LSU interviews - tips and info welcome

[psipsina]

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I have back to back LSU Shrevport and New Orleans interviews coming up and welocome any tips or info about their interview days or the cities. I'm from New Orleans but am pretty unfamiliar with Shrevport and Baton Rouge (where LSU New Orleans is currently) so even dining suggestions would be welcome! Thanks!

 

[drlatina]

I am a fellow New Orleanian, have also applied to LSU-NO. I can't help you with your question, as I have never been to Shreveport and my visits to BR have been brief. The only thing I can say about BR is, "Leave Early!" The traffic there is horrible; bumber to bumber depending on what time of the day it is. I know of it taking people over two hours to get there and then once there, sitting in traffic. From what I understand, the traffic is similar to Clearview and Causway at 5pm. Hopefully, you'll have better luck.

Maybe you can answer a question for me? If you don't mind me asking, when did you complete? I completed in mid Dec. and the only info I can get from them is that my app is under review. I know they're doing interviews thru April, but this waiting is agony! Any info will be helpful.

 

[psipsina]

I am a fellow New Orleanian, have also applied to LSU-NO. I can't help you with your question, as I have never been to Shreveport and my visits to BR have been brief. The only thing I can say about BR is, "Leave Early!" The traffic there is horrible; bumber to bumber depending on what time of the day it is. I know of it taking people over two hours to get there and then once there, sitting in traffic. From what I understand, the traffic is similar to Clearview and Causway at 5pm. Hopefully, you'll have better luck.

Maybe you can answer a question for me? If you don't mind me asking, when did you complete? I completed in mid Dec. and the only info I can get from them is that my app is under review. I know they're doing interviews thru April, but this waiting is agony! Any info will be helpful.

Since I am currently in CT (still evacuated, sticking where I am until I know where I am going as I will be starting pretty much from scratch) I'm flying into both cities, so hopefully my interaction with BR's traffic problem will be minimal, but thx for the heads up. I was complete at both schools in august, though obviously it took much longer after Katrina until I was complete again at LSU-NO, especially since my reccomendations came from tulane so resubmitting them was a royal pain. Good luck with this cycle!

 

[BONDFAN]

I have back to back LSU Shrevport and New Orleans interviews coming up and welocome any tips or info about their interview days or the cities. I'm from New Orleans but am pretty unfamiliar with Shrevport and Baton Rouge (where LSU New Orleans is currently) so even dining suggestions would be welcome! Thanks!

I am currently a 1st year @LSU-S and all I can say is to relax as the interviewers (outside of a couple) are pretty laid back and just want to get to know you (same experience I had at NO). Dr. Kennedy might try to intimidate you somewhat as I have heard/experienced but at my interview he was very nice as I had gotten to know him previous to the interview. I will warn you to go over your apps THOROUGHLY as they did try to see if I was bull****ting on a couple of points but there really was no pressure. As far as the school goes, I believe we have great medical instructors but the PHd professors have mixed reviews but you mainly deal with them the 1st semester for the basic sciences (probably the same as everywhere). As far as Shreveport goes, I will say I am not the biggest fan of the city as I too moved from NO but I think it is easier to get things done here with less distractions. Also, there is an abundance of help and the faculty is very accomodating here so I cannot complain. Email me if you have any more questions.

 

[Jbienven]

I have back to back LSU Shrevport and New Orleans interviews coming up and welocome any tips or info about their interview days or the cities. I'm from New Orleans but am pretty unfamiliar with Shrevport and Baton Rouge (where LSU New Orleans is currently) so even dining suggestions would be welcome! Thanks!

I interviewed in Baton Rouge in early November, and Shreveport in early January. Both interviews were completely laid back.

Prior to the storm I was leaning towards New Orleans, now I just don't know. Dr. Kennedy did say somethings that were negative about New Orleans...even though they probably should have been said...I think he could have said them in a, well, less pointed way. He spoke as much about LSU-NO as he did Shreveport. Which to me, was a turn off.

I ate at Subway for lunch in Shreveport, its right across the street from the medical school. The night before I ate at Superior Grill, same one as in BR and NO. I couldn't tell you how to get there, but I'm sure mapquest could.

Traffic from the BR-Airport to Perkins shouldn't be all that bad...and its only acouple of miles down I-110 then I-10 then I-12...about 2 miles on each...so it shouldn't take any longer than 30 minutes (with REALLY heavy traffic)...on a normal day, no more than 15.

Both interviews, like I said were really laid back...I didn't prepare for either of them really...other than looking over my AMCAS and personal statement. (which, if you actually did what you said you did...shouldn't be too hard to remember.) I do know that LSU-NO, (as of last week) said they've only accepted 80 students so far, because they know they are behind the game...and they want to give later interviewees a chance (atleast that's what Eubanks told my friend).

So if you have any other questions, just ask.

 

[jh12]

Yeah, my Shreveport interview for 2005 was really laid back. If you just speak honestly, there isn't really anything they can phase you with. I really enjoyed my Shreveport interview actually. And it's weird because we've heard a bit about Dr. Kennedy over here at LSUNO. I don't understand why he would talk negatively about us. I really liked talking to him. And when I wrote a nice letter declining Shreveport, he sent one back that was equally gracious. I believe Shreveport is a fine school, but New Orleans has so many incredible things to offer. I guess the question becomes: where would you want to spend the next four years of your life?

 

[psipsina]

We'll I'm back from my trip and enjoyed both schools very much. Though it wasn't coming from Dr. Kennedy at LSU-Shreveport, many of the students and professors we met on the tour seriously dissed and sometimes outright lied about both LSU New Orleans and Tulane, which turned me off big time. I was super impressed with their facilities and didn't feel like they should have to put down other schools in order to show how good they were. One proff said that LSU-NO's simulators had "floated away" and then LSU-NO stated that they had been evacuated prior to Katrina. Another prof stated that Tulane wasn't even accepting students this year, which I knew was wrong because I've been accepted at Tulane. However I did really enjoy my experiences with my interviewers and had a great conversation with Dr. Kennedy. I don't want a few comments to color my experience at Shreveport but it really gave me a bad vibe. I expected more of a spirit of comradarie and support, especially within the state of LA.

 

[Jbienven]

We'll I'm back from my trip and enjoyed both schools very much. Though it wasn't coming from Dr. Kennedy at LSU-Shreveport, many of the students and professors we met on the tour seriously dissed and sometimes outright lied about both LSU New Orleans and Tulane, which turned me off big time. I was super impressed with their facilities and didn't feel like they should have to put down other schools in order to show how good they were. One proff said that LSU-NO's simulators had "floated away" and then LSU-NO stated that they had been evacuated prior to Katrina. Another prof stated that Tulane wasn't even accepting students this year, which I knew was wrong because I've been accepted at Tulane. However I did really enjoy my experiences with my interviewers and had a great conversation with Dr. Kennedy. I don't want a few comments to color my experience at Shreveport but it really gave me a bad vibe. I expected more of a spirit of comradarie and support, especially within the state of LA.

Psipsina,

I got the same exact feeling. I liked most of the students, and while most of them didn't say anything negative about New Orleans, some did, along with Dr. Kennedy...who said the majority of it.

I think alot of this comes from the fact that LSU-NO, for the past 30 years has gotten the majority of the state funding, and LSU-S has been treated as the step-child. For a good portion of LSU-S's existence, they shared a chancellor/dean with New Orleans, and he was based in New Orleans. The politics of the two medical schools, between them especially, has been tense. But from what I've gathered, its a well traveled two-way street.

It turned me off a good deal when Dr. Kennedy bad mouthed LSU-NO, however, I got to thinking about it, and I won't have to deal with him ever again (most likely) if I choose to go to Shreveport. He's an admissions officer, his job is to get the best students to go to Shreveport (even though he goes about it in a slightly backwards way).

I honestly think that LSU-NO is telling students (both current and future) what they want to hear. I don't have a high degree of confidence in the program to be up and running by the time i'm in my clinical years...the city is just too destroyed.

Let me know what you think. And good luck.

 

[patch28]

I have to disagree. I'm working at FEMA right now to help rebuild, and if you look at the population charts, the majority of the people stayed very close, many of whom are allready back in the city. As soon as more housing is available, I think the place will take back off, especially with the amount of federal aid that is pouring in.