LECOM interview style

[candydoodle]

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I heard that LECOM does interviews in groups of 6 or so. My question is do they typically accept 1 person from each group or is irrespective of that?

 

[j4pac]

which one?

 

[xBODOMx]

I heard that LECOM does interviews in groups of 6 or so. My question is do they typically accept 1 person from each group or is irrespective of that?

For Erie, yes, it was six students and two faculty. For the other part of the question, I don't think anyone will be able to answer that. They could accept all six or reject them all. Who knows.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

If it's 6 other applicants, then how do interviewers even remember who you are when it's time to make a decision?

 

[xBODOMx]

If it's 6 other applicants, then how do interviewers even remember who you are when it's time to make a decision?

Great question! They do take some notes, but realistically, I don't see how it helps. There was about 40 students for my interview day alone. It's also closed file, which I didn't know at the time. I was alternate listed, so that's probably why. Generally it sounds like people have a decent-to-nice experience with their interviewing faculty, mine were the definition of awful. I'd be surprised if anyone was even accepted from my group.

 

[doapplicant2015]

If it's 6 other applicants, then how do interviewers even remember who you are when it's time to make a decision?

From what I could tell, they have a premade sheet with everyones name in front of them. They make a note every once in a while when someone is speaking and will directly ask you a question. I believe they made it a point to tell us that they were evaluating us individually and will accept anywhere from none of us to all of us.

To be honest I thought it was more comfortable than my 2/3 on 1 interviews. If you are uncomfortable speaking in a small group it might be a little more difficult though.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

The interview at LECOM-B felt more like an audition than a conversation. Not my favorite interview. It felt very impersonal.

 

[xBODOMx]

The interview at LECOM-B felt more like an audition than a conversation. Not my favorite interview. It felt very impersonal.

That's a greay way to describe mine as well. Everyone on the interview trail had similar thoughts, but everyone in the class thread acts like their interview was the best thing on the planet.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

That's a greay way to describe mine as well. Everyone on the interview trail had similar thoughts, but everyone in the class thread acts like their interview was the best thing on the planet.

If you had no other interviews to compare it to, I can see why you might think that.

I felt bad for the people who clearly choked in front of the group. It was like a pressure cooker that way, having to rattle off your answer in front of everyone.

 

[xBODOMx]

If you had no other interviews to compare it to, I can see why you might think that.

I felt bad for the people who clearly choked in front of the group. It was like a pressure cooker that way, having to rattle off your answer in front of everyone.

Ours was a complete free for all. He would just ask a random question and then just stop and look at all of us. First come first serve to answer. Of course we had the gunner that would spew diarrhea out of his mouth for 10 minutes. I tried to be polite and was usually first or second to answer. Not sure what else I could have done. Oh well!

 

[AM508]

That style of interview sounds awful to me. I don't think I would like having to answer questions in front of a bunch of other interviewees. I have no problems with a panel with multiple interviewers at once, but the group of other interviewees would make things a bit more stressful. I can just imagine giving a sub-par answer or choking a bit, still getting accepted, then having classmates whose first impression of you is "hey there's that guy who said X dumb thing at the interview...lolz". Thankfully, everywhere I interviewed did the traditional 1:1, 2:1, or 3:1 format.

 

[Dr. Hopeful]

I will say that I was accepted into LECOM and I by no means believe my interview was as strong as a few others in my group. I was actually certain I was going to receive a rejection from them after a couple of botched responses. My guess is there is no limit to how many they accept from each group, they just have so many seats to fill being the largest medical school in the US that they found the group interview to be the best strategy. Doing one on one interviews to fill up almost 400 seats would be unnecessarily strenuous. Also, I may be mistaken, but I think I remember them only really doing one interview day a week, where most other schools did 2 or 3 days a week. If that's the case, the group interview just makes sense, since there were a LOT of interviewees there when I was there.

 

[ortnakas]

I'm a current student at LECOM-SH. I have one classmate from my interview group, so there definitely isn't a "one person per group" system. They could admit all of you, none of you or somewhere in between. You're not competing with the others in the room any more than you're competing with everyone else who's applied.

I'd actually second the opinion that the LECOM-B interview felt more like an audition than an interview; technically, the two interview days were set up identically, but they had a very different feel to them. The campus you end up liking better is personal preference. I've never been to Erie so I can't speak about interviews there.

 

[deleted390966]

The interview at LECOM-B felt more like an audition than a conversation. Not my favorite interview. It felt very impersonal.

I felt this way as well. I'll be reapplying and until now, I still have no idea how to ace LECOM's group interview, what they're looking for, etc... Anyone have any advice?

 

[candydoodle]

which one?

Sorry, LECOM-B

 

[candydoodle]

The interview at LECOM-B felt more like an audition than a conversation. Not my favorite interview. It felt very impersonal.

what do you mean felt like an audition? did you feel the pressure to "outshine the others" so to speak

 

[67552931811]

what do you mean felt like an audition? did you feel the pressure to "outshine the others" so to speak

Just be a normal, chill dude/dudette.

 

[deleted390966]

Can't chill during interview. lol

 

[moonwake]

Nerve wracking interview format if you ask me. How do you not compare yourself to the other people the entire time?

 

[lmw312]

My goal going into the interview was to not be the person who talked the most and not be the person who talked the least. It worked pretty well.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

what do you mean felt like an audition? did you feel the pressure to "outshine the others" so to speak

You had to state your answer in a long monologue because it wasn't a conversation between two people. The back-and-forth rapport was absent so you could easily ramble and say something stupid. The set up gives you more rope to hang yourself, so to speak. There were a couple of cringeworthy responses from other applicants that I still remember. I was just lucky as I've said plenty of dumb things in my life but did fine that day.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

Before my interview I found the people in my group and we all agreed to have a healthy discourse. We complimented the last person's ideas and built on it. If we disagreed with the last person then it was done in a polite manner.

One person tried to be a gunner and outshine everyone else. He got roasted towards the end. If you want to be a d*ckhole and make everything about yourself then it is going to hurt your group's education.

It's not like they are putting 6 people together for a gladiator match. They want to see how you perform as a group and if you are malleable to other people's ideas. Show them that you can work with other people.

 

[vlazlo]

Before my interview I found the people in my group and we all agreed to have a healthy discourse. We complimented the last person's ideas and built on it. If we disagreed with the last person then it was done in a polite manner.

One person tried to be a gunner and outshine everyone else. He got roasted towards the end. If you want to be a d*ckhole and make everything about yourself then it is going to hurt your group's education.

It's not like they are putting 6 people together for a gladiator match. They want to see how you perform as a group and if you are malleable to other people's ideas. Show them that you can work with other people.

Mine was similar at both Erie and Bradenton. Both time had gunners and I did get tired of all the times they would shove in a tidbit about their work or volunteer activities even if it had a passing relationship to the questions.

One question I remember was about doctors and drinking alcohol and I dont know how she brought it up but I learned she scribed for a year.

 

[Jdubbss21]

Current LECOM-B student here, as was said earlier they can accept 1, all, or none of the people from a given interview group. In my class now there's about 4 or 5 people who interviewed the same day as me and one of them was in my smaller interview group. I think it just comes down to the impression you make on the interviewers.

 

[candydoodle]

Before my interview I found the people in my group and we all agreed to have a healthy discourse. We complimented the last person's ideas and built on it. If we disagreed with the last person then it was done in a polite manner.

One person tried to be a gunner and outshine everyone else. He got roasted towards the end. If you want to be a d*ckhole and make everything about yourself then it is going to hurt your group's education.

It's not like they are putting 6 people together for a gladiator match. They want to see how you perform as a group and if you are malleable to other people's ideas. Show them that you can work with other people.

eesh... well that serves him right. But yeah I agree that they probably want to see how you perform as a team. At any point did you feel the need to talk about your work as an pre-med undergrad? Or would that be considered as a jerk type of thing as somebody mentioned?

 

[candydoodle]

Current LECOM-B student here, as was said earlier they can accept 1, all, or none of the people from a given interview group. In my class now there's about 4 or 5 people who interviewed the same day as me and one of them was in my smaller interview group. I think it just comes down to the impression you make on the interviewers.

Thank you
How do you like your campus? i hear so many mixed things about it...

 

[candydoodle]

You had to state your answer in a long monologue because it wasn't a conversation between two people. The back-and-forth rapport was absent so you could easily ramble and say something stupid. The set up gives you more rope to hang yourself, so to speak. There were a couple of cringeworthy responses from other applicants that I still remember. I was just lucky as I've said plenty of dumb things in my life but did fine that day.

well I'm glad it worked out

Nerve wracking interview format if you ask me. How do you not compare yourself to the other people the entire time?

EXACTLY! It seems a bit awkward

 

[Mad Jack]

I loved my LECOM-B interview. There were six of us. Two of us did great, one did okay, two didn't do so hot, and one guy just bombed so hard. You could tell who the acceptances were going to before you left the room. I liked it because it felt conversational and also gave a chance to demonstrate that you were both assertive and able to converse comfortably in the sort of group setting required of PBL.

 

[Mad Jack]

Nerve wracking interview format if you ask me. How do you not compare yourself to the other people the entire time?

Compared myself to them the whole time, and damn did they make me look good.

 

[deleted158872]

they probably want to see how you perform as a team.

work as a team = how? it's an interview o_o

 

[GatorsKW14]

I interviewed (and was accepted) at LECOM-B. There were 6 of us and 2 interviewers. Maybe I got lucky with the applicants I was interviewing with but we just went around the table giving our answers so we were never fighting each other to speak. I just made sure that I had the opportunity to answer every question before we switched to another topic. Also the interview seemed to be more about how well the applicants know the school and its curriculum than the interviewers getting to know us. The only personal question was "why medicine"... Everything else was about PBL. My theory on this kind of interview is that they pretty much know who they are going to accept before you interview. My acceptance letter was dated the day after my interview before the committee even met which I thought was kind of strange. I think the interview is just to make sure that you aren't socially awkward and that you can work well in group situations which PBL requires.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

work as a team = how? it's an interview o_o

There are 2 views going into the group interview.

1.) It's my time to shine and make myself look like the best applicant possible. I need to prove myself. This is what most Pre meds think interviews are about.

I received more acceptances at top tier schools than my friends who had higher stats. I really think it had to do with the fact they couldn't stop bragging about their accomplishments.

2.) They already know what they want to know about me. The interview is just to show I can get along well with others.

I don't know which one is right but I went in with attitude #2.

A.) They give weird assignments during the group session. Not everyone can be a leader in a group and as another poster mentioned they can accept all, some, or none of the applicants in a group. I'm pretty sure they want to see if you can contribute to a topic rather than shut someone down.

B.) They have everything about me on file and they know what they want. They are looking for an applicant who is a self learner and is motivated to life long learning. Heck, I got constructive criticism on my application before the interviewers even submitted their notes. They already knew my weak areas and wanted me to write a paper explaining them.

I personally believe they use the group interviews to weed out anyone who is going to cause trouble or bring up issues for the school. LECOM-B is an acquired taste.

Sometimes interviews aren't a pissing contest but rather a way to see if your personality will mesh well with the school's mission statement.

Overall: Just read what the interviewer wants and be liquid. Be able to change and give them what they want.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

I interviewed (and was accepted) at LECOM-B. There were 6 of us and 2 interviewers. Maybe I got lucky with the applicants I was interviewing with but we just went around the table giving our answers so we were never fighting each other to speak. I just made sure that I had the opportunity to answer every question before we switched to another topic. Also the interview seemed to be more about how well the applicants know the school and its curriculum than the interviewers getting to know us. The only personal question was "why medicine"... Everything else was about PBL. My theory on this kind of interview is that they pretty much know who they are going to accept before you interview. My acceptance letter was dated the day after my interview before the committee even met which I thought was kind of strange. I think the interview is just to make sure that you aren't socially awkward and that you can work well in group situations which PBL requires.

+1

I didn't see this post before I replied to the other one. I think the vibe you got is spot on win what I saw too.

 

[candydoodle]

I interviewed (and was accepted) at LECOM-B. There were 6 of us and 2 interviewers. Maybe I got lucky with the applicants I was interviewing with but we just went around the table giving our answers so we were never fighting each other to speak. I just made sure that I had the opportunity to answer every question before we switched to another topic. Also the interview seemed to be more about how well the applicants know the school and its curriculum than the interviewers getting to know us. The only personal question was "why medicine"... Everything else was about PBL. My theory on this kind of interview is that they pretty much know who they are going to accept before you interview. My acceptance letter was dated the day after my interview before the committee even met which I thought was kind of strange. I think the interview is just to make sure that you aren't socially awkward and that you can work well in group situations which PBL requires.

may sound like a dumb question but what is PBL?

 

[GatorsKW14]

may sound like a dumb question but what is PBL?

Problem based learning. LECOM-B's curriculum is largely PBL so they want to make sure that their applicants know what they are getting into. It's not everyone's cup of tea.

 

[Mad Jack]

work as a team = how? it's an interview o_o

You can bounce off of the other interviewees' answers. Me and the other guy that got accepted really seemed to work well off of each other's answers, and had a good back and forth going. The rest of the interviewees ended up with the scraps, as, between the two of us, we'd usually cover all the bases of a question.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

There are 2 views going into the group interview.

1.) It's my time to shine and make myself look like the best applicant possible. I need to prove myself. This is what most Pre meds think interviews are about.

I received more acceptances at top tier schools than my friends who had higher stats. I really think it had to do with the fact they couldn't stop bragging about their accomplishments.

2.) They already know what they want to know about me. The interview is just to show I can get along well with others.

I don't know which one is right but I went in with attitude #2.

A.) They give weird assignments during the group session. Not everyone can be a leader in a group and as another poster mentioned they can accept all, some, or none of the applicants in a group. I'm pretty sure they want to see if you can contribute to a topic rather than shut someone down.

B.) They have everything about me on file and they know what they want. They are looking for an applicant who is a self learner and is motivated to life long learning. Heck, I got constructive criticism on my application before the interviewers even submitted their notes. They already knew my weak areas and wanted me to write a paper explaining them.

I personally believe they use the group interviews to weed out anyone who is going to cause trouble or bring up issues for the school. LECOM-B is an acquired taste.

Sometimes interviews aren't a pissing contest but rather a way to see if your personality will mesh well with the school's mission statement.

Overall: Just read what the interviewer wants and be liquid. Be able to change and give them what they want.

You can't read what the interviewers want in a group interview. We couldn't get a feel for the two people who were asking us questions because they didn't give us feedback. They were both pretty stone-faced as we went around the group answering questions.

Every other interview was cake compared to LECOM-B precisely because it was easy to read what the interviewers want with them asking me questions one-on-one or two on one.

Anyways, I agree that LECOM-B pretty much knows who they're going to accept before the interview. It's more of a formality with them. It's also one of the reasons I'm not attending LECOM-B. Didn't enjoy feeling like a number or thinking that I'd be in a class with a bunch of people selected based on their paper applications. Also, the PBL session I sat in on was mind numbing. Just my opinions.

My friend who attended LECOM-B said it got her the degree she wanted, and that was all that mattered.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

You can bounce off of the other interviewees' answers. Me and the other guy that got accepted really seemed to work well off of each other's answers, and had a good back and forth going. The rest of the interviewees ended up with the scraps, as, between the two of us, we'd usually cover all the bases of a question.

It wasn't like that with ours. We just went around in a circle answering the questions.

 

[Mad Jack]

It wasn't like tgat with ours. We just went around in a circle answering the questions.

That's what we were supposed to do. We disregarded it and did what we wanted.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

That's what we were supposed to do. We disregarded it and did what we wanted.

Not surprised at all, MJ.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

You can't read what the interviewers want in a group interview. We couldn't get a feel for the two people who were asking us questions because they didn't give us feedback. They were both pretty stone-faced as we went around the group answering questions.

Every other interview was cake compared to LECOM-B precisely because it was easy to read what the interviewers want with them asking me questions one-on-one or two on one.

Anyways, I agree that LECOM-B pretty much knows who they're going to accept before the interview. It's more of a formality with them. It's also one of the reasons I'm not attending LECOM-B. Didn't enjoy feeling like a number or thinking that I'd be in a class with a bunch of people selected based on their paper applications. Also, the PBL session I sat in on was mind numbing. Just my opinions.

My friend who attended LECOM-B said it got her the degree she wanted, and that was all that mattered.

That's the crap shoot aspect of interviewing. Sometimes you will get interviewers who are stone faced.

 

[Mad Jack]

That's the crap shoot aspect of interviewing. Sometimes you will get interviewers who are stone faced.

My interviewers at LECOM came in stone-faced, and they left pwned-faced.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

My interviewers at LECOM came in stone-faced, and they left pwned-faced.

We get it Mad Jack, you did well.

 

[Mad Jack]

We get it Mad Jack, you did well.

 

[deleted158872]

LECOM-B pretty much knows who they're going to accept before the interview. It's more of a formality with them

that means they invite applicants whom they know they will reject as well.
wow, way to make me waste $$$ to attend their interview

 

[DeejayDO]

I actually really enjoyed my interview here, but I did like solo interviews more. Ours seemed very organized. The two faculty asked great questions and would direct the question at a person at random. They would take notes and had all of our names, despite it being closed file. The ethical questions were more conversational between all of the students (there were 8 students in my interview). I actually really enjoyed the set up and had fun with it. I was accepted but I have no idea if anyone else from my interview group was. There was really only 1 other strong person in my group, though.

 

[candydoodle]

Problem based learning. LECOM-B's curriculum is largely PBL so they want to make sure that their applicants know what they are getting into. It's not everyone's cup of tea.

OHHHH thank you

 

[candydoodle]

You can't read what the interviewers want in a group interview. We couldn't get a feel for the two people who were asking us questions because they didn't give us feedback. They were both pretty stone-faced as we went around the group answering questions.

Every other interview was cake compared to LECOM-B precisely because it was easy to read what the interviewers want with them asking me questions one-on-one or two on one.

Anyways, I agree that LECOM-B pretty much knows who they're going to accept before the interview. It's more of a formality with them. It's also one of the reasons I'm not attending LECOM-B. Didn't enjoy feeling like a number or thinking that I'd be in a class with a bunch of people selected based on their paper applications. Also, the PBL session I sat in on was mind numbing. Just my opinions.

My friend who attended LECOM-B said it got her the degree she wanted, and that was all that mattered.

Well if your friend didnt get accepted anywhere else, then she has a point. At the end of it all she will be a doctor (hopefully)

 

[ortnakas]

eesh... well that serves him right. But yeah I agree that they probably want to see how you perform as a team. At any point did you feel the need to talk about your work as an pre-med undergrad? Or would that be considered as a jerk type of thing as somebody mentioned?

You can talk about your work, for sure. Just don't take every question as an opportunity to give a sidebar about something in your resume.