Things you should ask when you get to a school for an interview

[oldman]

I've been thinking of things that I would have liked to ask:

"How are your clinical year rotations assigned. Is it a lottery system?"

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[elias514]

How are the med students protected from scut work on the wards?
What are 3 weaknesses and 3 strengths of this program?
Comment on the mentoring relationships between students and faculty. Are excellent mentors easy to come by here? If so, how are mentoring relationships established?
What assistance does the school provide in career development (e.g., choosing a medical specialty)?
How much hands-on experience do medical students get, especially in "bread and butter" procedures, such as placing IV's, suturing, etc.?
How would you characterize the relationships between students here--predominantly competitive or cooperative?

 

[BassDominator]

Ask to see the match list.

 

[TheRussian]

Ask to see the match list.

Are there people out there that actually had to ask for the match list? Every school I've been to the match list was always provided in the interview folder that was given out in the beginning of the day.

 

[Catalyst]

How are the med students protected from scut work on the wards?
What are 3 weaknesses and 3 strengths of this program?
Comment on the mentoring relationships between students and faculty. Are excellent mentors easy to come by here? If so, how are mentoring relationships established?
What assistance does the school provide in career development (e.g., choosing a medical specialty)?
How much hands-on experience do medical students get, especially in "bread and butter" procedures, such as placing IV's, suturing, etc.?
How would you characterize the relationships between students here--predominantly competitive or cooperative?

LOL, sounds like Mike's thread

 

[exmike]

I've been thinking of things that I would have liked to ask:

"How are your clinical year rotations assigned. Is it a lottery system?"

I'm guessing your school randomly assigned you to a site you didnt want?

 

[Neuronix]

They'll lie or fudge an answer to every one of elias514's questions.

"Scut work on the wards? Never."
"I honestly can't think of any weaknesses." or "Some BS weakness."
"Of course, our faculty love students."
"You'll have plenty of opportunities to learn clinical skills."
"Our students are very cooperative!"

I would say look at concrete things. Look at the AMSA med school reviews. Talk to students, try to find ones that aren't obvious cheerleaders (if possible, I mean some schools select who you're going to meet). Look at the grading system, is it mostly or completely P/F or unranked? I don't care where you go, if there are grades or some other way to be ranked, some people will be gunning for them. Look at a first year schedule. See how intense it is. See how often they're tested, how many students fail the first year, etc... These are the important things that are really going to give you some sort of insight into how things are going. Now, whether or not the school or the students are going to be honest about these things is a whole 'nother story...

As for clinical stuff, see where their affiliates are. Are you going to get shipped out to the middle of nowhere for a couple rotations? Or, are most of your rotations going to be in posh patient central? Are the programs known for having malignant residency programs? It is nice to see how you'll be assigned, but you'll probably get screwed at least once no matter what.

 

[pekq]

Whether or not you get bogus answer depends on the person you are asking. For the most part, people are reluctant to criticize their school. I saw the same thing when prospective students came to interview at my lab. None of the people in the lab said anything bad. They made it sound like heaven. I am pretty sure it's the same thing at med school interviews. Just gotta find a student and talk to him/her in private where they are more likely to tell you the negatives.

A question I have asked at every interview is: Where is the bathroom?

 

[PepperdineP-MED]

Ask them what they know about your undergraduate institution. I've learned from students who applied last cycle that not many interviewers knew anything about Pepperdine. It gives you the opportunity to describe your university in whatever way YOU like.

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

Ask them what they know about your undergraduate institution. I've learned from students who applied last cycle that not many interviewers knew anything about Pepperdine. It gives you the opportunity to describe your university in whatever way YOU like.

that's an interesting one. i went to an obscure Ugrad and the only thing i ever really said about it was that the parking sucked .

 

[oldman]

I'm guessing your school randomly assigned you to a site you didnt want?

nope, we have a lottery thing.

you can try to decipher it from this website

http://www.meded.umn.edu/year34/course_scheduling/group_definitions.htm

i was in group 9.

at first i was getting screwed by the system, but then i got a few lucky breaks and now i have a schedule i am happy with.

 

[oldman]

I'm guessing your school randomly assigned you to a site you didnt want?

btw, it's nice to see another hopkins alum head off to med school though it seems the hopkins alum who doesn't get into med school (if he/she really wants to go) is a rare thing.

 

[Mr Reddly]

that's an interesting one. i went to an obscure Ugrad and the only thing i ever really said about it was that the parking sucked .

You were at Hopkins too?!?