Surprised nobody has review the interview day on Friday, so here it goes.
Themes throughout the day: transparency, flexibility, innovation.
As an Ohio-Stater, I didn't know what to expect for this interview. However, Dean Gay and Director Ruiz really were welcoming and broke the ice right at the beginning of the interview day. The admissions department as a whole is really fantastic, welcoming, and open/approachable.
One impressive thing Dr. Ruiz mentioned was how UMich is really pushing for a more holistic review process. He said that by the time UMich has made a decision on your file, around 10-20 people have given input on your level of fit for UMich. They're all about making sure they have a diverse class composed of people from different skill-sets and socio/cultural/economic backgrounds, and this showed in the candidates.
The candidates were impressive and, I believe because of the openness fostered by the admissions team, very open to candid conversation. I actually FB-befriended a bunch of people who I met.
One thing that's new this year is the un-tour. We split up into groups of 10, each led by two current med students, and "un-toured" various clinical settings. My group was slated to see OBGYN, so we watched a simulated childbirth. The attendings in the room who walked us through the demonstration were all very sociable and had strong ties to UMich.
Overall, UMich made a strong and friendly impression on me that I think will go a long way.
Hope you all find this helpful. Feel free to PM me with other questions.
t-minus 73 minutes
