Just wanted to give a summary of my experiences.
The HST program has its own medical society offices and lounge within the larger medical school, and this was our homebase for the interview day, where we could talk with students as they were coming and going. There was an atrium linking the other (4?) society offices and lounges that the students in New Pathways belong to. Overall, it was an incredibly friendly atmosphere, and students were willing to talk about anything and give what seemed liked very honest and open answers about everything from sharing kitchen space in student housing to how to pick a research lab from the vast number at Harvard and MIT. The HST society has several staff members who work there all the time helping students and running the program. There were some really wonderful personal touches and details that I didn't expect. For example, the office manager Patty (sp?) Cunningham, puts out cookies every day, so the students can come in between classes and have a snack, coffee, tea, etc.
There were a few standard parts of the interview day that are similar with other schools, including a lunch with the students, a discussion on student life, and an introduction and overview of the program as a whole (with Drs Mitchell and Frosch) in the lecture room where most of the HST classes are given.
The interviews themselves were a little different from what I've had at other schools. There was one hour long interview, generally with two faculty members, and then a very short 10 minute interview with Dr. Matt Frosch, who not only personally does all the screening of the 1000+ applicants written submissions, but also meets with every interviewee one on one. The longer interview focused on a discussion of research and past experiences, and the interviewers ask some very detailed and probing questions, and took a lot of written notes. My interviewers didn't make me write anything on the board, but some of the interviewees ended up using the chalkboard to answer questions about their research. This may sound more intimidating than it really was, and it was actually a good experience, as the interviewers were so clearly enthusiastic and deeply knowledgeable about biomedical research, that it made the discussion fun, and I feel like I actually got a lot out of talking with them. One nice thing about the interviews was that as far as I could tell, they were all held in the same building, upstairs from the classrooms and society lounge, so you didn't have to go running around town trying to find physician interviewers at one of the affiliated hospitals. The interview with Dr. Frosch was very brief, and he was very friendly and welcoming, but it was hard to gauge whether he was responding positively or negatively. MD-PhD students had an additional morning interview, but I don't know about the details.
The admissions coordinator who seems to be the one who runs the whole process is Zara Smith, and she made the day a very personalized experience. She's the one who actually sends you your invitation and arranges your visit, and then makes sure your day runs smoothly. I was in the last group of interviews for the day, and she brought us snacks and drinks, and came to visit with us and tell us jokes and funny stories while we waited. She went out of her way to make sure everyone could leave on time and didn't miss any flights, something that is sometimes unpredictable in Boston winter weather. As current HST students came or went, she talked to them about this or that, giving the whole place a very warm feel, like one big family. Overall, she helped to defuse a lot of the stress and anxiety inherent in the process.
If you're applying to the program, I'm sure you know that HST involves a lot of class time. The students spend basically spend their full work-week in classes or teaching labs (like anatomy). If you learn well in a small classroom setting, maybe similar to an upper division course in your major that has ~30 people in it, then this a good setting for you. Because the students spend so much time in actual course/lecture work, the impression I got talking with them is that they might actually spend less time reading or studying on their own compared to many other medical students, who might have less class time, but more reading or watching of videos to do on their own. The fact that they all spend so much time together is probably also why they seemed so personally close to one another, giving things a collaborative feel. At the same time, it was clear that the atmosphere was intense in terms of the depth and breadth of material and the dedication of the students. Students repeatedly used the term 'intensity' to describe the program, both with positive and negative connotations. You can decide if this appropriate for you.
The HST and NP pathway students joked with each other about the differences in programs, mostly for our benefit, and relationship between programs seemed very convivial.
Good luck to everyone in your applications and interviews!
