How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.05 | 194 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 159 |
| Negatively | 19 |
| No change | 17 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.13 | 191 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.67 | 138 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.56 | 127 |
No responses
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 113 |
| 20 minutes | 54 |
| 25 minutes | 1 |
| 30 minutes | 1 |
| 35 minutes | 1 |
| 40 minutes | 0 |
| 45 minutes | 6 |
| 50 minutes | 1 |
| 55 minutes | 2 |
| 60+ minutes | 16 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 194 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 193 |
| In a group | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 76 |
| Closed file | 114 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.05 | 194 |
"MMI"
"What brought you to Wake?"
"About the essays I had written for my secondary"
"What type of medicine do you want to go into?"
"What is the biggest problem with medicine today?"
"What got you interested in medicine?"
"The interviewers only had access to my AMCAS essay and my secondary essay(s). They asked me questions about the experiences I had listed there."
"Strengths and Weaknesses, and what are you doing to work on your weaknesses?"
"What was the biggest mistake you've ever made"
"What do you like to do on the weekends"
"Where do you see medicine in 10 years?"
"Very conversational interviews with mostly just questions about expanding on things I had written on my secondary."
"Who are your personal and professional role models?"
"A lot of the questions were very specific to my situation. It was clear to me each interviewer had read my file very thoroughly."
"Why did you choose to apply to Wake Forest?"
"Biggest Failure"
"Do you listen to country music? (Apparently there is a country song with my full name in it)"
"Why medicine instead of research?"
"Where will medicine be in 10 years?"
"What type of doctor do you want to be?"
"Where do you see yourself in 15 years?"
"Who or what inspires you? "
"Tell me about your family. What do your parents do. Are your parents physicians?"
"How is your wrist? (In AMCAS essay I had mentioned having carpal tunnel)"
"Interviews were very informal and flowed naturally off of the activities and background info you provided the school (note, the interviewers only had access to your essays and not your grades) "
"Who or what inspired you to medicine? "
"How do you think medical school will be different from being an undergrad?"
"What do you mother and father do? It was really weird because each interviewer pressed this question."
"What do you expect to get out of medicine?"
"Tell me about your family."
"They asked me about specific things off of my application mostly."
"Could you imagine living in the south?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"Why your UG?"
" what is the biggest problem in healthcare and how would you fix it?"
"Explain this particular answer in your secondary further."
"Why are you switching form Public Health to Medicine? Won't you help more people in Public Health?"
"Go through your entire academic and non-academic career and tell me what has prepared you for medicine. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your application? Do you have any questions for me?"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"Why did you choose the UG you did?"
"Do you have any questions for me as a female doctor?"
"What are your hobbies and interests outside of medicine?"
"What do you do outside of studying?"
"Describe clinical experiences you have had."
"Have any questions for me?"
"Why medicine? Why Wake?"
"What would you do if you did not get accepted to a med school this year?"
"Explain your experiences at _______ hospital."
"Why Wake? (Asked by all)"
"What did you do during your gap year?"
"Why Wake? (Asked by all three interviewers)"
"Why did you choose your undergraduate institution?"
"Where are you from"
"Why MD/PhD?"
"Tell me about your research. What did you do specifically?"
"How would you change the medical school application process?"
"Strength?"
"What do you do to relieve stress?"
"What is the role of PAs and Nurse Practioners in your hospitals?"
"What do you want to know about the school?"
"Tell me about yourself?"
"So enlist your strenghts? "
"What is the biggest issue in healthcare?"
"What happened in your sophomore year of college that made your grades fall?"
"Tell me about your research (one interviewer was really interested in what I did)."
"Tell me about your research."
"Why Wake Forest? (asked by all 3 interviewers)"
"Tell me your life story and how you made the decision to pursue medicine."
"Ethics scenario."
"Does mental health (ie optimistic or cynical thinking) contribute to patient recovery?"
"What was the biggest challenge you came up against when applying to medical school and going through college?"
"What are reading? What good movies have you seen lately?"
"What did you do as a research assistant?"
"Why did you want to become an EMT? And why are you taking the EMT-I class now, when you're not going to use the certification?"
"What do you do when you're not working/in school?"
"Biggest problem in Healthcare today"
"What would you do if you saw a colleague/student doing something unethical?"
"Why Wake Forest? Why did I decide to go to med school abroad."
"Same as already posted, I don't really feel like restating."
"How did you hear about Wake?"
"How would you balance a work obligation and a family obligation?"
"Tell me about X experience."
"Various ethical questions."
"what does altruism mean to you?"
"Interviewer 1: Why Wake? Why medicine? What books have you read lately?"
"What would you do if you had an acutely ill patient and a family crisis at home at the same time? How would you handle this?"
"see above"
"Why WFU?"
"What service activities did you do in high school?"
"Biographical questions"
"All the questions were from my personal statement and any additional secondary essays. So the questions were repeated by each of the interviewers, because they all had the same info. That was a bit tiresome. "
"Why medicine? How did you get to the point of wanting to go into medicine? Are you married and do you have kids? (I was completely comfortable answering this last one - being single & childless has to have some kind of advantage despite what my mom thinks) "
"What's your favorite movie? "
"Why Wake Forest? Would you be happy living in Winston-Salem?"
"What are your opinions on the following topics: stem cell research, animal testing, malpractice insurance, and some other controversial issues."
"why doctor/why wake"
"why wake instead of UNC or Duke?"
"when did you first become interested in medicine?"
"Tell me about clinic experience"
"Why your undergrad institution? "
"How do you cope with stress?"
"Tell about your research"
"Biggest problem in health care and how do you fix it?"
"I came to study in the United States from different country, so all of the interviwers wanted to know how I adjusted to new life style."
"Typical questions: what do you do for fun, family, etc."
"When you retire, what do you think your contribution to medicine will have been?"
"Why Wake forest"
"Scenario where a 16 year old girl wants an abortion, but does not want to tell her parents. (The griller)"
"Why Wake? Know the town and some of its highlights"
"last good book you read, movie you saw"
"Why Wake Forest?"
"What do you know about Wake Forest medical school?"
"What specialty do you want to go into. This was asked several times. I don't know what their angle is, but I just answered as honestly as possible. They can tell when you're full of it."
"tell me about your research?"
"Questions were basically about myself, my personal statement, etc."
"Tell me about yourself."
"Why Wake?"
"What will you do if you do not get into medical school this year?"
"How was working in a factory?"
"Is there anything you want to ask me? "
"What do you do in your spare time?"
"If I told you that you're admitted to Wake, but you have to choose your specialty right now, what would you say and why?"
"Why medicine? Why did you pick your major and what types of classes have you taken in this major? What will you do if you don't get into medical school?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Why medicine?"
"What do you want me to report to the Admissions Committee? "
"MMI"
"Why do you want to come to Wake Forest?"
"Asked about research."
"Why Medicine? There are many ways to help people, why not the Peace Corps/PA/nurse?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"Why do you think fewer students are pursuing engineering? (related to my background)"
"Tell me about your volunteer experience?"
"Tell me about your volunteer experiences."
"Explain your research projects."
"What's the hardest thing about being a doctor"
"What do you have to contribute to a class at Wake Forest"
"What are your friends like?"
"What are you looking for in a medical school?"
"What are your hobbies outside of school?"
"Have you thought about specialties?"
"What do your parents do for a living?"
"Why do you enjoy research?"
"Biggest Strength"
"So... What do you want to know?"
"What specialty are you interested in?"
"What do you think of the healthcare reform? do we need reform?"
"What do you think is the most important ethical issue in medicine?"
"What do you think of healthcare reform?"
"What was the last concert you saw? (I mentioned that is one of the things I like to do in my free time)"
"What was your trigger for wanting to go into medicine?"
"Was there a defining moment that you decided you wanted to pursue medicine?"
"What kind of leadership experience do you have?"
"Many questions on just my personal statement. So these questions are specific to each person. I'd suggest you know your PS inside out. "
"What do you think about the potential shift in the healthcare system?"
"Why do you want to be a physician?"
"Questions about my activities "
"Each of the interviewers asked me how I got involved with at least one of my volunteer activities."
"Where else have you applied?"
"What brought you to medicine. "
"Tell me about yourself"
"What brought you to medicine"
"What experience do you have with medicine?"
"What do you expect to get out of medicine?"
"Do you have any questions for me?? Alot of my interviews were me asking them questions."
" Tell me about yourself"
"What field of medicine are you interested in pursuing?"
"When you volunteered in Africa, were you out in 'the bush'?"
"Is there anything about you I should know besides what's in your personal statement? Do you have any questions?"
"Why did you join activity X?"
"Why did you change your major?"
"Tell me how you became interested in BLANK (my specialty of interest)."
"What traits do you have that would contribute to small-group learning?"
"What skills do you thing will make you a good doctor?"
"Describe your research."
"Why would you leave the city and come to Wake?"
"What are some other questions you have?"
"What did you do to prepare yourself for medicine?"
"What has changed in your application that will make you a better applicant this year? (am 2nd year applicant)"
"What was your most memorable experience dealing with a patient?"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"Why should we choose you over the other candidates?"
"Why Wake Forest"
"Why do you want to pursue the MD/PhD degree?"
"Why did you pick your undergrad institution?"
"Do you consider yourself a leader? Give examples."
"What is your solution to America's health care problems?"
"Is there anything you mentioned in your AMCAS PS that you'd like to elaborate on?"
"What's something that nobody else knows about you?"
"What have you done since you graduated from college?"
"Tell me about you research"
"What has been your biggest hurdle getting to this point?"
"You told me about your strenghts? Any weakness?"
"How do you feel the mistakes that you have made in the past as well as your upbringing will help you as a physician?"
"How did you decided to pursue medicine?"
"Why medicine?"
"What are three qualities a physican should have?"
"Tell me about your research."
"Ever do any fishing?"
"Explain your research."
"Describe your leadership style."
"Tell me about yourself."
"What is your biggest strength/ weakness?"
"What fields of medicine are you interested in?"
"Have you spent much time in North Carolina before?"
"Why did you decide to take a year off?"
"How supportive is your family?"
"TONS of ethical dilemas"
"How would you handle a family or work crisis (it wasn't worded well but I took it to mean if I had conflicting responsibilities)."
"Why medcine and how am I prepared?"
"Same as already posted, I don't really feel like restating."
"How did you improve your MCAT scores?"
"How do you define medical altruism?"
"How does my family feel about me going into medicine?"
"What does altruism in medicine mean to you?"
"What are some problems with healthcare today and how would you solve them?"
"Why wake?"
"Interviewer 2: Why Wake and not Duke? Why medicine? Tell me about...some experience I wrote about in my essay for AMCAS."
"Do you think there's a difference between medical competence and professionalism?"
"Tell me about your research experience."
"how will you balance your family life with your professional life?"
"Why bio-medical engineering?"
"why I want to be a doctor"
"What do you think is the biggest problem facing medicine today? Knowing that, why do you still want to go into medicine?"
"Tell me about your family."
"What do you do to relieve stress?"
"what specialty"
"How do you feel about HMO's?"
"What would you do if you aren't accepted to any medical schools this year?"
"Tell me more about your research; tell me about leadership positions you've had and how they affected you."
"tell me about experience X"
"Questions from my personal statement"
"As a medical student, what is something that you think will pose a problem for you?"
"Chinese man has AIDS and doesn't want you to tell his wife who's pregnant -- what do you do?"
"Travel?"
"What are my extracurriculum activities? What do I like to do for fun? "
"Did you not get in last year (I took a year off to work/research)"
"What have you done to be involved with diverse people?"
"Describe your research experience"
"How do you plan on paying for med school?"
"what do you think of the situation in Iraq"
"What area of medicine do you see yourself going into?"
"Tell me more specifically what you do in your volunteer job."
"What if you don't get in to any medical school?"
"Have you had any clinical experience? I didn't but qualified my answer by saying that I'd talked to many doctors about medicine, etc. If you don't have experience, I recommend that you can justify wanting to enter medicine."
"why wake forest?"
"How did you decide on your undergrad. university?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10-20 years."
"Why Wake-Forest/ East Coast/ North Carolina? (Know your answer to this if you are out of state!!! They will ask it!)"
"They have your essays(not your numbers) so some of them may ask questions about what you have written."
"Did you consider the moral ramifications of working at an invitro fertilization clinic?"
"Why medicine? Why Wake?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"If I told you that you're admitted to Wake, but I get to pick your specialty, what would I choose that would make you say "No thanks, I think I'll pass"?"
"Is there anything else you want to mention to me? What do you do for fun? Why do you want to go to Wake?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"If you couldn't be a doctor, what would you be?"
"Why did you apply to Wake Forest? "
"Why are you interested in Wake Forest?"
"Tell me about your research experiences."
"MMI"
"General questions about my activities."
"Why pursue medicine now? (I'm a non-traditional student)"
"Can you tell me about your family?"
"How many schools have you applied to?"
"Why do you want to be a physician?"
"Tell me about the research you have done."
"What areas of medicine are you interested in?"
"Tell me your life's story?"
"Tell me about a situation where you had to work with someone you disliked and how you dealt with that situation."
"Tell me more about (insert EC activity)."
"What extracurricular activities have you been involved in?"
"All of them asked about my family."
"Why should we accept you?"
"What do you enjoy doing in your free time?"
"See yourself in 10 years?"
"Who would you ask to dinner (not religious or dead family member) ?"
"general questions about myself as a person, nothing too specific. Very conversational."
"What do you do in your free time?"
"Tell me about x from your personal statement."
"What do you like to do when you are not in class?"
"What qualities do you possess that you think are important for a physician to have?"
"What was the last book you read?"
"What are the advantageous of Chinese medicine?"
"What do you think of the current healthcare situation?"
"What kind of medicine do you think you want to go into?"
"Tell me about your xx experiences."
"Why would you like to attend Wake Forest? "
"How would you handle being so afar away from where you went to college and grew up (FL )"
"What experience with underprivileged have you had?"
"What are you looking for in a medical school?"
"What qualities do you have that would make you a great doctor? "
"As a very detail-oriented person, what are some techniques you could use to explain a very difficult scientific concept to someone with a non-science background?"
"Tell me about your undergrad."
"Where do you see yourself in 20 years?"
"What do you do to relieve stress."
"Why medicine"
"What are you strengths?"
"What's your favorite movie?"
" what is the one thing you regret most in life?"
"How will you cope with the stresses of medical school?"
"If not medicine, what profession? "
"Tell me about your volunteer experience at X?"
"Tell me about your background, mother, father, siblings. Why do you want to do medicine? Brain question. Tell me what other schools you are applying to. What do you think is going to happen to health care after the election? what do you think will be the biggest health care problem facing you as a physician? "
"Describe your research."
"What was your favorite non-science class?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"Tell me how you got here. (as in, what is my life story?)"
"Describe your job."
"Greatest attribute?"
"Are you a confident person?"
"Why you over the other 500+ interviewees?"
"What are some important changes in medicine in the near future?"
"Will elaving your family be hard?"
"What else do you want to know?"
"What do you see as your biggest concerns with medical school?"
"What was the experience that motivated you to go into medicine?"
"What attracted you to Wake Forest?"
"If you don't get in to med school, what will you do?"
"How did you become interested in medicine?"
"Name one thing you want to add that is not in your application."
"List some leadership experiences you've had during your undergrad years."
"Any ideas of future speciality"
"How do you like Wake Forest and Winston-Salem?"
"Why Wake? (twice)"
"What do you like about Wake's MD curriculum?"
"Why Wake?"
"You have breast cancer; I am your doctor. What do you want me to do for you? How do you want me to be?"
"Should physicians accept anything from drug reps?"
"What do you like to read?"
"Why become a doctor?"
"Tell me about (undergraduate school)."
"How do you think sports relates to your life and medicine?"
"-"
"Tell me about yourself"
"What do you see as a potential problem/stress for you in medical school?"
"What specialty would you like to practice?"
"What was your favorite class in college?"
"Tell me about the research that you have done since you graduated from college."
"What is your learning style? How will you learn all the material?"
"Who is your mentor/role model?"
"Tell me about yourself outside of science."
"Did your dad (a doctor) influence your decision to go into medicine?"
"I'm just going to let you talk."
"What has been your greatest challenge?"
"What was the defining experience that made you choose medicine?"
"What do you think a patient will think and feel when they have you as a doctor?"
"What are you doing in your year off?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years? What will you do if you don't get into medical school?"
"What is your opinion on doctors taking their own experiences to be those of their patients? (something like that)"
"What do you think about the US healthcare system?"
"Difference between medical competence/ medical professionalism."
"Questions about my family, where they live, what they do."
"What was my most challenging undergraduate experience?"
"Same as already posted, I don't really feel like restating."
"Do you think doctors should be altruistic?"
"Name me three people -- a peer, a mentor, and a relative -- who have influenced you. How have they influenced you and how will you take that influence into medical school?"
"If I saw a physicians doing something unethical, what would I do?"
"Given the current state of healthcare (HMO's, etc.) what will your career be like in the future?"
"What are your hobbies? What do you hope to do in your "free time" in medical school?"
"same as above"
"Interviewer 3: Why medicine? Tell me about...some experience in my essay."
"Do you think a person's personal beliefs and values play into their sense of ethics?"
"questions from AMCAS essay"
"where do you see yourself in 10 years? Hwo do you think medicine will change in the future? Why would you do a lower-paying practice (like family medicine) when you will come out of medical school with lots of debt?"
"see above"
"I was asked to talk about some research I did in college many, many, many, many years ago. It's a good thing I reviewed it recently."
"Mostly just get-to-know-you conversations sparked by general questions. Very, very relaxing experience and certainly nothing to stress about."
"What kind of medicine do you want to pursue? "
"What would you do if all the medical schools shut down and you could never become a doctor?"
"what do you think about stem cell research"
"What is a major problem facing the U.S. healthcare system today?"
"How do you think your upbringing shaped you and motivated you to become a doctor. Tell specifics. (from my personal statement)"
"Where is our health system heading?"
"questions about my family."
"For medicine in general, what is something that you think will pose a problem for you? "
"Why Wake Forest? Tell me about your undergrad experience."
"Why medicine?"
"What my area of interest in medicine?"
"What was your favorite/least favorite class/part of college?"
"Why Wake Forest"
"What do you like about your undergraduate education?"
"Srengths and weakness"
"why do you want to come to Wake Forest"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"Tell me about yourself. "
"What are your hobbies?"
"Half of the questions pertained to what I said in my essay. The rest of it was getting to know you stuff: my family, what I did in college, after college, etc., etc. My advice is to write down three things you want to get across to the admissions committee. Know these cold and work them into the conversation."
"what do you like to do outside of school/work?"
"If you don't get into medical school, what will you do?"
"Tell me about your research."
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"Did you used to play any sports?"
"Is there anything you want to tell me about that's not in your personal statement?"
"How do you deal with stress?"
"What do you feel is the biggest problem in health care today?"
"Tell me about your family. What are your long term goals? Why did you pick your undergrad institution and do you like it there?"
"How has your religion affected your life? (I talked about it a little in my AMCAS essay, they're not religion-freaks, dont worry)"
"Why do you want to go to school in North Carolina?"
"What kind of medicine are you interested in?"
"What difficulties do you think you will encounter in medical school?"
"Why Wake Forest?"
"MMI"
"How have you explored cultural diversity?"
"What do you think about diversity?"
"What's the origin of your last name?"
"(Nothing really interesting so I"ll just give another question) Will being away from your family have a negative impact on your time in med school?"
"What sets you apart from everyone else? Why should we pick YOU?"
"How do you cope with stress?"
"If we asked your best friend about you, what would she say?"
"Why would people not like you?"
"What has been your greatest lifetime accomplishment?"
"I was asked how two different volunteer clinical experiences had influenced my decision on what type of medicine I wanted to pursue"
"Why didn't you go into politics?"
"What is one nice thing you have done for someone in the past week?"
"Related to my personal statement so keeping this confidential until later."
"If you had to choose a single aspect of medicine that motivates you to enter the field, what would it be?"
"If you could fix healthcare, how would you and why would you do it that way?"
"Mostly conversational, only 2 direct questions from 1 of the 3 interviewers"
"Explain how you are well-rounded."
"Honestly got asked a ton of different and short questions being that there were 3 interviewers, so not too in depth. But, most likely, a case-based one about a patient that did not do what I prescribed."
"If you're certain that a patient of yours had cancer but now no longer has cancer, yet she still wants chemo, what would you do?"
"If you don't end up getting into any medical school what would you do?"
"none."
"What makes you cool?"
"What's your philosophy on life? "
"Are your parents physicians? All three asked and one asked this twice. WTF?"
"Why don't you go to Business school?"
"What are the pros and cons of being a traditional vs. a non-traditional applicant?"
"If I had two patients with the same orthopedic injury and treatment, one having family support and the other totally alone, would their outcomes be the same? I don't remember exactly how it was worded, but you get the point. "
"What do you think of the Status Quo?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary"
"I don't know, most were very vague."
"Nothing overly interesting. "
"What my favorite type of BBQ was."
"Why did you choose your undergrad?"
"Which ACC team do you pull for?"
"How do you feel about women becoming doctors? ( I am a female)"
"A very specific ethical question related to something that had just happened in the news. But it was more about my opinion on it than getting a correct answer."
"If you for some reason absolutely couldn't go into the medical profession, what would you do?"
"Teach me something that I might not know about?"
"What is wakeboarding?"
"Something about whether I thought the brain was a marine adaptation ? (I've take a few neurobio/brain courses)"
"Do think you have ''bitten off more than you can chew'' by changing careers and attending medical school?"
"1. If you could not be a physician, what else would you do (not asking about backup plan)"
"Could you really leave a large city to come to Winston-Salem?"
"What kind of career would you like to get into? (It led to some interesting discussion!)"
"What do you see as the biggest problem with America's health system, and if you could wave a magic wand, how would you fix it?"
"What was your favorite class?"
"Have you read any good books lately?"
"How is this God thing going to affect your practice of medicine?"
"About something in my personal statement."
"If there is one thing you want me to remember about you from today, what is it?"
"I liked questions pertaining to my PS."
"Coming from the north, do you think you will be able to fit in at Southern school?"
"What do you see as the main difference in the roles of a surgeon vs. an internist"
"N/A"
"What are your thoughts on the drinking age in the US?"
"Teach me something. What would you think if America required two years of military service from its citizens/what would you think if we reinstated the draft? What are your thoughts on global warming? (Because I mentioned a book about global warming)"
"There were 2, one asked me to teach him something, another asked why they should take me instead of the other interviewees"
"If you were not to go into medicine or research, would would you do?"
"What advice would you tell your brother (who is going to start college next year) about succeeding in college?"
"Nothing very interesting."
"What is the future of China?"
"Why I didn't apply to Duke."
"Would you accept a cake from a drug rep?"
"How would you deal with someone who criticized your work? (This was from a psychiatrist)"
"Have you ever watched the Dog Whisperer?"
"So, in the hypothetical event that medicine doesn't work out, what will you do?"
"What makes you tick?"
"nothing too different than any other place. be prepared to explain your medically-related experiences"
"What is it about Winston-Salem that makes you want to spend at least 4 more years here? (I went to WFU as an undergraduate)"
"Tell me about your family"
"Pretty normal questions."
"What's your Myers-Briggs Personality Type? Did you know that you have a tendency to set unrealistic expectations for people and to criticize them when they do not meet your expectations?"
"so what to you think about the sam alito hearings? "
"Describe the healtcare system where you are from (different country other than the U.S.)"
"If you were given a chance to talk to the admissions committee, what is the one thing you would want them to know?"
"How do you feel the mistakes that you have made in the past will help you as a physician?"
"You have classic symptoms of Bell's Palsy. Have you ever been diagnosed?"
"What do you think about the 80-hour work week for residents?"
"What are the three most important qualities for a patient to have?"
"None were particularly interesting"
"Name 2 people other than family members who you look up to."
"Why do you think students, as you and I did, go to college out of secondary school and do not perform up to their abilities?"
"Ethical scenerio question."
"Do you think that community service is required to be a doctor?"
"I was asked to explain a specific line in my personal statement. The first interviewer really enjoyed my personaly statement and she had it underlined/highlighted. "
"Have you ever had a bad medical experience? How did that affect your choice to be a doctor?"
"Questions about what I had written in my AMCAS essay."
"Who won the Nobel Prize in medicine this year?"
"Why did you decide to become an EMT?"
"Coming from another country what was the one thing about America that surprised you the most?"
"None. Almost all questions were ethics-related."
"If President Bush were to come up to you today, what would you tell him to change about the healthcase system?"
"What is it like to be a woman doctor?"
"Are you emotional?? I wonder why he asked me that. How do I plan to combine family and career? (isn't that an illegal question)? "
"same questions as the other interviewees already posted."
"If you had a day off to spend time with your family and a patient called, what would you do?"
"What do you think about 80hr weeks for residents?"
"What will you do if you have a family emergency and a patient emergency at the same time?"
"What is the difference between medical competence and medical professionalism? I just think that this is an interesting topic."
"How I would handle a fellow doctor cheating in a medical setting."
"Difference b/w medical professionalism and medical competence"
"What was the last book you read? "
"What does altruism in medicine mean to you?"
"How would you balance your responsibilities as a physician and having a family?"
"What is the difference between medical professionalism and medical competence?"
"What is the difference between medical competence and medical professionalism???"
"How would you balance your medical career with your family life?"
"How do you rate your ability at problem-solving and independent thinking?"
"If you had a patient on an eating tube and the family wanted to remove it, what would you do?"
"To give my take on basic research and what impact it will have on medicine 10 years from now"
"To explain my take on these statements from Orwell's "1984": "War is Peace", "Knowledge is Ignorance", "Freedom Is Slavery""
"Why don't you want to be a surgeon? Obviously if you can play the piano you can handle a scalpel well. (because of course any piano player can become a surgeon and all) "
"What animal would you be and why?"
"If you could be an animal, what would you be?"
"How do you feel about difficult relations between groups, for instance Muslims and other groups?"
"What particularly interests you about our curriculum?"
"what do you look for in a medical school?"
"None really. I have been out of school for a while so I was asked what I had done with my time since graduating from college and why I decided to become a doctor, plus the usual why our scholl kind of question."
"Describe a day in your life ten years from now."
"Nothing too interesting. Tell me about research, clinical experience, leadership experience"
"Nothing...all three interviews were very conversational and I did most of the talking"
"There were none"
"nz"
"You have a patient that does not agree to blood transfusions due to his religious backgrounds. You need to operate, but will need to use a transfusion. What do you do?"
"Do you plan to do something to combine your major and your interest in medicine?"
"How does English major relate to medicine?"
"Single largest regret of your life?"
"What do I like to do for fun?"
"Name 3 people, a family member, peer, and authority, and a characteristic about them that applies to being a good/bad doctor (ya I know it didn't make all that much sense)"
"If we told you what specialty you were going to do, what would be the one thing you wouldn't want to be told?"
"You're a bright student, tell me what GPA you need to have to get into a good medical school."
"What I would do if an elderly patient with tuberculosis refused to tell his family about his affliction"
"What do you think is the biggest problem in healthcare today?"
"Name 3 people who have influenced you ( 1 family, 1 peer, 1 teacher): how has this helped you to become a better doctor"
"Having grown up in South Africa, what are common misconceptions people here have about life there."
"what's the meaning of the following story: "
"In your personal statement you mentioned something about considering law school at one time. Tell me about that."
"My impressions about an area in which I had done some volunteer work"
"Are you a basketball fan?"
"One interviewere started the interview by asking "So, is there anything I you want to know?" which caught me by surprise because that usually ends up last. Otherwise, the interviews were very conversational and low key."
"what sort of practice do you envision yourself having?"
"Where do you see yourself practicing medicine?"
"What do you think is the most pressing issue in current events? Why?"
"Nothin too intersting as far as questions go. No ethical or moral dilema questions (lucky me). One was interested in whether I thought I'd miss Charlotte (my current location)."
"What are your feelings on going to war with Iraq?"
"None...it was one of those "so tell me about yourself" interviews...where after telling about yourself they sorta keep looking at you like "is that it or is there more?" "
"They were pretty standard."
"Why did you attend your undergraduate institution?"
"none really "
"So, with these barbecue ribs, have you ever considered boiling first, then grilling?"
"What differences did you find between Japanese culture and American culture? (Specific to my experience in Japan)"
"Only straight forward questions."
"If I told you that you're admitted to Wake, but I get to pick your specialty, what would I choose that would make you say "No thanks, I think I'll pass"?"
"One of my interviewers asked me in depth details about my research that I did one summer, and the research was not related to anything he works on. "
"If you could be any animal you want, which animal would you be?"
"Soo... what do you know about Winston-Salem?"
"just stuff on my personal statement"
"One interview was referred to his son, a gynecologist, as a pervert, didn't know what to say."
"Why didn't you pursue a Ph.D. instead of a MD? What career would you pursue if medicine did not exist? "
"EXTREMELY standard questions, so I can't think of any particularly interesting one."
"As the HMO administrator, how would I allocate funds for all heart transplants or all immunizations"
"MMI"
"How do you know that you are a compassionate person?"
"What do you see the role of research playing in your future career?"
"What type of leader are you?"
"If you never, ever get in, what are you going to do? (Wasn't sure if they wanted a determined answer of "that will never happen" or a responsibly thought out plan of action for the future.)"
"What disappoints you?"
"Have you ever been through some kind of adversity?"
"They asked some really detailed questions about the activities I discussed in my AMCAS personal statement and in my secondary essay(s)."
"how are you changing your weaknesses"
"What's the biggest problem you see facing healthcare today?"
"What qualities do you think it is important for a physician to have?"
"What are some improvements you'd like to see in medicine?"
"They asked for a specific experience where I used my leadership position in a specific extracurricular to diffuse a difficult situation."
"If you like research, why don't you just get a PhD?"
"What about you should I take with me to the admissions committee?"
"Why do you think you are now ready for the demands of medical school"
"How are you growing as a person in the time you're taking off from school?"
"Why should we accept you?"
"Why didn't you go into politics?"
"What was the biggest failure in your life?"
"A very specific question based on slightly odd interpretation of something I wrote in my secondary."
"How do you think your choice in major will hurt you in medical school?"
"None... the interviews were very conversational. One of my interviewers seemed to make a slight effort to press me on one small issue but was not trying outright to fluster me or anything.. all three were very nice :) Interviewers have your PS and secondary essays but not your numbers."
"How would you fix healthcare?"
"What other schools are you applying to? (None of the questions were difficult- I didn't even get an "ethical" question. I guess this question threw me off the most, though, because it was awkward trying to answer it.)"
"What size population would you like to serve in? (I have no idea of an exact number!) But, we were previously speaking about rural health care."
"1. What do you think about personalized medicine? (Followed by him lecturing me on its uselessness). 2. Have you ever had to make a really hard decision for someone else? (Yeah, totally, because I deal with life and death situations all the time)."
"How would you fix health care?"
"If you had total control over the healthcare system what would you do?"
"none."
"So you want to help people, why be a doctor then? You can help people in other ways."
"What's your philosophy on life? "
"What do you think about the potential shift in the healthcare system? What would you do if a perfectly normal patient who doesn't need CT stan asked for one (and you would get paid for ordering the scan)?"
"Wouldn't label any of the questions as difficult."
"Can you give specific examples of how to balance your family with your career?"
"How can you change the Health Care System in America? How many people are uninsured in America?"
"Tell me one of the most difficult situations you've ever faced and how you went about it, what you would do differently, etc. "
"What is the difference between medicine in Africa and medicine in the United States? (WHAT???)"
"Tell me about your family. Mostly bc one of the interviewers asked me to tell him about my family, then he asked me to tell him about my father, then asked about my mother. And by the end of it I felt like I had already told him everything there was to say about my family. He was strange..."
"Nothing overly difficult."
"What are you least proud of."
"What do you expect to get out of medicine?"
"How do you deal with frustration?"
" tell me about yourself "
"None at all. Very relaxed interviews that basically wanted to get to know YOU. Not even ''why medicine?''"
"How do you plan on dealing with the stress associated with medical school?"
"What is something that sets you apart from others?"
"What would make Wake Forest uniquely better than other medical schools?"
"Go through your entire academic and non-academic career and tell me what has prepared you for medicine."
"Explaining strengths and weaknesses and what I Have done to work on my weaknesses. It is always a balancing act to not come off too cocky or too unsure about your abilities. "
"They design the interviews/day to be low stress. I was asked alot of questions about what I like to do for fun"
"Why do you want to be a doctor? "
"What is the most diffucult thing you have gone through?"
"If you couldn't practice medicine or in field of major, what would you do?"
"None really."
"How is this God thing going to affect your practice of of medicine?"
"What do you see as the biggest problem in medicine over the last decade?"
"What part of medicine aren't you looking forward to?"
"What do you think of a healthcare system based on a socialist-type organization?"
"Did you do well in your courses and MCAT? (The interviewer only had my essays)"
"What do you see as some future ethical problems in medicine (it was worded akwardly)"
"N/A"
"If you were not accepted to any medical school, what do you think the reason would be?"
"What would you think if America required two years of military service from its citizens/what would you think if we reinstated the draft?"
"Teach me something"
"How do you feel about Wake Forest compared to the other schools that you're applying to?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What about Wake's MD curriculum attracts you here?"
"Nothing difficult."
"A series of medical ethics questions (which would you give your patient, drug A or drug B, each with its own costs and benefits). What's your solution to our health care problems?"
"How I would improve the quality of healthcare."
"Should physicians accept things from drug reps?"
"If you could not be a doctor, what would you be?"
"Is Wake Forest one of your top choices?"
"was told i that would be asked how i would balance a family and a career in medicine as a female -- was not actually asked this question though"
"Why did you take a year off between college and medical school?"
"What should I say to the admissions committee about you to help your chances of acceptance?"
"Who are you? (I HATE this question)"
"Why medicine?"
"what do i know about the clinical diagnosis of melanoma? some political questions"
"Say you can't study medicine at all, never... what would you then?"
"What will you do if you are not accepted this year?"
"The same as the most interesting question."
"What do you percieve to be your future weakness(es) in acclimating to the medical school academic environment?"
"What do you think about the 80-hour work week for residents?"
"Teach me about something you know very well."
"Why Wake Forest"
"Why should we let you in over the other applicants here interviewing today?"
"I'm trying to understand, because you took such a different route to medical school, how and where it became clear - and then at that point why?"
"Nitty gritty details about my research."
"Name a good challenge and a bad challenge in your life and how did you approach them differently?"
"There werent any questions that I had not prepared for. i was mostly asked about what i did, to tell about myself, why medicine, how my parents influenced me, etc."
"Tell me about yourself. What would you contribute to the group?"
"What will be the most difficult problem your generation of doctors will have to face."
"What do you know about Winston-Salem?"
"A strange question about whether I would tell a terminally ill patient he was going to die in a few days knowing he would die instantly, didn't have any family or friends, and would be happier not knowing he was going to die in a few days."
"How are you going to deal with losing patients?"
"Just see previous posts. All the questions I was asked have been posted on this forum."
"Do you think ethics can be made universal in a manual?"
"What is the one thing Armenians are most known for (My name is Armenian)? I didn't know."
"Is a competent physician who is not compassionate better than a compassionate physician who is not competent? I had fun with this one!"
"same questions as the other interviewees already posted."
"If a chronically ill patient asked you to assist them in committing sucide, would you do it?"
"What would you do if your definition of a value was in conflict with the normative definition?"
"What's the difference between medical professionalism and medical competence?"
"What will you do if you have a family emergency and a patient emergency at the same time?"
"Can ethics be taught effectively, or does ethical behavior mainly depend on background? Tough question. I should note that this was a follow up question and was discussed in a very conversational manner...the interviewer gave her opinion as well, I certainly didn't feel like I was getting grilled."
"Why Wake and not Duke?"
"Same as most interesting"
"Tell me something about yourself."
"What would you do if a colleague was doing something wrong/illegal?"
"What is the difference between medical competence and medical professionalism???"
"same"
"are you willing to come and live in Winston Salem (cuz I'm from out of state) and why"
"For me, the toughest questions are to explain in a coherent fashion my non-traditional route to medicine. I practice but still end up babbling in my excitement."
"Probably the above, but nothing was really that difficult."
"Why do you want to go to Wake Forest? It's so expensive. "
"How does your being vegetarian help the state of the world? (in reference to a conversation we were having)"
"A specific question about a research project I was a participant in 10 years ago."
"What would you say if I told you that I learn something new every day from a patient? What might you learn from patients should you become a physician?"
"None"
"Same."
"What would you do if I told you that you couldn't do [insert medical specialty choice here]"
"(see above)"
"There were none"
"na"
"above."
"How will you practice medicine differently than your father and grandfather?"
"Woman who's had 3 abortions is your patient -- what do you do? "
"Who would you have dinner with if you could eat with anyone?"
"no difficult questions :)"
"Is the reason that you took a year off because you didn't get in last year? (this wasn't hard to answer; but it made me feel like I had to defend myself which was unecessary... other schools have thought it was totally normal and even positive that I took a year off to work)"
"Six of you are here to interview today, if one person is chosen to be accepted, why should it be you?"
"Tell me abotu a time when you completely failed and how did it change you?"
"How would I counsel a 23-year old woman who was on her 3rd abortion"
"One of the interviewers asked a buch of ethical questions about euthenasia and abortion."
"same as above"
"Where do you see medicine in ten years, and do you think physicians should receive the money there do."
"see above"
"If medicine was out of the question, which profession would you choose?"
"What is your biggest weakness?"
"What are some scientific advancements that will affect medicine in the near future? And the follow up question: Why is that technology applicable to medicine?"
"See above."
"do you think we will invade iraq? (how should i know?)"
"How was [undergraduate school]? It's difficult when you didn't like the school."
"How would you help a patient quit smoking if they did not believe that it was a threat to their health?"
"Why medicine. (that one is always hard to give a complete, concise answer to)"
"Who the authors were of some random books. What is Winston-Salem known for? (I'm from out of state)"
"Tell me about yourself. It would help if they would have questions after telling about yourself like other schools. Nothing difficult in terms of questions...rather difficult to get a clear idea of who you are in 15 minutes."
"Again, pretty standard."
"The questions weren't very difficult."
"Where do you draw the ethical line in the biotechnology arguement? Why?"
"What other schools are you interviewing at? "
"How do you react to failure?"
"If you could go back in the past and change a certain decision you made, what would it be?"
"I was given an ethical situation and asked what I would do. "
"most were pretty standard and came from your AMCAS essay, so none were particularly difficult"
"You said "years of pessimism about medicine" in your personal statement... so why again do you want to be a doctor?"
"Why do you want to go to school in NC (I'm out of state)"
"Okay, one last question. (After I had asked several questions, I was stumped for a minute)"
"The questions were pretty typical. Nothing too out of the ordinary except for the question about choosing a different career other than medicine. "
"Once again, nothing very difficult or interesting."
"The ethics of the olympics and the going for gold attitude"
"MMI preparation"
"Clinical experience, reading research and health policies."
"Reviewed example MMI scenarios, not necessary in hindsight"
"Reviewed my secondary"
"Skimmed the Wake website."
"Read SDN questions and answered a few for myself."
"Interview feedback, school website, read over AMCAS and secondary applications"
"read questions on SDN. mock interviewed and rehearsed answers."
"Read SDN feedback and school website"
"SDN interview feedback, studying secondary, studying primary, general interview questions, mock interview."
"Read interview prep on SDN, did a lot of internet research on the school."
"reviewed questions that people have been asked, knew my research, and brainstormed common interview questions:tell me about yourself, why medicine, why this school, why not research, etc"
"Familiarized myself with the school"
"Read"
"SDN, review application material"
"practiced common interview questions"
"Read SDN, my application, and practiced some generic interview questions"
"SDN interview feedback, school website"
"SDN, read the school's website, went over my application"
"Read SDN, found all the info I could online, talked to a few alums/students/faculty."
"Looked up commonly asked interview questions."
"Sdn, Interview prep book, research, other interviews"
"Researched school, but you don't really have to. They give SO much information during the presentations before the interviews!"
"SND forums and interview feedback, the schools website, and the info sessions before the interviews"
"SDN, school's website, the tour and information session are extremely helpful and are before the interviews"
"SDN, other interviews, the tour/info session - they give you a lot of curricular info"
"Read their website, SDN, went on the tour."
"Read AMCAS, Mock Interview, talked to friends and family, practiced in front of a mirror, researched the school online."
"Read over my AMCAS application and my secondary essays. Practiced interviewing with a friend and in front of a mirror."
"SDN feedback, read website/local news about them and re-read AMCAS"
"Read some stuff about the school"
"SDN Interview feedback, researched the school."
"Read AMCAS, secondary, SDN"
"Read your personal statement over because that is all they have to go by."
"None."
"SDN feedback, mock interview, read schools website"
"I read through all the interview feedbacks, did mock interviews with myself and the mirror. I tried to answer all "common questions" as best I could could. "
"SDN and talked to students there"
"Stayed with student hosts, asked student tour guide lots of questions, read SDN Interview Feedback, read my own secondary essays"
"I did not prepare. A word of warning, the interviews are speeded, and they will cut you off if you go a second over, so if you have something to say, make sure you say it before time runs out (they give you a 1-minute warning)."
"Reviewed my AMCAS & Secondary"
"Reviewed my AMCAS and 2ndary application, reviewed Wake's website and the interview feedback via SDN."
"Looked at the feedback, did a mock interview with myself, mirrors, looked at my application. "
"Read over your essays. Relax- it was very conversational."
"SDN, AMCAS"
"SDN, Schools Website, read my essays"
"school website, sdn, primary and secondary"
"Read interview feedback, school's website, my AMCAS stuff."
"SDN, mock interview, website, information given"
"SDN, school's website, etc."
"SDN and reread my AMCAS"
"Practice questions/interviews. SDN, reading journal articles and news articles."
"SDN, AMCAS, keep up with news, mock interview at undergrad"
"Interview Database, research, and AMCAS and secondary"
"reading SDN, reading the newspapers and political sections for a while during the application cycle, reading the school's website"
"SDN, website, looked through my AMCAS and secondary essays because that's the ONLY part of your application the interviewers have in front of them."
"Reviewing SDN feedback, talking with my friend at the school, talking with my student host."
"Read SDN feedback, looked over my AMCAS and secondary essays, researched the school's curriculum."
"SDN, read over app"
"Talked with friend who was a recent grad."
"SDN feedback. Read over the brief essays on the secondary app."
"SDN, School Web Page"
"SDN, AMCAS, previous interviews"
"nothing"
"SDN, 2 mock interviews"
"Mock interviews, read over AMCAS and secondary applications, SDN"
"Read about Wake, Healthcare, Personal Statement."
"Met with career services for interview help, read over my application, read over the Wake Forest website, etc."
"SDN (just a bit), 2 mock interviews, lots of thought"
"Read SDN, read over Wake curriculum, had previously read some sample questions (many of the standard questions were asked)."
"SDN, online site"
"School website, looked over AMCAS and school app"
"Familiarized myself with the program and just tried to be myself."
"SDN, Wake apps, PS, Wake website"
"this website, school's website, my secondaries, AMCAS"
"SDN, read over all the cirriculum, read some ethics/medical papers/books"
"SDN, read personal statement, Wake website, current news articles"
"SDN, read over my essays, school's website, searched Winston-Salem on wikipedia"
"Read over my application, SDN, read about Wake in med school guides"
"Read essays, SDN"
"Read Wake's website (particularly the curriculum section), SDN"
"Read a few SDN interview feedbacks, printed off graduate faculty research descriptions and read through them, went to a WFU basketball game the night before"
"SDN, read personal statement and secondaries, read school's bulletin"
"SDN, looked at my app, school Web site."
"Reread essays, newspaper, brochures on school"
"SDN...school website...friend at school"
"re-read essays and PS, SDN"
"SDN, reading essays etc."
"Reviewed the school's website"
"SDN, practiced interview responses"
"SDN, read my application, health politics book, amcas app, looked up some terms on the internet"
"SDN, lots of rest, studied WFUSM website"
"This site, Wake's site, read over personal statement (all the interviewers had read this)"
"SDN and Interview Feedback (helped a lot! I knew a lot more than the other interviewees about the school), read Wake Bulletin, my PS and secondary since these are all they have"
"SDN, Wake Bulletin, Wake Website, MSAR"
"read wake forest website, ps, etc."
"Lancet, JAMA, SDN, review application, review secondary essays"
"Read SDN, read over AMCAS, slept a lot"
"The sudent doctor website and alot of prayer!!!!"
"SDN, past interviews, reading over AMCAS and Supplementary essays"
"SDN website, Wake Forest website, AMCAS"
"SDN, re-read application essays"
"Practiced interviewing, read over the questions on this web site"
"Reviewed personal statement (this is all they have), looked up questions on sdn"
"Read up on ethics, US health care, WF website, SDN, AMCAS/Wake essays."
"This website, Wake Forest Med website"
"SDN, Reread Essays, WFU Website"
"I read this website, wrote down all the questions I saw or could think of and answered them before the interview. Also, my parents did a mock interview weeks before the interview and I read up on materials that I was kind of shaky on."
"SDN, school's site, my applications and essays"
"SDN, read over AMCAS, looked at web-site and brochure, talked with alumni"
"Read their admission bulletin, reviewed my applications and this website."
"SDN feedback, school website and brochure, reviewed AMCAS"
"read SDN interview feedback, read my secondary, looked through Wake's bulletin"
"Interview feedback, admissions bulletin, read AMCAS"
"This site. Read over my personal statement, which is all the interviewers have in their possession."
"SDN, re-read personal statement, Wake's website"
"Read SDN, re-read essays, reviewed questions from previous interviews."
"read SDN, reviewed personal statements and had a mock interview with the director of admissions at my undergraduate school. boosted my self-esteem by telling myself i was the best!"
"Interview feedback, read website, read packet they sent us"
"SDN, web-site, reviewed app."
"read SDN and the Wake brochure, reviewed my PS"
"Read this site, read my personal statement."
"SDN, reviewed my AMCAS, reviewed secondaries, talked to a faculty member at Wake Forest, reviewed their viewbook."
"SDN nothing else, it's amazing how little pressure you feel when you've allready been accepted elsewhere :-)"
"sdn, read over my personal statement because that is basically what they get to read before the interview"
"SDN, WFU Bulletin, mock interviews"
"SDN, school website"
"SDN, school website, mock interviews, reviewed AMCAS"
"Here, read over my AMCAS personal statement, and Wale Forest secondary."
"Read my own personal statement, SDN, WF website"
"Read the WFU bulletin, talked to students, looked over my secondary"
"read over AMCAS essay (that's all they have to look at), school website, etc."
"Not too much - same old stuff"
"website, app, talked to students at Wake (both med students and students in other professional schools there)"
"school website"
"SDN, School website & brochure, read AMCAS application and secondary applications from Wake Forrest and other schools"
"Previous interviews, read Wake's website, this site."
"SDN"
"Reviewed AMCAS essay and other essays I had written for the Wake application, student doctor, Wake website"
"read amcaas and secondary"
"SDN, Current students, website"
"read website, info book"
"read website, msar, this website"
"Read feedback on this website, read the school's brochure, their website, and just tried to relax!"
"SDN, AMCAS application, Wake Forest admissions bulletin."
"exactly what you're doing right now"
"Read my AMCAS application, read Wake's brochure, and used this site"
"Read SDN Interview Feedback"
"same as usual."
"SDN, read over AMCAS (they have a copy of your personal statement but nothing else), read Wake's brochure"
"Read the brochure they gave me, read these interview feedbacks"
"SDN, read about school online, and read brochures"
"Every way possible"
"Read interview feedbacks, newspapers to keep me updated on current issues, read some case studies on different ethical issues, Wake Web site."
"read this site, read up on ethical issues (although the interviews didn't allow for much time for much of anything)"
"Read over my essays and AMCAS application, read the profile in student handbook, looked over Wake's website, read feedback from SDN."
"Read bulliten and WFU's website"
"read the school's website"
"Read my AMCAS essay, SDN and workshops"
"reed my personal information, took a virtaul tor of the school on-line, and tried to relax"
"WFU website, looked over WFUSM curriculum, healthcare topics, my application"
"read SDN, WFU website, talked to students/staff"
"Read SDN, looked at Wake's website, prepared mock interview questions and answers, thought about why I wanted to go there."
"Reread my application and essays and this site. "
"Routine stuff - read my AMCAS essay and secondary essay (sice that's all the interviewers have access to)."
"read up on the curriculum"
"Read interview feedbacks, Wake Forest brochure and website, and healthcare primers."
"Read my AMCAS and secondary applications, read USA Today for one week prior to my interview, read over this site, mock interviews at my university, just know yourself and why you want to become a physician."
"Didn't, really. It was my 3rd med school interview of the season, 2nd that week, so just showed up."
"Read the information packet they sent out, walked around the town the day before to get a feeling for the place, and looked at this website."
"Did absolutely nothing. SDN was switching servers so I was in the dark about what to expect."
"Read my file, the WFUSM website, and looked through the MSAR's info on the school."
"I reread my personal statement and secondary responses, read over the viewbook they sent in the mail, and read the interview feedback."
"read up on my file and on wake as best i could "
"website, application, etc."
"Scoured the school's web-page, SDN feedback, and the School's brochure."
"Used the SDN; looked at their website."
"Read their admissions bulletin, decided some reasons why I wanted to go to WFU, reread my personal statement (that is the only information the interviewers have about you)"
"Read over the viewbook they mailed to me before. "
"SDN, website, info packet, friend that goes to Wake"
"reviewed my AMCAS personal statement because that is the only thing the interviewer has."
"SND interview feedback, school's webpage"
"Interviewfeedback.com files, website, reread personal essay"
"read over the website, talked with students"
"Reviewed my application, secondaries, school info., etc."
"My app, healthcare topics, interviewfeedback.com"
"Everyone was really friendly, the school was new and had tons of study space, the new curriculum seemed well done, has houses to help build community among peers."
"Friendliness of staff and students"
"The location, attention to detail, and genuine warmth of the student body."
"The students all seemed very happy with being at Wake."
"Knowledge of the financial aid officers. They seemed like they truly cared about helping students save money and become financially responsible."
"The friendliness of the people and the beauty of the area."
"friendliness, curriculum"
"The cost of living is incredibly low. The autumn scenery is beautiful. The admissions office is incredibly friendly and transparent about their process (they told us the date of the adcom meeting on which our applications would be discussed). And they kept putting out food for us!"
"the facilities were amazing. everything is connected. Brenner Children's hospital is an incredible building. they just renovated the anatomy labs. The admissions staff were extremely nice. very positive experience."
"The financial aid presentation was great. The person presenting seemed very knowledgeable about different federal/state programs and ways to pay for school. The curriculum seemed more organized than I thought it would be. Students seemed pretty happy with Wake Forest, AND with Winston Salem. The all-you-can-eat lunch was great!"
"the huge hospital/amount of patients coming thru, the technology, the friendliness"
"The facilities were very new and everyone I met throughout the day were very kind"
"the tour"
"very friendly faculty and students, patient training/interaction during the 1st year"
"I loved the tech-oriented curriculum (laptops, web based) and the case based learning combined with standard lectures appeals to me. The class seems tight-knit though it's hard to tell from an outsider. Facilities are above average."
"The facilities, the students and faculty, the weather"
"Students really seemed to enjoy being there, school had a friendly/welcoming environment."
"Everyone was very friendly and the student tour was very informative."
"Everything!"
"The respectfulness and kindness of the admissions staff and medical students impressed me. Southern hospitality is real after all."
"Beautiful facilities, low housing costs, friendly, lack of traffic, Christian people, and the anatomy lab."
"Everything about this school: facilities, student body, curriculum, location, etc seemed exceedingly pleasant."
"The amount of information and detail they provide about the school (exactly what to expect if you get accepted. what your life will be like there)"
"Small tight-knit community, hospital on-site"
"All of the admissions staff are extremely helpful. Interviews were laid back and extremely conversational. The students were very helpful and excited to be there, and their Dean's Ambassadors (tour guides) are all easy to talk to and will answer all questions honestly. Plus, there's a playground on the roof of the hospital...! Also, their students have some incredible opportunities to get involved in the community from day one."
"The facilities are nice; all the students we saw/talked to (there were quite a few) seemed very happy (even elated) with the integrated curriculum, etc. and definitely emphasized the non-competitive nature of the school. It seemed like faculty are very accessible. The cafeteria food was pretty good. Also, the financial aid talk was more useful than any of the other ones I have heard."
"Hospital was big, weather was nice."
"The admissions office staff was very friendly, the day was palnned very well, and they tried to make it as stress free as possible."
"friendliness of admissions staff & students, facilities, presentation"
"The friendliness of the interviewers. They were all so nice and not one of them made me feel intimidated. The interviews were more like conversations than interviews."
"their anatomy lab, very up to date! Also, you get a free laptop, always a perk. Smaller class size than most schools, 120 students seemed like everyone really knew everyone else."
"There's a playground on the top of the hospital"
"Nice environment, good small town-ish feel."
"Everything. The entire day - from start to finish - was incredible, mostly because of the people there. Everyone there absolutely loves the school, the facilities were nice, and they seem to really care about their students. The focus is on clinical training which is great. The faculty seem to be very involved and concerned. A very friendly and family-like atmosphere, definitely got a sense of the "Southern hospitality". This would be an incredible place to go for med school. "
"Two of the three interviewers were very nice, friendly and outgoing. The other one, ehh not so much since he works in a lab and didn't seem very interested, but he wasn't terrible either. The facilities seemed very nice, the students that lead the tour really helpful and happy."
"Parts of the hospital were newer and impressive. The area was OK, but I think the opportunities for cultural aspects of life and "nature-going" are great."
"Nice students, pretty place"
"The school is seriously amazing. The staff is very nice and the hospital is sweet. The area is also beautiful. The students I met were very happy to be there and the facilities were excellent. "
"Anatomy lab"
"Small class size, similarity of the town to my undergraduate town (for easy transition), how nice the students were"
"The school was amazing. The facilities were amazing. It looked so awesome."
"The facilities were nice and all of the students seemed very happy there"
"Cost of living in Winston-Salem, proximity to mountains, Old Salem, the parking lot right next to the hospital for students, the Sticht center, the enthusiasm of the current students"
"Niceness of the staff, great facilities"
"The facilities, esp. the anatomy lab. The friendliness of everyone. The interviewers. etc. The whole day was really nice. "
"The schools atmosphere! All of the students were SO nice and loved the school, we even ran into a 3rd year "review" type lecture being held and they all were still loving it despite the difficult year of rotations. "
"the students! the hospital, gym in the med school, relaxed atmosphere"
"The facilities and faculty are very nice. The students seemed like they enjoyed the school very much. Cost of living is also pretty reasonable."
"everything. I loved this school, the students, faculty, facilities, everything seemed very collegial"
"The hospital and school are top notch"
"Everyone was really friendly. The Dean of Admissions came and chatted informally with us before the interview. The financial aid presentation was also really helpful."
"Wake seems to have happy and enthusiastic students, good technology, financial aid meeting was very informative...they pay for your boards and a laptop through tuition, cost of living in the area, everyone seemed nice."
"Everything...ppl were so friendly and down to earth. FInancial aid seems bountiful. Great facilities, great staff, great students"
" the friendliness of the admissions staff, the organization of the interview process"
"the friendliness and openess of all faculty and staff involved with the interview day. the technology of both the university and med center is outstanding."
"Maya Angelou Center, some of the research opportunities."
"Basically everything. The curriculum is extremely innovative, the whole place is really high-tech, anatomy labs are the best I've seen (full-body CT scan of cadavers), students were friendly and honest, faculty seems to value their students' input on the school, also the hospital was very impressive as well."
"Facilities... The anatomy lab was great, and it looked like the students had tons of resources available to them. I was also rather impressed by the medical center and the area surrounding the school. It'd be a great place to live."
"Faculty and students were amazing"
"The facilities. how much the students seem to love the school. cheap cost of living in winston salem."
"Facilities were outstanding, curriculum is much better than most, online resources to students are amazing, the faculty are very nice and interested in helping students succeed, school develops wonderful clinicians, but retains a significant amount of research as well. Just a great overall program."
"facilities are great"
"the technology is great, anatomy lab was awesome."
"the friendliness of the faculty and students"
"The technology is incredible, especially in the anatomy lab. The curriculum includes substantial small-group opportunities. The first-year students with whom I interacted seemed to be extremely supportive of one another and seemed to know the faculty members well."
"New facilities, technology, curriculum."
"The facilities and the open, welcoming attitude of everyone at the school. "
"friendliness of students, facilities"
"The day was relaxed with only 6 interviewees present. The interviewers were friendly and nonintimidating. The students who talked to us seemed happy. The student facilities are high tech and we got to see the anatomy lab and cadaver dissections on the tour. "
"the students seemed really happy"
"The school and hospital are incredible. The high tech integrated curriculum and early exposure to clinical medicine. "
"The facilities, especially the gross anatomy lab, are really nice. Also the students and faculty were impressive."
"Facilities seemed new."
"The facilities are pretty good and the anatomy lab is the best I've ever seen(no exaggeration)."
"The anatomy lab was REALLY nice. Everyone there was way cool, relaxed, and helpful. The hospital was HUGE. The area the city in was really nice"
"The people, location"
"The gross anatomy lab is very nice. The cafeteria had a large variety of food. They even had Odwalla super food!"
"The sense of community among both students and faculty, the good reputation, the anatomy lab, the incorporation of high technology in the curriculum"
"The facilites and students seem top notch."
"The faculty and the students all seemed really happy and really nice."
"Facilities are quite up to date, people (both med students/faculty and citizens of Winston-Salem) are nice, good use of technology in the cirriculum, lots of clinical experience."
"Personality! Professors, students were REAL people in and out of the lab. Collegiality and collaboration are clearly evident here between both the MD and PhD camps. I was treated very nicely by everyone"
"All of the students and staff were very competent in answering questions. Wake Forest isn't as bad as most people seem to think, especially if you are coming from a relatively small town. Wake also has some pretty impressive technology(anatomy lab in particular). Med students get tickets to basketball and football games."
"Everyone was enthusiastic and welcoming. They really made an effort."
"Faculty attention to students, facilities, technology availabe"
"The people, interviewers, class size, anatomy lab"
"The interviewers were all extremely laid-back and conversational."
"The faculty"
"The students are extraordinarily happy. The facilities are great. The faculty seems very willing to help the students."
"-The people: students, faculty, community loves the school. Everybody is extremely happy to be there, and is extremely happy that you're considering coming there. -Awesome anatomy lab, no smell and great screens at all stations. -The use of technology in all aspects of the learning process. Incoming students get an IBM thinkpad, the campus is wired, and the curriculum emphasizes electronic materials."
"the enthusiasm of the student tour guide (3rd year), the brand new gross lab, the flexibility of the school in dealing with students traveling overseas"
"The atmosphere was relaxed, and it seemed like everyone I came in contact with wanted to make all of us feel comfortable. The cafeteria food was really good, and I'm a picky eater :)"
"Everyone I met was kind, helpful, and encouraging - even my fellow interviewees. The school seemed to be very organized and focused on its students and curriculum. I also liked the Winston-Salem area in general."
"the technology used in anatomy lab and on student computers is pretty amazing; the hospital is huge and serves a big region; other interviewees were cool; curriculum is innovative and unique; students are happy and feel good about their board scores and match list"
"Anatomy Lab (AWESOME!!), Technology integrated into the school, Enthusiasm of instructors for their curriculum, Helpfulness of finaid staff, Area culture (City of the Arts), Area life (restaurants, diversity, activities), Student enthusiasm for the school and its ways & facilities, The Public's love for Baptist Medical Center."
"nice anatomy lab and hospital. i liked the small size of winston-salem, despite not being the most exciting town, it was pretty, safe, and affordable. and close to outdoors activiites. students were super nice, but didn't seem to have great answers to why they chose/like wfu"
"Honestly, although I'm not elegible for financial aid, their information on managing your finances and how to organize yourself and money was really helpful which made me feel they do care about their students, even on simple stuff as their money situation."
"The brand-spanking-new anatomy lab"
"The openess of both the financial aid office and the interviewers."
"One of the best technologically integrated curriculi in US medical schools. Great integration of radiology and technology in the anatomy labs, they give you a nice laptop 1st year and a PDA on the 3rd year. Audiotaped and Ppt lectures posted. Well organized curriculum, not in class all day, PBL and traditional mix. Students and most people were friendly."
"facilities, admissions staff was very friendly"
"Very technology minded school that does not encourage competitiveness in their students"
"How pleasant the staff was, how nice the hospital was. How friendly the students I met were."
"The students were friendly, we got to see pretty much everywhere the MSI and II's spend their time. I also liked the cirriculum."
"Wake is not a static system, they implement changes to the curriculum and technological improvements at the advice of students. "
"The spirit of the medical students, the facilities, the seemingly solid academic curriculum."
"Cost of living in Winston-Salem"
"The students are really close with one another. The facilities are awesome and really high tech. You get an IBM compu your first year and a PDA your third year. Early patient contact."
"Everyone was extremely nice and showed amazing hospitality throughout. The students seemed very happy and loved the curriculum. I was able to see the leaves changing and the campus was beautiful."
"The tour was amazing. five first years lead the tour, three of whom were tagging along. They took us to thier anatomy lab, introduced us to teachers. They really expressed how much they loved Winston. "
"Many things positively impressed me. To name a few: the curriculum format, the students seemed so happy and friendly, it's very easy to get around Winston (I hate traffic), many great facilities all withing the Baptist Medical Center, the teaching technology available"
"Student body is small and cohesive. Facilities are excellent. Very extensive use of technology in the classroom and lab. Great research efforts."
"the facilities are really technologically advanced, especially the anatomy lab. It has computer/tv screens for every table. Plus, all students are given a laptop (not simply added onto tuition)"
"The school is in the hospital"
"Not much."
"The facilities are fabulous. Students all seem veyr normal and nice. Curriculum is totally revolutionary and makes excellent use of technology. You get a FREE laptop! Also cost of living is Winston-Salem is SO CHEAP!"
"The campus, interviewers were really nice, admissions staff was nice, well prepared day with little down time. Gross lab was really nice too. Quick response time, just a few weeks."
"The faculty seem very friendly and approachable and Wake has very nice facilities. The cost of living is pretty cheap and although there is not so much to do in Winstom, I like the absence of distractions. Wake encourages international rotations and volunteer work. My host was the best!!"
"Everything! I loved this school!! The technology is amazing."
"the lecture Power-Point slides are posted on the web; financial aid; students"
"The curriculum is great. They've put a lot of work into modernizing and updating it. The faculty seemed very friendly and responsive. They've done a great job making full use of the laptops. The anatomy lab is amazingly nonsmelly. Dean Applegate is totally awesome."
"The students really seemed to love the school, and the facilities were great. I also really liked the case-based learning system that was in place. "
"People in Winston-Salem and at Wake Forest are very friendly. Cookies were good. Faculty members and students are very nice and willing to answer all your questions. "
"The facilities were very nice. The students were very interested in making sure we had a good visit and had all of our questions answered. The strength of clinical training students receive is a huge plus. Winston-Salem is a quiet little city, if you're looking for a busy city, this is not the place for you, but I really liked the size and tempo of the place. "
"The commitment to NC residents despite the fact that its a private school. The problem-based learning and positive environment."
"The organized day, wonderful facilities, how nice everyone was"
"Everything! I really enjoyed my time at Wake and in Winston-Salem. It is a smaller town, and slower-paced than many places: this is something I really like. Beautiful scenery, nice facilities, nice students. Everyone seemed very enthusiastic and happy to be at Wake."
"how compact the hospital and school are, the weather and the fact that the gross lab incorporates virtual learning. Also, they tell you exactly when the adcom will be making decisions for your group of interviewees"
"The laid back attitude at Wake and the facilities"
"The high-tech facilities are superb, everyone gets a laptop, students are incredibly happy"
"the great cost-of-living in winston-salem, the contentedness of the students.. they were very laid back!"
"Very friendly atmosphere, lots of technology incorporated into their curriculum"
"Guild leader is with you throughout the day to answer your questions and keep things interesting and on-time."
"Had no idea that Wake was so interested in conducting research"
"not much, but the faculty was nice"
"Positive attitude, happiness of students and faculty (despite the small town), facilities, hospital is right there. It was the first anatomy lab I've seen and the cadavers were surreal. Clinical experience right away and throughout time there. The advance technology i.e. laptops, ether net, audio of class, links to relevant information for classes supplied prior to class. Everyone seems to work together. Very good support systems in place. Opportunities to go abroad."
"Everything about the school really. Nice, modern faciltieis (totally wired), student happiness, the curriculum."
"Most of the interviewers are nice."
"The students seemed happy! Everyone seemed so nice. The technology and everything was nice too."
"students seemed very happy, state of the art facilities, the tourguides stressed how little they had to study to do well."
"The school is incredible. The technology based learning is perfect. The students seem very happy, and the faculty seems to be concerned mostly about the wellfare of the students. The anatomy lab is new and very nice. The interviewers are friendly and well prepared."
"Very impressive technology and the faculty seemed very open and friendly"
"nice facilities, friendly students and staff"
"Everyone was very warm and friendly, which is nice."
"All the students seemed very happy with their decision to go to school at Wake Forest. The system tries to foster cooperation over competition. Also, Wake gives its students lots of patient interaction early on (the school is adjoined to the hospitals). The faculty are very receptive to students' comments and complaints."
"Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. All the students seemed very happy and impressed with the program. Oh, and the new vents for the gross lab. It doesn't stink!"
"The facilities are REALLY nice and every student gets their own laptop to use because the school is pretty computerized."
"Financial Aid Office was very helpful in helping to arrange funding."
"The school is nice - and lunch is get all you want, no voucher thingies. The curriculum is pretty nice too."
"The facilities are great. The anatomy lab is AMAZING and the students are really friends. I loved the place"
"The facilities were amazing (completely revamped the Gross Anatomy lab), and I was really impressed by the integration of the PBL and lecture styles."
"hospitality and enthusiasm of everyone there"
"The mini disk"
"School is awesome, I really liked the curriculum. Students are really happy there. I had a chance to visit one of the classes and talk with some of the faculty members."
"the women from the Medical Guild that led us around were very nice, and so were the other interviewies; Winston-Salem is pretty and everyone is very friendly, they had a lot more artsy and cultural events in the city than I expected"
"The relaxed atmosphere at the school, the program and its setup, everyone was honest and genuine."
"Friendliness, student hosts, facilities."
"Everyone was very friendly. all aspects of the school are very thorough, no corners are ever cut"
"They described their curriculum in depth and it is really unique. We were allowed to visit the anatomy lab during the tour. A couple of physicians' wives stayed with us during the process to talk with us and answer questions. The cookies were super good."
"friendliness of everyone"
"The hospital, all the people at the med school, and the curriculum"
"everything: we liked the area, the hospital, the high tech classrooms. Cost of living is low, there are jobs in the area for my spouse, people are friendly, their program is excellent (patient contact the first week!)"
"High level of attention paid to students by the faculty and staff, Winston-Salem seems to be a nice quiet town with a really great quality of life. The students are were very enthusiastic about the school, and had great advice. The 20 min X 3 interview format was very relaxed, and quite a nice departure. Overall, I loved this school, and it's definitely my first choice."
"All the students I saw and talked to absolutely love the school and talked about how well they were treated there. They also talked about how responsive the faculty are to the students feedback. I had heard briefly about their problem-based curriculum but was not familiar with the details but after hearing more about it I think it sounds like an excellent curriculum especially for someone who is a learn-by-doing type of person. "
"Beautiful country. Really nice people."
"- The integrated curriculum - it's great for self motivated people who don't like being spoon fed. - Hospital & school are all in one building - New conprehensive cancer research center going up soon - Hospital & facilities were nice - PBL is a key component of this curriculum. Though there are substantial lectures, there is also a strong emphasis on clinical skills development. I think it's a good balance. - They "give" you an IBM Thinkpad & Palm. This not really true - you pay for it. It's just that everyone gets the same one. - No over night calls on the wards (except if you want) - They tell you when exactly when they will make a decision and notify you. No admissions office games."
"the students were very cool, the facility is excellent, curriculum is well thought out, interviewers seemed nice, school is building new research institute downtown "
"Curriculum seems to be new. Technology up to date."
"Everyone was very friendly and very laid-back. The medical students who give you the tour will answer any questions you have about the school honestly. Also, a volunteer with the hospital guild is there with you all day to make you feel more comfortable. She was very nice and helped make the process less stressful."
"The facilities are very nice. It's apparent the difference money can make. The students seem very intelligent, and more importantly, happy. Very nice place to study. Cheap apartments, too."
"The students seemed very laid back and honest about everything and said that they were very happy there. The facilities are nice and very modern and technologically advanced. Everyone was very friendly. Cheap cost of living is a definite plus!"
"The free top of the line laptops and palm pilots given to all students(which are upgraded after 2nd yr). The hospital is constantly being renovated and made better. Consequently even though the school has been around since the 1900's, everything looks fairly new. The curriculum is neat, very integrated. Faculty is very responsive to student complaints. ACC basketball is cool and the med students get free tickets to wake games. Housing is cheap. 675 rent for a house across the street. I pay that much to share a room in LA."
"The school has a really student-oriented attitude. Wake Forest wasn't one of my top choices, but after visiting the school, it's definately one of my top two choices. "
"The staff was super friendly and supportive. The students seemed to really enjoy their school."
"the admin and students were so friendly and enthusiastic about the school."
"People were extremely friendly"
"Very laid-back environment. So many tech-toys! The Financial Aid session was very impressive and very helpful."
"The use of tech. on campus is impressive. Everything is wired; the students get labtops their first year and palm tops in their third years. Also, what is transcribed on the white boards and power point presentations are all available on the internet."
"Laid back approach by the interviewing faculty"
"A lot of the class handouts are online. "
"the use of technology in all the class settings; the small-group classes (6 ppl) to discuss a case every week; I didn't talk to a single student who did not love Wake Forest"
"the use of technology (not just the school but the hospital as well), interesting problem-based curriculum, very responsive faculty to the students' wants & needs"
"use of technology; nice hospital and medical school area; curriculum seemed very nice"
"Students seemed pretty happy"
"The cost of living in Winston-Salem is extremely cheap--particularly if you come from large cities like New York City or San Francisco. The Community Practice Experience is an awesome opportunity to interact with patients for a solid week after the end of each phase."
"The friendliness of everybody I met during my two night stay in Winston-Salem, and the excellent integration of technology into the curriculum."
"The curriculum & students. Level 1 trauma hospital"
"Building feels rather empty"
"Facility is weirdly mapped out since the medical school is lumped in the same building as the hospital"
"The facilities were a tad dated."
"The surrounding area is quite boring. The student lounge and study areas are rather gloomy and dated. The gym is TINY. And one of my interviewers kept cutting me off mid-sentence over and over again."
"not very impressive classrooms, study areas, that sort of thing. but those things really don't matter."
"Wish i could have seen more of the campus on the tour but, still a nice 1 hour tour."
"Seems like a lot of time spent in class. I was not a big fan of the 3 short interviews because I didn't get a chance to have really good conversations with my interviewers. We barely had time for just a few rapid-fire questions without a lot of discussion or "bonding" time. Also, the school's website doesn't have a lot of information on it, especially regarding the curriculum."
"not too much to do in the area outside of outdoor activities"
"the financial aid presentation, soooo expensive"
"The gym/workout area was pretty small"
"Seems to be little to no freedom in 1st and 2nd years, i.e. 8-5 mandatory lecture 3-4 days a week. Seems to cater a bit towards NC residents. No pharmacology. This is just nitpicking though."
"Relatively isolated location, airport is over 30 mins away"
"The gym in the medical center is pretty useless. My tour guide said many people end up getting memberships at the nearby YMCA."
"The gym sucks."
"First year students at lunch did not know ANYTHING about years 2, 3, or 4. That is to say they had no answers about support services, curriculum, clinical opportunities - pretty much, they seemed to be in their own little bubble - which may be good for med school success but is bad for being a visiting applicant resource."
"Located in a very small town, some social life lacking"
"One of the interviewers was assigned the "mean interviewer role," but I could tell that he was uncomfortable asking difficult questions. "
"Not much! "
"The classrooms and med school facilities were old. The med school didn't seem to really have it's own dedicated facilities, either. Fairly expensive school. Very little contact with students during the interview day. Way too much time spent in class."
"A student told me they went there because it was the only school they got into."
"two students said that they came to Wake because they didn't get in anywhere else"
"The hospital cafeteria food."
"Not that many international opportunities, would have to go to a nearby school to take global health classes."
"The facilities aren't that great, and very few students came to tell us why they liked the school. It felt like a place a lot of people weren't excited to be at. It also seems to cater to NC residents with scholarships and opportunities. The schedule looks jam packed with not a lot of free-time, and there don't seem to be that many interesting innovations in their curriculum."
"I-40 was under construction! Almost late to interview."
"I agree the 15 min style interview format is strange, but it is no reason to dislike the school and it is certainly enough time to impress them. "
"Not much - I don't see why some people dislike the school. The people seemed really nice, the facilities definitely above average, and students happy to be there."
"Everything else. This is a school that is built around what I call "the good ole boy system." If you are from the area you are set. If not, you better be freakin' great. My third interviewer, PhD, was a joke. He was hyper-defensive about Obama, poorly designed research, and grant funding. I was polite and handled him as well as possible, but let's just say that, Wake, if you are reading this, please follow my advice on this one: you are going to lose a LOT of good people who would LOVE to go to your school if you maintain your current interview method. Having one jerk every day does nothing but cut people down quickly, and if I were you, I would stick to MD's for interviewers. The MD's were friendly, outgoing, and concerned for getting to know the applicants. The other person has a thing or two to learn about a little thing called "people skills." Also, don't have the Dean come out and meet us "one-on-one" in a big group and then proceed to show how she memorized one fact about us all. It is tacky and unreal. Be real and just be friendly. I was not impressed but did very well with your system. This should tell you several things, none of which are good."
"Facilities aren't that awesome, and we didn't see many students"
"Nothing at all. It honestly is a great place to go to medical school. "
"Winston Salem is..well...behind in the times. The buildings are very dark and gray. Everyone seemed so down. The students looked like they want to be there. Two of my student hosts said this wasn't their first choice."
"Having just one hospital to call "Home""
"Every student I met seemed apathetic at best, unhappy at worst. Almost everyone I talked to said they were only there because it was the only school they got into. I felt like I was missing something. The school looked so amazing, I thought for sure I wanted to go there during the interview day, but I felt like I was missing something huge that was the reason why nobody wanted to be there. I don't know what it was, but it was kind of eerie. Like there's some ugly secret that no one talks about."
"Winston-Salem seems pretty small, but NC I imagine is gorgeous in the spring/summer"
"Outside of the interviewers the admissions folks had no interest in talking with me or getting to know me. "
"paying to park."
"They have a interview "mom" who is a wife of one of the doctors on faculty, but the one I had was really opinionated about the economy and pretty much thought everyone else's opinion was incorrect. Also, my second interviewer was really rude and kept interrupting me. When I was talking about my research, he interrupted me and said, "It's not that I don't care, but I don't. I'm not going to remember, but I just wanted to know you did research." Thanks pal, you're a good PR agent for the school. Also, it was very disorganized. The student volunteers for lunch never showed up so a roaming student just volunteered. Also, every student that was with us was from North Carolina. I got NO out-of-state perspective."
"Nothing really"
"not enough outreach work"
"The first interviewer (of 3) who interrogated me about my family."
"......"
"About the interview/school? Not a single thing. The area is the only negative, but I definitely think I could live there. Most people in the school didn't smoke :)"
"We didn't get to meet any 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year students, or any faculty members except for the interviewers. Also, we weren't able to see any of the hospital on the tour."
"Nada"
"how short the interviews were..."
"absolutely nothing."
"Almost everything else. Location, student body, class schedule and style, the 'incidents reporting system' wherein you can rat out your classmates, the fact that you have to swipe in to classes. The interview style and process is nerve wracking, and I don't imagine it's any more useful than a less-aggressive process would be."
"interacting with the tour guild was a little akward"
"The interview style. 3 15-20 minute interviews was rather odd. I felt like I could barely scratch the surface before having to leave."
"Winston-Salem isn't for everyone. I loved it (I'm from a smaller town), but if you're looking to go out to clubs, bars, etc., you might want to look elsewhere. Seems like an ideal setting for medical school (lack of major distractions; a very liveable and affordable city). The medical campus gym is a little small."
"Not too close to a major airport, hospital is very difficult to get around in, location would be far from family."
"Every interviewee had some connection to Wake or North Carolina. "
"Medical campus is separate from main"
"the dark classrooms!"
"The school does not have an official MD-MPH program."
"Location."
"The food in the cafeteria wasn't that good. The hostess from the medical guild was a little inappropriate (reminded me of my opinionated grandmother). The buildings were old and dingy on the surface although the teaching technology was up to date."
"actually ... the technology ... which everyone loves ... but honestly ... they were like look how impressive this is .. our anatamoy lab with flat screens and no textbooks .. and we dont even have microscopes ... we just use computers ... ''after all doctors dont need to know how to use microscopes'' ... i dont know ... just gave me an uneasy vibe"
"Although the Medical Guild person was very nice it is highly inappropriate in this day to have what is essentially a ''Doctor's wives club'' to be a part of the interview day. It perpetuates the sexist image that medicine is a man's profession when most incoming classes have a 50-50 ratio. In addition, the students I met lacked any enthusiasm for the school."
"Small town with small population may decrease the variety of medical cases we are exposed to."
"The interviews were timed and when you had about five minutes left- there was a knock on the door to wrap it up."
"The city was kind of...dull. The medical school seemed kind of lost inside of the hospital."
"N/A"
"Nothing. Well...no one knew the average USMLE step 1 score. I wish they had given us that information."
"The city of Winston-Salem"
"Winston-Salem is just really really really small and not diverse"
"Winston-Salem is a really small city."
"Town is mediocre, students seemed happy but didn't seem to LOVE Wake."
"One professor (not an interviewer) had a very negative opinion of MD/PhD students, claiming that the compression of time in the PhD program was tantamount to ''diluting'' your PhD."
"Small workout facilities. I need more weights to keep up my incredible physique. "
"Winston-Salem isn't so hot."
"Lack of scholarships talked about by admissions office"
"Town of Winston-Salem is small..."
"The facilities, with the exception of the anatomy lab, were not nearly as up to date as you would expect. The lecture halls and small group rooms and library were not on par with other schools at all."
"The city"
"Location (I'm from Winston-Salem, it's not a great city for young adults)"
"-The area is what everyone says it is: a little bland. They are revamping downtown though. -Medical students have a tiny health center, and don't have access to WFU's main workout facilities."
"lecture room not in good shape compared to rest of facilities"
"I didn't think that the interview format allowed enough time to really communicate much of anything. I'm sure there is a reason that they do it this way..."
"The first year floor (classroom and small group rooms) was kind of dingy, definitely the low point of the tour."
"Winston-Salem is pretty dead; facilities (other than technology) are really drab; the two floors you spend the first two years on are underground!"
"never saw or mentioned match list, tour guide was supposed to take us on an hour long tour, but she managed to cover everything in 15 minutes, which suggests she probably forgot to show us a lot"
"OHHHH THE AWFUL, RIDICULOUS, TRULY OBNOXIOUS DOCTOR WIFE THAT IS WITH YOU ALL THE TIME WITH NO CONECTION WHATSOEVER SINCE SHE NEVER WENT TO MED SCHOOL, IS ONLY THERE COZ SHE HAS NOTHING ELSE TO DO IN HER LIFE BESIDES TALKING ABOUT HOW PERFECT HER FAMILY IS AND ASK YOU STUPID QUESTIONS LIKE, WHERE YOU LIVE? IS THAT A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD? "
"The classroom facilities"
"The chaperon was from the "doctor's wives" club. "
"THe hospital is somewhat confusing to navigate. Try to visit the night before or go early for good directions. Easy to find the hospital where the admissions office is, however."
"How depressing Windston-salem seems to be."
"The financial aid people couldn't be there that day, so that info session was conducted by someone from admissions, who didn't seem to know a whole lot about it"
"The short length of the interviews."
"One of the women in the admissions office was snappy."
"Rigid curriculum, no electives until 4th year, few students took part in research (this was confirmed by an interviewer who told me that she was disappointed with the amount of basic research that takes place at Wake), some facilities looked worn, high average student debt, most of the students you talk to are 1st Year without much experience in med school, seems like a lot of politics among the admin/faculty, MEDICAL GUILD CHAPERONE!"
"The facilities are really big so easy to get lost. The interviews are done like a round robin. Half of the people interview are one time and you have a 15 min time limit, which is good if the interview is going poorly but annoying if it is going well. The proctor knocks at the door and then will walk in on the interview if you go over time."
"Not much really. They didn't tell us how the students do on board exams, or how the match with residencies."
"Small town. Visitor parking is pretty limited (although students have their own parking area)."
"Winston-Salem makes Durham look like New York"
"The location"
"Where to begin... Getting greeted by the Medical Center Guild (aka the "wives of doctors club"), the overall attitude - extremely conservative, no merit scholarship for out-of-staters, the fact that the admissions people lied to us (yes yes, we still have about 10-12 spots available only to find out from the students that the class was filled weeks before my interview), etc., etc."
"I got lost walking frim parking to interview- rambling hospital which I'm sure you get used to. The interviewers asked many of the same questions, and none of then had read any of my expereinces, so I didn't feel that they were well prepared about me."
"Upon my arrival, I was told that enough acceptances had already been sent out to fill the class and I would therefore be placed on the waiting list. I still think I have a chance though!!"
"Nothing at all. The tuition is high, but I knew that before I went to the interview, so it wasn't a surprise. "
"Winston-Salem. Tiny, conservative town. Seriously about three bars and lots of tailgating. Students told me they liked this because they were afraid they wouldn't get studying done if they lived in a city with more to do. Uh-huh. Watch out for Dr. Lee if you get him as an interviewer. He's a killer."
"Students said there was not much to do in Winston."
"It is a really small town, sort of out in the middle of nowhere. This is good for some people, not good for those who like big cities. The women from the Medical Center Guild (wives of physicians) welcomed us. That was nice, but what kind of message does that send to future female physicians? I'd like to see the husband of a physician welcome applicants. People seem conservative and old-fashioned here. Winston-Salem seems sort of stuck in time. Tour given by a student was disorganized...she didn't seem to know what to show us or where we were going. "
"I got the impression that there was maybe a little bit TOO much structure to the curriculum. There didn't seem to be any elective time available until Phase 4. The students seemed to feel that they had great relationships with the administration/faculty which is good, but a couple of them mentioned that they thought that the administration was TOO involved in their academic lives...treating the students more like children/less like adults."
"The price of tuition. Coming from NC, there are two other public schools in our state that would provide a great education for about 30% of the price of wake."
"it was a pretty good day"
"Tuition is pretty high. Also, if you like a lot of activity or enjoy city life, this probably is not the place for you."
"not much flexibility in the curriculum until 4th year"
"Students regularly attend lecture (not my style), town is a bit small, I didn't notice any nearby airports"
"the interviewer who asked the competence/professionalism question was a bit snide, but nothing i couldn't handle. other than that, i was positively impressed by everyone and everything.. maybe i'm too easy to please :)"
"Nothing big - if you're looking for a huge city, Winston-Salem is going to disappoint you, but other than that..."
"The interviews were too short and of the three, only one was with a physician. I felt like I could never get in an interesting conversation because they were so short."
"the facilities were really bleak. Reminded me of a jail. "
"Size of town and distance to major cities. Grading system (0-3). You have to foot the bill if you elect to go abroad."
"Nothing that I can think of."
"The students said "it's okay. I only got in here, so I had no other choice." My interviewer tried to convince me away from Wake Forest because "it's expensive." He also had rude mannerisms (rolling his eyes, questioning my reasons for applying there, etc). "
"The medical school is sooooo confusing. I worked there over the summer, and I still got all turned around during the tour."
"winston-salem, the cost of the school."
"I wish we would have had the opportunity to meet the dean of admissions."
"50K a year annual budget to live in Winston-Salem"
"location (not much to do in winston-salem) and the airport is incredibly inefficient (had to wait over half an hour for a cab to the school)"
"I can't think of any."
"It was made abundantly clear that the learning here is very intense and stressful at times. One admissions officer made it sound like the students hardly have any time to do anything but study. Also, at the lunch with students, the host from the admissions office was there with us, so I got the impression that the students may have been less than honest with some of their answers about the negative aspects of the school."
"Hard to find the admissions office. Need better directions. Well, directions period."
"Well the school is very expensive and also there seems to be a heavy religious influence even though students claim that it doesn't really permeate the academic environment."
"The medical students were not very enthusiastic. The ones we had lunch with were first year and still were trying to learn the ropes (Not much help) and the ones for our tour were fourth year and too tired to be enthusiatic but their comments actually were very helpful."
"The city is not very lively, but not too bad. The living is cheap."
"Winston Salem isn't the most happening town."
"The interviewers couldn't really answer any of my questions about the medical school. On the flip side, after the interview, I asked my "host" and she searched some one down who could answer my question."
"The tour guide wouldn't take me where I wanted to go because he was a first year and didn't know how to get there or was not comfortable going there. "
"Everything was great. "
"We didn't see many students, and those we did speak too were not all that enthusiastic; the grading system is 3-2-1-0 which sounds a lot like a b c d to me"
"Nothing."
"Lots of downtime sitting in the admissions office"
"The town is a bit small"
"Three 15 minute interviews. Hardly enough time to really discuss ones application and it is a really long day!"
"the scholarly project is no longer an integral part of the curriculum, and the town is small, I mean smaller than you can imagine"
"Nothing in Winston-Salem to keep you from studying!!"
"nothing: Wake Forest is our top choice. It seemed like the best match for me"
"Would have liked to have had the interviews before the tour, but that was just by chance."
"Wake Forest being the only private school I have interviewed at the cost negitively impressed me the most. "
"Tour was poorly organized and included little student contact."
"- No Pass/Fail; they have a "3 point grading system", which I'm assuming goes 3,2,1,0 for honors, pass, marginal pass, and fail. Depending on how you look at it, it may be a positive or negative. I think it's positive because it rewards those who put in extra effort, but many people don't. - Students don't have their own cubicles "
"students told me step 1 scores had been sort of low since implementing new curriculum"
"School is in the boonies. Perhaps people may be a bit "townie" also."
"There weren't many windows in the buildings."
"$46,000+ annual student budget. Ouch!"
"Nothing really."
"I wouldn't mind going there. The school seems to offer a good education. However, the Winston-Salem area isn't the most happening place(i'm from cali so i'm jaded). Just doesn't seem like theres much to do there outside of med school. The med school is not on the undergrad Wake Forest campus. The gym inside the med school sux and the undergrad gym is technically not available to med students(however, med students seem to go there to workout and just slip in). The south is really really slow."
"Nothing"
"I wasn't negatively impressed in the least."
"they still need to iron out some problems in the curriculum. a few too many students were (are?) still scoring badly on the boards "
"ok... the student who gave us the tour told us about the new curriculum and how it has given them a failure rate on step I that is double the national average. Also, they seem to be all about making changes just for the sake of making changes. Several students I spoke with were less than pleased with the direction the curriculum was heading in and the way it has been implemented. "
"Winston-Salem is pretty crumby."
"The town doesn't seem to have much to do. Students don't get to use the gym at the main Wake Forest campus."
"The meetings were a bit long and boring, and the interview wasn't until after lunch, so it makes for a long day"
"I did not particularly like the format of the interviews - three 15 minute interviews, back to back. I got asked many of the same questions and felt like I was having the same conversation over and over again. "
"town is very small, but it's an hour away from Chapel Hill and Charlotte"
"the area... interesting mix of country & city... small town with the occasional big building..."
"Winston-Salem is relatively small - the downtown area seems dead"
"Information session seemed unproffessional, unorganized"
"Orientation starts at the end of July. "
"The city is very small and quiet, but that can be a good thing too depending on the person."
"The city is really quiet, you'll get lots of studying done"
"That sleep is hard to obtain at the hotel where I stayed."
"The interview was nowhere near as stressful as I thought it would be."
"That the interview end time would put me right in the middle of 5:00 rush hour traffic passing through Charlotte"
"That the tour would be so long (wear comfortable shoes!)"
"How relaxed it would be."
"That one of the interviewers would keep cutting me off mid-sentence."
"how awesome it would be"
"As you have probably read elsewhere, it IS difficult to find the admissions office. To be on the safe side, I would try to park/arrive at the hospital a half hour before your interview so you have plenty of time in case you get lost. Even one of our student tour guides got a little lost trying to find the admissions office after the tour!"
"make sure whatever shoes you have flats/1 inch heels are comfortable"
"that the interviews feel so short and they don't ask you anything that will really allow you to shine"
"I found the best airport car service through my hotel and not the school's website: ACE transportation."
"That the interviewers only objective was to get to know me better and not to quiz me in any way"
"How bad the gym sucks."
"How truly casual the interviews are."
"The interviews are essentially speed dates, and are very relaxed and conversational."
"How conversational the interviews truly were. They are in rapid succession, too, so it can be somewhat overwhelming at first."
"Just how rapid-fire the interviews would be! I liked it. "
"There will be 2 nice interviewers and 1 mean one. I believe they do this to everyone."
"That the interviews would just be a conversation with 3 people and not interview like at all."
"How relaxed the interviews would be."
"That they have 2 nice interviewers and 1 jerk interviewer every time."
"That they were testing our ability to handle stress a bit differently this time. Instead of having a rude interviewer, they now have an interviewer who asks tough questions(he asked one of the other interviewees for treatment options for breast cancer!), while sitting with you in a tiny room with the temperature turned up."
"Not much - the hospital is confusing to get to where you're going so make sure you schedule enough time to find the admissions office, because you will have to ask at least 3 people once you get there."
"Read: what impressed you negatively."
"That one of my interviewers was gonna be mean. :("
"That the admissions office was so hard to find."
"There is no Starbucks nearby"
"Wish I had gotten detailed directions better than mapquest. Luckily I left an hour early and still made it on time (I flew into Richmond, VA and drove). Also, it was difficult to find the admissions office inside the medical complex."
"How conversational the interviews would be"
"Enjoyed learning more about the regenerative tissue/organ research happening at Wake. "
"how to find the admissions office."
"I would be interrogated about my family."
"I felt prepared"
"That I would be asked more about my family and upbringing than any activities I had done."
"......"
"I should have rented a car. Getting from PTI to the hospital is difficult. (Alamo rents to people under 25 for a small fee)"
"That it was going to rain"
"how far wake forest was from the airport in greensboro and that a taxi would cost 50.00 each way"
"Nothing really, I felt prepared."
"More about the curriculum and the student body."
"..."
"No merit scholarships for out-of-state students. Student research participation seems to be lacking."
"Theres no need to prepare for ethical/moral dilemma questions"
"I wish I had gone over my personal statement before the interview because that is the ONLY part of your file the interviewers have."
"The cost of your Computer (during 1st year), USMLE Step 1, 2 (fees), PDA (during 3rd year)are all included in your tuition. No additional fees are tacked on by the school. Very nice!"
"To find the office of admissions: 1. Park in structure A 2. Find nearest information booth, ask dir to Whatling Hall (spelling) 3. You should be in the G part of the building, take the elevator to the 3rd flr. It took me 10min to find the office from the parking structure."
"Winston-Salem is far from the Greensboro airport."
"That Winston-Salem is a little boring..."
"My hotel was not within walking distance of many restaurants. A rental car may have been worthwhile."
"That interviewers would dig and could be awkward."
"Nothing."
"Not much surprising. It's a bit difficult to navigate to the admissions office."
"fly into raliegh or charlotte ... way cheaper ... i flew into GSO and rented a car ... be sure to rent ... do not take a taxi! even if ur 21-25 ... the $15 fee is still way cheaper"
"I wish I had known about the bus route before I came. I knew it was $2 but i didn't know the stops or where the bus station was- I ended up spending close to $70 going from the airport, hotel, interview and back."
"N/A"
"The cheapest taxi from the Greensboro airport to Winston-Salem was $45 plus tip :("
"The cheapest shuttle fare from the Greensboro airport to downtown Winston is $31."
"CTSA - clinical translational science awards. The GCRC programs (NIH funded) are going to undergo a fundamental shift in the next 5 years (GCRC grant expiration date) as the grant program has been replaced by CTSA. Wake's Molecular Medicine program has already made changes for when their GCRC grant expires (along with a few others) so the transition to the new clinical research funding program will be a bit smoother. Really adds value to a clinical research education."
"I should have brought a plastic bag to stuff the free cookies in for the ride home. "
"That there were 3 round-robin 15 minute interviews. After reading this site, I mistakenly believed that there was 1 15 minute interview with 3 people."
"Nothing, I have spent a large amount of my life in the neighboring town."
"How small the city actually is..."
"Students don't have access to undergrad facilities"
"That I would have to pay for parking"
"The medical center isn't on WFU's main campus. Much to my, and my taxi driver's, surprise."
"no matter what you are told, august mcat applicants are at a *distinct* disadvantage here"
"That the Triad area of Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point has a population of over 1 million. Also, Wake is in the midst of building a huge research park a few blocks from the school in downtown W-S. "
"It was the last week of interviewing. Also, MSI's were on Spring Break, and MSII's were on 'break' to study for Step 1. It was pretty quiet around the school."
"i got nothin'"
"That parking wasn't free... Duke gave me a free parking pass. Wasn't expensive, it was like $3.85 I think for more than 3 hours but still give out free stuff that always helps ;)"
"How far out of the way Winston-Salem is"
"The state of the art Anatomy labs that have been recently installed."
"6 hr drive from DC/Baltimore area to Winston-Salem."
"That is was going to rain"
"Nothing really. As previously described, the admissions office is tricky to find, but the security people along the way were pretty helpful."
"All relevant information is online regarding the program and Winston-Salem. - So nothing."
"That it cost $45 to get from the airport to my hotel."
"No electives until 4th year, Wake is still trying to get enough faculty to support the PBL style curriculum they envision"
"The interviewers are not on the acceptance committee, they just make reccommendations. There are only 6 people at the interview. The interviewers convene the same afternoon after the interview and make their reccommendation. The admissions committee meets later that week and then you get a response about 2 weeks after the interview."
"The medical school office is a little confusing to find. Luckily, a medical student saw that I was confused and gave me directions, she also stopped by the office to make sure that I had found it ok!"
"How beautiful Winston-Salem is. Also, the interview day is pretty much over by 3:30. I could have flown home that night, and not paid for an extra night in a hotel."
"How much I would dislike Winston-Salem"
"How little diversity there is in the community. No merit scholarships for out-of-staters"
"No merit scholarship for out-of-stater."
"Range of activities in Winston-Salem is SO BAD! My cab driver informed me that there isn't even anywhere to get something to eat past 11pm at night."
"same as above."
"Nothing that I can think of."
"You're greeted and attended all day by a volunteer, who on my day was a woman whose husband was on the faculty. I found this really aggravating because I felt like I was being shepherded by a "mom" figure all day. She talked about how much she loved Winston-Salem and how much there was to do, but I was like, of course you love it and find lots of things to do -- you're in your fifties! She also took up a lot of valuable time with the current med students by asking them questions whose answers I already knew or didn't care about. Also, every student they assigned to us was from Winston-Salem or nearby, and didn't apply out-of-state. It really made me think twice about going there when over 40% of the students might be expected to share the very ... provincial outlook of the ones we talked to. The cookies are good, but eat breakfast before you go, unless you want cookies for breakfast."
"Where to park. Go to lot A and park on the ground floor if possible."
"This is a small town which is not very diverse. It is a great place for married couples, and people who like quiet, scenic places. Younger people who may like big cities...may not be for you!"
"The clinical experiences seem great, and I was impressed by the amount of hands on experience the students can get through the community preceptorship. Also liked the variety of opportunities that are available to students throughout NC. I didn't realize this until afterwards, but Wake students can do 4th year electives at UNC/Duke/ECU (and vice versa) without applying and getting approved as an external site rotation. I think this is a great opportunity and wish I had known about it so I could get more details during my interview day."
"They provide five one-week preceptorships during the first year of medical school where M1 students work with primary care physicians in their offices to gain experience."
"how confusing the hospital is!"
"Great area!"
"nothing i can think of offhand"
"That it was as laid back."
"Would have made an effort to get to know the Winston-Salem area. Seems small, but I also didn't get much exposure to what the area can offer. Also, the admissions office accepts 10-15 students at a time, so most are not accepted right away."
"that the Admissions Committee will make a decision and let you know within 3 weeks...WOW"
"That interviewers only have your personal statement to ask you questions from. They assume your GPA/MCAT score is fine. Plus everyone is just super nice."
"How unattractive and uninteresting Winston-Salem is."
"Just about everyone who is going to Wake Forrest was initially wait listed. Only 10-15 students are accepted every time the committe meets which is 4-5 times a season. The rest are wait listed or rejected. They then pull people off the list as time goes on (it sounds like they do it even up to the day before class). So don't despair if you don't get in right away."
"Winston-Salem is not a very exciting town. "
"The admissions office IS quite tricky to find so give yourself about fifteen minutes at least to find it, and the people at the hospital itself did not seem to know where the school of medicine is even though they are more or less adjoined."
"Wake doesn't let you do any electives until your fourth year."
"Those shoes really weren't that comfortable."
"Sunday the entire city is dead and everything is closed."
"nothing in particular."
"That it wasn't going to be as stressful as I thought it was going to be."
"nothing"
"THE FITNESS CENTER STINKS and you can't use the undergrad rec center"
"We walked into the cadaver lab about 20 minutes before the interview and a doctor was sawing through a skull- just be mentally prepared if you have not seen this before"
"They no longer require a scholarly project to graduate"
"The interviews would be very low stress, basically just getting to know you things"
"It's $3 to park."
"there is nothing to do in town except study (good and bad)"
"Get there early, its a complicated medical center."
"I wish I had had a couple of more days to see the area, it was beautiful and semi-rural. Lots of fun stuff to do and see"
"North Carolina Baptist Hospital is labyrinthine!"
"The scholarly project is no longer required."
"That the interview would be much more relaxed than I thought it would be. Long day."
"There was a much easier way to get to the admissions office than the directions they give you!"
"At the point of interview, you have statistically about a 50% chance of either getting accepted or pulled off the waitlist. And there are about 20 full tuition scholarships for NC residents."
"Winston-Salem is a really sleepy town but seems like a great place to raise a family. "
"Wish sdn was up so i could get the interview logistics. Didn't matter though...interview is laid back."
"Although the admissions office said that the hotel that I was staying at provided a shuttle to the medical center, it did not."
"people were super friendly winston-salem is a bit sleepy."
"Winston-Salem is a poor man's Nashville. "
"Boys have a penis and girls have a vagina."
"That a bus ride on Greyhound from Salem-Winston is a horrable experience. We had to transfered buses unexpectedly in Richmond at three in the morning. "
"How easy going the interviewers are; they are really there to help and answer questions rather than to intimidate you"
"Yes, the cookies are good. "
"I didn't know how rinky-dink the town was."
"how small of a city it is... no housing offered by the school but there is plenty of options in the surrounding residential area."
"nothing really"
"-"
"Don't be fearful that the interviews are short. I was concerned that I wouldn't have enough time to sell myself in such a short amount of time. However, I learned that you can share much about yourself in 15 minutes. I did not know that the curriculum was entirely problem-based. The school no longer requires the Scholarly Project. "
"Taxis aren't that expensive at all compared to bigger cities, so renting a car wasn't that necessary."
"How complex the hospital/medschool is. Give yourself plenty of time to find the admissions office"
"Great School, I hope I get in!"
"Great experience. Friendly staff and students."
"Unsure about the upcoming curriculum changes, but overall nice school, new building plans look great, nice city to live in, very happy and pleasant students"
"I was disappointed by Wake. I had very high expectations about the school, and felt that my interview day did not do the school justice."
"Excellent school and great day interviewing."
"great school. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I truly loved the school and could see myself there."
"Probably the biggest downside of the school was the drabness of the student areas. They are tucked into a corner of the hospital and they have no windows. If bright and spacious study areas are important to you then Wake Forest might not be the best fit."
"The interviews were SO conversational and laid-back. I did not encounter the 2 nice/1 mean interviewer style that some people have mentioned. Definitely would come here if accepted!"
"great school, definitely at the top of my list"
"I liked Wake Forest more than I thought I would! I will definitely go here if I can figure out a good way to pay for it without it being dramatically more expensive than a state school."
"there are 3 15-20 min interviews. they have ur amcas personal statement and the essays you wrote on your secondary. they dont ask about your grades, and just want to get a feel for you outside of the application."
"Great environment, and from what I can see a great school."
"Great school. Would seriously considered coming here if I am accepted."
"Liked the school more than I thought I would. Students seem happy and they said that all their classmates are very helpful and supportive of each other. They have a very integrated curriculum so you are exposed to each topic in numerous different ways (lecture, lab, clinical, case centered learning)."
"Great school with friendly people"
"Loved the school, loved the people, didn't like the gym. I'm also scared of the summer weather..."
"Delightful school. I do wish we had had the opportunity to meet with year 3 & 4 students."
"really great school, but super expensive. They did provide some very in-depth details about Financial Aid that I didn't know about before so that was good"
"The interviewers only have your secondary and your AMCAS primary. They do not have any numbers, so you might have to use grades in some of your answer responses. I was asked about rebounding after an academic difficulty and realized I had to actually tell him how I fared in my next semesters because the interviewer simply did not know. Loved the school and the hospital. Hoping to hear some good news in the next few weeks."
"If you print the little footprinted map from their website, the admissions office is not at all hard to find. I had kind of a negative view of the school going in, but coming out of the interview day it's among my top choices. "
"OK school. I would attend if I got in, but wouldn't choose it over many other schools."
"Very fun day! Not as stressful as I imagined. I really want to go here!"
"Everybody was nice but the school just isn't a good fit for me. The admissions people were cool about finding me a student host, so that was a big plus. Winston-Salem looks like a good city, but the school is just not what I'm looking for."
"Had a fun trip to NC!"
"Low stress and laid-back interview. This school is simply amazing. "
"Not impressed."
"I was accepted and am attending Wake Forest. I picked it over Mount Sinai, Georgetown and Rush University. Wake Forest is all about its students and the faculty does everything to make sure everyone succeeds. I love the environment here--it's so chill yet students are serious about learning. "
" This was a VERY weird itnerview. One interviewer seemed as if he had not read my application and we had nothing to think about. The city is not very cultural, and the classrooms are dark. Two of my student hosts (from NC) said this was not their first choice. One said he didn't get in to UNC the other said he didn't want to go to ECU. wow.. I had three acceptances prior to this interview so i withdrew after the interview. "
"Stay with student hosts to get a good idea of student life, stress, interview process, to see if you would "fit in""
"I loved this school and location. I really wanted to go here. However, the students and interviewers creeped me out big time. All three interviewers were different. The first was straightforward and blunt, very military-like and proper, yes, no, thank you sir. Easy to talk to if you can speak confidently. The second interviewer was nice and comforting, very motherly. You could say anything and she would smile and nod approvingly. The third interviewer was angry, hostile, and bitter, and used profanity to express disapproval. It seems like the interviewers were chosen purposely to see how the candidates responded to different forms of inquiry."
"The interviews go very quickly and interviewers have access to your primary and secondary essays. The tour is good but doesn't go into the hospital--although my tour guide took me to an additional location when I asked. Lunch is at the hospital cafeteria where you can select whatever you would like. The host "mom" was very friendly and helpful."
"Great school, I was accepted and will be attending. "
"Everyone had three 15-min interviews. Each of us had the same 3 interviewers. It wasn't actually closed-file because the interviewers had our essays in front of them. They did not know our grades or anything else, though. Think of things that aren't in your essays that you can bring up so you aren't wasting the little time you have on what they already know."
"There were 3 15-minute interviews."
"Great program, happy students, approachable and caring faculty. Very technologically savvy curriculum. Just an all around solid place to learn medicine. "
"Overall I enjoyed the interview day a lot, it was stressful since it was my first interview and the first of the 3 20-minute interviews was with a strange man who just asked me about my family. It threw me off guard. However, the other 2 interviews went well and I ended up with an acceptance. I really liked the school a lot and would likely attend if I had not gotten accepted somewhere closer to home."
"I loved this interview day, school, and everything about it. I would love to go to school here. "
"Wake Forest is an amazing school and if you get an interview, be excited! It is a very warm atmosphere and they want to get to know you."
"One of the interviewers wasn't able to be there, so it was just two people instead of the usual three. They really didn't ask many questions; it was more of a conversation. There's a big emphasis on clinical practice at Wake, so it's a good place if that's what you want to do. There's a good vibe of camaraderie between the students. One of the tour guides was a little strange (he was quizzing us on anatomy and stuff), but most of the people are fairly laid back."
"Wake seems nice, and I would love to go here, but it would be difficult justifying their $58,000 per year vs. my state schools $25,000. I really didn't feel like I got a better impression of what the school was about after the interview."
"Awesome!!!! One of my top choices"
" this interview day was not very high stressed. You start in the morning with about six interviewees, you sit aand chat for a while. The hostess comes in and we all introduce ourselves and talk about where we are fom and general information about the school. we then eat lunch with some of the current students. GREAT FOOD!! We then break up into two groups of three...one group starts interviewing, the other group goes on a tour. The interview style is unique...there are three interviews with three different ppl at three different times...each lasting about 15 mins...we go into the room...the interview is closed file but they do have your personal statement and your secondary answers (no grades or scores)...we chat for 15 mins and we have to stop when the hostess knocks...we wait for a few mins for the interviewer to jot down notes about the interview and then we start again in the next room...it isn' very stressful because you don't have enough time to get nervous. It is hard because in that time, you don't have time to get to know the interviewer and you can't really judge how well you did. However I did enjoy myself very much!"
"My best interview experience to date. They had a ''mom'' for the day (a spouse of a physician involved at Wake) that kept everyone on schedule and going to the right place. EVERYONE was very warm and friendly, not to mention helpful. It was a low-stress fun day."
"I had the exact same interview 3 times in a row, but with 3 different doctors... It seems like they didn't discuss beforehand what types of questions they were going to ask. I was quite literally asked the exact same questions by all 3 of my interviewers. It was frustrating, because I ended up having to talk about similar things in each one, and I don't think I was able to portray a lot about myself that I would have liked to."
"It was great, I could easily see myself staying there for four years. If you're used to a big city, then this might not be the place for you. But, after spending 4 years in a relatively small city--Winston Salem seems perfect. Faculty interviewers were very friendly and the school seems very high tech."
"Met by medical guild in the morning (the wife of a medical school faculty member), who was super nice and made everyone feel relaxed. Went to presentation on the school and financial aid for about an hour. Then we went to lunch with three first year students. They were very honest about Wake and gave us a clear picture of the school. After lunch, we toured the medical education building (anatomy lab, classrooms, and the library). Finally, at 2 we went back for our interviews, which weren't stressful at all (very conversational, get-to-know-you type of interviews). I was done by three o'clock and drove right to the airport to catch my flight."
"I arrived at 9:45 and basically just sat around talking with the other interviewees and a doctor's wife until 10:45. There are 6 interviewees on any given day. I thought both the presentation about the school and financial aid were very good. Lunch with M2's and tour with M1's. Interviews were only 15 min. each interviewer just has your personal statement, but they may not have read it very closely or remember it well. Two of my interviewers were very stoic/aloof at first but they warmed up by the end of the interview... I think they may do that at first to see how you respond."
"Showed up to the hospital about 45 minutes early. Parked in parking structure ''A'' althugh ''B'' would have been fine as well. There is no sense in trying to find the school yourself, just ask the first information desk you see. Checked in at the admissions office. They have a hostess from the Wake Forest Medical Guild (Spouses Club) that help out during the day. I saw previous posters suggest that this was sexest, but I think there is nothing wrong with family members trying to be involved in the community where their spouses work, whether they are male or female it really doesn't matter. We received a presentation on admissions (7500 applicants last year(entering class of 2007), 500 interviewed, about half of them accepted). Received a wonderful financial aid presentation. Then went to lunch with current MS2s. There were 6 of us in the interview group, after lunch 3 of us went with a couple MS1s for a tour, the other 3 did interviews and then we switched. The interviews were very short and very easy, made me wonder how important they could really be in the application process. We were done by 330pm. "
"You meet the guild lady who is nice. She helps to break the ice with everyone. She seemed too happy but I cant discredit her for that. You listen to the dean of admis followed by a financial aid presentation. We had lunch with M1s but a M3 stopped by. Then the groups are divided into those that will interview next or take the tour. The tour is very spontaneous b/c they find people at the last min to do it. "
"Our third interviewer did not show up. I wish I could have had that third interview because one was OK and the other was much better."
"Very good. Don't be afraid to talk to the other interviewees; you'll be with them all day, so make friends!"
"The atmosphere was extremely friendly and relaxed. Everyone with whom I interacted seemed eager to help. Over all, it was a very informative and enjoyable day."
"Interesting format."
"It was a really laid-back experience. This was my first interview, but I was pretty much at ease once the interviews began. The build-up was by far the worst part. All I was asked were questions about what I do outside of studying, etc. "
"The school is my ideal, hence the high ratings above. I live in Winston, know the area and the types of people there, and thus really want to go to Wake. I'm a Christian, and indicated as much in my primary application, and got a little bit of flack from one of the professors in the form of the ''God thing'' question and other ethical questions. I was ready for the interviews, though the way in which some of the questions were asked was a bit disconcerting. On the whole, I'm impressed with the school, and am looking forward to attending if at all possible."
"It was a pleasant and relatively short interview day. There was a very brief curriculum and financial aid presentation. We spent a lot of time sitting around in the morning talking to the hostess. Two 2nd year students took us to lunch. The food wasn't great, but the discussion of Wake was. We had three 15 minute interviews. They were very short, but I liked it that way. Two other students took us on the tour. We mostly only saw the basic science areas, none of the clinical, but the school of medicine is right within the hospital."
"i actually really liked it ... and contrary to most reviews i really liked the speed dating interviews ... i felt everyone was able to get a small flavor"
"Short interview day, arrived and spent 30+ minutes with the wife of a physician. Short presentation on school and financial aid. Lunch with 3 students who were not enthusiastic about the school at all. After lunch tours and speed dating/interviewing which was kind of chaotic and too short."
"I liked the school and curriculum. I just don't know if I would go out of state to live in Winston-Salem for the same price as an in-state school I am applying to."
"There were about 6 people interviewing. First we met with financial aid, but this is unusual. Then we met with admissions. After that we had lunch with two first year students. And the group was divided in half. Half went on tour and the other half went to interview. "
"It was pretty relaxed, at least for 2 of the 3. One of the interviewers was a psychiatrist and that was kind of intimidating at first, but they all just really wanted to get to know you. None of the interviewers were trying to throw you off or anything like that."
"Cookies, overview of school, financial aid session, cookies, lunch with med students, tour with med students(or interview), cookies, interview (or tour with med students), cookies"
"Very relaxed interview day. Our host from the Medical School guild, Hazel, was very friendly and informative. Lunch was great, and all the interviewers were enthusiastic and very positive. Great interview day!"
"Overall, it was very laid back and informal. The fifteen minutes goes by quicker than you realize, make an effort to hit on the strong points you want to make before time is up. In general, though, it's a very pleasant interview."
"It was great, the doctors who interviewed me were very laid back. It just seemed very intimate and conversational. They didn't ask any questions to really throw me off, just to get to know me. The 15 minutes does just fly by though."
"It was short and felt a little rushed."
"There was a lot of sitting around and waiting at the beggining of the day (possibly because I got there pretty early). We then were given a presentation on the school and on financial aid, then ate lunch at the hospital cafeteria (which was pretty good). Then the interviewees were split into two groups, and one group had interviews while the other took a tour, then we switched. Overall, the students seemed like pretty normal people trying to pursue a medical career. The atmosphere was fairly relaxed and the professors seemed to be pretty chill according to the students."
"Overall, a very good time. Students were friendly, so were the professors, and I never felt like anyone was ''out to get me''. A small city with not a huge club and party scene, Winston-Salem to me was a large enough place to call home. Their MD/PhD is not MSTP funded. Disadvantage: fewer slots for dual degree Advantage: more freedom in curriculum development-->no government-mandated ''get out in 7'' requirement (the school recognizes that the PhD may take more than 3 years)"
"There are three 15 minute interviews with three different staff members. Two were MD's and one was a PhD. The interviews were very relaxed and conversational. They didn't ask any intimidating questions, and the 15 minutes really goes by faster than you would like. I found myself rushing my speech sometimes because I knew I was on the clock, but if you speak slowly and just keep up with the interviewers pace you'll be fine. In fifteen minutes they don't expect to get your entire life story, so just be yourself and create a nice first impression. "
"After a negative interview day the day before, Wake seemed like a breath of fresh air. Everyone seemed happy to be there. The faculty was nice; interviews actually asked me relevant questions. The whole day was very informative. Prior to interviewing, when I looked at the schedule, I thought that the amount of time alloted for the information sessions was excessive. However, they were very useful to learn more about the school, the financial aid process (there and elsewhere), etc. Compared to other schools, Wake really tried and I felt like I was being wooed. Winston-Salem is lame but cheap living."
"Late arrival night before, lost luggage, had to get new suit at mall. Arrived late, staff concerned and very nice. Great students, amazing facilities. Time crunch on interviews, but good."
"Overall I enjoyed my experience at Wake...seems like a good school to be at for four years"
"Great experience with the interviewers but the facilites left a lot to be desired."
"I had three interviewers and they were pretty decent but my last interviewer was amazing. She recommended places to salsa dance and was genuinely interested in learning about me. We both were a little disappointed when our session ended and she called me a "
"An attending's wife talked to us before we went to an informational session regarding the school and financial planning. Next, we had lunch with two fourth-year students (MS I's and MS II's were taking a test). Aftewards, half of the group went on the tour and half started the round-robin interviews (20 min sessions w/ three separate interviewers; one physician, one PhD researcher, and one "
"All in all I had an awesome time. My interviews were relaxed and informal. All the students loved their decision to go to Wake, and there is a lot of camaraderie amongst them. I couldn't have asked for a better first interview experience and I hope I get an acceptance. In the end, I think I'd be very happy at Wake."
"speed dating -- make sure you know how to get your point across. i felt rushed during all of my interviews."
"It was great! Friendly people and good facilities. I would be very happy spending four years in this setting."
"2 of the 3 interview went very well, and the other was ok too, I just didn't click well with that interviewer. Each only touched on 2 or 3 topics and then it was over."
"The day was planned out exactly the way Wake said it would be. Our "medical guild volunteer" didn't show in the morning, so I just talked with the other interviewees (6 of us total) from 10-10:30. Irene Tise from Admissions took us into a small conference room and showed us a ppt presentation on Wake and the curriculum, with lots of handouts. A Financial Aid lady told us all we needed to know about need-based aid, federal loans and private loans, and even showed us that if you buy a Starbucks coffee 4 days a week during med school, you could end up owing over $3000 when it's time to pay back student loans! Two MSII's took us to lunch who seemed very happy with Wake. They told us not to worry if we're waitlisted because almost half the class has been traditionally taken from this list. Cafeteria was pretty darn good. Interviews started at 1pm. Three students go on a tour, while the other three stay to interview. You interview with 3 different faculty members for 15 minutes each, then they spend ~5 minutes writing about you before the next one. They only have your PS and secondary essays, so you end up talking about the big obvious stuff you've done, and don't get a chance to get to anything really nitty-gritty. I personally liked that because it makes it much less stressful! Preparing with SDN Interview Feedback reeeeeeeally helped. The tour was fine. You don't get to see much more than Watlington Hall, which is where the med school facilities are. It's basically two pretty drab looking floors with drab rooms: 2 lectures halls (one for year 1 and one for year 2), a student lounge, the library, some small-group learning rooms, a couple Standardized Patient Assessment rooms, a super small 'fitness center',and that's pretty much it. The anatomy lab is pretty cool though -- each cadaver has a 20" flat screen above it, so you can see what the profs are doing. You can also see CT scans of your cadaver, on this screen and on your laptop anytime."
"The "speed dating" aspect goes smoothly. After lunch... 15 min. in interview one, 5 min. off while they take notes (a kitchen timer goes off and a lady knocks on the door), then repeat for interviews 2 & 3. The interviewers only had my amcas personal statement and the add'l comments I added to my secondary. The day starts with a meet & greet with a physician's wife (liaison). Ours is a drug rep married to an anesthesiologist (imagine that). She was great. Then we heard talks on the school, its curriculum/technology and finaid. Lunch was in the anything but diminutive cafeteria (w/ 2 first years). After the interviews we had a tour given by another 1st year (the only downside to the whole thing. all 1st year contact). No closing meeting. "
"Honestly there were so many times I wanted to slap the lady sitting next to us. Except for one in the group we are like 20 years younger than her and we are not married yet, we still have a life of our own, all her conversation was about her husband "my husband is the head doctor of surgery", "my daughter blah", "my son is in college", "we live there", LADY WE DO NOT CARE!!! BORING! Then, she said to ask her questions, well "mmm can you tell me how many pass the Boards?" and her answer was, "I don't really know, but my husband told me all the students are so intelligent and capable to pass any test"!!!"
"I was sort of medium on the whole deal. The "speed dating" was as bad as people had said -- I felt like I said the same things to 3 different people (plus I had this weird anxiety that if I phrased something a bit differently they would all cross-check with each other and decide I was lying). The school really likes to brag about their anatomy lab -- which is great, but you have to think about the fact that you will only be in there for the first 12 weeks of your first year, then you'll probably never go in it again. The rest of their facilities were very cramped. Small room with small desks for the first years, and the whiteboard seems barely visible from the back row. Also, I would like to get my own computer with better specs than the one they hand you."
"For starters, I am not the typical medical school applicant. I come from a pretty rough background but I have decent grades and a pretty good MCAT score. I really felt out of my league because I was interviewing with people from MIT and the ivy league. However, what I found was that the overall interview process at WFU was very laid back and inviting. I was a nervous wreck and my interviewers made a point of easing the atmosphere. The conversations during my interviews were very open and non-confrontational, while still focusing on specific questions. They really wanted to get to know me as a person. My best advice to anyone is to be yourself, answer questions as honestly as possible. Oh yeah, show some excitement about getting an opportunity to go to medical school. "
"Well structured day in general, Don't have much time outside of the packed 10am-3pm schedule they give you. In the afternoon, a series of 3 interviews, closed file each 20 minutes long really feels like speed dating. Enthusiastic students for the most part, but I was left wishing for more student interaction."
"While we were waiting, we had hostesses who kept us company and kept the conversation rolling. Then, we had lunch and a tour with a few med students. I had read off this site that the interviews themselves were like "speed-dating", and they were! After 15 min. with an interviewer, someone knocks on the door to tell you time is up and then you move onto the next interviewer. If it's going well, it's a little frustrating, but if the interview is stressful, it's relieving to hear that knock! "
"All three interviewers were friendly and laid-back. They all asked different types of questions so I didn't feel like I was repeating myself over and over, which is nice."
"Arrived at the admissions office to be greeted by the wife of one of the dean. She was nice and interesting to talk to. I drank a lot of the tea they had placed out and once all the student had arrived (around 6 or so) we went to see some mind-numbing presentation about the school and finacial aid. We went to lunch after this, which was nice because I felt very burnt out from the presentation. The students that talked with us at lunch were nice and seemed to answer all our questions honestly. We then went back to the office for interviews. These were fine. Even if you do terrible, you will probably feel like you did okay, just because the staff is so friendly. After the tour, we went on an interview, which would have been as boring as the presentation had our guide not been so fun to talk to. Overall the school itself was great. However, anyone who casts Winston-salem in a good light is either lying or from a very, very boring town."
"It was my first interview so I don't have much to compare it to, but it seemed like a nice place and I will seriously consider coming here if I get in. Everyone was very friendly and relaxed."
"It seemed the 3 interviwers may have had different tasks... One interviewer barely touched on any medical school questions, in fact, it just seemed as if he was assessing behavioral aspects to a semi-stressful situation. It was a little odd, but relevant. None of the interviews were confrontational, but some of the interviewers may "dig" a bit for answers."
"The interview day was enjoyable. The interviews were 15 min. ea. It could seem like speed dating to some."
"The interview process is strange...almost like speed-dating. You get a max of twenty minutes with each interviewer, who only has access to your AMCAS and secondary essays. What I found to be frustrating is that you spend 10-15 minutes just revisiting the experiences you listed in your AMCAS. If you're going to have short interviews, the interviewers need to have your background so you can quickly move onto other topics. I didn't particularly like the system. I didn't think it was stressful, I just thought it was odd. Also, I thought the Medical Guild (AKA Doctors' Wives Club) Liason was detrimental to the interview experience. It's like having your mom there the whole time. I mean what kind of insight can they offer that goes beyond the input of the students? Did they go to the school? No. Did they EVER go to medical school? No. What's the point? Additionally, I thought their presence detracted from open discussion among the group interviewing as well as the Q&A with current students. Personally, I just thought this contributed to the my sense that Wake doesn't really trust it's students and does everything for them. I felt like I was being talked down to at the curriculum brief, there are no electives until 4th year (we wouldn't want you thinking on your own now would we?), and you have to find your own funding for study abroad. Not the place for someone who really wants to set out on their own path. As for the facilities, I thought some of the buildings and classes looked run down. In the 1st Year lecture hall some of the ceiling tiles were missing and the wires were hanging down. Overall, I wasn't particularly impressed, but that is just my opinion. I'm older than most students and I just didn't feel like was the place for me. "
"My experience was great. I was really nervous going into the interview, but I must have done well because I got a letter of acceptance one week later. The people are really nice and the city is really pretty even if there is not a lot to do there. I was really impressed with the school and their curriculum."
"There were presentations about the school and financial aid before the interviews that really helped me get an idea of what questions I should ask my interviewers about the curriculum. The lunch was great. We ate at the cafeteria, which isn't half bad, with three med students, who weren't on the committee. We were able to ask them any questions we had. Then we rushed back to begin our interviews consisting of three 20 min, interviews with three diff. faculty members, for one hour. The interviews were very informal and conversational. They had only read our personal statement. Overall I had a great experience. They are so up with the technology and it is a major teaching tool. Their anatomy lab is also very cutting edge."
"Interviewers were conversational and friendly. Mostly, they wanted to get to know me better. They only had access to my personal statement, nothing else. "
"Only 6 interviewees total Very cozy atmosphere Everyone in the hospital seemed friendly Actual interviews go by very quickly"
"Three 15-20 minute interviews in a row, each one one-on-one with a faculty member who has a portion of your AMCAS application (no grades). Not enough time for a very long, deep conversation, but enough to get across a couple of big points."
"Overall, it was very relaxed and everyone was really nice. It was a little disconcerting hearing that both my tour guides came to Wake because it was the only place they got in...it's a great school but in a bad location, and I think that hurts its student recruitment."
"The entire experience was nice and well put together. There was always something to do. The woman from the Medical Center Guild was very nice. The interviews were twenty minutes. Not too long, not too short. Interviewers were nice. Low stress interviews. The anatomy lab is really clean and doesn't smell. It is very nice. Baptist medical center seems to be a very good hospital. All in all, a good experience."
"It sucked. I wish I didn't waste money on a flight/hotel/car."
"It was a fast-paced day, very informative. I'm a nursing mom and they made accommodations for me to breastpump discretely during the day. We were given a financial aid lecture, then an informational talk, lunch with students, tour with students, three interviews."
"The 3 interviews were not as stressful as I had imagined and the tour guides were truthful and excited about their school. I really hope I get into Wake and I can't wait for three weeks to go by. Overall, the interview was very conversational and the financial aid session was very informative."
"There are 3 timed interviews, 15 minutes each. The interviewers have an evaluation sheet they fill out right after the interviews. There are 1 or 2 questions on the sheet that each interviewer has to ask. It was my favorite interview experience yet. I liked having 3 interviewers."
"My interview day went well. It was a case of the best two out of three. The last interviewer was kind of intimidating."
"This is a great school in the middle of nowhere. The vibe is very small-town. If you want this, great. It's very laid back, which is nice, but would get frustrating to me. It seems like the curriculum, outlook, and training are great, but I couldn't possibly live in Winston-Salem for four years. The interviewers have your PS and nothing else. Much has been written about the 15-minute timed interviews. I found them stressful. The financial aid presentation is nice, but the tour is useless (you never even see the hospital)."
"Very positive and low stress. "
"There is a welcome in the morning by the women from the Medical Center Guild. They give you cookies and drinks which are good. Three 15-minute interviews which are back-to-back. This is a bit stressful but the interviewers are pretty nice, even when asking you tough questions. Overall a nice day, but Wake Forest is just not really for me. "
"I really enjoyed my time at Wake Forest and am hoping to be accepted there! There are only 6 interviewees total, so there is lots of space for personal attention (only 3 people per student tour! no herds of black suits storming through the halls! amazing!) Having the medical guild member guide you through your day and the hospital was very helpful. Our guide was very nice and talkative, although having her there constantly did make you feel like you had to be "on" even when you were just with the other interviewees. The lunch was fantastic (for a hospital cafeteria) and I felt like I got a ton of information talking to the students during that time. The presentations on the admissions process/curriculum/financial aid were all very informative and to the point. It is so nice that they tell you the exact day the committee is meeting to evaluate you and how your interviewers will submit their evals. The interviewers are faculty volunteers. They interview you each for 15 minutes and then meet as a group to discuss the applicants directly after. This report will be submitted to the admissions committee who will review the entire application and make a decision). The interviews themselves were very relaxed. They have your AMCAS personal statement and your secondary essay. They asked mainly questions about experiences that I detailed in my essays and a couple of the broad ethical questions that are highlighted here on SDN. Everything was very conversational and I never felt like I was on the spot to provide the "right" answer. A fifteen minute interview is too short if you hit if off with the interviewer, but actually feels a bit long if you don't really "click". I had one of each and one that was somewhere in the middle, so overall I was happy that they were only 15 minutes. "
"Being my fourth interview this fall, I felt confident that I "knew the drill" as far as interviews go. These, however, were quite different than the other schools to which I applied. First of all, the interviews are all conducted in the admissions office, and they bring in three different faculty members to conduct the interviews. All other interviewees have the same interviewees. Secondly, the office keeps an alarm set for 15 minutes per each interview. Three different applicants go to three different interviews for 15 minutes, the alarm goes off, then the applicants rotate. All in all, I was very impressed with the school as a whole, other than its steep price. "
"Fantastic school! I like the area and the people. The facilities are nice, and the students seem quite content. You will have a brief admissions and financial aid presentation, then have lunch with some students. After that, you will either do interviews and then a tour, or the tour and then interviews, depending on how they schedule you. I interviewed with 6 other students. Everyone was very friendly and supportive. The interviews will last for 15-20 minutes each, and you will be interviewed by three faculty independently. They only have access to your AMCAS essay and any Wake secondary essays. All of the interviewers were very nice, supportive, and appeared interested in what I had to say. A lot of redundant questions, simply because none of the interviewers know what the others asked you. You go from one, to another, to another, with at most a 5 minute break in between (usually less)."
"Overall a positive experience, despite the very different format. You're literally timed in each room by a kitchen timer being kept by a member of the Medical Guild outside the interview room. I'd be interested to know why they choose to interview in this way"
"Good experience. Winston-Salem doesn't seem to be the greatest town for young people, but its not bad. Definitely wouldn't be a bad place to go to medical school"
"The interviews were 15 minutes each, timed. You rotate through different rooms. It's a bit intense, and it's hard to adjust to very different interview styles so quickly. But the school is great and I hope I get in!"
"Overall, an awesome experience for the first interview. the cookies in the admissions office are quite delish. also you get all the info on the curriculum and financial aid, and it's just enough. i was still quite stressed out about those 15 minute interviews...other than that....way to go wake!!!"
"Probably one of the most thorough and well-managed days I have seen. Not too much down time and plenty of time for questions and seeing the facilities. Talks with Admissions officer and Financial Aid are super informative and give you a lot of details about the school."
"The students who gave us a tour were not really enthusiastic about the place and even told us that Wake was not their first choice. Not what you want to hear from the very beginning. "
"The office is a bit difficult to find from the parking garage (park on the orange level and walk straight ahead). I went the night before and did a dry run to get the right entrance and I asked for directions since I got a bit turned around. It really helped because I had no problem finding it the next morning. Parking is $3.75 for the day. It was supposed to be 6 interviewees but one canceled at the last minute. We all came early, so we had a chance to chat with each other. A volunteer then talked to us for about 30 mins. She kept telling us how wonderful everything was. I appreciated her enthusiasm but she never experienced going to school there. She was however very helpful with general questions about the town, living expenses, etc. and very friendly. We then met with a staff member that rattled off the description of the program. I swear she said "Any questions? Good, let's move on" withour skipping a beat. The Financial aid person came next and explained the whole thing which was nice as they don't do that at many other schools. Thinking about debt was kind of depressing though. We then went to lunch in the cafeteria with the volunteer and 2 1st years. A couple 2nd years showed up later. From there it was the 15 minute interviews for half while the other half did the tour and then we switched. The 15 minutes were up really fast. We couldn't really get into depth about much and I felt like I had to answer asap before time was up hence the tendency to babble. :-) My 1st interviewer was awesome. He had a great sense of humor and had me rolling most of the 15 mins. The other 2 were more serious but okay. You are interviewed by MDs and PhDs and they don't have any information from your file except your personal statement. Most of the questions come from there. Try hanging out in Walmart for a bit to see if you're going to like it there. It is a totally different environment from the hospital/school setting."
"All in all, Wake surprised/impressed me. It's not super high on my list mainly because of the location (I'm not a huge fan of the South--no offense), but it's still a wonderful school worth looking into. Of all the schools at which I interviewed in the same tier as it, Wake stood out by far. "
"I had a lot of high hopes for this school. Unless you are really comfortable going to school in a smaller Southern town, I wouldn't put too many high hopes in this school."
"There were six people there to interview. Three of us first went on a tour while the other three interviewed, and then we switched. There were three short interviews with faculty members, two MDs and one PhD. The interviewers were all nice, and they all asked different sorts of questions. The PhD asked a different sorts of questions--ones that were relevant to both the clinical and the research sides of medicine. Overall, the interviews weren't too stressful."
"this interview experience was friendlier than i expected. the admissions people and finanical aid talked to us, then it was lunch in the cafeteria and a tour. finally, three short, short interviews."
"Wow. This is by far the best school I have interviewed at (out of 8). The technology is great and really is helping students to be prepared for practice in the future. The curriculum is a great mix of tradition w/ small group problem based learning. The interviews were good. Yes, they were a little rushed, but everyone understands that, so don't feel like you have to answer quickly and try to exploit your good points. It seems like they really just want to get a feel for you as a person, so time really isn't an issue. Great school. Great education. Good location (Winston-Salem really is a nice place-not a ton of social areas, but still plenty to do). Moving forward and getting better all the time. "
"Pretty laid back and very short interviews. They do not let you go any length of time over 15 minutes. They are very proud of their curriculum so make sure that you know it well and why it would be a good fit for you."
"very low-stress! all 3 interviewers were friendly and laid-back. we couldn't get into much depth in the interviews since they were short, but i didn't feel like that was a problem."
"I had a wonderful time at Wake. It is a good school. Winston-salem is a small town and things seem to close early but given that you will be busy most of the time, I think it's alright. I am a small town kind of person so if you are, Winston-Salem may just be a perfect fit."
"There were three interviews, 20 minutes each. The interviewers had only seen the personal statement from my AMCAS application beforehand. Two of the interviews were just conversational, while the other one was designed to make you think on your feet about some non-conversational questions (see below). It's just key to remember that the whole point isn't your answers, it's how you handle yourself while delivering them."
"Great school; wonderful integration of curriculum; very balanced. Professors seem very helpful. All very laid back. "
"There are three 20 minute interviews. It sounds really stressful, but it's really not. Just make sure to get points across about yourself if you want to because once the hostess knocks on the door it is time for you to rotate to the next interviewer. All the interviews were very conversational and the interviewers only look at your personal statement from the AMCAS application so make sure you know it well because most of the things that end up being discussed come from that."
"The interviews were a little like musical chairs. Fast & intense pace for 40 mins. Two of my interviewers were really conversational while one was ethical/healthcare stuff. But none were too stressful. Remember you can always ask interviewers questions about themselves - it's a good opportunity to learn about individual doctors in medicine. You can really learn a lot about what problems doctors encounter."
"The interview day is interesting. You have 3, 15 min interviews... make sure you get out what you want to say at that time because you're literally asked to leave after 15 min."
"Okay, There will be a hostess who will insist that you eat lots of cookies and drink lots of refreshments. She is there to encourage you to socialize so you will "loosen up". Although she does not have an official vote she does report back to the Admissions people so put on your best face and compliment the cookies. They really are good. You to to a meeting where the curriculum and financial aid people let you know what is going on. Then you go to lunch with a med student and the hostess. When you come back three people go tour the school and the other three interview. Wake Forest seemed a little more conservative than the other schools I interviewed at so watch out. Don't be too out there. Also you have to interview for 20 minutes per person and the funny part is at 15 the hostess comes and raps on the door then at 20 she comes back to knock one more time. If she comes back a third time you are "removed" from the room =) so rap it up when you hear the knock they are relentless! Have fun be ready for the cheesy who do you look up to type questions. "
"I had a great time at Wake Forest. And I would really love to be part of their community. "
"Overall this is a nice school and I don't mean to convey such a negative opinion, its just that the interviews were so short and the format of rotating from one to the other was stressful... it was hard to feel like anyone got to know me."
"No wonder Wake is called the Harvard of the Yadkin River. This is a school that deserves more credit than it gets. I had a wonderful experience and would be honored to attend this school."
"Great overall, though it was the second day of the interview season and no students could be found to take us on our tour, so teh dean of admissions did, and the wife of the Dean of the Medical School sat and talked with us for hours."
"Very positive. I would definitely consider attending the school if accepted"
"I arrived at 10am with 4 other applicants. We socialized for 30 minutes and then went into a conference room where they talked about the curriculum, statistics of acceptance and answered our questions. Then financial aid came in and thoroughly depressed us with the money issue (private school $$$). Afterwards we were escorted to lunch with 2 second year medical students. Interviews were with 3 different people from different areas of medicine (dentistry, research and clinical). We were told that the interviews would be conversational in nature and nothing to stress about. However, one of the interviewers decided to grill us on ethical questions. It was unexpected, but we got through it! The other 2 were as promised...conversational. They were all given access to our personal statements, but nothing else in our file. After the hour of interviews was over we took a quick tour of the class rooms and facilities with 2 different second year students. They took us to the anatomy lab where a couple of lab groups were working. It was my first time seeing a cadaver. All students are given laptops and access to a fully functional workout center as part of their tuition. They had a lot of energy and really seemed happy about their choice to attend Wake Forest. I left at 3:45. Overall, it was great. "
"all interviews were based solely on the personal statement so be familiar with it, as most questions come from it! "
"Wonderful school. I can't wait to begin!"
"Overall it was very good - everyone seemed friendly, relaxed, and committed "
"Loved it! Crossing my fingers..."
"Interviews there are semi-open-file in that the interviewers have copies of your AMCAS essay and your personal statement but none of your statistics. So they ask questions mostly related to what you talked about in your essay. The interviews are also strictly kept to 20 minutes. I had heard before going to the interview about how their USMLE scores had plummeted since switching to the problem-based learning curriculum and I ask the students that took us to lunch about that. They said that initially the school went a little overboard away from tradition core science teaching but now the curriculum has moved back to a better balance and that they expect scores this year to be back where they should be. They also said that even though Step 1 scores dropped after PBL Step 2 scores rose significantly, something which I had not heard. So basically it boils down to PBL may be harder initially but it pays off in the long run. "
"They have a unique interview format. You have 3 interviews, each lasting no longer than 20 minutes. I like this because in most interviews, I've felt like the interview has made an assessment after 5 minutes. The rest is just a waste of time. It's less pressure this way. Just go into it with the attitude that you're meeting someone new for a short conversation (at a cocktail party if that helps). I really liked Wake. Its curriculum is flexible and can somewhat be compared to Yale's. Though Yale has a more traditional curriculum (less PBL, etc.), both schools seem to foster academic independence and self-directed learning. Bottom line: you can get a super competitive residency if you want, but you gotta do the work. It's all up to you; you get what you put into it."
"came away very impressed with the program. seems to be an intimate environment(class size 108) and program is highly integrative. lots of good technology and winston-salem is a nice (if not exciting) city. school just got a new dean who is well thought of. my impression was that school in general was very forward thinking."
"It was good overall."
"It was a great experience! Definitely not stressful at all. The interviewers really want to know about you and don't try to stump you with any ethical questions. Great school!"
"Wake's a very nice school. It would be hard to decide b/t WFU and UNC. The only thing leaning in UNC's favor is the 20k+ I would save per year going there. All in all, though, I would probably pick WFU over UNC. (these things really are anonymous, right?)"
"Overall the day was very informative and enjoyable. One of my interviews was very tense but the other two were relaxed which was nice and the faculty all had nice things to say about the school."
"I was impressed by the school; its facilities, curriculum, technology, faculty, etc. If it was the only school that accepted me I would gladly go without any remorse. However, Winston-Salem just doesn't feel like the place for me so if other opportunities present themselves then I would not go to wake. But if you like the south and don't mind spending four years in a quiet area then consider wake. Good thing the turnaround from interview is pretty quick."
"Very Positive experience."
"I had a great time and would definitely attend if accepted."
"I was not impressed with this school at all. Some of the classes that the students talked baout seemed to be a complete waste of time. Many gave the impression that they were forced to do classes and assignments that made no sense and would not serve them in their profession at all. Further, their philosophy of training "life-long learners" made me want to puke. I was waiting for someone to hug me and start singing Kum-by-yah."
"The oatmeal raisin cookies are the best!"
"The day went very well. Great cookies in the morning, summary of financial aid and free lunch. After lunch we had a quick tour of the campus and then our interviews. The interviews were mostly pleasent. They lasted only 15 minutes each so you didn't have much time to show yourself. It seemed as though they just wanted to see if you were easy to talk to."
"Every interviewer asked the basics: Tell me about yourself, your family, your experiences and activities, why do you want to be a doctor, how do you know, and they all asked why Wake Forest and related questions such as where is Wake on your list, would you come to Wake if I told you you were in, etc."
"I showed up at the hospital with my map in hand but still couldn't find my way. Finally after asking like 5 people, I found the admissions office. There were only a five other applicants interviewing on that day so it was pretty intimate. After a few presentations and lunch in the hospital cafeteria, you either have your interviews or the tour. In each interview, after 15 minutes, someone comes to knock on the door to signal time is up. Then you go back out to the lobby area and wait for the next interviewer to get done with the other applicant. The day was over at about 3, I think. "
"The interview experience was great. The interviewers and volunteers were very helpful. The students all seem to love it there. You meet at 945 in the admissions office, then they go over some admissions statistics, facts, etc. Then you talk with a financial aid person. After those are done, you either go on a tour or wait in the office for your 3 different interviews. Each interview is 15-20 mins, and they go by very quickly. If you didn't already take the tour before your interviews, you now go on a tour of the facilities and then your day is finished. Here's one piece of advice I have to give you all- MAKE SURE YOU EAT THE COOKIES!"
"overall a good experience. The students were very open & honest, incredibly friendly people overall... and not that stressful of an interview proces... what horrible things can happen in 15 minutes? Well... I guess I don't want to know."
"The interviewers only had our personal statement from AMCAS"
"pretty easy interviews, rotating every fifteen minutes between 3 interviewers was kind of repetitive, stressful"
"When you arrive at the Admissions Office, you will be greeted by a volunteer from the Medical Center Guild. My volunteer was extremely nice and had some good connections--her husband was chief of surgery at Wake Forest. You will have three interviews by three different people. I had one MD and two clinical faculty. Each interview lasts 15 minutes. The interviewers have a copy of your AMCAS application. Traveling from the Greensboro airport can be pretty expensive if you are taking a shuttle to Winston-Salem. There is a counter at the airport where you can request a shuttle. There is no formal student hosting program but you can ask the Admissions Office to set you up with a student host--if you wish. "
"The interviewers were generally very friendly and seemed to want to keep the interview as low stress as possible. The faculty and students were also very friendly and helpful, and seemed to really enjoy Winston Salem and the school. "
"The interview wasn't bad, be prepared for ethical, healthcare and Why Wake forest questions"
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 185 |
| Faculty member | 4 |
| Admissions staff | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 109 |
| Neutral | 16 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.07 | 121 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 20 |
| Out of state | 100 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 14 |
| 2-3 hours | 17 |
| 4-6 hours | 49 |
| 7+ hours | 42 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 67 |
| Automobile | 55 |
| Train or subway | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 27 |
| $101-$200 | 19 |
| $201-$300 | 16 |
| $301-$400 | 15 |
| $401-$500 | 18 |
| $501+ | 12 |
Greensboro Airport + delay overs
Charlotte
Raleigh/Durham
Piedmont
Raleigh Durham International Airport
Greensboro (GSO)
Piedmont Triad (GSO)
N/A
Greenzboro
RIC
Greensborough
RDI
Raleigh-Durham
Greensboro
greensboro
Greenboro
PTI
CTL
CLT
RDU
GSO
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 9 |
| Friends or family | 24 |
| Hotel | 68 |
| Home | 0 |
| Other | 1 |
No
Yes
No
Yes
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.42 | 126 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.51 | 125 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.53 | 124 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.39 | 67 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.66 | 68 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.88 | 66 |
"Their efficiency and efficacy is representative of the school."
"Great idea to give out the info booklets, this will really help me remember my experiences during the interview day"
"The admissions office was not pleasant, and gave me a negative first impression on Wake Forest. The timing of the interview day was poor, and it felt like we spent a lot of time sitting around, waiting for the next thing to happen."
"Thank you for being so friendly."
"I think the directions to the Admissions office should be a little more detailed. Specifically, park in the B parking garage on the Orange level. (They don't tell you which garage and they call it level G, but the garage is color coded, it's not level G until you're inside the hospital.)"
"Please put out signs or something to help us find the admissions office. I got lost many times. Also a student hosting program would be nice. But otherwise in person they were incredibly nice and I loved the endless supply of snacks."
"Nothing they are awesome."
"More specific directions to the admissions office! It was so difficult to find even the student tour guides got a bit turned around!"
"Student hosting program"
"Respond more promptly to in-the-area emails so people don't keep travel plans on hold for you!"
"Better instructions for how to find the admissions office."
"The admissions office were amazingly helpful, great people!"
"Organize a student host service!"
"Please send applicants a MAP of the hospital instead of vague word directions to your office."
"Do away with the host "mom""
"It would be nice if the 15-20 minute interviews were maybe 20-25"
"Have more presence in the day--with the host "mom" as a primary contact, this link with admissions w"
"I really wish that the admissions office would give you a call as soon as they know they will be int"
"None, they were very nice people. Among the nicest of any place I interviewed."
"None, the admissions office is awesome. They are very kind, helpful, considerate and willing to help"
"None - they were great."
"It was very well run. One of the best interviews I have been on."
"Awesome!"
"None. They have all been incredibly friendly, responsive, and helpful to my questions!"
"More bottled waters."
"They were the only school that I interviewed at that recycled the plastic name tag holders that you"
"none"
"none!"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?