My interview impression:
The Students- I was fortunate to have two current MS2’s host me during my interview. This alleviated a lot of the difficulty associated with transportation/housing/finding where I was supposed to go the day of. It also gave me more insight into the student population. What are they like- Competitive? Relaxed? Helpful? I have to say, I felt completely at home with my two student hosts. We went out to eat, played some Wii U… it was a great time and an excellent way to meet the students. Although I expected to sleep on the couch during my stay, one of the students even gave her room to me for the night because “I should get a good night’s rest before my interview.” I simply couldn’t have asked for a more accommodating and welcoming visit. While I was hosted informally by these students, they are working hard to establish a more formal CMS interviewee-hosting program. If anyone gets an ii, I would encourage you to ask the admission’s office about the possibility of being hosted by a student- it just might be setup in time for your interview.
The Interview- Interviews begin with a brief presentation from the Dean (~30min), followed by your actual interviews. During my visit, there were ~16 people interviewing. We all sat in a comfy room with coffee/tea/water at our disposal and waited to be called. There are several interviewers, but slightly less than the number of interviewees. Waits were not terrible though. The interviewers are assigned at random (?). You can have any combination of Faculty/Admissions/Student interviewers (I had two faculty and others had a combination) and each lasts around 30min. For me, it was very conversational. I think they just want to know that you can interact with people- you’re going to be a doc, right? We talked about the city, my file, and some normal ethical questions. Keep your answers succinct, be engaging, and have confidence. This is not the type of interview that is meant to crush your spirit. Note: they will occasionally ask people to speak with a 3rd interviewer. This is for your benefit- they just want to get to know you a little more. If this happens, consider it a good opportunity to impress.
The Facilities- After the interviews, we were treated to lunch in the cafeteria and a student-led tour. The food was quite good and there appeared to be enough variety, although I wasn’t looking at this aspect too much. The facilities were beautiful and absolutely state-of-the-art. I can say this having interviewed at a few places as well as working in a very prominent medical school (a top 3- whatever that means). You will want for nothing here. There’s a gym (small, but reasonably equipped), plenty of study rooms, large library, modern anatomy lab (trust me, you want good ventilation here), and even a music room equipped with pianos and guitars- all free to use (this was a really nice touch). They have apartment-style on campus housing or Navy housing essentially across the street from the school (very reasonable price- 1,300 for a 3bd/2br/garage town home).
Other- They have plenty of funded research opportunities and unfunded (?) international externships. In fact, it seems half the class does one or the other during the summer following year-1.
