U of MD interviews

as far as i know, it's a committee interview (i.e. several to one). Some have told me that it was high stress.

Don't worry though...worrying isn't going to get you anywhere Personally i have began to doubt the importance of interviews. There is really very little people can tell by just talking to you for a 30 minutes, i think.

 

I just graduated from UMD undergrad and have tons of friends going there. They love it and none of htem ever told me the interview was that stressfull. They did say Community service is huge though. Best of luck Kaos, tell em to look out for me on Wednesday the 2nd!

 

Community service in undergrad --> right?

What else do they look for...(if you have ANY idea)

Thanks.......

 

I am assuming it is for anytime prior to applying.

 

sorry for asking a dumb question, but can anyone please tell me what closed and open file mean? BTW Kaos, I believe it is one on one. Thats what I have heard from most friends.

 

My interviews were 3 yrs ago so my memory is a bit hazy on them, but from what I do remember, they were open and just like any other interview at a med school. One of my interviewers did ask me specifically about something that I had written as an EC. I don't think that they have any "set questions" that they ask everybody, they just like to get a feel for applicants. Don't stress it, be yourself, and I'm sure that you will do fine. Having an interview this early in the game is a good sign. I found out that I was accepted ~3-4 weeks after my interview.

 

My UMD interview was probably the most laid back interview I had, and was a big factor in my decision to come here. It is open file, so make sure you know your app well. Also be sure to talk to as many students as you can and get the scoop on the school.....there are lots of factors that go into deciding on a med school, and make sure you have a realistic idea of the place while you have the chance rather than relying on the [often inaccurate] third party accounts that you get on sites like this.


UMD MSIV

 

I interviewed last year at UMaryland around this time...here's what I remember (hope it helps!)

*one of my interviewers brought up a lot of stuff from my amcas and letters of rec, so definitely go over all that stuff in detail before your interview... he wanted to know about a class i'd taken several years before!

*know what it is about Maryland that fits with what you're looking for in a med school, like a specific program or rotation or something. I liked the idea that there's a required rural rotation in your third year...

*I think i had some ethical situation questions - nothing too big but just trying to get an idea of how I'd handle situations. I read over the CNN ethics webpage and that seemed to help.

*make sure to talk to the students at lunch and on your tour and see what they like and dislike around Maryland. the students, at least last year, were really honest about their experiences.



Good luck folks! Also, try to find out on your interview day how the acceptance/waitlist deal is working this year. last year I waited for months and months after my interview without hearing anything - and I thought we'd find out in a few weeks.
hope this helped.

 

I interviewed at Maryland last year and it wasn't high stress - I mean, I was majorly stressed because it was my first ever interview - but the docs were nice. Open file like they said, one-on-one. I don't remember the specific questions. The difficult part was that you had to find where your interviewer was in any building on campus! They give you a map and send you to it. One of my interviews was several blocks away.

The only problem with Maryland is their paperwork runs far behind, I interviewed in December, and I didn't get a decision until late APRIL! And that was that I was on the "Bottom third" of the waitlist. Sigh. Well, in hindsight, this extra year has given me time to improve my application & do much better at the whole process, while having fun with friends & family. (AND I *will* get in this year. - Though no love from Maryland as far as interviews go. Plenty elsewhere.)

Jade~

 

application complete at Maryland med in 9/00; interview in 3/2001 (they kept me on hold for a long time, not surprisingly). I was in-state and the interviews were very nice and conversational. I was told that most people get a decision in 6-8 weeks, and that while I was a strong applicant, that it was very competitive to get in during the spring as fewer and fewer spots became available (I appreciate the interviewer's honesty). I received my "no decision at this time" letter 2 weeks post-interview, and the "middle third" waitlist notice in mid-May. Great school, excellent central teaching hospital, a little more competitive than other schools since UM hasn't given up their archaic letter grade system (trust me most schools have). Excellent reputation and match list, and in-state tuition can't be beat! I'm happy with where I ended up, but probably will apply to UMMS for residency just the same.