We can do it both ways! I'll answer here and message you.
1) I didn't think their interview was hard at all. It was a very organized, structured day but was done in a fairly laid back, welcoming way. I was fortunate enough to interview right before all the shut downs started so got to do everything in person. There were only about 10 of us on my interview day but we started with an info session and then followed with a Q&A session with past students, went to do our actual interview portion, had lunch and did more Q&A with current students, and finished with a tour of the school. My first interview was a one-on-one with a member of the leadership and the next was myself with one other applicant and the dean. My first interview we went over my application, did the typical strengths and weaknesses conversation, and talked about some more logistics of the program as far as how rigorous it is, what resources are available, and ways to navigate the post-bacc year. With Dean Hershman it was all about why medicine and our personal backgrounds. She even asked me if I had any connections to the area because I was an out of state applicant and she wanted to let me know that if I did not have connections to the area, that wouldn't mean I did not have a support system because the leadership would be there to help.
2) What got me in? My stunning good looks and charming personality. Totally joking!! I think I got myself in just by being myself and being open and honest during the process. As I mentioned earlier, your story truly does matter. They are not going in to these interviews looking for reasons to deny you but are wanting to get a better feel of who you are as a person so they know what you need to succeed. It is important to remember that by offering you an interview they already see your potential and believe in you and your ability to succeed.
3) Day to day has differed every term so I can send you more specifics but bottom line days are filled with classes, labs, and studying. We do also have different seminars and workshops throughout the year. One important point I want to mention though is that I knew I wanted a one year program but when I interviewed at a different school with both a one year and two year option, the only student I met had done the two year and told me horror stories-everyone who did the one year hated their life, were miserable, regretted it, dropped out etc etc. This is not true!!! Don't let other people crush your soul by making those comments! I have absolutely no regrets on doing a one year program. The program is rigorous for sure. It will stretch you and challenge you but does not have to break you.
4) During the summer semesters I used federal financial aid and for fall and spring did a private student loan through Sallie Mae. It was my first time taking out loans and I think not having undergrad student loan debt did make this feel a little easier for me than some of my classmates. The investment is no joke though and something that weighs heavily on a lot of us. People often make comments about how this is a drop in the bucket of what our total debt will be or that we need to be patient because we will make enough money as a doctor to pay it off but none of those comments help in the moment and being a career changer or older than a traditional premed can add another level of complexity. For some of us the decision to pursue this opportunity has meant leaving a full time job, saying goodbye to that stability, and knowing we will also likely have less time to pay those loans off than students starting at a younger age.
I know it can feel overwhelming to enter interviews thinking you need to be perfect and feeling like you have to prove yourself to schools but trust me when I say that my cohort has quite the variety of ages, backgrounds, experiences, and statistics. Comparison is a slippery slope that doesn't benefit anyone because at the end of the day our differences fade away as we all sit in classes and work together to complete this process and apply to medical school.
