What does Albany stress?

[Raja]

On their secondary they ask for what life experience would I like to talk about. Now I know schools like USC stress research so I'm curious if anyone knows what Albany Medical College prefers.

thanks.

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[altaskier]

All I know is that Albany stresses a "stress-interview". All of my friends, from years before who interviewed there, got a stress interview. In fact, they are notoriously known for stress interviews, so be prepared. Upstate NY, lots of stress, and also emphasis on research as well.

hope this somewhat helps b/c it's all I know

 

[THE instiGATOR]

It will be helpful to get some responses here, as I have an interview with them in a couple weeks.

Did those who have interviewed at Albany spend a significant amount of time talking about the issue you said you would like to discuss on your secondary?

I've heard Albany is big on ethical questions. I've interviewed at two schools, have had a total of 5 interviewers, and have had zero ethical questions. One interviewer asked if I had taken an ethics class in the past, but after I said no he dropped the subject. Should I expect my lucky streak to end?!?

Give me the scoop, please!!!

 

[Maple]

Hey Swampman,

When will you be there? I have to be there at 11:15. Did they tell you how many interviews you are going to have? I submitted my confirmation form on Saurday, so haven't gotten anything yet.

You know..I was checking out the interviewfeedback site..and posts from last year seem to indicate that people got asked about healthcare reform and economic issues! Also, the ethical q's about abortion..etc.

Of course, it would be good to hear if things are changing this year! Maybe they will want to talk about politics! who knows... So..Come on people..post your experiences please!

Thanks!

 

[THE instiGATOR]

peanut,

I also must be there at 11:15. Are you going to be there on the 5th of December? Do you plan on attending the "informational meeting" with the med students? I think I will.

I've heard that the groups are pretty small (<10 interviewees). I don't know how true this is. I expected more before hearing this.

 

[Maple]

Hey Swampman,

I am going to be there on the 12th. I guess you are interviewing on the 6th? I must be confusing you with someone else. Did Albany send you stuff in the mail? Info about planned events? I am wondering if I needed to call, as well as submit that on-line form. I am not sure when the informational meeting with the med students is..I think, I need to check my interview letter again!

So..ready for it? I really they don't grill us! I have a good feeling about Albany. Is it your first choice? I am also wondering when they began interviewing this year. Its always good to be called early..right? We'll see. Post when you get back from your trip.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[THE instiGATOR]

peanut,

No, I won't be interviewing on the 6th. I will be interviewing on the 5th. All the supporting info was provided with the confirmation sheet. Check that out again.

I am expecting a verdict from South Alabama soon. It would be great to have an acceptance going into the Albany interview. I'll feel as if I have nothing to lose and will probably be more relaxed.

I haven't really decided where I would most like to attend. I'm a little biased toward two schools (Emory and Dartmouth), but am going to approach each interview as an opportunity to get to know the school. If I feel comfortable at the school, it will move up my list. In the end, I will most likely choose to attend the school at which I feel most at home (assuming I have the luxury of choosing among schools). I must say, though, that I can't imagine Albany being a more reasonable choice than the University of Florida...my alma mater. If I get an acceptance from UF and Albany, it will be difficult to justify attending Albany with it's very large tuition rates. I do like to mix things up, though. Guess I'll cross that bridge if I get to it.

I'll let you know how it goes. Good Luck!

Oh yeah, have you tried to coordinate interviews with other NY schools around your Albany interview date? I've tried, but the secretaries at the other schools to which I am applying have been rather cold.

Happy Thanksgiving to you too. I'll be studying for the two exams I have the following week...evil professors!

 

[ssd]

i too have been trying to contact some other schools in the area. no luck on my end either

 

[Maple]

Hey Swampman,

I did call up some other Ny schools, and they pretty much told me to wait for them. I guess they really don't care about how much money we end up spending!

God..two exams next week!! That stinks! Are you graduating next year? It'll be good to graduate huh?

You know that price tag for Albany does give you chills..but coming from Cali, I don't have much of a choice! I'll be happy to have one acceptance..no matter where it is! If I am lucky enough to get a couple..then I'll start to think about ranking schools. Still..I am waiting for GW's decisions and will be going to Saint Luis in 2 weeks..so hopefully, I'll have some idea where I am going to end up next fall!

Later,

 

[C U in MD school]

i think i need to jump in here. i have a interview at Albany Medical College on the 12/12 peanut. kinda scared about it. i heard some bad stories about the interview. god help us all. so, SwampMan when you get back you gotta help us out by posting your exprience.

 

[SMW]

Originally posted by altaskier:
•All I know is that Albany stresses a "stress-interview". All of my friends, from years before who interviewed there, got a stress interview. In fact, they are notoriously known for stress interviews, so be prepared. Upstate NY, lots of stress, and also emphasis on research as well.

•••

Just got a call from Albany, inviting me to interview the day after my Columbia interview. A stress interview! Just what I'll need. I'll be stressed enough just getting from one to the other!! And I haven't done one iota of research....Oh well, maybe it's not that important to them. And it was nice of them to let me coordinate the two interviews -- I'd called them a couple weeks ago about it when I got my Columbia invite, and they just said they'd "make a note to my file."

 

[Maple]

Hey CU,

What time? Morning or noon?

SMW, Congrats on your interviews!! Doesn't it seem like yesteday when we were sending letters threatening to sue AMCAS??When will you be at Albany? Don't worry too much..I mean..if they ask you ethical questions, you shold just give your honest opinion..there can't be a wrong or right answer!

WEll...good luck..maybe I'll see you in NY?

 

[SMW]

Originally posted by peanut:
•

SMW, Congrats on your interviews!! Doesn't it seem like yesteday when we were sending letters threatening to sue AMCAS??When will you be at Albany? Don't worry too much..I mean..if they ask you ethical questions, you shold just give your honest opinion..there can't be a wrong or right answer!

WEll...good luck..maybe I'll see you in NY? •••

Thanks, peanut! It does seem like just yesterday that our biggest worry was getting verified. My interviews are next week! I'll report back.
Good luck to you too!!

 

[C U in MD school]

peanut: my interview is on 12/12 @ 11:15.
what is the deal with that time. are we gonna have a interview 45 before lunch, then a tour or is it the other way around? which part of cali are u from?

SMW : congrats on the interview. which day and time?

also, do you guys know how long after our interview the committee meets to go over our file?

 

[SMW]

C U: My interview's on Thursday of next week. Don't know the time yet, because I'm supposed to call and schedule it. My Dad took the message and by the time I got it, they'd closed their office early today (1:00pm! which was 9:00am here). I'd like the 11:15 time, since my Columbia interview is the day before.

Good luck to all of you Albany interviewees! I feel a little like the sacrificial lamb here!

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Originally posted by SMW:
•C U: My interview's on Thursday of next week. Don't know the time yet, because I'm supposed to call and schedule it. My Dad took the message and by the time I got it, they'd closed their office early today (1:00pm! which was 9:00am here). I'd like the 11:15 time, since my Columbia interview is the day before.

Good luck to all of you Albany interviewees! I feel a little like the sacrificial lamb here! •••

SMW,

Did you not get an email from them?

I'll give you the info they gave me. It'll help you find out what time your interview is. My abridged version:

1) Go to <a href="http://www.amc.edu" target="_blank">http://www.amc.edu</a>
2) Click on "Education".
3) Click the "VISIT OUR ONLINE VIEWBOOK" image.
4) Click on the yellow post-it note image.
5) Type the following info:
Application Year: 2002
AAMC ID: your #
Pin Number: your SSN (or another pin you provided AMCAS)

Hope this helps you & good luck! Don't forget to report back to us!

 

[SMW]

No, SwampMan, I didn't get an e-mail. I tried your advice, but all it gets me is my supplemental app. But thanks for trying to help me out!
I will definitely report back.

 

[kd]

I interviewed (and was accepted) at Albany last year and didn't find it stressful at all. My MD interviewer was a really nice guy who just seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me. We just had a friendly chat about the school, the area, our interests, etc. The other interviewer was a retired faculty member- this one was a lot more formal. She was very thorough and raised a number of questions about my grades and background and asked me to explain a few discrepancies. She did ask a few ethical questions, but no big deal (I've had much worse at other schools!)
In my experience, Albany seems to highly value diverse backgrounds in its applicants. I think they were interested in me because I'm an older non-trad with an unusual background- so my advice is to highlight what makes YOU unique and use it to your advantage. Show them why you would be a unique and interesting addition to their class. Have some good reasons for why you applied to Albany. Be prepared with a few good questions to ask about the school. Above all, KNOW YOURSELF- especially if there's anything at all questionable in your record (interviews at Albany are completely open-file, so they know all about you before they meet you.)
Finally, RELAX! Albany interviews less than 10% of their 6000+ applicants, so if you've gotten an interview, they're obviously interested in you. Now it's up to you to confirm their impression of you and to show them why you'd like to go there. Good luck!

 

[Maple]

Hey CU,

I am going to be there at 11:15 too!! I am from Los Angeles as well. I have no clue how this timing is going to work out. I think they might do presentations (financial aid..etc) and lunch and then interview us. Talk about prolonging the misery!!

Kd: Thanks for your telling us about your experiences. It helps to know that we may not get high stress interviews. Did you end up not choosing Albany? Do you have any other info about their selection process? I mean, how many people they accept, etc...and most importantly how long it takes them to get back to applicant? That would be really helpful! Thanks

Happy thanksgiving guys!

 

[kd]

peanut- The way admissions works at Albany - according to the Director- is that applicants come up for review shortly after the interview and are assigned a score based on the "total package", i.e., interviews, grades, MCATs, recommendations, etc. Initially, they set the admissions standards very high so that only applicants with very high total scores (say, 90 out of 100 or whatever) are accepted immediately. These applicants usually receive an acceptance within a couple of weeks. Other applicants with strong applications are initially put on hold and a large number of those will be accepted later in the season. The required score drops as time goes by, so eventually the folks scoring in the 80's get in, etc.
Albany is a so-called "safety choice" for a lot of applicants, so lots of people end up turning them down to go to more prestigious (or, in my case, cheaper schools). When I was there, I met applicants who had interviewed at Penn, Hopkins, etc. and obviously these people probably ended up turning them down if they got into a school of that caliber. This is great news for people on the Albany waitlist, because it will move A LOT! I actually have data from 2 years ago showing that only 9% of all applicants received an interview and 37% of those interviewed were eventually offered an acceptance. So you've made the first and toughest cut already! You just have to be patient if you're not fortunate enough to be in that first lucky batch.
I turned down Albany to attend a less expensive in-state school. BTW you will find that some of the facilities at Albany are quite old and dated, but bear in mind that a school is about much more than mere outer appearances! Everyone I met was very friendly and I know I could have been happy and gotten a good education there.
BTW if you haven't already, check out interviewfeedback.com to read applicant interview reports.

 

[C U in MD school]

Kd: thank you for all the info and great advice. Thanx to your posts I not have a much better understanding of Albany.

Peanut: so peanut, it looks like we are gonna meet. Few questions, how many days are you staying at Albany? since our interview is on a wend, I was thinking of waiting around and going to that student thing. Are you gonna go? Have you found any good deals on airlines, hotels, etc? I went to Usair.com and their price was $242. Im still looking into hotels. the one's they recomd were out of my price range. I really hope i can find a hotel next to the school so that i can just walk on over. i really like that. ive dont it at few of my interviews and it has worked out really well for me. I'm really excited! let me know what your plans are.

Oh yea, HAPPY Tgiving everyone!

 

[Maple]

Hey KD,

Thanks so much for the info.

Hey CU,

How's it going? The long weekend is almost up! Bummer..how I hate Mondays! Oh well..
You know.I haven't gotten tickets yet for the ny trip. I am going to SLU before that..so all of my attentions is there right now..Still I think you got a good deal..the cheapest I've found (round trip) right now is around $258 with ATA. I'll probably get my tickets in a couple of days. The hard part of me is that my sister also has an interview that same day in NY..so we are trying to coordinate our stay/travel. So..I don't know where I am staying yet. Also..we have family there..so that may be a possibility. I am not sure about the informal session because of the timing. I think its supposed to be after hours (right?), so I'd like to attend..but I may end up leaving as soon as I am done to catch up with my sis. You are attending? It will be fun I think.

Did you check out all the inns/motels listed on the Albany web? A couple of them seem doable to me..but god knows how far they are from the campus!
Are you excited yet!?!? I am..and stressed! I'll write as soon as I've gotten my arrangments figured out! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

later,

 

[ssd]

hey peanut and CU...

i too am from l.a. i will be interviewing at albany on the 6th. i was looking at airline prices today and i found round-trip for 187.50 on american airlines. since you interview is a week after mine, i'm sure you can get that price also.

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Wow, ssd! That's a great price. I'm not traveling as far as you and was only able to get a round trip flight through US Airways for $214! Then again, I did wait a while before booking my flight. I was waiting for two other NY schools to respond to my inqueries regarding coordination of interviews, but neither did. I could have saved money if I had not bothered with them. Oh well, guess it was worth a try.

Good luck all. I'm getting excited about this upcoming interview.

 

[ssd]

i still haven't even booked my flight swampman. i'm still trying to coordinate another interview or two while i am out there. still no luck getting other schools to invite me that week. what schools did you call?

i got an interview invite from mcp hahnemann over the weekend. i'll call them tomorrow to see if they will take me while i'm out that direction. i'm not sure how i'll coordinate the airfare if they are able to squeeze me in 2 weeks from now.

 

[THE instiGATOR]

NYMC and AECOM

 

[C U in MD school]

Hey SwampMan, ssd &peanut,
Are we all ready for the interview!! I am so excited. I found great tickets on US air for 209. Not bad. I also will be staying at one of the hotels they recommend. It?s 1.3 miles from the school. I looked it up on orbitz.com. I?m still trying to decide on going to that wend night thing. It sounds like the adm office will be involved bec they say that they are willing to keep your bags in their office until the thing is over. Hmmmmm, what to do, what to do?
Anyway, I hope all is well with everyone. Don?t forget to come back and post your experience after your done with your interview. And peanut I will see you there.

 

[SMW]

OK guys, I'm reporting back. Either I was extremely lucky or Albany has changed their ways. No way was it a stress interview. A lot of chatting about Alaska and fishing, as I posted earlier on the "SMW, How's New York?" thread. Not much about the topic I wrote about on my secondary. I was interviewed by a pediatric neurologist who had worked in Alaska and by Jonathan Rosen, an assistant dean, who mostly wanted to know about my family situation -- he actually showed me pics of his kids! The hardest question I was asked was what I thought about assisted suicide, but I was prepared, having reviewed ethical issues thoroughly before I left. I was also asked about my ethnic status, as I don't "look" the part. It was not a hostile question, however, just curious.
I definitely recommend the student informational session the night before the interview. It's where you meet your student host, if you have one, which I also highly recommend. It's run by second years, who give a presentation and then answer questions. If you're not going to stay with a student, then it might be even more important to go. Afterward a bunch of students and interviewees went out for drinks, and it was quite an enjoyable evening. A lot of the 2nd years were hysterically funny, and it was nice to laugh and not stress about my interview the next morning. My student host(ess) was extremely nice and helpful, driving me around (everyone has cars there - no student housing) and making me feel at home. One little glitch -- the staff was quite casual about informing me about the names of my interviewers, so I left confused about who they were, and had to call back and get their names. But the staff didn't mind looking it up for me.

kd, thanks for all that info about the interview evaluation process. I agree, everyone's very friendly, and while the facilities are a little old, apparently renovations are in the works.

 

[C U in MD school]

SMW - thanx for getting back to us! so, when do ya expect to hear from them? did they tell you? also, was your interview open or close file?
again, THANK YOU!

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Let the games begin!!! In a few minutes, I'll be packing for my flight to Albany. How cool! I haven't been on a plane in almost 12 years! Can't wait for that stomach lifting sensation tomorrow.

Let's hope everything goes well. Knowing myself, I wouldn't be surprised to find that I forgot to pack my tie or something!

I'll let everyone know how it goes. Good Luck!

 

[C U in MD school]

You go SwampMan!

 

[SMW]

Originally posted by C U in MD school:
•SMW - thanx for getting back to us! so, when do ya expect to hear from them? did they tell you? also, was your interview open or close file? again, THANK YOU!•••

They said I could hear anytime between a week from now and April! (That jibes with kd's post above, and what we were told at the informational meeting about the rating system.) Interviews were open file.

GOOD LUCK, C U, SwampMan, ssd, and peanut!!!

 

[ssd]

thanks for the update smw. it's encouraging to think that albany is straying away from the stress interviews. i am a reapplicant who had a couple of interviews last year, but none of them were confrontational at all. i hope to keep my string of stressless interviews going. it's going to work out for me this year.

i wish that i had the option to stay with a student host, but it's not available for tomorrow night. which hotel are you staying at C U?

i'll be following right on swampman's heels and boarding my plane for albany tomorrow. i'll follow that up with a weekend in nyc and an interview at mcp hahnemann next monday. wish me luck guys!

 

[C U in MD school]

ssd : i wish u all the luck. i'm staying at crowne which is 1.2 miles from the school. $96/night. here is the #518-462-6611. good luck at mcp too.

dont forget about us, you come back and visit

 

[C U in MD school]

bump... up you go....

 

[THE instiGATOR]

ssd:

I think I met you the night of the 5th (at the informational meeting). I was the guy in the blue shirt sitting next to you, if that was you.

I hope your interview went well. As I said the night of the 5th, mine was pretty rough. I have no idea what the verdict will be.

I mentionted MCP Hahnemann to you the night of the fifth (again, if that was you). At the time I did not have an interview. When I arrived back in Florida, I had an invitation from them in my mailbox. Please let me know what you think of the school after you interview with them on Monday.

I'm sitting on an acceptance from the University of South Alabama. Tuition is very little (&lt;10K), but the resources are limited. The campus is also quite small and it is located in an isolated section of Mobile. These are aspects that I do not favor. On the other hand, the school has a great record with the USMLE and their students get tons of hands-on experience. Because you are interviewing at expensive private schools, as I am, I have to ask you if you think it is worth it for me to continue. If you had an acceptance from your state school, would you be traveling to schools like Albany? It was nice (not as nice as the University of Florida but nicer than South Alabama), but the tuition is CRAZY!!! Let me know how you are/would be handling a situation like this, please.


To all others on this thread:

My first interview was great. I was asked to discuss a situation I have encountered that involved the use of ethics. I was allowed to choose the situation myself, so I was not stressed. The second interview, however, was pretty bad. My interviewer started by asking my opinion about euthanasia. We then moved on to stem cell use, abortion and the use of animals in research. After those four delightful topics, my interviewer proceeded to tell me that the school might not suit me well because I seem too certain of the field of medicine I wish to pursue. I think he wanted me to convince him otherwise, which I tried to do. I have no clue what will happen on Tuesday when they get together to discuss my application.

Albany is nice. Cost of living is not too bad. For those coming from larger cities, it will seem cheap. I, however, found it only slightly higher than what I now endure.


Well, gotta wrap this up. Good luck to those who must still interview.

 

[C U in MD school]

SwampMan: thanx for the info. sounds really rough. you got me worried now. did you compare your interview exprience with others while you were there? did everyone in your group had it this rough?

god i hate this. why do they put us through all this ****. i hope you hear from adcom soon.

would you mind sharing with us your interviewers names (so that we can get heads up if we get them too)?

 

[Maple]

Hey Guys..

How's it going?

Swampman: Wow..that does sound tough! But..I am sure you handled it just fine. They 2nd interviewer, may be trying to see how you handle yourself under difficult situations..My sister had a tough interviewer, back in septmber..he pretty much grilled her (open file) about grades, her background etc..She got in 1 month ago! So....you never know! BTW..did you hear from NYMC? I just got an invite..of course its too late for me to schedule with Albany (12/12) but..I am still happy to get it. Judging from your experience, I better start prepping for Albany..my SLU interview(12/4) was really low key..so I am still in the "glowy" state of mind!

Hey CU: Ready? I am not! Not yet anyway..
see you on wednesday!

 

[C U in MD school]

peanut: how are you gonna prepare? i've been reading newsweek, time, etc ( i feel like i'm studying for the verbal section ) do you know of any websites with good info?

also, where are you staying? student?

i decided to stay over wend night and go to the student welcome committee. you going?

gotta go read...

 

[SMW]

Originally posted by C U in MD school:
•peanut: how are you gonna prepare? i've been reading newsweek, time, etc ( i feel like i'm studying for the verbal section ) do you know of any websites with good info?•••

Hey, C U, see my advice to dynamite on the "First Interview: AE" thread. Lots of websites. Good luck!!

 

[THE instiGATOR]

C U: Yes, I did talk with the other applicants about their interviews...briefly. I was given the impression that one has a single "getting to know you" interview and a single "ethics/semi-stressful" interview. Even though my interview was difficult, it could have been much worse. I answered the questions truthfully...as one should, but get the feeling that my interviewer disagreed with me on the issues of abortion and animal use in research. He seemed to be cool with my euthanasia response and semi-cool with my stem cell response. I don't know that having the name of my interviewer will be of any assistance to you. There are 16 people on the admissions committee (I believe), and each interviews. You sign in when you arrive and they pick you file up from a stack. You'll have no notice until you are being walked to your interview site. If you reeeeeealy want the name of the guy who gave me a hard time, PM me. I'll send it to you.


peanut: No word from NYMC.


Good luck to the both of you. Albany's strengths, BTW, are urology and cardiology. This is what they told me. Just thought I'd toss that last bit in FYI.

 

[daisygirl]

Swampman,
If you do not mind, could you give details as to what they asked you with respect to abortion? Your response? I am just curious.
Thanks

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Sorry, I think people should give their own opinions.

My interviewer stressed that there were no right or wrong answers. If he was being truthful, you should not need to worry about jeopardizing your chances by providing an unfiltered answer.

 

[Maple]

Hey CU,

I am just going to read about the school and check out CNN.com! I think that stem cell issues (like Swampman's interview), might pop up..so that's something to think about.

I don't think that I am going to attend the student session afterwards..I would probably need to grab my sis from NYMC. She has to be there on the 12th too. Since she needs to be there around 8 am..we are going to stay close to Vallhala and I am going to go to Albany. You got a good deal on a hotel! We are going to end up paying about $20/night more then you. When are you leaving?

Ok..see you later,

 

[altaskier]

SwampMan,


What did they ask you about euthanasia and how did you respond? Just curious b/c I've been asked about it and I just wanted to see what the take on it was from other people.

thanks

 

[C U in MD school]

peanut: i'm gonna be staying that wend night for the student thing. you know, you and your sis are welcome to stay in my room after our interview day. i will be there on until thurs.

 

[vixen]

hey I'm from Albany and I just wanted to say that I think it's a great place to to go to school (I go to school somewhere else because I wanted to be away from home)...It's big enough to have stuff to do, and small enough to not get too distracted, it's a pretty place and not far from bigger cities (3hrs from NYC, Boston and Montreal)

Good luck

 

[ssd]

swampman,

i do remember you. i had a different interviewer, but got hit equally hard with ethics and other topics with the second guy. my first interviewer was great, an administrator who was very conversational and genuinely interested in my research and volunteer experiences. the second interviewer was a physician who opened up the conversation asking me if my science grades were really as low as what he was looking at on the amcas printout. he was definitely testing me throughout the entire interview with ethical questions, questioning my desire to enter medicine, and questioning whether a californian would be able to handle the albany weather.

although i was more impressed with mcp hahnemann, i would definitely love to get an acceptance from albany. my first interviewer told me that they were pretty close to establishing the score cutoff for immediate acceptance, but said that we might not hear for a couple of weeks. she told me to call her this friday and she would tell me how the meeting went with the committee. i'll let you know if she gives me any information that might be useful to you.

if you have an acceptance in your pocket then i would be very selective about schools where you interview if finances are a big hindrance. with that being said, i would really recommend checking out hahnemann.