And now, for the moment you've been waiting for...dun dun dun...
My interview was scheduled in the morning, on the Piscataway campus. I parked in lot A, and proceeded to the tallest building. (Hint: make sure you let them know if you're driving there atleast 2 days before your interview.) When I got there, I was lost in the building, but two students saw I was a little lost, so they showed me where the admissions office was. I got there, they scanned my passport, and they asked for the form. (Hint: make sure you print and sign the form they send by email before you get there.)
I proceeded to the waiting room, where I must have waited for about 30 minutes (interviewer was 15 minutes late, because she was very busy). So I go into her office, and the interview begins. The questions she asked were the same ones from the Interview Feedback section on SDN. I think they might have a list of questions that they run through, which is the same for every interviewee. I don't really want to disclose them, but I can tell you that they are the EXACT SAME as the ones from the feedback section.
So, after the interview, which was rather quick (30mins vs my 1hr 30mins at NJMS), I was sent back to the waiting room with some other interviewees.
So we talked and waited for the orientation session. Dean T gave a powerpoint presentation about the school, which I thought was pretty cool. I wish NJMS had given one. Afterwards, we had a short information session about financial aid. (Even for an in-state student, total costs are about $50,000 per year!!!)
After that, four medical students came into the room, and had lunch with us. They answered questions, showed us their typical schedule, and talked about how their school is great. There was one student in particular, who referred to RWJ as the only "real" medical school in NJ. I'm sure he was joking, but still. The other students were a bit more subtle, because they would say things like how the anatomy lab was on the second floor, as opposed to being isolated in the basement (clearly a reference to NJMS, for those of you who've seen it). The students were very nice and helpful, but it seemed they were a bit more focused on distancing themselves from NJMS. (On the other hand, the tour guide had not even mentioned anything about RWJ). After the tour, everything was done.
I liked how the day was planned out this way, as opposed to NJMS, which had the interview, lunch, and tour. The powerpoint presentation showed off all the buildings they have on their campus. They have a child institute, cancer institute, and tons of other opportunities. The staff and Dean T were really nice, and ready to help answer any questions. The students that gave the tour were also very nice, but I thought they were obsessing about NJMS (probably because I told them that I had already interviewed at NJMS two weeks ago). The school recently switched to a pass/fail cirriculum (Dean T was a big player in the change, so make sure you tell her how much you appreciate the pass/fail cirriculum).
Overall, I liked everything they had to offer. With respect to the NJMS vs RWJ debate, I noticed that RWJ has more research opportunities, while NJMS is more focused on the clinical aspect. (I had asked both interviewers about research opportunities at their respective schools, and NJMS told me that there are many opportunities, but its a little competitive to obtain a research position. RWJ told me that they encourage all their students to do research, and that anyone can readily obtain a research position.) RWJ has a newly created Clinical Academic Building, which is dedicated for research, and the facilities are great (I can tell you from experience, because I worked there for the summer). NJMS is trying to catch up in terms of NIH funding, but they are still a few years away. NJMS serves the northern NJ area, whereas RWJ serves the central/southern NJ area. Both are great schools, both have friendly students, and both have interesting cases with respect to patients. The downsides of the RWJ campus are that while you attend classes during the first and second year on the Piscataway side, you have to take a car to get to the NB side. In other words, you MUST own a car or have someone drop you during the third and fourth years. What's nice is that since RWJ is located within the Rutgers campus (after all, a few years ago, RWJ was called Rutgers Medical School), you can use the gym, and other facilities.
NJMS - clinical exposure, more opportunities to serve uninsured, more diverse patient population
RWJ - more research opportunities, more affiliations with things like the cancer institute, child institute, and many others
Things they both have in common: good support if you struggle with classes, good financial aid services, moderately competitive atmospheres (as opposed to cutthroat competition at ivy league schools), diverse student body, numerous opportunities for enjoying night-life (RWJ --> Philly, NJMS --> NYC), and friendly staff/students.
