How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.70 | 250 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 208 |
| Negatively | 18 |
| No change | 26 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.98 | 246 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.24 | 167 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.80 | 143 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 1 |
| Virtual | 9 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 3 |
| 15 minutes | 6 |
| 20 minutes | 9 |
| 25 minutes | 26 |
| 30 minutes | 145 |
| 35 minutes | 17 |
| 40 minutes | 7 |
| 45 minutes | 16 |
| 50 minutes | 2 |
| 55 minutes | 1 |
| 60+ minutes | 20 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 225 |
| At a regional location | 1 |
| At another location | 24 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 249 |
| In a group | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 44 |
| Closed file | 198 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.70 | 250 |
"What do you do for fun/ how would you describe yourself? (overall trying to get a sense of your personality/ social skills)"
"A time you worked with a culture different than your own and one positive and negative you encountered"
"Really relaxed interview"
"What is your overall goal in a career in medicine and how can Tulane help you achieve this goal? (something along those lines)"
"What type of impact do you want to have on medicine and how will Tulane help you achieve it?"
"I will list off a class name and you tell me your grade. (this part was really dumb, i told him i majored in neuroscience and he only listed off cell bio major classes)"
"What have you been doing since you graduated?"
"What was your favorite subject in college and why"
"A question about my experience working with people who are culturally different from me."
"Tell me about how you did ____ while raising a family?"
"Why did you do this activity?"
"Very conversational but classic why medicine was a common theme"
"My faculty interviewer barely asked me any questions. I basically explained my motivations for medicine to him, and then he told me about his life lmao. My student interviewer was super cool though! Asked me the typical qs (why medicine, why tulane, idk)"
"Is there anything you want me to know about you or your application?"
"Asked about my family and some extracurricular activities on my application"
"Do you like it in New Orleans?"
"Tell me about your university and why you decided to pick that school. (I attended a very small private school that most people haven't heard of.)"
"Something about the research I was doing"
"Why Tulane"
"Tell me what part of India are you from. (I never said I was Indian). Followed by questions about how Hindu I was and if I preached Hinduism (I'm not Hindu)."
"If you're friend was cheating off you in a test, what would you do"
"What is your impression of New Orleans?"
"Tell me about your community service experiences."
"What was the genesis of your interest in medicine?"
"Tell about one experience you have had as a member of a team and one experience you have had as a leader - what did you learn from each?"
"Why Tulane? Why New Orleans?"
"What do you think the US should do about health insurance?"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"Tell me about this experience--how did that influence your decision to become a doctor?"
"What is most interesting service activity that you have engaged in?"
"I know nothing about you. Tell me about yourself."
"Since they don't know anything about you, they pretty much just start off with the basics. I've been out of school, so they wanted to know what I've done since then and that pretty much covered the 30 minutes. It was basically the same interview three times."
"Why Tulane? I was asked this in every interview. Make sure you spend time researching this question so you can hit it out of the park when they ask you."
"Why Tulane? Have you been to New Orleans before? What have you done while here? <---You will definitely be asked all three questions. If possible, I recommend coming early the day before your interview and visiting sites in the area (or looking up things you'd like to do if this isn't possible). Be able to vocalize why you want to be at Tulane - it is a very unique school in a unique city, and as such, I feel that the school is looking for a particular type of unique student to fit into both."
"Have you ever been to New Orleans? Why Tulane? (everyone asked me this--they very much want to know that you want to go to Tulane)"
"You seem to be quite the world traveller. Tell me about the places you've been..."
"When did you get to New Orleans/What did you do before the interview? "
"How did your parents meet?"
"What brings you here today?"
"What do you know about Tulane?"
"Why are you interested in Medicine? "
"What are your extracurriculars? "
"very conversational.... lots of open ended questions. The interview started with the typical, "So tell me about yourself.""
"What was your thought process in deciding to pursue medicine?"
"Just the generals."
"Why Tulane? This one is very important according to my interviewer. "
"Why are you here?"
"What community service are you involved in?"
"Some of the Deans want to require a research thesis to graduate. What do you think of that?"
"What was your favorite volunteer experience?"
"GPA "
"Tell me about yourself (asked by both faculty interviewers). "
"What volunteer experiences do you have?"
"What kind of research have you done?"
"Why Tulane/New Orleans?"
"Why did you apply to Tulane? What is your MCAT/GPA?"
"Why do you think we chose to interview you?"
"Conversation...just asked why tulane, about my life, etc."
"Why do you think we selected you out of all our applicants from California?"
"What community service have you done?"
"What interests you about Tulane?"
"What are your hobbies?"
"Community service?"
"What's your GPA? MCAT score (interviews are closed file)"
"Why do you want to be a physician"
"What's your GPA? MCAT?"
"What service activities do you/have you participated in?"
"What was your undergrad GPA? MCAT score?"
"What do your parents do?"
"List some of your community service involvement."
"Tell me about your volunteering experiences? "
"Tell me about your college experience"
"do you play a musical instrument?"
"Tell me about your clinical experience."
"Do you play an instrument?"
"What is your GPA, MCAT score?"
"I have been out of school for four years, so I was asked why did I want to go back to school now."
"Why did you move to New Orleans?"
"What is the last book you have read? "
"Do you really know what you're getting into?"
"Will your significant other be coming with you to medical school?"
"What do you look for when you apply to medical schools & how does that affect your decision to attend Tulane?"
"What is your GPA and MCAT?"
"Have you ever been to New Orleans?"
"Are you really willing to come back to New Orleans after everything that has happened?"
"Tell me about your undergraduate experience."
"how did you learn about tulane?"
"Tell me about yourself, why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What do you like to do in your spare time?"
"Nothing other than typical stuff from the essay and AMCAS."
"Tell me about yourself. This prompt led to "what kind of books do you read?"."
"Why medicine"
"What are you doing your year off?"
"Where else have you interviewed? "
"Favorite president? Why?"
"GPA? MCAT? (This despite assurances that our interviews were assessments of personality, not numbers.)"
"Where is your name from? Tell me about yourself? whats your mcat/gpa?"
"Tell me about your familty"
"What was your MCAT score?"
"Any doctors in your family?"
"What are you ECs"
"Why Medicine?"
"name? school? hometown? "
"Who are you, (tell me about yourself)?"
"What is your favorite book?"
"What do your parents and siblings do? "
"Why should Tulane take you?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"About my activities in college"
"Why do you want to become a physician?"
"Tell me about your family. Asked for biographical information."
"What other languages can you speak?"
"Why go out of CA?"
"If I reccommend that you get into Tulane and you are accepted, can you guarantee me that you will attend 100%"
"Why do you want to move to New Orleans?"
"very, very typical interview questions. I really wish I could be more specific, but honestly nothing was surprising. My student interviewer really seemed to want to answer all of my questions."
"What would you bring to Tulane?"
"What was your GPA?"
"Why do you like Tulane?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"Have you had any "hands-on" clinical experience as an EMT or nurse?"
"It's Friday night, what are you doing?....It's Saturday night, what are you doing?"
"Tell me about yourself, this is for you to share whatever you want."
"Why tulane?"
"What was your favorite class and why?"
"why tulane? why medicine? explain your research"
"Tell me about your self?"
"tell me about who you are"
"Why medicine and why Tulane?"
"Tell me about yourself (family, school, etc.)"
"Tell me about yourself. How do you propose to deal with the onslaught of information presented to you in medical school?"
"Why do you want to come to Tulane?"
"Why did you get involved in research?"
"What are your community service activities?"
"Why do you want to go to Tulane?"
"So why didn't you apply right out of college?"
"Asked why I married my wife, i.e., what I liked about her. I could think of a million reasons, but somehow they didn't come to me in the middle of an interview."
"You want to give yourself to medicine, what do you expect to get in return?"
"Tell me about your family."
"What medical related experiences have you had?"
"tell me about yourself"
"see above for difficult questions. my cognitive psych guy did much more talking than me, analyzing my hand motions and my body positioning. "
"what did you get on mcat verbal? (i had forgotten)"
"who is your favorite author?"
"Background"
"What are your medical experiences?"
"Tell me about yourself (major, hobbies, etc.)"
"Name the top 3 reasons you want to go into medicine."
"so why tulane? why new orleans?"
" Tell me about yourself."
"Talk about your leadership and community service involvement."
"Why medicine, why Tulane?"
"Tell me about a time you interacted with or worked with a culture other than your own, what were the positives/negatives and what did you learn from the experience?"
"What is you most meaningful activity?"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"Tell me about your service?"
"Why Tulane? How can a degree from this school affect your life 5 years in the future?"
"Why tulane"
"Where is your family from?"
"Tell me what your favorite part of New Orleans is?"
"Tell me about your MCAT scores."
"What experiences have prepared you to work with a diverse group of patients"
"Tell me about this particular volunteering experience."
"What I like to do in my free time"
"most proud accomplishment"
"Why be a doctor"
"Tell me about your research."
"I know nothing about you, tell me about yourself."
"Why Tualne?"
"What volunteer work have you done?"
"How are you going to pay for medical school?"
"Did you stay with a student? (At Tulane, I think this is much more important than it seems, and I'd definitely recommend staying with a host if possible)"
"What's your GPA? What's your MCAT score?"
"Is there any similarity between the Chinese language and the Vietnamese language?"
"Why New Orleans/Tulane? Why medicine?"
"Why New Orleans?"
"Tell me about your volunteer experiences. You will surely be asked this in almost every interview at Tulane. They want to see if you have a genuine interest in serving your community."
"Any questions for me?"
"What are/were your ECs? Community service? <--- also a garuanteed question. Just know what you've done. I'd say most Tulane med students are involved in at least 3-4 ECs, most of which are community service, ranging from improving the city through sports or health or arts and music."
"Tell me what volunteer activities you have done? "
"Medical school can be time-consuming, and you seem to have a lot of energy. How do you think you will maintain that energy level in medical school?"
"Tell me about your family"
"Do you cook? "
"Why Tulane? "
"What is your MCAT and GPA?"
"What kind of involvement have you had in the community? "
"What do you know about being a doctor? "
""Why Tulane?""
"Talk about a time you worked on a team."
"They really want to make sure that you wldn't mind leaving in NO, esp w the safety n security concerns. But even more, would you like working in such a situation w underserved populations n all? You need to have a heart for the city...they want to find that out fo sho.."
"Why do you collect X (from the secondary)?"
"What are you reading?"
"Are you Jewish?"
"What specialty?"
"What volunteer experiences have you had?"
"MCAT score"
"Why medicine?"
"Who is your favorite author?"
"What do you know about New Orleans? (I'm not from this part of the country.)"
"Where else are you looking?"
"Why don't a lot of girls choose to attend Tulane? Will you?"
"How would your friends describe you?"
"What is your GPA/MCAT?"
"What do you do to relax?"
"What type of medicine do you see yourself practicing? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What is your GPA and MCAT score?"
"Extracurriculars"
"Tell me about your volunteer experience."
"They wanted some info on my current job"
"What do you currently do to serve your community?"
"What sort of volunteering experience have you had?"
"What are your hobbies?"
"Service & clinical experience?"
"What questions do you have for me? (over and over)"
"How many schools are you interviewing at? "
"Why did you choose that as your minor?"
"What is your volunteer experience? (I GUARANTEE they will ask you this question.)"
"Tell me your story."
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"Which would you choose if accepted to both Tulane and LSU-NO?"
"Tell me your life story."
"What abouyt tulane is special?"
"What do you think will be the most challenging part about going back to school?"
"What is your GPA/MCAT? Be prepared to talk about any blemishes."
"What is your favorite class this semester? "
"Do you play an instrument?"
"What kind of student are you?"
"Do you play any musical instruments?"
"What do you do in your spare time? *lots of Tulane students can play an instrument*"
"Questions about family, etc."
"it was very conversational really..hard to think of specific questions..we talked about my family, hobbies...."
"what are your hobbies"
"Why do you want to come to Tulane?"
"How will your fiance feel about moving to New Orleans?"
"What would you do to rebuild New Orleans?"
"Do you plan to stay in New Orleans for your residency?"
"What service organizations have you been involved with?"
"what about tulane's curriculum do you find appealing?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Why Tulane?"
"What is your MCAT/GPA."
"What do you want to know about Tulane."
"Volunteering activites"
"What do your parents do?"
"Where did you study in Italy?"
"What is your GPA? MCAT scores?"
"Why did you apply to Tulane?"
"Why MD?"
"Tell me about your clinical experiences."
"What kind of work do you do?"
"what kind of books do you enjoy reading (related to the 'what are your interests' question."
"How will you react to a patient when you have to attend to them at 3 AM? "
"Why are you interested in medicine?"
"Give me a couple of paragraphs to give to the admissions committee about you."
"Tell my what you do outside of school?"
"Tell me about your research?"
"Tell me about _____ ? (AMCAS stuff)"
"Why'd you apply to Tulane? "
"What did you get on your MCAT?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"What do you think of tulane? "
"What got you interested in Medicine?"
"What else would you like us to know about you?"
"This interview is closed file, describle yourself for me. "
"When did you decide to become a doctor?"
"What types of humanities experiences did you have?"
"What Humanities classes have you taken? (I don't know...read my AMCAS application that I sent along with my $95 check.)"
"tell me about research"
"What I have been doing since graduation"
"tell me about yourself, why do you want to be a doctor"
"Why medical school?"
"What distinguishes you from the other applicants?"
"What have you done since graduation?"
"How long did you live in Russia?"
"What do you like to do outside of school?"
"Why medicine"
"why did you choose your undergrad"
"so do your parents support you in your career goals, I mean obviosly not your father since he's dead right? (i was not ammused, but he laughed)"
"What do you do for fun?"
"Do you like high pressure environments?"
"What was your MCAT & breakdown?"
"What is one of your weaknesses?"
"would you go to tulane over lsu?"
"MCAT/GPA"
"Do you have any brothers or sisters? What are they interested in doing?"
"Why haven't you considered an MPH?"
"Why didn't you apply to UC-San Francisco?"
"Why medicine? (1st interviewer) Your parents aren't doctors, why do you want to do medicine? (2nd interviewer)"
"What time do you run in a 5K?"
"tell me about yourself. why medicine?"
"Why do you want to go to Tulane?"
"favorite book"
"Family and background type questions"
"What kind of doctor do you want to be?"
"What were your grades and MCATs? "
"Is anyone in your family a doctor?"
"How do you like Philadelphia and your undergrad school?"
"Why did you select your major? Do you like your undergrad institution?"
"What clinical experience do you have?"
"What things do you like to do besides study and study?"
""What prejudices do you carry with you about the south?" Racism is actually one of my big concerns about living in Louisiana, so I was glad he brought it up and we had a chance to discuss it."
"Tell me about yourself."
"Why did you choose to go to Tulane?"
"Have you been to French Quarter yet?"
"why do you want to go into medicine?"
"all questions were about random things like why there are no T cells in the epidermis (i gave no indication i had any immunological background. "
"did you use kaplan or princeton review?"
"what do you do in your spare time?"
"What are your strengths"
"What do your like to do outside of school?"
"What kind of experience have you had in the humanities?"
"What are your hobbies and talents?"
"did you do research in undergrad?"
"What kind of volunteer work have you done? "
"What do you like to do to relieve stress?"
"Tell me why you are distinguishable as an applicant and what you can contribute to the class?"
"Have you ever been to New Orleans?"
"Please tell me about yourself"
"Tell me about your clinical experiences?"
"What do you do to destress?"
"Tell me about a time where you had to work with someone with a different background than yourself - Please tell me the positives/negatives of this situation and how it influenced you."
"How can you differentiate yourself as an applicant"
"Why do you think Tulane would be a good fit for you?"
"What kind of student am I"
"what experience do you have with diverse populations"
"Why New Orleans?"
"If you were accepted to your top 3 choices, where would you go? (read: repeat your interest in Tulane w/o falter, w/o hesitation, w/ great conviction)"
"What attracts you about New Orleans"
"Why do you want to become a doctor?"
"What do you do in your job?"
"What volunteer work have you done?"
"Volunteer work"
"If President Obama gave you 2 minutes, how would you advise him regarding health care reform?"
"Tell me about your community service activities."
"What books do you read? "
"Why Medicine?"
"If you were in charge of the health care system in the United States, what would you do to fix it?"
"Any idea of what you want to go into?"
"What are your hobbies? <--- will also be asked. They want to make sure you're not the type to study 24/7 - that you have an engaging life outside of school."
"Tell me about the music scene in DC."
"Why do you want to be a physician"
"All conversational questions, nothing tricky."
"What volunteering have you done?"
"What kind of community service do you do?"
"Explain your research."
""What else" (kept asking me to elaborate on what I was talking about.... kept me on my toes)"
"Nothing really...tell me about yourself, why here n such.."
"Tell me about X experience. "
"Tell me about your research interests."
"Where else have you applied?"
"Explain your research interests."
"What field of medicine are you interested in?"
"Any questions for me(interviewer)?"
"How many other interviews have you had and where? (not supposed to ask this, but I answered anyways)"
"What is a difficult situation you have been through and how have you grown from it?"
"Tell me about yourself/where you're from/family/what parents do/what you do for fun"
"Do you have any suggestions for books or movies?"
"Have you experienced ''the real world''?"
"What else do you like to do? Do you play any sports?"
"What is your MCAT score/gpa? Do you speak a foreign language?"
"What do you like to do in your free time?"
"What is wrong with health care today?"
"Why medicine? What would you do if you didn't get in?"
"What other academic interests have you had (kinda tricky for me to answer because I never really thought of anything other than biology)?"
"Family, friends, etc."
"What questions do you have for me?"
"Medical Experience"
"How would you contribute to the incoming class?"
"How did you get interested in medicine?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"Tell me about your family. "
"Since you have no ties here, why are you interested in Tulane?"
"What specialty do you see yourself going into and why?"
"Are you going to the french quarter tonight (because you should)? This was also my first visit to New Orleans"
"If you weren't accepted, what would you do?"
"What should I tell the committee about you? "
"What does your family think about you coming to school in New Orleans post Katrina."
"What is your favorite kind of artwork?"
"Tell me about your undergraduate major."
"Why do you want to be a dr?"
"A few questions a/b the hurricane and Tulane's role in the reconstruction of New Orleans."
"Intelligent design question."
"what is the last book you read"
"How will you help rebuild the city after what has happened after Hurricane Katrina?"
"What is your research on?"
"What do you do in your spare time?"
"What specialty are you interested in?"
"What are your avocations?"
"what sort of clinical experiences have you had that influenced your decision to pursue medicine?"
"What field of medicine do you want to practice and what contributed to your decision?"
"Conversational stuff: family, sports, hobbies, etc."
"Tell me about your research."
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"Where would you choose to go if you were accepted at both Tulane and LSUHSC-New Orleans?"
"Why don't Mormons drink coffee?"
"Why not nursing?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years."
"What is your mcat score and your gpa?"
"Have you ever been to New Orleans."
"Why didn't you get accepted last year"
"So, what else would you like to know?"
"What is your wife going to do in NO?"
"Questions about research..."
"Have you done any community service volunteering?"
"Do you plan on doing research in med school?"
"Why medicine, why tulane?"
"What did you do to prepare for MCAT that similar minority applicants may not have done?"
"What kinds of jobs have you had?"
"What kind of books do you like to read? "
"Tell me about the tutoring program you are involved with?"
"Did you have a chance to see the city?"
"What interests you about Tulane?"
"what are you reading right now?"
"What are your volunteer activities?"
"What kind of volunteer activities have you been involved in?"
"Where do you see yourself in 15 years( like having a family, what kind of practice)?"
"Why did you decide to take a year off?"
"How many languages do you speak?"
"What kind of work have you done since you graduated?"
"Why were you a ________ (major) ?"
"What are your hobbies?"
"tell me about clinical experience"
"Outside interests"
"where else did you apply"
"How do you like Tulane and New Orleans? If you were accepted, would you attend Tulane?"
"What kind of clinical experience do you have and how extensive is it?"
"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"Why Tulane"
"about my extracurricular activities"
"what other schools have you interviewed at or accepted an offer to? (i told the truth 2 acceptances so far)"
"What is your GPA and MCAT score?"
"a question specific to my file"
"What do your siblings do? What do your parents do for a living? (huh??)"
"Do you plan on practicing medicine in N.O?"
"Why do you want to become a physician?"
"What is your MCAT score and GPA?"
"Why do you want to go into medicine?"
"Who in your family are doctors? What was you MCAt score? What is your science GPA? What are your brothers studying in school? (Hardly relevant to me, right?)"
"Tell me about your hobbies."
"When your parents divorced do you think that it was hard on your siblings?"
"do you have any questions for me?"
"What was your favorite class you took in undergrad and why?"
"Hobbies and such..."
"Tell me about your volunteer experience."
"What volunteer experience do you have?"
"What kind of music do you like? (two of the three interviewers asked me about this)"
"Why did you pick your undergrad school?"
"Stuff on tort reform and malpractice."
"(the above question about my hometown)"
"How do you plan on handling the financial burdens of medical school? Tuition? Living costs? etc."
""What's your handicap?" This question came right on the tail of a question about my strengths, so I almost started responding something about my weaknesses. I stuttered a little and then asked "I assume we're not talking about golf?" to which he responded, "of course we're talking about golf!" "
"What are your hobbies, do you have any talents to use for a talent shows we hold all the time?"
"What have you been doing in this year you decided to take off?"
"Tell me about your roommate?"
"why tulane?"
"have you never read lizst's biography on mozart? otherwise you would *understand* the pain behind the music. sheesh. "
"what did you think of (other school i interviewed at)?"
"what do your parents do?"
"Is English your primary language?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Tell me a little about your family."
"why medicine"
"Told me about the school, New Orleans, and then asked me if I had any questions for them. "
"None. It's supposed to be a combo of open and closed file, but nobody who interviewed me had reviewed my file due to scheduling mix-ups, so it was truly just a short conversation on repeat."
"my interviewer talked to me about his life, I take it it depends on who you get"
"Faculty asked me very specific questions about my secondary responses, not necessarily difficult but I could tell that they really cared about my experiences"
"Tell me more about your volunteer and laboratory work"
"Literally none the faculty are just checking off boxes"
"What is the top school you are applying to?"
"I was asked about my cultural background and my hobbies, which was fun to answer."
"Some questions about my research?"
"Tell me about your family and what your spouse does? (Would they want to move to New Orleans?)"
"none really"
"Why did you start college so early?"
"How I felt about some psychosocial realities faced by people to day that were the result of X and Y history of treatment. It was just a really cool discussion on something that came up during the interview that the interviewer (faculty) talked with me about"
"The interviewer asking me when I got to Tulane (I spent the weekend there); the interviewer telling me how I clearly didn't value the school because I didn't spend more than a few days there (I was a full time student) and that I was just wasting everyone's time by even being there."
"How will you change the world"
"One of the interviewers spoke about the situation concerning the crime in New Orleans and what could be done about it in the midst of Katrina, return of businesses, etc."
"None too interesting. Mostly a conversation."
"If you interview with Dr. Owens, heads up that he might throw out some random questions (i.e, Wanna bet that I know where you got your shoes?)"
"Questions about travel, languages"
"Nothing interesting, really"
"NA"
"Name something that you have created."
"Tell me about the worst day you've had and how you handled it."
"In all my interviews, we went on really interesting, seemingly random tangents. But I do that in normal conversation all the time, and since it really was a conversational interview, it doesn't surprise me this happened. Gee, I hope it doesn't hurt me :/"
"Medical school can be time-consuming, and you seem to have a lot of energy. How do you think you will maintain that energy level in medical school?"
"How did your parents meet?"
"What do your parents do for a living?"
"The city of New Orleans is recovering from Katrina very nicely, but some people see it as a work in progress. How do you feel about working in this type of environment and what examples can you give from your experiences that show "being involved in building something great" suits you?"
"What do you know about Tulane's history?"
""What classes other than science courses did you take?" I majored in non-science, so when you eliminate my major and all my science classes, there aren't many left.... I mumbled something about economics!"
"nothing. My interviewer winked at me after the interview lol...and I got in! AMEN!"
"What would you do after a test block to relax?"
"Do you want to come see this patient with me?"
"Why Tulane? (Of course they'd ask this one, but I thought it was the most important one so I had to throw it in somewhere!)"
"Are you Jewish?"
"How would you react if we required that students spend at least two years after college before matriculating? And what would you do during that time?"
"Very straightforward... very much just a conversation - little actual questioning."
"What do you know about Tulane's involvement in the community? "
"Why New Orleans?"
"None"
"What books do you like to read?"
"What TV shows do you have to watch every week? What kind of music do you listen to?"
"What good books or movies have you seen lately?"
"Why do you think we chose to interview you?"
"How do you think New Orleans compares to other places you've been? How do your parents feel about you applying here?"
"Why did you choose to apply to Tulane being out-of-state?"
"Why do you think we chose to interview you out of all the California applicants?"
"If you had 90 seconds to tell the president of the United States what he could do to improve the lives of America's children, what would you say?"
"The interviews were more of a conversation in which the topics all lead into each other which was not at all what I was expecting."
"What type of medicine do you see your self practicing? Where will you be in 10 years?"
"Nothing"
"Standard questions: What do your parents do, why tulane, any siblings, medical experience. Very disinteresting"
"Tell me about your family"
"What do you think medicine is? (This was after the interviewer said that he thought that medicine worked because of love)"
"What DIDN'T you like about your undergrad institution?"
"One interviewer actually had me list off my volunteering experiences. "
"typical interview"
"Nothing really out of the ordinary"
"Where are you going drinking tonight?"
"No real zingers. Just started off with my background and story and followed the tangents where they went. "
"Have you ever been to Latin America?"
"Nothing really that interesting."
"Why not sugarcane farming?"
"My first interview lasted about 30 minutes. My second interviewer was called into a last minute meeting with the dean of Tulane University. I was able to sit down with him later that afternoon after the tour(about 230pm). We ended up talking until about 4pm. Felt like both interviewers got to know the "
"Both of my interviews were very laid back. It really felt like I was just talking to someone at a park, not for a medical school interview. I was asked by one of my interviewers how bad the deliquency of Asian youth was in my hometown."
"How has Katrina affected your decision to attend Tualne?"
"So, what should I tell the adcom about you?"
"What does your fiance think about you going to med school?"
"Do you play an instrument?"
"What was your favorite book from last year?"
"Nothing stands out ... your typical interview questions."
"Tell me about your previous trips to New Orleans."
"How do you feel about attending Tulane in light of Hurricane Katrina?"
"Do you play a musical instrument?"
"whats the most challenging situation youve experienced"
"do you play any musical instruments"
"New York is really different than the South. How do you think you can adjust to the Southern atmosphere?"
"Do you know Kathy Wilson? (She works at Mayo Clinc with me), though I didn't know her, Dr. Beckman was very excited that I had ways of contacting all the physicians at Mayo and gave me an assignment of "finding Dr. Wilson.""
"Do you play a musical instrument? They are big on music!"
"How would you go about improving health care in India? (I had volunteered in India last summer)"
"There were no real questions, mostly it was just conversational with questions thrown in the mix."
"What do you do for fun?"
"Where else have you applied that you would like to attend? Why?"
"nothing really, it was pretty basic."
"Explain how the hurricane effected you and your family"
"Nothing, really"
"I don't remember any questions standing out as really interesting or peculiar."
"Nothing unusual. "
"What is your best asset? followed by What is your worst asset? Do you like mysteries?"
"Where did you rank in your high school class?"
"Will you apply to medical school again if not accepted?"
"I notice you are clenching your hands. Are you nervous?"
"So you're pretty set at other schools (accepted to), so why do you want to come here?"
"If you had absolutely nothing to do today, what would you be doing?"
"Have you thought about applying to McGill?"
"Nothing really"
"Questins about my volunteering experience"
"Have you ever been to an arena football game?"
"We mostly talked about travelling."
"tell me about yourself"
"Why medicine?"
"Who is your favorite president? Why? "
"Nothing out of the ordinary, no ethical questions"
"How will you respond to potentially racist patients?"
"Nothng interesting"
"How do you deal with stress?"
"Everything was pretty normal and basic."
"they were all pretty average -- tell me about yourself, what are your interests, etc. the student interviewer asked me, if i had a 5 gallon jug and a 3 gallon jug...how would i get 4 gallons. but it was kind of a joke :)"
"How will you react at 3 in the morning when you have to go attend to a patient?"
"Why do you think can be done to keep out-of-state students trained at Tulane from returning to their home states?"
"Do you think you and Ayn Rand share a similar philosophy?"
"What kind of music do you like? What is your favorite movie?"
"Do you smoke? (I don't, but I found the question odd)"
"Are you married? Are you wearing earrings? Are your heels very high? (By the navy dude.)"
"standard stuff"
"Honestly, nothing terribly out of the ordinary."
"Are you married? (Inappropriate, but I answered anyway)"
"I discussed the various open alcohol containter laws in New Orleans w/ my first interviewer. Interesting question from my second interviewer was regarding my school (which she graduated as well)."
"what book are you reading right now?"
"Have you noticed an increase in smoking among student populations? Do you smoke? Apparently the interviewer i had asks everyone this. Older conservative doc, not mean or anything just a little odd in his interview"
"Tell me about your friends."
"Do you smoke?"
"What are you reading right now?"
"Standard ?s"
"None really."
"Nothin' much. The usual stuff comes up since you only have a half hour per interviewer."
"Nothing unusual"
"Are you bringing your boyfriend with you to medical school??"
"I really don't think there were many pointed questions. All of the interviews were very conversational and engaging."
"How do you think you would cope with living in New Orleans?"
"If I had ever had a drug or alcohol problem. Just a quick question but still weird. "
"all the questions are really typical. everything that everyone else has said about tulane interview is true. they dont grill you AT ALL. just be prepared to talk about yourself. "
"Do you have a man chasing after you!?"
"Are you married?! (asked by OLD navy guy, he knew he wasn't supposed to)"
"Why do want to go to medical school after getting a masters degree"
"What is your GPA, MCATs? Where did you interview, were you accepted?"
"How is your dating life?"
"None really...I wasnt really asked any questions (read belo)"
"Nihongo dekimasuka? (Do you speak Japanese?)"
"Did you like the movie Castaway?"
"none-just basic interview stuff... why medicine? why tulane? etc."
"who are you?"
"What do your parent's do? Tell me about your siblings."
"Do you think northerners have a prejudice against the south?"
"Nothing particularly interesting, just normal getting-to-know-you stuff."
"Why have you spent so much time volunteering in the community? (trying to understand my motivations) Pretty easy question."
"You have stated that you are interested in research. What exactly do you plan to study?"
"Why Tulane?"
"Have you heard about a disease called "susto"? "
"If by interesting you mean not interesting: Recent medical journals have shown a trend on college campuses of an increase in smoking over the last five years where smoking had decreased on college campuses for the previous 10 years. What are you thoughts?"
"One of my interviewers asked me what my specific stats were (MCAT, GPA, etc) which I thought was odd because the interviews are intentionally closed file for a reason. Oh well I got in anyways."
"How is the weather in Salt Lake? ( I Don't live in Salt Lake)"
"None, really conversational interviews and nothing off the wall."
""You're an only child, are you spoiled?""
"All that I was asked was "Tell me about yourself" or some paraphrased version of that"
"What will it take for you to come here?"
"No particular question comes to mind. In both interviews and the "working lunch," we just talked about family and interests. "
"standard questions"
"talk about recent books/movies you have read/seen"
"If got into a UC school (I'm from CA) and Tulane where would I go."
"What books are you currently reading?"
"pretty standard questions, mostly conversational. Not at all like the Spanish Inquisition."
"Have you ever met any doctors who are frustrated with their career choice? Why do you think that is?"
"Nothing really - just tell me about yourself."
"So you did well on your MCATs and took very few science courses...how did you do that?"
"Nothing too difficult. Mainly tell me about yourself questions."
"I was asked some pretty interesting questions about my hometown in PA. Of course, I wasn't able to answer them because I don't know all that much about my town's history."
"All the interivews were pretty much, "So tell me about yourself". I had prepared for some of the more difficult/ annoying questions but none of them came up."
"What would you add to the class that no one else can? They really like having a diverse class of students."
"What do think the future of medicine will be like?"
"Do you or have you ever smoked? Smoked what i asked"
"How do you feel about the impact of the casino industry on your hometown? (dockside gambling was legalized a bit over 10 years ago where i grew up)"
"Does your sister have a boyfriend?"
"They didn't really go out of their way to ask "interesting" questions. It was pretty relaxed, get-to-know-you kind of stuff. I guess the only exception I can think of was "what prejudices do you carry with you about the south?""
"What absolutely mekes you unique and different from a cookie-cutter applicant? (they really look for diversity in their class)"
"What do you like best and least about X, Y, and Z cities? (three places where both my interviewer and I had lived)"
"All of the questions were geared toward getting to know me."
"How do you feel about being in classes where the students are much younger than you? "
"Well the second interview was quite sureal: What's up with your hair? How much do you weigh? (after telling me that I could never be a wrestler since I'm kinda small to be one) Not stressful...just sureal. "
"ok, i got interviewed by a cognitive psychiatrist and a psyco immunologist. none of the questions were "interesting." and many of them were confrontational."
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Why do you think you didn't get into medical school the first time?"
"Nothing really--it was very conversational. All my interviews were closed file, so everything was along the lines of "Tell me about yourself, your family, etc.""
"All Tulane wants to know is if you fit their profile of a student at their school. They are looking for a unique and diverse student body. The interview was laid back and it was more of "what kind of person is this applicant.""
"what is your favorite movie?"
"Nothing really. Everything was conversational. Typical what do you have to offer, why medicine, why tulane tell me about yourself."
"I was told that Tulane looks for students with good character. I was asked what examples from my life demonstrate my character."
"None really - very conversational. "
"Tell me about yourself."
"Was English your first language?"
"Whether or not I believed one of the methods mentioned in the novel Rising Tide (a book about the Mississippi River)was actually used to protect the city from flooding."
"What are your talents outside of school? Are you an artistic person?"
"So did you take any history or humanities courses?? Tell me about it- what books did you read in that class?"
"I was asked, "Why do you want to be a doctor?" Followed immediately by, "Don't answer that question. I am tired of hearing rehearsed answers and both you and I know why you want to become a physician.""
"Why did you choose to play the _________ ? <musical instrument. I was in band...>"
"None - it was mostly, tell me about yourself, why medicine, that sort of thing."
"what is your favorite book?"
"One of my interviewers (faculty) asked me to describe myself to her, then had no other questions and kept asking "what questions do you have for me?" It was still a nice conversation and the main purpose of an interview is to get a sense of personality/ social aptitude when meeting new people, but be sure to have a ton of questions prepared in case you end up in this situation or it could easily turn very awkward."
"none, but the SP was hard for me, practice that and make sure you have questions to keep asking"
"n/a, but defs practice for the standardized patient portion!"
"None, very simple interview"
"Why didn't you publish or present?"
"Tell me how you think the EDP process works?"
"How will Tulane's mission help you achieve your goals?"
"What would you be if I told you that you could never get into medical school and you could not reapply?"
"No real difficult questions. It was less of a question asking interview and more of an open discussion. Felt very friendly."
"most proud accomplishment"
"I asked the interviewer about the research opps. at the school, and the interviewer said I didn't know anything about the school and should not be there and was just wasting anyone's time because there's no research at Tulane."
"If you were accepted to your top 3 choices, where would you go? (read: repeat your interest in Tulane w/o falter, w/o hesitation, w/ great conviction)"
"Nothing too difficult, easy conversation."
""I know your name. What else do I need to know about you?""
"None, all pretty basic."
"Nothing really..."
"All questions were pretty basic"
"NA"
"Nothing was difficult - interviews here were my easiest of the cycle."
"Tell me about the lowest point in your life."
"What schools did you apply to? If you get into all of them and they all cost the same, where do you go?"
"nothing difficult; interviews were very conversational and progressed naturally. it didn't seem as if the interviewers had a checklist of questions they were trying to get through, rather, they just wanted to get to know you and find out why you are interested in medicine and in Tulane SOM"
"Say you got in at SOM X that was cheaper or offered you more money, how would you decide where to commit? (in one way or another, this was asked in both faculty interviews)"
"Tell me about the music scene in DC."
"Nothing really. The interview was very conversational and low-stress. "
"If you could take a year off before entering medical school, what would you do?"
"Why Tulane? This was really the only question that did not have a discrete answer."
"The city of New Orleans is recovering from Katrina very nicely, but some people see it as a work in progress. How do you feel about working in this type of environment and what examples can you give from your experiences that show "being involved in building something great" suits you?"
"What is cajun music? [this one was my own fault, cause i brought it up]"
"Talk about a problem you faced in your life and how you approached it."
".."
"Nothing was really difficult. Both interviews were very conversational, they just want to get to know you and see if you will fit. "
"What is your passion?"
"What would you do if you did not get in this year? (Though if you prepare right...this should turn out fine!)"
"Where else have you applied?"
"Same as above. Although it wasn't difficult at all. The interview was so laid back that nothing seemed difficult."
"If you didn't get in this year, what would you do? "
"Are you sure you want to go into medicine? Why?"
"Why do pharmaceutical companies have such a bad reputation? (i work for one currently...)"
"nothing too difficult. it was all very conversational"
"Does the current situation in New Orleans affect how you view this school?"
"Nothing too difficult"
"Nothing too difficult. All of them were just friendly conversations getting to know more about me, and a chance for me to learn more about the school."
"What would you put in a restaurant review about the Tulane cafeteria? (In my student interview we talked about how I'd be a good food critic)"
"Same."
"What is wrong with health care today?"
"Nothing too hard or unexpected."
"If I'm in the admissions council meeting and someone is not sure about you, what should I say to let them know that you are a great canidate?"
"What specifically about Tulane interests you?"
"What do you have to offer Tulane?"
"What do you think medicine is?"
"Lot's of "
"If you did not go into medicine, what other profession would you choose to go into? "
"nothing"
"What is your greatest accomplishment?"
"none, they were all very run of the mill interview questions"
"None were difficult. Just be yourself and tell you story about how you ended up in the interview chair."
"I had quite a bit of trouble asking my second interviewer questions. He was a bit intimidating, but I think that may have just been his personality."
"What makes you unique among all the apllicants? (asked by the student interviewer over lunch and she just kinda asked it cause she couldn't think of anything else to ask)"
"None. Both interviews were conversational. Though I did get a couple of questions about GPA and MCAT, they were in passing. "
"How do you know medicine is right for you?"
"No questions were hard. There were two interviews, and they were one on one. My first interview was open file, and the second one was closed file. Both interviews were pretty much a conversation with both people. "
"Tulane and the city of N.O. are rebuilding, why do you want to come here at a time like this?"
"Tell me about your community service. "
"none were difficult at all"
"What kind of student do you think you are?"
"Have you been to the symphony? Not really difficult, but on a students budget, I don't get to the symphony that often....gotta buy my books first"
"Got grilled on intelligent design."
"what do you know about new orleans (not really that difficult)"
"New Orleans is pretty much a disaster area right now. Why do you still want to come to Tulane?"
"none. Everything was conversational, if there is something that you want them to know-go ahead and offer the information, because they don't ask too many questions...they expect you to want to tell them things."
"What do you think the hardest part of medical school will be for you?"
"What do you think US Aid/humanitarian policies should be toward third world countries?"
"What do you do to alleviate stress"
"Nothing, it was all very conversational."
"Nothing difficult, all of the questions were very conversational."
"Nothing too difficult."
"see above"
"What do you think is the biggest difference between Tulane and LSUHSC-New Orleans? (I had recently been accepted to LSU-N.O.)."
"Why not become a nurse?"
"Do you consider yourself an energetic person?"
"Nothing really difficult."
"Why is your GPA so low? (I just got in, so my low GPA doesnt matter now!)"
"Nothing overly difficult comes to mind. I was hoping I'd get one of those "how many gallons of water with a 747 hold" type of questions but I only received regular conversational get-to-know ya type questions."
"Nothing really, probably what do you want to know about Tulane?"
"Not that difficult, but: Why do you want to be a doctor besides helping people?"
"the interview is made not to be difficult"
"Where else have you interviewed?"
"One interviewer asked a rapid-fire series of very detailed questions about my research. "
"None of the questions were particularly difficult"
"Nothing Difficult"
"What was your favorite subject in school besides science? (It was hard to answer because it WAS science. My other interests had nothing to do with other school subjects, but more to do with music and arts). Also, it was hard for me to name ONE influential moment that turned me on to medicine."
"tell me about yourself. open-ended questions are hard. especially in a short interview. where do i begin?!?"
"Some questions about some poor grades."
"same question."
"What do you do outside of school? (I totally blanked on appropriate responses)"
"What brand of bass guitar do you play? I don't know!!! Its not something I think about!"
"None were that bad."
"Nothing, really. I didn't get any ethical questions."
"no real difficult questions...just basically a conversation about my background, etc."
"Second interviewer led off by asking me if I'd applied the year before. Which I had. I don't really like bringing that up."
"none, everything was easy."
"None, all standard interview questions concerning yourself no ethics or healthcare issues"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Is there anything else about yourself we should know?"
"Do you have any questions for me? (difficult b/c they have an hour long Q & A session right before with Dr. Pinsano and a couple students)."
"Why should Tulane take you?"
"Did you apply to medical school last year? (and subsequently explaining why i didn't get in last year and why i didn't apply to tulane either)"
"No difficult or surprising questions."
"What would you like the me to say about you in my report to the admissions committee? (I'm thinking: that I should be accepted! But can I SAY that????)"
"To tell him anything else that I thought he should know about me. I hate those types of questions."
"i guess tell me about yourself. that question always sucks. or do you have any other questions for me? especially after everything was answered in detail during the orientation"
"what else can i ask you to make you come to Tulane?"
"When did you decide that medicine was what you wanted to do?"
"Where is the next interview?"
"Well, my second interviewer said, "since this is closed file, i know nothing about you, so just talk and tell me about you". Which wasnt that hard in retrospect if you have prepared for this situation"
"Why Tulane? Why else? Why else? Why else? (I ran out of reason after a while)"
"Why did you switch colleges?"
"so, it seems that since you applied to so many schools, that you must have come into some money? How did that happen? Answer my father just died, countered witha barrage of questions surrounding the circumstances surrounding his death...I left in tears"
"no difficult questions, just wanted to get to know you and about some of your medical and volunteer experiences"
"What would you contribute to Tulane?"
"Nothing difficult, all were friendly and easy questions about me."
"Nothing too crazy. Very laid back, Big Easy style interview. If they invite you for an interview, they are satisfied with your credentials and really just want to get to know you as a person."
"Trust me, Tulane's interviews are not designed to be stressful. Although, be prepared to answer questions that you may consider to be personal."
"Hmmm...no brain teasers..no ethics questions, no questions about healthcare systems, no "if you were in this situation"...however there was a question about my MCAT scores and GPA. It wasn't difficult to recall those numbers but I was curiously wondering about the significance of my answers...would a perceived low MCAT score by the interviewer negatively impact the intervew??...Nevertheless it didn't rattle me too much. All you can ask for is that you try your best and I tried my best to lick them MCATS and maintain a steady GPA."
"What's your MCAT score? What's your GPA? (After the Dean of Admissions had discouraged us from discussing this information)"
"You are King for a day, you can either pay off the national debt, or build your ideal medical school, you choose the medical school, how would you design it?"
"What do you think about co-habitation before marriage?"
"I always hate the "why is medicine your passion?" questions. It just is, ok? Drop it already!"
""Are you married" because I wear a ring on my left ring finger (that actually has nothing to do with marriage)"
"What will it take for you to come here?"
"In my first interview Father Owen asked me to tell me about myself. I though I had plenty of time so I was just sort of shooting the breeze, trying to better understand my audience. All of a sudden my interview was over and I wasn't sure if I had said anything important yet."
"See above."
"nothing too tough"
"Some technical questions about my clincal research project."
"nothing really...pretty laidback"
"What are the "modfiers" which may compromise the ability of a physician to do his "best"?"
"What kind of medicine do you want to go into - academic or private practice? Why?"
"They were all pretty laid back, but probably when the interviewer wanted to know about how my clinical experiences influenced by choice of specialty. "
"How do you describe problem-based learning?"
"I mentioned that I enjoyed research and I was asked why I wanted to pursue an MD vs. a PhD."
"n/a"
"Do you have any questions for me? This was after at least 30 students had approached me offering to answer my questions. I had to re-use a few questions. There really were no difficult questions. "
"none"
"Who are you?"
"Why did you have such a rough sophomore year? (not really a tough question, since i addressed it in my personal statement, but this was as tough as it got)"
"Actually, I didn't find any of the questions difficult. One note, though: be ready to talk about ANYTHING. If you relax and pretend like you're talking to a new friend, then no question will be difficult at Tulane."
""When did you decide to get married?" I started answering something about our joint decision, and she interrupted: "No, not when did 'WE' decide, I mean when did YOU decide?" I struggled with that one a little, and she shifted gears to ask me WHY I chose my wife, what I saw in her, why I thought we were so compatible. In retrospect, my answer was pretty lame and predictable, but I guess I was just caught off guard."
"Do you have any questions for me? (after all the questions in the world were answered fully sevral times by friendly students and faculty)"
"Tell me about the best day of your life, and the worst day of your life. (too many choices in both categories)"
"None. The interviews were very conversational."
"What will your spouse do while you're in school? (I mean, please, the spouse will keep breathing and eating, just as usual!!!)"
"What was your class rank in high school? Gosh that was a long time ago..."
"How do you feel about abortion?"
"can you tell me what the primary antigen presenting cell is in the skin? exactly why do you not like mahler's music (the guy was already angry w/me for not liking mozart's early piano sonatas)? "
"What scares you about medicine?"
"Nothing really."
"why did you transfer your freshman year? if you interview with one of the deans it will be open file."
"Nothing. Be yourself, be upbeat and personable to the interviewers and you will do well."
"same as above"
"What are your top 5 schools?"
"none. "
"What will you do if you don't get into medical school? Now that's a hard one, never really thought about not getting in."
"They didn't really ask me a tough question."
"None. Interviews are laid back and easy, they want to make you feel at home."
"Tell me about yourself."
"The humanities question was tough- i took the class my freshman year and he wanted to know the books i read in that one class. "
"None at all. Totally conversational. "
"Tell me about yourself. <This was the only question that one interviewer asked!>"
"None- they were all conversational."
"do you always smile a lot?"
"Re-read my primary and secondary applications. I put together a timeline of my activities since your applications look very random/ non-chronological which helped me remember details I forgot. I re-read any papers/ research things I was involved with in case someone wanted to go into more specifics, but that hasn't come up in any of my interviews so far. I think the BEST thing to do to prepare (besides reading SDN) is to look at articles on STAR events for interviewing and outlining 5-10 possible stories you could have on hand for a variety of questions like "tell me a time when you were a leader/ had to work in a team/ had a difficult conversation with someone/ faced a challenge/ had to overcome a failure/ etc." You think of a story from your life and sketch out the situation, task, action, and result and I swear this made me feel so much less stressed for my interview because I knew I would have a great, well-considered example of how I tackled a wide range of things when I had plenty of time to consider them in peace. For the fake patient, I can't say what it is about bc you sign an NDA, but it is not a medical thing they expect you to know about, so don't worry. I would highly recommend reading articles about motivational interviewing for physicians because those skills and tips will certainly come in handy."
"sdn, made flashcards, mock interviews"
"Heavily researched the school, recorded and listened back thru my answers for classic questions (tell me about yourself, why medicine, why us), mock interviews, practice standardized patient"
"Reviewed AMCAS, secondaries, and did a lot of research on the school"
"Read a book on med school interviews and made a mock interview from it to practice with my father. Wrote out quality questions to ask before the interview"
"I did a simulated patient review, then i looked at questions on SDN"
"I made a google document and put down all the questions they could potentially ask me (from quizlet, SDN, reddit) and wrote down bullet points for each one. Then, I practiced answering the obvious questions (why doctor? why school?) on Zoom and recorded myself."
"Went through common interview questions with a friend, looked to see what programs/clubs they had on campus"
"Sdn questions"
"Mock interviews with family, friends, and with my pre-med advisor, SDN, youtube, the school's website."
"son/website"
"Read books, the web page, and"
"Reading SDN, reviewing my primary and secondary application"
"Mock Interviews"
"Read SDN, ate a hamburger for dinner the night before, and watched funny Youtube videos to calm myself down. Also read over my AMCAS and previous publications."
"Read up on the school a bit, explored the city, and got a good night's sleep."
"Reading about Tulane and reading SDN."
"Relied on past interview experience and youtube videos"
"Fleenor's Book, this SDN feedback page, TULANE school website"
"SDN, Tulane site, interwebs"
"Visited New Orleans for the entire weekend before, the good and the bad. Definitely take the opportunity to stay with a medical student! They are honest and informative, plus we hung out for dinner with a bunch of other first years and really got a chance to feel comfortable and relax."
"SDN, practicing with fiance."
"Read my application and the schools web site."
"Looked up everything possible about Tulane online, re-read AMCAS, made sure I was confident about why I wanted to attend this specific school."
"SDN, AAMC MSAR, read the local newspapers for a week before, got there a day early to take a tour of the city"
"School website, SDN, Mock interview with pre-med advisor"
"SDN, student host, communications coach"
"SDN Interview Feedback"
"Read interview feedback"
"Reviewed AMCAS and school website."
"Read a couple books, researched Tulane, created a personal inventory, practiced my responses out loud to questions I knew Tulane would probably ask."
"SDN feedback, mock interview"
"reviewed primary and secondary apps, read interview feedback"
"I did a lot. Used this site. Stayed up-to-date with the news, especially as it pertains to health care and medicine. Read up on health care in the US and medical ethics. Reviewed my AMCAS and the secondary I submitted for them. Tested my answers out in the shower. Etc. "
"Reviewed AMCAS application and my Tulane secondary. Read the website."
"Read over SDN. Did a couple mock interviews. Spent the entire weekend in NOLA playing outside because it was BEAUTIFUL outside!!!"
"Read over amcas, secondary app, SDN interview feedback."
"Tulane website, stayed with a student host and talked to him, SDN."
"read over applications, SDN, talked to current student and another who interviewed before me, stayed out on Bourbon st. with friends til dawn on the saturday before my monday interview (I don't regret it at all!)"
"read up on SDN interview feedback, practiced a few answers to questions"
"Reviewed the Tulane curriculum and looked into the needs of New Orleans."
"usuals, sdn, read up about tulane, my personal statement"
"SDN, school website, UW bioethics website, read overview of presidential candidates healthcare plans "
"I didn't."
"mock interviews, googled med school interview questions, sdn"
"practiced my smile and nod, put on my Tulane status-quo face!"
"I actually didn't. I had a crazy week leading up to the interview and had forgotten to look at the interview feedback. I already had one interview, so I felt like I didn't need too much anyways."
"SDN Feedback, school's website, my primary and secondary"
"SDN, read over primary and secondary, made a list of potential interview questions. "
"Read SDN, browse the school's website, did practice interviews, re-read primary and secondary applications"
"Didnt"
"sdn, amcas appl"
"sdn, school's website"
"SDN, student host, school website, my Tulane application"
"read over sdn, looked over the website and my app"
"SDN, reviewed application, other interviews"
"Reread application, read the Tulane Admissions Guide, practiced interview questions."
"AAMCAS, secondary, SDN"
"SDN, other interviews, school website"
"SDN, School's website, and went over possible interview questions."
"Interview feedback, re-read applications, SDN"
"SDN, reviewed primary applications"
"Practice interview, SDN, read over secondary, aamcas"
"Spoke with current students, SDN, school's website."
"sdn, Tulane Med School website, my primary and secondary apps"
"SDN, website, apps"
"read this site and spoke to people who had gone there"
"Read over my AMCAS application, reviewed SDN and the school's site"
"Read over my application, read this site, went over Tulane SOM website"
"Glanced over my application essays."
"Re-read AMCAS App and secondary app, SDN, Tulane website, friend at Tulane Med School"
"SDN, AMCAS, read school's website"
"SDN, Read over application, interviewed friends who were already going to the school, read over website, amcas"
"reread secondary, school website"
"SDN, read AMCAS primary, read secondary, school website"
"sdn"
"Bought a suit!"
"Looked over SDN and old interview feedback"
"SDN, SDN, SDN. I went through and made a list of all of the unique questions people mentioned and had answers ready for all of them. Turned out this only helped my confidence because there were no tough questions"
"mock interview at career center, internet research, SDN forums (they're so helpful)"
"Read SDN. Read my AMCAS and secondary over again. Read interview feedbacks."
"Studentdoc; reviewed secondary and amcas"
"Re-read my AMCAS, secondary apps; Read SDN feedback; looked over Tulane website"
"Read up on this site, looked over my AMCAS and secondary, asked a friend who was a doctor about issues he was facing in healthcare."
"Research on web"
"nola.com, tulane's web site, relaxing"
"I read over my AMCAS and secondary essays."
"Read over my application; organized my thoughts about some typical interview questions; tried to do something fun and relaxing the night before the interview."
"Read SDN. Secondary application. AMCAS. Toured the French Quarter and St. Charles."
"Re-read my AMCAS and secondary, checked out SDN postings."
"Read about New Orleans, went to the art museum (really!), read SDN, Tulane website, MPH website"
"Read over my AMCAS and secondary, SDN"
"Read the news a/b New Orleans, read up on the latest issues in healthcare. Talk to different doctors and ask them about healthcare issues, pros and cons of medicine, etc."
"reviewed my AMCAS, SDN"
"sdn, hurricane stuff, read over app.."
"read over secondary, research on the situation of the school and the city"
"Just being myself. Mock interview."
"sdn, read secondary"
"SDN, application, MD applicants"
"SD network, looked at Tulane's website"
"Went over AMCAS, secondary, school website, etc."
"Reviewed my AMCAS and secondary. Read up on current events and ethical issues. "
"SDN, AMCAS app"
"student doctor. "
"I knew the answers to two questions... Why do you want to be a doctor and Why do you want to come to Tulane"
"SDN, talked to current Tulane students, internet"
"Read over my secondary, my personal statement, feedback on SDN, and literature pertinent to my research."
"read over secondary, reviewed Tulane web site "
"Read Tulane's website, relaxed, and thought positive thoughts."
"This is the second time that I interviewed at Tulane, so I had a good idea of what to expect. I reviewed my application and read a little about the school online."
"This site. Their site. Stayed with a student the night before."
"Read Tulane website."
"this site. read internet info on the school"
"Read AMCAS and my essays"
"SDN, practice interview,reviewed my research, played blackjack a Harrahs and drank a beer infront of the med school late at night thinking of how well I was going to do in the morning."
"Read the information here and on their website."
"SDN, re-read app"
"amcas, secondary essays, mock interview, studentdoctor.net"
"Tulane website, SDN Feedback, MSAR"
"Tulane website."
"StudentDoctor.net, reviewed my application primary and secondary."
"SDN, MSAR, school viewbook"
"SDN, Tulane online prospectus"
"SDN, Tulane website, talked to students"
"SDN, Tulane website, personal statement"
"Tulane website"
"Read Tulane's online viewbook, reviewed my application, and read through this website. "
"SDN, Tulane website"
"This forum, reviewed my AMCAS application, browsed Tulane's website "
"Read SDN interview feedback"
"this website, tulane's website."
"This webpage, and reading website materials."
"SDN, this website, tulane's website and supplemental app, and AMCAS app"
"This site, the school's website, my secondary application, read some on-line articles on health care issues."
"read over AMCAS/supplemental and admissions materials"
"didnt really"
"Read over AMCAS, abstracts from my research, went out to dinner in the French Quarter. "
"Interview feedback, read through my AMCAS and secondary applications, previous interviews"
"printed out the tulane med school guidebook available online"
"SDN, read my secondary, and read the online brochure for Tulane"
"SDN, walking around NOLA"
"SDN, Tulane website, didn't review AMCAS because it was closed file"
"reread application."
"Read interview feedback, tulane online guide"
"Read studentdoctors.net, talked to T-1 and T-2 students that day."
"Read the Tulane Website, studied my AMCAS, read up on ethical and health care topics."
"Checked out this site, read up on the current medical environment and made sure to fit in some relaxation time before the interview. "
"SDN, this site, personal reflection, not much, really"
"Talking to people who went there, reading SDN interview feedback, AMCAS book, website."
"Read over this site's feedbace, my file, etc. Basically, I did too much."
"Read website, my statement, SDN"
"Reviewed my secondary application, Tulane Website, SDN."
"Read interview feedback, looked at the school viewbook online, read over my AMCAS and secondary (although there was no need for this...closed file interview)"
"Reviewed my application"
"Read over their website, read over this website, read through books on health care administration."
"Read about the curriculum online, this site, sdn"
"Website, this website, reviewed app and supplementals"
"read interview prep books, mock interview with colleague, career counsellor, SDN site, read over my own bio & application"
"Reviewed my file, pretty much relaxed"
"This was my nth interview, so I knew the routine."
"Ate crawfish."
"this website, the schools brochure, reread my app"
"Didn't prepare. Totally winged it. It was my 6th interview."
"Read guidebook and web site."
"SDN Website, Tulane website, went over my application and essays"
"read this web site and read their 52-page guidebook online"
"school website"
"read over secondary and AMCAS"
"SDN interview feedback, read through my application, Tulane website & admissions guide"
"This site, talking with friends who go there, previous interviews. "
"none"
"Read SDN, read Tulane's website"
"Went over primary and secondary apps, SDN website, school web page, thought of good questions to ask, etc..."
"read over this site and tulane's site."
"Re-read my AMCAS and secondary, etc..."
"Dr. Pisano had visited my school last year so I went over some notes I took at his presentation, read over the school's brochure, talked with former classmates who now attend the school, and relaxed--when you're relaxed you think so much better!! So lesson #1 be relaxed and act yourself at Tulane. They just want to see if you fit into their culture and you want to see the same thing."
"Read over my application, about the school on line."
"looked through the website, my secondary, and student doctor"
"Interview feedback, read the brochure and checked out the website. Just about anything you need to know about the school you are interviewing at they seem to tell you in the orientation. "
"SDN, School Website, talking to student whom I stayed with"
"Read SDN, reviewed my school application."
"studentdoctor.net, tulane website, looked at my application"
"I bought a suit"
"Read tulane website and SDN website. I also studied up on health care systems in the US and the World"
"This site, reviewed AMCAS, Mock interviews"
"Checked out sdn, practiced with a few people, talked to students I know at Tulane and checked out the website (www.som.tulane.edu) for info on their curriculum, special electives, options for research and clinical experience..."
"walked around new orleans, website, booklet, listened to the dean when he gave his spheel"
"I really didn't do anything besides show up and be myself"
"SDN, read my AMCAS, looked at Tulane website"
"this site, read over application, looked at schools website"
"read sdn, talked to students, talked with my host at Tulane, generally tried to not psych myself out because that is completely unnecessary."
"This website, the Tulane website, talked to friends who interviewed there, read through my application"
"This website, Tulane's website, stayed with an AWESOME student host who answered many questions."
"Read website, booklet...Also, I stayed with a medical student. I definately recommend this. Not only was she able to show me the city but I got a flavor for the class. Be sure to read over your secondary, it has a few specific quesitons that you may be asked about IF you interview with Dr. Pisano (Dean of Admissions). He is the only one who does open-file interviews."
"SDN, Tulane's website, talked with people I knew at Tulane med."
"I read this website, the course catalog, and spoke with medical students and faculty members."
"Read their website, student doctor, and spoke with current students online"
"Tulane's website, looked at this site"
"SDN, reviewed AMCAS"
"previous interviews, interview feedback, read over research I had done"
"Read over the tulane website, went over commonly asked interview questions, read others' feedback"
"I got to New Orleans a few days before my interview. Getting to know the city and visiting some departments at the school were invaluable to give me confidence going into my interview day--I knew what I liked about the place from first-hand experience and I even got to meet some faculty and students before my interview day."
"Read Tulane's info in the MSAR, read their website, read feedback on StudentDoctor.net. Interestingly, one interviewer asked me how I prepared for my interview, and when I mentioned sd.net, he giggled, "yeah, we read that occasionally and laugh.""
"Read my amcas application, read interview feedback, but practically no prep necessary for Tulane, JUST BEING YOURSELF."
"Reviewed my application; thought about how I'd answer some difficult questions I might encounter."
"I reviewed my AMCAS application."
"re-read AMCAS, MSAR, this site, Tulane publications"
"Read this site. "
"Read over the website, re-read my application, learned what was unique about the school."
"read over my app, SDN, the school's website. i just "lucked out" with interviews that really weren't about my preparation for medicine. "
"read amcas, read website, went to bourbon street"
"Read over viewbook, AMCAS"
"Read this site, read the Tulane website, reviewed my AMCAS and secondary."
"Read feedback and read about school. It would be good to understand/know the history of Charity hospital, but it is not necessary."
"read about the school, went over my essays"
"read my application and tulane website."
"Read this website, looked at princeton review/med school insider books and looked over the website. I also stayed with a M2 and M4 the night before, so they answered a lot of questions. Student hosting is a good idea."
"Re-read AMCAS application, supplemental application looked on Tulane website"
"Researched the school, read this site."
"Looked over my AMCAS and SDN feedback"
"Had a general idea about how to approach question types and practiced phrasing answers but did not memorize. "
"Read SDN and curriculum guide."
"Looked over the website and re-read my AMCAS essay."
"Looked over website, SDN, my application and then thought up questions to ask."
"This website, went over AMCAS and secondary."
"Read the student admissions handbook- knew the curriculum cold. Had to know why tulane."
"Some of the T-1's took me out to a bar the night before the interview. "
"Read my essays, searching interviewfeedback.com, etc."
"Read up on their Website, looked at my app and check out interviewfeedback."
"kept up-to-date on current issues, interviewfeedback.com, sdn, read books relevent to health field"
"Students seem to love the school, very fun and laid back culture, Tulane has a ton of resources for people. Ex students said after big tests, Tulane will rent out a venue for all the students to hang out and celebrate together. Interview-wise, I LOVED the fake patient interaction. It was super laid back, and the "patient" wants you to succeed. They aren't trying to trick you, just putting you in the very real scenario of having to meet someone new and establish an empathetic rapport with them."
"the student panels, the students we're super excited to talk to us and share about the school."
"The admin and students really made a point to create a non-stressful and very conversational environment, emphasized that we should not be super nervous and just to be ourselves :) overall everyone was very very kind and the students genuinely seemed happy!"
"Students and faculty"
"The interviewers made me feel very comfortable and seemed to genuinely enjoy our conversation. Everyone seemed very cheerful and excited to talk about the program. The standardized patient encounter was actually pretty fun and I think it gives better information to admissions than an MMI would."
"the medical students are honestly better interviewers than faculty."
"The school is great! The faculty and students clearly love it there and they seemed to enjoy both the education and social aspects of Tulane and its wide array of programs."
"Everyone was so nice. They really wanted to get to know you as a person. Grades and mcat did not come up once."
"The location of the school, the friendliness of the students, and how vibrant everyone was about Tulane. The food we had was flat out amazing,"
"They wanted their applicants to feel welcome and to see their personalities come out. They genuinely wanted to get to know us. It's a collaborative environment, the students build each other up as a team."
"Caring faculty, good work-life balance"
"Every student I talked to was very happy and emphasized that Tulane takes Work-Life balance very seriously"
"The students love Tulane. Direct quote: "I never thought I could be this happy in medical school""
"The history of the school and the culture of New Orleans"
"Everyone I met was genuinely happy to go to Tulane"
"The students seemed to have a good work-life balance. Lots of opportunities to volunteer at and lead student-run clinics."
"Everything. The students were so friendly, happy, and well rounded. Facilities were great, the simulation even had a delivery simulator! Faculty seemed extremely supportive of students and very committed to building the next generation of physicians."
"The other students, the faculty, and the area."
"tour, student life"
"My student interviewer was a nice relieve from the rest of the day. HATED TULANE."
"How happy students are"
"The emphasis on community (both of the school and the city)."
"The happiness of students impressed me. Many also really believed in the importance of the school to the city and its citizens. Also, the staff seemed like they wanted me there."
"Disposition of admissions staff; the CUMMINS collection."
"How everyone feels about Tulane, the level of outreach to the community, emphasis on the person as well as the student, facilities for most part."
"They want you to feel at home and happy at Tulane. The school is very service-oriented and is very active in the community and in the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans. Everyone there was severely impacted by the hurricane, and this shows in their speech, their affect, and their dedication to helping people who are worse off. Tulane is an icon of social consciousness and positive community action; exactly the kind of place I want to be."
"Friendliness of the admissions staff and students."
"The facilities, the med students enthusiasm for their school (far exceeded other schools/interviews- people generally seem to love going to Tulane),"
"I felt at home at Tulane. The learning environment, student body, and opportunities to do good for a city that so badly needs help are only a part of it. And I'm a Saints fan."
"facilities, location, SIM lab, student body"
"The people obviously really like it and have a lot of fun. Our interview was the day of a first year exam and when we went into the student lounge (about and hour before the exam), everyone still took time to get to know us. Awesome sim-center."
"Happiness of students; was able to watch one of my interviewers perform a bronchoscopy and teach it to students, seemed like a good learning atmosphere"
"The facilities and how much everybody enjoyed being at Tulane"
"The school has a strong focus on community service and expects at least 30 hours of service for first years. The faculty/admin are committed to helping the students succeed. "
"Students were very enthusiastic about the place. As I walked around the campus many stopped me and provided unsolicited (though quite appreciated) advice. Faculty/administration seems responsive to student concerns. "
"A lot of emphasis on community service and the combined masters program. The students all seemed pretty happy."
"Everything - mostly the culture of the school. Everyone there seems to absolutely love it. We got to see a "Music and Medicine" talent show that they have once a month - who does that?"
"The Murphy Building and standardized patient care facilities. Everyone is very laid back and promotes a work hard, play hard philosophy."
"Facilities are awesome, close to home"
"the faculty, staff and students were all extremely friendly, upbeat and kind and honest. they seemed genuinely happy and excited about Tulane SOM. "
"Nearly everything. The administration is highly responsive to their students. The student body is nice, happy, supportive, involved. T2s even had an exam that week, and they all looked relaxed and happy...like normal (read: non pre-med) people. There's a marvelous new simulation center used to train in. There's also a multimillion dollar building donated to the med schools, primarily used by T2s, right next to the Superdome. As a Northerner, I'm used to the fast-paced life, but I must say, I could really get use to the slower enjoyment of life down there. My interviewers all seemed like not only were they tops in their respective fields, but also people with diverse life experiences and deep interests in various activities. I even liked my fellow interviewees! I think this is a really great first interview to have. I couldn't have scripted a better first interview day."
"Students are very friendly. They also appear to love the school and to be happy and relatively stress-free. Administrators appear to be very responsive to student need. Students are also afforded a lot of elective time to pursue their own interests. Simulation and standardized patient facilities were brand new and amazing."
"This is by far my favorite place EVER! The interviews were VERY laid-back. My faculty interview was open-file because I interviewed with Dr. Beckman, but the rest are closed-file. They really seem interested in getting to know you as a person and making sure you are a good fit for Tulane. I think the student interview was the most "difficult" only because it was over lunch and semi-awkward."
"Love new orleans. The new patient simulator is pretty cool. The students are laid back and friendly. The MD/MPH program is excellent, very streamlined and you get to specialize in different areas of public health. Not many schools allow you to do that. "
"Student body, the faculty, the facilities, and the city!"
"Students are very friendly and laid back, they work hard but take time to have a life outside of school as well. New Orleans is an awesome city full of things to do!"
"The city, the student body was very nice, my interviewer was very welcoming and nice. The cost of living is low, I was shocked at how nice my hosts house was and how little he paid for rent."
"The facilities are either brand new (like the admin/SP tower) or being upgraded. Close proximity to rest of city and bourbon street. Everyone in the city is very nice--whoever says the city is ghetto and shady must be sheltered white midwest kids. The Standardized patient program is the paradigm in US medical education and facilities were great. Also, a lot of research which is in buildings adjacent to med school. The students here were the most friendly of 8 schools I've visited and really took the time to talk to us when we were hanging out in the lounge during breaks (great idea by Tulane to have us hang out in the med student lounge during breaks and the student lunch interview, I felt like I really got to know the student body)"
"Student are enthusiastic"
"I loved the energy of the student body. My student interview was really fantastic - we got so caught up in conversation, we were the last ones left in the cafeteria (student interviews are over lunch). Also, everyone really emphasized they wanted the day to be low-stress."
"The friendliness of the student body and the overall "chill" vibe of the school."
"the heart of the school n pple there...they are making real docs that love to serve...and the healthcare restructuring that is going on in the city. It would be cool to be a part of it. I also hear that the french quarters is pretty awesome"
"How happy the students and faculty are to be there. They love their school and the city of New Orleans. The new dean has fantastic plans to construct a new "med school campus". "
"I just absolutely ADORE New Orleans. I always have. The students and the faculty seem to also love the city their in and have a genuine interest in helping it get back on its feet. Also, the students were just sooo nice."
"The standardized patient program facilities is well-organized and v. realistic. The new classroom/office building will be great to study in! Also EVERYONE who attends there...loves it there and are friendly. "
"The new dirty-oil-donated facilities are nice; they finally found a good Dean who will hopefully weed out the bad and whip all the slackers into shape -- looks like he has already promoted those key stakeholders who would be the first to leave if offered a lucrative position elsewhere!"
"Just about everything. More specifically: Service Learning Programs, Dean Sachs's commitment to improving the school, the money available for students to start organizations, the interaction between the students and the faculty (everybody knows each other), the four year MD/MPH program, the new simulation centers for standardized patients, Father Don! (try to talk to him if he doesn't interview you), the entire New Orleans area"
"The students and faculty. Everyone seems to love Tulane. The curriculum is fairly innovative, and medical school seems like it is a lot of fun here! The new buildings Tulane has acquired are beautiful, many of the classes will be moving here. There is a really nice student lounge in several of the buildings."
"The new student building is brand new and quite nice. I think they mentioned that they were going to slowly move the facilities from the old med school building to the new one. "
"Non-competitive atmosphere; friendly students; superb food"
"enthusiasm of the student body and faculty. everyone seems to really love it there. people will see you and stop in and talk to you and tell you how awesome it is."
"The enthusiasm of the students. Tests are once every 6 weeks so they party for a month and then study hard the last two weeks."
"The students I met were so friendly and helpful, everyone including the profs are laid back, close student housing, diverse patient pop, overall really great school"
"The students do seem to truly love it there, there's a sense of pride since many of them were there when Katrina hit. They also are in the middle of adding some new facilities, lecture halls, etc. that seem REALLY nice and high-tech."
"the people there were all so laid back and friendly"
"The rebuilding effort is looking great and the city is lots of fun. One of my interviewers was amazing and really interested in getting to know me. Some of the new technology is impressive."
"Everyone is really nice and sociable. They really love the school and I didn't find anyone who disliked it."
"students were very friendly and happy; students and faculty all seemed well-rounded"
"Awesome atmosphere. The faculty and staff as well as the students are amazingly open and welcomming. I also loved the cheap living conditions in New Orleans and how the students are very very involved in the healthcare delivery of the city because so many docs left the city. So clinical experience would be amazing"
"The students. They loved the school and everyone was extremely friendly and wanted to be there. They were very non-competitive with each other and also had lives outside of school. "
"The students were so warm and friendly, it's clear that they really enjoy med school at Tulane. Also, the faculty seemed very supportive of students having a life outside of med school."
"Everyone was really friendly."
"They have a brand new high rise downtown which is really nice. The early clinical experience is also a plus. The city of New Orleans is also a great place to live and learn."
"The students seemed really invested in their community. I could tell they wanted to be there and that their faculty and peers felt the same way."
"How the environment of the school was so laid back yet the students did well in their classes and really enjoyed interacting with each other. I also really liked how there was so much diversity in the student body because all the students were from different states across the nation. Also, the student host that let me stay at her place was absolutely amazing, so sincere and friendly in addition to all the other students I'd met that day."
"enthusiasm of the students, location of school, almost everything, went down with expecting to be underwhelmed and was floored by the program and students there"
"The students and the faculty"
"Laid back, party atmosphere. Work hard, play hard"
"The students couldn't speak more highly of the learning environment, and they all seemed relatively normal and had social lives."
"Everyone was very laidback which was nice. "
"Students, area"
"The students are really friendly and enthusiastic about Tulane."
"The connection between students and faculty, the students in general"
"Student body seems so tight knit and laidback. It's NOLA so I got the sense that it was ''work hard, play hard.'' "
"Almost absolutely everything"
"The enthusiasm and general great attitudes of all the students we met. Everyone was very low-stress, seemed like they genuinely enjoyed being there, and students were friendly and outgoing toward us and toward each other. The campus seemed fully functional and a lot of the hurricane damage had been repaired or was on its way."
"How much students really loved their school. I was also surprised at how well the school is doing post-Katrina, and how the med school actually turned the storm into a positive by starting up free student clinics to help the returning population. "
"students seemed nice"
"people! excietment was in the air!"
"As everyone says, the students REALLY sell this school. All of them love it, and they are all a welcome change from the typical med student (they are social, outgoing, easy to talk to). "
"THE PEOPLE!!!! That is a fantastic bunch of kids down there. Everyone was so welcoming and nice. I could have a beer with anyone that I met - except for the tour guide, see below. DO THE STUDENT HOST PROGRAM and STAY AT DEMMING!!! My host was known by all of my interviewers so that helped get the synergy rolling. Yes, Charity Hospital is most likely going to be closed but that is actually a good thing. It was the only place indignant patients could get care and it caried the stigma associated with that. Now the dollars will follow the patients and they can go where they can - which will most likely be Tulane. The students say that their education has not really been impacted and morale is very high. There are some clinical hiccups right now for the 3rd years but that will be worked out shortly as new partner hospitals are being added. Other hospitals are ready to open as soon as they have adequate RN staff available. And there's the French Quarter....."
"Everyone was so nice. Our students that we met were so eager to answer questions and try and encourage you to come to their school. I really got the impression that everyone enjoyed being there and they wanted you to enjoy being there too. Also, Dr. Beckman was the most welcoming person, and she really put me at ease."
"The dynamics between the school and its students is great. The students seem very happy with their choice and are very closely knit with one another. The new building across from the Superdome is very nice but I don't know if it's just an office building or if they'll be able to use it for lectures or classes. But the student lounge in that new building looks great. As for the facilities in the other buildings that were 6 feet under water at a point, they look much better than I expected. All in all, the students were the main attraction and from my student interview and other testimonials, the school works to help their students in every way possible."
"All the students are cool; there was never a moment where I was alone; very laid back atmosphere"
"The enthusiasm of students. I met two 4th years, on the way to my second interview, who gave me their take on school at Tulane. The two 2nd years who gave the tour were great as well. The lunch with a 2nd year student was also a nice touch. It gave me a chance to hear a personal story of how this student adjusted to life in medical school."
"The other interviewees were friendly and laid back, even made some new friends through the interview."
"Faculty, Student body, the general extremely postive attitude"
"just the overall attitude of everyone from tulane. Positive, energetic and humerous."
"All of the faculty and staff were very warm and friendly, and they put you at easy right away. It was a great experience."
"unbelievably positive attitude by the staff and students. "
"Dr. Beckman was awesome and very positive about the rebuilding of NO. The way everyone was so welcoming. There was never a dull moment the whole morning. I talked with the other interviewees all morning. Everyone was friendly and wished each other good luck. "
"The faculty were so incredibly kind and open with the students visiting. They're really looking for enthusiastic humans, not anal-retentive gunner types. Very well-rounded balanced atmosphere."
"How enthusiastic everyone is about Tulane, even while being realistic about challenges in NoLa post-Katrina. "
"The spirit of the staff and students"
"The fact that they were almost back on their feet within a month of having their city devastated. They're also using the destruction as a means to overhaul their facilities."
"Even though they were still in Houston, every single person I met, students and faculty, was very enthusiastic, welcoming and friendly. Lots of students stopped by to wish us luck and tell us about the school. I could really tell they have a great, close-knit student body."
"how cool the students were - so not typical premed types..how cool dr beckman was, how enthusiastic the students were, how laid-back and genuine the atmosphere was, how atypical and comfortable it was, seemed like a place for premeds who shudder when they hear the word premed"
"the students, even though they had litterally been through hell, were so happy and so positive. They stopped in the hall to tell you how great the school was and that you should definitely go here."
"Students & faculty. Simply amazing. It was the best experience I've had while interviewing. You're never waiting alone anywhere. There is always someone with you, keeping you company. Dr. Beckman is awesome. Most friendly and passionate dean I've met so far."
"Absolutely everything! They had just built a new medical school building that was not damaged during Katrina, so the facilities will be brand new. Also, the students and faculty are some of the nicest people that I've ever met. Everything is really laid back and ran smoothly. Students would stop in the hallways just to talk to you and would stick around until your student interviewer arrived. "
"The students and how happy they were and excited to return to New Orleans. The standardized patient program and the early clinical experience."
"Everyone at Tulane is immensely friendly! I stayed overnight with a student host and she was incredibly nice - she wouldn't even let me buy her dinner, so I saved a lot of money on the trip as a whole. The students seem very relaxed and happy at Tulane. The French Quarter is amazing - I really recommend interviewees walk around and get a feel for the city - some people don't like it, but I thought it was very vibrant and charming."
"EVERYTHING. The students, faculty, and staff were AWESOME. Tulane started out as one of my top choices and I was ecstatic when I got my interview invite. After Katrina I became somewhat skeptical about the school but decided to go to Houston for the interview anyway just to see. And I'm SO GLAD I DID. If you have the opportunity to interview at Tulane take it. It's been my vest interview experience BY FAR. The students, faculty, and staff simply do not compare to other medical school's I've been at. Really an awesome school."
"The fact that even thou the interview was at Baylor physically it still had that great Tulane vibe that I love. Proof positive that there is something special about Tulane that no hurricane can change."
"Incredible comaraderie and friendliness of both students and faculty. Loyalty of Tulane students to their school. Also, generosity (not to mention facilities) of Baylor University!"
"the students and the faculty. i have not met more positive and enthusiastic people anywhere else i have gone. the ability of the administration to organize the transition to baylor's compus in just a few weeks definatley speaks to their ability."
"Everyone was so nice and enthusiastic about our visit"
"How closely the students and faculty interact, amount of true friendship among students."
"Students seemed happy overall. Also, the French Quarter is a lot of fun; definitely extend your trip by an extra day or two if possible. The faculty interviewers that I had were very easy to talk to and had good insight into various aspects of the school."
"The fact that they have combined the 3rd and 4th years together. In other words, you could do a rotation in orthopaedics at the beginning of your 3rd year instead of having to wait until your 4th year, if you chose to. "
"The people, definitely. Everybody I met was genuinely happy. Also, students seem to have a lot of autonomy in how they study and input to the direction of the curriculum. Access to hands-on clinical skills. The school seems to promote more 'big picture' medicine, meaning that it is not just about passing the tests and seeing patients, but, rather how are you going to benefit society as a whole with your skills."
"The student and faculty are all happy!! They are laid-back, fun people and having a good time and doing something outside of medicine is important to them."
"The students were very proud of Tulane, were extremely friendly, and seemed content."
"The introductory meetings made Tulane seem like a party spot. Even the admissions committee was selling it that way!"
"The students are really happy. They are devoted to medicine but they are interesting to no end. I interviewed on a friday when they have "Music in Medicine"...a lunchtime event where students with talent perform for whoever wants to come watch. People were cheery and talkative in the student lounge, wearing cowboy hats, playing the guitar. The students are not stressed out."
"Nothing. I hate to say that, but it was not a good day."
"The enthusiasm of everyone and friendliness the students seem to have towards one another."
"Enthusiasm. My interview with a student provided 1000 times more insight into the world of Tulane medical school than the other interviews. However, the other two interviewers did have a ton of character and I really enjoyed talking with them."
"The school is amazing, how close the students are. Charity hospital."
"The location of the school in new orleans. The students seemed cool. The hospital is RIGHT there across the street from the school"
"The vibrancy of the location and the enthusiasm and friendliness of the studentbody."
"The enthusiasm of the students and faculty. Dr. Beckman is amazing to interview with! She is so nice and easy to talk to! Also, all the interviees went to a bar afterwards- awesome people to be classmates with."
"New Orleans the city is amazing. It has great architecture, food and entertainment (off of Bourbon St.)"
"Great clinical opportunities and NO is a great party town."
"MD/MPH program and the possibility of a new MD/MBA program. French quarter. Embryology museum. "
"Happiness and friendliness of the students, lots of fun student groups to join, they really stress having a balanced life during med school."
"It was a nice, easy going place. The french quarter was fantastic. I enjoyed New Orleans thoroughly, and I think it is one of the only things Tulane has going for it."
"The students were extremely friendly. Great network of hospitals"
"The students seemed enthusiastic about the school, the city, and each other. Though the facilities were dilapidated, Dr. Kahn did show us blueprints for a beautiful new building to be completed in time for the incoming class. Tulane emphasizes early clinical exposure, and many students opt for the 4 year combined MD-MPH program. Also, they let us choose from a lunch menu in the morning -- nice touch!"
"Great reputation and charity hospital. Everyone is laid back."
"The students seemed well-rounded "
"How happy the students seemed. It was also around 70 degrees while I watched news of the blizzard on the East Coast."
"students and faculty. they all seemed pretty awesome and had good relationships. when i meandered through the halls between interviews some first years stopped and invited me to their class and told me about tulane's embryological museum (very cool). the interviews were the most laid-back and relaxed i've had yet."
"The school really encourages students to keep up their outside interests. The French Quarter is very cool."
"the clinicals are amazing. I applied to tulane because of Charity hospital, and it truly is the best place to do clinicals. the students are some of the happiest, chill students in the country. my interview was on the last day of finals, and the students had 1 final left and everybody was just chillin' in the student lounge playing pool and watching ESPN."
"The phrase of the day was "laid-back". All of the students and faculty were very warm, welcoming and friendly."
"The students were amazing-- really friendly and down-to-earth. They seemed very happy to be there."
"Students were very down to earth and friendly, faculty was very nice and they really have a genuine pride for their school"
"Almost everything. They students were people I could see myself being friends with. The school has strong ties with the local population, much of which is underserved. You can get clinical experience almost immediatley."
"The students were down-to-earth and happy. Lots of clinical opportunities. The school takes pride in the arts and encourages students to become involved, be it music, theater, etc. Southern hospitality is awesome in New Orleans! :)"
"the students seemed really happy. you could tell that they were cool people who weren't just one-dimensional. we got to go to a "Music in Medicine" event in which students, profs, residents, etc. could perform music in front of everyone. it was really cool to see that they encourage you to be active in non-medical activities."
"See above."
"The friendly students, laid back attitude. While waiting for one of my interviews, I read an article posted outside my interviewer's door about how last year one of the 3rd year med students was diagnosed with cancer and had to have chemo/radiation. A huge part of his class (including women) shaved their heads to show solidarity and support. There was this picture of 30-40 med bald med students in scrubs. I think this speaks more about the type of students that attend Tulane than any admissions sales pitch. I am sold."
"Great student body. Faculty is very friendly and really cares about students. Very relaxed noncompetitive mentality."
"students seem very happy, charity hospital is next door."
"Students, enjoy med school, it was a test day but they weren't acting like stresed out freaks. Students ask how your interviews are going in the halls or in the lounge. Med school is moving some classes to a brand new building next to the superdome, we didn't see it but proally a little nicer than the building they are in now. Laproscopic practice lab, pretty high tech. "
"Everyone is laid back and enjoying themselves. The students are happy to study, the profs are happy to teach. There is very little competitiveness between students. Everyone talked to me and was eager to show me around/tell me about the school. The facilities are fabulous, the teaching hospital, Charity, is incredible. I was not seriously considering Tulane until I went for the interview - now it is my top choice. Everything about it was great."
"The faculty and students were laid back and everybody seemed to love it there. New Orleans is an awesome time."
"How friendly everyone was. Students, professors, custodians and office personal literally stoped me in the halway to make sure I knew how to find my interview locations and to check and see if I had any questions. "
"EVERYTHING!!! Love this place! The students are fantastic, the city is exciting, the patient population is diverse, the school/faculty is supportive, MD/MPH 4yr program, the laid-back atmosphere, my interviewers were amazing (Hi Father Don!!) party party party!!!"
"Kindness of people I met, the fact that students upon seeing my interview attire stopped ME in the hallway to tell me about the school and ask about me, meeting 3rd year student at the admissions office to start off the day, getting to see anatomy lab, collegiality between students and faculty, embyrology exhibit."
"Clinical rotation experiences are highly varied. Other interviewees were really cool. I can see that they pick for a less uptight pre-med crowd. The culture and atmosphere of the surroundings."
"Facilities are great, embryological museum is interesting, and the students seem like they really enjoy their classes. They were having a lot of fun together in Gross Anatomy"
"Southern hospitality...my host was great. The medical students were friendly and appeared to be genuinely happy. My student interviewer put me at ease right away. Also, the food in N.O. is incredible. "
"The warmth and friendliness of everyone I met. Their genuine interest in me as a person. Everything I have heard about the program is very positive. "
"Lots of clinical opportunities"
"The students and staff are so friendly and seem very laid back. Everyone said the same things about their classmates - that they help each other out all the time and the staff goes out of their way to ensure that you succeed in medical school."
"the staff is extremely nice. dean pisano is a really great guy. the curriculum is really great. lots of clinical exposure early on (if you choose)."
"The students were amazingly friendly. Almost everyone who walked by us wished us good luck or stopped to see if we had any questions."
"Incredibly friendly & approachable faculty, staff & students; diverse (ethnically, academically, culturally) student and patient population; excitement of New Orleans!"
"laid back atmosphere...Dr Pisano...My student interviewer"
"Most everybody at Tulane were very nice and hospital. Any one walking the hallways was more than willing to show you around the school."
"The intense focus on the students and the drive of the school to support them."
"The positive open atmosphere of the school. It was an exam day and everyone was still so open and wonderful. I loved the school and New Orleans is fabolous. The facilities are pretty descent, the lecture hall was one of the nicest Ive seen. the students are so lowkey and down to earth, no stressed out gunners here. The weather was great. Also, theres so much diversity at tulane - not just ethnically but diversity in experiences, and background, etc. Also, the cultural diversity in New Orleans is great. "
"New Orleans never sleeps. Charity Hospital. Clinical experience from minute 1. You can walk into any specialty department and they'll put you to work right away. People have a life outside of med school. "
"Flexibility of curriculum, people in the school."
"The people (students, faculty, and others) and New Orleans"
"how friendly everyone was"
"Large demographical variety amongst the students"
"tulane is a great place. all the students are friendly and awesome. new orleans is interesting."
"nothing"
"all the students & staff had such good things to say about Tulane, non-competituve atmosphere was emphasized"
"Enthusiasm of the students--they seemed to really love the school and really get along with each other."
"Nice students, all were very pleased with balance of social and academic life."
"Getting to go to the anatomy labs - other schools I applied at didn't allow that. The embryology museum was cool but a little freaky."
"The students and faculty. The school absorbs much of the New Orleans style and that creates a very relaxed environment"
"students were very cool, MPH program is a plus, flat screen tv in student lounge"
"This is a very impressive school. I found both the students and faculty to be outgoing, friendly, and very enthusiastic. I felt that I could receive an outstanding education from the diverse clinical teaching sites and liked the flexibility in the curriculum, allowing students time to pursue research or MD/MPH."
"The outgoing and engaging student body, the very friendly faculty, the opportunities to jump into early work at Charity Hospital, the ability to also grab an MPH in 4 years, the food and music in New Orleans..need I say more. I stayed with a student the night before the interview and everything he and his roomates had to say about their fellow classmates was positive. I would definitely recommend staying with a student if given the chance. It relaxes you and allows you to ask a ton of questions. Also, the other interviewees were friendly and down to earth. No arrogance whatsoever."
"Except for one interviewer, everyone was VERY nice to me (including all of the students, staff and faculty) I was taken into one of the anatomy labs by a professor and got see talk to and see the first year students in action dissecting cadavers. It seems they also have many very cool international opportunities as well as an awesome MPH program."
"the friendliness of the students and administrators, and their position in the healthcare system of New Orleans providing students with many opportunities inside and outside of the class room to test their skills, and that they allowed people interviewing to stay with first year students"
"The students are so cool and laid back. I love Tulane so much because they are on the ball, prompt and won't jerk you around. They know how you feel and they really make an effort to lessen the trauma. "
"The clinical exposure and training received immediately in the first year."
"Everyone is genuinely happy there, New Orleans is a really charming city with a laid-back atmosphere but still the advantages of living/studying in a metropolitan area."
"Everyone was so laid back and so nice. Random people wished me luck while I was walking down the hall, and the students took our whole group of interviewees out for drinks after the interview day was over."
"The students were absolutely fantastic, everyone was exceptionally nice, and they don't go to class and are smug about it. Also interview day ended in a bar"
"The students were great, very friendly as well as the interviewers and the dean."
"The school's focus low competition among students. The oppritunities at Charity Hospital"
"there is an established sense of community at tulane. if someone is not performing up to par, fellow classmates and professors will work with that person to bring'em up to speed. this place is far from cut-throat..."
"the students are absolutely amazing. also dr. beckman was a wonderful lady to meet."
"The clinical experiences available seem to be extensive and interesting. Tulane students were happy with their school and excited to be there."
"The students and the staff were amazing and truly enjoyed being at Tulane. I was also impressed all the interesting elective and community service activities that students I talked to were involved with."
"got to meet the dean, had lunch with a med school student, they were selling the school to you, allowed you to roam around the school"
"students during exam week were very happy, surprisingly. Positive conversations with residents, 1st thru 4th year students. Everyone consistently said positive things about Tulane. "
"The interviewers were extrememly friendly and welcoming. It was very low stress, mostly just conversational."
"Everything - the people are so nice (people see that you're in a suit and approach you to see if they can answer any questions), everything is located in one place ( as opposed to spread out over several miles), the clinical opportunities."
"Everyone was so open to talking and even though I was there during exam week, they were all nice and not too stressed out."
"The students are amazing! The nicest!"
"Everything. The other students were extremely nice and helpful. The faculty members I interviewed with were very kind (and funny...there was a lot of joking). The day was fairly stress-free. It was obvious that we weren't there to be drilled; instead, the admissions committee wanted to get to know us. "
"The student body is a wonderfully dynamic group of people who were all quick to come up to the interviewees, talk to us, and bring us around with them. Dean Piscano originally told us how proud he was of his student body, and after the day I felt that he had all right to be. Their embryology museum, which they tout as being the biggest in the US, was incredibly cool. The reasonably priced dorms, which were directly attached to the school allowing you to fall out of bed, throw on a pair of scrubs, and crawl (if you’re so inclined) to class. Also, if you happen to interview with their Chaplin feel extra lucky- he’s a super great guy. My student interviewer took me up to their new laparoscopic surgery teaching suit which had state of the art computer virtual reality setups to help teach students laparoscopic dexterity before they were in surgery bumbling around in front of an attending. "
"It's amazing how friendly everyone at the school is. When I got there the 2nd year students were all outside a classroom cramming for an exam they had in 30 minutes. When they saw me (I guess my outfit gave me away) they put their books down and came over to talk to me about the school. Also, the clinical experience you get here is hard to match. "
"attitudes of students and faculty, MD/MPH"
"happiness of students, laid back attitude of the school and the entire city"
"The level of satisfaction expressed by current students"
"Everyone says Tulane has some old facilities, but this is only true if you don't actually spend time to see the WHOLE school. This is an important point. On the tour, they don't show you everything--they can't. The bioenvironmental research building is state of the art. There is an NIH center right on campus as well as 1 of only 8 primate research centers in the whole country. The students and faculty were simply unbelievable--fun, happy, and real."
"Tulane is more of an academic power-house than I think most people consider. In my first interview, I was talking about why I want to go to Tulane instead of the other school that's accepted me already, Albany Medical College. AMC has virtually no research, and I was mentioning some research that interests me. When I mentioned optical sensor retinal implants, the interviewer stopped me to ask if I knew that that very research was being done right upstairs. (I didn't, but I was impressed.) Walking through the halls, one begins to realize just how much cool research is happening there. It's not Johns Hopkins, but Tulane definitely has lots of possibilities. I also really like the MD/MPH&TM option and their study-abroad programs. Another point that appealed to the geek in me: almost the entire medical school is wired for wireless internet! Since I already have a G4 powerbook, I guess my next tech purchase is going to be an AirPort card! Sweet!"
"Absolute human kindness and honesty from all the student of any year, all the faculty, and the admission office personell. They just treat you as a family member there. I loved it."
"Honestly, the thing that most impressed me was everyone's confidence that the school would sell itself without their having to control our interactions or activities during the interview process. And it does. The students seem happy; they have numerous opportunities to broaden their horizons intellectually, creatively and socially, and are treated like adults. Also, New Orleans is a city full of excellent restaurants. And it's hard to be unhappy when you just ate a great meal. :)"
"The staff and students were friendly and laid back."
"by far the coolest cats I've met at any school - the students are very "real". Faculty were extremely approachable, too. "
"The students...really laid back and fun to be around. "
"the students love the school, everyone seems genuinely happy there."
"the students were really happy to be there and really willing to talk to you. "
"definately the students. they were extremely friendly. the city was also incredible. so much culture and diversity in such a small area. "
"The friendliness of the students. Random students came up and talked with me about how much they loved the school and enjoyed going there. They seem nice and sincere."
"The students and faculty are amazing, wonderful people!"
"The whole student body was nice and helpful. They were sincerely interested in helping the applicants."
"the happy students"
"the students and professors were very friendly and genuinely interested in your happiness."
"The students positive attitude was good, but I was more impressed with the doctors than Dr. Pisano or the students. Its tough to beat New Orleans in terms of night life and cheap, huge places to live. The standard patient and foundations of medicine program was universally raved about."
"amount of volunteer work students do"
"The students all seem genuinely happy to be there. The faculty was great. They have a great program in tropical medicine"
"The students - they were awesome. "
"Every student that I met said that they "LOVE" the school. "
"All the students were so laid back."
"All of the students are very friendly and helpful. They are like a big family. Also, the admissions staff are very positive. STUDENTS LOVE TULANE."
"The students. I already know a few and was impressed with them already going into the interview. They managed to impress me even more."
"The students at Tulane are incredibly friendly, seem very happy, and do nothing but rave about the school. There is a huge emphasis on having a life outside of studying; there are several clubs and activites devoted to displaying artistic talents and just having fun. There seems to be a lot of school spirit, and the professors are very supportive of this student-friendly atmosphere and have an open-door policy."
"the students. EVERYONE seemed to love the school. it was sooo laid back. i went into a class and they were eating pizza during the lecture- a student saw me sitting there and passed me some cookies. teachers seemed really interested in students' welfares. 1st yr med students do get clinical experience."
"Friendliness of faculty, student cohesion seen first hand, and atmosphere of the school. "
"The Charity hospital system. Sure, the hospitals are run down and old and not in particulary nice parts of the city, but it'll remind you why you wanted to go into medicine in the first place - it's free for LA residents"
"How laid back and friendly everyone was - the students are great!"
"the absolute laid back atmosphere and a "study hard, play hard" mentality"
"None of my interviewers read my file at all which was disappointing since I was hoping to talk about specifics with them. Instead, it was mostly just "tell me about yourself" over and over."
"the SP was confusing"
"There was A LOT of downtime, not really a negative but just FYI"
"Sometimes had Greek life vibe"
"The medical school facilities are somewhat spread out and ugly, but I don't think it would get in the way of learning. Our group was rushed through the 1-on-1 student interviews to meet a deadline yet we had plenty of "empty" time later."
"The faculty dont even read or prepare anything for the interview."
"The medical students stated that if they didn't plan and execute events (interviews, events, etc), they would never happen because the admin won't do it."
"The standardized patient interview was pretty tough (some people had actors who were a little more extraverted, easier to converse with)."
"Wasn't wild about the cadaver labs, but this school is amazing don't let that deter you."
"Some of the buildings were a little run down but I don't think that it really effects the medical students much. Faculty interview was a little odd. Didn't have much time to differentiate myself as an applicant because my interviewer just talked about his life. Was interesting just a little different then expected."
"Honestly nothing"
"Some of the Facilities were pretty old"
"The school/interview day seemed a bit disorganized. It also seemed that their student support services were lacking."
"Nothing. Parts of New Orleans are run down, so that was sad, but the students are quite involved in rebuilding houses for the local population (on weekends), which I thought was really awesome."
"High cost of attendance."
"aging facilities"
"EVERYTHING. Admins weren't involved in interview day (we were shown some admins via video). Highly elitist attitude (everyone I met was white and people at Tulane-- including admin--kept talking about how they were saving the "indigent" people and referred to NOLA as the third world (NOLA is mainly black). Students seemed SUPER stressed; admitted that few volunteering opps. existed (although they were supposed to do a certain # of hours every semester); students kept talking about drinking; students admitted to the school not having that many resources and so not being able to do that much; the med school shares NOLA with another med school on the very same street; their main hospital (Charity) has been closed; my faculty interviewer seemed super racist and told me to leave in 5 minutes after asking me questions that mainly pertained to my race and no questions whatsoever that related to why I wanted to be a doctor or medical experiences (I reported my experience to AAMC anonymously-- and the white male who interviewed after me had a SUPER different and friendly experience as opposed to my interviewer asking me illegal questions); my student interviewer was super nice, but had the attitude of why would you want to come here? My interviewer told me there were no research opps. (although I wonder if this is true)."
"Sex joke made by student interviewer (female)."
"Cost. Closure of Charity."
"I wish my interviewers (at least 2 of the 3) were more carefully matched as far as sharing my interests and knowing about the programs and areas I am interested in. As it was, I found the interviews challenging because it was hard to find common ground. Likewise, I didn't feel as though 2 of my interviewers were really even receptive to what I was saying, even though I had met many, many other members of the faculty and student body who think exactly like I do and participate heavily in the activities and programs I would like to be a part of at Tulane."
"My name was misspelled on my folder and name tag, and there was a typo in an email."
"OOS tuition! Holy crap $$$$"
"shortness of one of my interviewers--his personality, abruptness"
"Nothing really.Still some recovery from Katrina, but I see that as a plus for opportunities"
"Too intense of a "play hard" vibe; the "non-competitive" pass/fail system is misleading (according to my student interviewer, who said its not true)"
"The area is not the greatest and NOLA is still rebuilding. Charity is shut down."
"The administration encourages students to have a good time and relax, but I got almost too intense a vibe regarding that. Even the librarians asked if we were staying for the weekend for the city-wide Halloween party. "
"The medical school seems like it's fractured and it is still very much in the process of moving into the Murphy Building. The facilities didn't really impress me. I got the impression the school isn't very organized and doesn't yet have a strong idea of where it wants to go in the future."
"One interviewer was a little intense, and the whole day was a little disorganized. One of my interviewers didn't even know he was interviewing that day."
"nothing, really! the facilities and curriculum seem great. I already was very familiar with New Orleans. hadn't been since before Katrina; the city looks really good - there's still much to be done, obviously, but N.O. is the most unique and interesting city in the US (I think so, anyway) and is bouncing back nicely"
"Only two things: 1) the humidity, but there's not much you can do about that. 2) the low percentage of URMs they currently have enrolled. However, they are aware of it and seem concerned about it, and trying to get more URM applicants they accept to actually commit. Props to them. (turning this into a positive) The administration seems very responsive to the wants and needs of the student body, in all regards."
"Without Charity, I was unsure of the quality of the clinical education."
"Um...lunch was a little disappointing. BUT...it was free!"
"Very expensive. New Orleans isn't too big on recycling. "
"Area surrounding the medical campus is a bit run down."
"Not much really. One of the buildings seemed old but they have 2 more that look brand new."
"facilities, students, faculty interviewer, buildings are spread out"
"Charity hospital looks rough. The Tulane hospital itself looked a little old, maybe that's why they didn't take us in there with the tour. I've heard the south has hot summers"
"The old medical building is pretty run down, esp the anatomy labs."
"Their anatomy lab is quite old"
"Student lounge is a little small but it seemed like everyone was comfortable with each other."
"well, the whole security thing...not an issue for someone like me, but may be for other kids. BUt really, you just gotta think smart and be wise, n u'll be just fine i think."
"New Orleans has come a long way since Katrina but it was a mess even before the hurricane. Charity looks like the set of a horror movie. "
"Charity Hospital is closed :( The buildings were kind of scattered around. The old med school building is kind of dark and not so nice."
"Safety-wise I could see how some people might feel scared...but honestly, every metropolis city you have to be street-smart and cautious. And there's the Garden District if you really want to play it safe and live in a quiet residential area."
"Tulane has a very privileged student body, which seems highly ironic considering the patient populations they aim to serve... maybe this is character building?"
"The labs, classrooms, etc. not being located in the same building. But that's only for a short time because they're working centralizing everything after they received a 250k sq. ft. building as a gift. "
"The location. I didn't feel very safe. The campus is really spread out - a lot of walking, and not much covered area for rainy days. Some of the facilities are much much older - they are moving into a nicer building, should be almost finished by the time the next year's class begins."
"The old med school is quite old, but they are slowly moving everything to the new facility. "
"Lack of healthy food options; urban environment"
"grungy facilities."
"That bourbon street was so touristy and full of 40-50 years old instead of young people...That the city is decrepit although uptown is nicer. That the nicer areas downtown are supposedly the ones with the worst crime."
"The school isn't really near any groceries, weather is icky, med school a little on the old side, but not as bad as some others, tuition"
"The location feels very unsafe. Many of my interviewers seemed like they were quizzing me on whether I would want to live in a place with so much crime. The students also seem kind of isolated, the ones I talked to go out on Bourbon street when they go out."
"new orleans is so far away from my home :o("
"The location. I stayed on campus for a few nights without a car, and I stopped leaving my room at night. It would be a big change for this small town person."
"Deming Pavillion--most students recommend living off-campus if you have a car."
"New Orleans & the school still have some rebuilding to do"
"N/A"
"Some of the facilities were alright."
"Nothing negative about the school, but I do wish that we could have seen the hospital during the tour."
"Deming Pavilion was awful, the anatomy lab was really old and run-down. The area wasn't very safe, either."
"If at all possible, the process seemed a little to informal."
"NOLA still needs a lot of rebuilding. It seemed that in the hospitals education had taken the back burner understandably. Many physicians left. I felt unsure of how many resources their would be for education."
"My reservation with the student housing got a little messed up because they accidentally put me in a room that someone was already using. Fortunately, the person had already checked out by the time I stayed there. Hehe, people recommend me to live uptown and not in Deming and I can see why, the rooms resemble a motel too much ... kinda depressing for a student to live in for the next 4 years."
"Some of the buildings are old and the anatomy lab isn't the best I've seen."
"New Orleans has not recovered from the hurricane. Desolet, filthy and full of crime"
"I had originally planned to stay in the student dorm on the med campus (Deming), only to find that they hadn't prepared for my stay. The dorm seemed more like a hospital ward and I was not impressed. While waiting for a cab to a hotel, the guard reminded me to stand in view of the cameras because it was ''dangerous in this area''. The downtown area where the med campus is located is really a bit seedy and everyone lived uptown, in the nicer area. You'd also need a car here, which I don't have."
"Technologically a little behind."
"I didn't get to see the hospitals on the tour."
"Nothing I wasn't prepared for. Just understand what to expect when picturing living in New Orleans for 4 years."
"Anatomy lab is sorta depressing. 6 tanks in a room, 6 rooms total. The school is split into 2 buildings at the moment, 1 being very new and nice and the other one older."
"Certain areas of New Orleans were still, as expected still under construction. The national guard was actually in that day to help out the New Orleans Police Officers with the crime in the bad areas, property theft and so forth so you know crime is bad. But hey, what city isnt? The medical school is a little bit antecedent, but keep in mind, the whole medical school is in progress (I believe) to be completely moved over to a completely brand new building and will be done by the next incoming class year. "
"It seems that they lost several faculty members after the storm and there were still some rebuilding issues on campus. I did not like the on-campus housing they showed us, some of the worst dorm-type living I've seen."
"facilities were very old and a bit run down"
"facilities"
"they give you a Q and A session at the beginning of the day. Apparently they try to give you two students with different views on the school, but the two mostly argued for the duration of the session."
"My tour guide was the only downer I met. She was very unprofessional and I would not want her as my doc. But she was the only blemish on an otherwise fantastic visit."
"My first interviewer totally forgot that she was supposed to interview me, and was in another part of town. Fortunately, I called the admissions office and they set me up with another interviewer."
"The area around the Medical District at night seemed deserted. I walked around for an hour looking for a place to get some food, any food, for dinner the night I arrived there and finally found a Dominos about 10 blocks away from my hotel. I get the feeling that most students have a car out of necessity (for groceries, eating out, etc). Charity Hospital is massive, but will not be brought back up. Someone actually told me that they wanted to fix up a small area or a wing of the hospital, but noone else could confirm. "
"a little bit too much free time; process was a little too stretched out"
"The city is still re-building and will be for a while. Having the chance to be part of this re-building process could be a negative or positive depending on what you want."
"The schools facilities, they were horrible. I also didn't like the fact that they fail to mention that the class is full around this time, so you are just interviewing to get waitlisted. They beat around the bush when asked about the class being full. Luckily, I'm from the area, it really sucks for the people who had to fly in."
"no one else wanted to check out the quarter the night before the interview! not that I blame them."
"Because of the hurricane, we were told that the facilities are still not up and running, but they will be by June. We weren't given a tour, but we were told we could wander around if we want. We were told that if we want to go back once everything is done, we're more than welcome to do so."
"the uncertainty of the medical facilities and not being able to see them."
"Not being able to tour the campus, but that is understandable. "
"Not negative, but even though N.O. is rebuilding, I'd like to have seen some more of the grounds."
"We didn't get to see the facilities as a result of hurricane damage."
"They misplaced my application (this was before the hurricane). Fortunately I had sent it through certified mail and with return receipt so they looked for it rather than making me resend it."
"Really nothing. "
"deans retired, faculty cutbacks, uncertainty about tulanes future and quality and rep of school and class of 2010"
"couldn't see the campus but I went there for undergrad so i know the city."
"I interviewed in Houston than in New Orleans. But I will be visiting New Orleans in the upcoming months."
"Just the fact that we couldn't see the facilities/city-but that's completely understandable. Also, the Baylor students aren't nice (they are kind of stuck-up)...so don't expect them to stop and talk to you. There is a BIG difference between Baylor students and Tulane students!"
"Not much. The interview was in Houston, not New Orleans, so if you're interested in seeing the med school, interview after January."
"Nothing personally, had to be odd for those unfamiliar with Tulane not to see the facilities etc. "
"Not much."
"admissions was kind of disorganized, but of course that was quite acceptable given tulane's situation right now."
"Nothing...however it would have been nice to interview on campus. However, because of the implications of the hurricane, this was impossible."
"My first interviewer talked most the time, but in this case it was fairly understandable."
"New Orleans is a pit. It is filthy. Also, the facilities were not in the least bit impressive. If I am going to drop $35,000 per year, I want the facilities to be above average."
"The facilities are a little run down and the tuition is not cheap, but I think that the education that you receive makes it worth the cost."
"The facilities seemed run down and a bit depressing. The students pressed home the point that the reason to go to Tulane is New Orleans rather than the school itself."
"the med school buildling is kind of like a maze and kind of old looking. However, I go to tulane now and I don't place much importance on the appearance of the building...also, we are moving to a brand new building on Poydras soon."
"Admissions and interviews were very unorganized, place looked run-down, too much free time."
"Nothin' much."
"My interviewers seemed to have a superiority complex. Made me feel like I had to show how much I wanted to go to Tulane, like its some elite club. One interviewer was very confrontational about my past. "
"The facilities are the worst i've seen in a medical school. They are getting a new building, but not for a while it seems. "
"The facilities are a bit old (that should be expected), the student-led tour was subpar (he had to get somewhere), there is some crime within the city, car insurance is through the roof since a lot of drivers there go without."
"One of my interviewers didn't let me talk at all."
"Overall, it was an excellent school."
"This school is fairly run-down and in the ghetto. "
"The med school building and the surrounding neighborhood -- I was harassed by a group of three "gangsta" type girls while waiting for the airport bus. My student interviewer was disinterested and shot awkward glances at me as I ate (she had already eaten). "
"They didn't show us the inside of the hospital on the tour, the tour guide just took us outside and pointed at it and said "there's the hospital." I only saw one classroom and felt like I didn't learn much about the school that I didn't already know"
"Medical school building was depressing! Dark, dated, and derelict. I found out during my interview that the class was full. The people at the hotel warned me that the area around the medical school was an "undesirable place" at night. It's expensive, and unlike other schools, they mentioned nothing during the presentation about cost or financial aid. I asked several students, and they spoke only about how difficult it was to deal with the financial aid office. Some of the people (including an interviewer) kept making jokes about people from the Northeast. It was funny at first, but then it started to make me uneasy. You will probably need a car if you live off campus. "
"The school is kind of in a bad area."
"There didn't seem to be much diversity in the student body. Many of the students, while perfectly nice, also came off as being a bit generic. The tour guide seemed like an undignified frat boy, but, to his credit, he answered questions very well. Unfortunately, the area surrounding the school is very dangerous."
"The entire 2005 class is full. Everyone interviewing right now can only be waitlisted or rejected. old facilities"
"My student interviewer told me it was her first time doing it, so it seemed like she wasn't sure what to ask me. There were some awkward silences, so I felt like I was interviewing her by having to come up with questions to ask her. I guess it was more of a conversation, but since this was my first student interviewer, I still thought that she would be the one leading the conversation. Also, I'm not sure how much diversity there is at the school, it seems like there would be more URM especially in the location."
"the whole building is a bit cryptlike - kind of gray and gloomy. but they are moving the med school to a new (supposedly awesome) building a couple blocks downtown."
"The surrounding area is a little scary and the facilities seem a little worn."
"the price. some people say the facilities are run down, but realize this med school is in downtown New Orleans, not Beverly Hills. The inside of the hospitals are real nice and they are moving the med school classes to a new building. "
"The same interviewers were interviewing several of the applicants so each faculty interview was only about 25-30 minutes and seemed a little rushed. Also, financial aid wasn't discussed, which is important to know for such an expensive school."
"Their professor made a deal with the first-year class that if 80% of them showed up for class on a day when the guest lecturer was visiting, the guest lecture wouldn't be on the exam. They couldn't even get 50% attendance."
"its expensive, but so is every place else"
"It is expensive, but then again so is every private med school. People complain about the city being dirty, run down, etc. but this is New Orleans, its an old city. The unique culture more than makes up for a lack of cleanliness. I don't like closed-file interviews."
"New Orleans isn't a very nice area. The students seem a little TOO laid-back ... I got the impression that very few even attend class. The on-campus student housing looks like a mental institution (the whole building seemed like a very depressing place)."
"the library was pretty small, the facilities were kind of old....but they're getting new space in a building nearby for teaching, so not a big deal."
"Hmmm...I suppose the dorm that some of the first-years live in didn't impress me much. About 30-40% of the class lives there apparently, but most of the students I met told me it was a bad deal compared with the housing uptown. So, it's not really a problem, I'll just live uptown if I end up here."
"The price"
"It's very very hot...even in November. Some buildings were old, but they're getting new facilities which should be ready within a year or so."
"needs a bit of updating. the facilities are a little old."
"nothing major, i am a tulane undergrad and live in new orleans so i am used to the living situation. "
"My second interviewer was very abrasive. The facilites were older as well"
"One of my interviewers asked if my boyfriend was ok with me attending medical school, but then he graduated from Tulane medical school in 1949."
"the cost of the school. Anyone who says the area around the med school is too dirty is a little wimp. It's not that bad. Get over it! This isn't the burbs where mommy and daddy buy you an SUV and the manicured gardens and sidwalks are scrubbed clean. It's a real city with it's own flavor rather than some cookie cutter neighborhood where the quality of your lawn is a reflection of your worth."
"First interviewer really rushed me with standard questions, to which I never felt able to get in all that I wanted before he was off to a new question. Second interviewer asked me questions, then interrupted me to talk about himself and the navy. "
"Although I didn't expect it, I'd like a place with the ultra-modern technology and renovations that parallels the shift to modern medical/surgical practice."
"School is not in best area, not good to walk around at night."
"Two of my interviewers were over 70 and I could barely understand what they were talking about. Hardly asked me any questions. One of them didn't even look at me the whole interview because he was scribbling notes about me the whole time. Surrounding neighborhood is questionable."
"The medical school building is old and definitely not very charming. "
"New Orleans -- med school is in a bad area, its dirty, the facilities aren't very nice"
"The area around the hospital is not the safest, though everyone says it what allows them to see some weird stuff in ride alongs and rotations. High tuition, but low cost of living."
"the area is not too safe. new orleans is weird - one street may be safe but half a block down its a whole different story."
"The area it's in is terrible, but if you live outside it, it would be fine."
"Some unsafe parts of New Orleans"
"The facilities, New Orleans in general"
"The entire medical school is in one old building in the middle of downtown New Orleans. The facilities are bit rundown and antiquated."
"The lack of technology."
"Tulane has a great patient population to serve..however, there arent that many (relative to other schools) affiliate hospitals. However, Charity hospital will provide more than enough clinical experience. Also, the minority enrollment at Tulane is somewhat lacking but hey what school aint, right?"
"Facilities are a little run down. Anatomy lab not as well ventilated as anatomy labs in other schools. They are also small and cramped and without windows."
"6 students to a cadaver."
"Nothing"
"how dirty New Orleans is"
"The school is really run down and cold."
"maybe a little too laid back. it was kind of weird to see that kind of atmosphere in a medical school."
"nothing was said about the program specifically as a selling point, only about students liking their calssmates"
"school's location in unsafe area, hospital area deserted at night"
"The interviews are supposed to be closed-file, but one of my interviewers' first questions was "what is your GPA and MCAT score?" Seemed sort of strange considering that they emphasized to us that they didn't want interviewers to evaluate us based on numbers--my interview with him was only about 10 minutes and it seemed that the whole discussion was based around my numbers (which are both a little above their average). The facilities were old. Very traditional curriculum. New Orleans."
"Research opportunities are limited to what the student makes of it, nothing is in place."
"The language used by my interviewer was foul at best. He spoke like a truck driver."
"After Dr. Pisano explained that the interviewers were just interested in getting to know us, my interviewers asked about MCAT, GPA and not much else."
"The facilities are a bit old and run down."
"library is very depressing, 6 people/group in anatomy"
"None.. "
"Nada. The only thing is that there aren't any direct flights from where I'm from to NOLA so I had some flight layovers and with time zone changes that can kind of wig out your system."
"I was a little suprised when one of my interviewers asked me about my grades and MCAT score as I stepped into the door. During the orientation it seemed to me the school really prided itself on blindly assessing the "soft" qualities of canidates. This same interviewer also cut me off a couple of times, which was very frusterating. I feel this interview was not a good representation of me at all. "
"that there isnt a grocery store near the medical school (so basically not a whole lot)"
"The age and smell of the anatomy facilities."
"The school building itself is old, but I figure I'd rather have good people and a crappy building."
"The facilities are old and aren't necessarily the most impressive"
"The area is quite a change from Santa Barbara and Marin County."
"There seem to be a lot of students for the resources there"
"someone posted before, "The school is in a rough area, but this will lend to a great learning environment...so embrace it." i agree. there are many bad things about New Orleans and there are many people who have no choice but to live in these conditions and to be able to learn and grow in this type of environment would be a privilege for anyone."
"the city takes a bit of getting used to"
"The city of New Orleans is a fun place to visit but I really wouldn't want to live there for any length of time."
"The rain and humidity. THe city was a little dirty but most big cities are and I had fun going out with my host the night before my interview and my tour guide took us to a bar that all the med students go to after exams after our tour."
"nothing really"
"that students don't go to class and the faculty don't do much about encouraging attendance."
"There were some interview scheduling issues, but it seemed to get cleared up throughout the day."
"I knew New Orleans has some bad areas - but the buildings are connected by second story tunnels. The tour of the cancer center was pretty boring."
"Downtown New Orleans, where the school is, can be described as "interesting". The quarter is cool and Uptown (where a lot of students live) is nice. But downtown is kinda old and dirty. "
"the facilities are a bit old and the area is pretty rough - but it does the job."
"Nothing. I thought the day was great."
"The city is REALLY dirty. And driving is a totally wacked experience. "
"I am now a walking Tulane endorsement, I loved everything about the school. It's true that some of the facilities are old but the atmosphere and clinical opportunities make this almost a non-issue."
"how old the building was . . . but how much does that matter really"
"planning of the interview day"
"Downtown New Orleans, the price tag, old facilities"
"Honestly...Tulane knocked my socks off. It's not ranked by US News, but the Gourman Report puts it in the top 20 in the nation--if I get in, I'm going for sure."
"Nobody goes to class, and students are very forthcoming about that, even proud of it. They seem to feel that they don't need to, and that Tulane has designed their curriculum such that students aren't required to be in class. I'm all for self-motivated learning, but I wonder if the school as a whole doesn't suffer decreased student quality as a result of allowing people to blow off class. I also agree with another poster's feedback (2/2/2003 2:24:15 AM), in that I found Dr. Pisano's "borrow all you want, $200,000+ in debt really isn't that big a deal" speech to be a little too cavalier. He made some good points, but I think that the school should be a little more concerned about keeping costs down."
"New Orleans is a rather scary city to me. But the students say they get used to it. Lot of crime there though. Definetely need to know how to defend yourself on a dark street..."
"The thought of how much weight I would gain if I went there! Seriously though, Dr. Pisano's lack of concern about the cost of tuition, and its effect on student loan debt. He has a point, in that from a business perspective it's a much better deal than anyone else starting their own "business" enjoys. However, I'm concerned that because it's perceived as government money, rather than student money, that there's less incentive to try and keep costs down. Also I think he underestimates the proportion of our eventual pay that a loan debt that size represents. But then again, I'm in the repayment period for my college loans, so I have a VERY good understanding of how much debt I can take on based on my expected earnings."
"The facilities are a bit antiquated."
"Ancient building, little emphasis on clinical exposure during first years ( or if there is exposure, it wasn't truly promoted)"
"The facilities are old...plus the fact that even people that have been there for years don't know their way around the school since it all looks the same on the inside and the room numbers are crazy (hint: give yourself plenty of time to look for your interview room since the room numbers are bad eg. 1500, 1501, 3...) "
"the facilities. the attitute of the two people who interviewed me. "
"neighborhood around school was a bit run down. however, i think that would only add to the experience."
"The facilities (very old, cramped, not up to par). The location (downtown area, like most medical schools, so don't expect it to be pretty, but Tulane's location is still more hideous than most.) Tulane also claims to be pretty diverse, but I remember specifically noticing that I didn't see many students walking around."
"The weather. "
"The school is in a rough area, but this will lend to a great learning environment....so embrace it."
"the neighborhood surrounding the school"
"facilities, city of new orleans."
"The school is in the middle of downtown, so its not pretty, but thats what I expected."
"Older facilities."
"New Orleans is dirtier than I thought it would be. "
"City of New Orleans (esp. downtown where the school is located) is not an ideal place to live."
"Old builing."
"New Orleans is somewhat dirty. THe facilities aren't all that great"
"The med school building is pretty old."
"The actual building that houses the med school is quite old and needs renovation."
"maybe the facilities. but it's no big deal. small cafeteria. the housing is not that great at deming- but you can find awesome apartment housing for cheap. the student host i stayed at paid 350 a mth for 2 bedroom 2 bathroom place.. and it was big!"
"Of course the cost is always a downside. "
"The students were not as great as has been touted from Tulane. I think the faculty were much more pleasant than the majority of the students I met - one anatomy professor even came out of his lab to speak with another interviewer and I."
"Nothing."
"tuition"
"prep more for the SP"
"How laid back it would be!!!! Seriously do not stress. defs prepare but do not be worried that they will ask purposely difficult questions, they genuinely want to get to know you as a person."
"The interview day starts at breakneck speed getting through everything but eventually calms down and settles. I had one of the first interview dates though so this may have improved since."
"How wonderful student life is...apparently Tulane is a party school too? Also, the food was absolutely amazing."
"What the patient simulation prompt was, but they aren't allowed to reveal they beforehand. If possible, practice for these at your home institution with a variety of patient prompts."
"Don't stress about it too much!"
"That there was literally no reason to prepare for the interview. It was so friendly and conversational"
"It rains whenever it wants to in New Orleans. Bring an umbrella."
"Nothing really"
"That I could relax a bit because the interview was not stressful at all! Very conversational"
"I didn't feel like there were many surprises during the day."
"That interview shoes are a real drag to walk in."
"That reading about Tulane on SDN and online was incredibly misleading from what I saw and experienced in person (in a very bad way)."
"That New Orleans was going to be real chilly the two days I was there."
"I wish I had brought or purchased a map of New Orleans. As they will tell you, there is no such thing as North/South/East/West. The roads follow the curves of the river, thus making them run in all different directions depending on exactly where you are. If you don't know where that is, prepare to quickly become dreadfully lost. Another good reason to stay with a med student - they can come find you, pick you up, and bring you back home."
"How much walking we'd have to do outside. It was rainy and cold."
"Nothing really, I felt well informed."
"Bring an extra pair of shoes (sneakers) since you'll want to tour the city/hang out with some students for the experience."
"how underestimated a school Tulane is"
"The interviews were all in separate buildings"
"How bad the humidity would be, so I could have brought a handkerchief. "
"Nothing really. This website does a pretty good job about giving an overview of the process. "
"That I wouldn't have a chance to go back to the admissions office to change shoes before the tour. :("
"How laid back the whole day was going to be. I was a nervous wreck from the moment I received the interview invite until interview day. In reality, the entire interview day is about who you are as a person and what you are interested in. I unnecessarily did not breathe for 3 weeks. lol"
"You will have 3 interviews: one with a student over lunch and 2 ~25min with faculty members."
"Can't really think of anything. I did a lot of research on Tulane before heading down and knew what I was getting myself into. But some might say I'm quite the Tulane fanatic...some other interview candidates even pointed that out to me."
"All the interviews are closed file, unless you have Dr. Beckman. She's the only one that has access to your entire application. I had her, but it went really well and she's very nice. "
"The interviews are not in the Poydras St. building! If you get an email telling you to go there, it is wrong. The building where the interviews are held is on Robertson St. "
"Not to be nervous!"
"That they do not serve breakfast, so eat something before you arrive. I was starving the whole time and then I had to talk through lunch."
"They favor students with connections to New Orleans. "
"the airport is pretty far away from the downtown area and if you have an evening flight give yourself plenty of time to get there via I-10. That the first stop on the tour was going to be the embryology (aka aborted fetus w/ birth defect museum)--it wasn't that gross but was a surprising first stop on the tour "
"You'll have some down time during the day."
"Only two interviews - one faculty and one student interview - ***both carry equal weight***"
"I knew this beforehand, but it helps to know that one of your interviews is with a faculty member and one is with a student over lunch."
"Nothing really...lots of walking for the tour and to your interviews."
"How important the study hard, drink really hard atmosphere was to the students. Seemed to be pretty universal. The school even rents out a bar after test blocks. "
"That my cab driver wasn't going to have the slightest idea where he was going."
"The MD/MPH can be done in 4 years! It's crazy scheduling but I think it's great they have it well-integrated enough that it's possible."
"Almost all the Deans are Jewish snowbirds -- a typical ORM at not only the University but at US medical schools in general -- including the new one apparently. A required research thesis at Tulane is laughable, but the gap-year requirements for admissions are intriguing ideas that should be explored further."
"That you can do the MD/MPH program in four years. I really want to get my MPH, but I also don't want to spend a fifth year doing it. I figured I'd do it either during residency or once I'm a practicing physician. At Tulane I could work in the classes during the summer prior to and after M1. "
"That I'd only have one faculty and one student interview."
"N/A"
"Crawfish & beignets are DELICIOUS! Make sure you hit up French Quarter during your visit!"
"grading system - it's pass/fail, with high honors and some other delineations - but as the students put it, the people there don't want you to fail and will try not to let you!"
"I was interviewing for a wait list spot at best...That bourbon street was so touristy and full of 40-50 years old instead of young people...That the city is decrepit although uptown is nicer."
"Take the airport express bus to campus, stay with a student-great way to get a first-hand view of life as a t-1"
"The med school campus is not on the nice uptown campus where the undergrad is. It is literally right next to the Superdome."
"there's a lot more PBL than I thought"
"The medical school is right downtown."
"There's a few blocks of walking you need to do--wear comfortable shoes!"
"instead of staying at one of the recommended hotels, I'd stay closer to the quarter, so I had more of a chance to get to see the city. You have plenty of time to see the school on interview day, and it's not a far walk from the quarter to the med school anyway"
"That the facilities weren't nearly as bad as people on SDN say they are. They seem like an older med school, what else do people need in an anatomy lab or building...it looked like it would work just fine. Also the new building is pretty amazing, with an awesome student lounge, and awesome study/small group rooms on the 22nd floor overlooking the whole city!"
"Nothing. Everything was expected."
"This is a VERY laid back interview, and there's no reason to be nervous about it! Everyone is really nice and they're just interested in finding out who you are."
"Deming Pavilion was crappy."
"There were no surprises."
"Mardi Gras starts the two fridays before Fat Tuesday (the day of my interview it started)"
"Interviews are 4 questions, period. "
"That I had to shell out MORE money for a hotel room!"
"That winter travel sucks."
"If you have a student host, check to see how far away his or her place is in relationship to the school. Because this means, you have to call a cab in advance and earlier to get to the interview place on time. Cabs definitely helped. United Cab is the one I used. "
"the humidity!"
"that the school waitlists such a huge number of people. I felt that i was interviewing for the waitlist, which already looked pretty full- i think i wasted my money, since it is not a top choice for me."
"it was easy going"
"MSNBC is the ultimate propaganda. The city is perfectly functional, not deserted."
"How great and diverse the student body was. That is a serious selling point. All grades are pass/fail and everyone works as a team. The other surprising thing is that no one else in my group took advantage of the Student Host Program. This is an awesome way to get out and meet people and really get a feel for life at Tulane. Definitely go for the optional room at Demming (the student dorm) for $50. Then you've got your own place to crash when you want. My host also lived in Demming so it was perfect. Instructions for everything are in the interview invite email."
"I went to Tulane as an undergrad, so I knew about a lot of the problems involved with post-Katrina rebuilding and a lot about the area. I also had a friend who is a student take me on a quick tour and point out where to park. Unfortunately, the garages only take cash, so I had to go on a hunt for an atm. So bring cash."
"Nothing I can think of at the moment."
"That for being a Louisiana school, there aren't very many people from Louisiana there. (I'm from Louisiana and I didn't talk to anyone from there)"
"Seeing the state of the city first-hand gave me more information. I am able to better gauge how I would feel being there for 4 years. Wear comfortable shoes, you will be walking a fair amount."
"That the class was full."
"how quiet the city actually was"
"relaxed atmosphere"
"Public Health and Tropical Medicine"
"How cool the MPH program is- and how much it costs. "
"The new building isn't really ready yet, so you can't get an idea of what the facilities will look like."
"If you are staying at Deming Pavillion, the security guard has a phone book with the number for Domino's. If you are coming from the airport to Deming, here's the number for the airport shuttle($13 one way instead of $30 for a cab) 504-522-3500."
"My interviews were held at Baylor College of Medicine, so I can't say much a/b New Orleans."
"Better directions."
"nothin"
"did not know it was close file"
"Nothing really. Interview schedules given out early in the morning."
"How positive everyone was...I wish that I had initially been excited about Tulane because they deserved that-but as soon as the day started, I immediately was excited! "
"Take the city bus to the school! The bus is the E2 - it picks you up on platform 7 (ask someone) and it's $1.60 to Tulane - it drops you off RIGHT IN FRONT of the student residence hall (ie - right across from the admissions building). You will save a lot of money and get to know New Orleans people a bit better than if you take a cab."
"I wish I had known how relaxed the day was going to be so I didn't get all worked up."
"My car battery was in need of replacement. Also, the interview is totally closed; interviewers will know as much as applicants tell them."
"nothing."
"Although Tulane is a very prestigious institution, it is not a competitive atmosphere. This is why I am probably going to end up going here."
"How diverse the students really are. The few I met were well travelled and had a variety of outside interests, including flying a cesna four hours a week. Also, they have a relatively large Return Peace Corps Volunteer population (about 15-20), which is applicable to me as a RPCV."
"How much I would dislike New Orleans. Tulane is an excellent school. The faculty and students were exceptional, but New Orleans is terrible. I can not picture moving my family to such a miserable place. It's too bad that Tulane isn't in another city, because I truly liked the school."
"The interviews are all about getting to know your personality. They are not stressful. They ask open ended questions and just wait for you to talk. You have to have interesting things to say or it will go nowhere."
"There can be a lot of walking from interview to interview (different buildings, different blocks). Walking + heat + humidity = sweat."
"That they were not interviewing me for an available space, but for a wating list. I kind of felt they just wanted my Ivy league school's name in the group meeting."
"That the lunch interview with the student would be fun and not stressful at all. I had been really worried about it but it was probably the nicest part of my day."
"If you're in-state, LSU-NO is a much better and cheaper school, but Tulane has more name power."
"I wish I had known that a 30 minute interview isn't nearly enough time to portray yourself as you might wish to be portrayed."
"They are still admitting students, but very few in fact the impression I got was if you were an elite applicant was the only way to get a straight in admission at this point."
"It really seems to make a difference whether you get in or not is if you can have faculty or a student vouch for you. I don't have anyone, so we'll see if it works out. "
"One of my interviews was open file. The Tulane med school is not that close to the French Quarter or its undergrad campus. Also, the airport shuttle is a lot cheaper than taxi's. The medical center is set up like a dyslexic blind man made up the numbers- make sure you know where to go prior to your interviews."
"People on this website were saying that at this point I would be interviewing for the waitlist. Not only did Dr. Beckman tell me that was untrue, but I got my acceptance letter a week after my interview!"
"no"
"Except for the bums and drug dealers, the area around the school is deserted at night. Not the best neighborhood."
"After reading on SDN that Tulane's class was full, I called to verify the situation. The Assistant Dean was a bit evasive, ultimately giving the indication that a few acceptances were being sent each week. Taking her word, I decided to go to the interview. When I arrived at the school, I was making small talk with the admissions secretary and learned from her that they were only giving waitlists or rejections. My two interviewers (only one of whom was on the committee) confirmed the secretary's account. Another interviewee who had different interviewers told me that they had said the same. I did not have an acceptance at the time, so I had no choice but to go. The entire situation is very dubious. "
"That the interview was not for a position in the class but a waitlist spot. I'm really angry and disappointed at having wasted almost 500 dollars. The least Tulane could do is notify people of the situation beforehand and allow them to make an informed decision on whether or not to attend the interview. This is the same school that wouldn't even accept my fee waiver for the secondary. They absolutely disgust me."
"Tulane has already sent out all of their acceptance letters for 2005. After the interview, applicants will either receive a waitlist spot or a rejection letter."
"The class is full. Tulane shamelessly continues to interview without telling applicants that they are vying for a waitlist spot at best. If I had known, I would not have wasted the money or the time. Very poor form, Tulane. "
"i was only interviewing for a waitlist spot."
"You can read the brochures before the interviews and don't have to wait for them to be passed out."
"How expensive this school is, and there isn't very good public transportation so you pretty much need a car if you don't want to live in the dorms."
"that i'd be walking outside in the rain during my tour :) but it wasn't too bad, just a bit drizzly."
"The 4 year MD/MPH and the elective requirement during your 2nd semester of 1st year. Tulane wants to diversify their class, and really doesnt want just an all-science pre-med. they are about individuality, and they expect you to express that while you are in med school. I heard Tulane was great, but I didnt realize how much freedom students had."
"That Deming Pavilion (the housing "dorm") was so hot!! I may have opted out of that part of the tour since I will keep my city apartment I'm in now."
"New Orleans is definitely not a city to spend just one day in-- I should have stayed the weekend."
"You find out about your status (accepted, rejected, etc.) within two weeks, which is awesome (i.e. they dont feel the need to spend multiple months jerking you around). "
"That the day really does get done early (2-ish), so I didn't have to book my flight for the evening. There wasn't much to do within walking distance of the school, so I had a lot of down time."
"that the interviews would be so laid back"
"Nuthin'"
"nothing, I talked to my friends from NOLA before"
"lsu-no and tulane are next door to each other. interesting, i didnt know that."
"That interviews only concern your personal interests and traits. I thought this close to election time i would get some political question, but no, tulane's not interested in that they are interested in you as a person"
"Charity Hospital (ask about it) Joe's bar (go there! it's where all the med students hang out)"
"The students and faculty are so laid back that they never go to class and have plenty of time (maybe too much) to explore what the city has to offer."
"Generally the interview day was a low stress day. The "interviews" totally vary from one interviewer to another. Beware the interviewer that talks about his navy experience and stops you when you answer his question. He is hard to get into a conversation with but that's just his style. The student interview was not really an interview--we just talked about the city and the student's family life. "
"That most of the feedback on this sight about Tulane must be from spoiled kids expecting rolling green hills and modern technology everywhere. The city reminds me of SF."
"The Tulane Dorms are not great, very sterile looking. "
"How incredibly hot N.O. is during October."
"You are given an office # for the interview, but definitely double check about where the interviewer is located...I nearly got lost because my interview was not in the School of Medicine Building. "
"That the hardest part of the day (the interviews - which weren't that hard) would be over quickly in the morning."
"dean pisano is retiring in 10 days so i dont know how the school is going to change without him. the man has singlehandedly made the school into what it is now.. so who knows what its going to be like after he leaves. "
"That everyone would stop and ask if you had any questions, have a lot prepared because EVERYONE will ask you that!"
"No need to get as stressed as I did!"
"Nothing..."
"I wish I knew it was going to rain. The day ends at around 2:30, so you will have time to catch the Airport Express Shuttle at 3:15 to make your 6PM flight."
"Stay in the Deming Pavilion if possible. It's walking distance from the French Quarter."
"How really low-stress the interviews are. "
"That it would be difficult to find food that's not fried."
"You will have free time between interviews, during which you are expected to walk around and explore the school."
"Do not check luggage unless absolutely necessary - interviewed in jeans."
"They don't like Californians"
"that if questions made me uncomfortable, some people will not have the tact to stop when I'm brought to tears"
"lots of time to check out school on own - I really liked this, since you didn't feel like the day was so rushed & you got a chance to talk to students who were not directly involved in the admissions/interview process"
"New Orleans is a depressed town; the area between the French Quarter and the medical school area is deserted at night."
"How much time we would be left on our own for "exploring" the school. Also would have set aside time to go to one of the hospitals and the school of public health."
"Think of several "good" questions to ask. There is an hour introduction with plenty of time allocated to answering questions, so be ready to ask about something that is not available on the website."
"That there was going to be a lot of down time in b/w interviews. Prepare to spend some time in the student lounge."
"Stay at the Radisson hotel. It's not the Ritz, but it is cheap and located a block and a half from the school. I wish I had stayed a little longer to enjoy some of the food and music that New Orleans is known for. Also, I know this has been said before, but there seems to be no set numbering paradigm for classrooms/offices - Allow yourself a few extra minutes to find your interviews."
"That Gumbo wasn't on the lunch menu for Monday. The Red Beans and rice were delicious but man I could have used some authentic gumbo. "
"I didn't have any logistical problems, although I wish I could have stayed one or two more days in New Orleans to check everything out.."
"that they don't use a grading system of A-F but a pass fail system which corresponds roughly to A-F"
"The embryology museum is cool, just like everyone says, but also a little scary."
"New Orleans traffic is horrendous, I almost missed my flight home."
"How relaxing a day of interviews can be"
"I wish I hadn't wasted my time studying up on health care. I wasn't asked about it at all."
"That the interview was really low key, I was really anxious during my first interview and I should not have been"
"i already knew a lot about tulane, so nothing threw me off guard."
"that I really wouldn't be comfortable living in New Orleans"
"That I could definately see my self being happy at Tulane."
"not much."
"The tour ended with a trip to the nearest bar. I wanted to go but I had to get back to the airport!"
"Nothing really."
"Just how different the city is from anywhere else. Like the student I was staying with said "it is a whole different world down here""
"more about new orleans"
"The only thing I wish I would have known is that the interviews really are low-stress. I was pretty worried before I started the interview, but the worrying was about nothing. I wish I could have taken everyone's advice and relaxed and not stressed about the interview day. I ended up having a great time."
"Nothing really- I had emailed and spoken with some of the current students before I left and felt that I had a pretty good idea of what was going on there before I left for the interivew."
"They are doing construction on I-10 and it takes forever to get to the airport!"
"that it was closed file"
"Students do not go to class."
"nothing"
"It would have been nice if I knew a little more about New Orleans--my second interviewer talked a lot about the city and its culture."
"Housing is much more of an issue than I had previously thought. It's possible to find cheap housing, and it's possible to live near the school, but the fact that the school is smack in the middle of downtown (i.e., not the cleanest/quietest/safest place in the world) makes it more difficult to imagine finding nice, comfortable, affordable housing. On the whole, though, I don't think that it's that significant. The embryology museum is awesome, but for God's sake don't go there if you're thinking about having kids any time soon! It's fascinating, but it's a total house of horrors! Many of the "monsters" in there (they are in fact so labelled) look like they're straight out of the National Enquirer or Ripley's Believe It Or Not."
"Nothing I wished to know ahead of time. Every positive thing about Tulane I knew turned out to be even more positive."
"Contrary to what many others think, New Orleans is such a wonderful city - raw, dirty and REAL!"
"The MPH program. "
"that the 3rd interview is a "working lunch," meaning you eat lunch w/a student and it's also an interview. good luck trying to eat thru that one!"
"more info on the mph program. you can doit in 4 years and is extremely popular amongst students."
"Nothing in particular. I expected to see and speak with more students and sit in on a class, but there wasn't actually a lot of free time (about half an hour)."
"That the undergrad campus is so far from the med school."
"The school has a great histroy and I didn't know much about it in advance. Also, the school offers an MD/MPH degree in four years instead of the typical five. The school also allows for free time to accomplish this (or other interests)."
"nothing really, they talked alot about mph stuff, which I am still not interested in"
"its really laid back"
"The relaxed atmosphere of the school."
"They leave you with a good deal of free time."
"That I would have free time to wander the med school."
"Interviews can be enjoyable! You can relax at Tulane, they want you to be happy and they want to sell their school to you."
"you can take any course you want to in the tulane university. you can take public health courses for free as well as undergrad classes- if you take enough public health courses - you can get an MPH in the same amt of time as you do your med school. "
"Their program for Tulane undergrads to enter into the medical school at the end of their 4 years. "
"Come prepared with questions. During the orientation in the beginning of interview day, Dr. Pisano sat us all down and gave his little schpiel and then said "OK, now ask me questions" and literally sat there for an hour while people tried to come up with whatever kinds of questions they could muster <as none of us seemed prepared for it>. Also, if you interview with Dr. Pisano <I did>, it will be open-file. Expect this if you have something questionable on your application that needs to be addressed during the course of the interview (e.g. poor grades, poor section on the mcat, etc.)"
"more detail on the mph programs"
"Tulane is a very fun and laid back culture in a fun and laid back city, so make sure that shines through in your interview. They already know you have the academics and experience to succeed in med school, so rather than making it about seeming "impressive," try to instead seem kind/ sociable/ empathetic/ like a good team player who wishes well for others."
"I absolutely love this program and the school. I felt like I really resonated with their mission statement. Heads up, they are a very community-service oriented school!"
"Very laid back interview, I really enjoyed speaking with the students and faculty and had overall a good time!!"
"So much of the interview day seemed to be getting a "vibe" of each applicant rather than trying to grill them or put them under pressure. I felt like the program really tries to avoid admitting gunners and wants to make sure you'd be pleasant to have around as a fellow student."
"The SP portion is really easy, dont stress and you will be fine"
"Amazing school with amazing students and faculty"
"Lovely school, lovely people, AMAZING food."
"Ladies - DON'T WEAR HEELS! Girl stumbled and one scraped her knee pretty badly on her way to interview on the sidewalk to the patient simulation. They took amazing care of her and she was able to interview still (and took it like a champ), but it's a situation best avoided. Otherwise, this is an amazing school. Hoping I get in!!"
"Amazing school, great culture, wonderful location!"
"The school really impressed me. We didn't get to meet many members of the faculty for more than a few minutes however, all of the students were welcoming and happy about their choice to attend Tulane. Excited to hear back."
"Tulane supa dope. New Orleans supa dope. Ya."
"I loved this school! The students seemed truly happy and there seemed to be an air of community at Tulane that I have not seen at other schools. Definitely my top choice!!"
"I enjoyed my visit to the school. Tulane emphasizes community service, and it seemed like there were many ways to get involved. I was most impressed by how happy the students were."
"After the interview day, this is my first choice school. I absolutely loved it and it would be a fantastic place to study medicine."
"Overall a wonderful experience. I really liked the facilities, the people, and the tour. I felt like it was an open and friendly environment, and all the students seemed really happy with where they were at and the choices they've made. This is not the experience I had at many other schools."
"great school"
"I hated Tulane and the admissions can certainly put in a LOTTTTTT more effort to not come off as racist and detached from the whole process. Several people left my interview day with the attitude they'd never attend here."
"Nice school. Tulane is a well respected institution and one of New Orleans' best contributions to the rest of the nation. I can't wait to start my medical career at Tulane!!"
"Please, please, please let me in."
"I loved the school. Still do."
"Yeah...I'm sold."
"really enjoyed this interview, they really want a good fit"
"They definitely tout a diverse class with a focus on a good "fit" for Tulane. There is also definitely an emphasis on play hard. Also, like most schools the pass/fail is still ranked for AOA."
"My first interview consisted of the professor telling me how to live safely in New Orleans. The second one only lasted ten minutes, but he brought me along to watch him perform a procedure, so that was interesting. They emphasize trying to find students that are a good "fit.""
"Great school. Definitely in my list of top choice schools."
"Love love love love love it here. First choice all the way."
"Unlike almost all other interviewees, I did NOT feel like my interviews were laid back. Luckily, I was prepared to handle this. Make sure you are too. You have three interviews and they will be in the morning. Two will be with faculty and one will be with a medical student. They will be closed file unless you interview with a member of the admissions committee, which I didn't. One of my faculty interviews was quite intense. I was rarely allowed to finish my answers to questions before I was asked another question. My interviewer even objected some of my answers, although to be fair, I felt he was feeling me out to see how I would react. My second faculty interviewer also objected to one of my answers as well. I didn't say anything offensive and I truly felt if they had objections to my answers to questions (which were subjective) they could have handled it better. Make sure you you know your application. My medical student interview was great. Make sure you plan for intense interviews. I planned on approaching them this way though because they are only 30mins and closed file, so you have to try and get as much information about you out as possible in that time. Make sure you are prepared for this type of interview, I felt it really helped me. No matter what, prep an answer about why you want to go to Tulane, what makes you unique and what volunteer experience you have done. Even if you aren't asked, steer your interviews so you answer these questions. I did and I feel it really helped me."
"I will be very hurt if I do not get into this school. I'm not one to say I have a "top choice," but after visiting, Tulane SOM is the closest thing to a top choice in anything I've ever had to chose from :) I love the school, the people, the city, and the unified effort to help restore this legendary city. "
"Everyone is very nice. They want to know you are interested in Tulane so be sure to make that clear!"
"Spend more time in NOLA than just the day of your interview. In fact, faculty emphasized how much they wanted us to do that. The school is definitely "work hard, play hard", and they really maintain that students should stay involved in outside interests. I absolutely LOVE Tulane but definitely think it's a school that "fits" some and not others. That's really up for the individual to decide..."
"Its a great school. Take advantage of the overnight student host program. They interview on mondays and fridays so that people can take advantage of the weekend to check out the city. Highly recommended"
"They sent me to the wrong building for my interview. Upon learning this, I had to run to the new building on Robertson St. (I still arrived 10 min late for the opening comments). Thankfully, the admissions office (in particular, Ms. Vargas) was quite friendly, and they helped me out a ton. I interviewed with Dr. Beckman. She is a little quirky, but overall a very nice woman. Just roll with the punches with her and you'll do great. The student interview has equal weight with the faculty interview! If this place is your top choice, be sure to come across that way. They are really looking for applicants who want to come here, not just people who put Tulane on their AMCAS in addition to 15 other schools. "
"I loved the school, this has been the best experience of the 3 schools I have been to so far."
"Tulane wasn't a good fit for me, but it's a good school. Not to be too negative, but the faculty interviewer I had was really uninterested and rude. That kind of tainted my whole experience."
"Interviews were the most laid-back of any school I've been to, and the students and faculty who spoke with us definitely LOVE it there. One of the interviews is with a current student and I guess they have a lot of pull--don't get too relaxed by fun/easy questions cuz the important questions come at the end! I loved Tulane and was very excited to get my acceptance this last week. Everyone who hears haters talk about how NOLA is run down must have been there years ago cuz it looks fine now and the people/food/culture is great! Every question you are asked clearly is trying to tease out 1.) do you really want to come here and 2.) why do you think you'd be a good fit with Tulane Students at this school definitely work hard and play hard, and won't be ashamed of it so don't feel bad admitting that you operate that way too"
"So, I'll just reiterate: Charity is a nightmare, the location is very inner city, the students have a very "work hard, play hard" attitude. The new facilities are very nice, and the standardized patient program is very extensive. Good if you want to be a clinician, bad if you want to do research."
"I am in love with Tulane... I love the city, I love the faculty, I love the students. I feel like no matter what school you go to, you will get a good education, but it is all about finding the school that you will enjoy attending for the next four years. And I will love going there for the next four years - I got accepted three weeks later!!"
"From what I gathered, the school is really into helping New Orleans get back on its feet. If you are interested in getting down and dirty and working with some real people then you will like Tulane. "
"Great school... dont worry too much about your interview... fin aid session is a real bore... def. recommend stayin w a student, saves time/cash etc etc... and ja they really like non-traditional applicants...i observed that. Hoped this helped.."
"I liked many things about this school and the city is unlike any other. It is all about where you will be happiest and the best "fit". "
"Love it and hope they accept me~~."
"How about accepting fewer matriculants from the usual defaults, while increasing the number of in-state and disadvantaged students? While you're at it, be more selective about those of us who are your MS or ACP cash-cows. Get rid of Father Don and his poor judgment of character entirely or at least reduce his influence on the committee. Stop being so cavalier about the real costs (>70K!), especially when the Financial Aid Office has been an utter disaster LONG BEFORE KATRINA came along. Speaking of scapegoating, scrap that TERRIBLE online secondary because surely you don't want to make it readily apparent that the school really is a organizational, bureaucratic nightmare -- honestly, the health sciences programs would be much better off as an independent institution no longer affiliated with the Tulane name. "
"Tulane and New Orleans are really amazing places. The city is definitely still rebuilding, and it has a far way to go. Charity hospital - located adjacent to one of the school's buildings - was never reopened after Katrina. But not only is it not open, it's an absolute mess. But that's what's so attractive to me about New Orleans. If you're turned off by the fact that there will be a lot of vacant buildings and run down areas, don't bother applying here. But if you're like me and you're encouraged by an area that has come so far after being so down, this is the place for you. And also, stay with a student! That pretty much guarantees that you'll go eat in the French Quarter. And finally, go eat at Guy's on Magazine St. in Uptown N.O. Most of the students live Uptown, so you can walk there if you get a chance. "
"The school's reputation is wonderful. Everyone seems to live uptown near the Garden District, so safety there is not an issue. However, this school remains toward the bottom of my short list due to the medical campus's exact location in the city and safety concerns."
"Show up at 8am, welcome by med students, welcome by administration, two 30-min faculty interviews before noon, one 60-min student interview over lunch, tour of school, done by 2-2:30pm"
"Definitely the least stressful interview. Very casual, they do most of the talking, mostly telling you about the school"
"The interviewers genuinely seemed disintrested. It was my GPA, MCAT and any questions I had for them. Then an ackward bit of silence. I finished each in 10 minutes, explored the school, and still sat in the admissions office for seemingly ever. I also went to the student lounge and sat but I was ignored the whole 30 minutes in there and if I asked a question I got a terse response."
"Very positive. Both my reviewers complimented me and our interactions, and my student interviewer was super nice and informative too."
"Overall the interview was great, really laid back. I stayed with a student host which was great because i really got a feel for what it would be like to go there, and she drove me to campus and dropped me off for my interview in the morning. Overall it's a great school in not such a prime location."
"It was really nice. Everyone was laid back. Right off the bat, my first interviewer asked me what my age/MCAT/gpa are. That kind of surprised me because the interviewers are supposed to be discouraged from asking that kind of information. But it turned out alright. Be ready to have questions because it seemed like they expected me to have tons and tons to ask them. Also..they never even touched on financial aid/costs, which was a bit odd."
"There were three low-stress conversational interviews. They mostly just asked questions about my application, since it was close file. There were three interviews, back-to-back for me, in three different buildings - with no time between them. There was a lot of running around that day. The student interview, with lunch, was nice. We also happened to go during test week, so a lot of the class rooms and labs were off limits."
"Generally, very easy going."
"Wonderful experience. Tulane's faculty and students really make for a great atmosphere. The interview is really designed to find people who would be a good fit for the school, and after mmeting the students, you can only hope that you are a good fit. I'd love to be part of the Tulane student body. Great placew to spend med school education. "
"Very very laid back. they really just want to get to know you as a person and are extremely interested in knowing that their medical students are real people and not some lame book nerds that study all the time and don't know how to relate to people. The whole experience was extremely relaxing and I really felt like Tulane is a great fit for anyone looking to become a doc who relates well to all types of people"
"I loved the school. At first I was pretty nervous, and then calmed down after I saw how relaxing the interview day was. I almost was too relaxed! I enjoyed talking to the students about the school and everyone was very nice and welcoming. I stayed the weekend in New Orleans and I definitely recommend doing that to get more of a feel for the area."
"I stayed with a student the night before, which was really helpful and allowed me to relax. That morning, we met in the conference room and two second years talked about their experiences. After that, we had 3 interviews (two faculty and one student), which were more like conversations than interviews. If you have Dr. Owens, don't be surprised if the interview is a little more abrupt (he asked me 3 questions and then just wanted to know what questions I had... we didn't click all that well). There is some down time in between the different interviews, but the other interviewees and I just chatted. Overall, I loved Tulane and I will be thrilled if I get in!"
"There wasn't much planned for the day. We had two and a half hours for interviews, but only an hour max was used, so there wasn't much to do. Everybody was really friendly, but things were a little run-down."
"There were 3 total interviews. 2 faculty and one student interview. It was very laid back but at the same time very informative."
"Welcome session with the deans, tour of the campus, lunch with students, interviews."
"New Orleans is a pretty rundown city but from what I've heard from students, once you know where the dangerous high crime areas are and avoid them, it's one of the funnest cities to be living in. There's so much do there and the city is just bursting of culture and liveliness. The atmosphere of the school and students just makes you fall in love with everything about Tulane. Also, my third interview was with a first year med student during lunch and was very casual though it felt kind of challenging to pick up my food, eat it, and interview at the same time."
"Very laid back, much like the college itself, 2 interviews with faculty and 1 with a student over lunch. "
"We had a good chance to speak with students about the school and take a tour of the campus and see the remodeling being done after Katrina. Really relaxed, kind of fun."
"I would say that the students sold the school and the city was a bit depressing... Bourbon Street could get old after the first two years "
"The day begin with a student in conference room answering the interviewees questions. It was all very relaxed, a little too much so. I would have appreciated a slightly more formal presentation. Interviews were brief. My first interview, with the chaplain, was rather perfunctory. He asked me my MCAT score, GPA and what I did to volunteer and that was it. 5 minutes. My other faculty interview and student interview was better. The old facilities are kind of blah but the new building is nice. In the end, Tulane is Tulane. Its a little rough around the edges, some times dysfunctional, but very chill- just like its city. Katrina did not and will not change that. "
"The interviews were all very laid back. I wish I had been prepared with more questions to ask - they always wanted to know my questions. I'd really review all your activities because many of their questions are pretty general giving you leeway to guide where the interview will go. "
"Everything is really laid-back at Tulane! I had three closed-file interviews. Two were with faculty and one with a student. The student ''interview'' was combined with lunch. They say ''the lunch is the interview'', and it was very informal, really just a conversation and a chance for us (applicants) to ask questions and learn more. All three interviews were very low-stress and laid back. There seems to be a very strong religious presence here. One of my interviwers (with whom I had an excellent conversation) was the chaplain for the med school, and he is also on the admissions committee."
"Low stress interviews. I had a good time. One interviewer made me feel a little uncomfortable but only at certain times during the interview. The other interviewer was very low stress and conversational."
"Very very laidback. Q&A session when you get there with 2 M2s with an informal chat with an Admissions Dean. The interview group is small, about 6-7 students. You have 2 interviews in the morning with faculty followed by a lunch interview with an M2. Then a tour of the facilities. You're done by 2pm."
"I went overtime on my first and last interview from just talking. My second interviewer was an older doctor, but he reminded me of my grandfather, and in the end, he clasped my hands and muttered very encouraging words. I had such a great time. My heart is back at Tulane. Hopefully I'll return there to get it. "
"There were 4 interviewees and we met with 2 first-year students for a question and answer session first thing. Then members of the admissions committee came in and talked with us informally as well. The schedule was almost a little too loose, one of my interviewers was changed at the last second. Both interviewers seemed interested in personality and character traits as opposed to academic performance, so there weren't a lot of focused questions. I had a lunch interview with a second-year which was also casual, and then a tour which went on a little long but very comprehensive."
"Overall it was great. I walked in thinking- hmmm, I am not sure if I would want to live in the south, especially in New Orleans post-Katrina- but walked out absoultely loving Tulane. I was blown away at how the facilities are up and running, the great opportunities available to students including international exchange programs and free clinics, and how laid back everyone was. Everyone genuinely wanted to be there, and loved the school. The whole experience was very relaxed and low stress. The interviews were a little too short, but I think I left a good impression overall. "
"It was low key, fun city, fun students!"
"Tulane really took me by surprise. I almost didn't come to my interview because my car broke down on the drive to New Orleans, but am now very happy I did. Father Don was a great interviewer, and made me want to attend the school. I really feel like Tulane is very much "
"Extremely positive. The only thing that would keep me out of Tulane is an offer from my state school which is $80k cheaper over 4 years. And even then, I'd be thinking long and hard about because I had so much fun being out with everyone. Tulane is the kind of place that just felt like it fit me. Be yourself and see what happens."
"Everyone was so helpful and energetic, and I was impressed by the fact that I kept hearing that the school was not cutthroat or competitive. People send out study guides to the entire class before all of the exams. There's also so much hands-on experience even in the first year, given that standardized patients begin in the first year. The admissions committee meets every Tuesday and makes decisions on a rolling basis. The major thing that I got is that the interviews are geared towards getting to know who you are as a person and who you will be as a doctor. The interview is supposed to be closed file, but my first interviewer opened with a question about my dad, so I knew she'd already read my file."
"I arrived at the initial interview site early and got myself acquainted with the other 5 interviewees. A third year student later came by and started telling us about Tulane and answering questions. Later he was joined by the Associate Dean, Marc Kahn, and he helped answer some questions as well. I wish I had something to ask but it just so happened that someone else asked a question I wanted to ask right before I was about to do the same thing. Not that it mattered much, I got the information I needed. Next was the first interview which lasted around 20 minutes. Afterwards, they gave us about half an hour to find our next interviewer's room . I used the time to look around the building. After the second interview, I headed to the student lounge and got a chance to talk to a bunch of students, who were very welcoming. My student interviewer was a little late but I was able to use that time to talk to students in the lounge a little more. After all the interviews, it was time to relax and go on the tour around the school. The Embryological Museum is amazing. Tulane is in great shape and in a year, it will be even better."
"Q & A session with second years to start...answered many questions. The interviews are spaced out blocks apart and I heard other interviewees aggravated about the humidity so all I can say is be prepared for Louisiana weather. (90 degrees on Oct 2) The interviews were more just a conversation, all closed file. Just tell me about yourself sort of questions. They've performed miracles with getting the place up and running again after last year. I went there thinking that my first choice would be LSU-NO because of the Rural Scholars Track program, but this day has made my choice a lot harder. Awesome experience..."
"The day started at 8am and ended about 4pm, though typically everyone will be finished by about 230pm. Tulane definitely does a great job of showing and validating the idea that they want students who desire to be great physicians AND have active interests outside of medicine. "
"The interviews and people doing the interviews are laid back and friendly. The other interviewees are also really friendly. But the facilities are really bad and it's hard to consider paying 40K a year for that kind of environment. Dr. Beckman, the dean of admissions, is a really cool lady. Cracks me up."
"Even though the interview was in Houston, I got a great feeling of the school atmosphere and the general attitude of the people inloved. The students were very nice, personable, and accepting. It was unique to other schools, that were stogy and uncomfortable. After the interview I could really see myself there as a student."
"Generally laid back and awesome. It was a conversation, not really an interview. "
"It was a great experience. The people are great, the atmosphere is laid back, and it's nothing to get nervous or uptight about. "
"Tulane, like the city of N.O., is very laid back. No need to get stressed out! The interview was held at the new building on Poydras St. that they hope to be moved into by next August (very nice building). It started at 8:00 with an introduction by a 2nd and 4th year student. The faculty arrived about 9:30 and there were two one-on-one interviews, one open and the other closed file. After the interviews we all had lunch and were done about 1:00. It was obvious that all the faculty loved the city and were excited at the opportunity to be there during this rebuilding process. It was hard not to share their same enthusiam after the interview. The most important advice I can give is make sure your generally famaliar with the city and its rebuilding. I could tell it was a huge advantage that I was living there and could relate to all the stories. I would recommend going to one of the local news website (wdsu.com or wwltv.com) or the Times-Picayune website."
"Welcoming and friendly. Tulane really knows how to sell themself. I had a smile the whole interview and just loved being around everyone there. We had three Medical Students come give stories. One guy gave us a great story of him after Katrina getting bit by a snake. He treated himself by having to go to an abandoned drug store for medicine. "
"Mellow, positive and friendly. My interviewers both told me at the end of the time period that I was getting their highest recommendation for admission. I think they pretty much tell you how you do. Dr Beckman, the Dean, was talkative and accessible to us even though she was teaching a Pharm class that afternoon."
"Very laid back interviews. Talked a lot about Katrina and where the city was headed. "
"It was absolutely FABULOUS! I was a bit skeptical about going down to NOLA post Katrina, not really knowing what to expect or how I would respond, but the attitudes of Dr. Beckman and Father/Dr. Don were INCREDIBLE. I love those two! The lunch was the best I have had yet on an interview and you are done at 12:15."
"Kick ass! There are three interviews, the third one is a student who interviewed me over lunch. The student-interview was an opportunity for me to ask a/b the cirruculum & atmosphere."
"Two faculty interviewers, one student interviewer. They were all very nice and interesting. All very optimistic about the school and the future of Tulane and New Orleans (but in a realistic way). "
"awesome. made me love the place so much."
"I had a great time, everyone was so nice. They are really pushing the school hard because of the storm. They are very reassuring that the cutbacks and closings will not effect your education"
"Overall, I was very impressed. Tulane had not been at the top of my list before interviewing. But now, it is at the top. I started withdrawing after receiving my acceptance. This shows you how much Tulane impressed me. "
"Initially, I went to the interview not really being excited because of everything that had happened with Katrina. However, after the day I spent with Tulane students and faculty, I can honestly say, this is the best school I have ever been to. The students are absolutely amazing and so enthustiastic inspite of everything that they have been through. I have interviewed at multiple schools and have had multiple acceptances, but I can honestly say, nothing compares to Tulane! I've never encountered such a great group of students and faculty. Dr. Beckman (assistant dean) is incredibly nice and very honest. The student interview was great and probably was one of the greatest selling points. I received my acceptance letter about a week after the interview-so it was great to have a speedy response! "
"Amazing. I loved the people I met there and everyone was very focused on how to get involved with the happenings in New Orleans. All of the interviews were laid back conversations and I wasn't asked specifically about anything on my AMCAS application. If you're really interested in going, make sure you express that with a letter of interest/intent, it seems like next year's class will be made up of those with connections to New Orleans and Tulane and/or those who really want to be there for the rebuilding of the city."
"See above."
"The interview experience is very laid back and everyone at the school is incredibly friendly. Come prepared with questions since the assistant dean of admissions will come and ask what you want him to talk about (he'll probably remember you better if you are one of the active ones). Read the interview memorandum ahead of time (they give it to you in the interview folder) since it really explains their interview policy and why they ask some personal questions. "
"I interviewed with two faculty members and one student. After they realized that I was a Tulaninan myself and a fellow hurricane evacuee the interviews became informal comfortable conversation about our experiences in the past few months."
"Tulane has a tradition of first greeting applicants with students. Thus, a couple of very informative and enthusiastic MS2 (aka T2 at Tulane) students spent the first thirty minutes of the day talking with us. Next, the assistant dean for admissions spent time getting to know us and talked candidly about Tulane, the med school's future, and about the strengths of the school. Interviews were conducted by two faculty members--one educator and one clinician--and a MS 1 student. These interviews do not seem like interviews at all really, and the focus of the time is to get to know the applicants on a personal level. There are intervals of thirty minutes of down time between the interviews. The interview with the student takes place over lunch and then applicants are free to go."
"tulane is holding interviews in houston at baylor in the texas medical center. they will not be moving back to new orleans until next year which is unfortunate but understandable. the good news is that everything should be ready to go by the time the 2006 class enters anyway. there are two 30 minute faculty interviews. very laid back and conversational since they are closed file. they try to get a sense of you socially to see if you fit the spirit and attitude of the tulane's unique atmosphere. there is also an interview with a student over lunch that is designed to do the same. i can not put into words how genuine students and faculty really are. my two interviewers were awesome and every student i talked to was awesome. i had a pretty active social life during undergrad, and it looks like the student body maintains a work hard, play hard mentality that i am looking for. simply put, if i chose where i went to school based on the quality of the people, tulane would win hands down."
"It was great. The Dean of Admissions is a very nice lady. She made a point to make us feel comfortable during the interview process."
"Interviews were very laid back. My first interviewer asked me literally 2 questions: tell me about yourself, and why do you want to be a doctor. He spent the rest of the time talking about plans for the hospital and program when they move back to NO. Second interviewer was great, really nice guy, basically just went through some of the topics on the interview sheet (family, interests, why tulane, etc). They don't plan to move back to NO until next school year, mainly so the 3rd and 4th years won't have to worry about a lack of patients. They are finishing work on a new building for the 1st and 2nd years that will be ready by the time they move back. Plans to intergrate curriculum are moving faster, since most department heads are now all working in the same office. This interview really sold me on Tulane. The students and faculty are amazing, and I think they will be able to transition back to New Orleans successfully."
"I really enjoyed my experience at Tulane. The atmosphere is unlike any other medical school. I was especially impressed with the camaradarie amongst the students."
"Students and faculty were great. Everyone was extremely friendly. If you are single, and enjoy the New Orleans experience, I'm sure that this is an exceptional school for you. As much as I liked the school, however, I would not attend because of how much I disliked New Orleans."
"The interview was great! Tualne is at Baylor right now which is pretty odd. If you want an interview you should e-mail Dr. Barbara Beckman and tell her that you want to help rebuild New Orleans. I think they are looking for people with ties to the city and the school right now."
"The interviewers are trying to get to know you as a person. They are not high pressure questions and they are really trying to asses how well you might fit into the class. I stayed with a med student the night before and got a good feel for the school through him. We also hit it off really well and now Tulane is one of my top choices because I feel that it matches who I am. I would recommend staying with a student if you have the option. The day starts with a 45 minute 'off the record' Q&A session with the Assitant Dean of Admissions (to give you time to relax). The faculty interviews are short (they have over 1,000 students interview each year), so be succinct. The student interview at lunch is important; be yourself, but it is a real interview. A number of students do the MD/MPH program, which is very well organized. It is completed in four years with the MD, but you do give up your summers before and after first year. After lunch there is a tour with a med student and you can ask more 'off the record' questions. The day finishes around 2pm. "
"This is a great first interview to have: the faculty interviewers are kind and thoughtful, and not out to try to trip you up. The French Quarter is a lot of fun, and it is worth spending at least one full night out there. I would suggest you ask about their specific plans to expand their research facilities if you are not impressed with what you see -- they might be constructing something soon that suits your interests."
"Positive. But realized I was not going to be offered a spot anytime soon.All interviewers were nice and made me feel comfortable. "
"I didn't expect to love Tulane, but after I left it was one of my top choices. The tour guide was a little random...she kept wanting to end the tour at JOe's bar which I found really inappropriate but hilarious...but that is just how Tulane students are. They want you to know that they still have fun and enjoy being around each other even though they study a lot. The interview day may leave you with a lot of free time. My best advice is to go to the student lounge around noon to talk to the students and to observe them with each other. Tulane has a lot to offer being in New Orleans, both int erms of hands-on clinical experiences but also in culture...even after Katrina, it will be a great city to learn in."
"Admissions people had 1st years tell us about the school, and then said that they were wrong about everything they had said (with them still present.) Interviews were screwed up - one interviewee only had one interview because they couldn't find anyone else to interview her. Free time to "meet and talk to students", who must have been in classes because no one was around, so we wandered for a couple of hours. Student interview was over lunch, which was nice and made it relaxed. But the interviewers were not assigned to anyone, so the picked their friends or people from their schools. (One interviewer/interviewee pair had been roommates in undergrad. Now that's fair.) Faculty interviews were fine, short. The tour...didn't show us anything. They took us into a stairwell and said "this leads to the brand new research building", but we never went in. They took us to the sliding doors leading into the hospital, but we never went in. Never saw labs, saw one lecture hall. But they did point out the bar that they all go to after exams. That I appreciated, but did not patronize."
"Dr. Kahn addressed the interview group as a whole for a Q/A session and then assigned us our interviewers. Two faculty interviews and one student interview over lunch."
"Laid back and fairly informational. The people that interviewed on the same day as me seemed fun."
"School is awesome, reminded me of what I thought med school would be like. Though the interviews as low stress as they were, felt like me fate had already been decided."
"This is the first school i've rated lower than a positive, simply because the facilities were so bad. The building consists of small, cramped hallways, claustrophobia-inducing classrooms, and the tiniest student lounge for a class size of 150. It seems as if Tulane IS accepting students still, just not that many per week. The interviews are really short too. One interviewer was awesome and cared a lot about me, the other spoke about himself and the school the whole time. "
"I think it went well overall. The associate dean of admissions told us that they read SDN and that the person who said that the class is full is a lying bastard. They are brutally honest at Tulane which is refreshing. Some people will love it and some people will hate it, that's why you're at the interview. My interviews were sort of reversed, they kept asking "So, what else would you like to know?" I think we spent 20minutes on me and 40 minutes on the history of Louisiana. Really laidback. Also, they say that the interviews are closed file, but my first interviewer had my file and he drew a map of local restaurants on the back of the first page and gave it to me. My second interviewer didn't even know my name. Also, I think the interviews were supposed to be 30 minutes, but my first one went for an hour, it's just good that I didn't have a second interview back to back. The student interview was really relaxing and fun. I mostly just asked him how he felt about Tulane and he talked so much he forgot to eat. "
"The day was great! The other interviewees were fantastic, and so was Dr. Beckman. The student interviewer was really nice, and I felt like I was having lunch with a friend instead of having an interview."
"Basically, there are three interviews both seemed to be closed file, I was told by my first interviewer that only one was closed, nonetheless, the first and second were with faculty and the third with a student over lunch. They said tell me about yourself, where are you from, what do you like to do and they encouraged me to elaborate on some of my answers. It seemed like they actually cared, that is what I liked. Also it gave me a chance to sell myself, because that is what they wanted. There were no contrived or high stress questions. "
"The school is a decent middle of the pack medical school. The location isn't the greatest, but the students were very happy that they chose to go there. The faculty and administration really care about the students and go out of their way to help out with any problems."
"Morning info session with dean, two interviews, a "working lunch" with a student interviewer, and a tour. The med student I stayed with ordered the most expensive thing on the menu when I took her out for dinner (which, by the way, is suggested on the student host sheet that came as part of the interview letter)."
"Many of you have probably noticed the previous postings that the class is full and you will only get a wait list spot at best. I asked the Assistant Dean of Admissions, and this is NOT entirely true. Yes, the class is full, but like all med schools, Tulane overbooks its class since some students will decide to go to other schools. Therefore, they are still accepting people, but only about 4-6 per week. If you are interested in attending Tulane med, don't get discouraged from attending your interview, you still have a chance of getting in!"
"Day begins with a brief talk from the Dean of Admissions and a 3rd or 4th year student. Be sure to have questions for them. There were also two faculty interviewers and one awkward student interview over lunch. A first or second year student leads a tour then invites you to go drinking afterwards as part of the interview "tradition." It was a Wednesday afternoon. "
"There were 3 interviews. One was with a student over lunch and the other two were with physicians. The tour guide was very enthusiastic. Interviewee's had heard from the student body that the 2005 class was already full and that our interviews were just to fill up the waitlist spots."
"The interviewers were wonderfully relaxed. I had the retired military guy who swore and commented on my clothes (positively, thankfully); but after initially sizing me up, he warmed considerably. "
"The interview went well, but at the end of the day I found out that the entire 2005 class is FULL. I was only interviewing for a waitlist spot. I felt that it was pretty shitty. if you are low on cash, dont go to the interview. The entire day was laid back. The interviews were completely conversational almost to a point where I thought they were not getting to know me."
"The day started with an informal conversation with a 2nd year and the Assoc. Dean. We then separated to meet with our interviewees. My faculty interviews were followed by a student interview over lunch. The day ended with a tour."
"It was very laid-back and I had a lot of time to explore the school in between my interviews. The room numbers are bizarre, so give yourself some time to try and find your interview room. Also, the interviews are usually closed-file, but if you interview with the Dean, it will be open-file (although for me, she still didn't really read my file thoroughly, so it was more like a closed-file interview with her). The food was not that good, but they did give us a menu in the morning to pick what we wanted. Like everyone else suggests, definitely check out the embryological museum, it is very cool. The student tour guide took everyone out to the bar afterwards to keep up with tradition. :) "
"absolutely amazing. i think i'm in love."
"The school is incredibly laidback, almost to a fault. The teachers encourage students to learn in whatever way suits them, and as a result attendance at class is pretty low. It was interesting. The interviews are pretty conversational. Also, several people throughout the day would speak disparagingly about people from the northeast (cold, unfriendly etc.). Being from the northeast, it made me a little uncomfortable."
"Best interview experience one could imagine. The 3 interviews were all laid back. there only 2 questions that were medically related (the one i posted) and why medicine? I talked about sports, religion, politics, what i like to do for fun. The student interview was awesome cause I got to chill with a persian student (im persian so we hit it off). i met alot of students and i heard nothing bad about the school. the students were a little stressed cause it was the last day of finals, but everyone was talking about the party they are going to have tonight (which interviewees were invited to). Tulane is definitely one of my top choices after the interview. Oh yea, the match list is extremely impressive, and they get people into the namey residency programs. A major reason Tulane has a very impressive match list can be attributed to the fact that clinicals are done at Charity Hospital. Prestige in a school is not necessarily the best thing, clinicals are more important."
"The day went very well. The morning starts off with a welcome/ Q&A session with 2 second year students and the Assoc. Dean of Admissions. We then had some time to wander before our 2 faculty interviews. We checked out the amazing Embryo collection and if you're interested in surgery check out the "laproscopic lab" on the 8th floor! Then we had lunch with a student (which counts as equal weight for the interview) for an hour. The day ended with a tour of the facility. All of the students were "laid-back", but they seemed to be learning as well. It doesn't seem competitive either, more of a family atmosphere."
"I had an extremely positive experience; Tulane quickly moved from being in my top 3 to being my top choice. Two of my interviewers were very friendly and relaxed; the other one wasn't too nerve-wracking :) Good interview, good school."
"2 interviews both about 20-30 minutes long. theres a "working lunch" interview that counts the same as the faculty ones. Overall it was not very stressful, and it was enjoyable"
"Basically, I didn't know much about Tulane prior to the interview, and the laid-back atmosphere of the school and the great students were a true breath of fresh air. One of my interviewers was very by-the-book and somewhat rigid, but the other was one of the coolest guys I have met in a long time. The student interviewer was super nice and empathetic. A wonderful experience."
"The day started pretty early. We met with two fourth year students and got to ask them questions about the school. Then, we met (former) Dean Pisano, who talked for us for 45 minutes about the school. He is really friendly and outgoing ... it's too bad that he retired (I hear that he is responsible for what the school is today). Lunch was nice because we got to pick what we wanted from a menu in the morning. There were lots of options. The student interview was a little awkward for me. It occurred over lunch, but the student interviewer had already eaten lunch, so I was trying to answer questions between bites. My first faculty interviewer was awesome. He seemed genuinely interested in my research and schoolwork. My second interviewer was that cranky old retired navy guy. He's a character. I just sat there listening to him swear and tell stories, hahaha. I didn't really get to say much, but oh well. Ladies, beware! Dress conservatively because he WILL comment on your outfit if you have him as an interviewer. I was told that I looked very mature, but others in the interview group were scolded/chewed out by him because of their outfit. The tour was in the afternoon. Overall, the school was okay, but I just didn't leave feeling very impressed."
"great place...i can definitely see myself there. as laid back as any med school i've seen up to this point."
"With one acceptance in hand, I went to Tulane almost expecting that the school wouldn't impress me enough for the interview day to even matter. More than anything, I was excited to have a chance to go to New Orleans and get some food. But as the day went on, I realized that this would be a pretty awesome place to go to school. The city itself is a huge selling point, but there are other things. There's a lot of freedom in what classes you take from the first year on. The electives program lets you pursue what you want to, and it allows you get to get a lot of early clinical experiences if that's your thing. They also seem to treat the students like adults, and let them learn the material whatever way works best for them (i.e., going to class is very optional). The school seems to really want to let the students be people outside of medicine as well--they encourage other interests. And the students really did seem pretty chill. I mean I like the students everywhere, but the Tulane students seemed more relaxed as a whole--as did my fellow interviewees. There are two faculty interviews, and one student interview over lunch. For me they all went well for the most part. The first interviewer really didn't have that many questions, so we ended up talking about the city for a half hour. The second interviewer asked some strange things, and asked some questions at least 3 times, but he was pleasant enough. The student interviewer was a real sweetheart. It didn't seem much like an interview at all."
"Great, I applied here as a "safety school" but now I think it is my top choice."
"My interviews went really well. My first interviewer briefly touched on my interest in Medicine, but the rest of the interview we talked about New Orleans, Mardi Gras, and about the school's curriculum. It was a very friendly and relaxed interview. I really connected with my second interviewer (Assistant Dean of Admissions) and we talked about my family, where I'm from, background, what I want to do, etc. Overall I had a great interview experience. I was also fortunate enough to find out that I was accepted about 10 minutes after my interview (however I was told that this is definitely not the norm and that they don't offer admission like this). Great school, even better people, amazing experience."
"excellent."
"Great day, relieved, nervous at first but calmed down. Enjoyed myself and hope i am accepted, this is my first choice. Student interview went really well, they say the student interview counts just as much as the rest which is a plus. "
"great great great"
"The whole day overall went well except my second interview. The guy was abrasive and made me feel very uncomfortable and I felt I bombed the interview with him. But my interview with the assistant dean went awesome and she is the nicest lady. Overall I loved New Orleans and the school seems like an excellent, laid back environment to study. I just found out I got in so apparently the second guy did not matter too much."
"This is one of the most relaxing interviews you are going to have so make sure to enjoy it. Come prepared to answer questions about your family and life experience, but don't worry about any ethical questions coming up. "
"Do not stress over this interview! All of my fellow interviewees said they had an awesome interview (but you know that not everyone will be accepted). Very conversational and relaxed. I will probably be going here over my state school, but not really sure at this point. Depends on how I feel if I get into my state school. The only thing that would keep me home is the price tag. Tulane is amazing!!!"
"It was hard to come away from these interviews knowing how I did. Apparently I did well because I now have an acceptance. That said, the interview day allowed me to see that Tulane has a very rounded and dynamic student body that didn't put on a show simply for the admissions office. People were very kind. I'm psyched about the possibilities of doing clinical work and volunteering from year one. There are also lots of volunteer opportunities in the city. "
"Don't stress. No, really. First interview was stressful because it was my first. I was much more relaxed with the second guy. Student interview went really well, too. I recommend the ramada, it's literally right behind the medical school (3 minute walk)."
"Very impressed with happiness and cohesiveness of students. They really enjoy being there and the facilities have a lot to offer. Also, be prepared to answer why you want to be there. They really want to know!"
"I was not impressed with the interpersonal skills of my non-student interviewers but the interviews were informal and they weren't any difficult questions asked. "
"This was a completely relaxing atmosphere. All of the staff and interviewers were so friendly and eager to give the applicants a good experience. The interviews themselves were less stressful than any interview I have ever had. In one I barely talked about academics at all. I did think that the student interview over lunch was a bit awkward. It was a weird hybrid of a social situation and a professional interaction. My student interviewer actually asked me more difficult questions than my other interviewers. Overall it seemed like everyone really wanted to get a feel for why you wanted to go to Tulane and if you would attend if accepted. Be honest when asked "Why Tulane?" but definitely don't be shy about stressing how strong your interest is if you really want to attend."
"Any hesitations I had about the school melted after talking to the students."
"the interviews are absolutely no stress. this was my first itnerview so i was pretty nervous but there was no reason to be. my first interviewer was the retired navy man that everyone talks about. he's great to interview with - he just basically talks the whole time and tells you a bunch of funny anecdotes. the next thing you know your interview is over. next i interviewed with dean pisano. his is open file but the others are closed file. i got the impression that he had already decided whether or not he liked me from my application because he didn't ask me too many questions. he's interesting to talk to - no grilling or tough questions even though he's the big man on campus. he'll just ask you questions directly from your application."
"It was amazing, everyone was so nice! The interviews were so laid back and so was the schedule of the day. We were able to just walk around on our own and talk to students. I didn't even feel like I was being interviewed most of the time, it was nice!"
"Surprisingly positive; my fellow interviewees were all a great group, too -- very supportive. "
"The best interview was with the medical student, which lasted for an hour. It was pretty much a discussion in which she talked a majority of the time, but it gave me a very great opportunity to learn a lot about the school and about the administrations' attitude towards its students. I got preparatory advise on everything from how to find support in the school to what to do if I get a rotation that I dont like, a prof I dont like, a grade on a CR that I dont like..."
"The day was very open-ended and lightly scheduled. There were much lag time between interviews and scheduled events. This allowed plenty of time to explore the school and talk to students."
"It was really wonderful. I can't explain how much I connected with everyone I met while I was there."
"It was actually a fun day. My first interview talked the entire time...said that he knew I would be a good candidate...so hey that was fine by me. My student interview was superb. We interviewed over lunch, and i felt as though i was having lunch with an old friend. My other faculty interviewer was very welcoming also. I absolutely loved it."
"Wonderful experience. Put Tulane on the top of my list, even above more "reputable" schools."
"A friendly, flexible school with a strong public health option."
"Great interview experience. I really liked my interviewers and all of the people were so friendly about everything. "
"Informal info session for 1 hour in the morning, then 2 interviews w/ faculty timed randomly before lunch, then lunch/interview w// student, then tour which was pretty lame--not of the hospital just of the med school buidling."
"Two interviews went really well, and the third spent the whole time telling me how great CA was and that I would be miserable there. I think that is why I got waitlisted"
"great. tulane is a great place with great people. one interviewer made me feel as if i were her grandson and so talking to her was really nice. the other interviewer talked the whole time and cursed a lot! but he was nice at the end and i think just wanted to see my reaction."
"all they discussed was that for one day among the 4 years you can do am ambulance ride-a-long. So what! I mean every one talked about it. It was said by at minimum 5 differnt people that day. Doeos Tulane have anything else to offer"
"1) in the morning, Dr. Pisano and some students were available to answer questions 2) 2 interviews scheduled for the remaining part of the morning, space in between to check out the school 3) during lunch, student interviews 4) another student gave tour of facility"
"School was okay, nothing spectacular. My student interviewer didn't seem all that excited to be there (although most of the other students did) and lamented the fact that he wasn't accepted at some of the schools higher on his list."
"One interview was open-file, the others were closed."
"f-----g bad!"
"It was OK. I actually expected to like it more than I did. Tulane seems to try hard to come off as laid back, into diversity (which I'm sure it is), but it rang a little false when the bulk of my interview was stat-based stuff (MCAT, GPA, etc.) I don't feel like they learned anything about me that wasn't already in my file."
"Tulane is a great school! Any negative that the old building creates, the people more than make up for in the long run. They encourage the interviewees to talk to the students because they are so sure they will "sell" the school and it is true, most students were very friendly and happy with Tulane. "
"Overall, everyone was really nice. My student interviewer was really cool and very laid back. "
"Given the opportunity, I WILL be attending Tulane. "
"Tulane is off the hook(for those of you not famililar with the lingo "off the hook" = Awesome). I had a wonderful experience conversing with the faculty interviewers, eating lunch with my student interviewer, staying at my host's home the evening before, and just soaking in the non-competitive and nurturing atmosphere at Tulane. I would definitely come here if given the bid. The interviews are closed file so all the interviewers may know are your name and where you attend school. "
"Overall, the interview was a good experience. I'm not sure if it is the place for me though. I got some mixed signals between the information the dean presented to us and one of my interviewers (see below). Just about everyone was very nice to me and the students seem very happy to be at Tulane."
"I was very impressed with Tulane "
"Tulane is a great school with a top notch hospital associated with it. The interviews were really chill and all about getting to know you. Dr. Pisano is awesome because he is realistic and laid back just like the school - hmm correlation..."
"Great, the student I stayed with showed me the town, the clinical experience is excellent here during the first years."
"Overall very laid back, one interview is with a student during lunch. I also had a researcher for an interviewer who started off with "so let's just keep this short" which I thought was rude but extremelly uncharacteristic of the school/people in general. Great place!"
"It was my first interview and a very relaxed experience. The head of admissions interviews everyone and told us that he chooses people based on whether he "clicks" with them. There's no way you can control that, so the only thing you can do is be yourself and hope for the best. Another faculty interview followed. Then, we had lunch with a student, which was technically the third interview. At the end, a first year gave us a tour of the campus. "
"Casual, actually quite a bit of fun. Nothing to worry about."
"Pretty much everything you read about Tulane on this website is true. The students are very nice and come up and talk to you, I was invited to come and sit in on several classes and I felt very comfortable while I was there. The interviews were conducted in a stress free way, they felt more like a conversation than an interview(or at least what i thought an interview should be, this was my first) The area around the school isn't the greatest and it was quite a shock at first but you have to realize there are certain areas you need to avoid and if you do there is no problem. This is definitely my first choice after the interview."
"Tulane would be a good school to go to. There are six people to a cadaver in gross anatomy which seems like too many"
"The interview was a casual conversation. Reasons for wanting to become a physician, MCAT, GPA, post-baccalaureate activites came up, but did not dominate any part of these very friendly and engaging exchanges. "
"i would recommend going, at least to check out what an awesome student body is like. they were all so enthusiatic and welcoming, seemed to enjoy themselves. come with lots of questions and prepared to explore the med school by yourself for awhile. the lunch was also an interview, but it was pretty low key"
"While I feel that I could get a pretty good education at Tulane and match well, I would definitely choose any California school over it."
"It was a very positive experience and I hope they accept me. You should definately stay with a host... It was a great expereince."
"great laid back experience, i with all interviews were like this, just make sure you are able to talk about yourself and your extracurriculars, they really just want to get to know you"
"It was relaxed and felt like a mini-vacation to New Orleans. I felt that they wanted me as much as I wanted to get into their school."
"Overall, very laidback. I interviewed with a faculty member and the chaplain, both closed file. It seemed like they were just trying to get a feel for my personality. My interviews lasted about 20 minutes each. The student interview was pretty low key. It was a good chance to get a feel for who my classmates might be."
"Interviews - one faculty, one with chaplain, one with second year student. The one with faculty went really well -ended up talking about the recall election in CA and where to work out in New Orleans. Very impressed with the diversity and caliber of the student body. The Reilly fitness center is amazing. There is plentiful inexpensive housing there. My interviewers were super nice - although I'm sure they are to everyone, so it's hard to read my chances. My student host was incredible - I highly recommend it. She gave me a tour of the city and showed me anything I was interested in. There just seems to be a camaraderie there and so many resources for students. Tulane is now in my top 3."
"Very informative, and very low stress. No pressure. Be sure to come up with some questions to ask at the one hour intro session in the morning. Also, I had a really bad experience with the Airport Shuttle, so if you are taking it be sure you have a back up plan. "
"I thought the interview went well. Everyone is really nice! Because I was interviewed by two of the deans, both of my interviews were open-file. It was more or less the same discussion in both of them. My student interview was with a 4th year who loved the school. Not a bad day at all. I would just relax and have fun while you're there. The school wait lists a MASSIVE number of people, so make sure to stand out somehow."
"My interview experience was very positive. Everyone was extremely kind and helpful; the day was low-key and informative. Everyone I met with was obviously trying to get to know me and assess my ability to fit into the class, not to grill me about some issue or make me squirm. In the end, I had a great day and would recommend Tulane to everyone."
"A long and hot but incredibly enjoyable experience. While I thought the city was sorta dirty the food was great and there’s no lack of interesting things to do. The facilities were similar to most places (except that their anatomy lab is several small rooms instead of one big one) and their students were significantly better than any other that I had met. Definitely propelled the school to the top of my list."
"Relax, the only way to not enjoy yourself is to be stressed for no reason. The day went as follows: two interviews with faculty and lunch with a student. During one of the interviews no questions were asked at all, it was simply a relaxing conversation about Peru (we had both spent time there recently). The other interview I think was supposed to be open-file but the interviewer wasn't prepared so it started off with the normal questions and ended up in a lecture on why Ronald Reagan was a great president (I think this one ruined my chances). The student lunch was somewhat short due to the fact that they had exams the next day, but all the students are extremely nice. Basically they spend the day selling Tulane to you and they do a great job. It is now my top choice."
"The interview was very laid back ,just be yourself. Also, come armed with a lot of questions and be prepared to look for room numbers. There appears to be no set room numbering paradigm at Tulane"
"It was very relaxed--the interviews were very conversational, the student interviewer was a good source of information, and you get tons of time to walk around and explore the school. Overall, a nice day."
"Tulane is awesome. I've been interviewed at a bunch of top-tier medical schools, and Tulane is certainly up there in terms of quality of education. The people were fantastic and New Orleans is so charming. Some people give Tulane SOM a bad rap, because New Orleans has some very poor areas, but that shouldn't deter you. For one, the medical center is NOT in a bad area, and the surrounding neighborhoods are actually beautiful. As in any city, though, the bad areas can be separated from the good ones by only a few blocks. Charity Medical Center has the busiest ER in the country, and the students love love love being there. Oh, and the MD/MPH program is top-notch."
"On the whole a relaxed experience. Questions were neither difficult nor interesting on the whole. It was really a get-to-know-you type interview. They really do NOT want to hear about your academics, which is difficult in a case like mine. (Especially when they ask "so, what's different about your application this time," as opposed to my application six years ago.) I was asked NO difficult, typical questions. The "why do you want to be a doctor" question came up, but that one's so easy that it doesn't count, especially with the kind of experience I have under my belt. There were no ethical questions, no "what would you do to change healthcare" questions, no confrontational questions (unless you count the one about my wife)."
"Very relaxed, interesting, pleasant. The problem is, they hanve to pick only 1 out of every three people who interview there, so it would be a bummer not to get accepted. An absolute dream school.And the students have so much free time its amazing."
"Tulane went from a distant second choice for me, to a place where I could definitely be happy and do well, which makes the tuition issue less relevant."
"Overall the interview was an enjoyable experience. "
"Great city, incredible students, pleasant faculty - is there something slipped in the water at Tulane? Everyone was so nice!"
"Wow...what a great school with a great student body and administration. Everyone is laid back here and the chaplian that interviewed me kicks a!#. If i get in there's a good chance I'll go here. One minor detail...they say the interviews are closed but nearly everyone started out by asking my MCAT and GPA...not too stressful though. "
"very positive experience...it moved tulane to the top of my list"
"yeesh. this was ridiculous. i guess it was just my experience, though. i think i may have done a whole 10 minutes of actually talking about my life in the two interviews combined. and one of the guys was a stand-in because they had screwed up our scheduling for that day, so they had to find me a different interviewer or something to that effect. the city/hospital there would be a great, diverse place to learn good clinical medicine, but the day just really rubbed me the wrong way and left me stressed out. "
"if i am accepted to tulane, i'll be going there. true the facilities are a shade old, but the positives of the student body and a diverse patient population outweigh that one small negative."
"Tulane's selling point is its people- they really were as friendly and outgoing as I expected, and they really do seem to love the school. This weighed heavily with me, and is probably one of the most important qualities I'm looking for. But, while my overall impression of the school was positive, I wasn't really taken with any of its other features."
"It was fantastic. It is totally true that Tulane students love being there and showing off their school. I was very, very impressed by how friendly and outgoing the faculty and students are."
"over all it was positive. The school is rather old, but they seem to make the most of what they have. They also have small group PBL sessions with a professor during their first year."
"very low stress interview. everyone was extremely friendly and relaxed."
"it was a fairly low stress day, although one of my interviewers asked me a few science questions i wasn't prepared for. they really just wanted to know who i was as a person, what i did outside of medicine, why medicine, and most importantly why tulane instead of somewhere else."
"It was a good trip, New Orleans is an awesome place and Tulane has a great reputation with residency programs. Definite work some/play hard attitude, but it seems to pay off. Moved Tulane to the top of my list."
"Very good interview. You'll have plenty of free time to roam around the medical school - in fact, they encourage it 1 open file interview, 1 closed file interview, interview with a student over lunch"
"Very positive. This is a great school."
"I had a great time at the interview. It was very low stress - after the tour, our guide took us to a bar for some beers. "
"Awsome atmosphere, everybody is friendly, interviews are conversational and are about YOU, not the US healthcare system or medical ethics etc. Most students stop to talk to you and tell you how great the school is and how you should go there as well. "
"Like the place alot, even thought the city was a little dirty, but that's what health care is about serving the needy."
"There is one closed file interview and one open file interview. The interview with a student is during lunch. If you interview with the dean, he's very nice, but definitely brings up flaws in your application. The interviews are very much normal discussions. Be prepared"
"A good place to interview and a great city. My tour ended typical New Orleans fashion with a visit and a beer at a favorite Tulane med bar."
"There were two faculty interviews and one lunch/interview with a student. All interviews were casual and conversational. It's hard not to love this place after a visit."
"great. i'd be totally happy if i ended up going there. students love it there and you can't fake that. "
"I had a good time at my interview. Dean Pisano was honest with us about the school, the process, etc. I really enjoyed hanging out with the 1st year students. they all seemed to genuinely enjoy being in New Orleans and at Tulane. "
"Interviews at Tulane are very laid back and low stress. Just go in very gung ho about Tulane and medicine. Know why you want to attend Tulane and know yourself. The interviews are closed file and they want to hear your life story from you personally. I heard the Days Inn was not good, and that the student host program was the way to go. The student interview counts too, so don't blow it off. They are very interested in what the students have to say as well, so be nice to your student :). Good luck!"
"a very comfortable experience that moved tulane up to one of my top choices."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 224 |
| Faculty member | 4 |
| Admissions staff | 3 |
| Other | 4 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 105 |
| Neutral | 14 |
| Discouraging | 3 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.98 | 131 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 17 |
| Out of state | 112 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 20 |
| 2-3 hours | 21 |
| 4-6 hours | 62 |
| 7+ hours | 26 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 102 |
| Automobile | 23 |
| Train or subway | 3 |
| Other | 5 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 13 |
| $101-$200 | 19 |
| $201-$300 | 23 |
| $301-$400 | 22 |
| $401-$500 | 22 |
| $501+ | 18 |
New Orleans International
MSA
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Louis Armstrong International Airport
JFK; New Orleans
new orleans internat'l
Armstrong International Airport
Louis Armstrong Airport
Newark
Louis Armstrong
NO airport
New Orleans
Armstrong Intl.
MYA
IAH
HOU
sly
MSY
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 10 |
| With students at the school | 33 |
| Friends or family | 14 |
| Hotel | 58 |
| Home | 4 |
| Other | 1 |
No
Yes
No
Yes
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.99 | 143 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.84 | 142 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.15 | 142 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.69 | 70 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.58 | 71 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.97 | 67 |
"Make the virtual tour a bit longer, it was only around 5-10 minutes."
"Drop the BS/MD program. I have met a few genuinely unpleasant participants as an undergrad. It just doesn't make sense how you can assess if they'd fit in well through an interview during high school."
"Tell your faculty interviewers to review the applicants file before asking questions that are all stated in the application"
"None. They go above and beyond for students"
"Give a little more info in the standardized patient scenario...have the actors give you more detail about the person's life so conversation comes a little easier."
"You guys are amazing, thank you for making this a truly special interview experience."
"None"
"No suggestions."
"Keep doing exactly what you're doing."
"Nothing - the admissions office was really great. They responded promptly, helped when I needed it, and were knowledgeable about any topic I had questions on."
"Give applicants more choices of dates to interview. I got called and asked if I could come in on one specific day."
"Admissions office could be a bit more bright and enthusiastic in their letters and communications. They were not mean, but compared to other programs I looked at, they came off as being a little bit too reserved."
"When you call, make sure to have your AMCAS number ready. If you're very interested, e-mail Dr. Beckman and express your interest. Also, on your secondary, don't be afraid to be yourself! Diversity of their student body is one of their main focuses, so really show them who you are!!"
"Post-acceptance information from the school could be more timely. I thought I would get more information after submitting my deposit, but I'm still waiting for more information."
"Don't have any..."
"Emailed Letters instead of snail mail, although there is something satisfying about getting an actua"
"Who cares how eco-friendly application materials are? "
"online status updates"
"They are not that responsive on the phone but when you are there everybody is really nice."
"I interviewed on the second day of interviews. It would have been nice to have a little better organ"
"It would have been nice to receive a complete email and to have access to a status page."
"Maybe allotting an extra 10 min between interviews. Mine were far apart and ran over = run! lol"
"Sometimes things are a little slow here, but I think that's to just be expected. They were more tha"
"The online secondary needs work. not user friendly"
"Don't send your interviewees to the wrong building for their interview!"
"Please make your online secondary application interface more user friendly."
"Revise the secondary-it's hard to use."
"The Secondary application is AWFUL in functionality. AWFUL."
"The secondary application is not user-friendly at all. It would be much better if this was redesigne"
"well, the woman in charge of admissions' computer crashed the friday before my interview, and she le"
"Directions to the Admissions office would have been nice. Even with the address my student host had"
"My interviewer was swamped with patients while I was there, so it might be a good idea to make sure"
"Oh, where do I begin?"
"Either decrease the length of the tour or do the tour first. 90 minutes seemed a little excessive fo"
"Always give a ''recruitment speech'' to the applicants."
"I don't see why we have to send in a paper copy of our AMCAS. 16 pages times 1000s of applicants ="
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?