How to answer why this school q's during interviews

[wxl31]

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so i'm having problems prepping for my interviews. don't most med schools seem similar to you? how do you say something unique about a school when other schools that you are interviewing also have the same curriculum, same clerkships, same electives, same vague mission statement (we want to train in the academic rigors of medicine while showing you its humanistic side...they all say this!).

for me, what it's going to come down to is my "gut," general happiness of students, and the location. but can i really say these things during the interview? "i'm applying here b/c my gut tells me i'll be happy...."

all schools have to get accredited by the LCME, so what they teach can't be all that different. and all schools have to prepare students for the boards. i am feeling pressured to talk about something academic when asked this question and i feel like i can't. the only exception is when i'm interviewing at a organ based system school vs. traditional.

i'm feeling particulary frustrated right now by uci's web site. it's so sparse.

 

[constructor]

so i'm having problems prepping for my interviews. don't most med schools seem similar to you? how do you say something unique about a school when other schools that you are interviewing also have the same curriculum, same clerkships, same electives, same vague mission statement (we want to train in the academic rigors of medicine while showing you its humanistic side...they all say this!).

for me, what it's going to come down to is my "gut," general happiness of students, and the location. but can i really say these things during the interview? "i'm applying here b/c my gut tells me i'll be happy...."

all schools have to get accredited by the LCME, so what they teach can't be all that different. and all schools have to prepare students for the boards. i am feeling pressured to talk about something academic when asked this question and i feel like i can't. the only exception is when i'm interviewing at a organ based system school vs. traditional.

i'm feeling particulary frustrated right now by uci's web site. it's so sparse.

i don't think your answer necessarily needs to be different for each school. instead of trying to find something in the school that you like when you start thinking about an answer to this question, start out by thinking about what makes you unique and then try to match what the school has to offer to your unique qualities and experiences. i find that this makes it much easier. and don't worry about giving on the spot answers... they might not be as well-rehearsed but they still sound much better than canned answers which most people give.

 

[Code Brown]

so i'm having problems prepping for my interviews. don't most med schools seem similar to you? how do you say something unique about a school when other schools that you are interviewing also have the same curriculum, same clerkships, same electives, same vague mission statement (we want to train in the academic rigors of medicine while showing you its humanistic side...they all say this!).

for me, what it's going to come down to is my "gut," general happiness of students, and the location. but can i really say these things during the interview? "i'm applying here b/c my gut tells me i'll be happy...."

all schools have to get accredited by the LCME, so what they teach can't be all that different. and all schools have to prepare students for the boards. i am feeling pressured to talk about something academic when asked this question and i feel like i can't. the only exception is when i'm interviewing at a organ based system school vs. traditional.

i'm feeling particulary frustrated right now by uci's web site. it's so sparse.

Don't worry about UCI. The interview is very friendly. They just want to make sure you can speak coherently and wouldn't mind living in Orange County.