Summary of Experience:
1/7/13 - Third time calling about my interest and update letters that I sent in September and November, respectively. Can't believe they hadn't put those in my file yet. Very disappointed. But hopefully now I'll have a greater chance of an invite. We'll see..
2/22/13 - No love at all. Got the email saying the interview season has closed. Hopefully it's for the best..
Summary of Experience:
10/29 - Withdrew. Wasn't expecting an interview anytime soon. Nothing about the school seemed particularly special. Also very pricey compared to MCG
Summary of Experience:
8/3/12 - Preliminary Review Completed
11/9 - Withdrew. This really hurt. Absolutely love everything about this school, but I now know I wouldn't attend even if granted admission here....just way too expensive..
10/2 - LOVED everything the school has to offer. But was kind of bummed out by the school itself and its atmosphere. Facilities are old, small, and not state of the art. They kept trying to impress us with the very few smart boards they have, but those were pretty much standard at my undergrad school. Anatomy lab was also small and seemed clustered. Interview day was kind of disorganized. There was a fire drill, the tour wasn't well organized, and we didn't get to tour facilities like the gym, library, or even the hospital. Couldn't really tell if the very few students we met were genuinely happy or just pretending to be. And many of the students I saw during the tour seemed apathetic or depressed. The cost of attendance and living expenses in DC are also ridiculously high, but they said they offer a fair amount of need based grants and scholarships. But still, I know I would LOVE all the academic and clinical experiences the school has to offer, but I'm not so sure I would enjoy the social environment. The staff and faculty seem SUPER nice, it's just the student body that didn't really impress me. But the DC area itself is BEAUTIFUL. Absolutely loved the vicinity of the Potomac River and the abundant bike riding trails. All things considered, if given a decent amount of financial aid, I could definitely see myself going here. Hoping for an acceptance..
Summary of Experience:
10/16 - Interview was definitely a great experience. The facilities (classrooms, anatomy lab, hospital, etc.) are modest and aesthetically pleasing. The entire campus is fairly small so there isn't much walking from one part to another. But students still need a car to get around Savannah, especially cause it apparently rains quite a bit. My first interview was very structured and was just me answering question after question, often unrelated to each other. The interviewer was VERY serious and didn't smile once if I recall correctly. But later I found out he's a pathologist, and his demeanor is always like that, so then it made more sense. Second interview was the complete opposite--conversational, relaxed, and easy-going with both of us smiling and laughing at times. The staff and students were definitely super chill and nice. They all definitely seemed to love the place and each other, which really gave off a family type feel which was nice. The curriculum is really interesting in that there aren't any actual classes. Instead, students learn the material independently based on objective packets given to them and then apply their knowledge in integrated case discussions 3x a week. Overall, I could definitely see myself happy here. Hoping for an acceptance..
10/29 - Withdrew. Liked MCG more. Mercer's also more expensive.
Summary of Experience:
1/7/13 - Got the famous "status change." Really hoping for an invite, as this would really change things..
1/16 - Interview invite. The status change really is for real. So happy right now =)
2/15 - Attended interview. Began with interviewees just talking amongst themselves and/or having lunch. Followed by an overview of the day and then interviews. My student interviewer definitely knew my application well and seemed more interested in me than did my physician interviewer. But I could be wrong...Not really sure how I feel about them in the end...But after interviews were more talks about the curriculum and Houston itself. The curriculum is systems-based P/F during pre-clinicals and graded during clinicals. It's also very unique in allowing students to experience an entire year of clinicals before taking Step 1, one of the reasons why their averages are crazy high. The school also has abundant opportunities for global health work and research, in addition its special tracks for Care to the Underserved and Global Health--a huge selling point for me. The medical school building itself is also fairly big and has tons of study spaces, always a nice plus if you don't want to go home directly after lectures, which run 8-12 everyday. The talks were followed by tours of the Texas Medical Center. My God, this place was huge--and amazing. Absolute favorite was the Children's hospital--full of colors, ornaments, statues, and game areas to make the whole place much more kid friendly. Loved it. After the tour, we were all set to go. Overall, I got a great impression from the place, and I know I'd be very happy here. Now just praying for an acceptance..
4/21 - Waitlisted..
7/2 - Also thinking that I'm rejected at this point..
8/11/12 - II; Completely in shock. Didn't expect it at all. Can't express how grateful I am for this amazing opportunity. Easily one of my top choices for so many reasons. Hopefully it works out..
10/8/12 - First off, I have to say how privileged I feel to have even interviewed here. Mayo isn't what I imagined it to be--it's even better. The students, faculty, and staff, all incredibly nice and amazing. Everyone was always professional and respectful, but that's no surprise given the reputation of the institution. The facilities were also top-notch, very aesthetically pleasing, and all within short walking distance from each other. There are TONS of study spaces available to the students, not just in the medical school, but also in any of its affiliated buildings, as pretty much any waiting room, atrium, or other open area is open to them. The gym is also superb with tons of cardio equipment, free and machine weights, pools, classrooms, lockers, etc. And free membership during the first two years for students! Rochester itself isn't as bad as I had thought. It's BEAUTIFUL. I did find it odd that many of the streets are one-way. Unfortunately, I didn't get to check out any biking/hiking trails, but I've only heard great things about them as well. There's obviously MUCH more I can say about this amazing place, but I'll spare all those details for now. The faculty also REALLY care for their students and want them to make the most of their time at Mayo, and I know if given the opportunity to attend, I would be very happy here. All I can do now is hope for the phone call and wait..
10/31/12 - Hold status =( Still hoping and praying..
1/7/13 - The more I've thought about it, the more I've come to realize how badly I bombed my interviews here. Not even expecting to get on the waitlist here. Oh well, hopefully things happen for the best...I'll provide more specific feedback on what I did wrong at the end of the cycle so those of you applying later won't make the same mistakes.
2/8/13 - Alternate List. Expected to be rejected instead. Very grateful, but still not keeping my hopes too high for this place..
5/29/13 - Received "Touch base" email asking if I was still interested in the school.
7/2/13 - Gonna go ahead and say I'm rejected at this point. Getting accepted there at this point would be nothing short of a miracle.
Final Advice:
Be yourself in your interviews...but to an extent. It's that last part that killed me. I was asked about my research "accomplishments" in my student interview, but I didn't have any. And honestly, I didn't care because I don't really have a strong interest in research and didn't plan on pursuing it in the future. And I made this really clear in my interview. Thinking back though, I probably should've been more open minded about it...as one of Mayo's shields represents research itself, clearly designating it an integral part of the institution.
Another thing: I somehow started to daydream during my physician interview while he was describing an important case scenario that he then asked me about. I practically had no clue what the situation was and felt too embarrassed to ask him to repeat himself. Unsurprisingly, my response was very bare minimum and underdeveloped. So basically, just pay close attention to what your interviewer says/asks, and you'll be fine.
Summary of Experience:
10/19 - Attended interview at Augusta campus. I actually really enjoyed the interview day--much better than I expected! The actual interview was definitely the best one I've had so far--VERY conversational and low stress. I guess it helped finding out that my interviewer and I grew up on the same street in our home country =D The Children's Medical Center is AMAZING--big, colorful, and catered to kids' styles. It has every single peds specialty and even a peds ER. The M1 classroom and the school library are also very nice--definitely the most high-tech ones I've seen so far. What makes the whole thing even better is that next year they plan to open up a new commons area with newly upgraded anatomy labs and classrooms in the same building! The two story wellness center is also superb. TONS of cardio and weight machines, an entire room full of free weights and cables, basketball courts, and a food place/commons area--lovin' it. The location is also prime due to the perfect weather conditions and is also great due to the VERY cheap housing in the area. The staff and students also seem super chill and friendly, even though there's a letter grading system--which is honestly one of the only few downfalls of the place. Shadowing and clinical opportunities are also abundant, given the Children's Center, adult hospital, and the VA all within walking distance. Some abroad medical trips are also funded through grants--awesome. Overall, a great surprise and a wonderful experience. Really hoping for an acceptance..
