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aixoise: My status page does not say that, but then again I just interviewed yesterday afternoon.
Perhaps this is interesting information for some people that was told to people who interviewed yesterday (10/15):
It was 3 interviews, one-on-one, half an hour to 40 minutes each. Two were with attendings, one with an M4. All they knew about you was your supplemental essay and your AMCAS personal statement. They quizzed me on everything I had written in there. I think I may have had the same interviewer that
DrElizabeth mentioned: the more aggressive elderly doctor. We did not get off on the right foot, but overall I was very satisfied after talking with him for about 40 minutes. It was a fun debate with him about my political views about the economic crisis as well as healthcare. He repeatedly told me that he could not seem to break me, which I suppose is a good thing? Either way, it was tons of fun to have someone challenge me on that and knew that I could stand strong.
For those of you who have still yet to interviews, this following bit is my advice for those of you who have never been to Chicago, never used a train before, etc.:
1. If you're coming from O'Hare, you can easily use the "El" Train (aka the CTA system) to get to the school. To get to the "El" from the arrivals terminal, you need to walk across the street from baggage claim, if you're above ground, towards the bus shuttle center (where all the buses from different hotels wait to pick you up for free shuttle service to their respective hotels. (I'm sure there's another way to do it that is underground connecting the buildings, if you can find it better that way, go for it.) Go inside the terminal at the bus shuttle center (it'll be on your left, all buses are waiting on your right and just a little farther right is the Hilton hotel). Go past the wall at Door 1, and follow the signs to take the elevator down one floor to the train.
2. Go to the ticketing booth, it's one automated machine just to the left of you once you get off the elevator and around the corner. Pay for $5 worth of a transit permit, if you have no exact change (the machine is the furthest right of three, and the only one that accepts credit card, rather than exact change/cash). Each ride will cost you $2, and each transfer ($0.25). So $5 is more than enough to get you there and back on the train, assuming you have a return flight out of O'Hare. If you're confused, there is always a ticketing officer hovering near the area, and they are more than happy to help you.
3. Head to the turnstiles, and go down the escalators to the train. Take the train that goes to Forest Park (This is the BLUE LINE.) As you're coming down the escalators, the train will be to your right, climb in any car and you're good to go. Just double check that in the windows, there is "Forest Park" written on blue cloth.
4. If you look up, on top of each door in the train, you'll see a map of all the stops the train will make. Just keep your eye on it. You're going to want to get off at one of the "Loop" stops (my best bet was the Clark/Lake stop) where you can transfer to the Pink Line. There are announcements over the PA system that tell you about each stop.
5. Get off at Clark/Lake (or the other stop where the Blue Line can transfer to the Pink Line). Follow the signs to the Pink Line. This involves walking, about three floors UP, using escalators to the Pink Line. For some reason, I never ever passed a turnstile where I had to pay for a transfer using this way, don't go "OUT" following the signs. Just keep heading up to the top-most floor.
6. Get on the Pink Line, headed for 54/Cemak. The ride on the Pink is relatively short, but has lots of stops because it heads around the Loop, which is downtown Chicago. You're going to want to get off at the POLK stop.
7. Once you get off at Polk, head downstairs, just one floor, and get out of the station at the turnstiles, which is to your left after you exit the escalator/stairs.
8. Take a LEFT after you get out of the station and you'll see a "Sbarro" pizza restaurant on your left. If you see this you're heading in the right direction. Keep walking straight about 1.5-2 blocks, you'll have to cross at least one street/stop light, I believe. The admissions office is located on your LEFT at 1853 Polk Street, and you'll see a sign with that address on it.
9. Enter past two glass doors to a foyer with elevators in front of you, two hallways, and stairs to your right. Take the hallway to your left. Head straight down, until you see closed double doors. Take a right at the last room right before these doors. Then hang a small right to find the admissions people.
10. Once you're done interviewing, take the Pink Line at Polk back to the Loop. Then transfer over to the Blue Line and ride it all the way to the last stop which is O'Hare. Hang a LEFT after you get back to the ticketing booth to get to the departures terminal.
Hopefully that set of directions will help some of you.
P.S. The admissions people are EXTREMELY friendly. Downright awesome. Call them if you get lost, like I did, and they'll help you get there. When you have your interviews, you'll be walked from one place to another by them, so you're never lost once you're there.
Also, if you have an afternoon interview session, don't expect to be done till around 5pm. (Some people get out early, but I was the last of two applicants to leave at 5pm.) The train ride back at this time is absolutely PACKED. Hard to shuffle in the train with your luggage and all your bags, etc through the El at this time.
The train ride there took me about ~1.5 hours, plus some because of unexpected delays. The ride according to everyone in Chicago, should only take about 45 minutes. So give yourself PLENTY of time to get there.
Last, but not least. Do NOT take the Blue Line to the Illinois Medical District, which on the map may look like the stop is close to Polk, but really it is at least 6 blocks away. If you're willing to walk that far, great, but if you're like and the heels you had on were already killing you, then take the Pink Line to the stop at Polk instead.
