NYMC Interview Question

[labrynth79]

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After that original e-mail fiasco about granting me an interview and then taking it away (yes Dra. Foxy, I suffered the same torture as you!), they e-mailed me today with an interview invite! I am so happy! I am not a complete reject from all medical schools. &lt;sigh of relief&gt;. I have a question about the entire interview process. Did most of you have one interviewer or two? Also, I know of the <a href="http://www.interviewfeedback.com" target="_blank">Interview Feedback website</a> , but I wanted to get imput from more recent applicants. Were the interviewers really laid-back or cut-throat? and were both faculty and/or students?

Well, thanks for all the support from everyone on these posts! I rarely write messages but I do spend hours reading what people have to say. Now, for once, maybe I can start contributing, too. 🙂

 

[moo]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by labrynth79:
•After that original e-mail fiasco about granting me an interview and then taking it away (yes Dra. Foxy, I suffered the same torture as you!), they e-mailed me today with an interview invite! I am so happy! I am not a complete reject from all medical schools. &lt;sigh of relief&gt;. I have a question about the entire interview process. Did most of you have one interviewer or two? Also, I know of the <a href="http://www.interviewfeedback.com" target="_blank">Interview Feedback website</a> , but I wanted to get imput from more recent applicants. Were the interviewers really laid-back or cut-throat? and were both faculty and/or students?

Well, thanks for all the support from everyone on these posts! I rarely write messages but I do spend hours reading what people have to say. Now, for once, maybe I can start contributing, too. 🙂 •••••sent you a pm

 

[hellojed]

Congrats on your interview! When I was there, I had one faculty interview and one fourth-year student interview. Not everyone had the student interview, and those who did were picked at random. Both were okay, I liked the interview with the faculty member better. The student seemed a bit stoic and indifferent, which made me more and more nervous as the interview went on. The anatomy lab is really neat. Student housing is really good too. The area is a big change from Berkeley though, but there are a lot of California people there! 😀 I thought everyone there was really nice, but my host (also from Cal) told me that New Yorkers are impatient and mean. So who knows? 😕

 

[gmendese]

Congrats on your interview! When is it?

 

[serpiente]

I had one faculty member and so did everyone who interviewed on that day. Most applicants only have one but 2 is possible. Whoever interviews you WILL be a member of the ad com, which I personally liek better. My interviewer was not an MD but a PHD in the primary care education center. She was very nice and the interview was one of the most laid back and conversational I've had. I haven't heard back yet, but I'm withdrawing my app as I got accepted to my state school.
One thing I really liked about NYMC was the emphasis on primary care ed. They also have a great clincal skills training program too. You get to work one on one with a doc for a year and you're not just shadowing, you actually interview patients and learn skills. And it's a standardized program unlike preceptorships at other schools where someone's preceptor only lets them watch whereas another lets the student do hands on stuff.
they have exams every week first year but that's good in a way, keeps you on your toes. The facilities are nice--the anatomy lab is beautiful with some fancy hi tech ventilation system so it doesn't smell
Downsides--expensive, unexciting area (though close to NYC) and $$$ tuition, and everyone lives on campus first two years--kinda of unappealing if you've been out of school for a while.

Ask away if you want to know anything specific

 

[otter]

Did they ask in the interview if you stayed with a student host? If so, do you think it'll reflect poorly on me if I refuse the student host program and stay at a hotel instead?

Staying with a student sounds great, but I have another interview right before the NYMC one and I just want to be able to relax and recharge the night before.

 

[serpiente]

In the orientation session before we had our interviews the ad director asked those whom had stayed with students to raise their hands. About half the group stayed with a host (I didn't.) Then she went around and asked those people to say what they learned about NYMC from the experience. I wasn't asked about it in my individual interview though. I was asked at Albany and I simply said that I got there too late and didn't want to inconvenience anyone--seemed to go over okay.

 

[DarksideAllstar]

My experience at NYMC was great. The area was nice and the student host I stayed with took me out to dinner and showed me around. I had one interviewer, she was PhD in cell bio (I think her name was Dragontides, or something). She was nice and pleasant, but she asked some intense questions and also asked why I would come to NYMC since I had gotten into my state school (which I thought was kinda weird).
They do go around the room and ask you if you learned anything from staying with a student host. I actually learned that even though NYMC proclaims to be a "primary care oriented school", a lot of the first years want to enter a different specialty. Its a good school, NYC being close is nice. Its just the damn cost ($30K+/year) that makes me wanna stay in Nevada.
Good luck on your interview and enjoy yourself! 😀

 

[oldman]

Good news. I recently withdrew my app from NYMC, perhaps my spot went to you! 🙂

•••quote:•••Originally posted by labrynth79:
•After that original e-mail fiasco about granting me an interview and then taking it away (yes Dra. Foxy, I suffered the same torture as you!), they e-mailed me today with an interview invite! I am so happy! I am not a complete reject from all medical schools. &lt;sigh of relief&gt;. I have a question about the entire interview process. Did most of you have one interviewer or two? Also, I know of the <a href="http://www.interviewfeedback.com" target="_blank">Interview Feedback website</a> , but I wanted to get imput from more recent applicants. Were the interviewers really laid-back or cut-throat? and were both faculty and/or students?

Well, thanks for all the support from everyone on these posts! I rarely write messages but I do spend hours reading what people have to say. Now, for once, maybe I can start contributing, too. 🙂 •••••

 

[darkmatter]

Here's my honest opinion about the school and the interview:

LIKES:
1. I liked the fact that the interviews are blind. This is the only way for you to shine and for the interviewer to get to know you without the disractions numbers and grades give. I had one interview with the faculty. The red flag question is intended to be only a minor part of the discussion.
2. The natural and peaceful surroundings
3. The well-presented campus and beatifully designed anatomy lab (unexpectedly impressive)
4. Honesty of admissions officers

DISLIKES:
1. Repeated emphasis on admitting many Californians (they called themselves UC Valhalla at one point) can surely diminish the confidence of nonCalifornian interviewees
2. I know (but do not believe) about NYMC's reputation as a safety school and suposedly less than impressive showings in research, but the admission officers were trying so hard so advertise that this is not the case.
3. Though beautiful, the campus is in a remote part of NY, so there is some doubt as to how diverse the patient population is. You wil also need a car or groceries. However, ths is lessened by the fact that NYMC's affiliated hospitals and medical centers are close to the city. So during clerkships, there shouldn't be a problem.

Good luck labyrinth. What made my intervew a success was probably the fact that I paid attention to the interviewer's background (he was a PhD) so afer a few minutes, I realized that he loved talking about scientific findings and teaching them in an easy yet enthusiastic way, so I brought up that part of my application that catered to what he ws looking for in a potential medical school student.

 

[katiep]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by darkmatter:
Give me a place to stand, and I will carry the world.

ATLAS
••••darkmatter,

This reminds me of a quote that goes:

Give me a stick long enough, and I will move the earth.

I think it was Newton. Anyone know who it was?

 

[altaskier]

I liked NYMC, although my interview was only about 15 minutes long, for reasons too long to explain. Anyway, you should go and check it out. As far as places to stay, I stayed at the Hampton Inn (the cheapest place and a nice hotel). A 6 dollar cab ride to the interview in the morning.

Good Luck!

 

[katiep]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by katiep:
• •••quote:•••Originally posted by katiep:
• •••quote:•••Originally posted by darkmatter:
Give me a place to stand, and I will carry the world.

ATLAS
••••darkmatter,

This reminds me of a quote that goes:

Give me a stick long enough, and I will move the earth.

I think it was Newton. Anyone know who it was?•••••Furthermore, according to my sources, the original quote:

"Give me a place to stand, and I will move the Earth."

was given by Archimedes circa 235 BC. I still couldn't find my Newton quote though.•••••

 

[Brian20]

let me just tell you about my experience at NYMC. i get there and stay with a girl that lives in the same area as i do in central new york. so we talk, she was in my mcat class (we figured that out after talking for an hour). so it was really nice staying with a student...you ask questions. blah, blah, blah. i recommend it.

the admissions people are really nice and everything is going great until i get to the interview. i look in the room and see nothing. its an empty research lab with a small office on the side. i walk in and peak in the office. a girl is interviewing with my interviewer. i was a bit early, and apologized. he says i should be or something really prickish like that.

so they get done and come out into the hall. he asks me why i interupted them. i tell him my story. i didnt want to be late or in the wrong place...another professor there even told me to go in the lab and check it out. so this guy says some a--hole sh#t to me and then tells me to wait. he even made the comment to the girl he interviewed that he "already had me on the defensive."

so i wait a few minutes and we go in his office to meet. i had about 4 minutes to compose myself while he took a leak or something. so i laughed and welcomed the pressure. i actually had fun in the interview. i think the guy is a prick, but he didnt phase me. screw him for being that way...the most important day of someones life and he has to go be a prick and try to ruin what you have spent years waiting for. good for him, he failed....what a jerk. but i did have fun at nymc and actually liked talking to the guy....i think he just wanted to see how i would react. there ya go pal....and i'd rather take myself somewhere else.

good luck guys and never let them get to you. its not worth it. take a breath, smile, think of the funniest thing a friend ever said, speak from your heart and you will do fine.

later

 

[med student]

•••quote:••• they have exams every week first year but that's good in a way, keeps you on your toes ••••We have allot of exams but not quite that many.
•••quote:••• Did they ask in the interview if you stayed with a student host? If so, do you think it'll reflect poorly on me if I refuse the student host program and stay at a hotel instead?
••••They do ask but it is mainly because each time we host we get a free meal out of it so I do not think the school cares or would hold it against you if you do not stay with a host.
•••quote:•••1. Repeated emphasis on admitting many Californians (they called themselves UC Valhalla at one point) can surely diminish the confidence of nonCalifornian interviewees

3. Though beautiful, the campus is in a remote part of NY, so there is some doubt as to how diverse the patient population is. You wil also need a car or groceries. However, ths is lessened by the fact that NYMC's affiliated hospitals and medical centers are close to the city. So during clerkships, there shouldn't be a problem. ••••The whole CA thing I would not worry about because the reason we have so many CA students including myself is not because we preferentially accept them but instead because we get allot of applicants who are CA residents and unlike allot of schools they do not give preference to certain states.
I don't know if you could say we are in a remote part of New York but we are definately in the suburbs so having a car is helpful for going shopping. Also we are only about 20 miles from New York city so it is pretty easy to go there if you want. Another thing for clinical rotations it is not a problem because we have hospitals in the city and also right by the school. The city hospitals obviously have a wide variety of patients but when I first got here I was worried about the lack of diversity in the patient population at the hospital by the school. However after I spoke to third years I realized this wasn't a problem because the hospital draws patients from an enormous area and we hear life flight helicopters coming in several times a day.
If people have any other questions I would be happy to answer them.

 

[otter]

WOW, Brian20, that was a GREAT post!!!!! I'm going to print it out and then read it again the night before my interview. Hopefully, I'll have a nicer interviewer, though!

 

[Dr. Kermit]

I wasn't too impressed with NYMC when I visited, but I had some complications with the administration and my interviewer. I tried to schedule my interview when I had another interview in the area and NYMC was unable to accomodate me in early October. I then decided to wait to schedule my interview because I was waiting to hear back from an interview in early November. I got another e-mail from NYMC saying that they would withdraw my application if I didn't schedule my interview within two weeks and when I called to schedule my interview, I was given even more trouble. Finally, they accomodated my travelling schedule.

I interviewed with one of the Deans who asked me personal questions like "how did you fund your undergrad?" "If your father is a physician and your mother stays at home, then why aren't they paying for medical school?" At the end of the interview, she noted that I was seemingly aloof and seemed disinterested and asked if this had been my first interview. I told her it wasn't and then she asked if I had been accepted to medical school. When I told her I had, she asked, "then why are you here."

Overall, I thought the school, was nice, but I prefer something a little more urban. I wasn't too thrilled by the students telling me that they got out a lot, but then didn't have time to go to they city because they were always studying. The students idea of getting out was going to White Plains.

Also, you need a car to get anywhere. You can take the bus, but if you want to go to the mall, or go grocery shopping, you need to have a car.

The clinical rotations are done on a lottery system, which I had to pry out of the third years who were with me. Apparently, you choose if you want to be in the city or have the order of your rotations matter more.

I could go on, but I did like their anatomy lab. I think I just had a very bad experience with the school. And, my later experience of calling to withdraw my application, withdrawing it, and then receiving an acceptance continues to baffle me. So, good luck. I wish I could be more positive, but many of my friends and I just really disliked the school.

 

[darkmatter]

•••quote:•••darkmatter,

This reminds me of a quote that goes:

Give me a stick long enough, and I will move the earth.

I think it was Newton. Anyone know who it was?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Furthermore, according to my sources, the original quote:

"Give me a place to stand, and I will move the Earth."

was given by Archimedes circa 235 BC. I still couldn't find my Newton quote though. ••••Well, Newton and/or Archimedes may have said something similar, but I'll bet only Atlas can do what he claims. For me, it's just a battlecry to medical school admissions.

 

[Student33333]

What is the "red flag question"

 

[med student]

The whole purpose of the red flag question is that since it is a closed file interview they have not seen your grades, MCAT, etc so they are giving you an oppurtunity to explain away any problems in your file.

 

[labrynth79]

Hey all,

Thanks for the generous imput from you guys! That was really nice. 😀

My interview isn't for awhile now (April 4th) because when I called to schedule the interview (Feb. 21st), they were only scheduling for the first two weeks in April. I remember someone asking about that, so I thought I'd add that on. 🙂

Well, now my interview offers totals to 2! go me. Still waiting on about 14 schools, so it's a long road ahead. Albany and Temple haven't even sent my application to the committee for review yet! bastards. Well, temple just sent it in today after I called and said "please." So for those of you still waiting, call and find out what the hold-up is! the guy was pretty nice and told me my letters of rec weren't filed (which i sent in late nov./early dec.), and so found them and forwarded my app to the AdCom.