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Hi all, I used to give tour for my medical school. Now that I'm finishing fourth year I realized that I have a list of questions that I'd tell people on my tour they should be asking all their schools on interview day. Some of this stuff you might be able to figure out online, but much of it you need to be talking to an actual person so more useful for interviews. Hope this helps.
1: Don't ask about match rate, look at match lists.
- Everyone says "oh, 95% of our students match at one of their top 2 choices." This is a BS stat since if you barely passed step 1 you don't apply to neurosurgery at Hopkins, or you don't get an interview. So getting your top choice after choosing a field and having been to places where you interviewed (and "clicked at") doesn't tell the applicant much about how competitive the students are at that school in the match process. Look at the match list for:
A: What fields people matched into, both for competitiveness and a match for your interests. If 90% of the students are going into primary care IM or Peds, and you want to be a ophthalmologist, maybe not a good fit for you. If you see the list for two or three years and no one has matched into the field you are interested in, red flag.
B: If people stayed at the same place for residency as med school. If no one is staying it means either the residencies are bad, or the city sucks or something that you should figure out. When 50% of the class is staying it means something special is going on there.
2: When you get a great lunch on interview day, ask what students normally eat. Just because they catered lobster and steak for the interview day, know if the normal lunch sucks.
3: Be aware of the year medical student you are talking to. Many of the tour are given by first or second year medical students. Which is great when you have questions about the pre-clinical years, but often they are mis-informed about 3rd and 4th year. Some of the stuff that they think happens in the hospital or rotations is just plain wrong. If you are really interested in a school get the email of some 3rd or 4th year students to ask questions.
4: Ask how much time you get off to study for Step 1 and for interviews. At my school people rock step 1, it's not that we're super smart, it's that we get 8 weeks from the end of second year to the start of 3rd year to study. Some places give you 2 days off to take the test, and expect you to study while working on the rest of your classes. Same goes for interviews, some places expect you to do most of your interviews during easy rotations.
5: Ask about the structure of 4th year. If you think you want the chance to travel, do a bunch of electives, try out different fields with Sub-Is you need to ask about 4th year. Some places have 4-5 months of required rotations. That plus step 2 plus interviews leaves you like a month or two to do what you want. If you have your heart set on surgery you should be aware if there is a required internal medicine Sub-I.
6:When people brag about early clinical contact, ask what that means. Some places you are interviewing real patients, some places you shadow a doctor first year and only get to talk to standardized patients (actors) or do simulations. If you want to see real patients ask about this. Also ask about shadowing opportunities (ER, OR) or student run clinics.
7: Ask the students if they are happy. Just like that. If people need to think about if they are really happy, or hedge with some sort of "I guess so" or "I don't want to quit yet," that is different from being "happy."
8: Ask the students what they do besides medicine. If they can't think of anything besides study and drink the night after a test, be aware of that. Some places you can learn medicine and not give up playing ice hockey or singing or being an actor. Have students break down their typical week, how much time in class, how much lecture, how much small group.
9: If you can't imagine living in that state/city, why are you applying? Sure if you got a 20 on your MCAT and are applying to all 150 schools, or you have a good reason, apply somewhere that you hate. But for most applicants if you don't want to live down south or in the Midwest or certain cities, save your money.
10: When they say the grades are pass/fail, ask what exactly that means. Some places are High honors, honors, high pass, pass, fail. That's ABCDF. Which I think is fine for clinical years, if you rock your OB/GYN rotation and want to match in that it's good to show that off. But I think it doesn't really help having grades the first two years. If you want that great, but know what you are getting into.
11. Find out how they do PBL. Some places do problem based learning well, with structure and a good moderator teaching you by going through a case. Some places have 5 med students sitting around with books trying to teach themselves to read EKGs. You could do that for free on your own. Ask how much time is PBL, especially if it's not very structured. If the school is 80% PBL and people hate it, know that.
12. Write down something after each school you visit. You tell yourself that you love that place so much you will remember. But 6 interviews later you will struggle to come up with which place had the really nice student gym. This will really help 4 months later when you are deciding between schools and are trying to think about what you really loved and hated at each one.
1: Don't ask about match rate, look at match lists.
- Everyone says "oh, 95% of our students match at one of their top 2 choices." This is a BS stat since if you barely passed step 1 you don't apply to neurosurgery at Hopkins, or you don't get an interview. So getting your top choice after choosing a field and having been to places where you interviewed (and "clicked at") doesn't tell the applicant much about how competitive the students are at that school in the match process. Look at the match list for:
A: What fields people matched into, both for competitiveness and a match for your interests. If 90% of the students are going into primary care IM or Peds, and you want to be a ophthalmologist, maybe not a good fit for you. If you see the list for two or three years and no one has matched into the field you are interested in, red flag.
B: If people stayed at the same place for residency as med school. If no one is staying it means either the residencies are bad, or the city sucks or something that you should figure out. When 50% of the class is staying it means something special is going on there.
2: When you get a great lunch on interview day, ask what students normally eat. Just because they catered lobster and steak for the interview day, know if the normal lunch sucks.
3: Be aware of the year medical student you are talking to. Many of the tour are given by first or second year medical students. Which is great when you have questions about the pre-clinical years, but often they are mis-informed about 3rd and 4th year. Some of the stuff that they think happens in the hospital or rotations is just plain wrong. If you are really interested in a school get the email of some 3rd or 4th year students to ask questions.
4: Ask how much time you get off to study for Step 1 and for interviews. At my school people rock step 1, it's not that we're super smart, it's that we get 8 weeks from the end of second year to the start of 3rd year to study. Some places give you 2 days off to take the test, and expect you to study while working on the rest of your classes. Same goes for interviews, some places expect you to do most of your interviews during easy rotations.
5: Ask about the structure of 4th year. If you think you want the chance to travel, do a bunch of electives, try out different fields with Sub-Is you need to ask about 4th year. Some places have 4-5 months of required rotations. That plus step 2 plus interviews leaves you like a month or two to do what you want. If you have your heart set on surgery you should be aware if there is a required internal medicine Sub-I.
6:When people brag about early clinical contact, ask what that means. Some places you are interviewing real patients, some places you shadow a doctor first year and only get to talk to standardized patients (actors) or do simulations. If you want to see real patients ask about this. Also ask about shadowing opportunities (ER, OR) or student run clinics.
7: Ask the students if they are happy. Just like that. If people need to think about if they are really happy, or hedge with some sort of "I guess so" or "I don't want to quit yet," that is different from being "happy."
8: Ask the students what they do besides medicine. If they can't think of anything besides study and drink the night after a test, be aware of that. Some places you can learn medicine and not give up playing ice hockey or singing or being an actor. Have students break down their typical week, how much time in class, how much lecture, how much small group.
9: If you can't imagine living in that state/city, why are you applying? Sure if you got a 20 on your MCAT and are applying to all 150 schools, or you have a good reason, apply somewhere that you hate. But for most applicants if you don't want to live down south or in the Midwest or certain cities, save your money.
10: When they say the grades are pass/fail, ask what exactly that means. Some places are High honors, honors, high pass, pass, fail. That's ABCDF. Which I think is fine for clinical years, if you rock your OB/GYN rotation and want to match in that it's good to show that off. But I think it doesn't really help having grades the first two years. If you want that great, but know what you are getting into.
11. Find out how they do PBL. Some places do problem based learning well, with structure and a good moderator teaching you by going through a case. Some places have 5 med students sitting around with books trying to teach themselves to read EKGs. You could do that for free on your own. Ask how much time is PBL, especially if it's not very structured. If the school is 80% PBL and people hate it, know that.
12. Write down something after each school you visit. You tell yourself that you love that place so much you will remember. But 6 interviews later you will struggle to come up with which place had the really nice student gym. This will really help 4 months later when you are deciding between schools and are trying to think about what you really loved and hated at each one.
Last edited:
I was reminded of a similarly helpful thread that those of you applying this year might find useful: 
