stherling said:
*looks around for titan02*
hey titan, if you read this, how'd your WashU interview go?
All that I have to say is the WUSTL MSTP has the most well-organized administration that I have experienced to date. When I arrived at the MSTP office there was a pseudo-leather portfolio waiting for me (not one of those paper folders) filled with information on Wash U and St. Louis, a detailed list of my interviews, a comparison of the cost-of-living in St. Louis versus numerous other cities, and a list of the residency/postdoctoral appointments for the past five years. Brian and Andrew (the two administrators) are incredibly nice and calm your nerves about the dreaded "Committee interview" (more on that later). Even though the Wash U MSTP program is one of the biggest in the country (this year they have 30 MSTP 1st years) the administrators obviously take the time to get to know all of the students.
The first day was nice because it was casual (no suits and no interviews). It started at 1:15 with a general overview with Brian and Andrew and the Director of the program Dr. Daniel Goldberg followed by a facility tour with current MSTPs. That lasted until around 5:00 when all eight of us were whisked off to the Chase Park Plaza hotel. The Wash U MSTP is incredibly well funded and they are sure to flaunt their money throughout the interview. This includes the accommodations. I stayed in a two-bedroom suite where I had a living room, kitchenette, and a private bedroom and bath. They took us all out to dinner that night at a very nice restaurant in St. Louis where there was a "6 bottle limit" on wine. Needless to say, we had a good time.
The next day was filled with interviews. One 20 minute committee interview, one MD interview, four informal meetings with researchers and a wrap-up with a committee member. The committee interview gets a lot of hype, and it definitely has the most impact on your application, but it was actually kind of pleasant. It was intimidating seeing 12 people surrounding a board room table with their undivided attention focused on you, but after you get over that, the questions were very straightforward and fair. They start with "Why MD/PhD?" and then ask you to explain a research project. They interject with their comments throughout and try to probe the depth of your knowledge. But it's only twenty minutes which passes really quickly in such an intense atmosphere.
The MD interview was pretty low-key. I did get asked several ethical and HMO-type questions. The informal meetings with faculty were also very relaxed and simply an exchange of research interests. After these interviews the faculty write brief reports, but they don't bear the same weight as the committee evaluation. Finally there was the wrap-up interview. Mine was with Dr. Goldberg and he pretty much asked if I had any other un-answered questions. After the wrap-up you are taken back to the hotel and go out to dinner in two smaller groups, each "hosted" by two current MSTP students.
They say that they will phone you in two weeks if you are NOT accepted by the MSTP committee. However, if you are accepted by the MSTP committee it takes a few more weeks to hear the "formal" decision because you must be accepted by the MD committee which meets less frequently. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience and everything was paid for, which is always nice. The trip definitely moved Wash U higher on my list.
