HELP! DMU INTERVIEW SUGGESTIONS...

[ld106588]

I have an interview at DMU scheduled for February 7th. If you have already had an interview, I would appreciate any and all information and suggestions you may have? Where are affordable hotels located near the school that you stayed in? Did you fly or drive? Which did you think was better? I'm from Arkansas, so I'm looking at a long drive, do you think that would be better? If I drove or rode the bus, do you think I should rent a car once I'm there? ANY AND ALL INFO WOULD BE GREATELY APPRECIATED! ALSO, SHARE YOUR INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE!

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[solie]

My interview at DMU was so great--it was really relaxing and they go to great effort to sell their school/program to you. It was of the conversational type, which I love, and was a panel interview (3 of them, 1 of me).

Two of my interviewers were actually 4th year students, so it was interesting getting their opinions on things. I think they try and get a student interviewer in each panel, so take advantage of that when they ask you if you have any questions for them at the end. Actually, the last 20 minutes of my 45 minute interview were spent talking about questions that I brought up, so it was really informative. I really felt like I left DMU knowing a lot about their school and the environment there.

The only thing I regret about the time I spent there was not being able to see the city at all. I flew in, took the shuttle from the Hotel Savory (a GREAT hotel, by the way!) to and from the airport and interview, so I didn't see much. If you have the chance, try to look around some.

Good luck with your interview! And don't worry--it's been the least stressful of any of my interviews so far. Others I've talked to feel the same way. Just relax (I know, everyone says that!) and have a great time getting to know the school.

 

[wsu]

my interview is on the 10th of januaray, i'll post the feedback on interviewfeedback.com. i do think that you may want to consider to fly depending on the drive situation and stay at the Savory from what everyone tells me.

 

[docstarwars]

my interview was on november 9th i believe. it was my first, and i was extremely nervous. i stayed at the hampton inn because the savory was booked for a convention, but the hamptom was awesome. i didn't need a car because the inn picked me up from the airport, and if you wanted to look around the city, they had a shuttle. there was a driver named don that gave me an entire tour of the city after my interview. the students i spoke with were extremely nice. it was an open interview, they had read my file and asked me questions based on my classes and research. my interview only lasted about 15 minutes and i was worried about that, but i was accepted, so i guess time limits don't matter. best of luck to everyone!

 

[PainMan]

I interviewed on the 15th of nov. Long day. The dean is rather intriguing. Interview questions-2 ethical(stem cell, gene therapy)-not confrontational, just wanted me to talk and state a position. I had 1 student, 1 FP, and 1 faculty. The rest was really conversational, they talked more than I did, so it felt. The hardest part of the day was waiting for the interview after lunch. Most important at DMU make sure you like the environment-Here is what I saw-students-pretty laid back, but LOTS of sarcasm, admissions-worry free(had there stuff together)-faculty,dean(supportive).

 

[fiesty4]

I did not have a good interview experience at DMU. I had three interviewers- 2 doctors and a student. The student had me in a very defensive position. She asked me why I got a bad grade in this or that class. She also doubted that my studying habits. But I may be the exception....most people said that their interview at DMU was easy-going.

 

[Emil Erickson]

DMU already has their mind made up before you go interview...I mean please, a fifteen minute interview?? I interviewed in early November and several of my compadres and I spoke after the interview and we all felt the same way. Great school and students, but they'll intentionally put some candidates on the defensive to see what you're made of. This may not always be the case, but it was for me and others. I'm not bashing DMU, but it really appeared that way (decision made before interview). It was really weird!!!

 

[LynnGweeny]

Hey Id, I only had two people on my interview panel- a PhD and a second year student. I can't recall getting asked any ethical questions, although some of the others in my group (different panel) said they were asked a few ethical questions. They did ask me about my mediocre gen chem grades, but seemed pretty satisfied with my response. I explained that I didn't take the class as seriously as I should have because I honestly wasn't very set on becoming a doctor during freshman year.
Also, I would recommend flying and staying at the Savery (I think it's app. $50 a night if you tell them you have an interview at DMU) and they shuttle you to the school, as well as to and from the airport.
One more thing, if you look at the US News stats from last year, DMU's acceptance rate after getting an interview was near 90%. I hope that helps you feel more confident, Id. Best o' luck to you!

 

[Mickai]

I had the best interview experience possible at DMUCOMS; I was so impressed, especially in considerationt that it was my first interview. My interview was on November 6th, I think, and I found out that I was accepted by the end of November. Obviously you can't eradicate all nervousness, but there's no need to worry, they are all so nice in Iowa that you'll immediately loosen up. I had two doctors and a 2nd year interview me, and they were extremely laid-back and nice. My interview lasted a little over a half-hour, and it flew by; they basically only asked me questions directly from my file, although there were a couple other easy ones, like what I do to relax, how will I cope with a rigorous course load, what do I look for in a med school, etc. And I was never even asked why I wanted to be a doc or go into osteopathic medicine. The two biggest pieces of advice I can give are 1)RELAX, you'll inevitably overprepare and stress as is a premed's nature, but try to take it easy, and 2)stay with a med student volunteer-this experience was invaluable for me; it first gave me an insight into the school's features and perks, and I was able to get suggestions/advice from other students(this is much better preparation than stressing alone in a hotel room), and it also let me get a feel for what it's like living in Iowa and going to school there, because, remember, you're not only being interviewed but are also surveying whether or not you could spend some years there...A good site to get some more responses for this particular school is <a href="http://www.interviewfeedback.com." target="_blank">http://www.interviewfeedback.com.</a> The interviews here seem to be more of a formality than an applicant screening panel-you've been invited to interview because they want you, and the interview is just to make sure that you're not a psychotic weirdo...Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great!!