Baltimore, MD
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 22% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.5
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 507 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (87%)
Negatively (5%)
No change (8%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (40%)
Good (46%)
Average (12%)
Poor (2%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally had positive experiences during their interviews at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, with many mentioning the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of the faculty, staff, and students. Some appreciated the conversational nature of the interviews and the opportunity to showcase their personalities, while others noted the school's impressive facilities and strong clinical training. Suggestions for improvement included clearer directions on interview day and potential changes to grading systems.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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The best institution that I have interviewed with thus far. Everyone is exceedingly polite, jovial, and genuinely passionate about the University of Maryland. With no holds barred, one of the best schools you can go to on the east coast.
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2 interviews, each an hour (1 student, 1 faculty)
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Everyone was super helpful. I received directions for the interview sites and was even walked to each location by the tour guide or secretary!
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One of my interviews (With a student) was easy and relaxed; the faculty interview was very difficult but i got in so it was okay
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Maryland is a great school, and I would love to go to school here.
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In general I had a very positive experience
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Overall, UMB is a great medical school obviously. I did not have the best interview day experience -- partly because it was my first and I wasn't prepared, but also because the organization of the interview day did not lend to a relaxing situation. The whole hassle of getting lost and being late and sweaty to my interviews really threw a wrench in my impression of the school. I also wish they would consider changing to true pass/fail instead of letter grading. However with all that aside, I still believe UMB is a great option for a medical school as an IS student, with strong clinical training and nice faculty/teachers overall.
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As an in-state applicant, I was obviously interested in Maryland before I stepped foot on campus, and the interview day reinforced my confidence that I would get a strong education and experience here. They gave us a match list (which was super impressive), the medical center is fabulous, and I felt welcomed by admissions. Also, Shock Trauma is f*cking awesome!
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Awesome school, amazing time interviewing here, I could picture myself going to school there the entire day.
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The interviews were not as difficult as I had anticipated, and the staff and med students were very friendly. Just really look over your applications carefully, because this school definitely asks questions based on your apps.
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I appreciated that the Admissions office called and told me I had afternoon interviews so I didn't need to come in early.
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Loved UMD. You would have thought that Hopkins and UMD were switched due to all of the new facilities and equipment at UMD (most buildings are only 3 yrs old). Foxwell is the man. They give you a computer (well actually you pay for it with your tuition) that you take all the tests on (simulate USMLE) and notes along with taped lectures are uploaded to it. GO TERPS!
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All in all, great place.
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Awesome school. Very impressed.
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My second interviewer barely asked me any questions but talked the entire time about the school, which is very informative but I was worried that he didn't really get to know me. and the first interviewer was very nice but kept on mentioning how i seem overqualified, so i was worried that i wouldn't get in. but 4 weeks later, i was accepted! so if you don't feel so hot after an interview, don't worry about it because it's not a very consistent indicator of whether you'll get in or not.
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Great school. If you are stressed about this interview don't be. It was very conversational and both of my interviewers were super nice. I never felt like they were trying to grill me, they were pretty much just trying to get to know me as a person.
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Two 50 minute interviews with two MDs. Pretty straightforward questions. Very laid-back interviewers and comfortable interviews. No need to be nervous at all! In these interviews, just try to be yourself and you'll have no problems.
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There were two 50 minute interviews, and the day is very low stress. They tried to impress us just as much as we were trying to impress them. Our tour guide was a resident, so he brought us into the shock trauma center and really knew the hospital well.
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Good School, Nice people!
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Two interviews, each just under one hour - both with faculty members (one a practicing clinician, one a researcher).
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A little disappointing, especially because I came in with a resounding desire to attend this school. Now, not so sure.
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It was pretty good. Dr. Foxwell, the dean, is great. He was friendly and went around talking to everyone, many of whom he seemed to know. The interviewers were friendly and welcoming, so no stress there. The financial aid guy was cool, pretty young and so he knows what we're going through in that department. Maryland has had a lot of renovation and building in the past few years, so things are really nice there.
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The interview experience was very positive. Everyone was really nice and informative.
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Overall, the interviews went pretty well. I was first interviewed by a doctor in Pathology. He and I had an interesting conversation about New Jersey, aircraft leasing, toll booths (linked w/ NJ), my law firm experiences, liver cancer, etc. My second interview was w/ a 2nd year student. He was very friendly and helpful and gave me some additional insights on medical school. He iterated several points on my application and asked me to ''explain this'', etc.
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The interview went really well. I had afternoon interviews so I didn't have to be there until 10:30. The lunch wasn't very good (box lunch) which is too bad. The tour was alright, but the doctor I interviewed with made up for it because after about a half hour, he took me on a more insider tour which was awesome!
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This was the "hardest" interview I had, in that my interviewers asked questions that really made me think (too bad I can't remember them now). That said, it was also my favorite interview because of that, because I felt like they got a much better sense of me than interviewers who just talk about superficial things and don't ask any hard questions, and could present me in a more thorough way to the committee.
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I had a great time because the people were so friendly, not to mention the inteviewers. You can tell that they want to really get to know you, so they adopt a conversational tone. I know I said it was 50 min each, but with how they ask questions, it seemed more like five.
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If you have morning interviews (which you won't know until you get there), you won't be able to sit in on a lecture. I managed to because I got there at 8:15 and convinced them to let me stick my head in for 5 minutes before my first interview. Both my interviews were with faculty; both were incredibly easy-going and friendly and warm and I felt very comfortable; very conversational. Lunch was the usual box-o-stuff. Financial aid presentation was particularly good, the presenter seemed very good at what she does. Asst dean likes to talk but is amusing and fun with his stories about history of the school. Then lunch with students -- eight students showed up! a record for an interview luncheon. and the tour guides were all 4th years, which is really unique as far as I can tell for interviews; it was great to get a sense of the differences between the classes, too. If your interviews are in the morning, for the tour they might group you with other people who are also done for the day so you can get the special extended tour (we also saw the fitness center, which is usually not on the tour. it's big; it's about to be replaced by the new student center). BRING WALKING SHOES -- you will be expected to find your way to your interviews through a very complicated campus with only a map and some somewhat vague directions. some interviewers take pity and walk you to your next destination. that, plus the lengthy tour, and I'm glad I didn't wear my heels for the whole thing!
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Was not required to come until 10 or so...went to a new and impressive conference room for a financial aid presentation, then lunch with first and second year students in the same room..went on a tour of the facilities with m3 students...then interviews
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Luckily, I had interviews at 9 and 10 AM, which meant I was done after the tour (by 2 PM). Once I found them, the interviews went quickly--plus my first interviewer walked me to my second. Back at the admissions office, we had a financial aid mini-presentation, followed by a talk by Dr. Foxwell--incredibly chill and funny! Lunch with students and a tour to finish up the day. All in all, pretty painless.
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The first interview was good. Professional. She asked me some standard questions; I answered, which sometimes led to more questions/discussion; then I asked her some questions. The second interview wasn't even an interview. The students were nice and answered whatever questions you had. They seemed happy.
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I liked that I was sent all over the campus to find my interviewers; it gave me a feel for the layout of the buildings that I wouldn't have found through a tour guide. Both of my interviewers were physicians, and they were both very charming. It was a real pleasure speaking with them. They had a genuine interest in my personality, and were both patient and engaging. Dr. Foxwell's talk with us afterward was the best meeting I've had so far with any assistant deans of admissions. My only complaint was food; the sammich's vegetables were looking a little nasty. And yeah, everyone was friendly and showed a strong appreciation for the School.
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Wow - what a great school. I was def impressed once I got there. They have a ton of research going on and the students are really happy. Faculty and staff are really nice and helpful. The neighborhood is kind of shady, but its not too bad. All in all, I was very impressed by the school.
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It was a nice experience except for the cold weather.
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It was an overall great day. the students were fantastic, friendly, enthusiastic, and basically loving life. my interviews were insanely relaxed, and both my interviewers made sure to let me know that they wanted me to be comfortable.
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It was a great experience. My 2 interviews lasted an hour each, and both interviewers were extremely nice. The first interviewer spent 1/2 the time basically selling the school to me, and my second interviewer seemed like he genuinely wanted to get to know me. He also had my application practically memorized before I came in, which was impressive. They each walked me to my next destination, which again was extremely nice.
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This was a two day experience of 4 interviews total: 2 medical school interviews and 2 MD/PhD interviews, split up into two separate days. each interview was one hour (which i thought was a bit long). also included in the days were lab visits and lunch with MD and MD/PhD students. at night we went out to dinner with some MD/PhD students, which provided a laid-back atmosphere in which we could ask questions and get honest answers.
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Interview begins early, around 8:30. You sign in, and they orient you as to where you interview is. They can be kind of a walk, so you may need to make time to get where you need to go. Student schedules vary. The lunch with students is very informal and a good opportunitiy to pick their brains about housing, cars, etc. They all defend the traditional grading system, at least in the interview day. I had one interview with a faculty member, and one with a fourth year medical student, and they asked me very different questions.
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Great. Everyone was really friendly and enthusiastic. The two interviews were very relaxed. I could definitely see myself at this school.
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I had a great time at the interview. I didn't know that I would like the school so much. The students were friendly and seemed to give very honest answers about what they liked and didn't like about the school. The interviewers were really nice. Facilites were great and they seem to have a lot of money for more construction and renovations.
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Like I say below, the absolute best interview experience I've had so far. Everything was informative. I liked that they brought out a bunch of students to talk to you at lunch time instead of at other places where 15 applicants gathered around two people. It's just little things like that show how a school thinks and how much it cares. Overall a very .. cordial experience.
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Overall the day went well. i was glad that i knew the area because i had to find the office's of the two people i interviewed with.
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My interviews were in the afternoon, and I was kind of feeling tired after eating lunch, listening to a fin aid presentation, listening to Dean Foxwell's pitch, and touring the campus. In addition, I felt a little nervous during my interviews for some reason. In short, I felt like my two interviews went completely different. The first interview was with a PhD and he had probably skimmed my file to latch onto one thing that were of interest to him. The interview was very informal and off-the-bat; we ended up doing the interview in an empty classroom since all the conference rooms in his research bldg were occupied. We discussed one thing in my file kind of in length. This one activity elicited research-specific questions, travel questions, cultural questions, political questions, etc b/c of the nature of my activity. The interview seemed almost like a conversation. Near the end, the interviewer commented upon the high caliber of the other schools I applied to and gave me reasons why I should attend UMD. He then gave me a quick tour of UMD shock trauma (he showed me some of the old trauma facilities and talked about his graduate experience at UMD while walking me to my next interview.) The second interviewer was an M.D. and had quite obviously read my file *very* thoroughly. I could even see some highlights and circles on my AMCAS application in his folder! This interview was definately the more traditional type -- he asked the questions and I basically answered them. By this time, I was really quite tired and more nervous. I've been through quite a few interviews, and this interview was definately my worst. I, at times, rambled, was a little too blunt, and paused too long. Basically, I knew I was tired and constantly kept thinking in my head of alternative answers I should have been giving (or of more eloquent ways of putting things.) A few times (maybe twice), I think I saw some ill-hidden looks of mild surprise on my interviewer's face, which made me feel even more nervous! Basically, the entire interview seemed a little akward and forced. Afterwards, I felt like I had done reasonably well during my interview with the PhD, but done poorly with my MD interview. However, I remembered a story Dean Foxwell had told us about a girl who thought she had done extremely poorly on one of her interviews but who, in fact, received the only top score that that interviewer ever gave! So I decided to just wait things out and hear back from UMD... ...four weeks later I got an acceptance letter in the mail!
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My interviews were very pleasant. I arrived at 8:30, spoke with the admissions office and had my first interview at 10:00. My first interviewer was very nice. She bought me a drink and we went to her office to chat. We spent a lot of time talking about my family and my work. She asked a few tough questions about issues in health care, but the interview was mostly laid back. Later we all met with Dr. Foxwell who was very cool. He shared some stories, discussed the Maryland ciriculum, and talked with each student briefly about where they were from. Dr. Foxwell then leaves and we ate lunch with med students who were very nice. After talking with med students, the group split up and went on separate tours. We walked all around each building, seeing the classrooms, anatomy labs, shock trauma, etc. After this I had my next interview. My person was obviously having a busy day since he arrived 20 minutes late and clearly had not looked over my records. Even still, we had a good talk and he seemed very enthusiastic about my chances as I left. At this point I went home and sent thank you cards a few days later.
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The interview exprience was amazing. The first was pretty cut and dry, the second lasted 1.5 hours and was extremely conversational. Although it was open file they didnt waste time asking about scores. They really wanted to know your interests.
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Arrived at the admin office @ 830 but my first interview was not until 10. My first interviewer was nice but not easily impressed. This was followed by a talk from the finanical aid rep.Which was followed by a short meeting with the Dean of Admissions and luch with a bunch of students. Followed by a tour and my second interview. Overall it was a great day. The facilities are amazing and from what I could tell an education here would not be lacking much if anything. The interviews were conversational and the questions were not high stress/
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My interviews were interesting. One was with a PhD who didn't really know the school all that well and was very research-focused, and some of the questions threw me off a little (i think of maryland as a school that is non-tradional-applicant friendly, that values patient care experience, and that is less concerned about what grades you got, and my interviewer seemed to contradict this impression). After reading the previous comments about waiting around for hours in the morning, i called beforehand and was chastized by the person that answered the phone and told to 'come at the time the email told me' - and i still waited around for an hour and a half for the first interview to start. My other interviewer clearly had not read my file ahead of time and spent the first 10 minutes of the interview facing away from me, asking me questions, and cutting off my answers with new questions. The second half of the interview was much better. In the middle of the day, there was a tour, lunch with students, talk with the dean, and a financial aid presentation.
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The interviews were pretty laid back and mostly asked questions about my application as well as the reasons that I want to study medicine. I thought that the interview with the med student went really well, but the interview with the faculty member was much shorter and much less directed towards my application and more abstract (random).
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The whole day was really laid back, I had afternoon interviews so I showed up around 10:30. The admissions people are really friendly and the presentations were grouped together in the same room as the lunch with med students so it went pretty smoothly. The tour was cool and we got to go inside the famous shock/trauma unit. My first interview was with a doctor in his office and the second was with a second year student.
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I had a wonderful expereince. One interview was conversational, while the other was structured more as a Q and A type interview.
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The first one was really short (15 min) and we just talked about my life, what I like to do and what kind of doctor I want to be. The second one was much longer (45-50 min). She seemed to be really busy, but overall it went well. The interviewer for the 2nd one asked me more theoretical questions, like, how would you handle _____?
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I think my interests were matched, because both of my interviewers were female cancer researchers. My first interviewer asked very detailed questions about the research I assist in, i.e. how do specific assays work, how do the drugs work mechanistically. It felt like the Spanish Inquisition. But, in fairness, this was my first interview, extremely nervous, and obviously underprepared to answer pretty straighforward questions. The second interviewer was much warmer and more encouraging of my interests, so a negative impression of MD balanced out to neutral.
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Very positive...If I was in-state, this would definitely be a top choice!
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Like others have said, these interviews are more like conversations. I wasn't asked any difficult questions, not even the typical "why do you want to be a doctor?" or the "biggest problem in health care." However, I interviewed in early November so they may become tougher later on.
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Extremely positive. One of my top choices, even as an out-of-stater. This school has many great aspects, and the students were great. I even sat in on two classes which helped me to appreciate the school's emphasis on using computers in the classroom/lab.
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It was a very low pressure interview. The questions were what I expected (with the exception of the God question....but it was asked more because of my background). The tour has you walking a lot, so definitely comfortable shoes. They feed you lunch, but not breakfast, so eat beforehand.
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Everyone reports to the admissions office at 8:30 am. The building is new and extremely nice. UMB has had lots of expansion lately and the facilities are really state-of-the-art. After arriving, you get your schedule. You are randomly given two interview slots, chosen from time slots at 9am, 10am, 2pm, and 3pm. Interviews are designed to go for up to an hour. From 11 to 2, you have: a financial aid presentation, a talk with the dean of admissions, lunch with current students, and a tour of the school. Overall, it was a great day and I left with a very good impression!
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I dont know, the place just didnt rub me the right way. the students i talked to said they liked it there, but i don't think i would. apparently students don't really live in the area and everyone commutes in and pays outrageous parking fees. it seems like a pretty good school though, maybe if it was translplanted somewhere else i would have liked it more.
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It overall went very well. It was a well-organized day and it had a very relaxed feel to it.
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Both of my interviews were in the morning, so I didn't get a chance to see a lecture. My first interviewer hadn't read my file before talking to me, and the second had. Both were very kind and the interviews seemed more like conversations.
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Good school and program, good location compared to hospital, but i just don't think baltimore is right for me.
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I had two interviews, one went horribly and one went well. The first interviewer was having a bad day, and just seemed upset and disinterested. The interview was over in ten minutes. The second interview was great. The interviewer was genuinely interested, and had read my application thouroughly. He was very nice and the interview was relaxed, and overall a positive experience. NOTE: The school is very into 'professionalism' (see secondary) so have something to say on that.
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It was snowing so the day got rearranged a bit, but everyone was very nice about it. I missed the longer tour because of a rescheduled interview but then was able to take a short tour after the interviews were over.
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Overall it was a great experience. friendly people, incredible facilities, good food (i got a whole sandwich, not a half), and really informational.
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I thought that the school was wonderful. The only drawback is the expense for out-of-staters.
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Not a bad school, by any means. Very geared toward state students (which perhaps should be the way it is.)
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Good experience, good school.
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You arrive at your assigned time, and you may either have interviews in the morning or afternoon. you have a financial aid session (which was really well done) and an introduction with dr. foxwell (the assoc. dean of admission- really nice, too). after that is lunch with the students (i don't know what happened to the other posters on here, but we got both halves of the sandwich) and then a tour with a fourth year. the interviewers were very laid back and even though my first interviewer made me late for my second interview, he called ahead to say that i was on my way and that it was his fault. my second interview was really conversational and seemed more like recruitment more than anything else. once you have finished your interviews, you are free to go.
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You get there around 8:30 a.m. and wait around until your first interview. Mine was at 10 a.m. so I sat in on a first year Biochem class. I suggest that you call the day before your interview to find out what time you are scheduled because some people don't interview until the afternoon and wait around until 11 am for the Financial Aid seminar. The schedule they give you tells of your day. Dr. Foxwell is very cool and down to earth. MD is really big on professionalism, so make sure you read about it on their web site to know what it means to them and what exactly they are looking for. Most importantly carry yourself in a professional manner (I think that's a given). The interviews are really conversational so just relax and be yourself. My interviewers were really relaxed and we just talked about me and school, not too much to do with medicine. It was weird. During my second interview, there was a lot of akward silence, don't really know what that means. But anyway I would say it was a really good experience and would love to go to MD.
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I arrived at 10:30am. Make sure that you inquire about when your interviews are scheduled. They may alleviate the problem of having to wait until the orientation at 11am. After the orientation where we were introduced to an affable member of the admissions committee, Dr. Foxwell. We had lunch with myriad of students from the first to fourth years. They gravitated to specific spots in the room to sit and chat. Very informal. The M4s took us on the tour of the facilities. My interviews were scheduled in the afternoon, so I proceeded to them afterwards. If you've already had your interview, you are free to leave or mingle.
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I had two one hour interviews, both faculty, in the morning. There aren't any meetings scheduled prior to the 9 am interview. After secidb interview, we met for the financial aid session and Q&A with Dean Foxwell. Fantastic tour given by a fourth year student. Ended at 2 pm.
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Showed up at admissions office and found out interview schedule. Attended part of a 1st year class while waiting for interview time. First interview (with faculty member). Attended financial aid presentation and Dean Foxwell's presentation. Lunch. Tour by students (well-done and only 4 interviewees per tour group). Second interview (with student).
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Relaxed, conversational interview. Seemed very chill.
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Both my interviews were fabulous. They spent a great deal of time and energy into getting to know me and understanding my desire to enter the medical profession.
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The interviewers were both very nice. They wanted to make sure you had all of your questions about the school answered.
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Got to the office of admissions at 8:30 a.m. Found out I didn't have both of my interviews until 2 and 3 p.m. So I waited around in the conference room til 11, talking to the other candidates. then financial aid, talk from the director of admissions, lunch with students was cool; tour; then interviews
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The staff is not that enthusiastic. The admissions lady told us that not many people apply and some of the people that apply have really bad mcat scores and some did not even take it yet. Also when I finally found my first interview I had to wait in the psychiatric ward. That was an experience. The patients took an interest in me and talked to me, when we started a sing a long- the receptionist called me to the back, and told me to that I may feel more comfortable sitting with them. I told her that I didn't mind, but she instructed me to sit with them. (I didn't mean to make them rowdy- I'll talk to anyone) But if you are more timid it might be hard to sit in the psychiatric ward.
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The school is great however living in Baltimore is a definite deturant for any applicant. I didn't feel comfortable in Baltimore and the students really didn't have anything good to say about the neighborhood. They pretty much go there for the name and nothing else.
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It was a great day, the staff and faculty were very friendly, my interviewers did a great job of knowing my application and keeping the interview conversational and humorous. Interviews can be a number of different places on the campus so be prepared to walk, and parking is a lil ways from where you have to arrive at and you don't get reimbursed (cheapskates).
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There was a presentation by the financial aid office on the morning, and then the associate dean for admissions talked to us for a while (he was very encouraging). After the presentations, we had lunch with the medical students and then a medical student gave us a tour of the university. Great tour; got a feel of the university and what it would be like to study there. After the tour I had my first interview for 30 min and my second interview for another 30min and that's it.
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2 interviews one in AM one in PM, info session, then lunch w/ 1st+2nd years, then tour from 4th year
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Pretty good, except my second interviewer didn't give a crap about me. He seemed like he was just getting me out of the way so he could go operate. But I got in, so I guess he liked me.
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This was my first interview, which I'm thankful for because it was so laid back. I was impressed by the recent renovations on basically the entire campus except for the building where lectures are held. The students seemed very happy, and were very honest about their feelings about the school. The interviewers were enthusiastic, well-prepared, and genuinely interested in getting to know me. They made me feel at ease. It was a great place to have my first interview in terms of boosting my confidence.
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I really liked the school! Overall it was a great experience!
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Besides the interviews, the rest of the day was great!
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I arrived at 8:45 and was called into my first interview at 9:00 am. My second interview was at 10:00 am at another part of the campus. Both of my interviewers were incredibly cool and easy to talk to. So easy in fact, that I used up the whole hour in both interviews. The second interviewer was a little more adamantabout sticking to her list of basic questions, but after awhile she softened up and we began talking about her department. At 11:00 am we had the financial aid presentation. At 11:45 the dean of admissions sat and chatted with the group (9 total) for about 15 minutes. We ate lunch and talked to about 8 or 9 students and then there was a tour. Some of the group had afternoon interviews, but my day was done after that. I really enjoyed coming back to my home town for this interview. I hope they decide to accept me!!
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Had 2 interviews - one with a physican and the other with an admissions staff rep. The first one was short, about 25 minutes, to the point, all questions from my application. The 2nd one was longer, about an hour, again a lot about me and my application, what i put on there. Both were conversational, they try to make your interview experience as stress-fress as possible. Know your AMCAS and secondary application inside out.
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Standard questions about my application and why medicine.
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Overall, I liked my interviewers, because they were pretty laid back and genuinely interested in finding out more about me, rather than simply bent on grilling me. however, the second interviewer was 45 minutes late because he was in surgery, and then he rushed through my interview in about 10 minutes, so I felt flustered.
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Highly positive experience. The first hour is spent with the program director and his power point presentation. There is an MD only interview after this, but it's only important if you are not given a position in the MD/PhD program. There are three to five informal meetings with faculty in your areas of interest and the day ends with a half-hour panel interview.
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The second interview, with a second year student, went very well. Overall the experience was a nervous first for me. Very impressed with the cirriculum-- this is my top choice school.
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It was great. I cannot say enough. Everyone in admissions is fantastic!!! 10/10 in my book.
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It was stressful since it was my first interview, but in hindsight it was a pretty easy-going day. One suggestion, if you've never been in a suit all day, be prepared to get a little run down after the first hour.
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That was great experience. The interview went really well. Students, faculty members, and staff were all very nice!! The interviewers were super nice...I talked to each of them for about an hour and I wish I could have had more time talking to them. I was almost late for my second interview. The facilities are great, especially the shock trauma center!
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The first interview was directly from my file - not stressful at all. The second one wasn't stressful either. The interviewer sympathized that I was the first in my family to consider this career path and really offered some great insight into the field. I was intimidated at first because I could tell she was driving at whether or not i wanted a family, but was glad when I finally answered because she gave me some really useful information.
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The MD/PhD interview is in a group. The MD interview is one-on-one. The group interview was not nearly as stressful as i thought it was going to be. Relax. Terry Rogers is cool if you go for UM for MD/PhD. Very small MD/PhD program (~35) Students were nice. The campus is fairly close to the nicer parts of Baltimore. They also invite you to talk with faculty members informally about their research projects. Very cool experience.
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One MD interview, 1 hour, totally laid back conversation. One MD/PhD interview, 1/2 hour. The MD/PhD interview was me sitting in the middle of a table with five big shots sitting around me firing questions at me for about a half hour and trying not to give any reactions to them (I warmed them up eventually). That was a bit stressful, but none of the questions were out of left field. Just know your personal statement, ECs, and research and you'll be fine. If you are an MD only candidate or if you don't have a personal statement you can talk about for an hour you might wanna check out the MD only reviews since I'm sure they could pull stuff out of left field for you :)
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Shucks man. it went well
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It was awesome! The more I saw of the school and city, the more I liked. The location is great, the atmosphere is very friendly, and everyone loved the school. The only problem--one of my interviewers talked nonstop!
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
🕐
Length:
47 Minutes Average
🔄
Number:
2 Interviews Average
👥
Interview Type (Interaction):
98% One-on-One
2% Group Interview
📁
File Type:
98% Open-File
2% Closed-File
💻
Interview Modality:
100% Virtual
0% In-Person
UM-SOM-COMP interviews are an average of 47 minutes, with an average of 2 interviews. 98% of interviews are one-on-one, 0% are in-person, and 2% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools encompassed topics like handling workload, challenges in medical school, reasons for pursuing medicine, ethical scenarios in healthcare, mentorship, and plans for the future. While some respondents noted specific questions about their application details and experiences, the diverse range of questions indicates a comprehensive evaluation process that delves into personal motivations, values, and preparedness for a medical career.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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How will you handle the workload of medical school?
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Asked about my file
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Tell me about what you are doing on your gap year (going into detail about what I said on my app)
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Why our school?
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"Tell me about _____ thing in your application"
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Why Maryland?
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Why medicine
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Tell me about yourself?
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What struggles do you anticipate as a medical student? How will you deal with these struggles?
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What struggles do you anticipate in medical school?
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Tell me about yourself. What do you think will be the biggest challenge you will face as a medical student? Tell me about your study abroad and travels. Why medicine?
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Question about teamwork.
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Do you want to move back to baltimore?
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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What is the biggest problem facing healthcare in the US today?
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If you're in private practice and someone does not have insurance what are you going to do?
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Tell me about your experiences with clinical medicine
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Should people who aren't paying have access to all the same health benefits as those who are paying?
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What are your weaknesses?
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Why medicine?
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Mostly just to expand upon things I had written in my application
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Who has been your greatest mentor in medicine?
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You have an impressive file, what can we offer you?
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Why University of Maryland?
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What do you think distinguishes a good physician from a great physician?
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Why MD?
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Tell me about yourself.
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Describe your parents involvement in Baltimore.
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How did you like England?
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What criteria did you use when deciding what medical schools to apply to?
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What part of New Jersey are you from; where did you attend high school?
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Why medicine?
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[something to the effect of: you are aware of medicine's dark side, yes?]
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How do you feel your major sets you apart from your fellow applicants?
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If you could have lunch with anyone, dead or living, who would it be?
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Do you find pre-med students at your school to be die hard competitive?
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Tell me about this class (from transcript)
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The basics - why UMD, why medicine, tell me about your extracurricular activities and research, etc.
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Why MD/PhD?
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Why medicine and why U.Maryland?
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What didn't you like about your undergrad?
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Name some ethical situations that come up in medicine.
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What area or field of medicine interests you? (asked by MD)
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What sports did you play in high school?
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What field are you interested in?
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Tell me about a leadership exp. you have had.
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What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
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Have you had the chance to read any French literary works?
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Standard tell me about yourself/family/how you got here questions.
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What is an important characteristic to have when dealing with people?
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What can you contribute to this school?
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What was the last book you read?
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Tell me about your last 4 years
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Why not MD PhD?
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How did you arrive at your undergraduate major?
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So, you go to school in dc, have you had any government internships?
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Tell me about your research experiences.
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You played lacrosse in college?
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If you were health care czar how would you fix problems
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What is the main role of a physician?
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What made you decide to do medicine instead of pharmacy?
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What will be the most difficult part of medical school/being a doctor?
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What were you involved in during your early years of college?
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Why I wanted to go to medical school?
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What is the ONE quality that a physician should have?
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Explain low grades.
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What did you take xxx class?
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Why do you want to be a doctor and why do you want to go to U of Maryland?
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Do you know what field of medicine you want to go in?
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All the questions asked were pretty basic. I had some awesome interwiers. Really laid back. Lots of laughing.
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Describe your researches (I have done two research projects)
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What do your parents do?
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What do you do to coupe with stress? What do you like to do for fun?
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How do you take critizism?
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What is plan B (if you don't get into school this year)?
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You went to [out-of-state school]. Why U-Md? (I am a state resident)
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So you are what we call a non-traditional student. Tell me about your path starting from high school graduation?
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Where do u see yourself in 10 years?
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What are some qualities that make a good doctor?
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MD interview: tell me about yourself.
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Why medicine vs. clinical research? (I have a strong research background)
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TEll me about your study abroad?
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Tell me about yourself- open file but interviewer did not look at it until after the interview.
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What was the most difficult time in your life? How you dealt with it?
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Why MD/PhD
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Proteins denature. enzymes, do what? just kidding.
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Maryland School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including climate change's medical implications, desired changes in healthcare, challenges in medicine, and personal values. While some respondents mentioned the MMI format and nondisclosure agreements, the questions primarily focused on qualities of a physician, healthcare issues, personal experiences, and future goals, with a mix of thought-provoking and conversational inquiries.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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N/A
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What will you need for a fulfilling career?
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"How is climate change a medical issue?"
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If you could change one thing about healthcare what would you change?
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What 3 qualities do physicians need and how do you exemplify them
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If you were given one million dollars to use for a health issue in Baltimore, what issue would it be for an why?
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What do you think will be the biggest challenge you will face as a medical student? (not even very interesting; pretty normal interview).
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What is a trend in medicine that you think will backfire? <-- I forget exactly how it was worded but it was something like this. I personally said the focus on improving the speed of healthcare delivery, particularly in an acute setting, can lead to worse outcomes. This led to an amazing discussion!
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What memory from shadowing physicians stuck out most to you?
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How do you feel about abortion; follow-up: how do you feel about contraceptives? (It is a controversial topic but led to some good discussion)
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I'm a father of 4 and you found out I have stage IV cancer how are you going to tell me?
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What do you think of Baltimore?
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What was the hardest thing you have gone through?
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What is the hardest thing you have ever done?
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Where is Binghamton?
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I know its early but have you given any thought to what kind of medicine you might want to go into?
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What kind of qualities do your friends have that you don't have and that you admire?
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Would you rather have a traditional interview or just a conversation?
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Why you and your brother both have decided to study medicine (My brother is already in med schl)
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What are some of the challenges that you think you will face as a physician?
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How will you manage future decisions about family and career? (I didn't feel uncomfortable having this question asked b/c it was from female doctor)
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If/when you become a doctor, what are the types of things that will give you gray hairs? Basically what potential stressors/challenges do you foresee but he had a little trouble wording it and that's what came out. It was obvious that he was under a lot of stress.
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You are asian, how do you see yourself standing out in white america and breaking the glass ceiling? (i'm not joking.)
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None
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How do yo handle disagreements?
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So you worked at a law firm, huh; describe how that was like...
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Nothing out of the ordinary
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What do you like to do?
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I wanted to ask you about your work in [x]. (it was something I really wanted to talk about that no one had asked me before)
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What do you do in your spare time?
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Nothing really--the interviews were very conversational
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Do you have muskrats down there? (see negative impressions)
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What does ''clinical experience'' mean to you?
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Tell me about this class you took.
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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If you couldn't be a doctor, what would you be?
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What are your thoughts about when you would start a family?
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How did you decide medicine? At what point did you know it was for you?
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Do you think that medicine is community service?
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Who influenced your decision to be a doctor more, your mother or father?
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Why an MD and not an MD/PhD?
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What were your most favorite and least favorite classes as an undergrad?
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At the end of the interview: What would you like to tell me about you that I have't hit on and you think is important for me to know? (asked by the MD)
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What activities did you do in high school?
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What charcteristics have you had the chance to devlop inyour life and how will they aid you in becoming a physician?
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Whether i had experience working with minorities - both interviewers asked this.
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What would you change about your college?
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Tell me about your best friend.
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What was the happiest and saddest moments of your life?
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Can you expand on youe explanation of the difference between a "profession" and a career?" You gave a unique answer that we hadn't heard yet.
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None.
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What is your school doing currently about the Hurrican Katrina situation?
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Do you think that as we learn more about science and the laws of this world, that the need for believing in God will disappear?
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What was your favorite (college) class and why?
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Do you think underaged drinking is a problem in the US and why?
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What would you as an individual physician do to remedy the malpractice problem in the United States?
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Have you ever encountered unprofessional behavior where you work?
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If you were health czar how would you fix health care, or a health problem
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None really, just straightforward questions about myself
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Do you think your brother would change his mind from doing pharmacy to wanting to become a doctor like you did?
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What was the most significant experience you've had concerning medicine?
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What do you think will be the most challenging part of medical school for you?
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If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and why?........now what would you have for dinner? i gave him originality points with the follow-up question.
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What do you think you will do to treat a patient who is clearly not telling the truth and trying to pull the wool over your eyes?
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What are the drawbacks of medicine or what do you think are the negative aspects of medicine?
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There were no questions that I did not expect. The interviewers asked some probing questions in my file as a non-traditional student.
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All questions pertained mainly to my personal file- research, experience, etc.
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What is the biggest problem in healthcare today?
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Not really a question, but my second interviewer started off by saying "it appears you get around." He meant study abroad experiences of course.
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No interesting questions.
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How woudl you treat someone who wanted something that went against your moral beliefs?
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Why aren't you applying for md/phd?
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How do you feel it was like for your grandmother to be a doctor considering she is a minority?
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So what do you think is going to be the hardest thing about medical school?
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So, what do you think of Baltimore?
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Who is your role model and why?
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How can a school work to change the public's negative image of doctors?
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Are you going to continue your community service or did you just do it to get into medical school?
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Would you consider entering politics to advocate for change in our health care system (as a follow-up to my comments about problems of our system)?
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Why not become a dentist? (my father is a dentist)
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About my family, tell me about yourself.
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What do you do to cope with stress?
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Tell me about your experience as a shoes salesman? (I had mentioned in my secondary that I had worked at JCPenney while I was an undergrad)
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How would your friends describe you?
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So you canoe?
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In the MD/PhD interview, the panel seemed very interested in my past. For example, they asked me what I learned from my experience of living in a car during high school.
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What kind of first impression do you think you make?
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BY reading your application it seems do not feel proud /confident about your grades? Why is that?
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What kind of social support will you have?
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The interviewers and I were engaged in layback conversations. A lot of questions were straight from my applications. They just wanted to know more about me.
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There weren't any questions that weren't from my file. one of my interviewers offered new insight into the different opportunities available to women concerned with balancing a career and a family. It gave me a bit to think about.
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How's your relationship with your grandmother?
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Can't remember anything interesting. Opened with "why md/phd"
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How could I make an impact on other kids from the inner-city who see no future outside of dealing?
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What was the happiest moment in your life
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Are you thinking about working while attending medical school?
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by reviewing their applications, researching the school and its programs, reading interview feedback on SDN, conducting mock interviews, and staying up-to-date on current healthcare topics. Many applicants found it helpful to talk to current students, review their primary and secondary applications, read the school's website, and practice answering common interview questions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Spoke with students from the school, researched heavily into its programs
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2 mock interviews
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1 mock interview
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SDN, mock interviews with friends and college career center.
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Reviewed the SDN interview feedback page, read about the school.
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SDN, re-read app, read about school
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Reviewed my application and did some research on the school.
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Reviewed application
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SDN interview feedback, researching UMB, and running through a bunch of interview questions aloud.
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Primary, secondary, school info
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Read about the school, read about healthcare reform, practiced some answers out loud
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SDN, reviewed the websites for the school and hospital, and reviewed my primary and secondary applications
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Read through all the SDN interview questions. Researched UMD's website and articles. Looked up Health Care info. Talked with current students. Relaxed.
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Read my secondary and AMCAS, researched the school, studentdoctor
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Read up on the school
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SDN, interview feedback, mock interview, The Medical School Interview by Jeremiah Fleenor helped me a bit too.
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I researched the school.
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Read SDN, school's website, looked over my application.
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Talked to friends of mine at University of Maryland and asked what kinds of questions they had at their interviews. Read SDN forums and internet feedback. I practiced a few questions and had a few friends question me but I really didn't want to spend too much time rehearsing. I felt my answers would be more genuine and authentic if I did not rehears them beforehand.
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Looked over my research and read over my amcas application
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SDN, the school website, googling
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SDN, introspection using my file, lots of reading.
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SDN, read over my AMCAS and essays, slept
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Mock interviews, researched about maryland, researched a little about the second interviewer on itouch (thank you free wifi) during waiting period
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Talked with students, SDN, read website, reread application materials
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School website, this website
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Read website, SDN, practice questions
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SDN, mock interview, looked at AMCAS
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I have a friend who is a second-year at UMaryland, so he gave me some important interview tips. The interview, as I was told prior, was low-stress, so all I did was collect my thoughts into a cohesive picture.
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SDN, applications, their website
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Reviewed my app, looked at the website, talked to someone I knew who went there
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Reading up on current events, looking over school's website, practice interview ?s
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SDN, AMCAS/2ndary, AMSAR, mock interview, school website.
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SDN, website, primary and secondary apps
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Read interview feedback, reread AMCAS and secondary essays, talked to medical students
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This site, primary, secondary, standard questions
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SDN, my personal statement and related paperwork
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Read over SDN interview feedback, reviewed my application, mock interviews
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SDN
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Read my secondary, my amcas, sdn
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Lots of mock interviews, read over UMD website and my secondary, SDN
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School website, SDN, current news
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Read website, thought of questions, SDN
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Read student feedbacks and mock interview with pre-med advisor
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SDN, reviewed AMCAS and secondary apps, mock interview
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Talked to a first-year friend, looked over website and secondary application
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Re-read amcas application and maryland secondary, read over sample interview questions, read about recent events in the medical field
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Read SDN, read UMD website, reviewed standard med school interview questions from a few books, went over AMCAS application, went over UMD sec app, went over details of significant activities/research/awards I tried to go over too much info, and couldn't quite find the time to finish everything I had wanted to get through...this left me a little nervous on the day of the interview and lacking some sleep (got about 6 hours).
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Read SDN website, looked closely at UMD website, mock interviews with relatives, reviewed primary and secondary applications, looked at a book on the medical school application process
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Read over application, sdn, read school website
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SDN, school's website
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Reread AMCAS & secondary, SDN, school web site, talked to friend who goes there.
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SDN, reread my application, school website,
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SDN, school's website, re-read AMCAS and secondary answers
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Researched school, sd.net, reviewed my app.
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Browsing feedback here, looking at my application.
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Studentdoctor.net, AMCAS, MD secondary
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Looked at website, reread my application
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Read SDN, reviewed AMCAS and secondary, also looked at the school's website.
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SDN, amcas, secondary, and school web-site
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I reviewed my AMCAS and secondary applications, looked at the professionalism section of the website
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Read over my own file(s), read school website, quiet reflection on various matters.
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Read over AMCAS and secondary, looked at school's website, SDN
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SDN, read school's website, mock interviews
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Sdn, re-read secondary application
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Studentdoctor.net, amcas, 1 mock interview
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SDN, schools website, reread my application
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UMD website, SDN, newspaper/current events
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Re-read my primary and secondary apps, looked at the school site, this site
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Reread personal statement and secondary answers.
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SDN. Website.
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Their website, this website, my application.
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Read my amcas, research, secondary, this website and the umb website
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Reviewed my secondary, my AMCAS, the University of Maryland SOM website
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Read over my AMCAS, read this website, looked over my secondary, and read the school's website.
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Reviewed AMCAS and secondary SDN, school brochures
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Re-read secondary essays. Not a whole lot of prep.
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Read over my application and UMD website
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Read personal statement, reviewed secondary
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Looked at this site mostly and kept up on my medical issues reading.
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Read my primary application, read posts on this website, and read articles about current issues in medicine.
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Read website, went over apps.
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Read the school's website, went over my amcas and secondary apps, did a mock interview
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This site, my amcas application, secondary and their website.
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Nothing... I have had two other interviews already and knew the basic questions. Plus i have already been accepted and that took the stress WAY down.
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This site, their site , 4 previous interviews
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I looked at questions from this website, studied current health issues/news, did a mock interview.
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Read school website, brushed up on health care issues and current events, reviewed AMCAS and secondary applications, read feedback on this site
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Read school website, SDN
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Read survey reports
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I have been on 6 other interviews and I grew up in the area. I read the posts on this website.
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Interview feedback, go over my application(both secondary and AMCAS), and kept up to date with current issues
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School website, SDN, talked to students who go there
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Read this site, reviewed my AMCAS and secondary, reviewed interview pointers from career planning office.
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Read the MD/PhD website and my application. Thoroughly reviewed my research.
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LOTS of research on sites like this, talked to a friend currently enrolled there. Studied up on managed care and current med topics, but there were no questions about that.
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Read UMaryland website.Read this website.
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Read feedback, read about school, re-read my application
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School website, read my applications, study the research projects I have done
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Read my secondary and amcas, reviewed the website, interview feedback
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Read the health news, about the school
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Next to nothing, did a little research
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Read up on my interviewer's research.
-
Had a very exciting life full of happy and sad moments
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Went over my AMCAS and secondary applications; visited website; re-read bulletin
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Maryland School of Medicine discussed various topics including motivations for pursuing medicine, handling feedback, unethical situations in healthcare, challenges facing physicians, and differentiating the medical profession. The interviews seemed conversational for many, with some facing in-depth inquiries about research, while others encountered questions about ethical dilemmas and future aspirations. Notably, the mention of MMI format, nondisclosure agreements, and questions about specific programs like 'Why Maryland' and comparisons with other institutions were also prevalent among respondents.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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What drew you to medicine?
-
Tell me about a time that you received feedback you didn't agree with/that surprised you
-
None really, very conversational interviews.
-
Tell me about an unethical thing you have seen a physician do and what you did about it
-
Looking at the trends in the current healthcare system, what is the biggest struggle facing physicians?
-
Given the situation in European healthcare system vs. U.S. would you still want to practice primary care? He interrupted "Why Maryland" question with "but why not other schools?" Also in-depth questions about my research.
-
Nothing really...it was conversational.
-
Do you have any hesitations about enrolling back in school after taking time off?
-
If your friends could tell us one criticism of you, what would it be?
-
How many premeds are there at [other college located somewhere in the same state as my UG]?
-
N/a
-
Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years? but the rest were all very straightforward. why medicine? why maryland? walk through my AMCAS
-
What are THREE weaknesses? :(
-
Why not Hopkins (I do research there)
-
There were not any difficult questions asked. Both interviews were very laid back.
-
Relating to ethics.
-
What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? (not actually that hard)
-
My second interviewer barely asked me any questions but talked the entire time about the school, which is very informative but I was worried that he didn't really get to know me.
-
Nothing was really too difficult but I suppose....Say there were five people who you had the choice of picking as your physician, what is the one trait that you would be looking for out of these five people?
-
What separates the medical profession from other professions? actually i had a ton of tough questions by one interviewer, he really threw a lot of curve balls at me
-
Nothing.
-
Something specific to my extracurricular.
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What is the value of your doing these international health experiences that you couldn't have gained in U.S.? (because my interviewer kept rejecting my answers and asking for more)
-
Nothing
-
Convince me that you have considered ALL negative aspects of medicine, healthcare, and being a doctor, and that you still want to be a physician
-
None
-
What is hard about medicine?
-
Nothing too difficult.
-
Biggest weakness for myself and the health field
-
How do you think people judge your worth?
-
Why do you want to come to Baltimore?
-
What satisfactions do you think you will get out of medicine that you didn't get in your previous career?
-
What is your biggest weakness?
-
Why Maryland? (the only direct question I was asked)
-
What one question are you really hoping that I'll ask and that you think will reflect most positively on what I bring back to the admissions committee?
-
The interviews were really laid back and conversational - there were no ''hard questions.'' We mostly just got to know each other.
-
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
-
If you wanted me to take anything back to the admissions committee about you, what would it be?
-
Where else are you interviewing? (not difficult, but awkward)
-
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
-
So how do you think that you'll balanace life if you want to have a family (sort of extreme, but I appreciated her point).
-
Why Maryland?
-
If you saw someone cheating on an exam, what would you do?
-
I'm not saying you won't get in this year, but if you didn't what would you do? (asked by the MD)
-
What is the greastest problem in health care today and how would you fix it?
-
What is the most pressing issue in Healthcare and solutions to solve it.
-
Some deep research proding. Not to bad though.
-
So, you've been out of school for a while - do you think you'll be able to handle med school?
-
Describe what it means to you to live with a set of values (followed by some detailed questions about Shivo.)
-
How would you define professionalism?
-
How would you deal with conflict in your group?
-
If you're so interested in research, why here instead of Hopkins? (I went to Hopkins as an undergrad)
-
"Proffesionalism" is a big buzz word this yea. I like your definition but I need to give it more thought. Can yuo expand? (See above...)
-
No difficult questions.
-
See above, and specifics about my research.
-
Explain chemical engineering to me.
-
Tell me about the negative aspects of medicine and/or med school.
-
What do you think is the biggest problem with healthcare today?
-
How do you feel about clinical trials after the Vioxx case? (I hadn't researched exactly what happened)
-
What percentage of the GDP is spent on healthcare?
-
How do you fix the malpractice problem
-
What kind of clinical experience do you have?
-
What was the biggest hurdle you have had to get passed to get where you are today?
-
Have you ever encountered any ethical-type problems in your lifetime, and if so, how did you deal with them?
-
Above.
-
What's your greatest challenge been?
-
How would you like to be perceived by us (the adcom, I guess) after you leave the interview day?
-
What was the most interesting non-science class that you have taken (not difficult, but was for me because the class was half science/half not). i told him that i was kind of cheating on the answer, but gave him a runner-up
-
Why don't you want to be a nurse?
-
Nothing really difficult, it was mostly conversational.
-
There were no difficult questions
-
None really
-
What is your greatest weakness.
-
No really hard questions.
-
Was there ever a time when you did something inappropriate or treated someone badly and had to face the consequences of that action?
-
What is pathology?
-
Which of your experiences represent you best? (all of them, that's why I do it)
-
What was your favorite class as an undergrad?
-
See above
-
What do you do if you disagree with someone on certain behaviors or actions? If you observed a doctor behaving inappropriately towards a patient, what would you do? What if the doctor was your attending/boss?
-
I encounter a lot of patients who don't take responsibility for their own health (continue smoking after being diagnosed with lung cancer, not making changes in lifestyle after suffering a heart attack). How would you address this problem?
-
I have alot of research experience so I felt I really had to defend my interest in becoming a doctor especially to the one MD I interviewed with.
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The interviewers both grilled me on econ/health policy numbers since i am an econ major.
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No difficult questions
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What will be the biggest challenge to you as a physician?
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Tell me about your most memorable experience.
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What do you suppose will be the most stressful aspect of being a doctor?
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Do you think you have enough clinical experience to know what you're getting into?
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You are about to devote your life to a career in medicine, with no prior clinical experience. How can you think you know what being a doctor is really like?
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None really. All were converstional. THe interviewers were great.. THe best experience I have had. VEry low key. SUper nice, converstional. Low, low stress. I would of loved to stay and talk more but I had a flight to catch. If i didn't have time pressure, I'm sure it would have lasted about 2 hours.
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If your best friend was here, what is one thing they would say about you?
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None - all from my file
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Describe the time you were criticized and how you dealt with it.
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Nothing in particular
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My entire interviews were conversational and almost everything was from my prsonal statement and ECs. Pretty straightforward.
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What was the saddest moment in your life
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What do you think would be the most challenging aspect of medical school education?
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the friendly and laid-back atmosphere at the school, the state-of-the-art facilities (including a new hospital and library), and the emphasis on student well-being and work-life balance. Many noted the positive interactions with faculty, staff, and students, as well as the unique aspects of the curriculum such as the block schedule and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. Suggestions included improving the interview process and providing more information on specific programs and opportunities available at the school.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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School was very communicative, and the interviews felt absolutely wonderful. It felt more like a casual conversation than a typical grilling.
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The school seems to really appreciate and act on student feedback (multiple students said this)
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Students speak so positively about the school, and my interviewers' interests and identities were very closely matched to myself and my application.
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UMMC, Hospital, Research, Kindness of students and faculty
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Nice students, friendly tour, Shock Trauma, actually got to see the hospital
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The interviews were very conversational. I also enjoyed the lunch with the medical students.
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Everyone was very nice and helpful on campus. We had to find our interview in the hospital and people were very willing to help us find our way. The school seemed to offer ample opportunity to become involved in whatever field you desire.
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Student guides and interviewers were very helpful in finding interview locations
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One of my interviewers was very warm and welcoming, and it was encouraging to learn that he was on the clinical faculty. The anatomy lab and lecture hall is also impressive. Speaking with the medical students at the lunch impressed me positively overall. The tour was also really great, as they took us into the hospital/Shock Trauma center which a lot of medical schools don't do on their interviews.
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The entire interview day was set-up well, and events flowed very smoothly from one to the next compared to other schools. The facilities were top-notch, including both medical facilities and student facilities. It seemed fairly clear that students among the professional schools (law, nursing, etc.) interacted with each other, whether through electives or in the common areas. As a Maryland native, I'll tell you the location is great and safe (as long as you're not an idiot and wander into areas you shouldn't be in the first place).
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The entire campus is beautiful and very modern, new facilities and located in a great part of Baltimore, The campus is compact and easy to navigate to and from, they have a great match list (they give it to you at the interview) and great study and gym facilities. Lots of interdisciplinary collab between the professional schools, elective available early, unique take on clinical training in the first two years. If you're not afraid of living in a city there is a ton to do there
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The admissions office called me the day before I had the interview to inform me that my interviews in the afternoon. It meant that I did not have to travel unnecessarily early that morning.
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Lots of opportunities to interact with current students, and Dean Foxwell really tries to get to know each student personally.
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The class schedule (8a-12p) everyday. Diverse yet impressive matches.
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Facilities are beautiful friendly students Dean was very laid back and personal
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The great admissions staff.
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Everything. This is my top choice school and I was very impressed by the facilities. The hospital is huge and amazing. The location is not bad at all, right downtown near the Inner Harbor and the stadiums.
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The staff/faculty/facilities
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Every one was really nice and easy going. The buildings are state of the art and new. The school is in a very nice section of Baltimore.
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The students were very friendly, the faculty seemed really dedicated to teaching, i liked the financial aid presentation - the most comprehensive one i've heard and very helpful, very diverse patient population.
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Pretty much everything, everyone was so nice and genuine, I didnt feel like they were trying to sell the school to me because they didnt have to. Everything was just so great. The hospital was state of the art, the students were awesome Dr. Foxwell seems like an awesome guy.
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Lots of new buildings, there's a new student center and they are building a new simulation center. the hospital is very nice and everybody was incredibly friendly
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Block/class schedule, curriculum, new buildings/facilities, friendly students
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Facilities, Interviewers were both faculty, organization of the day, classrooms were beautiful and good IT updates, library, size of the class
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The hospital and the faculties. It's a good school.
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The admissions staff is very friendly and open. The hospital is very nice, I love the architecture. The students we met were all very honest and genuinely enjoy what they do.
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Hospitals are beautiful! General day was really nice - dean of admissions is very friendly, we got a thorough tour (we even got to sit in on anatomy lab), and students were candid about pros and cons. Like that classes are just in mornings so you have flexibility for when to study, when to do research/community service/other activities
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Great facilities, friendly staff/students/faculty
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The campus is really nice and a lot of the facilities are really new. Students seemed friendly and down to earth.
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I mean.. the hospital looks nice, I like Baltimore in general, shock trauma is great. Facilities are up to date
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Shock trauma unit, new small group space
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The facilities were beautiful. It is obvious that the school is commited to taking care of its students.
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State-of-the art facilities; Enthusiastic faculty/students
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Their facilities are beautiful!!! They are not in that bad of a part of the city, its just a city.
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The hospital is really nice, the students were great. The financial aid guy was awesome, the best I've seen.
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Their facilities are AMAZING...there's this part of the rennovated hospital that looks like a mall! Also, everyone seems very genuine.
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Hospital and library are INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL. Student's daily schedules in first two years are chock full of ''independent study'' time. Students do REALLY well on boards and graduates rate themselves as very prepared by their training. Block curriculum allows students to focus on one thing at a time. Full, complete anatomy course with 5 to a cadaver. Faculty are super friendly; students are really down to earth and seem happy (although the first years I saw were not very animated). School has tons of money; buildings and technology are really state-of-the-art, and they are building a new outpatient clinic and student center (2 separate buildings). Several different kinds of ERs. Baltimore cuisine has lots of tasty fishes, and there are lots of really cute neighborhoods, nice architecture, and interesting views.
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The hospital may be the nicest I have ever seen.
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The financial aid presentation was about 10 minutes long. Glorious. Plus the library is beautiful.
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The students, pretty much everything except the dean. I felt like I could get a quality education there and be happy while doing it.
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The enthusiasm of all faculty, staff and students that I came across - including those that had no relation to my interview process.
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Students get laptops, class exams are taken on your laptop and are written in the format of the USMLE Step 1/2/Board exams.
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The interviewers were very laid back and helpful. The block curriculum is nice and the students seemed to be really happy.
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The facilities were great, the school was very impressive, definitely exceeded my expectations; also, the students were fantastic, even though it was right before exams.
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The facilities are amazing - there is a new library, new addition to the VA hospital, etc. The students and admissions staff were warm and friendly.
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Everyone seemed very NORMAL. several of the MD/PhD students had families and seemed to be coping well. the people were all very nice and genuine. i really liked the location of the campus and its setup. the director of the MD/PhD program was very committed to the program and the students. the students were all very happy at the u of maryland.
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New buildings, diversity of baltimore, proximity of school to downtown, financial aid process, focus on family medicine
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The friendliness of students and faculty and the structure of the interviews.
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Really nice facilities. Enthusiastic students. Non-competetive atmosphere. Equal emphasis on research and primary care.
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My interviewers had read over my file throughly and were very interested in what activities I was involved with. My last interviewer even gave me a tour around his lab in the hospital and walked me over to the admissions office in the other building, which was very nice of him.
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Going into maryland, I honestly was not eager or excited at all. The tour of the facilities, the absolute friendliness and good-naturedness of the people completely sold me. Other schools seem to put on a forced and overly friendly face, promote every minute aspect of what they have/own (one student at another school I intreviewed at held up a set of headphones attached to a PC proudly), but at maryland they HAVE the amazing facility, their students really ARE happy and need not declare it, and their staff really IS friendly and through it all they seemed to simply present what they have without trying to
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The facilities are amazing. all of the students seemed to like it and said that their favorite part of the school was the faculty.
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The facilities are gorgeous and students were enthusiastic. My interview was the just a few days after Match Day, and the fourth-years I met had all landed competitive residencies.
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Dr. Foxwell was a lot of fun. Some of the facilities were fantastic. Shock Trauma was cool. The new library was nice.
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Everyone was so nice and helpful, it felt like a family.
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The staff, hospital, facilities, location.
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The facilities were better than i had expected - the lecture hall has been recently renovated and some of the other buildings were brand new. Students seemed pretty enthusiastic about the school and seemed down-to-earth vs. snooty or competitive.
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The interview with the med student, the curriculum schedule (blocks-one subject at a time)
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The facilities were great and all the students seemed happy.
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The admissions staff/faculty was so nice. Everybody was extremely friendly. The facilities were also gorgeous.
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Facilities
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Friendliness of the students
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All the new technology and buildings! The Baltimore Area
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Really nice hospital, probably the nicest one that I have ever seen. I also liked the block schedule. All of the admissions staff were extremely friendly.
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The location was far better than I could have imagined. The facilities are fantastic. PLUS we got to see Shock/Trauma on the tour!!
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The block scheduling is arranged so students have the afternoons off for studying or *gasp* a life. The facilites are really nice and brand new. All of the students seemed really happy and relatively non-stressed.
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Awesome facilities... great resources. Classes seem really top-notch and there is plenty of opportunities for independent study and help if you need it. Big school, lots of expansion in recent years, lots of potential for growth, friendly admissions staff. Great school for primary care, also great for research - you've got the best of both worlds here! Also, at the very start of the day you are given your itinerary and the directions are extremely clear - I had no problems finding my interview spots - and you are given tons of great info on the school.
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The facilities are awesome. a lot of the hospital is new, and it seems like there are lots of good opportunities to be trained in a variety of areas of medicine.
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The students were friendly and the facilities are almost entirely new. Dean Foxwell is great!
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The library, the facilities. Also, I think the renovation on the lecture halls is supposed to be completed by this fall. The Associate Dean of Admissions was friendly, and it was amusing to watch him quiz one of the interviewees about the history of his undergraduate institution during his talk to the group of interviewees.
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The hospital and the dean were both cool.
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Very nice facilities and great tour
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How nice everyone was, the weather was bad (snow) and everyone was very flexible. the hospital is very nice.
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The whole atmosphere at UMD was great. all the faculty members, students, and doctors were incredibly friendly and helpful. the hospital, especially the new weinberg center in AMAZING! the library is also really nice, as is the shock trauma center.
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The enthusiasm of the students! The hospital! The faculty!
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The Shock Trauma center is amazing.
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Great facilities, friendly students.
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Maryland was already high on my list, but the students seemed very happy, and every one that i approached was perfectly willing to give me their two sense about the school. at lunch, a pretty large number of students showed up and stayed, even if they didn't get food. also, they only have 2 hours of lecture a day!
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The relaxed atmosphere. The facilities.
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There was a really large group of interviewees that day and it was a pretty diverse group. Being a female, I was impressed with the fact that MD has a lot of female medical students. They are renovating a lot of the facilities. Baltimore is a pretty cheap place to live. In addition, everyone seemed so friendly, including the Dean of Admissions, Dr. Foxwell. The students seemed really happy to be there.
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The open-hearted feel of the students from the M1 to M4. They expressed a sincere belief that UMSOM is for them, despite their individual struggles. The facilities are quite nice...library, hospital, PODS, etc..
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The enthusiasm of the students. Dean Foxwell was very laid back and approachable. Shcok Trauma was just cool.
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Block schedule is great -- you never have to focus on studying for multiple exams at once. Students conveyed the impression that you can have a life outside of school. Gross anatomy is done after the first block. School helps to set up research opportunities during summer after first year. Newly renovated hopsital. Fairly unstructured 4th year.
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So relaxed, seemed like they were recruiting everyone, absolutely no grilling in the interviews.
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Much of the hospital, library, research labs, even some of the classrooms are quite new and stunning. Also, U of Maryland is a very accessible and friendly campus.
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The Shock Trauma Center and the University of Maryland System Hospital are both very large and modern. The clincal training at Maryland is top notch.
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Clinical exposure, taped classes, awesome hospital
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EVERYTHING. The students I met were extremely happy and well-adjusted. The admissions people were very friendly and helpful. I felt more like I was being recruited than being judged/interviewed. The facilities were amazing. The interview day made UMD my top choice.
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The interviewers were great. Their library is the most beautiful one I have every seen. Their hospital is an architectual marvel.
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The size of the school and how technologically advanced the school is. The laptop deal (you buy the laptop through the school) is pretty cool but can be a pain in the ass if you're technologically advanced and hate the machine they give you.
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Facilities are amazing, new and nice library, awesome hospital with good places to eat, proximity to the inner harbor, the calmness of the students, and the amount of free time students have.
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The new hospital was very nice. I also liked their anatomy lab and their library. Students were very nice and the staff was very helpful and answered all my questions. Interviews were much easier than I expected, they just want to get to know you, not very many surprising questions, the doctor that interviewed me what very encouraging and it was nice to be interviewed by a medical student. I also like how the curriculum is organized into blocks instead of having separate courses. Makes much more sense.
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Great facilities
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The area of baltimore is really nice...much better than where hopkins is. Also, there is new on-campus housing. Oh yeah, the hospital and trauma center are amazing.
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Beautiful facilities. Brand new library. Glass ceiling covers much of the hospital complex, letting lots of light in! Faculty seem very laid back and caring about their students.
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The health science facilities building was built in 1995 and really looked nice, very friendly atmosphere with down-to-earth students
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Number 1 shock trauma center in nation.
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I love Baltimore City! The curriculum is such that you will only spend 2 hours a day in lecture and 2 hours a day in lab/small groups. You are basically done by noon and can study as much or as little as you want. The financial aid presentation was one if the most positive I have seen as well.
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The campus
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Friendly atmosphere, the facilities - big on research
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The curriculum and friendliness of the students.
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The brand new hospital and gigantic library
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Many things. They have a brand new shock trauma center and a beautiful atrium in the hospital. "Smart rooms" facilitate med-student studying and exam taking. Program administrators and interviewers were all extremely helpful and friendly.
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The Dean of Admissions, Dr. Foxwell. Also, the whole school had a very laid back atmosphere.
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They were all very flexible and friendly. MOst importantly the students were REALLY nice and NORMAL. Not nerdy and presumptious. Just normal, fun , diverse people who although they are extrememly smart are really low key and nice. Their facilities are great, lots of programs you can take advantage of, lots of help if you struglle with classes. Everyone gets a laptop when you arrive (although its built into tuition:)) Everyone was nice to everyone.
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Friendliness of students, faculty
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The shock trauma center
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The students were really happy and the school was really focused on maintaining a high technological standard. every student gets a wireless laptop to use anywhere on campus.
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The classes are from 8am till noon. That's awesome...
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Faculty was very very nice
-
The medical center there was awesome. The shock trauma building was really high tech and pretty hairy. We really went through alot of "restricted access" parts of the hospital and got to see alot. Maybe it was just the student who led us around.
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The school, the students, dr. fox, admissions office
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The huge, awe-inspiring hospital
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants were most commonly concerned about the safety and reputation of Baltimore as a city, the outdated facilities on campus, the lack of pass/fail grading system, and the disorganized interview day process. Suggestions included improving transparency on curriculum specifics, enhancing campus security, and providing clearer directions for interviews to reduce stress and anxiety.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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The process itself was quite long, with the interviews taking place on the admissions day.
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Virtual tour was blah - slideshow with blurry pictures??
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Tiered pass/fail system is probably not the best way to manage stress, but I do understand wanting some sort of competition now that Step One is p/f.
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Baltimore has the reputation of being dangerous in some areas.
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Very traditional curriculum structure- 2+2, and not pass/fail; no wow factor
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I had to wait a couple minutes for my interviewer to finish typing an email before we began, but after that it was very fun and conversational.
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Lunch was not great
-
The organization of the interview day was honestly pretty awful. I really wish they didn't make us find our interviews on our own and had someone take us there (or provide written instructions at least) because it really added to the anxiety/stress of the day, especially right off the bat. Someone in the admissions office gave me unclear directions and I got lost, rushing to my interview sweaty and late. Then the first interview went way over time and the interviewer didn't notify the second interviewer like he was supposed to, and I got lost getting there too and was over 15 minutes late. Letter grading system, one of my interviewers not smiling or being conversational at all and mainly interested in my research (which was the smallest part of my application).
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We had to find our first interviewers ourselves. Although the office gave us directions, it would've been nice to have someone show us the way considering most of us had not been on campus before.
-
Not a thing about the actual school, some people seem hesitant or nervous about living in Baltimore but I never have felt unsafe there and none of the students I talked to seemed concerned about it. just common sense of living in a city
-
My second interview was with a faculty member who was a researcher that was not involved in the medical training process at all. He spent ten minutes asking about my undergraduate university: how many students attend it, how many pre-meds, etc. I did not know how many students attend my school, and it did not feel like he was evaluating me for medical school admission.
-
One of my two interviewers asked me virtually no questions and talked mainly about his career the whole time -- I have no idea how he evaluated me.
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No elective 3rd year.
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Nothing. This place was amazing.
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Nothing
-
The neighborhood is a bit worrisome.
-
Nothing really
-
Not much, my 2nd interviewer grilled me pretty hard but i think the point was his desire to see grace under pressure
-
I don't love the city of Baltimore.
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The Location. Not a big fan of Baltimore in general. But overall, not bad!
-
The city, many of the students were honest about the crime in the area.
-
Tour guide kept making negative comments about Hopkins - seems they have a chip on their shoulder about being the "other med school in Baltimore" which is annoying
-
Lunch wasn't as great as i expected, gave me a bit of indigestion, even in-state tuition is much higher than i expected
-
I wish someone had taken the time to explain a few more specifics about the curriculum to us. Cost of OOS tuition.
-
Student tour. The students gave off an image of laziness and nonchalance, general frivolous attitude towards their medical education. Examples are how much they talked about drinking (trust me, I party a lot so this isn't a sensitive issue, but I just thought that by the time you are a fourth year med student you'd out grow the college frat days), falling asleep in class, not going to class, how useless class is, how much free time they have, how little they study. I mean, fun's fun and all, but these are going to be DOCTORS. It's time to get a little serious, don't you think? And please don't brag about how your average board scores are 2 points above the national mean. Overall, I get the impression that their educational standards are subpar.
-
I was told that I must purchase a non-Mac laptop from the school. I'm a big Mac fan, and with Windows running natively on Mac architecture, I don't really see the point.
-
Didn't know they were graded, the tour given by the student wasn't very good, we pretty much just walked around the hospital
-
If anything, there is a bit of crime around the city so just use your common sense.
-
Laptop requirement (although the laptop is paid for by the school, which is nice); especially the fact that the laptops are used for taking exams. There are some ugly parts of Baltimore that are fairly near the school, although they really aren't that bad (although I probably wouldn't walk alone at night). Even when the school does something amazing, they have trouble getting press because Hopkins steals lots of the thunder. School of Public Health that they were going to start has run into some financial and political trouble.
-
You are required to get a laptop they choose for you.
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There was an exam so we couldn't see the anatomy lab or the lecture hall.
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The second interviewer (the dean). He asked me two questions at the end of the interview. The rest of the time he was rambling about when he was in school, blah blah blah. Then, he had the nerve to say that he couldn't see that I had a passion for medicine, after he didn't even interview me!
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You know, the atrium area of the hospital is beautiful, but it makes me SO dizzy. I would hate to be running down those upper level corridors and taking the glass elevators during a hard day of clinical rotations. I'd have trouble keeping my lunch down.
-
There seemed to be many questionable characters hanging out on the street corners near the hospital/med school.
-
One of the members of the admissions staff was kind of rude.
-
The school is located a few blocks away from the ghetto.
-
The tourguide was a fourth year medical student who didn't know his way around...
-
Hospital seemed crazy busy and sort of depressing, lots of long lines, huge disparities.
-
Location, Baltimore doesn't top my list of great places I'd want to live.
-
Baltimore isn't my favorite city, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
-
Only living in baltimore.
-
I felt very rushed getting from one interview to the next and then back to the admissions office.
-
Nothing in particular stands out at this time (two months after my interview date.)
-
You cannot deny that Baltimore is dangerous place. There doesn't seem to be any great places for students to live. Also, although needed for safety, it is somewhat annoying that every building has security guards at the door that make it difficult to easily get in and out of buildings.
-
NA
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I'm not a huge fan of baltimore, but I confess that I don't know it all that well.
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My second interviewer mentioned having been mugged during his first year... fairly close to campus.
-
That student housing provided by the school is not great.
-
My first interviewer.
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Expense (I'm out of state)
-
The city is somewhat shady if you go 1-2 blocks away from the hospital/school.
-
Nothing. The school's great, and the dean of admissions is extremely personable and funny!
-
The campus seemed to be on a relatively nice area, but Baltimore is not the kind of city that you go wandering around in late at night. The areas surrounding the campus are a little more questionable.
-
Nothing really. Baltimore is a much nicer city than people here would have you think.
-
BALTIMORE. just not a very nice city from what i could see. maybe i'm just spoiled from living in dc, but i didnt find the area to be very pleasing at all. also, my tour guide slipped some negative stuff about one of the faculty members we had talked to, which kinda turned me off.
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Nothing (I'm from Baltimore and find it charming, not "ghetto" as others have said)
-
Also, I get the impression that the surrounding neighborhoods are not very good, and could not get a consensus from the students I talked to about where would be a good place to live.
-
The city of baltimore is old and dreary, at least to me, being from the south
-
Cold and snow
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N/a
-
Nothing really; just make sure you call in advance about what time your interviews are scheduled at, otherwise you might be sitting at the admissions office doing nothing if your interviews are in the afternoon and you show up at 8.
-
Not the best location, someone mentioned getting mugged.
-
Not in an amazing part of town. Student tourguide was stressed and distracted and not tremendously insighful when answering questions.
-
Students didn't seem to be that academically impressive.
-
The grading system, but what most students i talked to said that unless you want to do one of the really competitive programs, you can coast through with b's and it doesn't matter.
-
The attitude of the tour guide.
-
I'm from MD and it didn't seem as though the tuition was really that much cheaper in comparison to out-of-state tuition. Also, it's a much more competitive process this year because they are interviewing about 200 more people this year in comparison to last and the number of slots open will remain the same.
-
Nothing negatively impressed me. Both of my interviewers were late, but they do have real jobs. :-) Oh! The lunch is a small sandwich and chips. Make sure you know your individual eating habits.
-
Small lunch.
-
Student interviewer did not let me complete my answers. (He seemed determined to get through his list of questions in the allotted time.) Letter-grading system.
-
The lecture halls are a bit old, but there is word that they are being refurbished this year. Also, it is perhaps a bit pricy for out of state.
-
Nothing really.
-
Nothing really; cost for out of staters
-
The medical school is old and looks like it has never been renovated. You also have to walk all over campus to your interviews. Also the medical school is in a really unsafe neighborhood. The students that were giving us a tour were talking about how their friends had been mugged.
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Baltimore. We're talking ghetto here folks. To give you a better idea, you can throw a rock from the medical school's library and hit the center fielder at Camden Yards.
-
Grading system (no pass/fail) its in baltimore, have to do rotation in rurual maryland 4th year.
-
Some students didn't seem to like living in Baltimore city.
-
Not much
-
Med school building sucks. All the other buildings are brand new, but this one is nasty. The Gross Anatomy lab is gross. No pun intended :).
-
The surrounding area. I got the impression a lot of students commute from suburbs of Baltimore. Also, many of the students seemed to choose Maryland either for money-saving purposes or because they didn't get into a school higher on their list.
-
Not very much information about the curriculum and what makes the school different
-
I felt like the interviewers did not take me seriously--i had to defend my econ major and why i went to college out-of-state.
-
Nothing impressed me negatively
-
The area around the medical school campus is rundown, not someplace I'd want to be when it gets dark out.
-
The city of Baltimore doesn't seem like the best location to live, kind of run-down outside of the medical school buildings
-
Not much. The school is very research intensive, but they aren't as heavy on clinical skill training as I would like.
-
My first interview. It was short and the guy seemed uninterested. Also, I was kind of own my own to navigate through the campus to find my interviewers.
-
Its not negative, but there is not much of a HIspanic population they serve and I am looking for that in a school.
-
Campus
-
The lecture hall wasn't the most beautiful . . . but then again, i really don't care what a lecture hall looks like
-
The medical school looks very old also you have to practice rural medicine for 2 months during the 4th year.
-
UM ain't Hopkins
-
It's PBL but it's still graded? For that and other reasons, the cirriculum seems to be lagging behind to me. Also there's a fixed rural medicine rotation in fourth year. Good if you want to do primary care, but I don't.
-
The shady areas around baltimore--but its not that bad
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The not-so-new medical school (the only old building on campus)
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the potential for long wait times between interviews, the need to navigate the campus independently, the variability in interview lengths and formats, and the importance of comfortable footwear for walking tours. Additionally, some applicants suggested being prepared for unexpected weather changes, bringing distractions for potential wait times, and clarifying interview schedules in advance.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Be prepared to sit for a long while
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N/A
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That one of my interviewers would be very intense (a psychologist) and would ask me very difficult questions and when I responded she would be aggressive in her responses
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The walking tour of the school involves a lot of stairs--not great for high heels
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That I would have to find my interview rooms on my own right at the start of the day. There is also a lengthy wait time for the admissions people to check you in and give you verbal directions to your interview, so I ended up only having 5 minutes to find my first interview of the day. COME EARLY TO YOUR INTERVIEW ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A MORNING ONE! And make sure you understand the directions to the interview rooms.
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I wish I hadn't prepared so much! Truly, both of my interviews (I happened to have 2 faculty interviewers, which I understand is unusual) were conversational and nothing felt forced.
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I felt well prepared, was already familiar with the area but definitely look up the areas of town to avoid if you are taking public transit
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Not to depend on the faculty interviewer to answer my questions about the school.
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That my first interview was going to be 60+ mins and my 2nd one 4 questions.
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I wish i had known that i was interviewing with a student and a faculty member before i got there.
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Three weaknesses instead of just one
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Who my interviewers would be.
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That the interviews are really nothing to worry about.
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I just wish I knew before 8:40 if my first interview was at 9 am or 2 pm...(it was at 9 btw)
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BRING AN UMBRELLA...even if it is sunny outside and even when you are walking to your 2nd interview and it is sunny outside...it is entirely possible it will rain.
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My interview schedule
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If my interview was am or pm.
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That my interviews would be in the morning so I wouldn't have to wait around for my ride in the afternoon
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Nothing
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I wish my second interviewer was different.
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No
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How in depth they would question the activites on my AMCAS.
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I must purchase a non-Mac laptop... =/
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They are on a graded system
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Wear comfy shoes! Lots of walking involved
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Most of the things I didn't know were positive things, so I was pleasantly surprised and am glad I came. It's not a problem that I didn't know them beforehand.
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There isn't enough room in the admissions building to hold interviews, so they send you off with a map to find your interviewers!
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Everyone keeps talking about the ghetto... I didn't see any ghetto. Yes, it's in the city, but that doesn't equal ghetto.
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Maryland gives their students laptops
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You have to walk around a bit depending on where your interviewer is.
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I wish i would've known we had to walk around to all the interviews by ourselves, i would've studied the map a little better! by the second day it wasn't a problem.
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The MARC train from DC is a total commuter train. Your interview could end around 2, but the first train to DC is not until 3:30, and it doesn't stop in College Park. If you hope to end early, I might drive, or if you take the train, bring a book.
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Interviews are held all over the ''campus'' so you have to find them yourself. This can be a little hectic if the first one runs long and you have to rush to the second one.
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The turkey sandwich is really just bread with a huge chunks of turkey breast. No lettuce/tomato/anything. The other sandwiches seemed to have more stuff in them.
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How much I'd love it.
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There really wasn't any down time during my day. i had two interviews in a row and then went straight to the financial aid presentation, dr. foxwell's talk, lunch, and the tour.
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Nothing really...if you go through their websites (both the school's and the medical center's) you should know enough to not get any nasty surprises.
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That dress shoes can be very painful when you have to wear them all day. I recommend wearing your shoes occassionally so that your feet get used to them. Otherwise, you might end up limping around all day like me.
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NA
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Nothing. Although, I think that some other people had to wait a couple hours before thier first interview, you may want to find out your interview time.
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That my interview was scheduled for the afternoons
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That a lot of their out of state applicants come from Penn State
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Interviews are scheduled in either the morning or afternoon. Some people arrived at 8:30 only to find out that their interviews weren't until the afternoon, so they had to wait around until the orientation started at 11. So, you should call to find out when your interviews are.
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How nice this section of Baltimore is. Also that you have to navigate the campus on your own a bit..they give you individualized directions to your interviews, but it's a good idea to print-out a map of this section of the city.
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There are four potential interview time slots and only two interviews. This means you may be sitting around all morning, so if you're the kind of person who can work yourself up into a nervous state, bring a distractor. Also, they do not serve you breakfast, so either eat ahead of time or hope you have an open slot in the morning.
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I came in around 8:20 AM, but my interviews were in the afternoon and so my day didn't really start until 11:00 AM. Not a big deal really - it gave me a chance to read the paper and I had also brought a book. I also got the chance to sit in on a lecture and that was cool. Mmmm I did get a little hungry at some point (~11 am), so it's a good idea to bring a snack, but the lunch was nice and it was given at noon. Also, you may want to bring a small water bottle with you, as you might get a little thirsty (or dry-mouthed) during your interview(s).
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This is bad...but i didnt know the school was in baltimore until i got the interview invitation. good one. had i known, i probably wouldn't have applied there. and my interviews weren't until the afternoon, which they neglected to tell me, so i spent the night in a hotel thinking that i would start at 9am when i really didnt need to be there till 11-i could have come up that morning and saved $100.
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It's a LONG tour...wear comfortable shoes!
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The school's emphasis on professionalism is taken very seriously by the faculty/staff.
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Call ahead of time and find out your schedule, because its possible to come too early and be waiting around forever.
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Nothing really
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Remember to ask interviewers for their buisness cards because its hard to find addresses for follow-up letters
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I was way too nervous about an interview that was so laid back. like everyone said, it was more like they were trying to recruit you than anything else.
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Call ahead of time and find out what time your interviews are so you know exactly when you will be able to leave.
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The financial aid session was very informative, and i learned a lot about that process. i
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That there was no reason to stress out.
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Ladies, please wear comfortable shoes because the tour of the school requires a lot of walking. I was exhausted and my feet were killing me by the time I made it to my interview after lunch and the tour.
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Nothing surprising. The library closes at 10:30pm during the week. Not necessarily bad if you study in other venues or if you don't like to keep long hours.
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A grat school -- I had no idea how impressed I would be by the students, curriculum, and hospital!.
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You could wait all morning and not have an interview
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Bring plenty of cash for parking and the meal is pretty small so bring a snack too.
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How laid back the interviews would be.
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Interviews are sceduled in the morning and afternoon; I had both my interviews in the afternoon; only problem though was taht they wanted everyone to get there at 8:30 in the morning. So me and a few other people literally waited around in the conference room for 2 hours doing nothing. Also the lunch was tiny. half a sandwich and a tiny bag of chips. For me, getting there at 8:30 and finishing at 4:15, that was not enough.
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There was nothing to be nervous/stressed about.
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Parking is hell, and I couldn't find any good place to eat.
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That you're on your own when it comes to living. There is no on campus solution and off campus is nuts. If you don't live in the ghetto 3 blocks from the school, you have to drive in and pay $4 a day to park (that's the student rate).
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There are some cute chicks that go there....
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Bring a bottle of water with you. I was very thirsty at the end of the day. Lunch was not very filling so make sure you have a good breakfeast.
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Nothing. This site prepared me well. I was expecting to have to walk farther to get to my interviews, but the campus was a lot smaller than a lot of people who posted feedback made it seem.
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4 hours of class each day, with anatomy lab time built in! also, you really need to assess how you feel about living in baltimore.
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Bring 10-15 dollars with you to park and be prepared to walk about 3 blocks.
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Parking costs 12 dollars!!!
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You have to walk all over the place to get to your interviews
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Some research departments are strong, others seem to be not so strong. It would have been nice to know which before the interview.
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The interviews are conducted all over the campus. I had to walk a couple of blocks through the city in the snow to get to and from my first interview.
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Grades are given ... its not pass/ fail.. Sort of sucks but I can live with it.
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No real emphasis on clinical research- more basic research oriented
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Nothing really, wish i had brought a raincoat.
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For MD/PhD, they pay for hotel and airplane ticket
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I never knew that the U of MD hospital system was so advanced. Where I'm from all we know about Baltimore is Hopkins, but the University of Maryland has an excellent health system itself.
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The beds at mt vernon hotel are horrible. and the pillows even worse--like tractor truck tires
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest providing clearer directions to interview locations, improving the check-in process efficiency, offering printed directions, and communicating interview schedules in advance. They also appreciate the friendly and welcoming atmosphere created by the admissions office.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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It may not be a bad idea to seperate the interviews and the admissions presentation. Over all, the process itself was absolutely wonderful and fun.
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It would be helpful to provide students with a bit clearer direction on where within the hospital their interviews actually are. It took 3 students and I about 25 minutes to find the location, but on the bright side we got our own mini tour.
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Consider offering printed directions for interviewees or an easier location to find for each interview. I'd also consider ways to speed up the check-in process in the morning -- having someone have to give verbal directions and explain the whole day for EACH applicant took awhile and that led me to only have a few minutes to find my interview. Also provide an interview day feedback survey after the interview.
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Keep doing a great job of making interviewees feel excited and relaxed to interview here!
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I would suggest they be more careful in selecting interviewers.
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The admissions office needs to do a better job of vetting interviewers.
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I wish that I had known if I had a morning or afternoon interview prior to arriving at the admission
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I would have liked to know if my interview was am/pm but thats about it, everyone was really nice!
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Great financial aid information! It would have been nice to know if my interviews were AM or PM bef
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Admissions was so friendly and helpful!!
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Let us know if we're scheduled for morning or afternoons in advance.
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Everyone was great.
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I thought it was really fantastic that we had access to so many students during the interview day.
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Accept me...im awesome
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
✈️
BWI
62% interviewees used BWI (BWI), with 23% using bwi (bwi) and 8% using DCA (DCA) and 8% using BMI (BMI).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by automobile to the interview.
✈️
20% Airplane
🚗
65% Automobile
🚆
11% Train or Subway
🚲
4% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Days Inn (average ranking 8.3/10), with some staying at Holiday Inn Inner Harbor (average rating 6.5/10). (Top 3 displayed)
🏨
Days Inn
8.3/10
🏨
Holiday Inn Inner Harbor
6.5/10
🏨
Holiday Inn Express Inner Harbor
10/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are in state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Friends or family or with friends or family.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Faculty member (4%)
Other (1%)
Student (95%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Enthusiastic (83%)
Neutral (17%)
All Responses
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No responses found.
| Application Cycle ▿ | Impression | Performance | Interview Location |
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