have an interview you can count on being accepted. All the 1st year students said that they liked the school but Arizona is better."
"Oakland, high cost of living, state of some parts of the clinic."
"I was expecting more difficult "on-the-spot" questions, like why not another medical profession. It was pretty obvious that I was going to get an offer at the end of the day."
"none really..many may complain about traffic.. but it was no biggie since i'm from the bay area"
"The fact that their clinic is in San Francisco. Traffic sucks real bad. Their campus is in Oakland which isn't the safest place to be either. "
"Same day acceptance. The northern california traffic is just horrible. If you are new to this area, take a taxi."
"How the day would be scheduled."
"Where exactly to park"
"You'll spend a lot of time with students so come prepared with questions."
"A lot of standing time, waiting for interview"
"Lots of standing, where comfortable shoes. Very low stress, no need to overprepare."
"That I would have to wait ~2 hours to get interviewed."
"That the travel time from San Francisco took much longer than expected. Give yourself an extra 30 mins if you're taking the BART because the shuttle is a rate-limiting factor I didn't foresee."
"Where we were meeting to start the day. I was lost in the rain."
"n/a"
"That the interview was at the end of the day, right after lunch."
"most students need a car, school is not just podiatry (also nursing, OT/PT, PA, etc)"
"That the interview was at the end of the day."
"You are standing a lot during the tour."
"That there were two seperate interviews. At the end of the day, each student will have an interview with either the Dean first, and then a faculty member. Each interview lasted around 20-30 minutes for me."
"Only 4 students maximum per interview cohort"
"-"
"not to worry and relax."
"Don't wear heels if you're not used to wearing heels because you're on your feet from 9am-1ish."
"How old/crammed together the buildings in Bay area are. It's almost like a version of NYC with less people. Living on top of each other. If that's what your used to, you won't mind it at all."
"The interview is the last thing you do."
"Nothing"
"How many times they will ask you "do you have any more questions?""
"How exactly to get to the podiatry floor at Saint Mary's medical center. (take the 1st elevator on the left, as soon as you walk into the building)"
"It was a long interview day, plus it took extra time to travel back to S.F. from Oakland. I would have built more flexibility into my flight schedule."
"The campus is literally mixed in with a hospital (not what I was expecting) and bring cash for parking, etc."
"How long the day would be. The sameday decision on acceptance."
"everything on SDN tells you exactly what to expect..to the dot"
"Traffic across the bay bridge is horrible all morning!"
"You would be interviewed by 4 different people at 4 different times throughout the day. It never ends. But it was no where near stressful. They were all candid and genuinely interested in you. "
"get the chicken burrito during lunch... NOT a spicy chicken burrito! You'll interview immediately afterward with the former dean!"
"That the dorms were going to be torn down in the near future (no date set yet). Part of Bechtel hall is going to be demolished to make way for a patient tower for the hospital next door. Also making new classrooms/labs/offices. Construction may be annoying during class time. They are looking into buying out an apartment complex in the area, which is going to be much nicer than the dorms."
"the school is very misrepresented on SDN. it is a great school in a great location!"
"I did not realize that I was going to like CSPM as much as I did. It seems they made tons of changes/improvements after CSPM merged with Samuel Merritt College in 2001. It really seems like a great school with a lot to offer but gets a lot of flak for its past (The bad part of it) on the SDN forums. Also, I expected the college to have crappy facilities and be in a bad area (as per SDN forums). However, the area seemed quite nice and part of a medical center complex. It is not "inner city" oakland as people make it out to be. Furthermore, the facilities are pretty nice as well including the academic building, which had a very "open air" design. It may be a lot of concrete but still functional and adequate. One of the game rooms even had glass ceilings and wall that were opened on nice days, complete with plants and everything. Def look at the year and a half old patient simulation center. Long story short, don't believe all the hype and BS on these forums. Check everything out for yourself and come to your own impressions of the school. I was very surprised with many things on my interview day as I previously listened to all the negative comments on the interview feedback and forums. "
"how much walking was involved. Parking costs $18 for the whole day"
"That they had same day acceptance."
"Lots of walking and a very long day."
"Nothing; the interview with the tour, student contacts, etc., exceeded my expectations."
"That there would be 3 independent interviews."
"A taxi would be very convient since there are a lot of one way roads and it's hard to get to places if you do not know the area that well. It is a group interview as well with other interviewees."
"They didn’t ask me very many questions, it was more me asking them, so have a lot of questions prepared!"
"The students genuinely seemed to love the program and all of their professors. The faculty seems wholly dedicated to making sure everyone is able to reach their potential."
"This is a great school and I wish I get accepted!"
"N/a"
"Looks like a really great school! People are nice."
"Amazing school. Faculty is very involved with the students and most of the students love the school. Anatomy lab was large and the student to cadaver ratio is 4:1. New MARC Lab and early clinical exposure were overall selling points for myself. The opportunities to conduct research was also a plus."
"I really loved the school and everyone I encountered there was very friendly!"
"Very friendly and welcoming staff, being able to shadow at Highland Hospital on the day of the interview was very unique and eye opening in a good way."
"great facilities, great board scores, busy clinic, overall great day and great school!"
"I really enjoyed my time there, I felt welcome and appreciated by the staff, and the students were the most welcoming and friendly out of all the schools I've been to."
"I loved this school! Overall, I had a very positive interview experience."
"A fun, easy day. Do not let what people on SDN say in regards to how "bad" Oakland is. Yes, Oakland in general is not the best, but CSPM is near Oakland Hills which is the better part of the city. The interview with the Dean for me focused on my hobbies, talked about how we both love California, my family, my education, and why podiatry. Second interview with a faculty was a bit more intidimating since he/she did not give me any facial expressions after each question - focused mainly on academics and why I chose to pursue this profession, so it was more cut and dry, but as long as you know and be honest with yourself, you shouldn't even have to sweat it answering those kind of questions. I hope this will help future students and good luck!"
"Fun easy day"
"Great school. They cater to the needs of the students."
"Seem to be a great school. Quality facilities and caring faculty and staff. Woud consider going if accepted."
"Impressive clinical experience. Student start early with clinical in second year. Lots of diversity, but the school could still use some work despite how old it is."
"Good school for some but not sure if it fits my liking. Great location tho."
"Very nice day. Staff and students are nice. If you interview, I feel that the seat is yours to lose. I got the general feeling that they wanted me in every aspect. Not one question about a bad grade or my previous bad mcat score. Just pleasant."
"Interview day is long, but not that bad. Starts off chatting with Doctor Tran at saint marys medical center, tour facilities, chat with students, lunch, two back to back interviews. Travel to SMU. a 2 on 1 interview with faculty, tour the school, exit "interview" with Dr. Tran... not really an interview though. Just a "do you have any questions for me?" travel back to Saint Mary's medical institute by taxi... takes awhile because you have to fight traffic across the bay bridge. Got home late."
"Wonderful people, okay facilities. You have to visit the school yourself to accurately judge if it's the right place for you!"
"Dr. Tran was awesome and all prof./faculty seem nice and have great achievements under them. I liked San Francisco and all the variety of clinical rotations. Lots of opportunity for community service. Had 4 separate 1-on-1 that were laid back. Long day but worth it!"
"Overall this was the longest interview I went to. It started in the morning around 8am and went until almost 5pm. The interviews were somewhat conversational / laidback."
"good school and relatively good area...i cant say that for the rest of oakland, though"
"I think everyone who gets an interview invite should definitely come and check this place out. There's a nice new simulation lab that the school is going to start using more. Since the classes are small, we get our own cadavers to dissect and work with for the year. Basically, the training very well prepare you for your 4th year and residencies. "
"This school is truly top-notch! Don't believe what people say negatively about this school in the forums... all BS! Great education, great location, and sweet training will be paramount for your future! Dr. Tran is the MAN!!"
"Overall, I had a very good experience at CSPM. Just realize, the interview day is very long and you will probably be tired at the end. I left for St. Mary's Hospital at 8am and didn't come back to my hotel until nearly 6pm! I really like the class size is small and capped at 48 students. CSPM does not seem tuition driven like a few other pod schools (ex OCPM with 135 students). The location of the campus is an okay part of oakland, a hospital complex...not ghetto like some people on these feedback forums make it out to be. You have pretty good dorms right on campus as well. The weather is awesome, there is a BART station a few blocks away so San FRANCISCO is quite close. You start clinicals early as well which I personally feel is a plus. The 2nd year clinicals are in small groups (4 people) and involve some observation, pallative care, H and P's, simulation center with mannequins, radiology workshops, homeless shelter, etc. Seems to be great for learning how to interact with patients and prepare for 3rd year. The 3rd and 4th years seem quite strong from what I heard. The one negative is that you have a lot of lecture hours during the 1 day of class 3rd year (about 10-11 hours). I feel it would be better off being spread out to another morning/afternoon. The 2nd year also has 2 lecture days which are jam packed (hour-wise) but this seems to be the trade-off for an early clinical experience. I believe the new dean will be addressing this in the near future when curriculum review comes around. Overall, I have visited 8 pod schools and feel CSPM offers a great overall package. I am from the East Coast too and do not care about living close to home. You have a small class, great weather, early and diverse clinicals, located in the bay area, and more. I believe DMU and Scholl are great schools but during the winter...probably a bit rough with the snow and cold. Seems a bit depressing when your stuck inside all the time with so much stress and studying. At CSPM, you have the ocean and Tahoe is only a 3-4 hour drive away (awesome snowboarding). The weather definitely is a plus in my opinion, as you can be outside all year and the surrounding areas are beautiful. Hope this information helps. I got accepted to all the pod schools with good scholarships and most likely going to CSPM. Seems to offer everything I'm looking for in podiatric medical education. My advice for prospective students is to actually interview at CSPM and not believe most of the garbage you see on SDN and the interview feedback forums. Everything I read on here seemed to be complete or nearly opposite when I actually interviewed at Samuel Merritt. It was probably one of the best and most thorough interview days (and I have been to all the pod schools). I really would encourage pre-pods to take a look at CSPM, you will most likely be pleasantly surprised. "
"long day...met at st. mary's medical center, toured the medical center and the clinic across the street, met some second and third year students, faculty interview (very laid back), had lunch with two students at a mexican restaurant, traveled to oakland and met with financial aid, basic sciences interview (a little more interrogative), quick tour of samuel merrit campus, travel back to st. mary's."
"First off, it's a very long day. You arrange a cab to go to St. Mary's medical center in San Fran (arrive about 9am). The 3rd year students are rotating through a mainly surgical private practice at these facilities. You get to shadow and ask them questions. After this is lunch at the very good mexican restaurant on Haight Street. Following you have an interview with 2 of the private practice pods. Then you are provided with a cab to samuel merritt in oakland in which you go to the anatomy lab, tour, fin aid + housing presentation, etc. At the end of the day (about 3:30pm) I met up with the Tranman and the director of admissions who said I was accepted to the podiatry program. I def enjoyed my day at CSPM and St. Mary's."
"The interview was long- started at 9am and ended at 4:30pm. First was a tour of St. Mary's hospital, an hour to mingle unsupervised and shadow/question current students/professors. Lunch at a burrito place on Haight. Interview #1. Go to SMC. Tour the school. Financial aid spiel. Interview #2. Interview #3. Tour dorms. Final exit interview/wrap up."
"Overall, a very thorough interview day. Bring COMFORTABLE shoes -- there is a LOT of walking. We began by shadowing/talking to 3rd years in clinic, then we were taken for lunch at a yummy Mexican joint on Haight St. After lunch: interviews, travel to Oakland, financial aid workshop, more interviews, tour of campus"
"You meet at least 5 people that you talk to 1 on 1 including surgeons, Deans & professors. Ask to see everything including housing and class rooms or they may not show you. We also saw the 1st years in the Anatomy lab and spoke with them. The morning is spent in clinic shadowing 3rd years, see as many patients as you can."
"The school, faculty & students appear to be a very tight-knit, supportive family. This left a very positive impression for me, and am very excited to attend this particular program."
"great..very relaxed.."
"Very relaxed. The first interview was at St Mary's Medical Center with the Dean and another DPM. The second was on Oakland campus with the head of Student Affairs and the the big guy of the science dept. They were all very nice."
"The interview started out at the clinic where you meet the dean. He is a very nice gentleman who later takes you out to lunch and shows you the tour of the school after the interview. Before lunch, you shadow a couple students in the clinic for an hour or two and then you have an interview with the physicians. After the interview, a taxi takes you to the actual school where you have lunch. It ends with the tour. The whole interview experience took 8 hours. "
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 5 |
| Faculty member | 12 |
| Admissions staff | 29 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 46 |
| Neutral | 0 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.25 | 48 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 16 |
| Out of state | 28 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 8 |
| 2-3 hours | 15 |
| 4-6 hours | 10 |
| 7+ hours | 12 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 31 |
| Automobile | 12 |
| Train or subway | 0 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 13 |
| $101-$200 | 6 |
| $201-$300 | 8 |
| $301-$400 | 4 |
| $401-$500 | 8 |
| $501+ | 4 |
SFO - BART (subway)
Oakland international
San Francisco
Oakland Airport
Oakland International Airport
San Fran
Oakland
SFO
OAK
sjc
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 0 |
| Friends or family | 17 |
| Hotel | 17 |
| Home | 2 |
| Other | 1 |
Cathedral Hill
Inn at Temescal
Marriot Downtown Oakland
No
Yes
Cathedral Hill
Inn at Temescal
Marriot Downtown Oakland
No
Yes
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.70 | 47 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.18 | 49 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.84 | 49 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.97 | 39 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.51 | 39 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.73 | 37 |
"good"
"Keep up what you're doing, I left my interview even more set that CSPM was the program for me"
"N/A! They were very nice and responsive!"
"N/a"
"It would be cool to meet with the dean for a little bit."
"From the moment I checked in at 8:30AM at the Campus Service Center to meeting Andre, they were all friendly and welcoming, and most importantly, professional. They have all been quick to answer my questions and able to direct me to the proper people/departments without any hassle. Big thumbs up for streamlined efficiency"
"Continue doing what you are doing! Everything was perfect."
"I would make sure that the students that are paired with the interviewees NOT be so negative towards other podiatry programs. I would rather hear their opinions about their own school."
"Perfect the way it is"
"Admissions was very responsive"
"Instead of having four separate interviews, they should combine the first two and last two since the"
"There isn't much to suggest. The school is awesome and the interview process was very positive."
"-Show the dorm rooms to prospective students -Have a list of recent residency placements available "
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?