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- Medical Student (Accepted)
Yeah, it seems like they do. My date was pre-chosen based on my field.Does penn send/schedule interviews by chosen PhD field?
Yeah, it seems like they do. My date was pre-chosen based on my field.
Thank you!! 🙂 Pretty exciting way to start off the month 🙂CONGRATULATIONS, @26point2, @edc1618, and @fiesta for your IIs to Yale!!!!! That is a huge accomplishment and really incredible. Very happy for you all. Also, congrats to @edc1618 for the double II -- two ivies in one day! You are all absolutely amazing. 🙂
EDIT: Oops, sorry!! And @neurotroph for UPenn as well. Too many IIs today to even keep up with them all!! You guys are absolutely crushing it!
Congratulations on killing your first interview @pineapplecake! Pitt would be lucky to have you.Wowowow congrats everyone on all these new IIs!!! I just finished my MSTP interview at Pitt today. Wowowow it was quite a fun interview but completely exhausting hahah it was a real pleasure getting to meet the other applicants though! September seems to be getting off to a great start 🙂
Wowowow congrats everyone on all these new IIs!!! I just finished my MSTP interview at Pitt today. Wowowow it was quite a fun interview but completely exhausting hahah it was a real pleasure getting to meet the other applicants though! September seems to be getting off to a great start 🙂
Hehe thanks @fiesta and @starfun21! @neurotroph, the interview schedule looks really intimidating but it's actually not too bad. The first three are all with admissions and they are really just interesting in getting to know you and see if you are a good fit for the program and if they are a good fit for you. Dr. Steinman (the director) is SO NICE and you can tell he really took the time to read your application and asked pretty pointed questions about my research and also just what I'm looking for in an MSTP program. All the interviews are only 30 mins long despite what the schedule may say. I actually wished some of them could've been longer than 30 mins!
You can expect 5 other applicants to be interviewing with you (there were 6 total on my day) and the 6 of you will be joined by another 6 MD applicants on the second day for the MD portion of the interview. The MD interview really felt like a breeze compared to the MSTP one (only one student and one faculty) and a lot of current med students just told me that if the MSTP committee wants you, and you act like a normal person during the MD interview, you'll be fine!
I recommend taking the time to figure out where you need to go the day before (getting to BST from Scaife can be pretty confusing). Overall, the interview experience at Pitt is really relaxed and laid back and just be yourself 🙂 their main goal is to get to know you and I really wasn't asked difficult questions besides the usual "why do you want to do an md/phd and why Pitt? Career goals? Tell me about your research?" And that's about it ahaha. I would look up the faculty you're interviewing with and come up with 1-2 specific questions to ask. Don't stress too much if you don't have time to read their papers though! Just get a general understanding of what they do. Let me know if you have any other questions and best of luck!!!
@carpediem22 Congrats!! What graduate program are you applying for? I'm wondering if any of the Immunology people have gotten MD/PhD IIs for Penn yet ^_^
Epidemiology. Don't lose hope -- Penn definitely is one of the schools where timing depends entirely on group and not at all on how qualified you are. Not sure about immunology, but the Epi date is in December.
Don't worry I only have 3 😛 I think it's still pretty early. If you don't have any rejections yet that's a good sign.Ohhh okayThanks for the encouraging words!! Really hoping to hear back from more MSTP schools aha...the other applicants I interviewed with at Pitt on Monday all had several more interviews lined up (4-5) and I was like woowww
hahah I am patient though and really happy for other people's successes and all the other interviewees were such nice people! I wouldn't be upset if any one of them got a spot over me
ANYWAY, sorry for rambling but congratulations again!!!!
Epidemiology. Don't lose hope -- Penn definitely is one of the schools where timing depends entirely on group and not at all on how qualified you are. Not sure about immunology, but the Epi date is in December.
Don't worry I only have 3 😛 I think it's still pretty early. If you don't have any rejections yet that's a good sign.
Hahahah 3 is good!! And looking at your MDapps, looks like 3 very significant ones 🙂 Congrats!

😍@pineapplecake, hang in there!! I understand what you mean for sure. I have one MSTP interview (unscheduled - possibly November or January, it seems like, according to their email?) and am so beyond grateful for it, but I have also started to get a little antsy myself in the past few days. It's definitely a long, hard process! 🙁
Thankfully, it only takes 1 good interview leading to an acceptance to rock out this MD/PhD thing. And like @carpediem22 says, it's still very early! I think September will be a big and busy month for us, so we just need to hang in there for a bit. The process is so random -- high stats applicants often get the first interview slots but there are many months and slots still to go this cycle, plus there are also reviewers working at different speeds, schools looking for different missions, etc... lots of variables that we can't really understand. Just know that you're definitely not alone or an outlier by any means -- we'll just have to stick together for a while! And hopefully I'll see you on the interview trail soon!
In the meantime, I just want to say a huge congrats to you on completing your first interview. It's so exciting to read about! And congrats on your Mayo interview -- I'm no expert on this process but I think to have 2 interviews now, even if one of them is MD-only (at a phenomenal school with a very small program) is extremely fantastic! You're rocking it out in my eyes!
CONGRATULATIONS, most sincerely, to all of the WashU, Yale, and Penn interviews that have gone out recently!! Also to @Sreltraln for OSU. I keep getting behind on this thread because you are all too awesome to keep up with!😍
Don't stress it pineapple! Still quite early I believe. Plus, you got that Pitt II! Still waiting to hear over here. 🙁 (please don't silent reject me Pitt!)
Hang in there! And GL everyone else!
Fingers crossed for all of you~~I totally agree with the sentiment of @pineapplecake. I have been feeling the same way as you @starfun21. I went into this not super confident, but felt like I would be ok. So far only one interview (really not complaining, I know I could be sitting here with none), but every time see someone with an II at one of the schools I've applied to, my heart sinks a little. I am truly happy for everyone else -- I'm just freaking out a little. I truly appreciate the super supportiveness of everyone on this thread, especially you @starfun21!!! Wouldn't want to go through this without the people on this thread!@pineapplecake, hang in there!! I understand what you mean for sure. I have one MSTP interview (unscheduled - possibly November or January, it seems like, according to their email?) and am so beyond grateful for it, but I have also started to get a little antsy myself in the past few days. It's definitely a long, hard process! 🙁
Thankfully, it only takes 1 good interview leading to an acceptance to rock out this MD/PhD thing. And like @carpediem22 says, it's still very early! I think September will be a big and busy month for us, so we just need to hang in there for a bit. The process is so random -- high stats applicants often get the first interview slots but there are many months and slots still to go this cycle, plus there are also reviewers working at different speeds, schools looking for different missions, etc... lots of variables that we can't really understand. Just know that you're definitely not alone or an outlier by any means -- we'll just have to stick together for a while! And hopefully I'll see you on the interview trail soon!
In the meantime, I just want to say a huge congrats to you on completing your first interview. It's so exciting to read about! And congrats on your Mayo interview -- I'm no expert on this process but I think to have 2 interviews now, even if one of them is MD-only (at a phenomenal school with a very small program) is extremely fantastic! You're rocking it out in my eyes!
CONGRATULATIONS, most sincerely, to all of the WashU, Yale, and Penn interviews that have gone out recently!! Also to @Sreltraln for OSU. I keep getting behind on this thread because you are all too awesome to keep up with!😍
I turned most my apps in early August, still don't have a II, should I be worried 🙁?
@starfun21 I think I'm actually in love with you (in the least awkward and uncomfortable way possible)If I am ever fortunate enough to meet you in person, I'd love to get to know you better! 🙈 You've been such a wonderful person to have on this thread (and I am sure I am not only speaking for myself when I say that) and your words of encouragement are reallyyy comforting. I really appreciate it a lot!! I'm rooting for you as we go through this process together and my goshh, thank you again
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You guys are all the best. I definitely hope to meet lots of you on the interview trail! Rooting for everyone here -- there are definitely some amazing people floating around SDN and localized on this thread 😉 You are so very welcome, and thank you for your sweet and kind words as well! 
To people looking at interviewing at Yale, maybe I missed it but it seems like we're on our own for finding a place to stay?
But are they paying for it? That part wasn't clear. For a hotel, that is.Nope, if you go to that interview website they linked in the invitation email there is a section on lodging. To stay with a student you have to email Barbara Watts. Otherwise hotel.
But are they paying for it? That part wasn't clear. For a hotel, that is.