How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.87 | 62 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 51 |
| Negatively | 8 |
| No change | 2 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.56 | 61 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.73 | 37 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.14 | 36 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 1 |
| 20 minutes | 3 |
| 25 minutes | 2 |
| 30 minutes | 13 |
| 35 minutes | 5 |
| 40 minutes | 9 |
| 45 minutes | 8 |
| 50 minutes | 5 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 16 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 61 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 58 |
| In a group | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 57 |
| Closed file | 4 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.87 | 62 |
"What is your MCAT score?"
"MMI - signed confidentiality agreement"
"MMI"
"The faculty interview was very conversational. Talked about the need for community service, the lifestyle of physicians, etc."
"If you could change one thing about your past what would it be?"
"If you could not be a doctor at all, what would you do?"
"Who has impacted you the most in your family?"
"Tell me about yourself? What made you want to go into medicine?"
"What would I like to research during my 3rd year"
"How come you didn't do well on your MCAT? What research topic will you choose for your required thesis here?"
"Who is the most influential person in your life?"
"see last year questions"
"What motivates you to want to work with the underserved?"
"Tell me about your home life growing up"
"Why medicine?"
"What are the good and bad things about US health care system? What difficulties the underserved are having in health care? why? what ways could we address?"
"What motivates you to succeed?"
"All about AMCAS application."
"Why Drew? Why medicine? "
"Tell me about your biggest life struggle"
"What is your family like?"
"Just went over general questions about my application, my motivations into medicine, desire for helping the underserved, etc. "
"If I received a job offer in Hollywood and Detroit were will I go?"
"Explain your experiences or committment to the underserved..."
"What type of research have you done?"
"what is the biggest problem in today healthcare?"
"Weakest part of your application?"
"Do you think you can handle a medical school curricullum?"
"Tell me about your family, upbringing, learning spanish, etc."
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Tell me about your family."
"Piano and tennis are expensive activities to participate in. How did growing up in a low-income family affect your passion for music and sports?"
"Tell me about your family and where you grew up."
"How do you fit into the Drew mission?"
"What is the most difficult experience you have had and what did you do about it?"
"Tell me about yourself and how do you fit in with the Drew mission."
"What clinical experience do you have. What community service have you been involved with? "
"Tell me about some of your experiences with medicine"
"Why med?"
"What are you gonna do if you dont get into med school?"
"What is one unique quality that you possess or a unique experience that you have had?"
"Why DREW?"
"MMI"
"The student interviewer followed a form, which included very general questions, such as address your weaknesses, what's been your biggest challenge, etc."
"Why should we let you in?"
"What do you like the most and the least about current health care reform?"
"What is you strongest characteristic?"
"What do you do to handle stress?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What can you tell me about Drew?"
"What characteristics would you look for in a physician?"
"Where would you want to practice medicine?"
"What research or issues relating to healthcare and the underserved are you interested in?"
"Why Medicine?"
"recent books read?"
"What do you think of the way the underserved were treated? How would you change?"
"Health issues questions"
"Why Drew? Is this your top choice?"
"What are you passionate about?"
"How will you deal with the negative political aspects involved with Drew students and MLK currently"
"What motivates you to want to work with underserved populations?"
"Tell me about your upbringing? How many family members are in your family?"
"Tell me about your parents (and other very conversational, getting-to-know-you topics)."
"How did you hear about Drew or why Drew?"
"Why Drew?"
"what is my clinical exp"
"How have you helped the underserved community?"
"When did you first hear about Drew, and why do you want to come here? "
"Tell me about your research. Are you interested in doing research in med school?"
"I've told you about me, now, tell me about yourself?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor? "
"Tell me about your family background."
"What drives you to work with the underserved?"
"Clarify certain things on the application."
"What causes you to excel?"
"Who were your role models growing up and why?"
"What leadership roles have you assumed in your community."
"Tell me about a difficult experience that you had and how you have dealt with it."
"How would you handle mean patients?"
"What other career might you choose if you had to?"
"Do you want to go into primary care?"
"MMI"
"Are you prepared for a career built on serving underprivileged communities?"
"What would you tell a young woman who has had 3 abortions and is pregnant again and wants another abortion."
"What is your weakest characteristic?"
"Tell me about your clinical experiences"
"What are you looking for in a school?"
"Why is it important to you to work with the underserved? Why Drew?"
"Students are required to do a research thesis, have you thought about what you would do your on? And what area?"
"I wish I remembered more questions but they were mostly pretty general. Be prepared to ask questions yourself, that was actually the majority of my interview."
"Tell me about yourself?"
"What do u know about the cuurent healthcare reform?"
"what can i contribute to the next class?"
"What motivates you? What are your setbacks? What concerns do you have when you go to med schools?"
"What do you do for fun? How do you handle stress?"
"Do you know what area of medicine you want to go into??"
"What other schools have you interviewed at or been accepted to this year"
"In what field do you see yourself working?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"Questions about personal experiences"
"What aspects of health care for the underserved do you feel need the most improvement?"
"Explain your MCAT scores..."
"Do you speak Spanish? (if you do that's great, if you don't say that you're trying to learn)"
"what is my research exp"
"What other schools have you interviewed at? "
"What type of doctor do you want to be, and how will you help the underserved?"
"How did you learn about Drew and why do you want to come here? "
"If you don't get into medical school this year, what will you do?"
"Why are you interested in primary care?"
"What are your strengths and how does that prepare you for medical school?"
"Where do you see yourself practicing? In what type of setting?"
"Why Drew?"
"Where were you brought up?"
"What is the biggest problem facing healthcare today in the United States?"
"Do you play a musical instument? What are your hobbies? How do you spend your free time?"
"How would you handle seeing sick people?"
"How have you broadened your awareness about the medical profession?"
"MMI"
"What is one good thing about the US healthcare system?"
"What attributes would make you a good physician for underserved patients?"
"Expand on you ideas regarding universal health care."
"None"
"Why did you opt out of surgery to do emergency medicine?"
"No particular question was the most interesting. I found the whole interview interesting."
"My interviewer wanted to explore who I am throughout the entire interview. I was never asked about my experiences, but rather who I am, what drives me, why I want to be a doctor, etc. It was a conversational experience."
"How would you decrease smoking in secondary schools?"
"What would you do to improve health care for the underserved?"
"Why Drew? Why not UCLA or USC?"
"If you were president, how would you improve our healthcare system?"
"If you could be the president of a non profit organization, what organization would that be? And why?"
"If I made you President of a non-profit organization and gave you a blank check..what would you do?"
"What is the biggest problem with our healthcare system today?"
"What do you like about Drew besides its mission?"
"If you were a president of a non-profit organization, what would you do?"
"About my background and interest in the underserved."
"Since you do seem to love music/singing as well, why medicine and not music?"
"What made you want to work with the medically underserved?"
"Tell me about a passion you have outside of medicine."
"Why have you not taken the MCAT again?"
"If I received a job offer in Hollywood and Detroit where will I go?"
"Tell me about your parents."
"Would I become all "Hollywood" if I attended Drew? (I guess he thought I would become obsessed with Hollywood if I moved to LA)"
"see below..."
"what is the biggest problem in today healthcare?"
"what is the weakest part of your application? what would be a reason we wouldn't accept you after we look through your file?"
"Tell me about your home state"
"If you where not a doctor what would you be doing now?"
"Why did you choose to go to Boston to do research? And questions about my family."
"None, they were all about me or asking for clarification on my file. The interview was quite easy"
"If you had a crystal ball and knew you would never get into medical school, what would you do?"
"So you play guitar? Are you any good? (That question is tied with "So what kind of music do you listen to?) "
"How did past obstacles in your life shape your decision to become a physician?"
"Who do you turn to for support?"
"How did you get involved in all your community service activities?"
"what are my weaknesses? "
"Why DREW?"
"How did being raised in a single parent household affect your upbringing positively?"
"Give me an example of socialized medicine? Give an example of socialized medicine."
"Questions about my family and the area I grew up in"
"How would you handle seeing sick people. I felt like he thought that my two years of clinical experience had not prepared me for that."
"What motivates you?"
"What drives you to excel? What are you passionate about?"
"What drives you to excel?"
"MMI"
"What is one of your weaknesses?"
"Nothing was really difficult. There were no hard ethical questions or questions that made you sweat."
"Tell me the one thing that I should have gotten out of reading your application."
"Why didn't you do well on your MCAT when your post-bacc gpa is so strong?"
"Nothing was difficult. All of the questions were about trying to get to know me better."
"There were really no ''hard'' questions."
"nothing"
"If you could be the head of any non-profit what would it be and what would you do?"
"Looking at my file...I see you got a 3.8 during your post-bac..why not a 4.0?"
"If I made you head of a community hospital in this area, how would you improve patient care?"
"What do you think is a positive about America's healthcare system today? "
"What would you say that patients think is good about the current healthcare system? What is bad? What would you change about it? How would you do so? "
"If you were President, what would you do to change the healthcare system?"
"What other schools are you applying to?"
"some of the questions were very open-ended. However, my interviewers were very nice and explain what they were really asking for."
"What does primary care mean to you?"
"What characteristic, other than working with the underserved, do you like most about Drew?"
"What other schools have you applied to this year that share our same mission?"
"Nothing too difficult"
"Why Drew?"
"No difficult questions were asked."
"What do you know about what is going on at the school?"
"N/A"
"What aspects of health care for the underserved do you feel need the most improvement?"
"Nothing really difficult, everything pertained to my file."
"After explaining how important my family is I was asked how I'm going to handle their death."
"what is the biggest problem in today healthcare?"
"none?"
"None, they were all standard, get-to-know-you questions"
"What non medical issue is the biggest problem that the world is facing today?"
"Asked to explain low science GPA. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? (I always hate that one)"
"None - see above"
"Asked about rough patches in my transcript"
"Being asked to explain rough patches in my transcript. "
"No difficult questions were asked of me."
"What issues are of the most consequence for the people who you would be serving at Drew/King? (there are so many issues - how do you list a heirarchy for them???)"
"What is your weakness?"
"same"
"You had some academic difficulties in the past- explain"
"You had some academic difficulties int he past- explain"
"see above."
"None."
"None. This is a really causal interview. The med student who interviewed me was really cool."
"none really, he just seemed very tired of having to interview so many applicants in one day."
"the questions werent difficult if you expect them! Test yourself...find questions in your application that you would ask if you were a hard ass interviewer! Thats what Dr. Miller did! "
"What (perhaps besides what I already have in your file)would you like me to stress about you to the admissions committee?"
"none"
"Did not prepare, simply relaxed and asked students questions the night before."
"Review my application, UW's bioethics page, and common MMI questions. Call a couple current MS1s. Learn more about South LA. Review Affordable Care Act stuff."
"Actually I was caught off guard that it was an MMI this year"
"Mock interviews."
"SDN, out loud practice."
"I browsed through their website, looked at interview feedback reports and made sure I knew specific details about the program that would make me a good match for it (i.e. they require a research thesis)."
"website, SDN"
"SDN, reread applications"
"SDN, Primary, Secondary"
"talk to people in the program, reviewed SDN quests i had compiled for other schools, read up on drew on their website (make sure to do this!!)"
"Prayed, read my Bible, read the Charles Drew website, SDN, spoke to past and current students."
"I've already had a few interviews and feel very comfortable with interviews."
"AMCAS, SDN"
"SDN, website, books, mock interview"
"Just read up on Drew's mission statement and other such things"
"SDN, AMCAS app, Drew secondary app, school website"
"School website, previous interviews, SDN."
"Drew Secondary, AMCAS, Reasearch some recent healthcare news...."
"SDN, MSAR, application, and school website."
"SDN, research"
"My AMCAS, Drew secondary app, SDN, about Drew/LA"
"recorded mock interview,interview books, Drew website, Drew students, Drew annual report and fact book"
"Read up on Drew; reviewed my Drew secondary; got advice from current Drew students; mock interview."
"SDN, website, AMCAS application."
"Read Drew's website, this website, and about health care issues as they relate to medically underserved areas."
"SDN, read over primary AMCAS application, reviewed secondary application"
"Read website"
"Mock Interview, Website, my application"
"Read about Charles Drew on website, UCLA curriculum, health policy, etc."
"Read SDN, my AMCAS and secondary, mock interview."
"DREW/UCLA website and SDN"
"SDN, reviewed AMCAS and secondary app."
"I visited both Drew and UCLA's websites, went over my secondary, read this website and went over my AMCAS."
"Read website--> MISSION of Drew is important, SDN, my application"
"Go over the primary and secondary applications, do on-line research about the campus, do mock interview with a career counselor and read SDN"
"brochure, SDN, reread AMCAS and secondary"
"re-read AMCAS, looked at school website and UCLA website, practiced at previous interviews."
"SDN, Secondary app, and primary app"
"Reread my 1º and 2º applications; read interview feedback postings; read newspaper articles and school website information about current issues at the school (lack of funding, accreditation issues, etc)."
"I reread my AMCAS application"
"This website, current events, read up on the history of the university, KNOW THYSELF and motivations for becoming a doctor!"
"Talked to current students at different med schools, read the website, re-read secondary application, looked up current events."
"Read over my AMCAS and secondary application from Drew. Also, read over the interview feedaback section of SDN and kept myself informed of current events in health and in general."
"Read a lot about medicaid, the collapse of the health care system, politics in L.A. etc."
"Reviewed my AMCAS/DREW applications, used SDN, read the latest Drew newsletter found on the website. "
"website"
"Read this website, read U Penn's ethics websites, read over Drew program and secondary"
"Read interview notes here on SDN, reviewed my AMCAS and Drew supplemental applications, read health/medical issues and current events on sites like yahoo.com and cnn.com, also looked over Drew website and handouts sent to me from Drew via postal mail."
"I hung out with 2nd year Drew students the night before and asked many questions."
"I read SDN, my secondary, and learned about the school"
"SDN, web site and AMCAS"
"interview feedback, mock interviews"
"Read my secondary application, looked up the school's unique program online."
"Read over my application, secondary, and did research on the program."
"Students were like a family."
"The number of students who showed up to participate in the student panel. They were all very chill and funny."
"student support"
"Very friendly staff and students. Well organized interview day. FOOD WAS AMAZING."
"How close/happy all the students are with the school."
"Everyone was extremely friendly. Both my student and faculty interviewers were very relaxed. There was also a 30 min. group interview that allowed us to interact w/ other applicants."
"The strong sense of community the students had"
"The students were very happy about their decision to attend DREW. Also, they were all very involved in activities within and outside of school. Drew students get the advantage of rotating at diverse hospitals/clinics during 3rd/4th year."
"The first interview was one on one, but the second was a group interview. That was kind of interesting and fun."
"i LOVED my one-on-one interviewer. She was very honest with me and was very personal with me. She was awesome...it really did feel like I was having a good convo with one of my girlfriends, seriously. The day was very structured and it didn't lag on. First people started off with their group iviews, then their individual iviews, and then we all interacted with a student panel."
"How close all of the students are. The family environment was really huge for me. How well the faculty and staff take care of their students. The mission of the school is one of a kind. All of the community involvement and projects. They just opened up a new Urgent Care Clinic. They are really expanding the school. They have plenty of places for 3rd and 4th yrs to do their rotations and they are going to get some more. Just an overall great place and great school!"
"The students, the attention the small class gets, studying at UCLA and gaining experience in underserved areas (best of both worlds)."
"Close niche with students and faculty members. Nice people."
"The commitment of the school to helping the poor and the enthusiasm of the students."
"Students seem very close knit with faculty and staff as well as each other"
"How happy the students seemed, how well the 4th years place in residencies"
"All the med students were enthusiastic about the school. They couldn't stop saying how much they loved Drew. "
"The sincerity of the staff..they showed me so much love and care. The school's mission is awesome! Drew students love it there!!"
"Research thesis required by students."
"happy students"
"people and their missions"
"How geniune the faculty and students were and how unique the Drew program really is."
"How excited and proud the Drew med students are to be part of this incredible program; they are a close, welcoming family!"
"How nice everyone was. My interviewers made me feel comfortable."
"That all the medical students seemed very happy with their decision to attend Drew. The staff was also extremely friendly."
"the passion for the "Drew Mission""
"The students seemed extremely happy and enthusiastic. The staff were so friendly as well. Everyone was dedicated to the mission of Drew, serving underserved populations. "
"Everyone's passion for what they do."
"The area was definitely underserved (Watts) which is exactly what I liked the most about the school. You will definitely get great hands-on experience at Drew. Also, that you graduate from both UCLA and Drew, it is very much affiliated directly w/UCLA."
"The spirit of the students and the faculty. The introduction by the Dean nearly brought me to tears!"
"The diversity that exist amongst the students."
"The sense of comradery that exists and is encouraged amongst Drew students. And, being from southern california, I was very excited about the first two years being at UCLA med."
"You truly get the best of both worlds at Drew/UCLA. You take classes at one of the top medical schools in the country and do most of your clinical work at an inner city hospital. If you like helping the underserved this is the place for you. Everyone was very friendly and because the class size (at Drew) is small, about 24, everyone knows one another and they seem to get along well. "
"Everyone was very welcoming and encouraging. A lot of faculty were present and gave introductions explaining the importance of the Drew mission. Students were really friendly and you could really get a sense of family the students had for one another. All the doctors were really into the school and serving the community which is good to see and hear and make you realize why you're going into the medical field in the first place,"
"county hospital"
"students love their program, a chance to really help the underserved, a lot of hands on opportunities"
"The people were great and the emphasis on the Drew mission really made me feel that everyone was there to serve their communities and work with medically underserved populations."
"The entire environment of the school was so nice. The dean, the committee chair, all the doctors and students where so helpful."
"The current and prospective students, along with the faculty and staff, were all amazing people. I love the diversity of backgrounds and interests and the commitment to caring for the underserved."
"The people there were incredibly nice. They often spoke of training physicians to fulfill the Drew mission an they meant it."
"Dr. Aguilerra made everyone feel totally at ease before interviews began. He told us about himself and why he came to Drew. Reminded us that we wouldn't be there if not qualified. Excellent tour by a 4th year med student whose going to be starting a neurosurgery residency!"
"Everything, from the speakers to the students impressed me, everyone seemed to really believe in the drew mission. The interviewer I had really knew my application, so he didn't end up asking me things I had already answered in my apps, mostly more personal questions than anyhing else, and he seemed very interested in my answers. "
"The openness and friendliness of the faculty, staff and students who were all committed to working and serving in underserved communities."
"How relaxed and kind everyone was. How committed the admisitration is to the vision of the school. How they are all still going despite the fact that the hospital is closing wards everyday, and will probably be closed down in the next year. The hospital is in major trouble."
"The friendliness of the staff and interviewer and how happy the students are. "
"The mission of the school...the cheap tuition..the numerous clinical exposures.."
"The students, faculty seemed very happy and fun! The lunch was a full-on spread of chili, potatoes, rice- very good. They seemed to really care about their students and their mission"
"The family atmosphere and friendliness of both students and faculty. They made you feel like that this was a great program, which it is and that they really cared about the school's mission and its community."
"Every Drew student with whom I spoke loves the school and the program. Everyone genuinely enjoys the curriculum and the family atmosphere."
"Our tour guide was a third year med student who was hilarious and really nice! He kept saying the school is like a family atmosphere which was cool."
"the program is great"
"how Dr. Miller mentioned that he knew we would all make very good drew students, and that he just wanted to find out who we were."
"The students and faculty were very nice and seemed genuinely happy there. Also, they show you three videos, one about the medical profession, one about the history of the school's founder, and one about the school itself."
"the proximity to underserved communities."
"My first interviewer was very standoffish and kept emphasizing the fact that the Watts area used to be predominantly black but is now predominantly latino. She then cut me off and ended the interview prematurely even though she arrived late. My second interviewer was very nice however she forgot about our scheduled time and asked for me to my interview hours later than arranged."
"Some of the interviewers were odd..."
"location"
"Nothing, had an amazing time."
"There was no tour. Granted, we weren't on UCLA campus proper, but I think having a tour would have given us the ability to visualize ourselves at the school."
"Nothing except for an annoying interviewee"
"Nothing at all. I love CDU"
"No tour. But we will be at UCLA for the first two years and we will not be rotating through King. So I didn't think a tour was necessary."
"No tour. Interview questions were already set up beforehand (most of the questions are the same as last year according to SDN). What a bad idea for interview!!!! "
"THE INTERVIEW FORMAT (see below). Plus their teaching hospital is shutdown. There was no tour of the campus and the people there weren't particularly friendly."
"No set hospital for rotations"
"Location is a little sketchy"
"I wish we could have toured one of the hospitals or clinics affiliated with the school."
"Nada!"
"Some of the students/faculty were stuck-up."
"no presentation, tour or paraphernalia."
"I did not have any tour."
"My faculty interviewer seemed a bit cold, with an abrupt ending to our interview. I wsn't sure what to think about that..."
"My faculty interviewer cancelled at the last minute so I had to wait until the afternoon to be seen by another faculty member."
"MLK hospital and that some of the rotations have been closed"
"The facilities are old."
"Nothing, everything was exactly as I had expected."
"That there was no food served."
"N/A"
"The fact that you are forced to do your clinicals at Drew. The hospital has a very negative reputation in this state (not sure of others). Aside from the troubles its been having, the clinical training staff are not very highly regarded which is a HUGE concern since they would be the ones writing my LORs for residencies."
"They interview about 150 people for 25 slots so that sounds intimidating. My interviewer actually said that they will pick about 2 of the 15 that interviewed on my day and recommend them for admission. Also, the hospital seemed kind of empty for a Saturday morning."
"Some of the questions were tough such as the one described above. I don't want to think about when my parents are going to die. Who thinks about that?"
"clinical probation"
"location, recent problems they are having, small class size, facilities are really bad"
"The tiptoeing around the issue of department & clinic closings, legal problems and financials woes."
"The long wait for my interview. I think some students didn't show up so our wait was very long."
"The hospital was very quiet and nearly empty, but our tour guide said that is normal for a saturday morning and that things pick up in the afternoon and through the night."
"The wait was very long. They gave us random videos to watch while we were waiting, but only of them was interesting."
"The wait for the interview! It doesn't matter that your letter said it's scheduled for 9 am. You better get there at 8 am to sign in! You're interviewed roughly in order that you sign up!"
"Yes, its true what they say about the waiting... I was one of the first people interviewed and still I had to wait around until 1pm when they finally told us that we could go. But I was kinda expecting it so it wasn't so bad."
"Nothing."
"Argg. An annoying interraction that made the whole day taste a little salty - someone in the office assumed (maybe because I look white) that I wouldn't have had any experience in an inner-city community and suggested (not very nicely) that I should go take a stroll though the neighborhood to get a feel for what it is REALLY like. I grew up there, lady."
"The long wait for the interview. I got there at 8:15 in the morning for a 9:00 interview appointment and interviewed at 11:30. "
"The ghetto surrounding area."
"absolutely crappy system of interviewing. the admissions committee said i would hear in 4-6 weeks. i found out about 4 months. every time i called, i was told something else. a zoo. i was cheated completely."
"Nothing"
"Waiting around a long time kinda sucked. Even if you put your name on the interview list early, it really does not mean that you interview early as some suggested here on this website. I placed my name fairly early in the list and still was one of the last interviews that day. I wish that they had structured more workshops or talks to help fill up the day, as there is a lot of waiting and sitting."
"My interviewer. He rarely made eye contact with me and he was very hard to understand. I had a faculty member and he just seemed so uninterested in everything I had to say. He obviously doesn't like to interview students."
"I wish they took more people who are not labeled as minorites becayse I really would love to work with the underserved and go to the school!"
"Having to wait six hours for my interview and then having Mr. Yamaguchi be so rude and very hurried."
"nothing!"
"none"
"That I would be so nervous for this one! I guess I wanted it badly. I needed to arrive at the interview in a better mood."
"it was an MMI"
"I was a little surprised that there was a HANDWRITTEN portion to the interview. It wasn't too difficult though: you just had to explain how you would make healthcare better for underserved patients. It was a 20 min. writing assignment."
"no breakfast"
"how relaxed my one-on-one iview would be...also what to expect for my group iview. it wasn't so bad, and they made sure to let us know that it def would not be a make or break factor in terms of gaining admission. there was a group of about 6 of us and our task was to come up with a solid plan of diabetes awareness to a community in los angeles. part of the assignment was to talk about how we would hire our staff, distribute info, etc.."
"That there was nothing to be stressed about. It was a really relaxed day."
"99% of the questions that I was asked were the same as last year interview questions posted on SDN."
"The interview format really threw me for a loop and I did not perform well. One interview is a normal one-on-one which went well, but the other interview is a ''group interview.'' How it worked was half the interviewees sit around a table with several med student interviewers behind them. You are given a task (ours was to hire a project coordinator for ovarian cancer screening i.e. list the qualifications you would look for, how you would recruit them, and what interview questions you would ask) and supposed to work it out together as a group while the med students right down comments. I'm pretty shy in large groups of strangers and given the high pressure I really blew it and said almost nothing. Maybe I'm bitter but I felt it was competitive cooperation and I don't think I would do well in a school with that kind of attitude. There seemed a kind of forced camaraderie there which really turned me off. However I think for the right student it might be great. "
"I didn't know that as a student at Drew you are required to write a Thesis statement. (The students seemed interested and excited about their research)."
"The traffic on the way there..leave early if you can"
"its not the big white building that says Charles Drew (that is the high school)"
"n/a"
"That this year you didn't have to get there super early to sign-up for an interview (it has been 1st come first seen in the past)."
"Where to check in for the interview...go to student affairs."
"that any student interviewed after 2/27/06 is not considered 1st tier and can at the most be wait listed! They cannot be immediately accepted (although they could obviously move from a wait list to an accepted position), so after this date, I was told every other student would be interviewing for wait list and post bacc positions (but none are told this, they all think they have just a good of chance of getting in the program) - this was told to a group of us by Norma, their admissions coordinator"
"The day went pretty much as outlined. "
"That your diploma is a UCLA diploma."
"That I would have lunch with students, and tour the hospital with one of the students."
"That there would be no lunch or breakfast."
"That DREW hospital serves a population the size of Philadelphia, that's wonderful! "
"That I'd already been accepted to a better med school so that I could have forgone the interview."
"They were serving breakfast. Don't eat before your interview because they have plenty of food including yogurt, muffins, bagels, coffee, juice, etc..."
"Breakfast is GREAT! Muffins, scones, fruit, juice, coffee, bear claws, water, yogurt...you just don't get lunch."
"The earlier you get there, the sooner you will have the interview. "
"that i don't want to jeopardize all I've worked for by attending this school. Also, after speaking to a few UCLA students, I found out that many UCLA students look down on the kids in the Drew program as do many faculty members at UCLA."
"That some of the partner clinics and hospitals were low on funding and were at risk of closing."
"Nothing, I researched this school thouroghly."
"There are multiple interviewers (dean, faculty and students) and you have no idea who you will get. They interview so many people that day (about 25)--it would have been good to come up with something or some way of distinguishing myself. "
"The King/Drew hospital is having some financial difficulties, like many hospitals around the country, and some programs are being eliminated. I don't know how much of an impact that will have on the medical students, but that would definitely affect my decision if I got in. We did not have a financial aid discussion, so I have no idea what the cost will be for an out-of-state student."
"To wear more comfortable shoes! That tour nearly crippled me! To not be so nervous. The interview was more of a conversation"
"Nothing after reading the reviews here."
"That I had to wait for so long . . . .I would have brought a book and ate a better breakfast. "
"That the day was kind of unorganized and really hot- so be prepared to wait!"
"Nothing really."
"Nothing."
"Get there a little early and sign in to get an earlier interview."
"Please get there extra early or else you wait and wait and wait and wait all day long"
"i was told to get there early to sign up for an interview...so i did, and the list was not available for us to sign in the order in which we arrived. the list was then given to us at 9am, which meant arriving early didnt make a difference. i ended up waiting til 1pm for my interview."
"They should be more organized and remember that they are trying to impress the applicants, just as we are trying to impress them."
"Strict confidentiality agreement. Plan to be well versed on your experiences and why you want to attend this program specifically. Be kind, be confident, truly- be you,"
"I wish they would have taken us on a campus tour. Still my top choice because of its mission."
"Lunch was amazing"
"Loved this program, everyone seems to really care."
"The negative press/reputation of the school. They have a checkered past. I wish I knew if it would negatively affect me if I went to their school. Its hard to find an unbiased source."
"I had a great interview experience here and I really love the school! They only accept a maximum of 28 students at any one time, so we were told that it might take us a long while to hear back post-interview about final decisions. I would love to attend here! The students were very friendly and willing to answer any and all questions about academics and student life. They made it clear that they are a family unit and highly value that. It wasn't to the point of exclusivity though, but they do care about each other and each other's success."
"The began with an overview of the day and information about the school. The group of applicants were split in half. One half of the group had a group interview first, while the others had a one on one interview. The group interview involved allowing applicants to work together to develop a plan for a specific task. The were not concerned with the quantity but rather the quality of your contribution. Honestly, it was a little intimidating trying to share your ideas amongst other brilliant students while the med students judged your performance. The one on one interview was pretty standard with no unexpected questions. They just want to get to know u better. After the interviews, a student panel discussed the school and allowed for questions. The day ended with lunch."
"Interview was not stressful at all. The program seems to have a lot of resources available."
"I really had a good interview experience here. I went in early and they had a nice breakfast for us. A physician gave an opening welcome address and passed out brochures and asked if we had any questions. She also explained what would be going on during our time there. I also found out that as part of the drew program that students are required to do a thesis which i think is awesome. I already know what I want to do.."
"CDU is all about the community. If that is not your goal, if you don't plan on giving your time, efforts and care to the underserved, they will be able to sniff it out. If you are trying to use CDU as a back door to UCLA, they will sniff it out. Just be honest about what you want to do. If you are genuine about being in the community, you will be just fine."
"I enjoyed the group interview because it allowed students to interact with each other. And if students express strict competitiveness rather than cooperation, then the interviewers would note that and I don't think that will go well, especially the small class size, all 24 students should be able to professionally work together. I think this process helps weed out the insensitive gunners =)"
"I think the group project part of the interview was time-consuming and non-productive! Interview questions were already set up. From my experience, this is the only school that had a specific set of interview questions for the whole year. No tour given. "
"Drew was my top choice beforehand and maybe I'm just disappointed in my performance, but I really didn't want to go there afterwards. It would be a good school for some people, I just think I'm too old and independent for the atmosphere there. "
"Went well, a little more intense than other interviews I've been on"
"The medical students and admissions staff were extremely informative and welcoming. The interview day itself was short compared to other interviews. (We only went until noon)."
"I really enjoyed my interview experience. Drew is a really excellent program that reaches out to the community and its students. The program gets the best of both worlds...UCLA and Serving those whom are disadvantages..."
"I want to come here because of the location in California, the curriculum, and the mission. However, the school doesn't let you forget that UCLA is prestigious and we're lucky that we are even being interviewed. This school had one of the most arrogant attitudes I've interviewed."
"Liked the admissions staff and faculty, Loved the Drew students and Adored the other students interviewing!"
"The interviewers and Norma were very nice. The conversations were not formal and made me very comfortable to talk what I really wanted to do with medicine. I really like the school's mission and opportunities to work with underserved people."
"The school and opportunities are amazing. If you are committed to work with the underserved, Drew is the place for you."
"As soon as I arrived i felt it... I was nervous and stressed yes, because Drew is my top choice, but I felt I was where I belonged. It was great! The faculty was very welcoming, answered all our questioned; told us a lot about the program. Then when the student spoke it was like no other med student panel I've heard before. Eveery Drew student is happy with their choice, there classmates, everything about the program. They love it and I know I will love. The interviews were mostly personal questions and my experiences and why I thought I belonged at Drew. I felt comfortable just "spilling my guts" and I held nothing back because this was my chance to make my dreams come true. It worked... I got a phone call from Dr. Aguilera less than 2-wks later offering me a spot in the 2010 Drew class!!!"
"I arrived, sign-in, had a bried introduction by admissions director, and waited for the first interview. I had two interviews...I thought one would be a student, but they were both faculty members."
"Overall this interview was pleasant and very low stress. There were only 4 other interviewees."
"good"
"I had a morning interview. We arrived, signed out, and waited in a conference room. We were served a continental breakfast. The dean came in to talk to us, followed by a medical student panel. We were then called out to go to our interviews, one faculty and one student, both of which were very laid back and conversational. The final portion was a tour of the hospital. The experience far surpassed my expectations. "
"Everyone has heard the negative publicity about the hospital MLK/Drew, but the truth is that it is not all bad (and is defintely being work on professionally through a consulting company). Some of the residency programs have been unaccredited, but they do not affect Drew students. For example instead of having a surgery clerkship at MLK/Drew, you would go to Harbor-UCLA (another county hosptial affiliated with UCLA). UCLA and Drew are very much connected, and so your resources are just as good as a Geffen Student (if not more). The required research project is not just an essay, but a very involved project. I learned a great deal during my interview and I was really impressed with every aspect of Drew/UCLA."
"Overall I had a very good experience. The hospital really gives you a good idea of the patients you will have to work with during your rotations. I was impressed by the dedication of everyone there. If you are interested in serving the underserved then this program is the best."
"Truthfully, DREW is my #1 choice because it's mission is parallell to my goals as a physician. So far, it's the only school I have attended that is fullfilling it's mission."
"My impressions of the school were mixed because I so badly want to stay in state for med school. If I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to practice general medicine in an underserved community full-time, this would be my dream school. However, after all that I've endured to attend med school, I wouldn't feel comfortable closing doors to the possibilities of pursuing competitive specialities. Great school for what I envision myself doing but could be a shot in the foot should my goals change."
"I had a really good time at Drew. The students and faculty made you really feel as though it was a family atmosphere. Its a really diverse (ethnically) group of students, but most are from California. The interviews were very relaxed and mostly conversational. Overall I had a great time and really liked the school. Besides, LA is great. If you want a tour of the UCLA campus you need to pre-arrange that because the day of the interview, you only tour Drew."
"My experience at Drew was incredible. If you can honestly say that the mission of Drew is exactly what you want to do then this school is your opportunity. Personally, I want to go to the underserved communities therefore being at Drew would give me amazing opportunities. Drew students generally get a lot more hands on experience and are surrounded my faculty members whose interests are to help the surrounding communities. I was really impressed with the physicians who introduced themselves during the day and the organization of the day has changed because no one was waiting for 2nd interviews for too long. There has been a lot of speculation with the MLK hospital and Drew is doing all they can to fix the problem. If anything, it should make you want to go to the school and prove others wrong in order to fight for Drew's mission. It's all about the mission!"
"I got there at 8 am, (There were 5 interviewees ahead of me.) and had a small breakfast, student-guided campus tour, talk by the dean. Interview starts at about 11 am. We left the campus around 12:30 pm."
"This interview was my last one, and compared to the other schools I had visited, Drew definitely did not impress me at all. The facilities were shabby and the admissions staff was unwelcoming and disorganized. It took 3 whole months before a decision was made about my application after my interview. "
"VERY unorganized day. There was something else going on in the waiting area the day I interviewed, so there wasn't a waiting room for the interviewees...we were crammed together into a cubby hole. My student interviewer couldn't really answer my questions though she was a third year. When asked if she wanted to practice medicine in underserved areas, her answer was, "No way." "
"For the last post, UCLA is the most applied to school. I know many of the chairs and members on admissions. They simply do not have the capability of letting you know sooner sometimes. It is not a reflection of problems with their program, but the competitiveness of it and the caliber of students that they have. I would still suggest considering them."
"The only negative thing that I can say is that I have not heard from Drew (rejection, acceptance, or wait-list) since my interview in March and it is now June. It has been nearly 3 months. I don't think that it is a positive reflection of a medical school program when they do not bother to let applicants know where they stand. After spending hundreds of dollars traveling to LA, renting a car, and getting a hotel, I think that I deserve some sort of correspondence from the school. At this point, I would not go to the school if I did get in because the non-existent communication from the school might be indicative of other problems at the school. It is upsetting because the school has a lot to offer, but I was turned off by administrative weaknesses and the disrespect for applicants by not keeping us posted and inviting us to interviews at the last minute. I found out 4 days before my interview that I needed to be in LA. Many of my co-interviewers had the same problem."
"This was a great experience, Drew is my #1 choice in a medical school. It is the best of both worlds being that the clinical years are at king/drew and the basic science years are at UCLA. The fact that the school's primary training hospital is linked to problems has not dettered my desire what so ever to attend this school."
"This was my first interview, so I cannot compare to other schools, but it was very relaxed. I got there early (they tell you 8:30, but I was there around 8 when they opened the doors). We signed up to interview in roughly the order we got there, so being early helped a lot in terms of getting through everything quickly. The Dean of Admissions and the Dean of the Med School were both very welcoming and genuinely interested in Drew and it's mission. My interviewer was a 3rd year med student who seemed more interested in having a conversation than in picking apart my application. He asked about my family and my experiences in college (academics, athletics, extracurriculars). Occasionally he'd look at his interview sheet and ask me questions like , "why Drew?" and "where do you see yourself in ten years?", but he seemed less interested in these answers than in our conversation. we talked about his own family, his medical interests, his experiences at Drew. He briefly asked about my grades, but didn't seem too worried about them. He was interested in the research I had done and educated me about research opportunities at Drew. I also asked about the dual MD/MPH option and opportunities for international experience. He was very friendly, relaxed and informative. After the interview, I ate brunch (good food) and then headed off on the tour of the medical center. There were some students on the tour who had yet to interview, so I'm sure they didn't finish until around 2. I was able to leave around 12:30. I was very impressed by the other interviewees--all amazing people. Overall, it was a good experience. I think it is important to find a school that fits with your own goals and interests and this one defeinitely does for me."
"Overall it was a very good day, there were about 25 students there and we all got one-on-one interviews. We had the opportunity to hear from the Dean of students and the Dean of admissions, both of whom were very friendly. The interview is very low pressure so don't worry. The LA weather is awesome!!"
"Arrived at 8:15 am, for a 9 am interview and there we already 13 people in front of me! The waiting area was very comfortable as we sat on nice couches. Gave introductions to everyone as to who we were and school came from. Met with the dean and chair of ER clerkship. The food was EXCELLENT do you understand me! We had an excellent tour guide of the medical center, outstanding trauma center. I interviewed with Dr. Miller, chief of radiology! He was very nice and knew my file well. Overall a good day but expect to stay till about 2!"
"Overall very positive, I got a very good impression of the school, and the quality of the program. It is also a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, very good if you are a jittery interviewee like myself. If you really want to help the community than Drew is a good place for you..."
"It was a great day and I was one of the first to interview that day. I met some amazing people, ranging from students and faculty/staff to other interviewees. It was refreshing to see a school that really wanted diversity in its class and did its best to select a class of people committed to working in underserved communities. The interview was VERY, VERY RELAXED and seemed like a conversation with friends more than a formal interview for medical school. It was very low key and very inspirational and I would definitely attend DREW over any of the other schools I got into."
"overall, it was good. "
"Drew is a great school, with amazing faculty and staff. Everyone truly believes in the Drew mission and carries it out daily."
"I wouldn't mind spending the next 4 years here. "
"This was my best interview yet- I was interviewed by a cardiologist who was friendly, relaxed, and had actually read my file. He asked me pertinent questions and answered all of my questions in depth. THe atmosphere seems very supportive and the students seem really friendly and relaxed. Wonderful school."
"My interviewer was a 2nd year medical student and she was great. Very friendly and relaxed, she seemed very interested in what I had to say and was amazed at my community service record and how I overcame many obstacles in my life. It was a good amount of time and I was able to ask her many questions about the program and how her life was changed by the program, in terms of time committments, volunteering and maintaining relationships outside of school. I was actually a little annoyed by one applicant because he had mentioned my screenname and said that I was posting too much on the website.......he was your typical pre-med and didn't even know that the person he was talking about was in front of him.....one of those lurkers on SDN who uses and gets information but never cares to share or help others out......i didn't even choose to call him out and decided to ignore him and enjoy the day.....the other applicants I met were so cool and accomplished......"
"I enjoyed the tour and the medical students and everyone I met was very nice...except, the interviewer. He left me with a very negative impression, I walked out of the interview feeling very cheated."
"I love this school and anyone who gets to go there is soooooooo lucky!!!!"
"I think Drew is an excellent program that I would love to be in, but they need to organize their interview day better. Take Mr. Personality off the admissions committee ( Yeah you Mr. Y)"
"It seemed like i was being tested with the difficult questions asked by dr. miller...also, he really asks a lot of questions about your family upbringing...so be ready! When you prepare for this interview...expect the "why drew" question, but also be prepared for tough questions too like why there might be inadequacies in your application."
"The interviewer was very nice. She made me feel very comfortable. The interview, although she asked me a list of pre-set questions, had a conversational feel to it."
"This is feedback for the UCLA/DREW joint program."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 38 |
| Faculty member | 2 |
| Admissions staff | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 13 |
| Neutral | 1 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.85 | 33 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 29 |
| Out of state | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 18 |
| 2-3 hours | 6 |
| 4-6 hours | 4 |
| 7+ hours | 5 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 11 |
| Automobile | 21 |
| Train or subway | 0 |
| Other | 0 |
LGB
LAX
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 1 |
| Friends or family | 9 |
| Hotel | 4 |
| Home | 1 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 7 |
| $101-$200 | 3 |
| $201-$300 | 2 |
| $301-$400 | 3 |
| $401-$500 | 0 |
| $501+ | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.28 | 36 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.78 | 36 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.19 | 36 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.94 | 16 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.41 | 17 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.69 | 13 |
"Application should be under UCLA’s general app. rather than its own separate entity. Coordinators/admin could be more responsive."
"They still use paper application for the secondary; it would probably be easier to make everything electronic to streamline the process."
"I would've liked to have been told more in advance that I would be done by 1pm."
"None at all."
"Interview should be conversational with some unexpected questions."
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?