Okay, so my second interview day was very different from my first one last year. It began the same, with small treats, juices, and coffee available while we waited for the other interviewees to show up and were regaled by Dean Strother's awesome sense of humor. Once everyone arrived (sans someone who failed to withdraw and just didn't show), he began with the usual introduction and sales pitch. Now, since I'm writing this so far after my interview, it gets a little fuzzy at this point as far as an accurate timeline; so please forgive me if someone posts to dispute the ensuing series of events.
After Dean Strother's spiel, one person had her first interview while the rest of us went on a tour with Diane Harris. I think she just showed us where our interviews were taking place and escorted each of us to our interviews at different times. We were instructed to meet back up in the student center near the lecture halls. Dean Strother told us which lectures were scheduled that day and encouraged us to sit in. However, the last 3 of us that followed her all the way to the student center before being escorted to our respective interviews were instead kept by Diane Harris as she gave us copious amounts of interview advice/pointers and well wishes (good hearted as it was, I'd personally rather have sat in a class).
After we all had our first interviews (new applicants) or one and only interview (reapplicants), we met up with current students for a brief tour as we headed back to the admissions office for lunch with M1-M4s. The lunch consisted of your choice of a turkey or veggie wrap, turkey chili, chips, a cookie, and a beverage. After we asked tons of questions with stuffed mouths, we went on another student-led tour, the most comprehensive and well informed tour I've been on. As we toured, other students had to leave for their second interviews. We toured pretty much everything relevant to being a med student: library, student center, lecture halls, gym, SAS (where you can check out books and schedule tutors), and, most importantly, the anatomy lab. Getting in was a bit funny. First, the two students that led the afternoon tour were surprised that the morning students told us that we weren't allowed in. So we went down there and pulled a weird speak-easy type-entrance: A student knocked on an, unmarked, industrious looking inconspicuous door down the hall. A few seconds later an overly-cautious lady poked her head out and exchanged a few brief words with the student before opening the lab for us. And it's pretty nice. There are a bunch of hand-washing stations at the entrance, exit, and interspersed between separated but open rooms with two cadaver tables each. There were many cadavers out, though respectfully covered; and the smell was more than tolerable. I was surprised. That baby is WELL ventilated! w00t. And you'll have 4 people to cadaver except one or two groups that will have 5 depending on how many people choose to matriculate and if they fill the class to capacity.
I believe that was the last and final place we toured before returning to the admissions office to turn in our visitor badges before leaving.
Now for some additional info (I'll post my impression from last year at the very bottom of my MDApps if you're curious).
• The student exercise facility includes rock climbing wall, lap pool, Jacuzzi, racquet ball courses, exercise classes, and your gamut of workout machines. Its hours are 6a to 9p on weekdays.
• There's a new curriculum with an integrative style (e.g., cover how the molecular concepts relate to the gross anatomy concepts), an organ systems approach in 2nd year, weekly PBL groups, and course material/exams presented in clinical vignettes to better prepare you for USMLE Step 1 (further info available on UT's website).
• UT offers early senior, specialty rotations that take place before residency apps in an attempt to facilitate specialty choice among M3s.
o 3rd year core rotations end in May, allowing you May to September 1st (when NRMP opens for residency applications), to pursue specialty rotations.
• UT offers 24 NIH-funded summer research fellowships to UT M1 applicants applying with a research proposal to take place during the summer between M1 and M2. This research must be with a local PI at the medical school.
• UT also offers a funded international opportunity via a Global Health perspective. More info is available on their website: COM Site > Student Affairs > Student Organizations > Council on International Health Outreach.
• UT now offers a master's in health policy for those interested, but not an MPH at this point. They said they're trying to open a school of public health.
• For those interested in the MD/PhD, you apply once your accepted, a separate process. But the program is NOT an MSTP: you will be responsible for the entirety of your pre-clinical and clinical cost of attendance. You WILL, however, be provided a tuition waiver and stipend during your graduate phase.
• Last, but not least, UT says they require you to do an away rotation in Nashville (Baptist), UT Chattanooga (free housing provided), or UT Knoxville (free housing provided). But if you have a good enough excuse, the students tell me you can be excluded.
I hope this helps. Feel free to send me or post any of your questions.
