Brief Profile:
Volunteerism: Latino Mentoring Program (54 hours) Single Day of Service (6 total days spread throughout the calendar year; 20 hours; leader of three of these trips) Health Clinic (28 hours) Week long Service Trip (21 active hours) Two Week Service Trip Abroad (65 active hours) Blood Drives (3.5 hours) College Prep Workshop (2 hours) Breast Cancer Walk (5 hours) Relay for Life Event (1.5 hours)
Shadowing: ~40 hours
Research: Two years during undergraduate career One year full time (in addition to one summer during undergrad)
Leadership: Co-founder and President of MAPS Chapter (67+ active hours) CPR Instructor (24 active hours) Week long service trip (133 active hours)
Extracurriculars: Biology fraternity Premedical society
Academic: Scholars Program Honors Program SMDEP
Sent updates to a few schools in January including a publication that I was listed on recently as well as more shadowing experiences.
// Applications //
Application Cycle One: 06/26/2015
Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences
Total MCAT SCORE: 516
MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 130,
C/P 128,
CARS 127
Overall GPA: 3.77
Science GPA: 3.70
Summary of Application Experience
Expenses:
FAP recipient $74 for two primary applications ~$100 for suit, shoes, tailor ~$1647.60 for interview travel expenses (not including food/misc)
Application Complete, Rejected
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
Submitted: Yes
Secondary Completed: 08/12/2015
Interview Invite: No
Interview Attended: No
Waitlisted: No
Accepted: No
Rejected: 02/04/2016
Summary of Experience:
REJECTION Not surprised about the rejection (due to the silence). Was going to withdraw since I got interviews at a few other New York schools, but I couldn't figure out how. This way works too.
Summary of Experience:
I decided to withdraw for financial reasons, I couldn't afford to travel here. I'm pretty sure I was silently rejected anyway. So it's all good.
However, I did find it interesting that I received an email asking me to hurry and submit my secondary (I guess it doesn't mean much):
"According to our records, you have not yet submitted your Supplemental Application to Stanford School of Medicine. If you intend to submit the application, we request that you do so as soon as possible, and before the final deadline."
Summary of Experience:
Withdrew for financial reasons (I couldn't afford to travel to Atlanta after traveling to other interviews). I ultimately decided that I wouldn't want to be in Atlanta anyway based on how some Emory undergrads had described it (campus is kind of removed from the rest of the city and you MUST have a car to get around the area).
I'm pretty sure I was silently rejected anyway so this decision was okay with me.
Summary of Experience:
INTERVIEW I interviewed in late October
Interview Cohort: Very good diversity (ethnicity wise), boy/girl ratio was good. A group of about 14. Very HYPSM heavy. Lots of great applicants. A few were very cold and snooty.
The night before the interview we had a very informal pizza party in which we hung out with a few first year students. They explained how their curriculum was set up and just answered any questions we had. All of them were really friendly and helpful. This event is completely optional, some interviewees didn't attend.
The day of the interview, we were offered a small breakfast (muffins, coffee, etc) then had an hour long orientation with the dean (who was really nice).
This interview day is very scattered, you could have interviews at any institution that is related to Harvard (like Mass Gen, etc) so you might have to take a taxi to your interview. They provide vouchers for the taxi service so it's all free. This part was a little stressful for me because my first interview was at 10 am so my taxi was going to leave at 9:15 am (they emphasized that we should be in that taxi at the time that was marked on our voucher or they would leave us). I was panicking because orientation ended around 9:10 am and I had to drag my suitcase upstairs to the admissions office and then run out the building and across the quad to find my taxi (which was difficult and eventually another taxi driver told me to just take his car. He was Metro Cab so the voucher would still work for him). I arrived at Mass Gen and called my interviewer and he asked if I was in Thier lobby and I had no idea what he was talking about so I told him, "I think so". Well, I wasn't in the right place; I was in the Mass Gen main lobby. The directions I was given did state to go to Thier lobby, but I thought it was a typo. I thought they were telling me to go to their lobby, like the Mass Gen lobby. I wish someone would have reiterated that Thier was a name and not a typo for anyone who was not familiar with the area.
Anyway, the first interview was okay. My interviewer was super nice. Although I was still a mess from the taxi and "Thier" fiasco. I felt that I was not able to do as well as I could have. I also wished that the interview was longer than 30 minutes because I felt like I did not have a chance to really express myself since I was so stressed from the morning.
After the morning interviews there was a tour of the school and then the interviewees had lunch with current medical students. All of the students I encountered were super welcoming. I could tell that they had a really good community at this school.
My second interview was with a second year student. She was extremely thorough with her interview. She really made sure that she really understood my background and goals which was very nice since I didn't feel like I could do that during the first interview.
There was a lot of down time during this interview day. The tour and the lunch were optional, so in theory you could spend your entire day at a starbucks near the campus if you wanted to. Although this interview day was stressful, everyone was supportive and nice. I liked the school overall.
REJECTION I'm actually happy with the way things turned out. After I completed a few more interviews, I got a better sense of what I wanted in a school and although I enjoyed my interview day, I don't think that this school was quite the right fit. But, if I did happen to get accepted, I might have felt pressured to choose based on the name, so things turned out the right way for me.
Summary of Experience:
INTERVIEW I interviewed in mid October.
Interview Cohort: Decent diversity (ethnicity wise), I was one of two girls. A group of about 8.
I was able to stay with a host and she was incredibly friendly and welcoming. Most of the medical students I met the night before the interview were very helpful with answering all of my questions and giving me support.
The interview day began at 10 am so I went to a team based learning class in the early morning. The students I sat with during this course were a little cold and rude to not only me but to my host. She would try to make conversation and they would scoff at her. She then asked if they had any advice for me since I was interviewing later and they blew me off with a quick "I don't remember". They didn't even try to help me out. I felt really uncomfortable and unwelcome. Also, during the class many of the students didn't seem too engaged.
The interview day was a little better. We began with an orientation session in which we were told about the curriculum. We then had lunch at a really nice restaurant within UVA. The food was really good and the dessert was fantastic. We then had a tour on our way back to the admissions office. We got to see more of the campus, the corner (a space where many of the local restaurants are located), and part of the hospital. We returned to the admissions office and all of the interviewees then had two 30 minutes interviews (with a faculty member and with a 4th year student). The interviews were very conversational and there weren't any questions that would throw anyone off.
Overall, there were some good parts and some bad parts about the day. This school tells you their decision the Friday of the week you interview.
p.s. If you prefer city-like areas then this location may not be for you.
WITHDRAWAL I did not feel comfortable at this institution based on how some of the students came across, so I decided to withdraw.
Summary of Experience:
INTERVIEW Mid January (last week of interviews)
Interview Cohort: I think there was only one other URM. The boy/girl ratio was fine.
The interview day was pretty normal. We checked in and signed a form (I think it was a non-disclosure form; I should probably read things before I sign them). We then received an interview day sheet which told us which group we were in (A or B). This determined who would do the MMI first and who would tour first. We also had our MMI station order on this list (so don't lose it). Some of the staff was ever so slightly cold, which is very normal for New Yorkers (don't take it personally). There was no breakfast served so remember to eat beforehand. The day began with a presentation around 11am about the school and its hospitals. This was then followed by a diversity presentation for about 15 minutes.
Lunch was then served around 12 pm and 4 medical students came in and talked with us and answered questions we had about the school.
After lunch, the cohort divided into the two designated groups and went where they were assigned.
I had MMIs first. The instructions for the MMIs will be given before they begin. You will follow the order of stations that's printed on your interview day sheet. You have two minutes to read the prompt at each door and then you enter and talk for 6 minutes (follow up questions may be asked about your answers). There is also one station that is double the time of the others and this is where the normal, conversational interview will occur. A siri-sounding system will tell you when to enter and exit each room.
After the MMI, we went on a tour of the hospitals and we were able to see a room in their dorm (it was decently sized). After the tour and MMIs are complete, you are free to go.
Overall the day was fine, the MMIs were a bit stressful for me but other students say that they are fun. To reduce stress, make sure to practice different MMI prompts so you know how to organize your thoughts in a 2 minute time period.
WAITLIST I was kind of disappointed with this result, because I wanted to have an option to move to NY. However, this wasn't too surprising, I don't think I was very good at MMIs.
WITHDREW I wouldn't attend this school over some of the others that I was fortunate enough to get into.
Summary of Experience:
INTERVIEW I interviewed in early October
Interview Cohort: Good diversity (ethnicity wise), very male heavy my day. A group of about 16.
I LOVE THIS SCHOOL. I was able to stay with a host for the night. We went out to eat with a few other hosts and interviewees. I really loved being able to bond with the interviewees before the actual interview day. The students were so interesting and helpful and supportive. Any question you had, they were willing to answer. All of the students at the school were so eager to talk to all of the interviewees; they even went straight to the admissions office to talk to us as soon as they left class. I have not yet seen this much enthusiasm among medical students. They really made us feel special.
The interview day began with breakfast (juice, water, coffee, bagels, etc) and a brief overview of the school. We then were introduced to a few students from the Multicultural Affairs office (I believe) who answered any questions we had about student activities and just talked with us. We then had morning interviews or we went to sit in on a class. Again, the students were super friendly, they were so excited to have us be with them in class. The course was a review of their exam. The professor would show images on the screen and ask each student to locate a structure that he requested. He was hilarious and the entire class was laughing and having a great time. Such a cohesive group.
I had two morning interviews. The first was with a faculty member and she was the most amazing woman. She really connected with me and my background and even gave me book recommendations based on the adversities that I have gone through in my life (I am currently reading it and I love it).
The second interview was with a student. She was really engaged in our conversation and it was a nice interview.
The interviewees then had lunch (deep dish pizza of course) and had the chance to talk with more medical students. We then went on a tour for about 30 minutes. The campus (especially their quad) is so gorgeous!
I then had my third interview with an admissions member and I absolutely loved our conversation. It seemed like we had a lot in common.
(Pritzker has three interviews. One with a faculty member, student, and admissions member)
We then had a closing session which included a brief recap of everything and when we should expect to hear back.
Overall, this interview day was the most enjoyable one that I have had. I loved everything from the med students, to the class, to the admissions staff, to the other interviewees. I never thought I could have so much fun during an interview day. It was a long day (8 am to about 5 pm) but it really flew by. This school is amazing!
ACCEPTANCE The notification came early, it was supposed to be 12/21. I was notified by phone call and even received a scholarship.
REVISIT This revisit was from Thursday (for some) to Sunday. I attended the events on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning. Here is the schedule:
Thursday Dr. Damon Tweedy book signing (author of Black Man in a White Coat) 4p - 4:45p
James Bowman Society Lecture and Reception 5p -6p Dr. Tweedy gave a talk about how race impacts physicians and patients in medicine and some of his experiences with this. It was an interesting talk and the audience asked some very insightful questions about how to manage issues dealing with race and medicine.
Bowman Society Dinner 7p – 8p They had a three course meal and prospective students got the chance to have dinner and speak with current students, faculty, and residents. I loved this experience because I got to sit at a table with almost all years represented, first years, second years (after completing their PhD segment), interns, and residents. It was a very educationally diverse group so it was fantastic to get a chance to hear the experiences of people coming from very different backgrounds. This was probably my favorite part of the weekend.
Friday Diversity Breakfast 8:30a – 10a Your typical breakfast, eggs, potatoes, breakfast sandwiches, yogurt (at least some options were hot).
Registration and Breakfast 10a I don’t remember what they served because I was already full from the previous breakfast, but they had a great assortment of Tazo tea.
Welcome/Why Pritzker? 11a The Dean spoke to us about the school and what it has to offer.
Lunch 12p We had our choice of sandwiches from Panera bread.
Big Ideas in Medicine 1:30p Three faculty members and a fourth year student gave us brief synopses of their research. I expected to be bored, but surprisingly their presentations were hilarious and fascinating. I actually really enjoyed this portion of the day and I learned a bit too.
Campus Tours 3:15p I swear there was a mini blizzard about 5 minutes before we left. Luckily it stopped snowing before we went out on our tours. But, it was still really, really cold and my tour guide wasn’t fazed by the weather, so she comfortably stood outside for long periods of time while the tour group was freezing on the inside and out (so please wear very warm clothing). Oh and UChicago is drop dead gorgeous. You won’t find an ugly part of that school. It’s mostly gothic, so if you’ve ever wanted to go to Hogwarts, this is a good alternative. But there were also some contemporary buildings and somehow they pulled off mixing these two styles.
Faculty Reception 4:30p This was an opportunity to talk to different faculty. There were drinks and hors d’oeuvres (including cake pops!). I was feeling a bit nervous and shy so I just spoke with the students and not the faculty. There was also a surprise given to us by the med students, but I won’t ruin that for any one going to revisit next year.
Social Rounds 5:30p Just another opportunity to drink and mingle in the basement (I think) of the hospital. Every week, people (students, residents, etc.) come here and to relax and have fun. There were TVs and video games and couches here.
Taste of Hyde Park and Trivia Night 6:30p More drinking… with a bunch of dishes from local restaurants (there was pizza and BBQ pork sandwiches and samosas and other Indian food and everything you could imagine). During this time, everyone played trivia (modeled after bar trivia, where you write down the answers, not like the jeopardy kind). I did not like trivia because it lasted over 2 hours and the questions weren’t all that fun. The questions weren’t about pop culture or something similar that most people would know/enjoy they were legitimate questions. This was probably because the guy who organized it was a trivia buff and “he wouldn’t have been happy unless all the questions were difficultâ€. I think next time trivia should be slightly more focused on making the prospective students happy and entertained rather than that first year.
After trivia, there were buses that picked up the prospective students and brought them to a new residential building for even more drinks, some food and mingling. I did not go to this because I was so tired.
Saturday Service Event or Run/Walk or Yoga 8a I slept through this because I was still so tired. But, from what I heard it was fun and the service events included running a basketball tournament for little kids and organizing books in a library as well as other things.
Breakfast 10a Typical hot breakfast, but they also had “meat pies†that were really good.
Academics & Curriculum Panel 10:45a A faculty member spent some time going into detail about the curriculum and why it was set up the way it was. Then students from all years and an intern held a panel to answer whatever questions the prospective students had about the curriculum and the school in general.
I had to leave Pritzker after this event :( but here is the rest of the schedule:
Wellness Activity 11:30a “Learn how Pritzker supports the social, intellectual, physical, emotional, financial, & spiritual wellness of our students†Scholarship and Discovery 12:30p “Dine with current students who will tell you more about scholarly opportunities in our five research tracksâ€
Afternoon Report 2p “Attend your first lesson: fourth-year students will walk you through an interesting clinical caseâ€
Student Organizations Fair 3:15p “Check out the plethora of activities our students participate in, from Pritzker Dance Group to the free clinicsâ€
Chicago Trolley Tour 4p “Sit back & relax on a scenic tour of the city of Chicagoâ€
Closing Dinner 6:30p “Enjoy a classic Chicago dinner at The Berghoff, one of Chicago’s ten oldest restaurants!â€
Sunday Breakfast 9a
Student Housing Panel 10a “Get the scoop on housing options and transportation in Hyde Park & beyondâ€
Housing Tour of Hyde Park 11a “Tour commercial properties and current students’ homes to get a sense of living arrangementsâ€
Final Thoughts The living options for the medical students are very nice. The walk ups (grad housing) are simple, cozy, and quiet. Regents (I think that’s what it’s called) was beautiful. The apartments were extremely spacious and some had a great view of the lake (watching the sunrise was insane). They also had an indoor gym and a heated pool. I think that any place you would choose to live would be a phenomenal choice. As for the weather, it was very sporadic. It would snow for 10 minutes and then be sunny and then snow again and then be sunny as it was snowing. Just make sure you bring warm clothing (hats, gloves, nice boots, scarves, everything). This school is so perfect! I had the best interview experience and Revisit experience here. The place feels like home, it feels like all of the students and faculty are part of your family. Even if you’re not a mushy person, in my opinion, you’ll become one after spending some time at this school. It’s very, very clear that everyone at this institution genuinely cares about you and each other. Overall, this school is my favorite. Even if I don’t end up going there, they will always have a special place in my heart.
WITHDREW This was a very sad day, however none of my friends or family was too supportive of me moving to the midwest. Maybe for residency...
Summary of Experience:
INTERVIEW I interviewed in mid November
Interview Cohort: There were half URMs. There was a good gender balance. There were maybe 10-15 applicants.
The day began with Dr. Rao chatting with the group (although different people visit on different interview days). She asked us where we came from and something we liked to do for fun. We then met with a few fourth years who took us on a tour. They were all a part of the CSTP program and in their research year or their "fourth" year of med school (fifth year, technically). I usually hate tours with a passion, but this one was particularly nice because we got to see parts of the city as well as the school (the area is extremely hilly so wear comfortable shoes). After the tour, we had an in-depth session about the curriculum and how research was heavily integrated into the education. We then had lunch with some second or third years. They were friendly, but that part wasn't too exciting. The food was okay, it was a "burger bar" (with beef, turkey, veggie, etc).
The cohort then returned to the admissions office to meet our student interviewers. These interviews lasted about 45 minutes to an hour. They were all so friendly and excited to meet with us! I could tell my interviewer was really trying to advocate for me.
We had our faculty interview right after. That lasted about an hour.
After the interviews, we had a PBL session. It wasn't actually a PBL. We read a scenario and then one or two students gave their thoughts on the situation and a physician then talked about what he would do in the scenario. Honestly, it was more of a lecture rather than the group of students working together to solve the issue. This lasted about 20 minutes and then we had a short financial aid session. Before that session began, the woman requested that we wrote a paragraph on the activity to test our skills of "passing off information to the next person". It seemed that all of the applicants in the room were confused; we had no idea what was going on. But, the financial aid session that followed lasted about 5 minutes and then we were done for the day. The day ended at 3:30.
WITHDRAWAL I really liked the atmosphere of the school and everything it had to offer and I really loved the people in Pittsburgh (they were extremely nice and friendly), but I think the city is a bit small for my personal preference.
Summary of Experience:
INTERVIEW I interviewed in mid-December.
Interview Cohort: there were maybe 2 URMs. The boy/girl balance was even. Cohort of about 12.
The interview day began with a normal breakfast (pastries, coffee, juice). While we were waiting, a medical student came in and answered any questions that we had about the school or life as a med student. There were two classes that we could attend (one at 9 and one at 10). Interviews occurred throughout the day from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm; we all had one interview. Most of the interviews occurred in the admissions waiting area. At 11am the dean came into the waiting area and spoke with us about where we came from and what makes us happy. He was so chill and nice and funny. Us interviewees then picked up our lunches and walked to the student lounge in the "dorm" building that most of the students live in. This part seemed a bit disorganized, there were barely enough seats because a lot of medical students were using the space so it was awkward to have lunch there. We then went on a tour. We saw the gym, a study area, an auditorium, a passage area of the hospital, and the student lounge. The tour ran a half hour longer than it was supposed to. After the tour, the day was over (unless you had afternoon interviews). If you are a URM, a few med students will come into the room to talk to you, specifically, about their experiences as a URM at Columbia. I have heard that they have a great community there and Columbia has an extremely large set of URMs in their class. The school is in Washington Heights so it's far enough from downtown that you wouldn't be distracted, but close enough that you could travel there and do something fun whenever you wanted. The school is also pretty artsy. They have a lot of medical students who are artists, musicians, and athletes. They all seem like they still practice their craft, so if you want to be around a cool, eclectic bunch then you would enjoy this atmosphere.
Overall, the day was super relaxed and lowkey. The cohort was friendly as was the staff, students and faculty.
ACCEPTANCE I received a phone call from the Dean. I had received an email that there was a portal update, so I found out about my acceptance that way.
REVISIT This was a long, long day. But, it had to be since it was only held on one day rather than a whole weekend. Here is the schedule:
Registration 9a -10a This is a lot of socializing/idle time. Welcome remarks start at 11am, so if you show up at 9 am then you’ll be eating breakfast, socializing, and waiting for 2 hours (show up at 10 am, right before registration closes). Breakfast included bagels, pastries, donuts, coffee, juice, water, and fruit. Also, it got super hot in Bard so wear removable layers.
Welcome Remarks & Continental Breakfast 10a -12p Remarks began at 11 am. All of the Deans spoke to us. They were adorable and funny, and this part was bearable.
Overview of the Curriculum 12p -12:30p Self-Explanatory, we heard about the curriculum and joint degrees.
Lunch with revisit leaders and admissions committee 1p -2p We each had a revisit leader (current medical student) that we sat with along with a few other prospective students. Our interviewers came up to us throughout the lunch and said congratulations. It was a nice touch.
Optional: financial aid session 2p -3p I decided to frolick around Washington Heights rather than go to this.
Wellness and P&S Club Fair 3p -4p Just your normal club fair with snacks, candy, and information about all the clubs P&S has to offer. Did I mention the snacks and candy?
Info Sessions 4p -5p Each info session lasted 20 minutes. You were allowed to attend 3 of them: Research and Scholarly Projects, Dual Degree Programs, Global Health, Housing, Lambda Health Alliance (LGBT), Older Student/Married/Family.
Welcome for Bassett & 3 year students 4p -5p This goes on when the info sessions do.
Free Time 5p -6:30p This isn’t really free time. In theory, you can sneak away, but you will most likely run into a med student who will scoop you into one of the few activities they offer during this time: Washington Heights Tour Morningside Heights Tour Fort Tryon/Cloisters P&S Wellness Office (for talking with current students, snacks, games) Multi-Cultural Affairs Social If you do end up doing something, go to the social. The tavern was awesome (but hot, so I’ll emphasize the removable layers again) and there was such good food (mini burgers, mac n cheese, wings, beer [that you had to pay for, but still], quesadillas, and refreshing ice water in mason jars). Go for the food, but keep in mind that dinner is right after this event. This was also super awesome for socializing with current med students of all years. I got to meet some fourth years who had already matched and they had some great advice.
Dinner with P&S Students and Alumni 6:30p -7:30p I did not eat dinner due to being stuffed on the delicious bar food, but I did snag some cannolis. Some people from the alumni association will make speeches while you eat and then you get to talk with other prospective students over slightly too loud music. It was a nice event.
Showcase 8p I didn’t attend this, I had a train to catch.
Overall, I loved it. Literally all of the students were friendly and chill, both prospective and current. It was a long and very tiring day, but it was worth it because you get to meet cool people and do fun things.
WITHDREW I love the city and I love this school but it was too expensive for me. I couldn't accept that much debt.
Summary of Experience:
INTERVIEW I interviewed in late October.
Interview Cohort: Not too much diversity ethnicity wise, but the boy/girl ratio was good. A group of about 14. Very HYPSM heavy
The interview day began with all of the interviewees sitting in the admissions office. There were granola bars, tea, coffee and water given to us. There was also a lot of candy lying around throughout the day.
We had orientation with Dr. Silverman (the most adorable man you'll ever meet). He told us a greatly detailed schedule of our day and who our interviewers were. He made lots of jokes and we all frequently talked about how the LCME were inspecting the school at the time (luckily, they didn't interfere with the day).
A few of us then went to our morning interviews while others went to a class. The class was lecture based, it was interesting to me. I then had my morning interview with an MD/PhD student. The conversation really flowed, it was a very broad interview; it honestly felt more like a casual conversation. She was very attentive and had a lot of great research advice for me.
We then had a short financial aid session; it was actually pretty helpful and important. We then had lunch and a Q&A with a transplant surgeon. After that, we had a tour and then a meet and greet with a fourth year and a second year who answered questions about Yale.
I then had my second interview with a physician. He had such amazing insight about the not-so-nice parts of medicine. I really appreciated his honesty.
Yale holds two 30 minute interviews with either two faculty members or one faculty member and one 4th year student. The interviews will most likely run long because it's really nice talking to your interviewers. The interviews ran as late as 4:30 (starting time).
Overall, Yale seemed extremely supportive and made sure that the interviewees were comfortable and had all of their questions answered. It's an amazing school.
ACCEPTANCE I received an email from Dr. Silverman notifying me of the acceptance. I found out this decision a few hours after I found out Penn's decision. This was a crazy exciting day!
I am unable to attend Second Look, but they were open to me creating my own. I decided against creating my own since I have a good feel of what this school is about (I did a summer program at this location).
WITHDREW I love this school so much. They have such amazing people who really care about you here, but I think it was time for me to experience a different institution for a while. This was hard but maybe I'll end up here eventually.
Summary of Experience:
INTERVIEW I interviewed in early October.
Interview Cohort: A little diversity ethnicity-wise. The boy/girl ratio was good. A group of about 8.
The interview day was pretty relaxed. We started with a group session in which Dr. Zeff asked each of us about our background and told us more information about UConn and the new curriculum. We then completed a team based learning exercise in small groups of about 4 students.
The first interview was with a faculty member. I could tell that the interviewer was really trying to get to know me and figure out which school would suit my passions and goals (even if it wasn't UConn). I really appreciated that. I could tell that he really cared about me finding my place in medicine.
The second interview was with a student. It was pretty casual, although sometimes I felt there were some awkward pauses (but I am a naturally awkward person, so that was to be expected). I was asked very standard questions and was able to ask any questions I had.
All the interviewees then had a tour of the school and lunch with two medical students in the hospital dining room. They were very nice but not always engaged with the interviewees.
Overall, the school was friendly and welcoming, the admissions staff were amazing and the other interviewees were warm.
ACCEPTANCE I was notified by email. I received a call a few days later about a scholarship.
REVISIT I was not able to stay for the entire time. I liked all of the activities that they planned (that I was able to attend), especially the clinical knowledge portion of it. Overall, I had a decent time, but it wasn't the best time. I didn't mesh well with some of the prospective students (one even insinuated that I didn't belong there.. sigh oh well, c'est la vie) and some didn't seem too excited to be there.
WITHDRAWAL I probably wouldn't choose this school over some of the others that I was fortunate enough to get into, mainly because it is in Connecticut, and I personally would like to be in a very large, diverse, urban area.
Summary of Experience:
INTERVIEW I interviewed in early October
Interview Cohort: I was the only URM, but the group felt really welcoming. The boy/girl ratio was good. A group of about 12, I believe. Georgetown did a good job of choosing interviewees. One girl was ever so slightly classist.
First of all DC is amazing. Such a great location for a school. It is so lively and diverse with a lot of activities to engage in.
The interview day started with all of the interviewees mingling in a room near the admissions office. The other interviewees were all friendly and very interested in getting to know each other which was very nice. We then had a talk with a very funny gentleman who congratulated us on getting that far in the admissions process. He then told us more factual information about Georgetown, while cracking hilarious jokes. The dean then came to speak with us in a very intense, yet profound hour long session. I recommend having your pens out because she gives great advice about what questions you should be asking schools to get a good sense if they're right for you. She then explained how Georgetown was amazing at training its students for residency programs. All of the students feel very comfortable in clinical settings because they are very used to completing procedures and interacting with patients due to the Georgetown curriculum. The dean then explained the guiding principle of Georgetown (Curis Personalis) and emphasized that medicine at that institution is not just about the physical (and if you're not interested in becoming a physician-advocate and physician-healer as well as a physician-scientist, this school is not for you).
We then had a tour and an amazing lunch at their restaurant (soooo good) with two amazing medical students. These students were very engaged and super helpful and honest with any questions that we had. They were very supportive.
We all then returned to the original room and we each had a single interview and then the day was finished.
My interview was with such an amazing doctor. He was super friendly, supportive, and funny. Sometimes I felt like I didn't really understand what he was asking me, so I felt my game was thrown off a bit. But, he was still really amazing to talk to.
Overall, the day was really fun and energizing. The students, staff and food was great. DC was great. I had a good time.
ACCEPTANCE You really do hear back 8 weeks after your interview. You get a phone call if you're accepted.
WITHDREW Although I loved many aspects of this school (mission, values, location, clinical experience), I did not like that the grading system was P/F and on a curved scale (which means that I would've been competing with my classmates). I don't want any additional stress while completing my preclinical years.
Summary of Experience:
INTERVIEW I interviewed in early December.
Interview Cohort: about 25 students, maybe 7 were URMs. The gender balance was equal.
This day was absolutely fantastic, for the most part. The day began with a diversity breakfast and/or a continental breakfast in the atrium. At the breakfast, we got the chance to speak with students who were ethnically underrepresented or who identified as LGBTQ or both. I met some amazing and helpful students there. We then had a lecture type talk about the school and its curriculum and other information for about an hour. We then split into two groups and went to see part of the hands on part of the curriculum. We got to see the sim labs and our sim man crashed and we all had to work together to figure out what to do. It was cool because it was hands on. Afterward, we had a small reflection and did activities like listening to different lung sounds and talking about lung pathology. Then we got to see the anatomy labs. We actually saw students working with the cadavers, which was completely different from anything I've experienced at any other school. This part of the day got slightly funky for me because our larger group dispersed to look on with different groups of med students. I happened to be with one other girl and one student in the group we joined seemed incredibly receptive to the other girl and completely ignored me the entire time. It was disappointing, but I eventually got over it. We then went on a very short tour of the school and hospitals (which was essentially walking back to the atrium of our building from the anatomy labs). Then came the financial aid segment and then lunch. The lunch included sandwiches, cookies, chips, and talk with medical students. The interviews followed. They were (about) 40 minute interviews; one with a faculty member and one with a student (including first years).
After that, the day was finished. But there was a small meet and greet for URM students for about an hour.
Overall, Penn was so insanely awesome! It was the most aesthetically beautiful school that I had visited so far. On top of that, almost everyone was so friendly and super relaxed. Almost all the students took the time to speak with us. I expected Penn to be full of gunner kids who were extremely serious, but it was the opposite. Although their second module isn't P/F the grading isn't on a curved scale, so literally everyone could get honors if they wanted, which got rid of any competition in the class. Penn also gave us nice Perelman hats at the end of the interview day which made everything even more awesome. I love this school.
ACCEPTANCE I checked the portal to see the admissions decision.
I wasn't able to attend Penn Preview, so the office was extremely flexible and allowed me to create my own.
MATRICULATION I am choosing to matriculate here. They had a great financial package, great curriculum, great people working in admissions, great students. I'm excited to see what's in store for me!
Summary of Experience:
The application was processed and complete (9/4) about a month after I submitted the secondary (8/6).
INTERVIEW I interviewed in late November
Interview Cohort: There were a couple of URMs. The gender balance was equal. There were maybe 12-16 applicants.
This interview day was set up into two parts, from what I could tell. Half the cohort arrived in the morning and had their interviews then lunch and a tour at 12 pm. The second half of the cohort arrived at 11:30, had the lunch and tour then interviews in the afternoon (2pm and on). The interviews (you only have one interview) lasted anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. It was very relaxed and conversational. The lunch was kosher (all the food there is kosher). The living areas were surprisingly large. Students have a choice between a studio (~$700), two bedroom (~$500), and a three bedroom (~$300-400). They were quality spaces for the price, very spacious.
Everyone here was cool and chill and gave off a really nice NY vibe. I really enjoyed my day here.
ACCEPTANCE You get notified by email
WITHDREW I declined the offer of admission. I decided that I would not attend over UChicago, although I loved the school.
