Just got back from the interview day at Bryn Mawr, and I absolutely fell in love with the program. As promised, I'll give a brief rundown of the interview day, and then give my overall impressions of the program.
General overview:
Information session (1.5 hours): The day started out at 9:30 with a group information session. There were 8 applicants there on my interview day, and Jodi (the program director, who is AMAZING), who led the information session. It was super informal, and was a mix of her telling us things about the program and some Q&A. Interesting things gleaned from the info session:
-The post-bacc courses, especially the Biology sequence, are especially tailored for the post baccs. They tend to focus on things more relevant to medical school, and go easy on the things that don't matter as much. The Bio and Orgo sequences seem to cover a lot of Biochem, and past post baccs have found that the first year of medical school was easier as a result.
-Next year, all classes will take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, leaving afternoons and all day Tuesday and Thursday for labs, volunteering, studying, and doing fun things (which they seem to actually do!)
-Another change for next year: they're adding an evening course next year called the Practice of Medicine, which will be team-taught by two doctors working at Penn. The class will focus on health policy and medicine in the real world, and seems like it will be a great way to connect your work to the world of medicine.
-Jodi gave a great explanation of the pros vs. cons of fall/summer starts, which I'll leave for people to hear when they interview
After that we went to class (1 hour) with two current post baccs, and had lunch with them afterwards. We ended up in an organic chemistry lecture, so half the class seemed like it was in a different language. Nonetheless, I actually really enjoyed class. The professor was really engaging, and the whole atmosphere was really good-natured. We had lunch with the two post baccs afterwards (sandwiches/salads from the student center, paid for by the program), which was interesting and laid back. Great way to get an insider's perspective on the program. When asked to tell us something they didn't like about the program, neither could think of anything (besides the large amounts of work, but what can you do).
Finished off with the interview (45 minutes). More of a conversation than an interview, there were really no surprises. I was asked about my motivation to pursue medicine, what experiences led me here (volunteering, shadowing, etc), what other qualities of mine I thought would be helpful, what difficulties I foresaw in becoming a doctor, etc. My interviewer definitely was familiar with my file, and I got a few questions tailored towards my experiences. Be articulate and be on your toes, but it was definitely nothing to be worried about. I really enjoyed it actually, and felt like it was a great experience. After that, we did some advising and I was done.
That about sums it up! Here are some take home messages I jotted down on the ride to the airport:
-Program is extremely friendly, with excellent advising and academic support
-The current post baccs (and current applicants) seem like an amazing group. The class seems to have bonded, and there's a real diversity of experiences and backgrounds among the class. Furthermore, they seem pretty tight knit, and all hang out outside of class. Pretty cool.
-The program really encourages you to take your life with you into your post back year. They want you to have a life outside of classes, and they seem to be paying more than lip service to the idea of bringing the rest of your life along for the ride.
There's a lot else that has already been said that I agree with, so I won't repeat what others have said better than me. In the end, I came away really impressed with Bryn Mawr. I'm hoping to death I get in, and if I'm almost certain I'll end up there next year.
I'm starting to think about apartments and such.....any advice from current students or thoughts from any soon-to-be classmates? I'm planning on starting summer quarter....is it hard to find a lease that starts in May? Should I just stay in the dorms for Summer Session I?
