Newark, NJ
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 34% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
7.5
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 1,036 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 (77%)
Negatively (9%)
No change (14%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (35%)
Good (49%)
Average (13%)
Poor (3%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally provided feedback on their interview experiences at NJMS. They highlighted a wide range of experiences, from difficult and disorganized interviews to relaxed and positive interactions. The most common suggestions included being prepared for a conversational interview, arriving early, and being ready to discuss personal motivations, healthcare, and ethical questions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Was a difficult interview. Wish I practiced even more
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They gave me 2 faculty interviews. In the first one they just asked about my activities. In the second one, they asked specifically for clarification in some parts of my application and tries to get a better idea of why I applied early decision to NJMS and also addressed some red flags on my application. Overall, it felt very personal and I enjoyed the interview process here.
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Very good interview, and I feel that this school would provide me with lots of support. There is also a very heavy focus on serving underserved and diverse communities, which is a huge plus for me.
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An amazing school. The tour only made me love it more and more. The interview was very casual but unfortunately, I think it made me too relaxed and chit chatty. Don't forget that you're still in an interview!
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It was a very positive interview experience
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The most bizarre interview I've had on the interview trail.
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The admissions office needs to get its shit together.
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I believe I received a stress interview. My interviewer was kinda rude. But, I think it was maybe just their style, because I was accepted. So if you get a stress interview, just keep your cool.
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Didn't expect much from this school so wasn't too disappointed by what I saw. People were very friendly and helpful but the facilities weren't very impressive.
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My scheduled interviewer could not attend, so a new one was pulled up at the last second. Office forgot to let me know I had to stay after the interview was done, so I had to come back to the Admissions office after getting to Penn Station. Very disorganized...
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Some of the questions made me wonder whether there are unofficial criteria for admissions. I was asked about my family's financial stability (which to me meant whether I be paying for medical school up front in cash or through loans). I had no indication that my interview was open-file and my interviewer clearly did not read it prior to or during the interview. If you want to mention something you may have to take the initiative. Many of the questions are standard, I feel like my interviewer went on very few tangents. I was asked what my research was about and my interviewer was satisfied with just the title. No followup questions in that regard.
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I found it off putting that my student interviewer expressed significant doubt about the safety of the school's location. I found my faculty interviewer to be extremely disagreeable and at times down right rude.
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There is 1 60-min faculty interview and an optional ~30min student interview (which I took advantage of). Overall, it's a pretty short, relaxed day. The school is very committed to the community (which I love). I agree with another user that your interview will vary to some extent based on your interviewer.
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Take the morning interview if you can - that way you get it out of the way before the tour. The tour tends to tire you out.
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Your experience at this school will be highly variable based on your interviewer
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Good school for a good price.
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I've read people's experience here in past interviews. From what I saw, they really listened to the interviewees comments and fixed some things to make the day somewhat more structured, and the tour covered the interesting areas like the E.R. and the anatomy lab.
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Great school, great staff, hope i get in!
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Decent school but I just felt that it was disorganized and not really trying to impress the students....that combined with all the money scandals going on there is not overly impressing. it was alarming to have the interviewer realize that I was the wrong person...
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Also a student interview if someone is available and you want to. Certain questions are required to be asked. Healthcare, family and family pressure are 3 that I remember.
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I was given the option to have a second interview with a student, so I actually had two 40 minute interviews, but most people don't interview twice. The student interviewer said that the idea is that a student will better be able to judge how well someone will fit into the student body. I have no idea how much say the student has, or how chances are influenced by having the second interview.
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Interviewer went down my entire AMCAS ECs and asked me about them. She was really interested in my time abroad. Overall an good interview experience but I was not very impressed with the location
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Some of the interviews are before the tour and some are after. I would try to get an interview before the tour so that you're not stressed and can actually absorb what's being shown to you.
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Pretty nice interview experience overall
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The interview was very smooth, and extremely casual. The MD did not even open my file, she had read it before hand. No specific questions concerning my research, healthcare, ethics etc....nothing specific what-so-ever. The questions that I have listed actually came up very generally in conversation. My interviewer admitted jokingly, that they have been asked not to scare the candidates - so don't get nervous. I asked around, and the general consensus is that interviews at NJMS are usually low stress
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A lot of people have posted negative comments about the location of the school. Which makes me wonder, why do these people want to become phsycians? is it prestige? social status? or money?. These are the same people that do not complain about the location of Columbia, stanford, or Hopkins which are in rough neighborhoods. But anyways NJMS is great. I would love to go to that school or dowsntate where my help is really needed.
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The interview itself was good, and the tour was nice. People there all seemed very friendly (the students that is) and there are ample opportunities for community service. If only it wasn't in Newark...
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It went really well. The interviewer really made me at ease, and the other people that were interviewed on the same day also had a similar experience from what they told me.
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The interviewer was very conversational and really tried to sell the school to me. I was impressed by my interviewer's candidedness and warmth. I was hit by any hard questions and he really eased me into the conversation.
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The office staff was really nice and the tour, though delayed by an hour, gave a really good impression of the campus. The interview itself was horrible. I was expecting a low stress environment like everyone else on SDN had posted. But the interviewer made it obvious that she wasn't impressed by anything I had to say. Her questions were superficial and she asked them like she was reading off a list. No questions about state of healthcare today, or ethics or hypothetical situations. She spent 20 mins on a high horse, telling me why she became a doctor and how she does all these great things for her patients. Which would be fine, except she sounded elitist, arrogant, and put down other doctors in the hospital. Then, without asking if I had any questions, she told me she was expecting a phone call and pushed me out of her office. Mind you her office was in the bowels of the hospital and I didnt know the way back. When I went back in to ask her the way, she mumbled some random directions at me and pointed her finger down a hallway.
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Better than I expected - less formal, students and interviewer were easy to talk to, genuine and honest. Made me think much more about the importance of going to school in a place like Newark
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The staff was very friendly and everyone was very helpful. The interview was really not stressful and they just wanted to know more about my experiences.
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It was my first interview so even though I prepared adequately, I was a bit nervous. My interview was at 9AM, arrived at 8:40AM (if you're driving, get there early because the parking lot fills up fast). My interview was an ER doc, very nice, really put me at ease. The interview was mostly conversational. They do not have a program scheduled like other schools so you have to occupy yourself if your not being interviewed or on the tour. Also, they offer student interviews to some people (not sure how they determine, I think it's first come, first serve) but mine was cancelled. The tour was great (a couple of us who didn't have student interviews got an extended version). Ask your tour guide to go to the ER!
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My interview was first. It was 1-on-1 with an admissions committee member. Afterwhich there was lunch with 2nd, 3rd and 4th years. We had cold pizza. I think I even had to what for the ice to melt so I could get something to drink. There were not enough beverages for everyone in attendance. However, there was very good discussion about school and life of medical students. The tour was given by 2 1st year students. It was a very informative and fun tour. We went everywhere. AFter the tour the guides gave us their business cards and we had to fill out a survey about the tour. It all took about 3 hours.
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The interview was very conversational. We just spoke about where I came from, my background, why medicine. the usual.
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One on one. The interviewer was very friendly. Did not ask a lot of ethical questions. Very laid-back interview
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The interview itself was completely no stress, he basically told me i had gotten in and tried to sell teh school to me...with that said he wasn't disingenuous at all and highlighted some of the new research facilities that were being built (Neurology and ID are the top departments at NJ Med), he also illuminated the amount of community interaction that students can get involved in and how this really does enhance one's medical education.
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Nice interviewer and tour guides. If I wasn't a bumbling idiot, it would have been a good atmosphere to interview well in.
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Overall, I enjoyed the interview portion of the experience. It was a little annoying having to wait for long for the tour guide to show up, and when he did, he looked like he had just rolled out of bed.
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Good
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Overall pretty positive. Arrived met the other interviewees, tour with a very effervescent 1st year, lunch w/voucher provided, interview. My interviewer was running late due to an emergency so my interview was bumped an hour. He was very laid back and nice even though he asked some challenging questions. After the interview, he walked me through the nursery to ''meet'' his emergency patient and some of his residents.
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Coldest day in two years. Very laid back. We'll see in 6-8 weeks.
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Exciting. The interviewer was positive and informative, and the student tour guides were enthusiastic and helpful.
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A thoroughly exhausting and demoralizing interrogation by a diffident man, whose lack of affect was distracting. I felt the length and the impersonability hindered me and didn't make me feel wanted or appreciated.
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Morning interview, lunch, then tour. Pretty typical day, just not a typical interview, I would say. The person absolutely combatted every single thing I uttered, even when we talked about the casual topics like sports and where my family was from! I guess it depends on who you are assigned to interview with, and it was not my lucky day. As for the school population, it is extremely diverse. If you are interested in an urban environment in terms of the vast array of medical situations you'll see, this is the place to go. You just have to be willing to deal with an environment where you have to be on your guard at all times.
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I interviewed as a minortiy student and my interviewer was from my same country of origin, so it was real cool. Lasted over 80 min and we just chatted it up, talking about my motivations for becoming a docotor which leaded into conversations about healthcare and HMO's and all the other usual question you would expect to be asked.
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The interview was very low stress. The interviewer was very nice and she just asked some basic personal questions from a list she had, nothing too difficult. She just wanted to get to know my character.
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Very chill.
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Overall, not a bad experience for a first interview. I'm thinking they will get harder from here, but at least my confidence is up there now and I can approach other interviews the same way.
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It was highly engaging and extremely intellectual...I felt like my interviewer was treating me like a peer. Although, at the end of 80 (whew) minutes, I had no idea where I stood.
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It was first interview and it went very well! the interviewer was extremely friendly and encouraging!
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First interview and I thought it went really well. Everyone seemed nice and I could see myself being happy there. Def know your healthcare stuff (universal, socialized...etc.) because they like those questions.
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See above; my first interviewer had to go into a surgery but they found another person within an hour and a half, so not too bad. she was quite nice but i searched her later and found out she was a phd, not md. was stressful in the sense that every answer seemed to lead to more questions-- but to be fair, her questions were quite logical and thorough. at least she cared about what i had to say!
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My interviewer was very excited and happy. She just wanted to know if I had what it takes to be a doctor. I could tell that she enjoyed what she was doing with her life. She kept commenting on how relaxed and calm I seemed.
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Low stress, the interviewer wasn't a prof. She worked in the hospital so had a different perspective on students than I was expecting.
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My interviewer specifically asked for me because of my Black/Hispanic heritage coupled with the huge disparity between my GPA and my MCAT score (hint: MCAT = 35). He was extremely supportive and understood my unique situation. After 30 minutes of having to explain myself, he saw I was getting stressed and broke up the tension with healthcare questions to keep the interview quote/unquote stress free. The entire interview was essentially me defending myself, which probably worked against me in some way.
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The man wasn't as egotistical as the old post said he was. Maybe there were complaints or something but the questions he asked were somewhat, I felt pointless and would have been irrelevant indicators of my candidacy. He just looked through my folder and asked me random crap. It would've been a 20-30 min interview if he just cut the crap. Also he was not the
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Had my interview at 10:15, ate lunch at 11:15 (we were given a $6.00 voucher for the cafeteria), went on a tour 12-1pm. That was pretty much it. Everyone had a different interview time, and I think mine was one of the earliest ones (there were 7 of us that day, and 3 or 4 had afternoon interviews).
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The interviewer decided not to ask me anything related to healthcare, except a questions or two, and nothing about myself, except a question or two. We spent about 45/60 minutes talking about things that had nothing to do with me, with medicine, or anything else. I felt like he was quizing me on my knowledge of ver specific random things, most of which, I did not know, nor had I prepared for.
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Bleh, they showed a video instead of info session and made the interviewees eat alone in the cafeteria for lunch
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The interview was laid-back and the interviewer had a lot of good things to say about the school that I did not know or even think to ask of.
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I think my interview went really great. Even though it was open file, I think the interviewer had gone through my file really thoroughly, and didn't need to look at my file the entire time. It also seemed like she had already had a positive impression of me from the file! It was great and relaxing. Very conversational like. My interview went for like 70 minutes because we really hit it off and had a lot to talk about.
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My interviewer was very laidback. He let me direct the course of conversation and asked me several times what I'd like to talk about. He tried to find things to talk about that related to me, but I could see that there was a sheet of questions he had to cover.
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I thought my interview went really well. It actually ran over over time (about 75 minutes) so I missed the beginning of the tour and the admissions office people had to catch me up to the tour guides. My interviewer was really nice and the interview was really low-stress, it was more like a conversation than an interview. The only possibly difficult topic he brought up was my MCAT score (34, but got an L on the writing), but I was expecting that. We talked a little about healthcare, but nothing too in depth. I actually wish the day could have been slightly longer, since it didn't have any tour or presentation that I've heard some other schools have. As a first interview, it was really low stress, and it's definitely one of my top choices. Also, I heard how bad parking was, and since I never got my parking pass I parked in the paid parking garage (I think it cost $7) and had no problems finding a spot, so I'd say that was definitely worth it.
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Overall, the interview was laid back, and no pressure. However, when I walked out I felt like I hadnt done well or poorly. It almost seemed as though he had made his mind up about me before I interviewed, and the experience was a formality.
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The interview was very laid back. Even though it was open file, it was more of a conversation, whre we both put out ideas about healthcare. The interviewer was very honest when answering questions, and told me I would be a great asset to any medical school instead of glorifying NJMS.
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Good experience. Arrive well before 9 in order to get parking. Bring a book because you may have to wait a while between interview, lunch, tour, etc. Nice place tho!
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The interviewer put me completely at ease. It seemed to fly by. There was no direct questioning by my interviewer, instead it was very conversational. She really loved the school and was very enthusiastic the whole time. I was very impressed with the focus on my life experiences instead of my numbers.
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I think my interviewer was more nervous than me, perhaps he was new to interviewing. Also, it was obvious that he had not previously looked at my application. Although NJMS boasts a stress free interview, I felt like I was being interrogated as my interviewer shot me question after question. After about 35 minutes he started to warm up to me and smile (or run out of questions) and only then did the interview become more of a relaxed conversation.
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I was prepared for a grueling interview, but I was only asked one question. The interviewer was kind and basically just wanted to talk with me about science and healthcare. He said, "The purpose of this interview is to make sure you are sane, nothing more." He spent a lot of time talking about his career (which was interesting). He told me he was blind to the score the admissions committee gave me, and that he would give me a separate score based on the interview, then they would decide if I am accepted based on my MCAT score (which comes out in June). I am applying through a linkage program from Rutgers U., so the experience is different for me. Overall, I didn't think I would be going to UMDNJ, but since acceptance through the linkage program would save me a year of my life (and a ton of money), I would go to NJMS if accepted.
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This was a great experience. My interviewer was very laid back and I really enjoyed conversing with him. None of the questions were difficult and the interview was only a conversation. The tour was nice and the tour guide was really enthusiastic about the school. Overall a great experience! Good luck to you all!
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Comfortable, despite a rather inconsiderate interviewer. He seemed somewhat inconvenienced to make time for my interview, and he answered four phone calls during the session, one of which lasted 15 minutes. Nonetheless, he was mildly pleasant, and our interview seemed more of a casual discussion than a grilling inquisition.
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The interview was very relaxed. I was pretty nervous going in but the doc I interviewed with was pretty chilled out, and he was on the younger side, so that helped. It was mostly conversational and he didn't grill me on any one thing.
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The admissions office staff were all warm and helpful. The interviewer impressed me as he had thoughtful questions for me without my file being present; I could tell he had reviewed my information ahead of time. Additionally, the interviewer listened attentively and did not take notes as I spoke- he was sincere, calm, and pleasant. I also like the fact that in addition to the interviewer asking questions, he gave his opinions and answers as well which made the process very much a conversation.
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I arrived early and waited in a waiting room with a couple of other interviewees. We all chatted comfortably and then were drawn out one by one. My interviewer was really nice and she put me at ease immediately. She did include some expected interviewing questions, but on the whole it was very conversational and enjoyable. After I went back to the waiting room and those of us who had finished interviewing went to lunch at the cafeteria with one of the faculty, who answered our questions and led us into an interesting discussion on compassion. Then we had a tour by two medical students who were very enthusiastic about their school (or the fact that finals had just finished earlier that day).
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The interviewer was empathetic and kind. She made sure i was comfortable. I think i did really well and thought that the interviewer was quite impressed with me. However, i also found out that all the spots at NJMS have been filled so who ever interviews from january is basically aiming to get on the waiting list. I personally feel that it is not fair and that they should anticipate applications coming in towards the end; especially for people who took the August MCAT.
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Interview was awesome. In MSAR, NJMS stated that their interview is made to be very stress-free. It turned out that's exactly what I experienced. My interviewer was a great person. He was more interested in seeing how I could reason and handle his questions off my feet than judging if my answer matched his. Tour was nice. Their ER is a great place to get clinical experience b/c they receive all kinds of cases.
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The overall interview was very relaxed. I walked in and my interviewer told me that I could take off my coat and take off my tie if i wanted because he wanted me to be relaxed. From the start, I knew the interview was not going to be very tense as I had previously assumed. My interveiwer was very nice and was willing to answer any questions that I had. I have been at UMDNJ-NJMS many times because I do research there. It is an old school. You can tell the building is old. From what I've seen though, the students are very supportive of each other and seem to really like going to that school. I've volunteered in their hospital as well and I know that medical students get a very good hand-on experience in their first 2 yrs of medical school. Overall, I was very impressed with the school and could see myself going there.
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Great interview. Lasted about 75 minutes. Very conversational with a lot of discussion about the problems in health care.
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Positive. The school is a great place if you like the no frills approach to life.
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Overall I think the support offered at this school outshines the mediocre facilities, abd location. I believe I will attend if accepted.
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My interview lasted about 65 minutes. The interviewer was very nice, answered all of my questions, and had obviously read my file before meeting me. He seemed interested, and it was not stressful for me. Just prepare yourself for questions about your decisions, motivations, and about health care (but don't go crazy). Breathe, relax, and go in confidently - it really makes the difference. Also, have questions in mind that you want to ask the interviewer!
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Really cool. Relaxed. Other interviewee were relaxed and everyone joked with one another.
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Not stressful at all
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NJMS is a great school. I was really impressed with the quality of their clinical education, and the outreach to the community. The amount of clinical exposure is definitely unique among med schools. The actual day wasn't that great. My interview was at 9 and my interviewer was awesome. I felt really relaxed and like he really wanted to get to know me. But when I came back I watched the same video 12 times, then had lunch with the other interviewees (no dean or students), and had a short tour.
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It was very relaxed. She had a print out of questions she wanted to ask me.
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My interview was very laid back. I was first suposed to have someone else interview me, but he never showed. He first asked me where I am from and then he told me where he was from and it turns out it was only a few blocks from my house. So we spent some time going down memory lane. He then just took a quick glance at my AMCAS but he wanted to keep it conversational. After that, he asked me to put on a white coat and he showed me around the hospital and introduced to some of his friends. We then went to the cafe.
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The interview itself was laid-back and more like a conversation than an interview. However, I received a call at 9:30 asking if I could change my interview time to 10:00 instead of 11:00! I arrived at 10:15 and then didn't end up getting the interview until 12:00 because the interviewer never bothered to show up. They gave my file to another person who quickly read it before the interview.
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The day started for me at 11am with a 30min movie of the previous white coat ceremony. That was nice! I then interviewed with a faculty member in the graduate school as well as the MD/PhD director. I then interviewed with the Director of Admissions for the medical school.
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My interview was very laid pack. The interview was scheduled for an hour but didn't last that long and my interviewer talked for a large part of the time. The questions were not too difficult.
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The school is great. The students are great (tour guides a bit imature, but they were nice) Interviewer was very nice and
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My interview experience was really pleasant and easy going. The secretary walked me from the admissions office, down the street a few blocks, to my interviewing doctor's personal office (which I didn't expect to happen. I thought the interview would take place in the admissions office somewhere). When I got there, he hadn't read my file yet, so he took a few minutes to read it while I sat there. It was a little bit awkward at first, but then he relaxed in his chair and just started talking to me. It was very conversational-- we talked about anything from taste receptors and pheromones to ways in which we would perfect health care for the world. It was a very enjoyable conversation and he allowed me to feel very comfortable.
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My interview experience was really nice. I am a junior in my undergrad school right now and at the time of my interview I had just finished my sophomore year at Rutgers, New Brunswick. I had applied through a special program between Rutgers/NJMS where one applies at the end of his/her sophomore and if they get in they start medical school early. I applied and fortunately I was called for an interview. I was really nervous for the interview especially because I was an early applicant. But my interviewer my really cool. She was so nice and friendly. She just asked me to relax and make myself comfortable and we talked for an hour. It was kinda informal. After I was done with my interview I had a good feeling about it. Literally, all the credit goes to my interviewer. She made it seem so easy.
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This interview was very low stress. everyone was very friendly and my interviewer was very personable.
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The atmosphere was really relaxed. The students were really friendly and they seem to enjoy the school.
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First they had me sit in the admissions office by myself for an hour and I watched a video about NJMS about five or six times. Then my interview lasted about an hour. She asked all the standard questions about healthcare in the US and was very nice. Then I had lunch by myself--they don't guide you or anything--you just have to roam around the buidling until you find the cafeteria. Then the tour was pretty good. I wish there had been more structure in the day.
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It was good, more like a casual conversation, I really enjoyed it. The school's great, I would recommend it for anybody.
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Overall, my experience at NJMS was good, despite my being pretty nervous because it was my first interview. I was fortunate to have the tour scheduled before my interview, as this took some of the pressure off. I was caught off guard by some of the questions (see "difficult" question below) but I think it went OK. The MD who interviewed me has a very varied background in medicine, and it was interesting to hear about his experiences and views.
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The interview was not too stressful. All interviews started out with tell me about yourself and were conversational. They were very open for questions and seemed to be geniunely interested in my research experiences.
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My interviewer was great. Direct, honest, and had some funny stories. I felt very comfortable the whole time.
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The interview was awesome! There is no reason to be stressed at all. My interviewer talked about the school and how great the clinical experience is pretty much the whole time. She was trying to make sure I knew as much as I could about the schools and made sure most of my questions were resolved. Remember to just be yourself, smile, and make eye contact.
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It was really good. The tour guide and interviewer really made me comfortable, I can see myself going here.
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It was my first interview and I left with a positive impression of the school and my interviewer. It helped ease my stress for future interviews and I can't complain because I recieved an acceptance letter about 2 weeks after my interview and I am looking forward to enrolling this fall.
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The clinical experience seems like it would be great. Administration seems student-friendly. Bad area of Newark (car may be necessary). Laid back interview.
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This was my first interview so I didn't know what to expect. My interviewer was very nice and she put me at ease. Every question she asked was on SDN so I was not surprised by any of her questions.
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Positive and got me even more interested in the school
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My interviewer was so awesome. We seemed to hit it off really well. It was very comfortable/conversational and very low stress. We talked about why he came to UMDNJ, his Portuguese parents, NY/NJ sports, where people live, and oh yeah interesting tid bits about my life.
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Dr. Heaton was very nice and comforting. She was a little late and hadn't seemed to have read my file ahead of time, but it still was kind of a good thing. I got to tell her what was in my file so I got to emphasize the positive parts more. She was very passionate about the school and we had a great convo about her work. The school was also nicer than I imagined. In all, I had a good 1st interview. I hope I get in.
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He asked me a lot of questions which I answered, and occasionally we became more conversational. Then I asked him a few questions.
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Get there at 9:30am, interview for an hour but it did not take that long. Then go on tour with students and finally have lunch. Very stress free.
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It was very informal.
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The staff, tour guides, and interviewer were very nice. The whole experiance was very un-stressful. The interview had a conversational tone to it at times, and I could direct the topic of conversation to those areas of medicine and health that were most important to me.
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I thought the interview was going to be more conversational, but since my interviewer was asking questions than writing down, we couldn't really have much of a conversation until the end. when they as if you have any questions--you better be ready to interview them back about the school. They love to talk about their school so the more questions the better. Overall it was a good experience
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This was my first interview and i was rather nervous. i was kind of disappointed when the interviewer did not ask me the usual questions (why umdnj? healthcare issues?) that i prepared for and instead caught me blanking out on my non-science experiences
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I'm from Washington State, so I knew that my chances of acceptance were pretty slim even with a pretty good GPA and MCAT score. I interviewed at the University of Washington and it was extremely tough. I expected the same at this school, but they didn't even ask me why I wanted to be a doctor or why I wanted to go to NJMS. We talked about 50% about my profile and the rest of the time was spent discussing Bush and Kerry at length. Before I knew it, the interview was over. There were very few questions, so I was a little worried b/c I couldn't understand how she could have learned much about me from such an informal interview. I ranked my stress level at 5, but all of my stress was what I put on myself. I was accepted 10 days later. It just goes to show that maybe you did better than you thought. To the students that interviewed with me: Good Luck. If you made half as good an impression on the interviewers as you did on me, you won't have any trouble getting in.
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My experience overall was good. The atmosphere was somewhat laid back, though the actual interview is quite long, mine was almost an hour and a half, thats a long time, so be ready for anything and everything, from standard questions, why medicine, etc, to details about your file, to healthcare and ethics questions. I was asked about my music, and I made a comment about trying not to get into social commentary, but the very next question called me out on it, and asked me specifically how I felt. So there's a lot of questions, but its very conversational and not completely scripted, but a lot of things they will definitely ask. But because its so long you get a good chance to explain yourself well. I had the tour before the interview which was nice, but some have it the other way around.
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The interviewer was well prepared to listen and ask specific questions. I don't feel like the interview was canned at all and feel fortunate for the interviewer I had because she gave me some good advice for the future. Also, the school is not generally a great looking school, but there's so much more to the school than that. New Jersey was much different than I thought it would be and the interviewer was from NJ, so she gave me some good insight as to what to expect there.
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The interviewer was pretty laid back and friendly. She said she hadn't gone through my application with a fine-toothed comb. Later, she revealed that she didn't know my MCAT score, my GPA, my undergraduate institution, or very much that I'd written in my AMCAS at all.
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The first thing that my interviewer said was that he was not going to ask me anything regarding my mcats or gpa. He wanted to know who I was and wanted to have a normal conversation to know who I truly was. We talked about football, our families and even about his daughter teaching law school.
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Very laid back interview. It was kind of amazing that the interviewer did most of the talking. He would go on and on for 10-15 minutes non-stop. It appeared as tho I was interviewing him! Nevertheless, the interviewer was very friendly, funny and candid about the school. He answered all my questions and was very informative.
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Great experience. It was uncanny how much in common I had with the lady who interviewed me. The match up (if indeed they do that) was better than my roommate match in college! It was a one hour conversation and it flew by. Though she was a PhD researcher she was a very well-balanced person and I was glad to meet someone who could talk about and appreciate things out of the ordinary research-related topics. She gave me very positive feedback at the end, which is great to hear during your first interview, and even offered to put me in touch with one of her relatives, who is pursuing the specific career path Im interested in.
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I know people in NJMS are generally nicer as I worked with them for several years. This interviewer was generally a nice guy, but he was just late and seemed more concerned about preparing his lecture notes than about interviewing me.
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My interviewer was very nice and open, he made me feel very comfortable. I felt more like we were having an interesting conversation and getting to know each other rather than having an interview for medical school.
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Overall I would say it was ok. The interviewer wasnt too interested in my file. She spent msot of the time talknig about her views and her theories. The only real "interview" question I got was about healthcare. It still took an Hour and 20 minutes. The lady definitely likes to talk.
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It is a very nice school and all the people I met there were very approachable. I was even fortunate to have a medical student send me directly to the interview site which was in the same bilding and the hospital was just adjacent to the school so one has very little walking to do by commuting between classes and the hospital.The medical student who toured us round the school,Marilyn Baird, was such a confident and lovely person and they seemed to be happy in the school.
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It was a meteocre experience. I enjoyed the day, but I can't think of one thing about the school that really impressed me.
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Being in an underserved urban community, the medical students receive a lot of clinical experience, more so than other medical schools. I had a very good visit to NJMS. During your interview, be current with health care issues. They LOVE asking those type of questions. Since most people come to this website to discover the interview questions, here are the ones that they asked me: 1) What do you know about HMOs, PPOs, and third party pay systems? 2) What do you consider to be the two most important issues in health care? 3) Are you happy with your grades and MCAT scores? 4) Do you have any regrets? 5) How would your friends describe you? 6) What would they say is your greatest weakness? 7) How would you deal with a patient who does not want to take care of himself or herself? 8) If people do not know about health care services that are available to them, what would you do? 9) What do you know about NJMS? 10) Why do you want to come to NJMS? 11) Why medicine? Hope this helps!
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I arrived an hour earlier than scheduled so the admssions people were kind enough to give me a lunch ticket to grab some chow before the tour. The waiting room in the admissions office is pretty chilly and the other person I was interviewing with kept to herself so the waiting was pretty boring. As for the interview, I dont know if they make an effort to match people according to their applications but I had a scary amount of rapport and common interests with the person I interviewed with. The admissions people at NJMS did a fabulous job or I just lucked out completely.
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Great interview experierence
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The day went very well. I arrived on time for an early interview, which lasted about an hour. The interviewer and I clicked on many levels; she is definetely someone I'd keep in touch with during my years there if (when!) I get accepted. The admissions staff is a great group of people. I had 2 hours in between my interview and the tour, so I went to the library (very nice) and had lunch with 2 other applicants. The tour was given by two very knowledgable students, who will surely be 2 of my good pals during school! I look forward to matriculating; I am confident that I will be accepted.
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Pleasant interviewer, not intimidating, no "out to get you" questions
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Overall it was ok. I stumbled in a few places but my interviewer was sooo nice. She really wanted to help her patients and seemed to have such a good heart. My interview lasted nearly and hour and a half.
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This was my first interview, so I was very stressed out about it, but calmed down from my very first interaction with a person at NJ Med. They were all such nice people!While I was waiting for my tour with another applicant, several students came into the room just to say hi and chat with us. They weren't associate with the interview in anyway; they were just making sure that we recieved a warm welcome. It was great. The tour guides were excellent. I didn't feel that my interviewer and I truly clicked, but I still left with an overall positive impression of the school.
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I liked NJMS a lot. It being my first med school visit and interview, I came away from it very pleased. It climbed quite a bit on my list. Again, I can't compare it to much, but I liked it a lot. I felt I'd be happy going here.
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Overall, it was a very positive experience! I felt that I answered every question confidently without any hesitation. I must admit that it was a little difficult to tell how the interview went based on the reaction of my interviewer. When I left I generally had a good feeling, but then I started to think that it could have gone either way. I sent a thank-you letter to my interviewer because I wanted to convey my appreciation for her time and because I was told that it was proper etiquette. It must have gone well though because I was accepted about 2.5 weeks later.
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NJMS is a great school....I interviewed for the BA/MD program. I did get accepted to the school and i am def going.
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I was extraordinarily lucky...my interviewer was a former professional athlete, as was I, and is a minority, as am I. I was told that he would recommend my acceptance to the AdComm, and also ask them to pony up scholarship monies for me - all during the interview! Let's hope it comes to pass!
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This was my first interview. I was expecting to run into traffic and to have problems parking, but I found a parking space right away and didn't hit any traffic. I ended up getting there really early, but the admissions staff seemed cool with it. Before myinterview, I waited in a room next to the admissions office, then I met my interviewer. She was exceptionally friendly and had looked over my file. It was a very conversational atmosphere; she asked about my research and a few of my organizations. She spent most of the interview pitching the school to me, which made me feel like they wanted me to matriculate there (so it definitely took some pressure off). After the interview, my interviewer took me to a poster session for the Summer Student Research Program that NJMS has each summer (I guess I was lucky to come on that day). After the poster session, I got a tour with two 2nd year students and got to see the anatomy lab (cadavers!) and the hospital. The students were really open and honest and really seemed to like the school. Definitely very friendly. Overall, great first interview experience.
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The interview day at NJMS is very short, at least for me it was. I was told to report to the admissions office at 1:00PM. When I got there I just waited in a small room adjacent to the admissions ofice with the other interviewees. The day of my interview there were only about 5 people in the interview group. There was no talk from the director or dean of admissions so we just sat there looking over the NJMS view books. A little after 1:00PM a student came into the room and took us on a tour of the school. The tour was nice, we saw the lecture hall, library, anatomy lab, cafeteria, PBL rooms, and the first floor of the University hospital. The tour lasted for about an hour, then at 2:00PM I had my interview. My interviewer was VERY nice and really made the interview experience feel more like a conversation than anything else. I wasn't asked what I would do in certain ethical situations so that in itself also contributed to the relaxed and "just getting to know you" atmosphere of the interview. After about 30 minutes, the interview was over and she even walked me back down from her office to the office of admissions. I left the school by 2:45PM, so in total I was there for about 2 hours, the shortest by far of any interview day I've been through. There was no financial aid talk and we never met the director or dean of admissions so if the student or interviewer couldn't answer your question you were pretty much out of luck. I have to say the day went very well though and I left feeling very good about the experience. I was accepted about a month later, my first acceptance so it really made me happy. Ultimately I decided to matriculate at another school but thats just because being from out of state, I didn't like the idea of commuting to Newark every day. I guess its a choice everyone makes for themselves, I loved the school, University hospital, and the price but just couldn't see myself driving into and out of Newark for 4 years. Overall though, I really liked NJMS.
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This was my first interview so I didn't have the stress of acceptance weighing on me at this point. I used this opportunity as a marker for how to prepare for upcoming interviews. I had the mindset that my interview wouldn't go perfectly and that I would use my mistakes to help adjust the way I approached the next interview. The admissions personnel were extremely courteous and helpful. Although not customary, they provided me with a free lunch ticket while waiting for my interview. The staff that walked past in the hallways all smiled and greeted me. The interviewer was firm yet nice. She took the approach of authority and I respected her in that sense. The tour was a nice touch to just a plain-old interview and gave me the opportunity to discuss interviews with other students. Overall, I would rate this experience highly and would advise interested students to thoroughly review your application as the interviewer tended to ask questions about virtually every single experience listed on my application.
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Out of all my interviews that was the best one. The interviewer asked questions focused on getting to know me and he provided a stress free environment by making the interview more interactive rather than just question and answer type of nterview, non-traditional. The questions answered were relevant to my application, research work and to medicine as it relates to public service. I was the only person at the waiting room when I got there and fifteen minutes later my interviewer showed up (I arrived 35 minutes early), this relieved some of the waiting anxiety, later we had lunch with other applicants and finally the tour. There are plenty of activities for students at UMDNJ for them to be clinically competent even as early as the end of first year, you will not be disappointed with your choice.
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N/a
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I went into the interview room and initially felt nervous by quickly relaxed. The interviewer was great and she really made me feel calm and focused. She asked typical questions, none too difficult and was very receptive and respectful. For my first interview experience,I could not have asked for something better.
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It was a pretty god day. I got to the interview way too early, but got a chance to talk to the other applicants. After a brief interview, I was given a voucher for lunch in he cafeteria (a great chance to see the diversity of NJMS). One of the interviewers joined us, and so did a few students, so we got a great opportunity to hear more about the nitty gritty of the school. Then, two first years escorted us on a tour of the facilities. We ended the day with an evaluation, and we were done by about 2:30PM.
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Impressive.
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I walked out feeling that I had little or no chance of getting in due to my interviewer's very unprofessional preoccupation with my children's needs. I was angry and disappointed because I had always heard UMDNJ was particularly good about not discriminating based on age, etc.
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The interview experience was positive. The interview was a little bit long at an hour and a half but it was very thorough and conversational. I got the overall impression that the faculty at UMDNJ really cares about the students and their futures. The tour was given by students which was nice since they could answer all of our questions about the school from a student's perspective. I highly recommend going on the tour before the interview.
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Overall, my interview experience impressed me. I came in not expecting much because I had heard that Newark is nothing special but the school really is pretty nice, overall. Interview wasn't too stressful and my interviewer was extremely nice.
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My overwhelming feeling about the school was very positive. The administration seem to genuinely care about students and I think this is a very valuable resources when I imagine medical school.
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I didn't have problems finding parking since I came in the morning. My interviewer was conversational and easy to talk to. She seems to believe UMDNJ-Newark is destined for greatness with the recent expansions. After the interview, she really wanted me to stick around for 3 hours for the tour. As an incentive, she gave me a meal ticket for lunch. I did get the lunch but I ended up not going on the tour anyways. I couldn't wait to get out of that place.
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Overall it was a good experience, the day is short which is night, large class size
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Interview overall was a good experience, very conversational and relaxed. I felt like the interviewer really wanted to get to know me and my motivation for medicine. Also, the interviewer was really prepared and knew my application, essay, and letters of rec quite well. Ask about one bad grade on my transcript, but was understanding.
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The interviewer was very easy-going and in a good mood. The interview did not seem scripted and the interviewer was well prepared in asking questions. Seemed very understanding regarging a bad grade and the MCAT.
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I thought it was going to be easy, but little did i know that compared to everyone else i was going to have a REALLY hard time (that too as my FIRST interview).... if anyone has an interview with initials JP, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be in for a really stressful and super RUDE interviewer who cuts u off all the time, makes crude remarks, and makes the interview twice as long....
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My interview experience was great. The interviewer, a NJMS alumni, was personable and not intimidating. The entire interview was more conversational than it was a one-on-one question and answer session, and I enjoyed that.
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It was my first interview and a very good experience.
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My interview was great...my interviewer gave lots of tough questions, but he was definitely there to help me. he trapped me in a bunch of my arguments, but it wasn't spiteful or mean. he was very smart, and we talked for well over our alloted time.
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Interview was laid back. many people may not like where it is situated but i think it provides a great setting for people to really learn about the field and become exposed( so in the future you will not be surprised when you see certain things)
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It was laid back, a very nice conversation. She was very nice and I was very much at ease. She asked a lot of questions about a variety of things, so I felt like she was really trying to get a good sense of who I am.
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This was an incredible interview experience. My interviewer was so nice and friendly and made me feel very much at ease. The school is really great, and it's neat how the school and hospital, library, and dental school are all connected without having to go outside. Also for the interview, there were no weird ethical scenarios, or current events topics.
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The interview overall went pretty well, except I forgot to turn off my cell phone before the interview and it went off about 4 times at the end of the interview! The interview was pretty pleasant, besides the questions on the state of the economy and healthcare industry, where it is going, and what I would do to help it.
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Overall, good easy at ease interview experience, pretty nice school, cafeteria is ok, but the academic and clinical education you receive there is outstanding and excceeds any negative aspects of school. Its very conversational and my interviewer was great.
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Low-stress. The interviewer really tried to get to know me and kept a nice conversation throughout the interview.
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Stress free, everyone was excited about getting to know me. The conversation was very relaxed and I really enjoyed the experience.
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HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE. I never felt worse off leaving an interview. The interviewer thought I was great til the end (even though she had grilled me on ethical questions) and then she told me that I would ruin the school's chance of being a top 10 med school. I should have replied that UMDNJ will NEVER be a top 10 med school and that I had already been accepted to Robert Wood Johnson so I could care less (considering Robert Wood is a much better facility).
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Overall great experience. Just hope I get in!
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Definitely plan for a lot more time when commuting. I had planned an extra 1hr-1.5hrs and I only managed to get there 2minutes early.
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I had a great interview experience that lasted 90mins. Then we had lunch and a tour. Everything was pleasant.
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Good overall; interviewer was very nice and easy-going. Conversational.
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It was basically a conversation with interviewer. He asked specific questions relating to what we were talking about. No unusual or rehearsed questions.
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My interview was in the early morning, so I had it before the tours. I found this personally more comfortable, because I think I would have hated touring the campus before being interviewed. After the interview, I felt I was more relaxed and open in the tour. The interviewer asked a variety of questions on all sorts of things from my application: My volunteering and shadowing experiences, my grades, etc. He also talked about things not on the application, such as what I ate at college, what my favorite movie was, what were my hobbies, etc. Still, the interview was more of a conversation; we just talked and I answered whatever questions came up in the conversation. In the end, I had a chance to ask any questions I had. Overall, I enjoyed the interview and the tour a lot!
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I had a great interview there and it was truly conversational and laid back. He would interrupt me during my answers and tell me a funny related story, but it wasn't rude, it was of genuine desire to tell me something. The tour was good, covered the basics, but was informative.
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I wish I had liked this place more. I went in with a pretty open mind, since it is my state school and I'm a pretty average student, but I really did not enjoy my interview there and I knew this was problematic since I generally like interviewing and meeting new people. The tour guides' commentary seemed canned, students there gave our interviewing group lots of weird glares, and I didn't get the sense that people were happy there. The school really didn't make a serious effort to make us want to come, and I think already having an acceptance allowed me to look more objectively at the school. I understand that my interviewer was really busy, but for gosh's sake don't pick an interviewer who has no time to do their interviewing job. Endlessly buzzing pagers are rude and distracting, as is a lack of preparation. Not a super-fun day but definitely enlightening.
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Overall, the interview was very relaxed and a great experience. My interviewer just wanted to get to know me and my interests...he only asked me one medically related question.
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The interview was pleasant, my interviewer asked a lot of questions about my file (eventhough it was open file) so make sure you read it well.
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See the below comments on questions
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Interviewer was sincere in his attempt to discover what was in my heart--not just whether I knew the correct answers to his questions.
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Schools facilities seem adequate, but will probably not overly impress you. Students seem to have an active life outside of studying. Interview is pretty low stress, other interviewees said they talked about random topics such as how they like South American food.
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This was one of my most challenging interviews. I had to give answers to 4 medical ethicals cases which were very complex. Overall, the students seem very happy there. The office staff was suprisingly unfriendly and there was no official introduction to the school from any staff member.
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The MD portion of my interview was more a conversation with an older physician, so I felt a little more awkward discussing my interests. But the MDPhD portion was basically me discussing my research experiences, so the stress level declined throughout the day....plus I did the interview first and the tour, which I liked so I didnt have to worry too much all day!
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My interviewer was very nice. He tried to make it more like a conversation instead of a question and answer session. Overall, everyone was really nice and very helpful in answering any and all questions about the school.
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NJMS is a really great school, especially in terms of clinical training. My interviewer and tour guides were awesome! Overall, I had an extremely positive interview experience.
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The interview was extremely laid back and very conversational. I interviewed with a basic scientist who gave a brief background on his research, then started asking conversational questions about my motivations, clinical experiences, research, etc. My interviewer definitely fostered a great dialogue throughout, and allowed me to really express myself. I was really impressed by the school's atmosphere and its many community health initiatives.
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I enjoyed the tour and special lunch with students. My interview didn't motivate at all. It was my first interview and I am a little discouraged. It was important that I used my interview to distiguish myself since my grades and MCATS are average. BUT i did't feel I had a real opportunity. The questions were vague and generic. She supposedly read my application but didn't ask specific questions about my background or experiences. MY ADVICE to interviewees is to SELL YOURSELF and INTERRUPT if they are talking too much.
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First, I was interview for MD/PhD. I had the MD interview first, which was tough. The interviewer asked the standard questions but also pushed me on other questions, like the difficult ones I stated above. Wasn't sure if he was seeing what I really knew or what. But the director of the MD/PhD program was really nice, along with the other interviewer for that program. Know your research, you will be asked about it, along with "why MD/PhD". Plus, be prepared for the PhD's to explain their research to you, try to make some questions about it to be interested.
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I actually really liked the school. Everyone was really nice and helpful and it seems like people are happy here. One nice thing is that everyone gets in-state tuition (just change your driver's license, register to vote, etc.).
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The students there are awesome, they all love the school so much, and you can really tell. I may have been a bit more exposed to them because I know a lot of people there, and I got to hang out and meet a lot of their friends. The interviewer made me feel really comfortable. He took me on a mini-tour of the hospital, showing me the cardiology area and ICU. He was really nice and laid-back, and looked past the numbers in my file. Overall I loved the school and atmosphere!
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Overall, i was drilled by a researcher for an hour. People were not very friendly.
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The MD I met with was very friendly and really had some great projects going on. The interview was laid back and very conversational. If you can, go for the tour before the interview--I found that I had a good deal more questions after looking over the facilities and meeting with the students.
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The people are very chill and nice; I still got the impression that it was a 'safety' school for most people, and the curriculum was pretty standard.
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The interviewer seemed fairly friendly at first but then once we sat down...she really drilled me...asking me a lot of healthcare and science related issues and what type of research I exactly had done. And when she asked me if I had any questions she only let me ask her one question and she continued drilling me.
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Interviewer was awesome. I came directly from RWJ interview so I had no opportunity to tour school or talk to med students. Interviewer was 20 min. late, apologized profusely, offered to arrange a tour of trauma dept.
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Good experience overall. Relaxed, straight to the point. Got there, waited for ~20 mins, then the interview (with an MD). Tour and lunch followed. They even took us to the anatomy lab!
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45 minute conversation, stress free, just trying to get to know you better...no biggi.
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One hour interview with researcher working at school. Students seemed unmotivated but happy and content.
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Great place for nj kids!
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My interview was great due partly because my interviewer already knew me from a summer program I attended at the school. I felt very comfortable there and felt as if my interviewer would do his best to lobby for an acceptance for me.
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Great experience, I was very impressed with the school, the residency placement and how happy the students are. My interview went longer than expected, it lasted about an hour and a half. It was a great conversation and I didn't even notice the time.
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It was a very laid back interview. The interviewer made you feel at ease and mostly having a conversation. I was also impressed of how much clinical exposure the students have from day one. The interviewer made me feel really welcomed to return to their school.
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Overall negative - I left there feeling like I hadn't spoken of any of the positive things I have done, only defended myself for an hour.
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Really good experience- I hope I get in! As a NJ resident, it's a great education at the right price.
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Students were really nice, but they tried very hard to downplay the fact that Newark is such a dangerous city. They all felt that they made the right decision in choosing their school and they were unbelievable at answering all of our questions during the lunch and tour. They put everyone at ease and had all positive things to say about the school. Everyone seemed very happy about where they were at.
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I really had a very positive experience, the interview went for about an hour an twenty minutes, and the interviewer had clearly reviewed my application in depth. It wa a very laid backe experience and the interviewer made me really want to go to the school.
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The interview was really low-stress, my interviewer was really nice and laid-back, basically said that njms does not conduct stress interviews and to relax. he took notes on my application and basically went through different points one by one. was very easy going, good conversation
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Overall, it was a nice experience. Tour was nice, but encountered a couple of impolite students. My interviewer was very engaging and seemed to want to get to know me. Most of the interview was conversational, with a few specific questions to keep it focused.
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Generally laid back and stress free interview. I feel that the interviewer mostly asked questions to get to know me better and showed a sincere interest in me.
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It was a relaxed interview. My interviewer just really wanted to know the basics - motivation, strengths, weaknesses, view on managed care. One advice I have is to be yourself. Go in there knowing what your credentials are and your strengths and concentrate on those without sounding arrogant. Be outgoing. My interviewer seemed to like that. Be friendly.
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Was a great experience. Interviewer was trying to sell the school....gave all positive aspects of going there...I guess it was good....but I dont know till I get a decision
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Not stressful at all.
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There was actually some mixups, so I watched my interviewer lecture to dental students for an hour and a half before the interview. I had read here that the interviews at NJMS could involve ethical questions and the like, but mine didn't. It was a very relaxed conversation. My interviewer told her story, which was a little unique (switching from OB/GYN to pathology). Overall, very fun, and I learned a lot about the school.
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Good experience, however I would not feel safe in that area of town.
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The interview day was fairly short in comparison to other schools. I arrived at 12:45 for a 1pm tour. The interview was scheduled for 2pm. Everyone there was very pleasant and nice. The tour guides did a great job of providing insight into medical school/the application process/ and deciding between state and private schools. I feel that I got a sense of how the school is.
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Excellent interview experience, a very enjoyable conversation. Very low stress. The entire school was incredibly friendly. Very nice students gave a great tour.
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My interviewer was very friendly and wanted to put me at ease, but also wanted to be honest with me. He told me a few times that he didn't really understand why I was interviewing now, and that I might not get many other interviews. He said that the typical interviewees at this point were 3.8 gpa's from hopkins (I'm nowhere near a 3.8, didn't do so well on my mcats, and am not from an underrepresented area nor am I a minority student) But anyway, we went over my application's weak points until we could find good arguements for my application. He said he could picture me as a doctor, and would do his best, but didn't know where it would go from then. (He writes a summary of the interview to give to the admissions committee, but from the sound of things, I don't think he was on the committee himself). After talking with me, he personally showed me around the campus, which I thought was really nice. He never asked if I had questions for him, though, he just told me to ask my tour guides the questions
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This was my second interview. I thoroughly enjoyed the interview. It lasted about 70 minutes. My interviewer is a PhD. I learned a great deal about the school by asking questions during the interview (when I was asked if I had any questions). The interview was relaxed and was more of an open conversation to find out who I am. I was asked many specific questions from my AMCAS application (it helped greatly that I reviewed my statement that morning). I arrived early to my interview so that I could look around and read their handouts. The school is contained in one building, mainly the second floor. There is an enclosed grassy area north of the building where students can eat, relax or study. The parking lots are under surveillance by security guards and police, which made me feel pretty safe. Medical students are given a keycard that allows them access to the building and room (cadavers, study rooms) 24 hours a day. There is a scribe service, and some students only attend class on occassion because this service is available. It costs $200 a quarter and every word that the instructor says is written down. The advantage to the scribe service is that the previous year's tests are available. The interview is a time for you to get to know the school as much as it is an opportunity for the medical school to see who you are as a person. I was somewhat worried about what the interview would be like, and I was pleased with it. Good luck.
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After my interviewer assured me that he had read my application, he informed me that he had forgotten the summary he had written up of my application at his house. So he just winged the interview, asking very random questions, and not asking anything relevant to the study of medicine. He never asked me any of the following: what my family members do for a living, why I wanted to go into medicine, why I wanted to go to UMDNJ-NJMS.
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I was impressed by the school, more than i had expected. the neighborhood isn't the greatest, but not as bad as some might think.
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I really had a great time. It was my first interview and a bit nervous. The interviewer was great. She made me feel very comfortable, and literally we just had a conversation. But she tried too hard to sell the school to me. But that was a good sign since that must mean she wants me to come! The tour was great! (see above about handling a cadaver!) the guides were extremely friendly and cool. Overall, a very stress-free, low-key day and a great experience!
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The interview left me with a positive impression of the school, much more so than i expected beforehand
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
🕐
Length:
53 Minutes Average
🔄
Number:
1.1 Interviews Average
👥
Interview Type (Interaction):
100% One-on-One
0% Group Interview
📁
File Type:
98% Open-File
2% Closed-File
💻
Interview Modality:
100% Virtual
0% In-Person
UMDNJ-NJMS-COMP interviews are an average of 53 minutes, with an average of 1.1 interviews. 100% 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 include inquiries about improving the American healthcare system, strengths and weaknesses, ethical dilemmas, motivation to become a doctor, and perspectives on healthcare challenges. Some respondents mentioned a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, which may involve a nondisclosure agreement regarding specific questions asked during the interview.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Just went through my app and my experiences
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How can the American healthcare system improve?
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What are 3 of your strengths and 3 of your weaknesses?
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Describe (this activity)
-
Asked about what my parents do for a living and how old my brothers are/what they're doing in school
-
Why medicine?
-
What are you most proud of?
-
Went through my entire application ECs and became a conversation
-
Talk about (AMCAS activity)
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Tell me about an ethical dilemma
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What happened in undergrad? Explain your huge discrepancy
-
Tell me more about your research
-
Sometimes doctors have to make tough choices for their patients. Can you think of a, sort of, moral problem that might come up?
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Describe the differences between Medicare and Medicaid.
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How do you think your background in science/engineering will help you as a physician?
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Why do you want to come to NJMS?
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If you had $100,000 that could support one cancer patient or 100 healthy patients, how would you allocate the funds?
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What happened last year? (I'm a reapplicant)
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What are your exposures to medicine
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Do you understand Obama's health care reform bill?
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Why the variation between MCAT score and GPA
-
Are you sure you want to go into medicine?
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What is the biggest problem affecting American healthcare?
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What I think about the current status of health care and the reform?
-
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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Tell me about X activity/experience on your AMCAS.
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Why medicine
-
Why UMDNJ?
-
What is your motivation to become a doctor?
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Tell me about your research?
-
You can help people in different fields, why medicine?
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Why not veterinary medicine? (why medicine?)
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
-
Tell me about yourself.
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What is one area of medicine in which you'd like to see more work being done?
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Why NJMS?
-
Have you given thought to what you want to specialize in.
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What's wrong with healthcare?
-
Tell me about yourself?
-
Health care
-
See above
-
Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
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Why NJMS? Why NJ?
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What has inspired you to pursue this career?
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When did your interest in medicine begin?
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What are your strengths and weaknesses?
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Discuss 2 major issues in healthcare today.
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Tell me about yourself
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Tell me about your research.
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Personal stance on US healthcare system?
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If a medication has been approved or touted in the media as more efficacious for decreasing hypertension in black people, should you prescribe that drug to black people, and further, should you indicate the body of a black person is different and this drug will work better for them?
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Tell me about your background both professionally and personally.
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How do you cope with stress?
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How will you deal with the population served at this school?
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What is the main problem facing medicine now?
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If your brother was here right now, what would he say about your life choices?
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What is your ideal picture of how health insurance should be organized?
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Tell me about yourself, family, origins etc.
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Tell me about your time studying abroad.
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Describe yourself.
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When you returned to school, what made it easier?
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Tell me a little about yourself.
-
All the questions pretty much came from my application and personal statement.
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How did you decide you wanted to be a doctor
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Do you have any questions for me?
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What do your parents think about your going into medicine?
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List three problems with the healthcare system in America
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Are you familiar with Hillary Clinton's health care bill? [I gave him a mediocre answer, and he disagrees and tells me-> Question 2]
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Why do you want to enter medicine?
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Tell me about your research in cancer genetics.
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Do you know where your name originates from?
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Tell me about your research and clinical experiences.
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So tell me about your research experience
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What are some healthcare problems in America today? Solutions? (then she asked me even further questions about my responses and if they would really work). I think it all went really well.
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So tell me about your major/tell me about your research.
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How many Americans are uninsured?
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Explain your MCAT writing score (I got an L).
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Tell me about youtself was the only question I was asked
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What activities do you do outside of medicine?
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You have a very typically asian background; how do I know this is your choice and not your parents?
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How should a physician deal with the problems of obesity and smoking? This was the only question.
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What did you do in X activity?
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When did you decide on medicine?
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When did you know you wanted to become a doctor?
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Why New Jersey? (I'm a native Californian, but went to school back East)
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Tell me more about yourself.
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When did you know that you wanted to do "this"? (He meant becoming a doctor).
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Tell me about your family. Do they encourage your pursuit into the medical field?
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Describe yourself
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What do you think of HMOs?
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What do you think about the future of Healthcare HMOs?
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What are your weaknesses
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Tell me about (AMCAS activy)
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What you think about US healthcare?
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What do you do for fun?
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What are your extracurriculars?
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When did you know you wanted to be a doctor?
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HOw do you see childhood obesity in America?
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Tell me about your parents.
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Why do I want to be a doctor and Why did I want to go to NJMS?
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What were some of your favorite subjects in college?
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Do you have any questions about NJMS? (Asked repeatedly until I was out of questions)
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What do you think about managed care?
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Why do you want to go into medicine (and why do you think you will make a good doctor)?
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What do you think about that state of healthcare in this country?
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What's the biggest problem with healthcare in America today?
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What brings you to Newark?
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AMCAS stuff (MCATS, GPA); where else have you applied and/or interviewed? Motivation to become a physician?
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Why did you go to the undergraduate college that you did?
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Tell me what you know about US healthcare?
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Discuss 2 or 3 major healthcare issues facing our country.
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I see you are Brazilian..."Do you know 'some city?'" I thought he was talking about somewhere in Portugal since he told me he was of Portuguese descent but he was talking about Brazil since I'm of Brazilian descent. I was all confused.
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How do you know you want to be doctor? Have you had any experience?
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You seem like a person who could do many different things. Why specifically did you choose to be a doctor?
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Why did you go to your undergraduate school? At such a big school, what made you choose to be pre-med? What is your specific interest in NJMS? How do you study? Explain why you took the mcat twice.
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What would you do to improve the health care system in the US?
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Tell me more about yourself?
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Why do you want to become a doctor?
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Specifics about my application. She was well prepared.
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Why Medicine? What do you know about medical school? Why did you choose your major at XXX college? Describe your research? Volunteer activities?
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Asked about current coursework, research, activities.
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What do you want the admissions committee to know about you?
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Tell me about your family.
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Tell me something about yourself
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Tell me about yourself, your family. What do you do for fun. Talked about her family too.
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So, everyone in your family is a doctor and that's why you want to be a doctor? (I never told him anyone in my family was a doctor).
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What would you do if you could not become a doctor?
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Questions regarding my low science GPA given my MCAT scores.
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Tell me about youself, your family.
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Why do yo want to be a doctor?
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Why did you want to go into medicine
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Refer to the comments section.
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Health care questions... they love these type questions be prepared!!!
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Why nj med?
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You didn't do well at the beginning of college... (I didn't do THAT badly.)
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How did I decided on choosing to apply to medical school?
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Questions about research, family, study abroad
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Why are you applying early decision?
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As above
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Why medical school? Do you realize that the reality of being a doctor is very different from the dream of being a doctor? Would you still want to go into medicine if you were limited to only making $30,000 a year as a physician?
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Describe yourself and how others would describe you.
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How can you get a population of individuals to be proactive in their health
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What is the most rewarding research experience you have had?
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What do you think about the US healthcare system?
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What do you think it will take to get the African American community to maintain/create a better standard of health (going for check-ups, proper diet, better healthcare, etc)?
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Your previous career was in research psychology, why did you not simply change to another branch of psychology such as counseling rather than starting over in a medical career?
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Health care questions.
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Please tell me about yourself (the med school standard)
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Describe your research
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Managed care, HMO's, why UMDNJ, grades MCAT
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Tell me about your research/specific program/etc?
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Are you compasionate?
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What do ur parents think about you becoming a doctor?
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Tell me about your MCAT scores
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What qualities do you have that would make you a good doctor?
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Do you think there is al queda in the Philippines
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Why did you switch out of your undergraduate major?
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What are you doing now that you are not a full-time student?
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Tell me why you picked your undergraduate college? Tell me about New jersey medical school?
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When did you decide to be a doctor? What motivated you?
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Why did you switch your major?
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Where is the medical fied going and how would you change it's direction?
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
-
Above
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What do you think about medical insurance?
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What qualities do you think a doctor should possess?
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If Bob has been a patient of yours for 10 years, is suddenly laid off work, and can't pay for treatment, would you continue to see him? (Answer) If Bob's wife also couldn't pay for treatment, would you continue to see her? (Answer). If Dan, one of Bob's former coworkers who had also been laid off, couldn't pay, but heard you were a great doctor came in to see you, and asked if you could help without pay, would you see him? etc. . .
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What do you know about health care in the US?
-
What type of medicine and why?
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Why I wanted to become a doctor
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What are the 2 biggest problems facing health care today? How would you solve them?
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A 7 year old boy with fatal cancer which has spread to his bones. he already has one leg amputated and now has cancer in his pelvic bone. The attending has reccommended another partial amputation and the parents want to do everything to keep their son alive. You know that the treatment is painful and the child will die anyway....what do you do?
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Have you ever considered the military? working for the FBI in forensic science?
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When did the thought finally crystallize that you wanted to be a physician? Why do you want to be a physician?
-
With both your parents involved in medically related fields (they're not doctors), have they been supportive of your decision to pursue medicine?
-
Why should we pick you?
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What do you know about HMO's and health insurance?
-
Tell me a little bit about your last 3 years and your decision to apply to medical school.
-
Why do I want to become a doctor?
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Describe my research and how I would solve the problem
-
What 'clicked' to make you want to do this?
-
Computers:Positive or Neative addition to society?
-
What are the two largest concers in healthcare today. How do you solve them ..
-
What brought you to medicine?
-
What would you do if a patient came to you wanting oxycontin?
-
What are 2 issues that face medicine today?
-
What do you know about health care today?
-
Tell me about.....(something on my application).
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Why are you taking time off/what are you up to this year? How do you think your activities during your time off will prepare you for med school?
-
What do you think about Managed Care and how you would improve it.
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What are your views on managed care?
-
How did you come to the decision to apply to medical school after going to graduate school?
-
Research, family, Why medicine
-
Do you have any medically-related extracurricular activities?
-
What is the biggest problem facing healthcare today?
-
What do you like to do in your free time?
-
I was asked to discuss my research experience and why I switched labs
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Tell me about your activities.
-
Were you pushed into medicine by your parents?
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How would you solve the problem of the large population without health insurance?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School discussed a wide range of topics including healthcare system improvements, qualifications for becoming a doctor, addressing social determinants of health, personal motivations for medicine, moral dilemmas, family influences, and healthcare reform. The interview format may have been MMI, as some responses alluded to nondisclosure agreements, while other common themes centered on ethical scenarios, healthcare challenges, and personal attributes relevant to medical practice.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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If you could fix something about the healthcare system what would it be
-
Why do you think you are qualified to become a doctor?
-
How will you address social determinants of health as a doctor?
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Nothing was too interesting
-
Asking about a specific social event they have and how it parallels my experience in college
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How does your mom feel about you doing medicine?
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What would you do if you couldn't become a doctor
-
What does your father do for a living? Your Mother?
-
Tell me about your family
-
Tell me how you feel about the single payer healthcare system
-
How should we deal with physicians who are no longer competent to practice (as a result of mental illness, substance addictions, or otherwise)?
-
None
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They were all very straightforward.
-
What is a moral dilemma that you have had to overcome?
-
What else would you have done if you weren't working this year?
-
What are your hobbies
-
What was one thing you would change about your past/record? (I'm a non-traditional with a tainting first semester of undergrad)
-
Healthcare Reform
-
What do you think you would be doing if you had stayed in your country of birth?
-
If you were going to build the ideal doctor's personality, what would you include? What if that doctor was managing other doctors?
-
What have other physicians told you about being a doctor?
-
Had quite a few questions ethics. I find medical ethics particularly interesting, but maybe that's just me...
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How can we reduce malpractice? (it's a piggy back on me talking about how malpractice is a huge part of medical costs right now)
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Are you really really sure about medicine
-
Would you make house calls?
-
The questions were all pretty standard.
-
All usual
-
All pretty standard
-
What would you do if you couldn't fix a problem with a patient? (student interview question)
-
Nothing was really a surprise.
-
Since it was the day after the election, we talked a lot about Obama's health care plan and what it meant for the future of medicine in America
-
What do you know about the healthcare crisis?
-
Do you like Chinese food?
-
What are the side-effects of Gardasil?
-
You say you are Hispanic, but your last name is Asian. What happened there? (She actually said the question in Spanish)
-
What do you like to read?
-
Compare and contrast the healthcare system of some country you may be familiar with with the one in the U.S.
-
How did you feel about <certain incident> described in your personal statement.
-
None. The interviewer read questions off a list.
-
How do you write?
-
Nothing interesting, basic interview questions
-
How would you help medically indigent individuals?
-
Nothing too out of the ordinary, just basic interview questions. Maybe why did you decided to take off 2 years before medical school (not really interesting but...)
-
What are 2 major issues in healthcare today?
-
So how is the nightlife in your area?
-
Nothing really
-
I talked about working in a clinic where the patients spoke a language that I did not. He asked how I thought the patients felt.
-
My personal stance on US healthcare system.
-
Do you think you would make a good doctor?
-
How do you cope with stress, and separating everyday stress from your studies and schooling?
-
What skills from my previous experiences will help me in medicine
-
What case have you seen that most interested you?
-
A case-profile of a admitted cancer patient and the attending's ethical breach was presented, I was asked to respond as the resident...what I would do both in the interest of the young patient and that of medical ethics.
-
If my mom needs open-heart surgery should government-sponsored health care cover it?
-
What do you think you can bring to the Doctor-Patient interactin. (Basically, whats your personality like)
-
What do you like to do for fun?
-
What do you think needs to be done to solve the US healthcare system's problems?
-
No questions that were particularly thought provoking, they were pretty generic
-
Does medicine often fall victim to ''invention is the mother of necessity?''
-
If there was one thing you would bring from Zambia (my country or birth), what would it be?
-
How do you think you will deal with the type of patients usually seen here? (urban, low socio-economic standing, uneducated)
-
The future of health care reform/possibility of universal health care in the US
-
If you weren't interviewing here today and had 24 hours free to do whatever you like, what would you do?
-
What do your parents think about your applying to Medical school
-
Were you surprised you were invited for an interview? Why do you think so?
-
How I got into Hopkins with a 1400 SAT score.
-
What are a physicians expectations for treating the uninsured?
-
If you were dictator of the United States, what would you do with the healthcare system?
-
If you were able to change the healthcare system in the United States in order to deliver healthcare to everyone, how would you do it?
-
Tell me about *** experience.
-
If you were the sole person in charge of the American health care system, what would you do to change it?
-
It was all good... I dunno about interesting.. Asked me some random bio question?
-
What are some of your hobbies?
-
What do you think of the conflict between China and Taiwan? (I'm Chinese.)
-
We talked about my major (kinesiology).
-
I was not really asked questions. The only thing I was asked was tell me about yourself, which I did. He asked me to expand on one research experience which I did. He then talked for the next 50 minutes about how great Newark was.
-
Where do you see yourself practicing medicine?
-
What do you think about providing medical care to the underserved medical community?
-
I honestly cannot remember a single question I was asked.
-
What do you think is the highest goal for a physician?
-
How should a physician deal with the problems of obesity and smoking?
-
What kind of medicine I would like to practice and why I chose that field.
-
He asked what I did when I wasn't doing anything medically-related. Not incredibly interesting, but it was a rather ho-hum interview anyway.
-
Tell me what you think about the US Healthcare system.
-
How is it working at a religious medical school? (I do research at a Seventh Day Adventist school)
-
None really
-
What's your nickname (I have a rather difficult and rare name)
-
What have you learned about physicians from working at a pharmacy?
-
Tell me the most interesting thing about you.
-
How would your friends describe you
-
Would you spend more time with your patients even if you were under time constraints
-
How would your friends (others) describe you?
-
Did you know what the average science GPA is for african-american students?
-
If you were placed in front of the admissions committee right now, what will you tell them to convince them to accept you.
-
We talked about football for a while, that was interesting.
-
Tell me about your Criminology class.
-
I was not asked anything too interesting, it was mostly conversational.
-
How do you feel about HMO's?
-
What makes you tick?
-
How do we deal with pts who are not willing to come to doctor? Beyond educating patients, what else can be done?
-
Do you know what kind of bacteria causes the bubonic plague? have you ever played a musical instrument? what foreign countries have you been to? tell me about all of these "behavioral" classes you have taken.
-
What are your favorite TV shows?
-
How do you feel about working with underserved populations?
-
What do you see as a problem in health care today
-
Where did you go to high school? (who really cares?)
-
Would you spend over 15 minutes with each patient even thought this puts you in conflict with MCOs that dictated this time limit?
-
Tell me about your research.
-
What drives you to get up in the morning besides medicine and research?
-
What is the most important quality for a physician to have?
-
Why did I take World Mythology and what I learned in that class? (just came up in a conversation...not really an official question)
-
Nothing really..
-
How would you feel about treating patients in a largely urban environment where the bulk of the patients are minorities? (I didn't know what the interviewer was looking for because I happen to be a minority and he could obviously see that)
-
Explain about this paper you wrote (from my amcas application)
-
Tell me what you know about US healthcare?
-
If you could change anything, what would it be? (this question was applicable to anything in one's life, not just academic)
-
What sports teams I like.
-
How do you know you want to be a doctor?
-
Should immigrant workers that are documented have the right to healthcare here in the states?
-
How do you plan to reach the poor and the medically indigent?
-
Do you know anything about the history of medicine? Was also asked if I was a Yankees fan. (not so much an interesting question, but certainly odd)
-
If you were standing in front of the admissions committe what would you say?
-
Do you realize all the
-
Did you apply to the University of Cincinatti? Why not?
-
If someone was in college, what kind of major would you reccommend in preparation for medical school? Would you reccommend a social sciences/humanities major, pure science, or engineering like yours (BME) and why?
-
If you didn't become a doctor, what would you do?
-
What do you do for fun?
-
Why did you choose the saxaphone? ( it never occurred to me why i chose it and so I had to think for a second.)
-
Why does the United States have a deficit? (since I am an economics major)
-
What would you like your legacy to be?
-
Just asked me about my application, but nothing really interesting.
-
What do I think about the separation of church and state on a national and international level?
-
What kind of books do you read?
-
How will your best friend describe you?
-
Nothing too interesting
-
Why did you leave Hawaii to go to college in New Hampshire (Dartmouth)? why did you choose Columbia to complete your post-bacc pre-med requirements?
-
No one question in particular. I thought the whole interview was a pretty good conversation from start to finish
-
None. All were standard questions
-
What surprised you about America's criminal justice system after taking criminal justice this semester?
-
Hypothetical situation: how would you handle an uncompliant patient?
-
You've diagnosed me with the disease you're studying (I work in a clinical lab). What do you tell me? I started to stumble on this one, so I deferred to the interviewer which started an interesting conversation on what people do tell patients who have new diagnoses.
-
Policy about insurance fraud
-
How I planned to balance having a family and a career as a doctor?
-
4 years ago, you were picking colleges and you decided on X. What has surprised you or made you happy that you went there?
-
What do you think of socialized medicine?
-
Why did you study German?
-
Why do you want to go to NJMS?
-
If I (interviewer) asked your friends "What are some of your least favorite characteristics about Daniel (me)?", what would they say?
-
About my research papers.
-
As a minority, how would you give back to your people if you were to become a physician?
-
Describe how you are a pioneer and a leader.
-
What would you like the admission committee to know about you?
-
What do you think is the solution to lowering the number of individuals who do not seek medical care?
-
What are your hobbies?
-
The interview was great, very laid back, and my evaluator was filling in for someone, although she was on the adcom. She asked very few structured questions, and focused directly on specific things in my application that she wanted clarified. Overall, a great experience.
-
What will be the two major issues affecting health care in the next five years?
-
How can you go to medical school and also ensure that your children are adequately cared for?
-
How to change the health care system and what to do with the increasing amount of malpractice suits.
-
What do you do in your free time?
-
What do you think about the mounting uninsured population in the United States? As a physician, what would you do for these people?
-
Being asian, did your parents force you into medicine?
-
How do feel about managed care
-
Tell me about yourself. Interviewer went in depth asking about background, childhood, high school, and college experiences.
-
How do you believe computers influence and help medicine today?
-
Why is your last name different than your Dad's, though it's the same as your mom's, yet ur parents are married...
-
It was pretty by-the-numbers. Why do you want to be a doctor, why did you make the decision to change careers, how will you handle being in med school with a husband.
-
What would you do for a terminally ill patient, who had lost consciousness and had no hope for recovery if 1. she had asked to be kept alive 2. she left no directives, but her family wanted her kept alive
-
All questions were about extracurriculars and pretty much just asked to further explain what was on amcas. nothing too dificult.
-
How do you feel about healthcare in America?
-
How did you know you wanted to be a neuroscience major?
-
Do you know how much tuition is for this school?
-
What do you think about today's economics and healthcare (insurance problems, etc), and how will you deal with uninsured and illegal patients?
-
If you were trying to open a medical practice in an urban area as Newark, how will you attract patients, and teach them about preventive medicine, regular checkups because here they tend to not trust doctors and wait until last minute when the problems become worse?
-
Why did you switch your major? What specifically did you not like about it?
-
Nothing, she asked the same old questions, then grilled me to the ground.
-
All the questions were pretty interesting.
-
Nothing interesting
-
I was asked what skills/qualities I possessed in terms of wanting to be a doctor and to give examples of things I have done to examplify them.
-
What is the biggest healthcare issue you see in the next 5 years?
-
If I were a boating captain in charge of transporting oil across seas, what measures what I use to prevent an oil spill from occuring in the ocean?? (Based on this Environmental Disasters class I had)
-
None was overly interesting.
-
What will you do if you don't get in this year? (I had just been accepted 2 days prior and actually forgot this fact until after I answered, so to me this was really funny knowing that I don't actually have to "work harder and try again next year")
-
Describe yourself using as many one word adjectives as you would like.
-
What's your favorite movie?
-
If there is one think you would like to change form the past, what would it be?
-
Nothing too difficult, just standard questions
-
Why did you choose your undergraduate institution?
-
None, my interviewer forgot she was supposed to be on rounds and had to cut the interview short. Questions were very basic: Tell me about yourself, tell me about your family, grade explanation, and that was all.
-
The doctor asked many ethical questions...she gave me multiple cases that had come up in front of the ethics board at the hospital and I had to tell her what I would do in those cases.
-
Why did Abraham choose Isaac and not Ismael, and where was Sara during all of this? (in reference to a philosophy class I took!)
-
Ethical questions that were based on real life situations my interviewer had encountered as a physician
-
In your medical practice, how would you address patients that want to take herbal remedies for their ailments?
-
What was your opinion on HMO's and healthcare today?
-
Do you think you would just do research once getting an MD/PhD like many people with that degree do?
-
Which do you think was your most problematic course?
-
Where do you think medicine (any aspect of it, clinical, research, etc.)is going in 5 years?
-
Nothing really interesting. Asked about research and grades.
-
What the most important problem in healthcare for society, and what is it from your point of view?
-
As a female, how would I cope with a family and career?
-
Do you think it's fair for a 60 yr old male to be denied surgery by its insurance company due to his age?
-
Nothing "interesting." Standard interview questions.
-
What would you do if you don't get into med school this year?
-
Why would you still want to go into medicine, since your father is an MD and you know all the problems in the system right now?
-
What was your childhood like?
-
What do you want to be when you grow up?
-
Give me 2 pressing issues in medicine today.
-
What would you do if a patient came to you wanting oxycontin?
-
How would I educate a population to be more proactive about their health?
-
There are 3 types of successful medical students - ones who have amazing memories, ones who work extremely hard, and ones who have an amazingly strong science background. Under which category do you fall? (This was from the med student interviewer)
-
Bioethics case scenario
-
Tell me why you should be accepted to this school.
-
How would you deal with a patient population that is largely poor and uninsured?
-
Disadvantages with current health care system, how affects doctors and has this discouraged you?
-
How did you manage your time between academics and extracurriculars in college?
-
Nothing too interesting...just standard questions about my application, academic record, activities, about my research...etc.
-
What are your thoughts on the present condition of managed care in the US?
-
What is my opinionon managed care?
-
What is the meaning of your name?
-
What should we do with the non/underinsured?
-
How should we deal with those people who can not afford healthcare? Do they deserve it and how should we provide for them?
-
Why do you like research?
-
How would you begin to solve the problem of the large population without health insurance.
-
None really - just very specific to my application. You could tell the researcher had done his homework to find out additional information about my activities.
-
Tell me about this college class you took in high school? What?
-
Basic stuff about my activities, jobs, research...
-
None. just general questions about my application, activities, etc.
-
How would you advise a fellow student who wanted to find a research position? (she's a PhD and even tried to convince me to go into MD/PhD)
-
Standard questions, nothing too interesting
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by practicing common questions, reviewing their personal statements, researching the school website, and staying current on healthcare and ethical issues. They also utilized resources such as SDN, mock interviews, and discussions with current medical students to enhance their preparation.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
Practice/mock, practice in front of mirror
-
SDN questions
-
I made sure to know my personal statement and activity list very well.
-
Random question generator
-
Practice with parents/friends
-
Online research
-
Read the school website, read the responses here, browse Reddit. practice answers to the common questions with friends.
-
Read school website, preparing to be confident
-
Reviewed the school's website. Make sure you understand their mission statement.
-
SDN interview feedback, youtube channels on how to prepare for interview questions
-
SDN, school site, review primary and secondary applications.
-
Reviewed AMCAS, secondary essays, looked up NJMS
-
Reviewed my research, thought carefully about answers to common interview questions
-
Mock interview with premed adviser, prepared answers to most common questions seen on SDN
-
Student Doctor Interview feedback, reviewing my secondary essays, and the school website.
-
Review basic interview questions. They were all asked.
-
Read about ethics, health care reform (neither of which was talked about)
-
As a non-traditional I have a longer path to this point so I diagramed it, and thought about key points for each time period that I definitely wanted the person to know.
-
Read up on current info about healthcare reform, read over primary and secondary applications
-
Sdn, school website
-
Read interview feedback, practice with a friend going into a healthcare profession, rehearsed responses to common questions.
-
Briefly looked over the admissions website, reviewed my research.
-
Mock interview(s), SDN, AMCAS app, practice in front of friends. Talking to random strangers and gaining confidence talking to strangers.
-
Research on the internet, especially health care reform news and the AMA website. Practiced interview questions.
-
School's website, SDN.
-
This site, staying current with the news and health care reform (via CNN and NYTimes), brushing up on medical ethics, reviewing AMCAS and school's website
-
SDN, reviewed amcas app, look at school website
-
SDN, school website, primary, newspaper
-
SDN, school's website, reviewed AMCAS and secondary apps.
-
Read website, SDN feedback
-
SDN, MSAR, nytimes.com for the current events of the health insurance debacle, my AMCAS application.
-
SDN, Healthcare books, school website
-
SDN, MSAR, school website
-
SDN, school website, healthcare reading on wikipedia
-
SDN interview feedback, UMDNJ website, briefly read over US, England, and Canada health care policies
-
Mock interview, SDN
-
SDN Feedback...interviewer pretty much asked the exact questions that others previously listed
-
SDN, School Website, my file
-
Secondary application, school website, SDN
-
SDN
-
AMCAS application, SDN, read up on healthcare in US.
-
Didn't.
-
SDN, MSAR, school website, Obama's and McCain's website for health care plan.
-
Schoo wb, sdn, amcas
-
SDN, school website, went over applications
-
Read sdn, talked to people in the school about it, wikipedia about healthcare
-
Looked at NJMS website, SDN, personal statement, reviewed medical ethics information.
-
SDN, amcas app, school website
-
SDN, practicing interview questions with family/friends
-
Read healthcare books, medical school interview books, SDN, practice in front of mirror
-
SDN, mock interviews
-
SDN, Website, Healthcare book
-
SDN feedback, used Barron's Guide and went through the sample questions, researched the school website, talked to a friend who goes there
-
1 or 2 mock interviews with admissions counselors that I knew. I read the first section of the Wall Street Journal the 5 business days before the interview. Reviewed the website and asked anyone I knew that was related to the school questions.
-
Mock interview, research school
-
Looked over current events, browsed the school website, my AMCAS application and went through the interview feedback on student doctor
-
Compiled all my personal stories, read up on healthcare, ethics, news...
-
Read SDN, application, State of the Union, NJMS web site
-
Reviewed app + SDN
-
SDN, questions from other interviews, studied up on general working of healthcare system.
-
SDN, AMCAS, online practice questions
-
SDN, AMCAS application, school website
-
SDN, health politics, internship logs, and brochure
-
A review of my own performance and the school's interest...this was my second interview at the school this year.
-
Med school interview guidebooks, SDN, AMCAS, school website
-
Re-read AMCAS and essays, check out school wesbite, also went on the tour before my interview (highly suggested)
-
SDN, MSAR, school's website
-
Read the website, AMSAR
-
SDN feedback to review questions
-
SDN reviews, website, practice
-
SDN, AMCAS application
-
SDN, researched health care on the internet, school website.
-
Mock interview, looked over prep Q's from my school's careers office, a little bit of review of my research (I had a hard time finding info about the school's curriculum but luckily they handed me an informative packet while I waited in the AM)
-
SDN, School website, personal statement
-
SDN, Website
-
Studentdoctor, website
-
SDN, read brochure, dean's letter, NJMS stats for 2005
-
SDN and AMCAS
-
Looked at website, read brochure, practiced basic question answers
-
SDN, read a couple magazine articles
-
SDN, school website, read up on current issues, went to interview prep workshop
-
Experience, school's website
-
SND, read over AMCAS, looked at school website
-
Student doctor net, school website
-
Read SDN feedback, looked at school's website.
-
Reread amcas, school website, student doctor, read on managed health care in the US, and universal healthcare
-
SDN, read the school website, looked over AMCAS.
-
Tried to relax, reread amcas, read up on school website
-
SDN, read up on HMOs, etc...
-
SDN, AMCAS and googled some other interview questions
-
AMCAS, SDN, school website
-
Other interviews, SDN, mock interviews, relaxation
-
SDN, my AMCAS app
-
SDN, talking with my mentor (neonatologist)
-
SDN website, reviewed my research papers, reviewed AMCAS information
-
Read my AMCAS, school's website, talked with my cousin who graduated from NJMS.
-
SDN, Websites related to US Hlthcare, AMCAS primary, school web site
-
Read studentdoctor feedback, talked to others who had interviews, researched possible questions online
-
SDN; other interviews; read current ethical issues
-
School website, SDN always
-
Spoke to people who had been interviewed there, sdn, and website
-
Read of my AMCAS, read the school's website extensively, researched healthcare issues/opinions/etc, thought about strengths and weaknesses, why I wanted to be a doctor (which was asked as well), and I chose reasons why I liked NJMS. Prepare for the interview, but don't over-prepare because it was not a stressful process.
-
Website, application, AMCAS
-
This website, read code of ethics from AMA website but I didnot have any questions on ethics
-
SDN, mock interview, previous interviews
-
This website, the schools website, and mock interviews
-
SDN, AMCAS, and kept calm
-
Read school's website
-
SDN, Re-read primary and secondary
-
SDN, reviewed my research literature, and read school's website.
-
Read questions from SDN (This is key, most of my questions they asked, I already knew). Reviewed school website, looked up current eventsl.
-
Current events, articles about our health care system, NJmed website, this site
-
Studentdoctor.net, NJMS website, help from my peers
-
This website, mock interviews, reading the school's website
-
Had a few mock interviews and read the brochure on the school.
-
Studentdoctor.net, school website
-
SDN, Mock interview, read over the school's website
-
Read feedback on SDN, mock interviews at my undergrad school, read articles, talked to current medical students
-
SDN, website, health care reform books/articles, current events
-
Mock interview, Read their brochure, looked at this website.
-
SDN, read some articles on some of the current issues (Terry Schiavo, etc...), read over my AMCAS app, school website
-
SDN, went over my personal statement, read the website
-
SDN website, the UMDNJ website, mock interview and went over my personal statement.
-
Looked over my amcas, read their website
-
SDN, mock interviews, books, magazines, newspapers, internet
-
SDN, UMDNJ's website, talked to friends that had previously applied
-
Student doctor but it was of no use since he didnt ask me anything difficult.
-
This was my first interview. SDN, amcas, internet sources, research paper
-
Read SDN and school's website
-
SDN, NJMS website, Internet-healthcare issues, my friend who is a NJMS medical student
-
Studentdoctor.net, NJMS website, researched info on current health issues, moch interview
-
Sdn, mock interview
-
Talked to students who attend the school, and faculty who have graduated from or teach at the school. MSAR was of limited help, the school website was more helpfull. The tour (before the interview) was the most imformative and gave me alot to talk about during the interview.
-
Student doctor, read on healthcare, and school website
-
Looked over the medical school website, researched on heatlhcare issues, briefly reviewed my ps
-
I watched the presidential and vice-presidential debates reviewed the University of Washington's bioethics page.
-
SDN, read over application
-
Sdn, njms website, wall street journal
-
Web site, AMCAS application review, speak with faculty outside the adcom
-
Mock, reread AMCAS
-
SDN, website, mock interviews
-
This site, SDN, NJMS catalog, students who were interviwed here
-
Sdn, read health articles, NJMS site.
-
Read reviews on SDN & had friends and family interview me.
-
School brochures, internet.
-
SND, reviewed my AMCAS application
-
SDN, UMD website, talked to previous intervewees.
-
My application,school website and other students.
-
School website
-
SDN, school's brochure, talked to medical students
-
Had talking points for the majors (why medicine, why NJMS) and looked over the interview feedback for questions in the past. I got the impression they dont change their questions much and they didnt.
-
Amcas, school site, sdn
-
I read the MSAR and meditated (in that order) ;)
-
SDN, amcas, reviewed old research
-
I read this website, MSAR, and the school website.
-
Read AMCAS application and looked over the NJ Medical School website
-
Read AMCAS, researched website, read medical ethics material...
-
Student doctor network, talked to med students, read kaplans list of sample interview questions.
-
Read over school website, brushed up on some health care issues
-
Reading NJMS site, SDN
-
Reviewed AMCAS, reviewed NJMS application, reviewed interview feedback site, and SDN
-
Looked over the admissions brochure, reread amcas.
-
SDN, NJMS website
-
Read my application, went over my research in detail, practiced answering mock interview questions, read about medical and ethical issues, read the newspaper and caught up on worldly events.
-
This Website, sought the counsel of docotors I work with, read my AMCAS application.
-
UMDNJ's website, which is not very helpful.
-
This site, Advice from other physicians at the institution and others, Medical Ethics books
-
SDN. Reviewed NJMS brochure and website.
-
Re-read my AMCAS, talked with two friends that are first year md students, prayer, and thinking of what points I wanted to emphasize during my interview.
-
I put myself in the interviewer's shoes and made a list of questions I would ask if I were interviewing someone with my file, including the standards: why did you pick us, and why should we pick you. And I familiarized myself with recent UMDNJ news so as to be able to ask questions if the opportunity were offered.
-
Read interview feedback, discussed medical ethics with friends
-
Student Doctor, school website.
-
Read studentdoctor.net, spoke with current students
-
Read SDN and bioethics issue. Not much on the school is available on-line
-
This site, school web site
-
Read bunch of sample questions; went over healthcare and managed care issues; this site; and NJ Med site.
-
Recieved sample questions from a summer program at the school. Read up on managed care. Read Kaplan materials on the interview process.
-
The usual routine everyone says...
-
SDN, NJ Med brochure
-
Looked over AMCAS application and the brochure they sent me. I made sure I knew the names of the governor and senators, but they didn't ask. ;-)
-
Checked the 'net, SDN, viewbooks, spoke to 1st yrs. & other accepted students.
-
NJ Med brochure, my application, read up on current events, moral and ethical topics
-
Read SDN, reviewed amcas application, read about the school, read current healthcare issues
-
Read UMDNJ Website, read up on bioethical issues and current events
-
Looked over AMCAS, talked to doctors and friends, read school brochure and website, read SDN
-
Looked at schools website, feedback from this site
-
SDN interview feedback, school's website, AMCAS application.
-
Reviewed the school's web page, looked over informational packets, studentdoctor.net etc.
-
Read SDN comments, learned from experience of previous interviews
-
I'm very familiar with the school and the faculty so I wasn't too worried about that. I did read up on the school and some of the research that is currently being done at the school. I also talked to people who are currently enrolled in the school
-
SDN, interview feedback, mock interviews, advice from other medical students
-
I was relaxed and very confident that I could answer whatever question that came my way. I didn't do any great research.
-
Sdn, read over amcas
-
Kept up with current healthcare issues.
-
SDN forums, 1 mock interview, read through the school's catalog, read over my application and practiced practiced practiced.
-
SDN Website, UMDNJ website, AMCAS Application
-
Read SDN, my application, my research, school materials and website; contacted current student there who is a friend; thought of skeleton answers to potential questions.
-
This site, UMDNJ website, AMCAS
-
This website and theirs, mock interview, and kept up with current events.
-
SDN, school web site
-
Going over AMCAS, reading feedback on SDN, visited NJMS website, and read NJMS literature
-
Not at all
-
Read up on the school and current healthcare issues
-
SDN, school website and brochure
-
Read interview info from this website, www.bioethics.com, reread my applications and my research papers
-
School website, studentdoctor.net
-
UMDNJ website, SDN, looked over AMCAS application, read books about prominent healthcare issues, emerging medical technologies and ethical problems, focused on understanding issues relating to the indigent (NJMS is really big on serving the Newark population)
-
Reread my application, this website
-
Read bioethics.com, nih.gov (stem cells), UMDNJ website and NJMS brochure, AMCAS application
-
This website, catalogue, went over my applications and essays
-
SDN, Understanding Health Policy book, reread my AMCAS, reread my supplemental
-
Mock interviews, read the school website, SDN interview feedback
-
Read website, reviewed brochure, read application
-
UMDNJ brochure, an unfortunately one-sided book on healthcare, SDN
-
Read NJMS website, SDN
-
Interview feedback, current health issues
-
Read over student responses on SDN and asked a friend who goes there for advice.
-
School website, SDN website.
-
School website, current students
-
Relaxed and stared at the wall for a bit.
-
Mock interview and thought about responses to typical questions like, what is your greatest weakness, and what is your greatest strenght.
-
Read your amcas essay over, research school
-
MSAR, SDN Feedback, school catalog
-
Read the school's viewbook, website, MSAR, reviewed AMCAS
-
Read over interviewfeedback, 2 previous mock interviews, read my application, the school's web site and read the NY times.
-
Reading books about interviewing, practicing with family, researching school and health care websites
-
Read my personal statement, Med School Admission's Guide, Interview feedback on this site
-
Read this website, read the school's website, looked over my application.
-
Read the website, talked to students
-
Went on this website, read ny times health section, went on school's website
-
Read MSAR, Barron's Guide to Medical and Dental Schools, NJMS website
-
SDN, Read my Amcas and my publication
-
Read brochure, mock interviews, review AMCAS application, read up on ethical issues and managed care.
-
Read the brochure and reviewed my AMCAS application
-
Read the website
-
Reviewed AMCAS application, brochure, and http://njms.umdnj.edu
-
Read over the school's literature and web page.
-
Read secondary and AMCAS app., along with website
-
Read the brochure and looked over my AMCAS application.
-
Read over application, info about the school, current and medical events
-
Read through pamphlets, my AMCAS, interview questions, had mock interviews, and read this site.
-
I read interview feedback on this website, I read information from their website, I read my AMCAS application and I spent four hours driving around the nearby neighborhoods.
-
Read about the school online, went over my application
-
Read NJMS website, talked to students
-
Read over website and SDN interview responses, found common questions over the net
-
Went over common questions, website
-
Read over school's website, checked out interviewfeedback.com, looked at forums at sdn
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School discussed a wide range of topics including healthcare system improvements, leadership qualities, ethical dilemmas, medical discoveries, academic records, and healthcare reform. While some responses indicated a conversational and laid-back interview style, others highlighted specific inquiries related to MMI format, nondisclosure agreements, and questions about fixing the healthcare system.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
If you could fix something about the healthcare system what would it be
-
How can the American healthcare system improve?
-
What makes a good leader? Tell me about a project you built from the start
-
What is one positive and negative thing your mom/dad would say about you?
-
Weren't any difficult questions but my interviewed did tell me I was wrong after every answer, even after the why do you want to go here question
-
Why medicine for reasons stated below
-
Name one medical discovery from the last 5 years that has really impressed you
-
Tell me about an ethical dilemma
-
No difficult questions, he was pretty direct
-
How did you overcome your past and find confidence
-
Do you read any physician writers?
-
Healthcare policy question.
-
In 10 years, what do you want your patients to say about you?
-
What was the most difficult thing you did in life?
-
Explain your previous academic record
-
What specifically about being a physician, because my interviewer kept giving me examples of other careers that would also sort of encompass what I was saying.
-
Healthcare Reform
-
Can you tell me how the healthcare reform will affect doctors?
-
What 3 words would your friends use to describe you?
-
What do you think you'll be doing that is medically-related outside of work?
-
Give me an example of how math is applied to medical research.
-
The interview was very conversational and laid back. The interviewer wasn't trying to interrogate me or stump me. He just wanted to get an idea of what kind of a person I am and what kind of a physician I would become. The questions were not difficult, they were probing.
-
Tell me about health care and reform in the US. (was more open-ended than I expected)
-
What goals should a doctor have / what fields should a doctor explore (looks like he wanted to hear 1. clinician 2. research AND 3. teacher
-
How would you implement X health policy in the community? (Referring to my interest in public health.)
-
Again, the questions were all pretty standard.
-
All usual
-
All pretty easy
-
Why do your grades suck? (paraphrase)
-
If your parents were here, what would they say you need to improve on when you start medical school? (asked by student interviewer)
-
Can you tell me the differences in the socialized health care systems of Denmark vs. Great Britain? (in relation to my study abroad experience)
-
If a patient comes into your practice with no insurance, what do you do?
-
What is one area of medicine in which you'd like to see more work being done?
-
Tell me about yourself (and then he didn't say anything for the next 30 minutes...until I really ran out of stuff to say about myself)
-
What are the side-effects of Gardasil? (Because this has been a topic of contention recently) and What is wrong with healthcare?
-
Question 3
-
None
-
What do you think about the state of healthcare today?
-
Explain reason for some bad grades and why it won't happen once you are here.
-
Explain this discrepancy in your grades.
-
Tell me about yourself. (the question is not hard, but the interviewer seemed so bored that it came out of nowhere, and I couldnt figure out if what kind of answer she wanted: personality, where i grew up, intellect, etc)
-
Same - how do you write?
-
Nothing too difficult, asked about the basics (grades, family, interests, etc)
-
What do you know about the direction that medical insurance is moving in? (current issues)
-
Nothing really. Why do you want to study and work in this community (only difficult if you don't know about the area/community I think)
-
All about the same
-
How will you deal with living outside your home?
-
No difficult questions
-
What do you think of the healthcare delivery system?
-
Same as above.
-
How would you fix our current health care system to help the under and un-insured?
-
NONE...VERY LAID BACK
-
What is a specific example of your ability to handle a stress
-
Explain the heart transplant you saw.
-
If you had reason to believe your family ever showed serious concern over your decision-making capability, when would that be and why?
-
Describe the importance of ethics in medicine.
-
Same as the most interesting
-
Same.
-
What makes me think I can handle medicine?
-
Convince me that you're not going to hitchike out of here to a kibbutz, if we place our investment in you.
-
What do you think about the healthcare system in the US? What's good? What's bad? How would you improve it?
-
How do you think you will deal with the type of patients usually seen here? (urban, low socio-economic standing, uneducated)
-
See above; being grilled on most recent research projects (I was asked to clearly explain what I did, experimental design of the project, results, etc.)
-
If you weren't interviewing here today and had 24 hours free to do whatever you like, what would you do?
-
The interviewer just kept asking if I had any questions for her. There was nothing too specific or memorable.
-
What are the different forms of healthcare systems out there, what system does Britain use, what can be done to fix them?
-
Were you surprised you were invited for an interview? Why do you think so?
-
What was Hillary Clintons health care bill?
-
What are a physicians expectations for treating the uninsured?
-
What else would you like to know about New Jersey Medical School? (asked this repeatedly)
-
Tell me about the healthcare plan that Hilary Clinton had propsed when Bill Clinton was in office?
-
How would you fix healthcare? (for some reason I got stumped on this...)
-
See above
-
Random bio questions on my research
-
None. this was really a no-stress interview.
-
What was your biggest mistake?
-
There really weren't any hard questions, it was mainly just a conversation.
-
What do you think can be done for those without medical insurance?
-
How would you fix the problems with insurance companies in healthcare today?
-
I was only asked one question.
-
Nothing difficult. The closest one would be: Name three problems with healthcare and how would you fix them?
-
He didn't ask any difficult questions. I was surprised.
-
What do you think about HMOs
-
None of the questions were particularly difficult.
-
How should the healthcare problems in your hometown (uninsured, rural) be addressed?
-
Most minority men don't do regular check up doctor visits. How would u convince them that routine check up is important if they already have the mentality that it is difficult and expensive.
-
If you were the commissioner of the healthcare field, what would you do to change the impression that people have of doctors today?
-
Same
-
What do you think about the US healthcare system
-
Low MCAT question
-
Can you tell me about a problem within the US Health Care System? (something to that effect) - be prepared for a question like this; it will definitely be asked in one form or another. Also, the interviewer asked me about an inconsistency in one part of my grades -if you have some sort of inconsistency, be prepared, but more importantly, be honest and clear.
-
How would your friends describe you?
-
What do you think about HMOs and what will you do about it
-
No really difficult questions.
-
Explain the weakness in your application.
-
Nothing
-
What do you think about rising malpractice insurance rates?
-
What are three most significant problems in medicine today?
-
There were no questions that threw me for a loop.
-
1. What are 3 issues US healthcare is facing today?
-
How would you fix our health care system?
-
Why do I want to be a doctor and Why did you apply to NJMS?
-
You have pretty good grades, but tell me why you have a C in chemistry? Is that a hard subject for you? (taken during my first year of college)
-
What are two things that you see as a problem for practicing physicians
-
If you were a doctor and you had a lot of patients coming in to see you and none had health insurance what would you do?
-
What is your flaw?
-
What percentage of the GNP does healthcare represent in the United States? In Western Europe?
-
Strengths/weaknesses
-
Where have you demonstrated leadership as an undergraduate student (based off my LORs)?
-
My interviewer says she only asks one question for every interview: What's the biggest problem with healthcare in America today?
-
Again nothing I didn't expect
-
Thoughts on this scenario: You're driving and you see a car accident along the side of the highway. Do you stop to help the victims knowing you could be sued for malpractice? (Some people find that this question is easy to answer but it's hard to answer it not knowing what your interviewer will think of you afterwards)
-
Why is your writing sample score so low? What happened?
-
"Will your parents be mad if you dont get into medical school this year?" I rashly replied no since I have already been accepted at other schools. I had to cover my tail by telling him last year I applied and didnt get in and my parents told me to keep at my dream and dont give up.
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What is the biggest problem facing healthcare system
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None really.
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A patient comes in to the emergency room on some substance, pregnant, and HIV positive. She already has 4 kids who are cared for by her mother. She will not listen to you. She's loud, combative, and just wants to leave. What would you do?
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Why should we accept you?
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Why should we accept you? (along those lines)
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None, questions were mostly what I had expected
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What are some of your non-science experiences? (my mind drew blank when i realized that i've forgotten to review my resume and then i tried recalling as many as possible on the spot)
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How do you think that you will do in medical school? This question is tricky b/c if you say that you're going to smoke it, they'll think you're cocky, but obviously you can't say that you're going to struggle, either.
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Explain some grades, specific questions from my file, transcripts, etc.
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What do you think about the healthcare/insurance issues? Do you think HMOs help or hinder the healthcare field?
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Describe the biggest problem facing healthcare.
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Why does India have no EMS system? (since I am from India and I am an EMT)
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What is the greatest book? ( I sort of answered what my favorite book is, not necessarily the greatest.)
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None, but was very fixated on why my MCAT score was so low (it's only in the low 30s).
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If a sick woman came to you but did not have health insurance would you treat her?
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What would you do to improve health in a low-income urban area given your public health background?
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Where do you see the future of healthcare?
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How can the problem of lack of healtcare insurance for minorities can be solved? What can we do in terms of prevention?
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What do you envison for the future of healthcare?
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How would I feel about learning medicine in an urban medical envirnoment where the patient population was largely minorities that didnt take good care of themselves. Would I go into medicine if the system became socialized Explain my poor grades in my junior and senior years.
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The interview was really laid back, I wasn't asked any difficult questions. It was more of a conversation about my college career and extracurriculars.
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How would you solve the insurance crisis? I stumbled on this one, but now I feel more confident for future interviews. I guess if there were easy answers, there wouldn't be a crisis.
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How would I fix the problems facing health care today?
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Not really any difficult questions
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What do you think of socialized medicine?
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Why did you study German?
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Ditto above.
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Why did I want to go to NJMS.
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I was asked how I would deal with a patient who needed a surgery but didn't have insurance... when I said that, if the case was life threatening, I would do everything possible (i.e. look for charity or corporate sponsors), the interview asked how I would deal with the global strain on tax payers by taking on a case like this... I think I answered okay though.
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What do you think is the biggest problem facing medicine today and how would you go about fixing it?
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What will you do should you be rejected to all schools? (While the question itself was not difficult, answering it correctly was a bit challenging. I found it a lose-lose kind of question. If I said that I wasn't go to stop until I was accepted, I might appear to be a dreamer. However, if I offered an alternate career path, the interviewer might misconstrue this as having a lack of committment to the field of medicine).
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If you were practicing here at UMDNJ, What kind of research project would you come up with? How would you go about it? ( I have a lot of research experience)
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N/A
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As a re-applicant, what have you done in the recent year to improve your application and why have you not taken any additional coursework?
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How do are you a scholor
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Some medical scenario questions regarding a woman having Huntington's disease (dominant disease) and she has 2 children (aged 31 and 29) and she doesn't want to tell them that she has the disease because there is a 50% chance that either of them have the disease. What do you do?
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How would you, as a doctor, deal with the growing unmber of uninsured Americans?
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Please see above
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What do you think of preventive medicine? (threw me off balance)
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How do you feel about HMO's and managed care, I didn't know how to answer these questions
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What do you think will effect physicians ability to treat patients in the future?
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What will you as a doctor, personally bring to the field of medicine?
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What did u learn from ur volunteering (like she kept asking over and over)...
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As above, nothing really difficult. Because I'm a non-trad with an extensive work history, we spent most of the time going over my CV, and I would tell her about various parts.
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One of the hypothetical medical situations she gave me.
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If you were granted acceptance at the end of your interview day, and you had to make a decision right then, would you come here?
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Same as above
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How will you balance your family with your career as a physician?
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Where is the medical field going? How will you change it? How do you think professors should change their teaching styles with these changes? And do you see any problems that medicine will face?
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A question about HMO's
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I was given a scenario where a patient had terminal cancer and was in severe pain. It a physician assistant suicide issue and I had to state my stand.
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Above?
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How do I feel about caring for an indigent population?
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Nothing difficult in the slightest bit. Mostly a conversational interview...likes/dislikes, hobbies, etc.
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If there is one think you would like to change form the past, what would it be?
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Just standard questions
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If I talked to your friends, what would they say are your strenghts? and your weaknesses?
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Explain some of your poor grades.
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The ethical questions.
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How do I expect to make a living during the health care crisis?
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What was my greatest failure in life?
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Nothing really difficult
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Where cloning research was done, differences between US and Canada health systems
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Same question
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Only typical questions
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I know what you liked about working in a clinical setting, what didn't you like?
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See above... I gave a really stupid answer for the "my point of view" one
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About my MCAT scores (were not that great)
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DO you think that a doctor can earn their patients trust in the short amount of time spent with each patient?
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None.
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How do you plan on motivating a community of people who does not attempt to get health care to do so?
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Nothing really
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None really mostly about myself.
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Why did you switch your undergraduate major? Are you an indecisive person? (This was from the faculty interviewer)
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What would you do about the problem with the uninsured?
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Why not more volunteering experiences? (this was a weakness on my application, the lack of clinical experience)
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None really
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None...only non-personal question he asked was about my opionion on managed care.
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Why would you make a good doctor?
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Ditto.
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Nothing too difficult either
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Above
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None of the questions were very difficult.
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Nothing too challenging
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What will you bring to the program (in light of my low scores), and any final things to add?
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Describe the research you did as an undergraduate (I did very technical research which is hard to describe without pictures, next time I will take some pictures with me).
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How do you feel about the problem of the uninsured? (but not too difficult b/c that question was expected.)
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were most impressed by the friendliness and enthusiasm of the staff, students, and faculty at the school. They appreciated the emphasis on early clinical exposure, the supportive and non-competitive environment, and the sense of community and diversity within the student body. Suggestions and feedback included the importance of maintaining this positive atmosphere, continuing to offer strong clinical experiences, and further highlighting the school's commitment to service and community engagement.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Nothing was special about the interview
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It was nice to have a 1 on 1 interview and I thought they were friendly when I asked questions about the school.
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Once the interview got going, we were very friendly
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Humanism at NJMS
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Very laid back interviewer
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Everyone there was super supportive and made it seem like such a great community for med school.
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Student host was down to earth
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The enthusiasm of EVERYONE, faculty and students, about going there.
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The friendliness of the staff. How affable my interviewer was
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The students were awesome. Warm, friendly, welcoming. Everyone was excited to be there and to meet the interviewees.
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Honestly, nothing.
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The tour, lunch with the admissions committee
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Very honest interviewer who was candid about what he liked -- and didn't like -- about the school. Overall he loved the school for good reasons, but I didn't feel like he was hiding anything.
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The interviewer was very engaging and asked excellent questions.
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The staff are very friendly
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Clinical Experience
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Everything. Newark is so close to NYC and has great transit and UMDNJ/Rutgers has a great shuttle bus. I'm from NYC, and not needing a car is VERY important to me.
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Admissions office and interviewer were extremely nice and casual.
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The interviewer and tour guides
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Student's attitude.
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The access to clinical experience. Student-run clinic overseen by attendings. Friendly students, favorable test averages on national exams.
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The friendliness of the staff and the interviewer. How the whole medical/dental/nursing/etc... campus is united.
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The admissions office was very nice and inviting. My student interviewer was excellent and engaged me in great conversation about my motivation for medicine. I enjoyed talking with the other applicants and the NJMS students running the tour.
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The school's commitment to service. The politeness and respectfulness displayed by the interviewer.
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I kind of liked that all the buildings were connected. Also, they seem very focused on and proud of their anatomy success on exams. Very committed to the community. Very early and in-depth patient exposure that truly puts their grads a few steps ahead for residency.
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Friendly people there (even people who didn't know I was there for interviews). The campus itself isn't so bad.
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Lunch, the hospital, the tuition price
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The variety of medical experiences at the hospital, the friendliness of cooperativeness of the student body.
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Trauma Center
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The facilities look refurbished, clinical experience possible starting in the 1st year, housing close to the school.
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Early clinical experience, friendly staff and students, amount of EC available
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Emphasis on diversity and serving the underserved, responsibility given to students
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The students
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Strong emphasis on clinical work in first two years, excellent volunteering opportunities (and rewards to students who participate), students seemed happy and cooperative
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In-state tuition
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The school and professors seem to go above and beyond to allow you to succeed
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Problem-based course, interdisciplinary courses, new labs, connected campus buildings, low-stress interview
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The students, the facilities
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They took us on a tour through the hospital and we even got to see the ER!
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The admissions office were very friendly, and helpful. The school is known to really prepare the students clinically, and these students go on to do very well in residencies. Everyone seems pretty happy.
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The humanistic approach of the school.
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The clinical exposure students received from day one.
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The interview was fairly informal, and my interviewer was very well-prepared for it - we spent most of the time just talking about various things. Conversation mostly carried itself. Student tour guides were good, made sure they answered all our questions.
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How easy going and understanding the interviewer was; how happy all the students seem; nice buildings for the medical school and the surrounding areas.
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The faculty, staff and students were very friendly. There were a lot of students around because of poster display and they were welcoming and helpful.
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Tour guides loved their school, and knew all the students we passed in the halls. They stressed multiple times that it is a non-competitive environment. Made me feel like they genuinely felt at home there. Would seriously consider going here if accepted.
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The involvement with the community - dedication and commitment to giving back, helping indigent patients
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Saw the anatomy lab, cadaver. Laid back and caring atmosphere...the students were really close with each other.
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The dedication to serving the poor and underserved
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The focus that the school has on community service.
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Students seemed very happy
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Strong clinical exposure from 1st day of class. Student run clinic.
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I was highly impressed by the amount of clinical experience you will get early on in your medical school career. I have been to interviews in many other schools and the university hospital will give you the best clinical experience. The things you will see in this hospital will prepare you for any residency. Also, there are new apartments ready for next year and they are right next to the school.
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The students were happy about the school.
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The interviewer...we both had gone to governor's school and competed in forensics...he was very reasonable and candid, didn't try to hide anythign about the corruption scandal and gave a lot of sound advice about getting my undergrad research published
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Friendly interviewer and tour guide, supposedly less competitive
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My interviewer was very personable and interesting to talk to.
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All of the students seemed happy to be there and were friendly and helpful. Clinical experience starting the first week. Amazing clinical experience opportunites and electives. I thought the online reference materials were a nice touch. Super nice admissions staff.
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NJMS's administration is very responsive to student's needs.
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The enthusiasm of the students, the emphasis on clinical experience
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Admissions staff were kind and the interviewer offered me a tour.
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The professionalism, the candor, and the ethical quiz.
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Hospital attached, clinical opportunities right away in first year
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After reading SDN comments on the school I was worried, but all in all it was a pretty cool place. Very community oriented, facilities are NOT as bad as SDN members make it sound, also Newark has such a diverse patient population, major plus for me.
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How nice the staff and students were
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New curriculum, engaged students, Humanism in medicine program
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The staff is very friendly and the students seem happy (At least the ones I know that go there)
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The enthusiasm and friendliness of the students, the overwhelming number of early clinical opportunities, the faculty.
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Friendly interviewer
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The tour guide was SUPER enthusiastic and it seemed like the students were laid back and friendly/happy.
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Curriculum's emphasis on cultural competency; students very friendly and laid-back
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The admissions staff was very helpful and friendly
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Great facilities all connect to each other, lots of clinical contact
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Curriculum and third and fourth year resources, ER, low student to cadaver ratio
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The emphasis on clinical training at the beginning of school
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The tour guide was super cool and really peppy, brand new dorms, top trauma center
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Emphasis on early clinical care. The ER and trauma opportunities.
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Facilities were great, and everyone was really friendly.
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The students all seemed really happy to be there, and very pleased with the school in general.
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Great clinical contact (esp from state trauma center), exposure to patients from Day 1, remodeled curriculum (less lecture, more PBL, anatomy entirely taught in lab)
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All the students seem to like the school and like where they are and what they are doing
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I think my interview went reallllly well. She seemed really impressed with everything I did/said....!!!! Also, great clinical practice
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Everyone was so friendly, my interviewer was freaking cool and we hit it off.
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The admissions office staff was very friendly, as were the students.
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Everyone was really nice, getting to see the anatomy lab was cool.
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How happy the studnet body seemed, the accesability of professors, and the fact that the school is attached to both the hospital and graduate school
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The interviewer had a genuine interest in my desire to become a doctor.
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Students seemed happy and like the school. I liked that everything in the school was connected.
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All of the students are so happy
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How positive and involved the students were (there was an activities fair and many students were present).
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The university is like a small town. There is a lot of action in the hospital since University Hosp. is a trauma 1 center. The hospital, school and apartment building are directly connected.
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The nature of the students, the enthusiasm of the staff, being able to go into the anatomy lab (the only school that I have interviewed at the allowed us to see a cadaver)...etc
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The students are very enthusiastic, and rather than hostile competition, camaraderie seems to be the norm here. The tour guides were very informative and enjoyed the clinical experience afforded first- and second-year students.
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How integrated the med school is with the university hospital, which is bascially right next door. Also, students seems very comforatble with each other. seemed like a tight group.
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The school is very much devoted to caring service as a professional and early clinical experience.
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Enthusiasm of the students and close-knit atmosphere, immediate involvement with patients, location (helping people who really need it), faculty was very friendly and helpful
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Interview was well cordinated and it started almost on time.
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How faculty seemed to be interested in students progress and give an open ear to students complaints and concerns.
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How relaxed the interview was, i was so nervous but the interviewer told me to relax and made me feel very comfortable
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The clinical training is second-to-none. Training at a Level 1 Trauma Center in Newark, N.J. will prepare you for anything.
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Busy trauma center
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Friendliness of staff everyone had a welcoming attitude
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What truly impressed me about this school was the extensive growth that seemed to be going on (as we speak), and the growth that had occurred over only the past few years. Also, University Hospital is such a dynamic place with a trauma center (we were told that the TLC program about trauma/er has been filled there several times), and many other important centers. There is a new cancer center that will open soon, a new ambulatory center, a new student apartment building, more parking, more and more research funding, etc. The student tour guides were great; they were very funny, seemed content with their choice, and answered any questions we had. Plus, it seemed that most of the students new each other very well; its not a pass/fail system, but the students told us that everyone tries to help each other and the system does not make thing competitive. Finally, there is a ton of clinical experience that you get starting even from the 1st day as a 1st year student - there is a free clinic, many community outreach programs, and 1st year preceptorships with doctors. You really can't say that about most other schools.
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The students all seem very laid back, everyone knew one another. Moral support is high. My interviewer was fantastic. He was totally intested in me and promised me that the 45 minute interview would pass quickly. Over an hour later we were still talking and I didn't realize it. He did his best to get to to relax and be confortable.
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They just built new study areas and are building a new dorm for students
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Students get a ton of clinical exposure compared to other schools. They seem to be way ahead as far as doing procedures when they go on to residency. Everyone I met was super nice.
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The amount of early clinical exposure.
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The new cancer institute that is almost completed and another parking garage.
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Everyone I spoke to was friendly and the students seemed happy to be there.
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I was most impressed by the research facilities. UMDNJ has a large number of core facilities and resources so that their faculty and students can compete in the scientific arena. I was also impressed by the camerarderie of the students. The admissions staff were very welcoming and friendly.
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My interviewer was very cool and took the time to discuss community outreach and the diversity of the clinical experiences at UMDNJ.
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Students are really excited about school. Everybody kept emphasizing quality of clinical aspect of education. Location is kind of scary, but campus is very safe. Pt population is really diverse.
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How friendly and genuine my interviewer was, the sweet secretaries in the admissions office, the highly secure facilities (card swipe to get into building/parking garage), the diversity of students and the patient population, the hilarious dental students talking about their weekends, the authentic personalities of our student tour guides.
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The interviewer and the student who gave me the tour. Both of them were enthusiastic about what they were doing and also about the school. Both of them were organized and knew their stuff. They knew what they were doing. I was greatly impressed with my interviewer because she was really nice and friendly. It was my medical school interview and I was really nervous because as we all know people make a big deal out of it. But as I started talking to her I started feeling really comfortable and 60 minutes went by so quickly. Really, she is such a cool interviewer.
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The amount of clinical exposure you get as a student is phenomenal! clinical sciences building, student run clinic
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The students get hands on experience their first year. They have a 'student run clinic' and lots of other community programs that they run. -The assistant dean also came in to speak with us and answer any questions...he's real personable. -The dean of the school actually calls to congratulate you when you get accepted
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Facilities were beautiful
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The tour guides really loved the school and the students were very friendly.
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The energy, enthusiasm, and knowledge of the tour guides; the clinical opportunities available through the new curriculum; camaraderie among the students
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The enthusiasm surrounding the new curriculum, the students--all very friendly
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Nice school, I wasn't concerned with safety. Enthusiastic students convinced me that there was a cooperative learning environment.
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How unstressful the interview was. I was so scared before and once the interview began, I didn't even notice that an hour had already passed by. The whole interview was just like a normal conversation.
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Students seemed very happy, tourguide was good, my interviewer was excellent
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The other med students were very friendly. A few came by to wish us good luck and the majority of students seemed happy with their school.
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Seems like clinical experience would be great (they have a clinical skills lab and the school is attached to the hospital). Interviewer and staff were friendly and nice. Students seemed pretty happy.
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How nice everyone was
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Positive and easy-going attitude of interviewer
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The enthusiasm of the students, faculty, and staff. The camaderie of the students. The ability to take fun electives during first year that interest you.
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Everything is connected with inner bridges so u dont have to go outside on cold and rainy days...like that one
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Nice people.
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Its very relaxed and the staff is cool.
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Relaxed interview and atmosphere, happy students, med school itself seemed pretty safe in the middle of Newark
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The positive attitudes of all the students, faculty and administration.
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Everyone was very nice. The student tour guides really loved thier school, and it showed. The interview was not stressfull at all and at times took on a more conversational tone about my views on medicine, ethics, the health care system, science, etc.
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Everything, the facilities, the people were there to make you comfortable, but it the waiting room was a little tense though
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Facilities
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The admissions staff, the other interviewees, and the 1st year student. My credit card wasn't working in the ATM taht day. The other interviewees were actually going to give me the money to take a taxi! Then one of the admissions staff gave me money and called a ride for me. I didn't get to go on the tour, but the tour guide was friendly when I ate lunch with her.
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Facilities-The entire campus, medical center, hospital everything is connected. Clinical opportunities. Newark, at least near the campus, isn't that bad.
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The interviewer tried very hard to make it low-stress-- offered coffee at the beginning
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Research, increased NIH funding, classes are taught by experts in each field
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The studnets seemed very down to earth.
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The proximity of the hospital to the medical school, building a new dorm for students, laid back atmosphere at the med school, awesome clinical interaction, good security presence in the medical school, very friendly administration.
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Tour guide and students were very open. small school in a poor urban setting so I wasnt expecting much but I liked it better than some private schools!
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The tour, the facilities.
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The friendliness of everyone and the facilities shown on the tour.
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Very friendly, supportive people.
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The positive, friendly attitude of the staff and the dean of admissions.
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My interviewer, Mr. Lonnie Wright was such a marvellous person and really made me feel at home since that was my first interview.
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Tour guides were pleasant. the interview was a real nice person. He created a good environment for an interview
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The amount of clinical experience that the students receive
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How much the students liked the school. How well people matched into competitive residencies for a state school. Learned that out of state people get in state tuition!
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THe clinical experience and student atmosphere
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Admission staff is amazing, they go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. By far the friendliest I've encountered thus far. The tour guides were excellent, they knew the school inside out and offered us their contact info. The clinical experience would be superb, and housing is not as big an issue as I thought. Cafateria food is actually decent. Students seem cool. They know how to work hard AND play hard. The school is expanding.
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Poeple were really down to earth, probably much more so than other schools
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I felt that my interviewer and the students genuinely wanted to help their patients and that they were not pursuing medicine for money or prestige. Also, the students were really nice.
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Students really enjoyed the program
-
Every single person I encountered while at the school was extremely friendly.
-
The interviewer was very friendly, tried to relieve all stress. The students seem happy and everything was pretty casual. The comraderie of the students was evident.
-
The great expansion that is currently taking place. There is a lot of construction and NJMS has received LOTS of funding from the state to increase its research capacity including a new cancer center.
-
Very chill atmosphere, relaxed interviewer, curriculum seems varied and interesting
-
The staff was VERY friendly, the school was really nice, and my interviewer was great
-
Information from students, the interviewer's enthusiasm toward me...
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Students seemed really happy
-
How friendly everyone was! It was almost uncanny.
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The school was nicer than I had expected, it has a beautiful courtyard and the students I met seemed laid back. The anatomy lab and facilities were pretty good considering NJMS is a state school. There are 4 students per cadaver in anatomy which is great considering most other schools I interviewed at assigned about 8 students per cadaver.
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The laid-back and casual atmosphere. Students were diversified rather than all carbon-copy robots. The student tour guides stressed that students generally studied diligently but also had time to spare for extracurricular activities.
-
The enthuthiasm of students and feedback from a friend currently attending the school, organized admission office and my interview was conducted ten minutes earlier than the stipulated appt. time.
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The facilities are nice and the library was recently "redone." The faculty members seemed very friendly. There is not a shortage of space, this is the largest medical school I have been to so far. The student lounge is nice.
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The welcoming feeling by students and physicians who are there. They make you feel at home.
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Clinical experience received, hands down. NJMS has become a model for many other schools in terms of providing the clinical skills necessary to pass the boards (since they're adding a clinical skills assessment). In addition, the students seemed pretty happy, had great things to say about the school, and interacted well with the faculty.
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Happiness and warm reception of student body. The SNMA VP came to give me a tour of the school. Apparently it was her first time giving a tour but she was so thorough I had no idea it was her first time until she told me. After we came back to the waiting room in time for lunch all the interviewees convened into one meeting room to talk with the students. My interviewer, Mr. Wright, is a very nice gentleman and made me feel very comfortable during the interview. At NJmed you have the opportunity to have early clinical exposure and get involved with the community in various ways. Also the student body seems very diverse. NJmed undergoing a lot of new changes to its curriculum and its received alot of funding within the last year to open up a new institute for humanism. I think there's also some construction going on to build a new dental school and add on a new parking lot.
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The interviewer was very familiar with my essay and my other application materials.
-
The facilities, how student friendly the environment at UMDNJ is
-
I was very impressed with the friendly environment in the admissions office and all of the students. I really like the supportive nature of the school. The facilities were fine, as well, and Newark isn't all that bad either.
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The students were the most unpretentious people I have ever met. They were welcoming, helpful and informed, down-to-earth people who were interested in learning and excited to be studying to be doctors.
-
A lot of new expansions.
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Facilities, students
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Students were very friendly and enthusiastic about the school. Non-competitive environment. Good clinical opportunities available. Got to see the anatomy lab during the tour.
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Interview was comfortable and the interviewer was very much interested in what i had to say and readily followed up on my statements.
-
The patient care
-
The tour guides were so enthusiastic about the school and my interviewer was wonderful
-
The interviewer and the first-year who was our tour guide were both very enthusiastic about the school, but also welcomed questions about the program and facilities and seemed happy to have questions asked. The interviewer was dealing with an awkward situation right before me--a student had been scheduled for an interview but the person who was to have conducted it wasn't there--and I thought she handled it well.
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How excited everybody seemed to be there, the massive amounts of construction, cleanliness of hospital (not town)
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It may not be a nice neighborhood, but everything is connected so you dont have to go outside late at night if you dont want to. anyways, this place seems to give you the best feeling of being a doctor bc you are exposed to the real world and the clinical exposure here seems to be much better than other places
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The students all seem very happy and supportive of each other.
-
Very relaxed....seemed very informal...everyone was really nice
-
Clinical Experience, UNBELIEVABLY FRIENDLY INTERVIEWER, happy students, nice library, close to NYC
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The fact that the students seemed genuinely happy, were not very competitive, and praised the clinical experience at the school
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The clinical preparation that students get. Located in newark, along with free clinic operated by studetns(amazing learning experiences) you are exposed to so many different kinds of cases and learn alot. Facilities are big and fairly nice.
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The students showed us the anatomy lab. People are happy in general, and really enjoy being close to home.
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My interviewer was an amazingly nice man. He really put me at ease, and it was obvious that he really knew my application. There are many positive aspects to an inner city education; you get to see a wide scope of trauma, the various stages of disease and gun shot wounds.
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ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
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The interview was such a nice lady. She was really approachable and easy to communicate with.
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I was already in love with the school before I came and I left with a very positive impression.
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Nice interviewer, very conversational, students seem happy
-
Students seemed to really love their school.
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The friendliness of the people, the early clinical exposure offered from day one, the diverse student body.
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The attitude of the students was very positive and they were genuinely happy to be there.
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The diversity of the student body and exposure to inner-city population; the size of the library.
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Pretty nice facitilites considering location.
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The program, in terms of the amount of clinical exposure, was very appealing. You basically can start the first day of school. The faculty and student body were extremely enthusiastic and happy to be there. The city of Newark is a great place to learn medicine in the sense that you will see a wide variety of cases.
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The interviewer was nice and supportive, he kept telling me to relaxe...i did not think i was that nervous,lol
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Friendliness of the faculty, staff, and students, and the fact that the hospital is connected to the medical school, unlike UMDNJ-RWJ where the hospital and school are a couple of miles apart
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Students seemed happy to be studying there. They have an atmosphere of working together. The students get hands-on experience very early.
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The student who gave the tour was very positive about the school and emphasized that this was a school that you could build a career on, and still have a lot of fun during med school. Lots of clinical experience right from the first year.
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The clinical aspects of the school....they are attatched to the state trauma center
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How much the students really do love their school?
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The students all had really nice things to say about the school, and they all seemed happy to be going there. Everyone was really nice and friendly, and the Dean of Admissions came in to seak with us during our lunch break.
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I was incredibly impressed with the clinical training of the school. Particularly, a strong pro, for me, was that students got early clinical exposure by working in the student-run clinic. Also, the students and faculty are very friendly. Students appeared to be very happy there. NJMS seemed very student-oriented. The quality of residency matches were also impressive. I also liked the school's mission to serve the indigent and the Newark community.
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Emphasis on early clinical exposure, diversity of patient population, how much students really like the school, laid back atmosphere
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Students are very relaxed and seem to ENJOY medical school. They also have lots of support at NJMS and the class is not competitive.
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Expanding their research, new construction, great people and students
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Clinical exposure early on, student-run health clinic which you can participate in from day 1, International Center for Public Health, the students, everyone seemed very friendly
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The students and the atmosphere. Everyone there seemed really laid-back and down to earth, and genuinely very happy to be there. I went to classes with a friend, and in between classes, the student lounge was packed. Ping-pong and foosball is very competitive and intense there!
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Price of school for instate
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The students were very friendly and had a lot of pride in their school.
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How friendly and open the medical students were, and how personal the interview was. I felt that everyone was really making an effort to make me feel comfortable and want to come there.
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Plesant faculty, environment, staff
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The students seemed to like the school and were very friendly.
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Interviewer.
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Good facilities, considering the school is in Newark. Students seem to like the school a lot. Not too competitive.
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You get the opportunity to work in a student run clinic from day one...Some students were even allowed to do stitches and draw blood during their first year...They put a huge emphasis on the clinical stuff, which is great, and the fact that the school is attached to the hospital is a definite plus
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New development of the University, like a new cancer research center under construction.
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Very student-oriented
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The students are happy to be there.
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How happy the students are and how much clinical experience you get in your first year
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How friendly the staff, medical students and faculty (to include the interviewer). The diversity of the class as well as student run clinic impressed me on the tour they gave me.
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The 4th year medical student who interviewed me was wonderful - she made sure to stress the importance of choosing a school that was right for me, not just selling UMDNJ.
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Students are very happy at the school
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Students were great. They loved the school and were honest about everything.
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The intrest the interviewer took in me, he was very familiar with my application.
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The amount of clinical experience students get in their first year
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Facilities, general eagerness/friendliness of students and faculty
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Friendliness of the students/staff
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Friendly and honest students, high match percentage.
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The amount of clinical exposure in your first year
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The classrooms and the laboratories
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Surprisingly high match rate
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The amount of patient contact possible, even in the first year, as well as a good residency matching rate.
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Security
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How happy the students were (even the ones crowded around the anatomy test results!)
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The interview was wonderful. My interviewer did an excellent job explaining the major advantages to attending UMDNJ above other schools. She mentioned the attention students recieve, the dedication of the faculty and the excellent clinical experience. Everyone was very friendly and open to questions
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A lot! I went into this interview thinking I would never ever go to NJMS. I grew up right near Newark and knew what a bad neighborhood it was. It's really cleaned up though in the past few years. The students were all really friendly (even the stressed out first years who had their first anatomy exam)and were very down to earth. Construction is going on everywhere on campus so everything will be new for next year.
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The student support progams are great. There is also a very diverse student body, which I think is wonderful.
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The tour was nice and the students seemed very down to earth, i.e. not going into academics
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Enthusiasm and friendliness of students
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The extremely nice and enthusiastic students
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The friendliness of the interviewer and the students overall! the tour guides took us to the anatomy lab and I even got to handle a cadaver's lung! =) totally cool!
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The friendliness of the people i met, including students and faculty
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed negative impressions about the school's location in Newark, outdated facilities, disorganization during the interview day, lack of campus amenities like a gym or dining options, and unengaged or unprepared interviewers. Suggestions included improving facilities, providing more information and structure during the interview day, enhancing campus resources, and ensuring interviewers are well-prepared and engaged with applicants.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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It felt more like an hour long interrogation than a conversation
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My interviewers weren't MDs or clinicians.
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For the why medicine question, it was opened up with "doctors have awful mental health, we have poor retention rates, we have huge levels of burnout, why will you be different?" not necessarily a bad question ofc, but the fact that It was done with such a negative tone was alarming
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The interviewer did not seem to know many things about me. I knew it was open file because he had a short list of notes of my different involvement but was unaware of what each of the things actually were so I spent most of the time answering questions that he could have found out from reading my AMCAS application.
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The facilities aren't very new. The library is small.
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The neighborhood?
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Facilities were mediocre.
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The tour and interview were very disorganized. Admissions staff were condescending, and the one-on-one faculty interview was with a retired PhD with no clinical experience and no academic duties.
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Nothing. The whole experience drew me even more to NJMS
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School does not even attempt to make it clear where/when you have to go to get fed and does not really communicate anything about the school in an organized way before or during the interview day. What you see on your tour is what you'll get out of your day -- and that's it.
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The location is not desirable.
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The interview/tour process is very informal.
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Nothing.
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The facilities
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The lack of organization of the interview day, the lack of technology use in the admissions process (you have to call someone to schedule your interview. No online calendar with days to choose, etc)
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Nothing, did not take the tour though.
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Wish more effort had been made to convince me to go there.
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My interview was definitely far more stressful than I thought it would be. I was under the impression that NJMS had a relatively stress-free interview process. The interviewer had clearly not read my AMCAS application prior to the interview and had his head buried in it for the majority of the interview. He made several sexist comments about how I must be the "token" engineering woman at my undergraduate school and how "rare" it is for a woman to be good at math. His questions were not well thought out, and he refuted every response I made. For example I expressed my desire to enter private practice and he replied "no you don't." I am not sure what kind of interview style he was trying to employ, but it was very frustrating. He did not ask about my research or extracurricular activities, aspects of my application I would like to have had a chance to highlight.
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Newark.
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The city of Newark. I was told more than once how it is not safe to walk at night :/ With that being said, you get to see and experience a lot by being right in the middle of things... Also, no gym at the med school. I believe students get a discount down the street at Rutgers.
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Newark. They say it's safe... but I know it's not. It's getting better, but it has a ways to go. The buildings themselves are old, but NJMS does a decent job of keeping them up-to-date and painted etc. - but the age is showing.
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Newark, the facilities, no gym
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The facilities are a bit old.
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Newark...
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The "beautiful" city of Newark.
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School was a little run down looking at certain areas
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Location, facilities,
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Interviewer writing things down while I was talking, made it difficult to engage him.
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Facilities weren't top of the line, Newark is sketchy
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The location (just driving through Newark was not a nice experience), the facilities were not so great
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Facilities are not the most modern, and surrounding neighborhoods are sketchy
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Not much to speak of
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No lunch provided so we couldn't sit and talk with current med school students
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The area is a little sketchy, but no real issues with the medical school.
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Seems like everyone is afraid of Newark. They told me not to walk at nigh and allow security to escort you to your car.
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Nothing
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Ah, the school itself is not bad at all, but Newark is such a depressing town. Also, the 'information' desk was anything but. I had to ask three different people before I could find where I needed to go.
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The neighborhood does not seem the best to be walking around alone at night, but the fact is that there are no reported incidents to any UMDNJ students and the security in the facilities is really good.
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The cafeteria was hard to locate and access.
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Interviewer was aloof and seemed uninterested thru the whole session. Made me feel as if no matter what I said, I wasn't going to impress her. She also told me my undergrad university wasn't that great of a school. Then she kicked me out early because she was expecting a phone call. Also, the office made a scheduling goof, and we had to wait an extra hour for the tour b/c the tour guides were still in class.
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Students said they feel unsafe even with all the security at the hospital
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Wish I had seen more of the school/hospital.
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Interviewer seemed distracted and disinterested
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The interviewer took a look at my GPA and MCAT scores and started stressing how grades don't mean that much if you don't have the right personality to be a doctor. She also seemed to belittle my academic choices and told me that I should be more cultured.
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They did not have a program set up for your visit: just an interview and tour. My interview was at 9AM and the tour at noon. Luckily, I went to 2 lectures with one of my friends in between. If you have a big gap in the morning, ask the admissions staff where the M1s have class and go sit in.
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High volume of traffic and very few parking spots in student parking area. It seems secure parking is at a premium.
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Facilities aren't new, but nothing too bad.
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The location. But I knw about it before the interview since I worked in the area before the interview.
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The facilities, newark is really the shitters, the tour guide didn't seem too bright,
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Neighborhood isn't too pretty
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Spent LOTS of time waiting for tour guide to arrive.
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Newark - but I guess that is the price you pay for such great clinical expereince.
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Did not get to see the dorms.
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That the interviewers were so different, my interviewer was warm and encouraging, another interviewee had an interviewer who barely looked up and kept asking if she had any questions for him
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The fact that a nontraditional approach to medicine carries negative value: that instead of strengthening my resolve and character, my wide-variety of travel and corporate experiences would be seen as a challenge to my commitment, rather than a strength.
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Location of school, not the newest facilities
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Newark itself
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The facilities are not in the greatest condition
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Recent scandel and review of accredidation
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The area isn't appealing at all, neither are the facilities really
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Newark. Good lord is Newark a total slum.
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None
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Nothing really, facilities are a little dungeon looking but nothing too bad.
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Facilities definitely not the best (eg no gym on campus, need to go to RU-Newark to use theirs), though it seems like they're working hard to improve them
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People seem scared when off campus
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I hear a lot of cars get broken into.
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Facilities were just ok, and classroom was a bit shabby; not enough group study rooms
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Old lab equipment
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It's Newark and everyone says don't live in the city
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Hectic schedule
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Nothing (besides the interviewer's questions)
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Living in Newark, poor ventilation in anatomy lab, large class size
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It was very hard to find parking, but I knew this and came 30 mins early
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Facilities were normal (nothing new). they didn't have an info session or anything, so that was a little bit negative. They just give you a $6 meal ticket.
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I didn't get to sit in on a class.
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The facilities were not that great, but it's a small-name state school, so what can you expect?
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Not much - Newark isn't a nice area, but you'll get to see tons of stuff.
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The whole day seemed a little unstructured, and they gave us no information beforehand about what we would be doing that day
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NOTHING!
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My interviewer was slightly scatterbrained. It almost seemed as if she wasn't paying attention to me, but she did seem like she liked me. I wasn't sure what to make of it.
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There was a mix up with my appointment and I had to wait 2 hours for my interview.
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Newark is just plain ugly.
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Nothing really, the location is a little unsafe...
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Newark is, well, Newark. Not the nicest place to be, though most of the students don't live there. There is no student housing currently, though an "apartment-style" residence is currently being built.
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Location! Newark sucks. But the school is built so that the med school, the hospital, the parking garages and the new dorms are all connected so you never have to leave the building!
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The school is interconnected with the hospitals and can be confusing to navigate around.
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The interviewer seemed rushed and the interview was interrupted by phone calls and emails.
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Neighborhood's not safe.
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There was really nothing that negatively impressed me. i've been in newark for 4 years already so the area doesn't really phase me.
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The neighborhood isn't the greatest.
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School facilities look run down
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Not much - truthfully, the area is not too great, but that really didn't bother me because getting clinical experience in an area like Newark will prepare you for the boards and give you great experience as a clinician - plus, you get to work with people from every culture, and cultural competency as a physician is vital, in my opinion. The only other semi-negative aspect was the fact that the school's facilities aren't beautiful, and some seem a bit old - but again, this school is all business, and no frills.
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Not in the nicest neighborhood. The school seemed very small.
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My tour guides shirt was not ironed. it looked like he pulled it out from under his pillow
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The location, watching the same 10 minute video 12 times (no joke).
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The location: really bad area.
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My interviewer told me that there were some legal problems in the higher up administration.
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The location in downtown Newark
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Lack of parking- seems like it could be a hassle.
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The location in downtown Newark.
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The facilities are very well kepts, but they are kind of old (a lot of orange). But again all well kept. All of us (interviewees) had lunch by ourselves.
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Nothing really.
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I didn't see any negativity during my visit. Most of the people complain about the neighborhood. But if your main goal is to go to a medical school, then you shouldn't be worrying about the neighborhood. It is a bad nieghborhood, but it isn't that bad. It is pretty safe. If you think about it, these are the kind of neighborhoods where you can really make a difference as a doctor.
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Area is not that great, but security is very tight
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The library seemed kind of small.
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Location was terrible
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The facilities were a little old, but not that old.
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Parking; facilities
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The lack of parking
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Cafeteria food (free meal) was only so-so, but they seem to have alot of other options near campus, so that wouldn't concern me if I end up going there.
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Nothing besides the obvious fact that the school is located in Newark.
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There was some confusion with the tour times and the lunch times, but other than that nothing too bad
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The location of the school... Newark, NJ.
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Not in safest/nicest area of Newark. Parking looks like its a major problem (street parking is a no no). No housing (need to commute from suburbs). No formal presentation from admissions staff so it feels very informal.
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How bad neighborhood was.
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Tour guide was a half an hour late
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That nearly everyone lives like 20-30 minutes away in suburbian towns. The school also feels/looks old but I wouldnt mind going there anyway.
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I had to wait a long time to get a tour b/c I missed the scheduled one.
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Wanted to see hospital during tour, didn't get to. Campus seems small.
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Newark
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No dorms.
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Nothing really. It is not a problem for me, but they do not (yet) have any campus housing. They will help you find housing of course. Living in Newark has its own pros and cons. The campus is very safe though and has good (and rather friendly) security.
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The parking was really bad
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Parking
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I stayed at a hotel near the airport and there wasn't a single place to eat in walking distance.
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No Parking.
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NO parking
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School is quite aesthetically UN-pleasing and in the middle of Newark
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I showed up at the office about ten minutes before my scheduled time and was told that I didn't have an interview that day. I stood around the office for about 10 minutes trying to get someone to help me. Finally, someone asked me why I was there; when I again said I had an interview, I got shuffled around for another 5 minutes or so. All the while, they maintain that I don't have an interview that day. Finally, someone apologized, said that I did in fact have an interview, and had me sit down to wait. Good thing the interviewer was late, or else I might have missed part of my interview.
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Lack of on campus housing (many students live outside Newark), and there is no gym.
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Lack of decent dining facilities, there is a cafeteria, but the choices they have are very limited
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They dont have too diverse an array of student organizations or international opportunities but that could also be a chance to create your own orgs or find international opportunities for yourself. seems like the school gives a lot of assistance to these things.
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My interviewer. He was 25 minutes late and did not seem to want to interview me at all. the interview was supposed to be an hour long, and it was barely 30 minutes.
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Well...Newark.
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I was waiting in the waiting room with another interviewee and his interviewer was 45 minutes late when the staff realized the interviewer wasn't available.
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The interviewer did not look at my file or ask me about grades, research, school (anything in my file) once.
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The school is in a bad neighborhood. the medical complex is old and ugly
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Its Newark. Prepare for ghetto town.
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The cafateria is burried in a corridor without being labelled. NO AFFILIATD FREE GYM!!!! Oh well, I have to pay for my membership :( Newark is not the nicest place to live but it has it's decent locations. The taxi driver didn't know how to get there!
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Students live far, will have to buy a car
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The people were a bit too defensive about the school. I sensed a slight inferiority complex which just isn't necessary.
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My inteviewer didn't seem all that interested in what I had to say. She had a sheet of questions in front of her, but she only took notes on what I had to say for one question (How would I describe myself?). It made me feel a decision had already been made about my application. Also, I'm not sure that I could live in Newark and feel safe.
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Newark is a little scary, but it wasn't as bad as I had expected.
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Newark --- its not the best place to live, but it is a great place to learn.
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My own personal bias, but I still don't like Newark.
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Some of the areas look a little 70s; there's a lot of construction going on though, so there definitely making an effort at improving.
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Newark. I just didn't like the feel of the area. Not too many students live in Newark itself, instead they live in the surrounding communities which are much nicer and safer.
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The surrounding city of Newark was definetely worse than I had expected. It would be practically impossible to find safe housing in that area. However, it is not something that would alter my decision to go to NJ med school. I would simply plan for living arrangements in a nearby town and commute to class daily.
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The lack of an agenda for what would go on. I was not told what was going to happen, just that my interview was going to be at 11AM. I also was not give a voucher for lunch in the cafeteria when other people were.
-
No formal admissions/financial aid presentation was given by admissions staff (you just have to look it up online). However, the information given by the faculty and students there more than made up for this small bit.
-
The interviewer spent nearly the entire interview grilling me about my child care plans. She emphasized that my age (36) and status as a mother of two young children was a serious drawback, although she repeatedly said my application was outstanding in every other way. She seemed more worried about whether my children would get good care than whether I could handle motherhood and being a medical student.
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Just that no one really has a clear sense on what the changed curriculum is going to be.
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Very little
-
The area was bad. The office receptionists seem apathetic. There was no orientation and my interview was scheduled so that I had to wait 3 hours for the tour.
-
Parking is horrible
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The INTERVIEWER!!! the old-granny was NUTS!!! she took me around the hospital herself for an EXTRA HOUR before the real tour....made me ask residents and med students questions.... was SOOOOO RUUUUUUDE.....
-
The facilities were not as impressive as I expected..it seems as if the labs have not been updated since the 70's. I know that the facilities are not inadequate, but their appearance should be improved and updated to fit their well respected reputation. Everything just seemed really old and dark..which I didn't like.
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This is, in the big picture, picayune, but they give you a voucher for the cafeteria for lunch and it isn't enough to buy it. Even if you just have a sandwich you wind up shelling out for the drink. Hardly something I'd dismiss the school over, but still...
-
Newark, but that's no surprise
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The area of Newark, the facilities aren't that great, having to live off campus.
-
Facilities seem kind of old
-
Weird issues with their gym- they might be getting rid of it.
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Difficulty parking, the facility, the area/environment
-
Obviously the surrounding area is pretty bad, but you are there for medical school, not to have fun around town. School is worth going to despite the location.
-
Newark doesn't seem like the kind of a place that I want to come back from a bar to. Although, I don't think I'll have too much time for partying in med school.
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The disorganization of the admissions office (they lost my application with the check, then they said they sent out a letter for an interview which they said was dated before they received my check and their failure to send me directions to the med school), no lunch, only one tour given and you had to wait 2 hours between your interview and the time it started, the tardiness of the interviewer after she had rescheduled my interview from Wednesday to Friday the Friday before I was supposed to come, how the interviewer was rude at the end of the interview by saying UMDNJ would lower their standards to let me in since my MCAT scores would keep them from being a top 10 med school (like they ever would), the rude security guards (who would not call me a cab when I had to leave and thus I had to walk to Penn Station), the rude shuttle driver who told me I was retarded and should know how to read a bus schedule and that I was going to be Dr. so I could afford to take other transportation to Penn Station
-
My scheduled interview time apparently was never recorded in the books so a new interviewer was asked last minute for me; I guess I got lucky.
-
Facilities seem OK, but not much to compare to
-
Location.
-
No dorms in the area, some areas of Newark aren't the best.
-
The facilities aren't the greatest.
-
How little the school attempts to sell itself; lackluster facilities; weird tension between med students and dental students; the fact that my interviewer was absurdly late and that his pager went off about 6 times during the interview, 3 of which he exited the room to answer... the fact that despite being open-file, my interviewer hadn't read my app and literally flipped through my hours worth of work in about 12 seconds; also, they don't feed you or give you a meal ticket, nor is there any kind of presentation from the admissions office - the day is literally an interview and a tour, that's it.
-
Although Newark is getting better, the school is in area that is a little intense. The interview day was not well organized. I basically got there, took my tour with students, had my interview, and left. There was no information session...not even a packet of information regarding their program, financial aid, life around Newark, etc. Also, not that it would be that big of a deal, the medical science building is extremely old and "dark". I was a little concerned about this because you do spend a lot of time at the school during your first two years.
-
The location, the size of campus
-
Newark, although is in the midst of a rebirth, still sux, and is a depressing place to visit and probably go to school in. Also, parking is HORRIBLE at NJMS. Request an interview in the early morning around 9:30 - 10 so that you will find parking
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I did not get to see the University Hospital.
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The interviewer not giving me a full interview, she seemed angry when I asked why this school would be the best one to attend if I was accepted to multiple schools
-
The facilities are outdated and even when they are updating them they are not doing it well...(in the redone lecture halls there still is no place to plug in a laptop!)
-
The parking situation.
-
The school is in Newark which isn't that great of an area.
-
The school's facilities were somewhat run down. Newark, in general, is not a safe place.
-
Old facilities, lack of campus housing, mediocre workout facilities
-
My interviewer spent more time talking about herself than she did finding out about me. She also was writing while I was talking so I couln't even maintain eye contact. It was very frustrating and intimidating. She also seemed disinterested or withdrawn.
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Newark isn't appealing, but no one lives there, library only open until 11pm
-
Newark wasn't the greatest, but I think it's manageable.
-
Newark is a bit shady.
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Facilities were outdated. newark is a horrible city to live in.
-
There isn't much in the immediate area in terms of restaurants, cafe's, etc. Students lived all over N. Jersey and drove in.
-
The school is pretty ugly, and the facilities are relatively outdated compared with RWJ.
-
The area and my interviewer.
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No dorms for students
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Newark. Nothing good about this city, besides the fact that it is the location of the airport, and you can leave it quickly. If you can look past the location , the school is wonderful. And, they just built ( i think this year ) all these new town homes and apartments right across the street, so you won't have to live in a nasty newark apartment.
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Student run tour in which students repeatedly stated very few people go to class and its no big deal. They said almost none of the second year students attend lecture. They use notes from scribes.
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Newark-housing problem
-
The location is not the best
-
My faculty interviewer was rude, acted bored and uninterested, and asked questions that tore apart my entire undergraduate career.
-
Newark, lack of housing/parking
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The location
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The area
-
A couple of rather impolite students, but you find people like that everywhere.
-
The area in general, how it took me like 45 min to find parking....plan on getting there early!!!!
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Surrounding neighborhood.
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The location and lack of parking around the school.
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The lack of dorms
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Dreary Newark
-
The lack of housing, and the neighborhood -- as much as the tour guides tried to say that the area isn't really bad, it's obvious that it isn't very good either. Also, even though it's a state school, it's still fairly expensive, so some financial aid info would have been nice.
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The school is basically a commuter school as no housing is provided and everyone lives on the outskirts of Newark or in nearby towns
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Parking was a hassle. It was hard to find an empty spot, and when I finally found one in the parking decks I got lost and couldn't find the admissions office. Just a warning - get there early! It took me an hour to park my car and get to the right office.
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The nearby neighborhoods. West and south of the medical school the neighborhoods are run down with lots of garbage and graffiti. North and east of the medical school, the neighborhoods look pretty nice.
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Newark, my interviewer
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No housing, have to pay monthy to use gym
-
The whole neighborhood, the small campus, and the facilities were not too great. and the interviewer was trying too hard to sell the school to me.
-
The surrounding area
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known to practice extensively, prepare for potentially stressful interview situations, bring a list of questions for the interviewer, and anticipate variations in interview styles. Additionally, they noted the importance of being knowledgeable about specific aspects of healthcare, campus navigation, and the emphasis on humanism in the curriculum. Suggestions included arriving early to account for parking difficulties, being prepared for ethics and healthcare policy questions, and understanding the school's clinical emphasis and community service initiatives.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Practice, practice, and practice!
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I wish I knew there would be 2 interviews ahead of time. From reddit and SDN, it seems NJMS gives 2 interviews pretty often.
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They will stress test you
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Prepare for zoom technical issues
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Prepare a long list of questions for the interviewer because all of the ones I had prepared were answered by the students on the tour and I had none left to ask him.
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To relax! It was not stressful
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That my faculty interviewer was not a physician.
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I was expecting to be asked about my opinions on the current health system, not details about the differences between programs and how exactly NJ covers those without adequate coverage.
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When to arrive, when lunch was being offered. I wish I had known that by scheduling my interview at 1:00 PM I would have to leave the tour early.
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How to navigate campus.
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The interviewers may be late.
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N/A
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Each NJMS interviewer has a different style: Although most are nice, mine grilled me, did not let me finish my sentences, and kept correcting me. They were rather disrespectful.
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That interviewers can be pretty intimidating (not the low stress interview that people had reported before. Maybe this was just this one day?)
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That it was going to be fairly laid back. I had the idea from the other feedbacks that I was going to be railed.
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I wish I had known that not everyone is given a "stress-free" interviewer.
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To brush up a bit more on medical ethics. I'd say roughly 1/3 of the interview was about me, 1/3 about health care reform, and 1/3 on different medical ethics scenarios.
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Bring something to read - I had a morning interview, so sat around for an hour till the tour.
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I'd get free lunch.
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That parking and traffic wouldn't be too bad. That my interviewer didn't ask me about any details of the U.S health care system, or any h.c. system for that matter.
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That parking was not as hard as everyone has previously stated.
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How horrible the weather was going to be (freak snow storm in NJ in Oct WHAT!?), to bring a snack since my interview got messed up (a girl and I both had an interview at 11am and had the same name, our interviewers got us confused and she went with my interviewer and i went with hers)
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My interviewer was 100% for universal healthcare.
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Interview was relatively laid back, it takes some time to find parking
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They gave us a meal ticket which was nice
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If you ask for a lunch voucher, they will give one to you. Ask to go to the anatomy lab if they don't take you there!
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That I would have two hours between the end of my interview and the start of the tour
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Not to get there too early
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To bring a book.
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That there was a shuttle to the school from Penn station. I ended up walking from warren st to the school. long walk in the sun with a suit.
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Exactly how to get to the campus and to the parking lot. Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to park, and see if you can get a campus map ahead of time.
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The emphasis of the curriculum on humanism, and on how to learn to be a doctor, rather than just teaching you the science.
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The interviewers are not part of the admissions committee.
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That my interviewer thought it was extremely important to be involved and active in political aspects of our country.
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I wish I knew the interview would be so short
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That they want you to take a lot of humanities and literature-based courses - things that you can't take in medical school. She said that I took a lot of biology classes that they probably teach at the medical school, so I should have taken things I couldn't take in medical school.
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My student interview was cancelled last minute.
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Nothing.
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The new apartments and the early clinical experience.
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Difficulty in finding a parking spot. Get there half an hour before the interview to make sure you get parking.
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There are no formalized international programs offered by NJ Med.
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Parking is terrible. I got there 20 min early, but I ended up being 15 min late bc of parking. I had to call admissions to tell them I was going to be late. They told me to park in another garage. My interviewer greeted me with ''I see you've become acquainted with the worse thing about this place.''
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The tour last much longer than one hour.
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If you arrive via train, there is a shuttle that runs from Newark Penn Station to the Campus. You just have to show your interview request letter.
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That I had two interviewers for some reason. One during the interview time, and one during lunch ( this interviwer was a 4th year medical student).
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Nothing
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How in depth they would ask questions regarding my internships
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That the ad com intended me to be seriously honest but seriously uncomfortable, and arranged the interviewer to guarantee it.
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That I was going to be grilled and torn up on major issues in medicine and it was not going to be a ''laid back'' interview like most others seem to have at this school
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Even though I read it a million times here, parking is seriously awful. If you are driving, leave ample time to troll parking lot or just park it in the paid garage,even though it is far from the Med School admissions validates it.
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How unpleasant the campus is, except for a few areas like the courtyard
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That I didn't know enough about recent healthcare policy changes.
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How low stress my interview was going to be.
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Parking sucks
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Listen to the other SDNers, parking was tough.
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Worse parking situation than I anticipated
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I didn't think i would get this yahoo as my interviewer and also they don't give you commuter info but it's really easy to commute in through train and they even have a shuttle, too.
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The tour was longer than I expected and involved quite a bit of walking up/down stairs - I should've brought more comfortable shoes.
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PARKING SUCKS!
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How laid back the interview was
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Parking spots are non-existant.
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I knew that parking would be a bitch, but it was worse than I thought.
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Nothing, SDN took care of thatt
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Most students live in surrounding towns in order to avoid Newark.
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Interviewing faculty member is not part of the admissions committee.
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I was unaware of the "Physician's Core" class, which allows you to be directly involved in patient care from year one.
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Cabs are very expensive.
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How depressing Newark was
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Nothing - just remember that parking is a real hassle, so either get a ride (if you're close) or get their really early.
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Where it was exactly. The taxi driver got lost and I was 1 minute late to the interview, but it turned out fine
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When I started to recite lines from the video along with it, I realized I should have brought something to read.
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Nothing: I knew about the down time from reading other people's feedback. The office also gives out a lunch voucher which was nice.
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Nothing really. I think I was well prepared.
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It is very laid back. Get ready so that you are confident, but don't be stressed out. Everyone is really nice.
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That sometimes the traffic is pretty bad and that I should have left a bit early.
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One very positive thing i learned was that if you get offered admission, the dean calls you himself to offer you a spot in the class-no email or letter. that is very impressive to me
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That I would have so much down time
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It is not a stressful interview at all.
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I wish I had prepared better for questions regarding healthcare stats in the U.S., see below
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There's a shuttle bus that runs between the school and the train station. Would have saved me a cab ride.
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Prepare for anything that can happen to you that day. My car overheated on my way there and luckily, I was not too far away from home to work something out and get another car. But, of all the days this could have happened, my car broke down on the day of my interview. Luckily, I found parking right away when I got to the school and even made it just in time for my tour (my interview was after the tour).
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Thanks to SDN I knew parking would be a problem so I got there NICE and early...too early......
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How big the campus is and it's confusing especially coming from a small private undergrad school in the suburbs.
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Not in a safe area, get there early because parking fills up
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Wish I knew more about their cancer institute
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According to the office staff they are on rolling admissions so there are spots open. Also for some reason their initial interview email never came so I was interviewing like 2 months late...Luckily they called me to see what happened. The school is in the inner city but it didnt seem bad...It seemed like a normal city environment almost dare I say suburbian with all the schools and houses we passed.
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That my interview was pushed back from 1 to 2:30 so I could go on the tour. OOPs
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Should not have stress out, because the day was very stress free.
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Definetly do the tour before the interview. It was extremely helpful and it helped to relax me. I learned a lot more from the interview then anything I could have read on a website.
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The MSAR does not cover the most recent changes (made in 7-04) made to the Art of Medicine course (now known as the doctoring course) and is one of the best parts of the education at UMDNJ-NJMS.
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Pack my own lunch because the food there is tasteless
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That the ATM wasn't going to work and that I needed to bring more cash. Also, I flew in and I left my bags at the hotel b/c I thought it would be wierd to bring my stuff. Then I had to go get it all later. Apparently it is normal for interviewees to bring their bags to the the interview.
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How long it would take to find parking.
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The interviewer wanted a copy of my paper and my poster presentations for the file
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Me and a bunch of other interviewees got lost in the medical school, so we had to ask a few people to direct us. I wish they gave us a map of the medical school.
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This was my first interview so I wish I had known that they take you into the anatomy lab during the tour. I dont faint by seeing bodies obviously ( otherwise im in the wrong profession totally:) but I did eat lunch less than an hour before!
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That my interviewer was going to be late... I wouldn't have started so early in the morning.
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How very relaxed it was...it would've saved some stress to know I didn't need to be so nervous.
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Parking can be a biatch.
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Nothing really
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Parking is a major headache so prepare to park illegally if you dont get there super early.
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I went to the interview expecting the worst interview experience after reading the negative comments people posted. But it's all lies the school is great and the faculty and the students are very friendly
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How much I really would LOVE to come here! If accepted I'd go without a doubt!
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Parking is a pain there. I moved some cones around to park...luckily no ticket
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The Broad Street station is pretty far from the school. It's a hike, and not much fun when you're wearing heels.
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As far as I can recall, nothing.
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To be a little more relaxed. The interview wasn't anywhere nearly as bad as I had anticipated. It's good to prepare, but after you do, just take it easy.
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Parking :)
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Parking is hard to find, even in Lot 1, where I was told to park; the interview was incredibly relaxed.
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Teaching facilities are conntected to University Hospital.
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Make sure you have a good breakfast or lunch before you come for your interview because unlike most schools, there are no snacks or drinks available in the waiting room. Not a big deal, I just dont want your stomach grumbling halfway through your interview. =)
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The extent of the the community service they provide. Newark is an area with many problems and a very poor populations.
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That the school would impress me as much as it did; that NJ transit is pretty efficient in getting you where you need to go (a matter of personal opinion).
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Leave early to provide yourself ample time to arrive early for your interview. I was able to arrive 5 minutes early but only because I left home REALLY early. I got lost on campus trying to find my way through the hospital from 1st stree and 12th ave.
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For some reason I always assumed my interviewer would be a male. I think the fact that she was a woman (and a mother) played a role in the questions she asked. I should have anticipated that.
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The interview would be very relaxed
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The 3 hour wait. Maybe I would have brought a book.
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Allow extra time for travel and parking, most spaces are reserved, you must prepare for ethics questions
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Cab travel time from train station to school (around 10 mins). Was a little stressed getting there in the morning because my train was delayed, but still made it there on time.
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That i had a LUNATIC interviewer!!!!
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Newark is worse than I expected..despite what the med students may say...walking/driving through Newark isn't a delightful experience..I found it kinda scary, to be honest.
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I didn't expect to be going on the tour--I did one last June, so I took an interview slot in the middle of what was supposed to be the tour hour--but they delayed it, so I ended up on it. I'm glad I did it again, but it meant I was there about an hour longer than I'd thought.
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It only takes about 1/2 hr to get there from manhattan
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How nice my interviewer would be, it was less stressful that I had thought.
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Interview was a lot more relaxed than i thought it would be
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That it would take 6-8 weeks to hear back from them!
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The area/environment is not that good
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More details about the school that we learned from students giving tour.
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Everybody says that parking is horrible. However, if you come at 7AM you'll have no problems. I just chilled at the Dunkin Donuts across the street and did some final preparations before going in to the Interview.
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UMDNJ is not worth it, the people are rude (with one exception of a professor who came in and talked with the three of us who were interviewing that day)
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That the school is in the midst of some major curriculum changes for next year
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No matter how much you prepare, those guys always ask you a question you will never expect lol
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Nothing. I knew ahead of time to expect bad parking and nasty traffic on the turnpike; I solved this by making my own parking spot in the lot and praying I wouldn't get towed (which thankfully I did not, apparently everyone does this, esp. at the end of the rows).
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That it would take me about an hour to find a spot in the parking lot.
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Finding parking can take up to 40 mints.
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PARKING IS A PAIN!!!! Plan to circle the parking lot a long time!
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Nothing really too unexpected
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Parking may take a while.
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I wish I had really known how low stress the interview was.
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Everyone comments about the parking problems, so I'll throw in my 2-cents. as a student here, I would recommend looking for a spot in the red parking deck on norfolk street instead of the surface lot. you can park anywhere that "looks like a spot" (minus guaranteed/reserved/handicapped), and you won't get a ticket.
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Interviews can be a waste of time.
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I wish I had realized how strong the clinical emphasis was here...
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Parking is impossible. It took 1 hour to find a spot.
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Parking is definitely a problem on interview day. Arrive early.
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That there were only going to be three of us at the tour - I guess I expected it to be much more formal! I would have dressed more comfortably...
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To not take my interview so lightly because everyone kept on telling me that the interview for this school was easy...
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Don't go down the wrong street when driving to or from the campus...you may get shot.
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How interviewers ask general questions based on very specific information from your application.
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Parking was difficult-go way ahead of time. i got pulled over by the campus police. not what you need b/f an interview.
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Once again parking.
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That interviewers may find negatives in parts of your application that you feel are positives.
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It is difficult to find a parking spot and how bad the city of Newark really is.
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Parking, hard to find!
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It is TOUGH to find a parking space - go ~45mins early to make sure you find one.
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I've visited that school before...so no real surprise.
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Nothing really. No surprises.
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Lack of adequate parking facilities, no dorms
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Park your car in the enclosed parking decks - not in an open lot. (Especially if it is raining ^_^)
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That we couldn't see the labs because of exams - i would have taken a tour another day.
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The medical school is close to the airport. There is a direct path to the airport without having to go through so many neighborhoods. Study your maps well ahead of time.
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That my interviewer had forgotten my application summary at his house
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None
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Handling cadaver is not that bad! and even the smell is not that bad. well, I was only in there for 10 minutes.
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Parking isnt the greatest
🤝 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 suggested that the admissions office hire new staff, improve organization and communication, provide more engaging and informative experiences during visits, and offer amenities like refreshments and clearer instructions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Hire new staff.
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None
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At least *TRY* to sell the school a little bit. Why not have an actual interview day like most other schools?
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Better instructions on how to get to the building from the parking garage and how to get to the proper room once inside the building.
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Be more organized. The lack of organization doesn't give a good impression.
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Everyone was super friendly but I did not feel as if we were being recruited to the school. I feel a
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The admissions video seemed outdated.
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More concrete, stable times for the tour.
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Better outline of admissions decision timeframe
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None really. The process was pretty smooth.
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Very friendly!
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Provide coffee and/or snacks when waiting in that room for interview or the tour
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Turn down the heat in the interview rooms.
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Too much break time between the interview and the tour
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Provide lunch!
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Please inform students that they will have a large chunk of time in which there is little to do. I w
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Make a larger waiting room for students
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
✈️
EWR
59% interviewees used EWR (EWR), with 12% using JFK (JFK) and 12% using Newark (Newark) and 6% using N/A (N/A) and 6% using NWK (NWK) and 6% using LGA (LGA).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by automobile to the interview.
✈️
12% Airplane
🚗
73% Automobile
🚆
14% Train or Subway
🚲
1% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Marriot Spring Hill (average ranking 8.5/10), with some staying at Ramadan Inn- low cost, but brand new (average rating 10/10). (Top 3 displayed)
🏨
Marriot Spring Hill
8.5/10
🏨
Ramadan Inn- low cost, but brand new
10/10
🏨
Yes
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
Admissions staff (1%)
Faculty member (7%)
Other (1%)
Student (91%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Enthusiastic (91%)
Neutral (9%)
All Responses
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No responses found.
| Application Cycle ▿ | Impression | Performance | Interview Location |
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