MCP Hahnemann

Check out the PR board (review.com and then follow the links to forums). There are currently several threads re MCPHU.

 

Check out the website www.interviewfeedback.com and browse by school. You will find A LOT of people have reviewed MCP Hahnemann. When I interviewed there (I was accepted), they told me that although all Philly med schools are experiencing financial difficulties, MCP Hahnemann is the only school that is in the black. If you have any questions after looking at www.interviewfeedback.com, just reply to this thread and I can answer it for you.

JonnyCat

 

Hello again,

"In the black" refers to positive financial status. "In the red" refers to debt. They claim that they haven't any financial problems like they did before, now that Drexel has put them back on their feet. Since the other Philly schools are really feeling the financial crunch, I wouldn't worry about MCP Hahnemann. They already had their problems and have come through admirably in shining fashion.

I have heard elsewhere that the professors there REALLY go out of their way to help students. When I had my student interview, it lasted for 2.25 hours much to my surprise. During that time, I was told how very few students that attend there are grumpy about having gone there. I have confirmed this elsewhere on the internet. On the day of my interview, I got kinda lost and a med student went out of her way to take me to my destination. Plus, when I got out of my car at the beginning of the day, some random med student in the area started talking to me about, "Oh, you have an interview, huh?" and proceeded to tell me some politely conversational "You'll really like it here" type of stuff. These are more med students that have randomly talked to me than at any other school I have interviewed at. There is a palpable atmosphere of friendliness that permeates student-student and student-professor relationships. They want to see you succeed. You can prove this by asking them how much time they devote to research. At other schools, the profs prioritize research first, grant money second, and teaching students third.

Recently, there has become a large initative at MCPHU to get students more into computing. They have minimum computer requirements for every entering student. I think this is a carryover from Drexel's management. I am from an engineering school which Drexel considers to be a rival and we have been doing that for quite a long time, requiring incoming students to be computer literate and have machines which meet modern requirements. Plus we shouldnt have to learn without computers. This is not the 1900's after all!

As to whether I will go there, I have already sent them my deposit. I was waitlisted at my first choice school (which is close to my hometown and in a rural area so that is why I chose that one over MCP Hahnemann). This is my second choice school, and I will not be disappointed if I attend. I just don't know what it is like to live in Philly: I don't know what to expect. I don't want concerns about my living conditions to interfere with my studies, you know? It is for that reason that I would still consider going back to my first choice school if I get accepted off of the waitlist.

JonnyCat

 

Hi, nice to hear that someone has gotten into Hahnemann and decided to go. I'm about to interview there, and am sort of nervous. How was interviewing there, and what kinds of questions do they ask? How many interviews are there? Are they aggressive or ask trick questions? Should I read up on managed care/bioethics/etc.? What else did you like about the school?

Thanks, Jonnycat.

 

Hi Bordello, congrats on your interview offer, I got one too! But I am a little nervous about interviewing there. What have you learned about MCP, and have you interviewed at other places? I haven't been so lucky, so I'm counting on MCP working out for me. It seems like a friendly place, and Philly is a nice town.

furrycat

 

Hey furrycat! By your name, I see you are a person of impeccable taste!

First of all, I hope you realize that for MCP Hahnemann, it is late in the interviewing game (I am saying this first, but it is not in the least to try to discourage you). When I interviewed, I interviewed right at the end of November. Then I waited, WAITED, and W-A-I-T-E-D and finally a response came at the end of February (even though they say you hear from them in 4 to 6 weeks). On www.interviewfeedback.com, I have seen people who have waited much longer than me to get a response, so I am going to infer that (at least in this interview season) they are taking long to send everything out and it is not just me. Nevertheless, I can tell you that when that letter came, my whole family was hoppin' and we went out for a Japanese hibachi dinner... Sorry for the digression, but it shows how happy I was to receive it. It was my first acceptance (and consequently my first interview).

However, I gotta say that I never really expected to get in. To start with, how about some background: You have 2 interviews there: 1 faculty and 1 student, and BELIEVE ME they are equally important to do well in. My faculty interview was with a cardiologist at the MCP hospital. Somebody else on the interviewfeedback site said they had a tough time with him. Well, when I had him, I thought I might have as easy a time as robbing a bank and escaping to Rio as getting into medical school after that one! At first the interview went smoothly and the questions were all easy and based upon my application, which I had basically to elaborate on. Then, out of the blue, he kind of sat back, paused, and asked something to the effect of, "So with your very technical engineering background, why would you ever want to go into something so basic as family practice?" Well, he got me on that one. You see, what happened next was that from this point onward I seriously cannot remember what I said, but I know that my face felt flushed and I unleashed a torrent of speech, straight from the heart, and told him how I felt on the subject. It all just came out, and I must have talked for some time because I think 10 minutes passed on this digression because the next thing I knew, the interview was basically over and I asked some lame-ass questions questions of the "necessary but expected type" (I had already gotten most of my real questions answered by talking to friendly students). Then he walked me out to the elevators and sent me on my way, with a joke about me not having an overcoat on such a chilly day. I swear I thought I blew it all, and I was so pissed off at myself for letting myself get caught so off guard by his question. Well it was more the manner of his presentation than the question itself, but he got me on that one. Yet, for all the worry, I was accepted later, so I must have said some pretty intelligent stuff...

But anyway, back to the interview day. So I was so upset with myself from that interview that I went and got on the wrong shuttle back to the Queen Lane Campus (MCP Hahnemann has very timely shuttles to take you to their various hospitals and off the Queen-Lane-campus-locations). I was to meet my student interviewer at 1:00 but by the time I got back there, it was more like 1:20 so by this time, I had reserved myself that I might as well just make the best of the rest of the day because I wasn't getting in anyway and it would give me practice for my other interviews. So I arrived for my student interview and it was to be held in the cafeteria over (late) lunch. I tell you, I was hungry enough for it!

Well, my student interview lasted from 1:20 to well after 3:00 and I think it was pushing 3:30 when we finally shook hands at the end. Basically, my interviewer, a 4th year student, was really cool and somehow we hit it off. NOT LIKE THAT, PERVERT! The student interview bases itself on the fact that you wouldn't have had an interview if they thought your academics weren't up to par. Therefore, it is an interview to gauge your personality to both see that you are the type of person who might become a good doctor as well as seeing if you are the type of person that they wouldn't mind having to take classes with. So we chatted on divers topics from Star Wars to research, and I asked him so many questions that I almost was embarrassed at having discovered that I still had many more to ask. Well, this guy did most of the talking in this interview as it turned out, and somewhere between 2:30 and 3:00 he says, "Oh and by the way, I am a member of the admissions committee." I was floored! I mean, this stuff wasn't supposed to happen on your first interview! Sheesh.

So basically, during that cold day in November, I had gone from the pit of despair to the Elysian fields. By the way, all of my other interviews were basically textbook examples of interviews and the way I am supposed to act at an interview. They say you have to screw up before you get good, but, man, what a damn good screwup I had that day! Now I'm in like Flint! There is only one other school that I have interviewed at that I liked better (mainly because it's campus is in a rural setting and much closer to home). But I can tell you that I will not be disappointed if I go to MCP Hahnemann. Forget their financial issues of the past, the school wants their students to succeed (and in my opinion, in this way do they hope to build back their good name from the Bankruptcy of 1998).

JonnyCat

 

hi jonnycat, thanks so much for your interview help! i'm glad you told me all about you thinking you had screwed up, cause i always feel that way too! i'm ALWAYS beating myself up after the fact! (yes i'm the type who asks people questions after tests are over just to torture myself) anyway, congrats on the acceptance, if all goes well (and i feel pretty good now) we'll end up trading note cards at med school. well, suffice it to say i'm pretty surprised to be interviewing this late, a nice surprise that i'm still in the running but of course i'd rather be over with by now. by the way, they are just two interviews? i checked the interview feedback site and some people had six interviews, 4 with faculty, 1 with doc, 1 with student. Whew! wonder if they do that sometimes. but it seems like MCP is a friendly school and from what i've heard the students are pretty open.
anyway, did you feel like the interview is more life a formality there, or it's really important and you actually did very well (despite feeling upset afterwards).

hey, thanks a lot and talk to you later.....
furrycat

 

Hi bordello,

well, i'm getting a bit nervous too. my interview's on may 3. i'm going to see my advisor soon so he can give me some pointers. i guess what makes it rougher is that mcp hahnemann seems to be behind schedule and i've heard it takes them a long time to make their decision after the interview. so i'm not counting on hearing from them too soon. so i'm planning to take a little trip afterwards, maybe see my sisters, and just relax (whew!)

actually, i'm pretty excited about seeing the school and meeting students and asking them what med school life is like, i think it'll be cool to chat with them and imagine that you might be friends with them soon! aren't you excited too?

furrycat

 

Jonnycat!!

My interview is coming up! Soon! I've emailed you but you haven't responded. Please tell me, how many interview's do you get on your interview day (is it always just 2)? Any trick questions that I should be aware of? Any other stuff I should know? Thanks, Jonnycat!!

Furrycat

 

Hi furrycat,

Sorry I was away from the house for a while. There are, to my knowledge, only 2 interviews at MCP Hahnemann: 1 faculty and 1 student. Nobody asks trick questions (unless perhaps you get that cardiologist that I got, who has tried to unnerve other aspiring hopefuls besides me as well). Don't let him rattle you. Fontaine is his name, but in reality, he is just trying to see you under pressure. However, just answer him from the heart and you will do fine. There are no pitfalls: the student interview is very informal. We talked about Star Wars in mine as an opener. The faculty wants to know a little more about your academic side. That's all. They just ask about stuff on your application. In fact, though it is open file, they don't always read it until about 10 minutes before your interview.

Good luck, furrycat!
JonnyCat

 

Hi furrycat,

Sorry I was away from the house for a while. There are, to my knowledge, only 2 interviews at MCP Hahnemann: 1 faculty and 1 student. Nobody asks trick questions (unless perhaps you get that cardiologist that I got, who has tried to unnerve other aspiring hopefuls besides me as well). Don't let him rattle you. Fontaine is his name, but in reality, he is just trying to see you under pressure. However, just answer him from the heart and you will do fine. There are no pitfalls: the student interview is very informal. We talked about Star Wars in mine as an opener. The faculty wants to know a little more about your academic side. That's all. They just ask about stuff on your application. In fact, though it is open file, they don't always read it until about 10 minutes before your interview.

Good luck, furrycat!
JonnyCat

 

Ok, anyone heard anything new? I'm currently on the alternate list, and REALLY hoping to be accepted. I've heard that there are about 475 people on the waitlist and I'm ranked about in the middle. Anyone know anything about how their list works? Has anyone been given an offer from off the wait list? Can anyone give me some glimmer of hope?

 

How do you know where you rank on the waitlist when they don't give out rankings? Also, I called the office the other day and I was told that there are 150 people on the waitlist. Where did you get your information from? Did you call the school and they told you this or have you been speaking to other applicants?

 

yeah, i'm on the wait list too and wondering how big it is. people have given me all kinds of numbers. also, what are people doing while on the list?

 

I spoke with someone at the school who told me where I was on the waitlist and how long it was. I wonder if the 475 was how many offers for the wait list they are going to give out. I am very confused about this ranking issue then. The 475 number is not necessarily that much off given that many of the schools I have spoken to (including Wayne State, Michigan, and Loyola) have about 300 on their wait-list. Sorry if I'm giving incorrect information, but this was info I heard from the horse's mouth. However, I like your numbers better, so I'll chose to believe them.

I've found MCP to be very helpful and forthcoming with info, so I must have misunderstood them. Anyone else have some psychic waitlist predictions?

Also, while speaking to several other schools, I've heard that there has been very little moving from those students already accepted (e.g. no one is withdrawing their acceptance, and therefore no one is moving from their waitilist.) This appears to be a tough year to apply.


[This message has been edited by Nordberg (edited 06-08-2000).]

 

HI everyone,
i was wondering if you guys know the cut-off line for MCP? MCP is my first choice, but i am not sure if i will even get an interview from it. i know they offer interviews to high number of applicants because they have high number of applicants. do u guys know if MCP is 'generous' in giving interviews to applicant?

thanks