East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine Interview Feedback Summary
Johnson City, TN
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 24% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.5
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 445 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as low stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (89%)
Negatively (6%)
No change (5%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (42%)
Good (42%)
Average (14%)
Poor (1%)
Bad (1%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview experience at the school to be welcoming, personal, and relaxed. They appreciated the focus on getting to know them as individuals and felt a strong sense of community and support from the faculty and staff.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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This was my best experience at an interview yet! everyone is kind and warm and the interviewers want to know you! not just your stats
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Had a great interview experience!
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Overall the best interview between the 3 I’ve had. I connected super well with an interviewer. Be prepared, but don’t allow anxiety to creep in
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Such a nice interview day, everyone affiliated with the school seems to genuinely love it there.
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The (virtual) interviews with Quillen are designed solely to get to know each applicant personally. They interview very few people at once, so you don't feel rushed between interviews. The faculty and staff are warm individuals that made me feel very comfortable and excited to interview with them.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
51 Minutes Average
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Number:
2 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
100% One-on-One
0% Group Interview
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File Type:
33% Open-File
67% Closed-File
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Interview Modality:
100% Virtual
0% In-Person
ETSU-QCOM-COMP interviews are an average of 51 minutes, with an average of 2 interviews. 100% of interviews are one-on-one, 0% are in-person, and 67% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about motivations for pursuing medicine, overcoming challenges, views on healthcare issues, stress management, personal attributes, ethical scenarios, and specific experiences related to medicine or volunteer work. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format, which may include questions about multiple scenarios and potential nondisclosure agreements regarding interview content.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Who are you?
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Why Rural medicine, Why ETSU, what type of physician do you want to be (specialty)
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What are your hobbies?
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Tell me about a challenge you faced & how you overcame it
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What do you think the largest issue facing rural health is?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including problem-solving scenarios, personal values, health inequities, ethical dilemmas, and future goals. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) based on the variety of questions mentioned, and respondents may have been subject to a nondisclosure agreement due to the specific nature of some inquiries.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Tell me about a time that you had to verbally solve a problem with someone.
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What is a concern someone might have about you?
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What barriers causing health inequity?
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A specific question about something in my personal statement
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If you had a full day off, how would you spend it?
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by practicing with mock interviews, reading feedback on Student Doctor Network (SDN), researching the school's website, and reviewing their application materials. Many also engaged in mock interviews, read up on medical ethics or current health topics, and sought advice from current medical students or recent interviewees to better prepare for the interview.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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SDN, practice answers
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Mock interviews, reading SDN feedback questions, and practicing my responses
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Prepped questions online, research school annd formulate questions
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Mock interviews, reading posts on sdn, read books on medical ethics, had done a lot of secondaries (which required a lot of introspection) so everything was very straightforward
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Practiced with family, including someone who recently graduated from Quillen.
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine discussed various topics such as concerns about medical school, patient care scenarios, decision-making, physician fears, specialty selection, and personal challenges. Additionally, respondents mentioned questions related to healthcare reform, application weaknesses, ethical observations, and healthcare system comparisons, with some interviews resembling a conversation format, while others involved challenging medical knowledge inquiries.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Who are you?
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What is a concern you have about medical school?
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What would you do if a patient refuses care?
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Nothing was really difficult, it was very straightforward
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Describe a time you made a decision you regretted
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the welcoming and genuine atmosphere at the school, emphasizing the strong sense of community and support from both faculty and students. Many noted the beautiful campus and facilities, the friendly and approachable staff, and the relaxed and low-stress interview experience as highlights of their visit. Suggestions were minimal, with only minor mentions of areas for improvement such as more transparency in the admissions process and potentially expanding the facilities.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Very welcoming atmosphere.
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The staff appears like they really care about the students. It seems like a small school but a lot of attention is given to the relationships between medical students and staff.
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Genuine, easygoing interviews, coordinators very polite
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How comfortable it was, they really just wanted to find out more about who I am
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How relaxed everything was.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the virtual interview format, limited clinical research opportunities, closed-file interviews, the rural location of the school, and the emphasis on primary care. Suggestions include providing more information on out-of-state tuition, addressing disorganization in interviews, increasing exposure to diverse medical scenarios, and enhancing the social scene for students.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Interview day occurred over two separate days
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I didn't like that it is virtual because I would have enjoyed touring the area
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Slightly disorganized, but understandable b/c virtual format
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Nothing
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The hosts weren’t able to answer some of the applicants’ common questions.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time how relaxed and chill the interview process would be. Many emphasized the importance of being prepared to talk about themselves, being relaxed, and not stressing during the interview day. Other feedback included being ready for non-medical questions, the conversational nature of the interviews, and the need for comfortable shoes due to the amount of walking involved.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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It is a very relaxed interview
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How chill it would be!
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To relax
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N/A
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Nothing.
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
The most common feedback and suggestions for the admissions office include: a desire for more in-person interactions, such as interviews and meetings with faculty; requests for more notice for interviews to accommodate work schedules; and overall positive feedback on the friendly and accommodating staff.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Consider moving back to in-person interviews
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None, it was a great day. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Seminars, tours and interviews went smoothly.
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Continue being awesome!
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Nit-picky, but it would've been nice to have had a bathroom break between the informational and financial-aid lectures.
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More interaction with faculty would be appreciated. Not a deal breaker, but would love to have met more than 2 professors during a 0930-1600 interview day.
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
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TRI
33% interviewees used TRI (TRI), with 17% using TYS (TYS) and 17% using Tri Cities (Tri Cities) and 17% using Charlotte (Charlotte) and 17% using None (None).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by automobile to the interview.
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8% Airplane
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87% Automobile
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2% Train or Subway
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3% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Hampton Inn (average ranking 8.8/10), with some staying at Comfort Inn (average rating 8.3/10). (Top 3 displayed)
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Hampton Inn
8.8/10
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Comfort Inn
8.3/10
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Red Roof Inn
6.7/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are in state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (1%)
Other (3%)
Student (96%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Enthusiastic (94%)
Neutral (6%)
All Responses
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