researching schools questions

[pokerkid]

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I am currently researching schools that I will be interviewing with. What do schools expect you to know about their school/program? What areas should I be focusing my research on? Thanks for any input

 

[swingline]

I spent time reading the bulletins (usually available in pdf on the school's website) and/or websites about the school's curriculum. On the interview day, there was an overview of the curriculum, which helped to fill in any details you might have missed. It's almost like studying the class material before a lecture!

I would say focus on the curriculum (including the hospitals available for rotations) and any special programs that interest you (research, international rotations, student-run clinic, etc.).

At the end of your interview, your interviewer will likely ask you if you have any questions. This is an opportunity to ask specific questions about the school (I would suggest coming up with a few questions while doing your research).

Good luck on your interviews!

 

[DrSmooth]

I tried to review the entire school website if possible (easy with some schools, impossible with others), not just looking at program and curriculum, but also trying to get a sense of the culture of the school. I was surprised come interview time how much school culture was reflected in the website organization and style. Also did a google search to see what recent news had come out about the school, their research, etc. And then I went over the recent (last 2 years) interview feedback on SDN and read all the School X vs School Y threads on the school of interest. Lastly, I emailed questions ahead of time to students and always stayed w a host and interrogated them the night before the interview (while buying them dinner). Oh, I also googled my interviewers once I got their names the morning of the interview.

I think schools expect a basic familiarity with whatever is on their website. So be sure not to ask generic questions during your interview that could easily be answered by looking at the school website.

 

[pokerkid]

I spent time reading the bulletins (usually available in pdf on the school's website) and/or websites about the school's curriculum. On the interview day, there was an overview of the curriculum, which helped to fill in any details you might have missed. It's almost like studying the class material before a lecture!

I would say focus on the curriculum (including the hospitals available for rotations) and any special programs that interest you (research, international rotations, student-run clinic, etc.).

At the end of your interview, your interviewer will likely ask you if you have any questions. This is an opportunity to ask specific questions about the school (I would suggest coming up with a few questions while doing your research).

Good luck on your interviews!

Thanks for the response. Can you give me an example of a specific question worth asking?

 

[ThaliaNox]

Thanks for the response. Can you give me an example of a specific question worth asking?

This answer will vary widely from school to school. You need to do your own, school specific research. Trying to take short cuts might come back to bite you.

 

[DrSmooth]

Thanks for the response. Can you give me an example of a specific question worth asking?

I am really interested in the X program I saw on your website. Can you tell me more about that?

 

[swingline]

Thanks for the response. Can you give me an example of a specific question worth asking?

I noticed that there are several hospitals affiliated with the school. Do students generally do all of their rotations at one or two hospitals or do they rotate through several of them?