2020-2021 Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Wow, hopefully I get to meet you. Thanks for supporting us throughout the process. I am actually so excited about this school - priority school.

That's just how our school is. The type of people who are attracted to and get accepted here are the kind of people who believe in teamwork and cooperation. We're thrilled to help out and support applicants and junior classes.
 
Only going to be at the first interview day now. We had so many people wanting to sign up, they asked anyone who signed up for more than one day to go down to just one.
I am a bit curious about the virtual interview. I went to the interview last year (only applying to USUHS because that is the only school I wanted to go to) and made some major changes this year after Dr. Liotta gave his advice. I am hoping it is 1 on 1 and that I can feel comfortable enough doing it virtually since I am much more comfortable with talking in person during interviews. Any advice on practicing a virtual interview?
 
That's just how our school is. The type of people who are attracted to and get accepted here are the kind of people who believe in teamwork and cooperation. We're thrilled to help out and support applicants and junior classes.
I'm sure that I speak on behalf of everyone where when I say thank you. The level of support and camaraderie from this thread alone validates my decision to apply only to USU. I hope we get to meet you (and Shetland) in the future. Seriously, you're all heroes.
 
I'm sure that I speak on behalf of everyone where when I say thank you. The level of support and camaraderie from this thread alone validates my decision to apply only to USU. I hope we get to meet you (and Shetland) in the future. Seriously, you're all heroes.

Shetland is the real MVP.
 
I am a bit curious about the virtual interview. I went to the interview last year (only applying to USUHS because that is the only school I wanted to go to) and made some major changes this year after Dr. Liotta gave his advice. I am hoping it is 1 on 1 and that I can feel comfortable enough doing it virtually since I am much more comfortable with talking in person during interviews. Any advice on practicing a virtual interview?

As far as I know the interviews will still be 1 on 1 like they usually are. Honestly, all the same advice applies. Be yourself, don’t try to impress anyone. You’re being interviewed because they like who you are on paper and want to make sure that person is you and that you’ll be a good fit. Have good answers for leadership experiences, why military, etc.

What I will say is do not fall into the trap of thinking the interview is more relaxed than it is just because you’re at home or whatever. The interviews at this school (as you probably remember) are usually pretty relaxed anyway, but it’s still an interview. Don’t pick your nose or eat during the interview or whatever. And don’t act like you’re talking to an old friend from high school.

This stuff seems obvious, but it’s easy to get too informal on a virtual platform.
 
As far as I know the interviews will still be 1 on 1 like they usually are. Honestly, all the same advice applies. Be yourself, don’t try to impress anyone. You’re being interviewed because they like who you are on paper and want to make sure that person is you and that you’ll be a good fit. Have good answers for leadership experiences, why military, etc.

What I will say is do not fall into the trap of thinking the interview is more relaxed than it is just because you’re at home or whatever. The interviews at this school (as you probably remember) are usually pretty relaxed anyway, but it’s still an interview. Don’t pick your nose or eat during the interview or whatever. And don’t act like you’re talking to an old friend from high school.

This stuff seems obvious, but it’s easy to get too informal on a virtual platform.
This might be a ridiculous question but during interviews my mouth gets super dry. I literally had to drink a full bottle of water for my committee interview lol. Water isn’t rude right?
 
This might be a ridiculous question but during interviews my mouth gets super dry. I literally had to drink a full bottle of water for my committee interview lol. Water isn’t rude right?

I mean if you need to drink you need to drink, but just be discreet about it. Keep in mind though that during med school and beyond there will be a lot of times that you’ll need to be presenting and stuff where you won’t be able to have water with you.

Is it a nerves thing or an actual medical condition? Make sure you’re well hydrated and drink plenty of water throughout the day (and then pee before the interview!).
 
I mean if you need to drink you need to drink, but just be discreet about it. Keep in mind though that during med school and beyond there will be a lot of times that you’ll need to be presenting and stuff where you won’t be able to have water with you.

Is it a nerves thing or an actual medical condition? Make sure you’re well hydrated and drink plenty of water throughout the day (and then pee before the interview!).
Nerves for sure haha. Ok good to know, I’ll stay hydrated before lol.
 
For virtual interviews, will there be a "tour" of campus? Is it a full-day event? Other than the 1-on-1 and student panel, what can we expect? Also, I understand we rank our preferred branches in order. If an applicant gets accepted, are they then assigned a branch? Or does an applicant get accepted based on the branch they choose if that makes sense? I guess in other words I'm asking how much weight our priority list holds in the final "Admit or Reject" decision.
 
For virtual interviews, will there be a "tour" of campus? Is it a full-day event? Other than the 1-on-1 and student panel, what can we expect? Also, I understand we rank our preferred branches in order. If an applicant gets accepted, are they then assigned a branch? Or does an applicant get accepted based on the branch they choose if that makes sense? I guess in other words I'm asking how much weight our priority list holds in the final "Admit or Reject" decision.

I’m actually not totally sure how the interview day is going to go. Usually we give you guys the tour, but obviously we can’t do that. I don’t know if they’ve made a virtual tour or something.

@goldchallenge might know.

As far as branch goes, you list them in order of preference and then everything is mostly based on your top choice. If you are on the waitlist and a spot opens in your second choice or whatever and they really want you, they might offer you that spot. But they really try to keep you in your preferred branch.
 
I’m actually not totally sure how the interview day is going to go. Usually we give you guys the tour, but obviously we can’t do that. I don’t know if they’ve made a virtual tour or something.

@goldchallenge might know.

As far as branch goes, you list them in order of preference and then everything is mostly based on your top choice. If you are on the waitlist and a spot opens in your second choice or whatever and they really want you, they might offer you that spot. But they really try to keep you in your preferred branch.
Can you speak on each branch a bit? I have heard pretty much from everyone (including a navy family member) to go Air Force but am really more interested in austere deployments/medicine. Would the Army be the best fit for that?
 
Can you speak on each branch a bit? I have heard pretty much from everyone (including a navy family member) to go Air Force but am really more interested in austere deployments/medicine. Would the Army be the best fit for that?

Eh, the Air Force can be good for some people, but I would probably be miserable in the Air Force. If you want to deploy to ****ty deserts, the Army or the Air Force is for you.

If you want to deploy to ****ty deserts but have the option of different kind of cooler deployments, the Navy is where it’s at. Obviously I’m biased, but I’ll take a ship deployment where I can see 6-7 different ports in cool countries over sitting in a sandbox for a year any day of the week. And you’re still getting to do medicine in austere environments (a ship, ports on humanitarian missions, or just a deployment to the sand box with the Marines).

There are a lot of differences between branches. If you are specifically looking to deploy to austere environments, you can do that in any branch.
 
If a USUHS medical student doesn't match into a military residency, is it more likely for them to match into a civilian residency, or is it more likely for them to serve as GMOs? I'm thinking about the Army in particular.
 
Eh, the Air Force can be good for some people, but I would probably be miserable in the Air Force. If you want to deploy to ****ty deserts, the Army or the Air Force is for you.

If you want to deploy to ****ty deserts but have the option of different kind of cooler deployments, the Navy is where it’s at. Obviously I’m biased, but I’ll take a ship deployment where I can see 6-7 different ports in cool countries over sitting in a sandbox for a year any day of the week. And you’re still getting to do medicine in austere environments (a ship, ports on humanitarian missions, or just a deployment to the sand box with the Marines).

There are a lot of differences between branches. If you are specifically looking to deploy to austere environments, you can do that in any branch.
What would be the cooler deployments? The ports? Really struggling to make a decision :/. If I wanted to do the most with humanitarian would the Navy be the choice then?
 
What would be the cooler deployments? The ports? Really struggling to make a decision :/. If I wanted to do the most with humanitarian would the Navy be the choice then?

We do a lot of humanitarian stuff in the Navy. We have two whole ships dedicated to it that go on annual missions to developing countries to provide healthcare, and basically any time there’s a disaster we go. Two ships I've been on (a destroyer and a cruiser) have engaged in humanitarian aid during regular deployments because something happened nearby.

PHS also does humanitarian stuff, but they deploy a lot less and it’s harder for them to deploy in those situations.

And yes, ship deployments can be very cool. Don’t get me wrong, they get just as tedious as the other types. But the tedium is broken up by a lot of cool ****.
 
We do a lot of humanitarian stuff in the Navy. We have two whole ships dedicated to it that go on annual missions to developing countries to provide healthcare, and basically any time there’s a disaster we go. Two ships I've been on (a destroyer and a cruiser) have engaged in humanitarian aid during regular deployments because something happened nearby.

PHS also does humanitarian stuff, but they deploy a lot less and it’s harder for them to deploy in those situations.

And yes, ship deployments can be very cool. Don’t get me wrong, they get just as tedious as the other types. But the tedium is broken up by a lot of cool ****.
By the way, I know that USUHS is not very strict on the MCAT as you said earlier, but do you think as a reapplicant, it would help me? I increased my MCAT by 9 points just for this cycle. Also as a reapplicant, is there a less chance to be accepted?
 
By the way, I know that USUHS is not very strict on the MCAT as you said earlier, but do you think as a reapplicant, it would help me? I increased my MCAT by 9 points just for this cycle. Also as a reapplicant, is there a less chance to be accepted?

I can't imagine increasing your MCAT by 9 points hurts you...
 
By the way, I know that USUHS is not very strict on the MCAT as you said earlier, but do you think as a reapplicant, it would help me? I increased my MCAT by 9 points just for this cycle. Also as a reapplicant, is there a less chance to be accepted?

It may help you get an interview, but it won’t help that much after that. The school doesn’t really look at the MCAT as long as it’s over 500. If your first score was below a 500 and your second score is above it, that would be a nice addition and would help. But honestly even if you go from a 501 to a 525, it won’t really help you after you get an interview because the admissions committee doesn’t consider the MCAT really as part of their determination.

Now if in your interview you are asked about academic performance or something, you could slip something in there about how much you improved and maybe your interviewer will include it in their comments, but like I said, there is a lot of data that the score doesn’t differentiate well over 500, and that undergrad GPA, commitment to service, etc. are all more important.

edited for spelling.
 
It may help you get an interview, but it won’t help that much after that. The school doesn’t really look at the MCAT as long as it’s over 500. If your first score was below a 500 and your second score is above it, that would be a nice addition and would help. But honestly even if you go from a 501 to a 525, it won’t really help you after you get an interview because the admissions committee doesn’t consider the MCAT really as part of their determination.

Now if in your interview you are asked about academic performance or something, you could slip something in there about how much you improved and maybe your interviewer will include it in their comments, but like I said, there is a lot of data that the score doesn’t differentiate well over 500, and that undergrad GPA, commitment to service, etc. are all more important.

edited for spelling.
Wow. This comment has really built my confidence. I increased my score from 496 to 504. 3.8 GPA with hundreds of hours in leadership, community service, clinical etc. My calling is to serve as a military doctor and I really hope that the admissions committee can sense that if I were to get an interview.
 
Wow. This comment has really built my confidence. I increased my score from 496 to 504. 3.8 GPA with hundreds of hours in leadership, community service, clinical etc. My calling is to serve as a military doctor and I really hope that the admissions committee can sense that if I were to get an interview.

Yes, that jump will help you a lot.
 
It may help you get an interview, but it won’t help that much after that. The school doesn’t really look at the MCAT as long as it’s over 500. If your first score was below a 500 and your second score is above it, that would be a nice addition and would help. But honestly even if you go from a 501 to a 525, it won’t really help you after you get an interview because the admissions committee doesn’t consider the MCAT really as part of their determination.

Now if in your interview you are asked about academic performance or something, you could slip something in there about how much you improved and maybe your interviewer will include it in their comments, but like I said, there is a lot of data that the score doesn’t differentiate well over 500, and that undergrad GPA, commitment to service, etc. are all more important.

edited for spelling.

My MCAT was 492 back in 2016, I just took it again and it went up to 498. Should I retake it in September? I have many clinical, research, leadership, and community service hours. Recently published as well. GPA went from a 3.2 (UG BCPM) to 3.63 (Grad BCPM).
 
My MCAT was 492 back in 2016, I just took it again and it went up to 498. Should I retake it in September? I have many clinical, research, leadership, and community service hours. Recently published as well. GPA went from a 3.2 (UG BCPM) to 3.63 (Grad BCPM).

If you can get it above 500, that would help. Your gpa jump will also help. UG GPA is the main thing most schools look at, since often grad GPAs can be inflated, but it can still be a help here I think.
 
It may help you get an interview, but it won’t help that much after that. The school doesn’t really look at the MCAT as long as it’s over 500. If your first score was below a 500 and your second score is above it, that would be a nice addition and would help. But honestly even if you go from a 501 to a 525, it won’t really help you after you get an interview because the admissions committee doesn’t consider the MCAT really as part of their determination.

Now if in your interview you are asked about academic performance or something, you could slip something in there about how much you improved and maybe your interviewer will include it in their comments, but like I said, there is a lot of data that the score doesn’t differentiate well over 500, and that undergrad GPA, commitment to service, etc. are all more important.

edited for spelling.
So I had above a 500 the first time I took the MCAT but it was below their average which is why I decided to take it again. I was hoping it was going to help in the decision process - I might have to do as you said and mention it in the interview.

Also in general, is it harder for reapplicants to get an acceptance?
 
So I had above a 500 the first time I took the MCAT but it was below their average which is why I decided to take it again. I was hoping it was going to help in the decision process - I might have to do as you said and mention it in the interview.

Also in general, is it harder for reapplicants to get an acceptance?

I don’t think so. We have multiple reapplicants in my class. If you’ve improved your application and can say how you’ve grown and improved your app, then you won’t be at a disadvantage. We get like 3k applications or something and can only interview like 500 people, and only like half of them get accepted. Unfortunately sometimes good applicants just don’t get in the first time around.

Just to be clear, I don’t have any secret inside info and I’m not on the admissions committee at all. I’m just an MS2. I’m just sharing my personal experience/views based on my application cycle and the people in my class and the people I know in other class years.
 
Last edited:
So I had above a 500 the first time I took the MCAT but it was below their average which is why I decided to take it again. I was hoping it was going to help in the decision process - I might have to do as you said and mention it in the interview.

Also in general, is it harder for reapplicants to get an acceptance?

You are very welcome to mention it in the interview, however I'd point out at the interview they've already decided you're probably not goingt to flunk out. At that point they really want to get to know your character, leadership/communication skills, ability to think and communicate under a little pressure, and if you truly understand what you're getting into (mil med).

However, USUHS does like personal growth and demonstrating response to feedback/self reflection. So if you had a poor score then retook it and got a great score, that might be something to slip in.

I'm an MS4 set to be one of the interviewers this cycle but we haven't had our specific training/info session yet so the above is inference from conversations with classmates and one of the old admission deans.
 
You are very welcome to mention it in the interview, however I'd point out at the interview they've already decided you're probably not goingt to flunk out. At that point they really want to get to know your character, leadership/communication skills, ability to think and communicate under a little pressure, and if you truly understand what you're getting into (mil med).

However, USUHS does like personal growth and demonstrating response to feedback/self reflection. So if you had a poor score then retook it and got a great score, that might be something to slip in.

I'm an MS4 set to be one of the interviewers this cycle but we haven't had our specific training/info session yet so the above is inference from conversations with classmates and one of the old admission deans.

I was specifically asked for an explanation for 3 bad grades from 14 years ago by Mrs. Stearman lol. I used that time to point out that I had a 4.0 postbacc and a 97th %ile MCAT. I feel like any deficiencies you have that could possibly put you down to the waitlist or alternate list should be addressed.

However, I agree that in this person’s particular case, their MCAT was already good enough and isn’t the issue.
 
I was specifically asked for an explanation for 3 bad grades from 14 years ago by Mrs. Stearman lol. I used that time to point out that I had a 4.0 postbacc and a 97th %ile MCAT. I feel like any deficiencies you have that could possibly put you down to the waitlist or alternate list should be addressed.

However, I agree that in this person’s particular case, their MCAT was already good enough and isn’t the issue.
Yikes this scares me hahaha.
 
I was specifically asked for an explanation for 3 bad grades from 14 years ago by Mrs. Stearman lol. I used that time to point out that I had a 4.0 postbacc and a 97th %ile MCAT. I feel like any deficiencies you have that could possibly put you down to the waitlist or alternate list should be addressed.

However, I agree that in this person’s particular case, their MCAT was already good enough and isn’t the issue.

My USUHS specific info really comes from conversations w/ Col Saguil before he left for SAMMC, his favorite thing to say about the interviews was they were to weed out "red flags" like poor leadership, poor teamwork, poor understanding of the military or military committment, etc. But every interviewer and every encounter is different so do take that with a grain of salt. My GPA was not great, my MCAT was. They didn't ask about either and I didn't bring it up. I really tried to focus on the aforementioned items. I don't recall anyone in my cohort being asked about grades and most of us recieved acceptances on the first day. But again, every situation is different. My interviewers were a semi-retired Navy doc and an MS4, I wouldn't be suprised if they had different interviewing philosphies or strategies compared to an adminstrator or non-clinician.

Also depends how severely you want to defined deficiency. If it's a blaring (like see it from the moon blaring) black spot, then I agree it would be prudent to mention it. I talked to a lot of civillian ad coms back in the day and they typically said if it's a concern they'll ask about it, but to use your best judgement.

I suppose at the end of the day it's a time thing. You've only got so many minutes to convince them you should be accepted to their program. If you think addressing a less than stellar point on your application will net you more "yes" points than answering an esoteric interview question or telling a story about a unique volunteering experience or even something just fun like your time on the fencing team, then 10000000% go for it. But if you can't see the deficiency from the moon and you don't have a 4.0 post bacc gpa to counter with, then consider your time might be better spent on other topics.
 
My USUHS specific info really comes from conversations w/ Col Saguil before he left for SAMMC, his favorite thing to say about the interviews was they were to weed out "red flags" like poor leadership, poor teamwork, poor understanding of the military or military committment, etc. But every interviewer and every encounter is different so do take that with a grain of salt. My GPA was not great, my MCAT was. They didn't ask about either and I didn't bring it up. I really tried to focus on the aforementioned items. I don't recall anyone in my cohort being asked about grades and most of us recieved acceptances on the first day. But again, every situation is different. My interviewers were a semi-retired Navy doc and an MS4, I wouldn't be suprised if they had different interviewing philosphies or strategies compared to an adminstrator or non-clinician.

Also depends how severely you want to defined deficiency. If it's a blaring (like see it from the moon blaring) black spot, then I agree it would be prudent to mention it. I talked to a lot of civillian ad coms back in the day and they typically said if it's a concern they'll ask about it, but to use your best judgement.

I suppose at the end of the day it's a time thing. You've only got so many minutes to convince them you should be accepted to their program. If you think addressing a less than stellar point on your application will net you more "yes" points than answering an esoteric interview question or telling a story about a unique volunteering experience or even something just fun like your time on the fencing team, then 10000000% go for it. But if you can't see the deficiency from the moon and you don't have a 4.0 post bacc gpa to counter with, then consider your time might be better spent on other topics.

Yeah, it didn't work that way for us lol. If by cohort, you mean EMDP2, only half of my cohort was even accepted, and a lot of us sat on the waitlist or the alternate list for a while first. We had folks with 510+ MCATs, years of SF medic and ranger experience, fun stuff like working at a record label, linguists, etc. get waitlisted, put on the hold or alternate list, or rejected.

I had extremely laid back and awesome interviews (a Navy ophthalmologist who took a look at me in uniform and said well, interview is over let's just chat and hang out, and a retired AF col whose daughter was a writer and a musician just like me, and we talked almost exclusively about my music and writing--both gave me 5/5 lol). The explanation came after my interviews for the committee.

I'm an MS2, so this doesn't even apply to me. Just offering advice based on my own experience. I had what I thought was a pretty mild deficiency (3 Fs from 14 years ago followed by years of As and Bs with a 3.6 in my math degree, a 4.0 postbacc, and a 519 MCAT), so I never brought it up in the interviews. I was then blindsided with a request for an explanation via email that I had a very short time to respond to, and I was waitlisted because of those grades.

It would have taken me like 2 minutes of the 45 minute interview to mention that, and maybe if I had and my interviewers had also written about it in my favor, I wouldn't have sat on the waitlist. I did that at the next school I interviewed at even though I wasn't asked, and I got in like two weeks later. Anecdotal, but none of this is data driven. Just giving my opinion based on my experience (that to be fair is more recent than yours). Anyone can take it or leave it. But if it helps someone, then I'll be happy.

EDIT: Oh, and my info also comes from a couple years of talking with Col. Saguil and CAPT Liotta as well. They were very present and open with us during EMDP2. I miss Col Saguil and was looking forward to saying hi to him next year at SAMMC, but COVID ruined that.
 
With a 97% mcat and 4.0 post bacc!! I’m just bellyaching lol. My rebuttal to a few bad grades isn’t nearly as good but I’m sure it’ll be fine haha.

Yeah, like I said, the MCAT doesn't matter much once you interview if you're over 500. It didn't help me at all. The postbacc helped me not get alternate listed or rejected for sure. You'll be fine!
 
Yeah, like I said, the MCAT doesn't matter much once you interview if you're over 500. It didn't help me at all. The postbacc helped me not get alternate listed or rejected for sure. You'll be fine!
I hope so, and hope we can speak soon! You’re only doing first interview session correct?
 
Yeah, it didn't work that way for us lol. If by cohort, you mean EMDP2, only half of my cohort was even accepted, and a lot of us sat on the waitlist or the alternate list for a while first. We had folks with 510+ MCATs, years of SF medic and ranger experience, fun stuff like working at a record label, linguists, etc. get waitlisted, put on the hold or alternate list, or rejected.

I had extremely laid back and awesome interviews (a Navy ophthalmologist who took a look at me in uniform and said well, interview is over let's just chat and hang out, and a retired AF col whose daughter was a writer and a musician just like me, and we talked almost exclusively about my music and writing--both gave me 5/5 lol). The explanation came after my interviews for the committee.

I'm an MS2, so this doesn't even apply to me. Just offering advice based on my own experience. I had what I thought was a pretty mild deficiency (3 Fs from 14 years ago followed by years of As and Bs with a 3.6 in my math degree, a 4.0 postbacc, and a 519 MCAT), so I never brought it up in the interviews. I was then blindsided with a request for an explanation via email that I had a very short time to respond to, and I was waitlisted because of those grades.

It would have taken me like 2 minutes of the 45 minute interview to mention that, and maybe if I had and my interviewers had also written about it in my favor, I wouldn't have sat on the waitlist. I did that at the next school I interviewed at even though I wasn't asked, and I got in like two weeks later. Anecdotal, but none of this is data driven. Just giving my opinion based on my experience (that to be fair is more recent than yours). Anyone can take it or leave it. But if it helps someone, then I'll be happy.

EDIT: Oh, and my info also comes from a couple years of talking with Col. Saguil and CAPT Liotta as well. They were very present and open with us during EMDP2. I miss Col Saguil and was looking forward to saying hi to him next year at SAMMC, but COVID ruined that.

Not looking to start a back and forth, so fair enough. I'm glad it worked out for you and hopefully now everyone in this thread has a good idea how/if to go about addressing their deficiencies during the interviews. Hopefully I get to meet some of y'all there.
 
Not looking to start a back and forth, so fair enough. I'm glad it worked out for you and hopefully now everyone in this thread has a good idea how/if to go about addressing their deficiencies during the interviews. Hopefully I get to meet some of y'all there.

Yeah, and like I said, I generally agree with you. Just wanted to put out a caveat. How's fourth year treating you? You submit your residency app yet?
 
By the way, just heard that right now no virtual tours are planned but they will say that interview candidates can reach out to admissions to talk to current students.

Hey, do you know if this is something we can start planning now, or if this is something we will have to wait until the interview for.
 
Hey, do you know if this is something we can start planning now, or if this is something we will have to wait until the interview for.

It will be something they'll give you info on after getting invited for an interview. I'm trying to see if there's any way some of us can record a tour like with our phones to provide interviewees who want to connect with us like that, but that hasn't gotten approved yet. We'll see.
 
By the way, just heard that right now no virtual tours are planned but they will say that interview candidates can reach out to admissions to talk to current students.
I'm glad they are willing to do that. Honestly that is something I noticed about USUHS when I went there last year. They all seemed somewhat like a family. One student even just approached me and a friend and talked to us for like 30 minutes encouraging us which she did not have to do.

So do we have to email out admissions counselors now or after the interview to talk to current students? Nevermind you answered the question above.
 
Have they sent any invites out yet? If interviews start in early September, I feel like it should be soon.
 
Top