How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.00 | 268 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 226 |
| Negatively | 14 |
| No change | 27 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.62 | 266 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.75 | 185 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.09 | 161 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 5 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 1 |
| 20 minutes | 6 |
| 25 minutes | 9 |
| 30 minutes | 75 |
| 35 minutes | 27 |
| 40 minutes | 46 |
| 45 minutes | 72 |
| 50 minutes | 12 |
| 55 minutes | 1 |
| 60+ minutes | 23 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 266 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 267 |
| In a group | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 258 |
| Closed file | 6 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.00 | 268 |
"What was your most engaging research activity?"
"What is one of your favorite books that you've read (it was relevant to our conversation, not out of the blue)"
"What do you think you would like most about being a physician?"
"What could you change about yourself?"
"Tell me about X extracurricular."
"Are you really ready for medical school?"
"Explain an extracurricular activity."
"Tell me about experience X."
"What do your parents do? (No one in my family is a doctor). Why did you choose medicine?"
"What do you think you will contribute to our class?"
"Am I interested in a specialty?"
"What adversity have you faced?"
"What will you do if you are not accepted?"
"Think of a 4 letter word to describe yourself"
"If you could go back in time and speak any language, who would you want to spend the day with and why?"
"What do you think about the direction of healthcare in the near future?"
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Why medicine"
"Tell me about your research, ECs, etc."
"Why do you want to be an MD/PhD?"
"Why did you choose your major?"
""Tell me about yourself""
""What was your most meaningful experience while volunteering at your local hospital?"
"What is the biggest problem with health care in the US and in the world?"
"At what point do all the trees lose their leaves in PA? (He was from Jamaica and just moved to Penn State)"
"No specific questions - both interviewers were incredibly conversational. One asked me about things in my file which stood out, then asked me what questions I had about the school. Everything else flowed from those questions. The second interview was entirely based on the questions I had about the school."
"how do you think your involvement in ECs will help you as a doctor?"
"How would you handle 80 hour work weeks and waking up at 4 am?"
"The usual... why medicine? why Penn State? how do you feel about research?"
"So, what can I tell you about Penn State?"
"I noticed your freshman year was a transition period for you (very low GPA)"
"Tell me about yourself. Have you interviewed anywhere else? What is the worst part about you as a med school applicant? Were you influenced more by your mother or father? What do your parents do? Whats the most enjoyable part of undergrad? How did you prepare for this interview?"
"Think of a 4-letter word to describe yourself."
"Why medicine? Why PSU?"
"What are your personal strengths and weaknesses?"
"why psu? tell me about siblings/ family, when did you decide you wanted to be a dr? why did you choose your undergrad college? tell me about your research"
"Tell me about your international experiences and your research.. (All straight from AMCAS app)"
"Who was your main role model in deciding on a career in medicine?"
"Why will you be a good doctor?"
"Tell me about X,Y,Z activity (from AMCAS application). The interviewer asked several follow up questions regarding activity."
"Just to start off, do you have any questions for me about the school?"
"Tell me about yourself..."
"Out of 100 pre-med students, what rank are you?"
"What questions can I answer for you about the school or Hershey?"
"Could you clarify this on your AMCAS application?"
"-when did you know you wanted to do medicine? -how will you pay for medical school? -do your parents know how much med school costs? -what do your parents do? "
"What brought you on your path to medicine and Hershey?"
"What questions do you have for me?"
"Questions about my undergraduate school and volunteer experiences. "
"So, what interests you about Penn State?"
"Why did you chose your major?"
"Ask me a question. (One interviewer asked this about four different times)"
"What do you like best about Penn State?"
"What was the most serious thing you saw during your time volunteering in the ER?"
"ask me questions. "
"Tell me about your clinical experience."
"Tell me about this..."
"Why you want to go to Penn State College of Medicine? "
"What is your specific role in your research group?"
"In your essay, you mentioned a rough time during your undergrad years, can you talk about how you got through that? (Most of the questions asked revolved around my AMCAS)"
"What do you like to do?"
"role models in medicine?"
"how can you contribute to the diversity at penn state. the rest of the interview was very conversational. the interviewer talked about how he went to medical school at stanford (im from california) and why he decided to come back to hershey."
"Why MD/PhD?"
"Do you think living in Hershey will be a problem? (I'm from Tampa, FL)."
"What is the biggest problem in healthcare?"
"how did your interest in medicine develop?"
"First interviewer just went through my list of experiences and asked about them. It was very casual and low stress. He just wanted to learn about me through my experiences. "
"What is your top school?"
"Tell me about your experience abroad."
"see most difficult"
"Why medicine? <insert my answer here> Eventhough you will have to spend another 7-10 years in training? <insert my answer here> Eventhough you will likely have six figures of debt? <insert my answer here> Why not a PA? <insert my answer here> Why not a nurse? <insert my answer here> Why not a teacher? <insert my answer here> Don't you think medicine will interfere with your family life? <insert my answer here>"
"What is the biggest problem in healthcare today? How do you propose we fix it?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor? (in the context that you can help people in many other professions)"
"What about Penn State interests you?"
"did i mention the clinical scenarios?"
"What is the biggest problems concerning our Health Care Policy, and how would you fix it?"
"What do you want to study as a specialty in med school?"
"Both interviewers (primarily Interviewer #1): At what point, or during what period, did you finally decide for sure that this was the path you wanted? (I had changed my mind about medicine at least twice, and it wasn't until 9/11, when I worked close to Ground Zero, that I resolved to become a doctor.)"
"Why do you think what your research is important?"
"Tell me about X volunteer work?"
"- Tell me a little about yourself. - Greatest strengths/weaknesses. - Why Medicine?"
"Why do you want to go into medicine?"
"Tell me about your experience in Spain"
"Basically, the interviews consisted of a brief synopsis of the application, followed by a line by line discussion of each activity."
"Why aren't you pursuing an MD/PHD?"
"What kind of procedures did you do as an EMT? (The interviewer was trying ot get a sense of how much of actual clinical experience I have)"
"Why Penn State? (I rambled on and on for a while after this one and he kinda giggled and stopped me but seemed to like it, so have an answer prepared)"
"How do you feel about living in rural Pennsylvania?"
"List two of the most important things on your application that you would like me to bring up at the admissions committee meeting."
"What's the biggest issue facing medicine today?"
"Did they ask questions? I guess the only one I can think of that was a direct question was asking me to clarify something in my academic record."
"Are you interested in primary care?"
"Why, based on your research experience, did you chose not to pursue a MD/PhD degree?"
"Why do you want to become a military physician?"
"tell me more about your current job"
"What does your brother do?"
"What do you do for your research?"
"Why did you want to do medicine?"
"So fine arts?? ..and it went on from there"
"What was your favorite class in college?"
"You obviously have a strong background in research. Would you rather spend your time doing clinical or bench research?"
"Which speciality do you want to go into? I answered primary care. He then asked "From scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest, how would you rank your potential to be a primary care physician?" "
"Why Penn State? Since this school is in the middle of nowhere, the admissions staff really cares about your answer because it's certainly not for the surroundings."
"Why did you quit the marching band?"
"What do your parents do?"
"How's your mom?"
"how did you learn about the school? where have you traveled to? what was that like?"
"How do you handle stress?"
"Where do you see yourself in 20 years?"
"why medicine? how would your friends describe you? are your parents doctors? why did you take a year off?"
"When I decided to be a physician."
"Tell me about your research?"
"Did you consider any other professions besides medicine?"
"Tell me about your leadership and teaching experiences."
"why do you want to go to medical school?"
"If you could spend a day with anyone in the past, who would it be and why?"
""What are you most passionate about?""
"strengths/weaknesses"
"How would your friends describe you?"
"From the first interview: Why did you apply to Penn State? What do you think you still need to learn to be a good physician?"
"why do you want to be a doctor? (both interviews)"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"From my first interview: Why did you take two years off? What led you to medicine? Why did you choose to go to your undergraduate institution, and why did you choose your major? Explain your study-abroad experience. Why Penn State? Do you have any questions for me? "
"Tell me about yourself, your college activities, and your research (my second interviewer, a PhD, was particularly interested in my research; this has been true at other schools where my interviewer was a PhD.)"
"Tell me about yourself, brothers and sisters, etc..."
"What's wrong with health care? Why are there so many uninsured people in the U.S.? Time machine question"
"See most interesting question?"
"What is squash? Why do you like Penn State? How many medical schools did you apply to?"
"Tell me about how you've come to be interested in a medical career. Why would you not pursue a degree in clinical psychology with your background? Why did you take the MCAT so late (non-traditional applicant) and what did you do between graduation and the test? "
"Why Hershey?"
"What would you do about the uninsured?"
"What will you bring to the class of 2009 that is unique?"
"Why do you want to come to Hershey? Do you know much aboout PBL? What specialty are you considering? "
"tell me about your research"
"Tell me about yourself? Tell me more. Tell me more. "
"why penn state? (i think they want people who like pennsylvania. just say you think it's beautiful and want to live there, it may be true)"
"If you could go back in time to any point, who would you want to meet and spend a day with(provided you could also speak their language)?"
"What have you done with your time off?"
"Who is your role model or your favorite author?"
"Why Hershey Medical Center?"
"bunch of questions having me elaborate on some of the activites/aspects of my application"
"What made you decide to do medicine? Have you considered doing something besides medicine?"
"Wonder when I'll hear back from PSU? They didn't really give us any dates to be expecting correspondence."
"tell me about your medical volunteering"
"what do you think should be done about the healthcare crisis in this country?"
"What do you do in your free time?"
"Why PSU?"
"How are your parents responding to such an expensive career path?"
"So...how did you get involved with medicine and why do you want to practice it?"
"No specific questions were asked; one interviewer just went over my file with me - very easy."
"Which 2 student organizations do you think you would want to be a part of here at Penn St?"
"Both interviewers mostly just asked me to elaborate on things I talked about in my personal statement."
"coming from a city environment, are you sure you can adjust to hershey?"
"If you had $10,000,000 to spend on healthcare, how would you use it?"
"What do I like about Hershey?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Tell me about your family"
"a question specific to my MCAT performance"
"Tell me about your research."
"Tell me about yourself"
"What were you doing in Russia?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor? (First interviewer, the nice doctor)"
"What do you perceive as your weaknesses?"
"Why do we have and what are we to do about the obesity problem facing the United States? What was the worst thing that has ever happened to you and what did you learn from that experience? "
"Tell me what you want me to know about yourself... How long were you in the Marines? What kind of research have you been involved with? What else do you do other than work and go to school (clinically and extra curricular activities)?"
"What are you passionate about?"
"What books do I read?"
"Anything unique about you that's not stated in your application?"
"Tell me about your motivations for entering medicine."
"How has your family situation influenced the doctor you hope to become? (My sister has had a chronic illness throughout my life)"
"The mammogram question."
"If you get accepted at the U of MN (my home state), you aren't going to go to Penn, are you? "
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What do you do for fun? "
"What would you do if you did not get in to medical school?"
"If you could travel back in time and meet one person, who would it be and why?"
""Standard" interview questions"
"Anything else I should know about you? (several times)"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What would you like me to know about you?"
"Why Penn State?"
"Why medicine?"
"Tell me about yourself... "
"What first motivated you to want to become a doctor?"
"You are from a big city, can you picture yourself living in Hershey?"
"Why MD?"
"What kind of medicine do you think you'll practice?"
"what do you know about PBL?"
"some questions about why woman and folic acid."
"So tell me about yourself"
"Asked questions about organizations I was involved in during college."
"Do you like to read? What type of books do you like?"
"Why do you want to attend Penn State."
""Why would you want to come to Hershey?""
"What is one major problem you see in American healthcare?"
"What do you think you would like least about being a physician?"
"Why Medicine"
"Why would you go to a rural area like Penn State?"
"Explain X extracurricular"
"What is a weakness"
"Explain your research."
"What would my friends say about me?"
"What were your responsibilities and experiences at (past job)?"
"Tell me about the Affordable Care Act."
"What leadership roles have you had?"
"What is one thing you would change about the ER you work at?"
"Do you feel you have had to overcome any hardships/struggles?"
"What are some negative aspects of a medical career"
"How has your clinical volunteer experience prepared you to practice medicine?"
"What is a difficult situation you've encountered in the past and how did you deal with it?"
"What kind of reading do you enjoy?"
""What would you do if you didn't get into Med School""
""How will your research help you when you're a physician?""
"What can I tell you about Penn State?"
"Why did you do research instead of stay home and relax on your breaks?"
"How did you learn to get people to trust you?"
"i think penn state is a great school because of x, y, and z reasons...do you have any questions for me?"
"What do you think about health care reform?"
"So, what can I tell you about Penn State?"
"A couple activities on my AMCAS app that tied in together (not clinical). How those activities would translate to medicine"
"What speciality do you want to go into?"
"Why did you get an L on the writing for the MCAT, thats pretty bad? Why haven't you done research? What are you looking for in a medical school? They have your AMCAS app with them so they will ask about almost ALL of your activities/stuff in personal statement on there!"
"Why PSU? Why medicine? What do you do in your free time?"
"Tell me about your background"
"If you were sent to assess blame for a hospital's mistake in treatment, how would you go about it?"
"Asked me to elaborate on research I had done and how I would take it to the next level."
"tell me about x activity on amcas"
"Why didn't you take the MCAT again?"
"What are your personal strengths and weaknesses that will impact you in your medical career?"
"Why would you be a good doctor?"
"What is the most important factor affecting your decision to attend a particular medical school?"
"What do you expect from the upcoming administration in regards to health care?"
"Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses in light of your candidacy as a medical student."
"-Medicine has a lot of problems today. Do you know about them? how will you handle them? Do you want to work in medical policy? -are you sure you want to enter mediicne? -tell me about the medical experiences you have had "
"Tell me about (activity on application)"
"What type of medicine to you want to practice?"
"Why did you decide to do what you've done since you finished undergrad?"
"What do you do in your free time?"
"How did I improve my MCAT score? What do my parents do? Tell me about your research. What was my favorite class? Mainly clarification/expansion on what I had written in my app."
"Well, how about you tell me about how you did ______? (research topics)"
"What do you see being the most difficult for you during your medical school years?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"About my personal statement. I discussed a patient that I was unable to help and the frustration that came along with it. The doctor wanted to know if it was because I couldn't help the patient, or because I couldn't help myself."
"How do you think students are coping with the increasingly demanding med school curriculim?"
"Tell me about this or that (activities from my AMCAS application)."
"Tell me about a recent technological advance in medicine that you found interesting"
"tell me about your hospice experience "
"Do you like where you are living now?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"Tell me about that..."
"What are the problems in healthcare today, both nationally and globally, at the same time, why do these problems exist and their solutions."
"What was your favorite non-science course? Both interviewers asked if I had questions for them."
"Do you think you are adequately prepared for clinical medicine? Do you think you have had enough exposure?"
"Tell me about your research?"
"favorite book "
"What would you do your PhD in?"
"Explain your MCAT (I took the MCAT twice, greatly increasing my score the second time around). Also, as I mentioned earlier, almost the entire interview (both of them) were based on my application. Be prepared to discuss your experiences/education. "
"Tell me about your research."
"how would u solve the problems in healthcare today"
"Second interviewer: Tell me about the U.S. healthcare system. Why Hershey? Tell me about your research. Why do you want to be a doctor? Any questions for me? "
"If you could do undergrad again what would you do differently?"
"Describe your longest volunteer activity. How about X on your AMCAS?"
"I see you have done a tremendous amount of research. Did you play a primary role in your research project. How so?"
"How would you fix the healthcare system?"
"What does 'orthopedic' mean in Latin (I do not know any Latin)? The interviewer wasn't too upset that I didn't know the answer."
"what are your greatest strengths?"
"What are you passionate about?"
"Why are you interested in pediatrics?"
"why undergrad?"
"Why medicine? / tell me about X experiences..."
"What will be the hardest part of med school for you?"
"Interviewer #2: Why not MD/PhD? (I have an M.S. in Biology, and will have accumulated 2 years of full-time biomedical research by the time I matriculate. My answer was that I'm already a lawyer, I would like to engage in health policy work, I'm getting older, and I cannot stretch myself out so thin. He got my drift.) Also: Tell me about your research (particularly about cell culture work I did, because he was in stem cell research)."
"why medicine?"
"Don't you think that other professionals have the same working hours as doctors? "
"Why did you drop out of high school?"
"Why would you want to move to rural Penn. after living in New York City for practically all of your life?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"what kind of music do you listen to? "
"do you think you will be able to adapt to the rural environment (again, I'm from LA)"
"What do you think makes a good physician"
"Why do you want to go to Hershey?"
"Explain poor grades in college."
"You were a Political Science major in college, how did you decide you wanted to go into medicine?"
"Big Picture what can the research you do be applied to?"
"The rest was basically a conversation with me asking a lot of questions..."
"What's the craziest thing you've ever done?"
"Why did you choose not to pursue research?"
"Tell me about your second degree, anthropology."
"Tell me about yourself."
"What specialty might you be interested in pursuing?"
"Why Hershey?"
"tell me about your research"
"What was your favorite extracurricular activity in college?"
"Do you think I'll find anything surprising when I take a longer look at your file following this interview"
"I see you worked in a warehouse for one summer. How did you like that?"
"What brings you to Penn State College of Medicine?"
"What should I tell the admissions committee about you? Why are you special compared to other applicants?"
"When did you realize you wanted to be a doctor?"
"What was your least favorite class?"
"How many interviews have you had? I answered honestly, and they seem to appreciate it."
"What type of doctor do you want to be? (The secondary application requires you to designate your medical interest, but you are not locked into this category. You just need to justify your interest to the interviewer. It's almost better to say that you are unsure and are waiting for your experiences in medical school to make a decision)"
"How would you resolve conflicts with your future wife? Partners? Patients?"
"What frightens you most about being a doctor?"
"What was it like going to the Hutterite colony?"
"describe your perfect day. why do u want to be a doctor? went over other things i had written about in my essay and mentioned on my amcas app."
"Why did you choose your undergraduate institution?"
"Why Penn State, What do you think of Hershey?"
"they won't ask you anything out of the ordinary! don't worry!"
"Who would you like to meet out of anyone/any time period?"
"Research."
"Why did you apply to this program?"
"Tell me what happened in the Spring of '03 (I had one bad semester, grade-wise.)"
"Do you think of yourself as a deep thinker?"
"what are you doing now?"
"How did you feel after being rejected by all the medical schools you applied to last year?"
""Why did you withdraw from organic chemistry the first time you took it?" "
"how would your friends describe you"
"How do you learn best?"
"From the second interview: I was asked to describe a number of activities I listed on my AMCAS. Why do you want to study medicine? Tell me about your volunteer experience. Was there anything else? How do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"tell me about (activity/class)"
"Tell me about yourself"
"From my second interview: I'm going to ask you to do something a little unconventional. I want you to explain everything about yourself in a four letter word. But before you do that, I want you to explain everything about yourself 20-30 years from now: (What are you doing? Where are you living? Who are your patients? How much money do you make? How much money do your patients make? Can they afford medical care? What if they can't? Are you still going to serve them? How are you going to pay for their medical care then? What if there isn't any insurance? There is only so much you can pay yourself, so how will you pay for their medical care? What if fund raising and grants aren't enough? How will you change the system? I'm counting on you to change this system. Okay, now going back to the first question - I'll give you five seconds to give me a four letter word describing yourself. What did you say - gosh? Okay, I'll write down gosh! (yikes - so I reacted because I was caught off guard, but I ended up saying a more appropriate four letter word) Do you have any questions for me? "
"What was your favorite community/medically-related experience?"
"Would you really want to come out here from California? Be honest."
"Tell me about your experiences."
"Why did you choose medicine?"
"Why do some doctors treat patients badly? What are your concerns with medicine?"
"Are there any Scandinavian authors I may recognize (I took a Scandinavian class)"
"Explain your current research. Explain the research you did in high school.... and five more specific questions on the latter only."
"Is there anyone in particular who is a role model for you in your pursuit of medicine? Why would you want to come to Hershey? What are your fears or concerns about practicing medicine? Do you have any regrets, would you change anything about your undergraduate career if you could go back--academic, extracurricular or otherwise?"
"What field of medicine?"
"What area of medicine are you interested in? Family practice?"
"What is the most difficult thing in your life that you've had to overcome?"
"How would your alter ego describe you?"
"What might the admissions committee wish they could ask you?"
"What would you do if you couldnt be a doctor?"
"Explain your MCAT score."
"Tell me about (unique extracurricular I had)."
"Which other medical schools have you visited?"
"What would you change about our current US healthcare system?"
"Why field of medicine would you like to pursue?"
"questions about family and hobbies etc."
"How was your undergraduate?"
"Everyone shows their best face when interviewing, what would the five individuals who know you best, say when describing you?"
"What type of medicine would you like to practice?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"I wish I would've had more of a chance to talk w/ girl #65!"
"tell me about your non-medical volunteering"
"what do you do for fun?"
"Why do you want to go to Penn state?"
"Tell me what your strengths and weaknesses are?"
"Coming from a large city why would you want to study here?"
"What etical situation in health care can you think of? (this led to a long long discussion which the health care system was talked about) How would you try and address the health care system."
"Why are there so many Mormons that come here to Penn State from Utah?"
"Why Penn State? What kind of medicine do you want to practice? Do you want to do clinical or research?"
"tell me about yourself and where your interest in medicine came from (of course this question was asked!)"
"Between a skilled nursing facility and the intensive care units, which volunteer experience did I like more. (I have volunteered in both areas)?"
"Explain the discrepancy between your grades and MCAT scores Tell me more about your research experience during last summer."
"Why Hershey? How did you find out about PSU?"
"What are the greatest challenges facing clinical medicine?"
"How does your family feel about your choice to pursue medicine?"
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
"What are your plans for having children?"
"Why PSU?"
"What is one thing that you would change about yourself? What are we to do about the current health care situation in the United States, should we adopt a socialist system like Canada?"
"Why Penn State? What kind of research have to been invovled with? Where do you see yourself in the future? What's it like to drive a Zamboni?"
"Why do you want to go into medicine?"
"What do I do for fun?"
"What did you look for in a medical school during the application process?"
"How did you know you wanted to be a doctor? (which to me is distinct from "WHY do you want to be a doctor?")"
"What clinical experiences have you had?"
"Why did you choose your major? x2"
"What's the history of ceramics - where did it originate?"
"Tell me about your project with Somali refugees."
"Do you remember the first moment you decided to go into medicine?"
"Why Medicine? What type of medicine would you like to practice?"
"What are two reasons why healthcare is so expensive?"
"What type of clinical experiences have you had?"
"Why Penn State/PA?"
"Tell me about a characteristic that you have that will help you as you pursue medicine. (also one that may hurt you)"
"What field of medicine are you interested in?"
"Tell me about your background?"
"Why Penn State?"
"What will be the most challenging thing you will have to deal with during medical school? "
"Why do you want to become a doctor?"
"Where do you see yourself practicing?"
"Would you go to school here?"
"Why have you come to see us? Why should we be interested in you?"
"your strength/weakness"
"Hero question stated above"
"Tell me about your parents."
"Tell me about your research, tell me about your clinical experiences"
"How do you feel about stem cell research."
"What is a challenge you have had to face"
"Where do you see yourself in 15 years?"
"How do you manage all your interests and talents?"
"Would you rather work in a team or as an individual"
"What questions do you have for me about Penn State Hershey"
"Are you bilingual?"
"Describe experience in clinical volunteer setting"
"Have you faced adversity?"
"Tell me about yourself (one interviewer asked this three times so I had to keep digging for things to say)"
"why medicine?"
"I understand what you can do in medicine, what can medicine do for you?"
"What got you interested in medicine?"
"What type of leadership skills do you possess?"
""Why do you want to become a doctor""
""What do you like the most about Penn State?""
"What did you get out of each of your shadowing experiences?"
"What specialty are you interested in?"
"So, what can I tell you about Penn State?"
"Why not MD/PhD? (Lot of research on my app/ps)"
"Who is the most important person to improve someone's health? What is the best and worst part about medicine (healthcare debate stuff)? If the world were healthy, what would you be instead of a doctor? Do you think the people in the US have healthier outcomes compared to those in other countries? Tell me about a medical/ethical dilemma you faced and how you handled it? What makes a good doctor?"
"Explain your research experiences and publications."
"Why will you make a good doctor?"
"If you yourself made a mistake in treatment, how would you respond?"
"Who won the 1956 Olympic Steeplechase? (If you ran track in college and draw a certain interviewer, be prepared to be baffled by an old school track question)"
"Why medicine and why Hershey? "
"What problematic aspects of the U.S. health care system have you considered?"
"Tell me an EMS war story."
"Tell me about your research."
"What are you working on (for piano)? We then preceded to talk a lot about what I enjoy with playing piano. "
"What is your greatest achievement?"
"What kind of music do you like/ would like to listen to during this interview?"
"Why PSU?"
"-tell me about this class. and this class. and this class. (three random undergrad classes) -what books do you read? -what do you do in your free time? -why penn state? -what is a CA girl doin on the East Coast? -"
"Tell me about (fill in the blank from secondary)..."
"Can you describe to me your research in lay terms?"
"What else would you like us to know about you?"
"Do you have any questions for me? (Definitely have some ready)"
"What made you switch from engineering to medicine?"
"What would you do, as a physician, if you knew that your patient was not taking your advice?"
"What do you do to relieve stress?"
"What are two things I should tell the admissions committee about you?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"tell me about your opinion on nurses. "
"Tell me about this too..."
"What is one weakness that you have? "
"describe what you do for fun when you are not studying."
"What was the hardest thing you saw during your volunteer experience? Can you explain why you took time off after undergrad graduation?"
"Questions geared towards my AMCAS and secondary."
"What do you think of the biggest problems with medicine is?"
"Explain the Verbal MCAT score"
"if i could be any animal what animal would i be"
"what's one thing you are passionate about."
"Both interviewers asked: ''Do you have any questions for me?''"
"How do you think you will handle living in Hershey?"
"how would your friends describe you"
"What are your strengths/weaknesses?"
"It is open file, so expect question about anything on your AMCAS. Why was your MCAT score low. Why did you get a low grade in class X. Why do you want to go to PSU. Why do you want to do medicine?"
"Do you feel that you have received enough exposure to the doctors and get a feel for what they do?"
"Why would you make a good doctor?"
"any questions for me? "
"Tell me about your research"
"Tell me about _____ activity (he went down my list of activities on my AMCAS application and asked me to explain any that I thought needed elaboration)"
"don't remember?"
"What are your weaknesses? / What are some unique strengths?"
"Are you too creative to be a doctor?"
"Interviewer #1: Why Penn State? Being from New York (City), can you see yourself here in Hershey? [I answered that I'm originally from upstate NY, as is my fiancee. She attended college in nearby Carlisle, PA, and we're both familiar with rural PA and would be happy to move out there, particularly because we'd be starting a family and because I would want fewer distractions from my academic study.]"
"do i like public speaking?"
"How are you going to make a difference in the world as a doctor?"
"What kind of doc do you want to be?"
"What does your mother do?"
"What is the website where you found your abroad experience? I want to sign my son up."
"- Where do you see yourself in 10 years? - A lot of other questions pertaining to things in my AMCAS"
"Tell me about X experience."
"do you have any questions?"
"tell me about your research (in immunology)"
"How can I tell the admissions committee you have a strong work ethic if you got a B- in physics"
"Why would you want to come to USA from Canada?"
"What questions do you have for me?"
"What kind of medicine do you see yourself practicing 10 years from now?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"Why did you choose medicine?"
"Do you see yourself as being research oriented?"
"How should I summarize your file to the admissions commitee?"
"What are your plans if medical school does not work out?"
"Why should we pick you?"
"coming from california, do you think you'd like it here in hershey?"
"Have you been to Hershey before?"
"What is the biggest problem in healthcare? How would you fix it? *after I answered* That would take a lot of money. Where would it come from? Why is health care so expensive?"
"What are your interests outside of the classroom?"
"What research did you do in [person]'s lab?"
"you're a city girl, do youthink you would like Hershey?"
"Why would you want to move to rural pennsylvania?"
"What do you do for stress relief/how do you wind down?"
"Give me a selfish reason why you're interested in medicine. Basically, he didn't want to hear that I like to help people. He wanted to know that I picked medicine for personal reasons, too."
"Do you take BART to work?"
"do you have any teaching experience? tell me all about it, what was it like, did you like/dislike it?"
"Tell me about your study abroad experience."
"my second interviewer went step by step through my amcas app"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What I want to specialize in."
"What drives you?"
"Do you still write for fun?"
"Do you think you would be happy living in such a rural setting?"
"Tell me why you are interested in PSU COM."
""Why Penn State?""
"tell me about yourself"
"hardest obstacle in your life"
"Why are you interested in this type of medicine?"
"Why was I interested in the areas of specialy I had chosen on AMCAS survey."
"Tell me about what you did in college. (I hate this type of question so much b/c I am not sure what to talk about and where to begin. For heaven's sakes, its all there in my AMCAS!)"
"Why did you apply to Penn State?"
"What makes you unique out of all the other applicants?"
"Does Amnesty International actually accomplish anything? So, your dad is a physician? (NO!) "
"Do you have any other questions?"
"How did you get involved with ______?"
"What questions do you have about PSU?"
"What are you looking for in a medical school?"
"How would you tell a patient they had a terminal illness?"
"Why do you want to enter medicine? Why Penn State?"
"Why medicine? (insert answer)okay, but why? (more answer) but WHY? (the guy kept pressuring me on this one)"
"Tell me about the volunteer work you wrote about in your Personal Statement."
"Have you considered attending USUHS or (school I graduated from)."
"Why would you want to come to Penn State, considering you are from NY?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"How do you communicate?"
"How do your parents feel about your choice to practice medicine?"
"Who has influenced you?"
"why medicing and why not graduate school?"
"tell me about these difft classes you took..."
"How can someone so petite have accomplished so much?"
"Tell me about your clinical experiences."
"What are you weaknesses and strengths- nonacademically"
"What area in medicine are you intrested in?"
"Name two strengths and one weakness."
"what do you do in your free time?"
"What kind of physician do I want to be?"
"How long have you been playing the <insert musical instrument here>? Why do you want to enter the medical field?"
"If you got in somewhere else, would you go there?"
"How do you feel about moving to Hershey?"
"What are you plans if you do not get into medical school?"
"How does your spouse feel about you going to medical school (also illegal)"
"What qualities do you feel make you an exceptional candidate at PSU?"
"Why are preseciption drugs so expensive? What is the current situation in Palestine and how do you think it should resolve itself? Tell me about the man who just spent 2 million dollars on his wife's birthday party? Where was the party at? (I had no idea, my interviewer was obviously interested in current events and politics) What have you learned from your research? Do you think it is going to be a bad winter?"
"Where do you want to be in 20 years?"
"Why am I interested in PSCOM?"
"What else would you like to tell me."
"Why didn't you do an independent research project? What did you gain from your psychology major? (to clarify, I'm a bio and psych double major. I was offered a thesis project by one of my professors, but it came down to a decision between the double major and an honors thesis and I took the double major. Also, this question was not asked in an accusatory manner...just an inquisitive one.)"
"Are you continuing to sing now? (after I had mentioned this as my primary extracurricular activity)"
"What do you know about Penn State-Hershey?"
"Would you be able to tell the difference between a red-headed woodpecker and a yellow-bellied sapsucker?"
"Why do you want to live out east?"
"Why were you interested in applying to Penn State?"
"Tell me about your research. Tell me about your clinical experiences. "
"What do you think is the biggest problem with healthcare today?"
"Both asked the same question based off of my personal statement."
"Why Penn State/Hershey?"
"Do you have any idea as to where you would like to practice in the future?"
"Why would you be a good doctor (specific experiences)?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"What do you think about the uninsured situation and what should be done to solve it? "
"Tell me about your future goals."
"Why Penn State?"
"Name Strengths and weaknesses"
"How will you use your writing skills in your career? (I'm getting an MFA in writing.)"
"how was it growing up with a physician as a father"
"Do you like Penn State (that's where I go to school now)"
"Are your parents supportive of your decision to become a doctor? Did they influence this decision at all?"
"We have time so you can say anything you'd like to tell me that I haven't asked you"
"My interviewer set up a long situation that was essentially asking about how I would deal with stress,, but phrased in a very open-ended way."
"Where do you see yourself in 12 years?"
"One bad thing about Penn State Hershey (blanked on this but laughed through it and so did he)"
"Describe where you grew up."
"How can healthcare providers help rural communities like the surrounding Hershey area?"
"If a doctor was the coach of a sport, what sport do you think best fits and why?"
"What is something that you want me to take away from your admissions file that isn't immediately apparent and sets you apart from the other applicants?"
"Tell me what you do for fun."
"What type of exercise do you most enjoy?"
""What my hardest class was""
"Do you have any idea on what field you want to go into?"
"What did you get out of each of your shadowing experiences?"
"How will you deal with your medical condition and it's limitations?"
"First interview was more of a conversation than anything, mostly about what I wanted to know about Penn State. It was a good thing I had a slew of questions lined up, and I used all of them. The second interview was much more standard and less conversational, and I get the feeling it was that way because I didn't seem to have much in common with her. She asked the standard questions and the most interesting one was probably about the "biggest issue facing medicine today.""
"So basically, there were two interviewers (individually). Both were very conversational, and they had my printed AMCAS app in front of them. They both had read it before I was escorted in by the admissions staff (very nice!) so we built off there. Discussed a lot of other things too, such as local activities/dining to do in the area, traded book recommendations"
"Explain about this activity (tennis), how will this help you as a physician?"
"Nothing really....."
"Do you have a philosophy for dealing with hardship/stress/tragedy?"
"How do you think your personality will allow you to fit in well with our community?"
"none"
"Are your parents surprised that you want to become a physician?"
"What is your favorite Shakespeare play? (I'm an English major)"
"That they never actually asked questions. They just asked what questions I had, and then used that as a conversational springboard."
"The interviewer asked what type of music I listen to, then pulled up his music library on his computer and asked if I knew some of the bands as he scrolled through the list."
"How do you feel about so-and-so hospital suing their patients, most of whom don't have much money, for not paying their medical bills? (It was interesting because I got to learn about the siuation)"
"What do you like to read?"
"What would you have changed about your research?"
"Tell me the dumbest thing you've ever done..."
"Number 3."
"Do you know anything about scuba diving?"
"How are you prepared financially to pay for med school?"
"What are you passionate about?"
"What was the last movie you saw?"
"Would you like to work abroad?"
"If you woke up one day to find that nobody ever got sick anymore, and everybody died at age 80, period, what job would you choose? "
"Are the intervals between the strings of a guitar the same as they are on a cello? (I'm a music major)"
"What is your greatest accomplishment?"
"What do you think are some problems with our current healthcare system? and, What are some interesting recent advances in medicine? (I was ready for this and they went well - and I'd be ready, too, if I were you, I hear these come up a lot) "
"tell me about your relationship with your brother. "
"What's your favorite movie? (I guess that's not very interesting but it was fun to answer)"
"Tell me about a difficult experience that you have had."
"Neither of my interviewers really asked me any questions."
"standard questions were asked. Nothing too hard. "
"If you can go back in time, who would you want to meet and why?"
"What does your dad do for a living? I'm not sure what this adds to my application."
"What do you think should be done about the millions of uninsured?"
"If you could go back in time to any era and speak any language, who would you like to meet?"
"None. Pretty standard."
"what have been some recent major technological advances in medicine"
"what 4 letter word best describes you (i got a couple of minutes to think while the interviewer read my letters of recommendation)"
"Have you thought about how you are going to combine your MD and PhD in your career after school?"
"None, really. I was never asked a question directly. I simply chatted with both interviewers with the conversation revolving around my AMCAS/application. "
"What is the biggest problem you see facing your era of physicians?"
"If you could spend one day with any person from any time period, who would it be?"
"how would your friends describe you"
"You have always lived in a city, why do you want to come here?"
"If you didn't want to go into medicine and we could wipe the slate clean, what would you choose as your career?"
"I would not consider any of the question interesting. They were all typical questions."
"If you could spend a day with anyone in any time period, who and why?"
"Out of 100 applicants, where would you rank yourself in terms of who would be the best physician? Why did you rank _#__ others better than yourself? Why did you rank yourself better than _#__ others?"
"can't remember... the first interview was more of a conversation and the other was more like an awkward grilling, but not too many questions stick out..."
"Who (anyone in history) would you spend a day with?"
"How do you know that just because you enjoy working with children you want to enter pediatrics? You've worked with sick children, but how do you know you wouldn't be better suited for working with healthy children?"
"I don't remember, but i got lots of clinical scenerios"
"N/A"
"Have you seen 'Harold and Kumar (Goes to White Castle)'? [I'm Indian, both my father and brother are surgeons, and I attended Princeton University.] I anticipated this question, having read SDN feedback, so I had a semi-scripted answer, but my interviewer cut me off, saying he was just joking around."
"if you could time travel who would you want to meet?"
"If you were a raisin in the sun, where would you want to be?"
"If you were to go anywhere in time and meet anyone in history, who would you meet and why?"
"If you could have a skilled doc with no bedside manner, or a non-skilled one with great bedside manner, which would you choose?"
"So you have taken a round-a-bout path to medical school, tell me about that."
""What type of medicine would you like to go into," followed by "why do you choose them"?"
"Would your parents consider moving down to Penn. if you were accepted? (I come from a very close knit family, and he asked because I told him that my mother, father, and younger sister made the trip from NY to Penn with me for the interview.)"
"Nothing really, every question was pretty standard."
"Who is your favorite poet?"
"why do you think people will come to you as their doctor?"
"Tell me about your experience in Spain"
"I can't find anything wrong with your application. What do you think about that?"
"Specifics about my research"
"Nothing really. How did I meet my fiance????"
"No particularly interesting questions."
"Have you seen Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle? "
"If we could go anywhere in time and you could speak any language, Who would you go and see?"
"If you could meet anybody from any time period and speak any language, who would you meet?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary"
"Did they even ask questions?? It was more of a conversation than a question & answer session."
"If you didn't go into medicine, what would you pursue?"
"If you had to choose your specialty today, what would it be?"
"How did your travel abroad experiences change you?"
"We just chatted about my AMCAS application. Nothing too interesting or difficult."
"if you could use a time machine to travel to any time in recorded history, and assuming you could speak any language, who would you choose to meet and why?"
"Are your parents political?"
"Is there anything that you want me to keep in mind as I further review your file after this interview"
"Critique yourself. What are your weaknesses?"
"What drives you? What makes you passionate about what you do?"
"What is your passion?"
"So do you want to become a citizen?"
"What makes you different from all of our other qualified applicants?"
"Did they even ask questions? It was like a conversation about me and where I am now. Quite relaxed."
"What do your parents do?"
"My interviewer basically went through my AMCAS in front of me and asked me to verify that I did participate in all the activities. With each activity, I tried to explain why it was relevant to where I am today."
""I have a time machine parked out in the back lot that can take you to anytime in history. Given that you could speak their language, who is the one person you would meet and why?""
"What historical event in your lifetime had the most impact on you?"
"All of the questions I was asked were unique to me, so they'd be of no use to anyone"
"Describe a perfect day for you."
"What was favorite place to travel to?"
"What do you think will be the biggest challenge in medicine 25 years from now?"
"have you been to the U.S. before?"
"none out of the ordinary"
"What factors will you use to choose a school?"
"Why do you think poetry is such a difficult form of writing?"
"Do you think of yourself as a deep thinker?"
"What kind of opportunities would you like to see available here?"
"If you could spend a day with anyone in the past, who would it be and why?"
""Teach me about something, anything, as if I have a sixth grade education.""
"tell me about a stressful situation you've been in"
"If you had a time machine, who would you want to meet?"
"What do you think you still need to learn to be a good physician?"
"whats the largest obstacle you have had to overcome? "
"What seperates you from everyone else?"
"Describe everything about yourself, from what motivates you, to what you do for fun, to what your goals are, in one four letter word. "
"Current Politics of Boston?"
"How do you think the elections are going turn out on Nov. 2nd? Did you see Michael Moore's "9/11"?"
"Who are your heroes in life?"
"All the questions were pretty standard."
"If I had a time machine, who would I go meet?"
"what do you want me to tell admissions committee about yourself"
"I have a patient who needs to have their thyroid removed (thyroid cancer). However, the patient has 5 social security numbers (illegal immigrant). What do you do?"
"Explain to me the sport of squash "
"Can I see your scar?"
"Why does Penn State's football team keep losing?"
"What would you do about the problem concerning the uninsured?"
"What will you bring to the class of 2009 that is unique?"
"How would your "alter ego" describe you?"
"Do you still sing? (I mentioned in my AMCAS and during the interview that I am a classically trained singer)"
"if there were no diseases, what would you do as a career?"
"How would you tell a patient they had a terminal illness?"
"If you had 10 million dollars to spend on a healthcare related issue how would you spend it?"
"Why would you ever leave California to attend school here?--the interviewer didn't exactly try to sell the school"
"I was asked very standard interview questions."
"Have you ever been to the middle east?"
"If woke up tomorrow and there was no need for healthcare because everyone lived until they were 80 then died (with no health problems), what would you do instead? "
"What do you do for fun? There were no real questions in the two interviews. Mainly just a conversation that covered main parts of my file."
"A general question about the Middle East (it was about 2 days after Israel killed the leader of Hamas)"
"Have you considered going to USUHS?"
"What would you think is the biggest problem facing US healthcare system?"
"Why did you think so many cases of bird flu originate in Asia?"
"how would you make our current health care system better?"
"How would you adjust to living in Hershey?"
"Can you justify expensive surgical procedures (organ transplants) when there larger uninsured population who could benefit substantially from the funds?"
"What specific mechanisms do you have for dealing with stress?"
"Do you really want to do medicine?"
"I’m not sure what that “raisin in the sun†question was all about, but it seems kinda thespian to me."
"What is your take on the current health care system (crisis;))?"
"Why medicine instead of graduate school? (specific for me because I have alot of research experience)"
"What was your least favorite class in college?"
"Both interviews basically just rehashed my application... nothing out of the ordinary (sorry)."
"As a physician what do you see as being your greatest challenges in your personal life as well as your professional life?"
"Why has industry moved over-seas? Do you think it will come back to the US?"
"Who is your favorite American writer?"
"Name an ethical topic and medcine and give your stance on it."
"How many Mennonites are there in the world? (I am a Mennonite)"
"No real tough questions. They really want to know about you so know your application, why you want to be a physician, and why Penn State."
"How are we going to help the millions of uninsured americans?"
"how do you think you will adjust to living in such a small town as hershey?"
"None."
"am I still involved in girl scouts? (from my personal statement)"
"Nothing really. The interview was definitely very conversational"
"Do you have a photographic memory?"
"What do you think are the greatest challenges in academic medicine? (I expressed my interest in academic medicine in my personal statement.)"
"Everyone dies at 80 no matter what and until then they are totally without health problems. What profession would you pursue?"
"What aircraft do you fly?"
"If you could travel back in time to meet anyone who would it be and why? (I answered Einstein) What period in his life?"
"What are your plans for having children? ILLEGAL!!!!!"
"Can't you firther your education through Physical Therapy?"
"Questions about my family history, experiences, and other inquiring questions from my app- nothing stressful, he just wanted to genuinely get a feel for what i had done"
"Why do we have and what are we to do about the obesity problem facing the United States?"
"So what's it like driving a Zamboni? (the interviewer played hockey and so do i)"
"What does your family think about your choice of medicine as a career? Are they supportive?"
"Pretty standard interview questions...reviewed application info... Only "odd" question was 'What books do you read?'"
"none-all straightforward"
"Not really a question, but my second interviewer talked about drug reps and the benefits and costs of free dinners."
"Nothing really. What would you do if you couldn't do medicine?"
"Name three perspectives you have taken away from your studying abroad."
"Have you heard about the new research in autism, about the hyper-sensitivity to sounds? (I should clarify, I researched autism as an undergrad, so it wasn't totally off the wall)"
"What aspect of medical school do you think will be the most challenging for you?"
"What was the last book you read?"
"What class do you wish you had not taken and what would you replace it with?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"I was not asked anything unusual."
"The questioning was very straightforward and general."
"Whether one of the people I mentioned in my personal statment was real or fictional."
"If you could meet anyone in history, granted you could speak their language, and why?"
"Nothing really interesting, just the basic medical school school interview questions."
"Is there anything else that you want me to know about you? (3x)"
"Because of my background: "Did you ever consider going into the ministry?" "
"All questions were basic and low stress. Why do you want to become a doctor? Why Penn State?"
"What do you do with a public health degree ?"
"If you could travel back in time, who would you want to meet?"
"do you have any experience learning in a small group of 8?"
"If you could meet any historical figure, who would you chose and why"
"So you're sister is loud and opinionated? After explaining that my sister and I were complete opposites growing up)"
"Asked me to relate my experiences as a teacher to my desires to enter medical school. "
"Most medical school applicants feel some degree of anxiety over the difficulty level of the material covered in medical school. Have you ever felt anxiety that you won't be able to handle the work? No? Well, what aspects of medicine are you anxious about?"
"The first interview was very much of a conversation, he did not ask any pre-planned questions, nor did he take any written notes. We discussed my interests, military history being one of them, and then moved onto the effects of September 11th. Very low stress, and dare I say it, kinda fun."
"If you didn't go into medicine, what career would you have chosen?"
""Why did you choose French for a major?" ...and: "do you think that with your background [French Lit.] you'll be prepared for Medical School?""
"Tell me about a time you served minorities and what that taught you"
"None of the questions were particularly difficult, both of my interviewers seemed to just want to have a conversation."
"Are you happy with your MCAT score?"
"Explain a time working with a team that was challenging...or something like that"
"If you could make one change to healthcare, what would it be?"
"One bad thing about Penn State Hershey (blanked on this but laughed through it and so did he)"
"What could you contribute to our school?"
"What do you think you will contribute to our class"
"What does an ideal healthcare system look like to you?"
"What is the worst thing about medicine?"
"nothing really difficult, pretty much your typical questions and very conversational, discussing application"
"How would you go about changing the problems in medicine on a more personal level with your own patients"
"Why have you never considered getting a PhD alone?"
"Explain how your past research will affect your career as a physician."
"Didn't really have any difficult questions."
"What is your biggest strength and your biggest weakness?"
"There were none, it was very conversational and enjoyable."
"None!"
"Nothing terribly difficult"
"Health care reform"
"The PhD that interviewed me took me to his lab to show off the facilities. While there he asked me to go introduce myself to students working in the lab (there were only two girls there at the time). The first girl I spoke to had come from China just two months previously, and spoke hardly a lick of English. We had a nice conversation, but it was quite a challenge trying to communicate since I know zero Mandrin."
"What would you do if you couldn't do medicine? Honestly there weren't many tough questions, just the routine ones."
"The Freshman-transition year one was a little tough even though I prepared for it, but I definitely did not feel like I was being attacked. Just the opposite - since my interviewers are presenting my case to a committee, and everyone except my interviewers see only my app, I felt as if he was trying to develop a defense for me."
"Tell me about your research. Tell me what you would have changed. Why haven't you published yet? "
"You can look at the questions i was asked and pick for yourself. it was pretty difficult compared to others i talked to that day."
"Definitely the 4 letter word one."
"What brought you to Hershey?"
"What would you want me to take away as an impression of you?"
"How do you deal with a group interaction in which someone else has already established themselves as a leadr?"
"Give one 4 letter word to describe you? What's one unique quality you would bring as an applicant that no one else would have?"
"For some reason I answered the "problems in the U.S. health care system" question weird this time and talked too much about financial stuff, which led the interviewer to feel the need to explain to me why medical school is expensive. I think it came off as if I was complaining about the price of tuition, but I was trying to make a statement about the cost of medical education and medicine in general . . . "
"Exactly that."
"Nothing was too difficult."
"If you hypothetically got into every medical school that you applied to, where would you go?"
"The rank question really irritated me -- it was a classic stress question. One of my interviews was an interrogation that left me annoyed whereas the other was a fun conversation. The latter seems to be more the norm."
"What would you have changed about your research?"
"What do you foresee being most difficult for you in medical school?"
"What geographically interests you about the area that PSU is in?"
"None, to be honest."
"Who do you think the greatest 400m runner of all time is?"
"None, really. I was prepared, using interview feedback."
"Why do you think so many doctors are unhappy?"
"None. Very conversational. I can't pick out/remember any discrete/direct questions. "
"What would you want me to tell the admissions committee if they ask me why you would be a good candidate for med school? Summarize in one sentance. "
"What's the hardest challenge you will have in med school"
"What is your greatest accomplishment?"
"Why did you get so many bad grades undergrad? (I was told by the admissions staff and our med student guides that if we'd made it to the interview stage, it meant they were cool with our grades and wouldn't bring them up - evidently not!)"
"Why Penn State"
"nothing. "
"As a hospital administrator, what one thing would you do with leftover funds? "
"Why do you deserve a position in this class?"
"Mostly discussion. No real questions."
"nothing besides the normal questions like why you want to be a doctor? Why do you want to go to Penn State? "
"Why would you make a good doctor?"
"There weren't really any difficult questions."
"You have nine marbles and a balance. One marble weighs more than the other eight. Using the balance, describe how you would find out which marble is the heavy one in the fewest number of steps. (I'm kidding, they didn't ask anything hard.)"
"Nothin out of the norm besides the most intersting one"
"Why i think my uncle was an alcoholic if i didn't know of any previous family history?looool....it related to my research"
"how would you fix the current healthcare situation"
"none. the interviews were VERY conversational and relaxing. "
"Again, nothing was ''difficult,'' in my opinion. "
"Same as the most interesting."
"how would u solve the problems in healthcare today"
"Tell me about the U.S. healthcare system. (This was just such a broad question that I wasn't sure where to begin and if he was looking for something specific)."
"What happened on your writing portion of the MCAT?/Do you think that your MCAT score represents your knowledge?"
"Let's say that it's ten years from now so that you're already a full-time physician without any other supervisors. How would you tell a patient that he is terminally-ill and that there was nothing else you could for him?"
"What is the problem with health care today? How do you propose we fix it?"
"Nothing too difficult.... just why medicine? in 40 different ways."
"why wasn't nursing enough, we really need nurses... "
"nothing too hard, but they really study your application and try to get to know you, so make sure you know why you feel the way you do!!"
"Same"
"My interviewer gave me clinical scenarios that i had to say what i would do in certain situations"
"Seeing that you were born and raised in Chicago, how would you adjust to life in a small city like Hershey?"
"N/A"
"No question was difficult - they were standard questions catered to my AMCAS Part I application. I'm a New Yorker - just make sure you have a good reason for wanting to be in Hershey, PA (I had good reasons, being originally from Upstate NY, my fiancee having attended college in Carlisle, PA, and our desire to leave NYC and go to a quiet place)."
"What is up with that __ on your MCAT?"
"Where do you see yourself in 50 years? (I said in your seat, I hope that was a good answer.)"
"How do you think a patient that has a renal carcinoma will be after they have a kidney removed?"
"NA"
"If you were to practice anywhere in the US, where would you practice? (I felt like it's awkward to say Penn State from the way he worded the question. By the way, these were not the exact words he use.)"
"Why the low score on the MCAT writing sample?"
"With my strong background in research, why did I want to go into medicine."
"what's your favorite quote?"
"none too hard...just the typical ones. why penn state? what specialty? etc."
"How can I tell the admissions committee you have a strong work ethic if you got a B- in physics"
"I wouldn't call any of the questions they asked all that difficult."
"You accomplish so much and participate in so many things at once, how do you know where to draw the line?"
"My first interview, 9am, first question: Do you have any questions for me? My mind was blank."
"How do I know you won't change careers again?"
"no difficult questions"
"List two of the most important things on your application that you would like me to bring up at the admissions committee meeting"
"nothing really..."
"Explain your MCAT scores being lower than one might expect based on your academic performance (had good GPA, including graduate study)"
"Tell me about yourself (I hate broad questions)"
"What do you like to do in your free time? (Literally the 5th time he asked me- I ran out of hobbies!)"
"Have you had any life-altering experiences that encouraged you to pursue medicine?"
"Nothing especially difficult, possibly the same question referred to under the "interesting" category."
"Same as above."
"there wasn't really anything hard or unusual, the questions were pretty standard"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"Why has your GPA gone down every semester? "
"From what you have read, what is the biggest problem facing health care? How would you fix the problems in health care?"
"Nothing was very difficult. The first interviewer simply had a conversation with me. The second interviewer asked me the standard questions (why medicine, why this school, etc.)"
"Tell me about yourself. (I hate that question.)"
"none really at all. Why is your essay score on MCAT low?"
"How did you get a C in _____? (insert embarassingly easy class here)"
"nothing difficult, both interviewers went over my AMCAS application."
"Detailed questions about my current job as a healthcare consultant."
"There are 40-45 million Americans without health care in the United States. How would you resolve this?"
"I was asked to explain a topic that I know a lot about to the interviewer as if he had only a 6th grade education. It wasn't that difficult but took me by surprise and I had to take a moment to collect my thoughts."
"ibid"
"Describe a perfect day for you"
"Tell me about your awards and accomplishments from elementary school on."
"Assuming you become a physician, what do you want your legacy to be?"
"nothing difficult. (really.)"
"Where else have you interviewed?"
"biggest problem facing healthcare today"
"Can you remember the names of some scientists that reactions are named after? (talking about my major)"
"What makes you think that you're determined enough to be successful in this program?"
"How can we counteract the patient's inevitable loss of dignity?"
"If you become a doctor, what significant contribution do you see yourself making to the field?"
"Why a physician?"
"Are you a follower or a leader?--I hate this question"
"How did you feel after being rejected by all the medical schools you applied to last year?"
"Nothing was particularly difficult, although the aforementioned question was cause for a bit of fumbling. "
"how would your friends describe you?"
"all straight forward questions. No ethical qt."
"Do you have any other volunteer experiences aside from XYZ clinical volunteer experience?"
"what do you think will be the hardest thing about being in medical school and how will you deal with this?"
"Tell me about yourself. The normal questions."
"See above. (And my interviewer counted to 5.)"
"Why would you want to come to Hershey, it is no place for a young man?"
"How do you think the elections are going turn out on Nov. 2nd? I was honest on this issue and felt free to discuss my political views partly because the interviewer and I were on the same page."
"Same as most interesting question"
"Nothing was difficult to answer really."
"None, most of the questions were the standard interview questions"
"nothing"
"see most interesting question"
"The fifth or sixth question I was asked about a research project I did in high school - it was 7 yrs ago - ask about my current research!"
"Could you explain your academic inconsistency while an undergrad? "
"Explain how your research relates to your desire to become a physician."
"None, really."
"(see above)"
"Why do you want to attend Penn State?"
"describe to me an ethical situation you have been in"
"Why go into medicine at this stage of your life/career. (I'm non-trad)"
"Tell me your strengths and weaknesses (this being the hardest part of it)."
"Do you have any other questions?"
"What was one negative aspect that you dealt with during your summer job? (I worked fulltime in a hospital)"
"Nothing difficult."
"One stated above because the answer I gave, he argued back with another point."
"see above"
"Nothing was difficult."
"What other things about yourself would you like me to know?"
"Let me tell you, this school is a wonderful place. The staff is really nice and the students are great as well. "
"Speaking of ‘raisins’, does anyone remember “Claymation Christmas†w/ the California Raisins??? That used to be my favorite Christmas special, but I haven’t seen it on TV for probably upwards of 10-12 years! I remember they keep trying to sing the “Wassle Song� "
"What can you bring to the entering class?"
"Something very detailed about my specific research. I work in neuroscience and both of my interviewers were PhD's in the behavioral sciences, so they grilled me pretty hard about what I was doing."
"You grew up in a wealthy suburb. So how did you get interested in HIV/AIDS?"
"What you talkin' bout, Willis?"
"When you look back on your life what do you hope to have accomplished? "
"What theory of healthcare reform most appeals to you and why?"
"Do you really know how much it takes to be in medicine?"
"I find that most students get more out of asking questions then me asking them questions so please...what questions about our school do you have? (Not so much difficult but really thought provoking right there on the spot)"
"How many Mennonites are there in the world?"
"None."
"Why is President Bush opposed to stem cell research? (this is a stupid question because how should I be asked to give someone else's oppinion? A better question would be to ask me simply "how do you feel about it...")"
"one of those healthcare- what should we do about the lack of it- questions"
"If you got into XXX and Hershey, which would you choose?"
"What am I most proud of?"
"Nothing too difficult"
"Why Hershey?"
"See above."
"What other schools did you apply to?"
"What is this device and how does it work? Interviewer was pointing to a pen-plotter, saying that nobody ever answers the question correctly."
"None really"
"I was asked an ethical question about abortion"
"nothing--- they just want to get an earnest look at who i was and what i'd done"
"What was the worst thing that has ever happened to you and what did you learn from that experience?"
"Tell me what you want me to know about you..."
"A question about why I think my personality is the way I described it."
"What can I write down for your leadership experiences?"
"Why Penn State (is a safety so couldn't think of an authentic reason)"
"What will be your greatest challenge as a doctor? I dunno, I just never liked this one."
"Again, nothing much -- it was all very conversational. I guess, "how do you explain the disparity between your GPA and MCATs?""
"How do squash and tennis relate to philosophy?"
"So, do you think that using the mammogram as a diagnostic tool really increases life expectancy? (I had done an internship at a cancer center) "
"What is your worst trait? (Not that it was difficult to formulate an answer, in fact it was probably too easy, it was just a little difficult to admit to an imperfection)"
"What's a moral/ethical issue in medicine you've been thinking about lately?"
"Give me a problem with the current health care system and how would you fix it? Give me another problem..."
"How would you rank yourself among the other pre-meds at your school?"
"What accomplishment in life are you most proud of?"
"I was asked only the "standard" interview questions."
"Why Penn State should accept me."
"What is the single most important problem facing health care today?"
"Nothing really, maybe the toughest one was "If you could tell me something that I could write down and relay to the admissions committee, what would it be.""
"Nothing really, they were all very straightforward."
"What do you think is wrong with the health care system - and specificially why are some doctors not happy with their work? How would you fix it?"
"none"
"Nothing too bad..."What do you think is the biggest problem with the health care system and how would you fix it?""
"If you could go back in time, who would you want to meet and why?"
"What would you do to help a senior in high school that you just found out cannot play soccer anymore due to a congenital bone disease?"
"A patient of yours has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer, how do you tell them?"
"Who is the most memorable patient you've encountered?"
"who are your heros or role models"
"What do you think of PBL?"
"I hate this question: Is Penn State my top choice school?"
"How do you change a society?"
"If neither of your parents are doctors, and no one in your family is in health care, and no one in your family is/was seriously ill, where do you get your motivation to be a physician?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What should society do to encourage more doctors into primary care fields?"
"Mock interviews. Prepare personal stories. Read through the PSCOM website carefully to get to know their curricula. Going through SDN threads to know the change of interview style at PSCOM this year (2023-2024)."
"Read through the website, the school scheduled a couple presentations on the school before the interview (useful to have talking points), reread my AMCAS application"
"mock interviews, Youtube, pre-med years podcast"
"Mock interviews, practice questions, SDN"
"SDN and sleep"
"Mock interviews, prepare for the "traditional" questions, but don't over-prepare"
"Read sdn interview feedback page, looked up common interview questions"
"Going over interview questions"
"SDN, reviewed primary and secondary apps"
"Mock interview, reviewed basic interview questions"
"Mock interviews and talking in the mirror :) Lots of research on school's website"
"Mock interviews, read about the school, search online"
"read SDN forums, school website, went to a mock interview"
"SND, ethics books, HBR book on healthcare, bunch of other books about medicine/healthcare"
"read over primary, prepared loose responses to typical interview questions"
"I didn't really"
"I went backpacking."
"practice questions, read over AMCAS"
"SDN, school website (for background info)"
"Read the website and as much as I could find out about the school."
"School's website, SDN, review AMCAS and secondary essays"
"wikipedia, sdn, and asked my friends to go to PSU College of Medicine"
"Read over my application (primary and secondary) and reviewed PSU's web site."
"SDN, review secondary essays"
"SDN, penn state website"
"sdn, books, reread app"
"SDN interview feedback, school website, MSAR, SDN forums."
"SDN, MSAR, website"
"Interviewed in the afternoon, allowed me to learn some stuff about students during lunch and in the morning. Plus the info session is before lunch. Read up on the website. keep in mind Hershey is 2 hours away from the Penn State campus. They know they are rural and they will ask you about how you feel about it. "
"SDN, mock interview, AMCAS, Secondary"
"Student doc, prepared for some questions, looked at website"
"Read PSU website, read SDN interview feedback, reviewed AMCAS application."
"SDN, Read PSU-Hershey website"
"SDN, went through AMCAS App, prepped with students"
"read the website and sdn. prepared for "why penn state" and "why medicine" questions and came up with questions to ask about the school."
"SDN, read specifics about the curriculum, school's materials, review app, and get some sleep."
"Read about the school, website, interview books, taking notes on potential interview questions, practice"
"Reviewed my application, SDN, looked up current healthcare news."
"Read the website, especially the pages describing the curriculum. Read a packet with example questions interviewers commonly ask, read this forum, prepared questions to ask the interviewers. "
"Read website"
"Read about school online, SDF."
"SND, mock interviews"
"NOT memorizing/ rehearsing my answers which allowed me to respond genuinely, Consultation with a few doctors I worked with for advice, MSAR, SDN, Read generic SOM sample questions, I reviewed my AMCAS application/ personal statement, PSU web site, prayer."
"sdn. reviewed primary and secondary apps."
"SDN, website, review application"
"Read a few SDN posts, went over my application materials."
"SDN, secondary, AMCAS, exploration of the website and town of Hershey."
"Website"
"SDN"
"Reviewed their website, my primary and secondary apps."
"Reviewing my AMCAS, secondary essay responses, my research. Also, interview feedback was very helpful."
"MSAR, AMCAS application, secondary application and essays, school website, SDN feedback"
"PSU website and read over my AMCAS."
"SDN, interview books, basic research of the school"
"SDN, Web surfing for possible questions, going over my application again, mock interview"
"The tour/presentations before my interview."
"read website, read this website and reviewed questions"
"Read over my AMCAS and secondary to remember what I'd let them in on, read up about Hershey's unique programs on their website, practiced my answers to commonly asked questions, committed to memory a few recent medical interest stories I'd heard on NPR"
"SDN; looked over my file"
"SDN interview feedback, read my secondary, AMCAS, talked to a friend who goes to PSU"
"SDN, read my AMCAS and secondary, trolled the Penn State website for potential questions to ask (which turned out to be a very good choice)"
"Read over SDN interview feedback."
"read SDN, looked over my application, used lists of commons questions asked"
"SDN, reviewed my file, studied different aspects of the College on its website"
"read over AMCAS (REALLY IMPORTANT for this interview), SDN, TMSI book, school's webpage"
"Just looked over my AMCAS and got a good night's sleep."
"Read PSU website, student doc net, read my file"
"Read my amcas, bioethics topics, went over website"
"secondary, school site, watched some playoffs and had a beer with friends"
"SDN, reread AMCAS and secondary application, browsed their website"
"SDN, previous interviews, schools website"
"Penn State COM's webpage, this webpage, read up on healthcare policy. "
"SDN interview feedback, previous interviews, read school website."
"current events, sdn"
"reviewed application and research activities"
"SDN interview feedback, school website"
"Read website, SDN"
"SDN, school website, AMCAS, and past interviews"
"It is open file-They ask you questions directly from you AMCAS application (make sure to review it!). Also, I recommend rehearsing responsed to question you might anticipate. Finnaly, review studentdoctor.net"
"SDN, amcas, website"
"This website and previous interviews."
"SDN, read the school's website, reviewed common interview questions, talked to students"
"relaxed, went on a nice run that morning through amish country, ate a good breakfast."
"MSAR, Penn State web site, talked with physicians, SDN, mock interviews"
"SDN, read my AMCAS and secondary, school website"
"SDN, feedback, lots of prayers, but it really doesn't look good for me"
"SDN, read up on healthcare policy"
"I read over the Penn State Website, checked out this website, and asked some doctor friends of mine if they had any advice."
"SDN, website, MSAR, my AMCAS, my secondary, NPR, watched news the morning of 9/11, RELAXED"
"I read the Victoria's Secret catalog and went out with my girls (just broke up with my boyfriend)."
"SDN, read over AMCAS, prayed!"
"Read SDN, schools' website."
"SDN, AMCAS and school applications, school website."
"Prayer, SDN, Prayer, Mock Interview, Prayer, school site, Prayer, Rehearsed much, did I mention prayer?"
"SDN feedbacks, school website, visit's to school's pre-med office for last minute tips, mock interviews"
"read penn state's website, student doctor, my application"
"read website, SDN, talked to others who had interviewed, read admissions materials"
"SDN, current news/healthcare policies, their website"
"Read some health care policy, current events, info about the school."
"This website, PSU website"
"Read lots of info on biomedical ethics, SDN feedback questions, reviewed my application, read current news, mock interview"
"Reviewed my applications."
"SDN and scoping out med students at a coffee shop the night before and asking them questions"
"SDN and application and school website"
"Read SDN and AMCAS application. Looked over Penn State website."
"read SDN, looked over essays"
"read website, school viewbook, SDN, applciations"
"SDN, went over AMCAS application, and PSU secondary application"
"reviewed my AMCAS and secondary"
"read over my application, caught up on national news, looked at website"
"SDN feedback, PSU website, studied up on healthcare"
"looked over my AMCAS application and PSU secondary, went over a list of possible interview questions"
"Read AMCAS app, secondary app, school's web-site, and sdn."
"I researched the school and read over my AMCAS application thoroughly, trying to anticipate questions they might ask. By the way, once you are called for an interview at Penn State, you probably will not be asked about grades. However, I had one interviewer give me some gentle ribbing about only having a 30 MCAT score."
"looked through website, looked over my amcas, nothing special"
"SDN, school website, mock interview"
"Looked at things I previously received from the school "
"Browsed school website, made up a small list of potential questions."
"Read SDN, browsed website, briefly reviewed AMCAS"
"I didn't really. I re-read my research abstract from undergrad. After my first interview I decided not to spend time preparing."
"Read SDN, looked at penn states website. Read up on healthcare issues"
"Read interview feedback, msar, school website, ethics and healthcare books"
"I didn't. This was my practice. Not very high on the list. Although, it's moved up now, despite the location. Really, in all the students I talked to, I got one story of a stressful interview."
"look through this website, look through PSU website, read my AMCAS"
"Read website, AMCAS, SDN"
"Went over PSU/AMCAS app, looked at the PSU website."
"Looked over SDN, practiced with friends, but it was useless, because I wasn't asked normal "interview" questions"
"sdn, read school website, went over amcas and secondary app, read med interview questions"
"Read website, SDN, application"
"sdn, website of school"
"read about health care, current events, reviewed application, practice with friends, sdn."
"Read over my own application materials, and the school's website."
"SDN, school website(one of the best website's for information of any med school), AMCAS app, sec app"
"SDN, website."
"SDN, school web-site "
"PSU's website, MSAR, my application."
"Read applications, interview suggestions, studentdoctor.net"
"read SDN, school website, walked the hallways of the hospital before start of interview"
"psu website, MSAR, reviewed application, sdn"
"read this website; the school's website; and talked with alumni"
"AMCAS, 2ndary, med school website."
"SDN, website, printed interview materials from my undergrad university."
"read sdn"
"sdn, school's website"
"read amcas book, practice questions from kaplan"
"this website,psucom website, msar, apps"
"read the website. sdn. reread amcas and my secondary applications. practiced interviewing"
"Website, student doctor, nytimes.com"
"SDN, school site"
"As usual, I read through my application and read about the school from its website."
"sdn, school website"
"Reviewed my application and the school's website--neither really helped."
"SDN, reviewed my application, stayed with current med student"
"website, sdn, app"
"Read SDN, website"
"sdn, mock interview, school website"
"This web site, NYTimes health section, AMA website, mock interview (although none of these were really necessary). "
"SDN, read AMCAS application, Hershey website"
"reread my application, explored Penn State's website, "
"sdn, PSU website"
"I read potential interview questions and came up with some responses, so I fel a lot more comfortable."
"SDN feedback page, college website"
"PSU website, SDN, read my AMCAS application"
"read the SDN site and the school's website"
"read sdn, read penn state website"
"reread amcas, secondary application, school's website"
"Read Penn State's website, reviewed my own materials, talked with a high-school friend who is currently a third year student."
"I tried to get a good night's sleep, but I got into Hershey too late."
"Prayed.SDN. Consulted with one of my mentors who is a doctor. Read my AMCAS application."
"Re-read my AMCAS application and their website."
"Sleep. Read the website."
"this site (which is great), PSUCOM website, my application"
"SDN, AMCAS app info, Website."
"Read student doctor.net, read the schools website, spoke to other students who had interviewed there"
"SDN, Penn State website, AMCAS materials"
"This website, review application"
"I read the Victoria's Secret catalog (okay... it was a Sears catalog)."
"I am normally a nervous person, so I read up on the website everything I could about this school, and proved to be helpful, so I overstressed about the interview."
"student doctor, read over my application, penn state website, read up on current issues, reminded myself of why I wanted to do this"
"this site, Penn state web site, read up on healthcare, looked up notes from when i decided where to apply, read about it in a book"
"VH1 'I Love the 80's' marathon... you never know when your interviewer will pop a question pertaining to 'Milli Vanilli' or 'Smurfs'. "
"read studentdoctor.net, read up on health care issues and basically thought about what medicine means to me"
"SDN, school website, current health-news, dossier of national healthcare reforms"
"SDN, Penn State website, interview feedback, and previous interviews"
"looked over application, SDN, spent time in self-reflection"
"SDN, application, web-site"
"Stu Doc. net"
"Read through application, this website, and penn state website"
"looked over my application and the penn state web site"
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?