Reno, NV
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 29% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a moderate stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
7.9
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 230 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (76%)
Negatively (10%)
No change (15%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (27%)
Good (60%)
Average (13%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview experience positive, with varying levels of stress and conversational tone. They appreciated the opportunity to showcase their passion for medicine, the friendly interviewers, and the chance to learn more about the school. Some suggested improvements included providing more information about the school, reducing repetitive questions, and maintaining consistency in the interview process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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I felt like I had enough time to answer the questions. Positive experience overall
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Don’t feel bad if you mess up on one MMI question. That’s why there are multiple!
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Seems like a great school that has just built a brand new building. It also looked like they have a good relationship with the surrounding community. Everyone there seemed really friendly and nice.
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Wonderful school, small class sizes, you get to know pretty much all your classmates
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Great school. So stoked that I got in. Everything about the school seems awesome, and every student that I talked to seems to love it here.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
55 Minutes Average
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Number:
2.2 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
100% One-on-One
0% Group Interview
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File Type:
0% Open-File
100% Closed-File
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Interview Modality:
100% Virtual
0% In-Person
UNSOM-COMP interviews are an average of 55 minutes, with an average of 2.2 interviews. 100% of interviews are one-on-one, 0% are in-person, and 100% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about personal motivations for pursuing medicine, strengths and weaknesses, ethical considerations such as abortion and euthanasia, and scenarios related to patient care and social issues. Many respondents mentioned an MMI format, suggesting a structured interview process where questions are asked in multiple mini interviews, possibly under a nondisclosure agreement.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Describe a specific patient that influenced your decision to pursue medicine.
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MMI Format
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Why Medicine?
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MMI
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Why University of Nevada?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine discussed various scenarios, including advising a pregnant teenager, reflecting on regrets, ethical dilemmas, favorite classes, and hypothetical situations like choosing dinner guests. The interview format may have been an MMI, as multiple responses mentioned non-disclosure and diverse ethical and personal questions were posed to applicants.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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MMI
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A pregnant teenage girl comes into you and is scared and doesn't know what to do with the baby. What advice do you give her?
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What is one thing you regret and why? How would you do it differently?
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What would you do if you don't get in?
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Ethics question regarding religion.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for their interviews by conducting mock interviews, practicing MMI questions, reviewing ethical principles, reading books on interviews, utilizing resources like SDN, and discussing with current students. They also emphasized the importance of reviewing their application materials, staying updated on current issues, and being authentic during the interview process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Mock interviews
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Practice MMI questions from YouTube. Answer questions with a friend or parent. Answer questions by yourself OUTLOUD.
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Read books on MMI format and common questions
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Understand medical ethics- autonomy, beneficence, non- maleficence, etc.
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Looking on SDN
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine discussed a variety of topics, including ethics, personal accomplishments, health care reform, and societal issues like abortion and euthanasia. The interviews seemed to be in the MMI format, with some mentioning nondisclosure agreements, and involved thought-provoking questions about personal values, healthcare access, and decision-making scenarios.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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MMI
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Who has been the most influential person over the past century?
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Treating problems caused by obesity could be considered "enabling" the patient. What do you think about this and what would you do about the patient's weight?
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Health care reform related questions. Asked specific questions about a current bill & my opinion.
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Ethics question regarding abortion.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness of staff, students, and interviewers, the small class size, early patient exposure, new facilities, and the sense of community within the school. They appreciated the supportive and welcoming atmosphere, the opportunities for hands-on experience, and the genuine interest shown by interviewers in getting to know them. Suggestions for improvement were minimal, with most applicants expressing very positive experiences during their interactions with the school.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Cost
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The friendliness of everyone there
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The facilities, the friendliness of the staff, interaction with first year students
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New facilities being built
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The students that I ate lunch with gave me a very good impression.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed negative impressions regarding stressful interviews, unprepared interviewers, lack of enthusiasm from tour guides, and inconsistencies in interview experiences. Suggestions included improving interviewer preparedness, ensuring consistency in interview experiences, and enhancing the campus tour to provide a more comprehensive view of the school and facilities.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Stressful interview.
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Nothing really
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Nothing
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Interview with 2nd year student was way more stressed than physician interview
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Nothing.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known to be concise in their answers, the varying interview styles between student and physician interviews, the location details of the interview, the lack of a formal lunch provided, the friendly nature of interviewers, and the importance of bringing a resume/CV for the interview. They also mentioned concerns about the school's administration, lack of diversity, clinical opportunities, step 1 pass rates, potential class size increases, and the emphasis on networking for admissions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Be concise with your answers. Don’t ramble but try and talk as much of the 7 minutes as possible per question.
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Nothing
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That my student interview would be so tough, and the physician interview so relaxed. Expected the opposite.
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One of the location was off-campus and it was really hard to find the entrance to the building.
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I wish I would have known that there was not going to be a formal lunch provided.
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants suggest improving the admissions process by scheduling interviews on a single day for convenience, clarifying submission requirements on the website, and providing advance notice if a formal lunch will not be provided. They also appreciate the helpfulness and responsiveness of the admissions staff, particularly mentioning positive interactions with Mrs. Marshall.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Make interview all on one day to make it easier for applicants who live far away.
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Make the website more clear in what you want the students to submit. There is some ambiguous wording on the admissions page
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I would have liked to have known ahead of time that there would not be a formal lunch provided.
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They were great and really willing to help with anything you need.
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They seem very busy, but were good at getting back to me, especially Mrs. Marshall.
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
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RNO
50% interviewees used RNO (RNO), with 20% using LAS (LAS) and 10% using las (las) and 10% using rno (rno) and 10% using Reno-Tahoe international airport (Reno-Tahoe international airport).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by automobile to the interview.
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33% Airplane
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67% Automobile
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0% Train or Subway
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0% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Silver Legacy (average ranking 9.5/10), with some staying at n/a (average rating 10/10). (Top 3 displayed)
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Silver Legacy
9.5/10
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n/a
10/10
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Atlantis
9/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are in state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Friends or family or with friends or family.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (2%)
Faculty member (2%)
Other (5%)
Student (91%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Discouraging (8%)
Enthusiastic (77%)
Neutral (15%)
All Responses
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