Nashville, TN
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 14% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.8
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 1,200 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as low stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (89%)
Negatively (5%)
No change (7%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (31%)
Good (52%)
Average (16%)
Poor (1%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants provided feedback that the school and interview day were highly enjoyable and left a positive impression, with many expressing a newfound preference for the institution. They appreciated the welcoming and friendly atmosphere, the conversational nature of the interviews, the facilities, and the enthusiastic students and faculty. Suggestions included better structuring of the day, ensuring interviewers are familiar with applicants' files, and maintaining diversity within the student body.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Loved the school, it's now my #1 choice.
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It was a great interview day! They were very kind.
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Don't sweat it.
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Really loved the school, the curriculum is awesome, students seem happy, Nashville would be a great place to live
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Overall a really fun day!
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Vanderbilt is an excellent school. The students, staff, and faculty are extremely happy there. Even though the process was a little rushed, they totally sold me on their school. They are currently my 1st choice as a result of the interview.
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I wish we could've seen more of the Children's Hospital, but other than that, my day was perfect!
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Short interview has more scenario based questions, like "tell me about a time when... ethical dilemma, something about trust, etc.." The long interview is supposed to be conversational. Ironically, my long interview was difficult due to the interviewer but the interviewer for the short interview was much more relaxed and easy to talk to. I guess this comes down to luck so there is nothing you can do, but be aware it can happen so you don't get thrown off like I did.
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So Vandy changed their interviewing process. You get a long open file one and a short closed file one. For me, both interviews were in the style of conversations but I heard from other interviewees that this is the not the case for the short closed file one. They get a list of 'hard questions" to challenge you in the short closed file. My interviewee asked the questions in a nice conversation way but she often picked some things that i said and asked me why I did it this way or why I didn't do it another way. So be prepared to not fall into traps and to hold your grounds confidently but not obnoxiously! Long open file was meant to give you a chance to talk about the things u want to focus on and just to get a sense of who you are. I find that mock interviews with your friends and significant other are a great way to get you more comfortable to talk about yourself! ASK yourself challenging questions! Good luck!
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This was my first interview, but I was very impressed with the people, facilities, and atmosphere of Vandy.
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2 faculty interviews. One (the "short" interview) is closed file and the other (the "long interview" is open file). Both of my interviews acutally ended up being around the same length (~30-40 mins). You find out the name of your "long" interviewer when you book the interview and your "short" interviewer on the day of.
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Very relaxed and comfortable, but be prepared because VUSM still is one of the top programs in the nation. VUSM program details: World renowned faculty (dr. Dalley Anatomy), brand new top quality facilities (CELA, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Childrens Hospital, etc), Research (#1 growth rate in NIH funding for the past 5 years), a unique focus on community and wellness (advisory colleges).
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Great school. Great place. Hope I get in.
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This school is awesome !
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Great academics, beautiful campus, and friendly people.
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Everyone was very nice, and in talking to my student host, the level of collaboration between students is really impressive. Rather than emphasizing a specific program like PBL, the school has professors teach using whatever style they find fitting. Podcasts of lectures are available. The hospitals are right next to each other which is really convenient. Overall it seems like a great school!
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Amazing school with amazing scores and very happy people all around.
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Really great school. You can do anything at this school and the facilities are top-notch. All hospitals are on the same campus, so you don't have to drive all over town. They have the first or second highest board scores in the country, so something's working. Students are all friends. Wished the tour could have been longer and more in-depth, though.
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Everyone is so friendly there. Your interviewer only sees your AMCAS app. It's very informal and stress-free. Most interviewers just want to talk about who you are, not ask you silly Miss America-type questions or grill you on health policy.
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Vanderbilt had a lot to live up to, because my expectations were so high after reading other people's feedback. It was not exactly what I expected, but the tour of the Children's hospital might be enough to make me want to go there. Sit in on a first-year class if you can.
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I love this school. if you don't love it after your interview day, something is seriously wrong with you.
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Such a nice school with amazing resources. Beautiful campus and buildings too. I sat in a first year lecture which was really cool. I'd definitely recommend doing that.
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Vanderbilt was my number one choice before going to the interview and I doubt another school will dethrone it. It was my first interview so I was very nervous but Vanderbilt treats its interviewees very well. Expect a relaxed interview!
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Interviewer has your AMCAS and nothing else.
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It's an amazing school and students seem genuinely happy. they also seemed to have worked out the kinks with the new curriculum (2 years old now)
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The admissions staff walks you to your interview, which is something that I have not seen anywhere else. Everyone in the Vanderbilt family seemed to really love being there, and their energy was infectious. This school was not a top choice for me early on, but after this trip, it firmly planted itself as a place that I would love to study medicine at.
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Part of it was probably airline nightmares and the odd interview, but I just didn't get a good feeling about the school. Not a good fit for me, I guess. Least favorite interview experience I've had so far.
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Vanderbilt is awesome and everyone is friendly and fun to talk to. Talk about a great day!
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I liked Vandy a lot.
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Great school, didn't like it too much before but after visit, very impressed with it. Interview is very laid back, it was my first one so I was naturally a little nervous
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A fantastic school with a low pressure interview
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Great school, I hope I get in!
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The interviewer only had access to my primary app, not my secondary. I think this is standard for Vandy.
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Just an amazing place.
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If possible, I would recommend the afternoon interview. provides you with less downtime.
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Great school!
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I was skeptical of how overwhelmingly positive the other interview feedback entries were for Vandy, but once I got there I completely understood why. This school is the real deal. This was my first interview and I must say that before my visit this school was barely on my radar. I now feel that it is going to be a tough act to follow for whatever schools come next.
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I just felt good being there. The way you feel at an interview is a personal thing. Your day will begin depending on when your interview is. And it will end depending on when your interview is as well. I got along very well with the other interviewees, we were cracking jokes while watching a lost episode on ABC.com it was very laid back!
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My interviewer was a great guy. We basically just chatted for 45 min. He touched on my interests and prior academic experiences but never asked any difficult questions. Don't stress about this one.
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The day is very relaxed and low stress. The other students interviewing were a lot of fun and very friendly. The staff is friendly too and they have good suggestions about how to get to know the school better (watch the Cadaver Ball dvd). The interview is REALLY casual and is just a long conversation. The interviewers only have your AMCAS so they only bring up experiences listed there. The student lunch and tour is nice as well. All of the facilities seem nice and the students are really informative. Nashville seems like a really great place to spend 4 years.
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Now that interview season is over, I can confidently say that I would describe Vanderbilt's interview day as one of (if not the) most positive interview experiences I had out of my 10 interviews. The school sells itself really well. Vandy is definitely an ''on the rise'' med school with a ton of new things being built and a relatively recent (but positive) curriculum change. Student satisfaction seems really high and a spending a day or two around Nashville will dispel most negative preconceptions one has about ''the South.''
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The interviewer was a "famous syrgeon", but he did not seem to care much about me. He was nice, but the interview was very short (30 min) and he kept glancing at his pager/email the whole time. It felt like he did not really care about what I had to say. It really made me feel horrible, especially since Vanderbilt prides itself with its "laid back" "we want to know you" interviews.
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The interview was very low-key like everyone has said. It was like having a conversation rather than an interview. Make sure you have some questions prepared for the interviewer, as the conversation is divided equally between you and the interviewer. If you want to share something about your experiences, make sure you bring it up!
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I didn't get a very warm feeling going there. I thought I had bombed my interview because it was so short and the lady escorting me there had no idea where she was going (10 min late). But I got accepted a month and a half later.
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The admissions staff is very friendly and the interview is very laid back.
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Interview was laid back, one tough question was what he should emphasize to the adcom, which I think is a weird question...
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Very, very exciting and fun! I highly enjoyed meeting with the students and faculty....now I just have to sit and hope they liked me too!
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It was a good experience overall, but I wasn't totally impressed by their presentation. They left us with too much free time and we did not get to see enough of the school.
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It was really laid back and really fantastic. I loved the school. LOVED IT!!!
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Hmm well it was pretty much the chillest interview ever. Just got into his office and just talked about everything and nothing. Really conversational. Just some random questions to confirm that i have a balanced life, and to know about my family and extracurricular experiences. NOTHING TO STRESS ABOUT PPLE!!
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Vandy moved to my #1 school after my interview. And to be frank, it'll be difficult deciding which school to attend. Overall it was a great experience and I look forward to attending the 2nd look weekend
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Very laid back, conversational interview, student hosts were unbelievable
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Overall, it was a great experience. The interviews were conversational and relaxed. Also, they paid for everything.
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My interviewer was very difficult to read, but was rather friendly and had a lot of impressive life experiences, which made for an interesting conversation. The only downside was that I felt a little worthless in light of his accomplishments, and I couldn't tell if he liked me or not. But I guess that's every interview... There is a lot of construction going on around campus, and I had to walk across campus (with a guide) to get to my interview, then walk back to get back to the admissions office. I'd recommend comfortable shoes, as there's quite a bit of walking throughout the day. The tour was nice, though a bit long. I liked that some first and second year students would come talk to the interviewees while we were sitting in the admissions office. Everyone seemed to really want to let you know how happy they were at Vandy.
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Friendly and reserved interviewer. Questions were all general (a bit too general in my opinion). Since I am a Canadian applicant, I was expecting to be asked about pros and cons of the Canadian and American health care systems and my reasons for choosing to study in the US.
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Very relaxed, my interviewer actually talked for a good 15 minutes during the interview. MAJOR TIP: the interview is in your hands. Know what you want the interviewer to know, and make sure you get it in. My guy asked me many open ended questions, like: what do you do at your school? I started listing some things, pausing thinking he might want to ask more into each thing, but he took my pause like my answer was over, and I ended up not getting in some key info about me. Also, my interviewer didn't seem too informed about my AMCAS, i've heard different about Vbilt though.
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Vanderbilt is an excellent medical school. After visiting, they're now my top choice.
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Excellent. Went really well. My interviewer was incredible and really just wanted to get to know me.
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I've had 3 interviews now. This was the first time that the interviewer actually took time to read my AMCAS app before the interview. Definitely makes the interview a lot easier for me because the interviewer already knows my file and can ask specific, directed questions. Unfortuntately, the interview only lasted 20 minutes. Maybe my answers should have been longer or I should have asked more questions. Oh well, the admissions office said that the interviewer usually is not on the admissions committee. They just write an evaulation of the interview, so it just becomes part of the file that the AD Com reads. So I'm thinking that the interview doesn't carry as much weight in the admissions process as it does at other schools.
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It was very friendly and conversational. He did a lot of talking, which is a bad thing in retrospect. The questions seemed to come up in conversation rather than out of the blue. It was a pleasant experience, but I wish it gave me more of a chance to sell myself to him.
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Overall my impression of Vanderbilt was positive. I like this school, and I'd be interested in going here. I thought that the interview day was relatively personal and well-run, especially considering that Vanderbilt plans to interview close to 1000 applicants this year. When you go, ask Dawn Sharp to show you the videos of the Cadaver Balls from previous years while you're waiting in the interviewee room.
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The questions were all open-ended and there was not at all a sense of interrogation by the interviewer. The interview was conversational and friendly. I liked how I was able to somewhat lead the interview and answer the questions in a way that I wanted.
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Wonderful experience...Vandy is now in my top 3 if not my number one.
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It was actually a really pleasant experience. I think the best advise I could give is to try and relax as much as possible because they really aren't out to ''trap'' you. Short of some weird experience, you'll probably leave the interview day extremely eager to hear back from them. Vandy was high on my list, but being down there definitely shot it to the top.
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The interview was very conversational. Everyone I met was excited about Vanderbilt.
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Interview was just fine- very conversational. none of the ''tough questions''. he talked just as much as I did.
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It was a great first interview experience. Low pressure. Also, I was very impressed with the school and left feeling like I could definitely see myself attending Vandy.
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It was very, very good. The people at Vandy do a fantastic job of making you feel welcome and excited about the next four years of your life.
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Like i said ... very chill/conversational
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The whole experience was fantastic. The interview was laid back and the facilities were great.
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As my first interview, I thought it was great. It definitely eased me into this whole process.
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It was very good...the staff and faculty were all very nice, the interviewer had obviously read my application, the students were very enthusiastic and willing to answer any and all questions.
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Overall - it was a good experience. i botched it b/c it was my first one and was really nervous
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Good overall. This was my first interview, but there was absolutely nothing to be nervious about. It seems that most med school interviews are conversational and laid back. Vanderbilt was no exception. The people are the best thing about Vanderbilt; the students and faculty are so nice and are in love with their school (for many good reasons)!
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The interview was pretty straightforward. He asked me a lot of questions about what I was looking for in a medical school, what a medical school should be doing and how, and then would talk to me about how Vanderbilt might or might not meet my needs. He did a lot of talking.
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I was very pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the students, the faculty, the facilities. I got there early, sat in the second year class, went to my interview, which was very informal (he had his feet on the table). The faculty member I got interviewed by was fantastic, we really got along, it was very conversational. Then I went back for the tour and lunch. I skipped the Children's Hospital tour to meet with one of the deans who wanted to see me, which was also very interesting. Overall, it was one of the best interviews that I have been on.
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Paid a visit to the Office of Diversity, had my interview, mingled with applicants, an info session, lunch was given, talked to students and had a tour
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Laid back, interesting
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It went well. The interviewer was very conversational and relaxed. She also made a great effort to answer all of the questions that I had for her about Nashville and the school itself.
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Very conversational, not at all stressful. But, I have to be honest. My interviewer was CLEARLY just there out of obligation, and did not seem too excited about it. She was really nice, but she invited her colleague in during the middle of our interview to discuss one of their patients. I thought that was weird.
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A very long, but casual conversation with a very enthusiastic doctor. answered any questions I had for him, let me dictate what to talk about for the most part.
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Positive and long. While my interviewer was very nice, it was hard to read his expression. He also never questioned my reasons for pursuing medicine...
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I had a late interview, so I didn't have to be at the school until 11:00. We had a presentation about the school, financial aid, the curriculum, etc. and then students gave us an abbreviated tour of the building that houses classes. Then we had lunch (it was good) in a conference room, a tour of the children's hospital, and sat around until our interviews. Altogether it was a relatively low-stress day.
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Was surprised by how many Harvard students were interviewing. i appreciate that they start relatively later in the day (10am). the campus is quite beautiful
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Thrilling, actually. My interviewer was just an excellent sort of person.
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Overall, the day wasn't too stressful. It was definitely laid back, both in terms of the day and the interview. The interview is a get to know you kind of experience where they aren't out to grill you on anything and is very conversational. My interviewer knew my application pretty well and was really friendly - he helped me to get back to the admissions office after the interview.
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Interview was mostly conversational. He was from Texas as was I and we basically bullshitted for the entire time. The secretary had given him the wrong file the day before and so he had to read it as my interview went on. He never really asked questions, not even the standard ones such as why Vandy or why medicine. He asked me to explain more on a couple of select items in my resume, told me I had a great shot at getting in A medical school, and then gave me a 20 minute speech on why Vandy is good where I interjected every now and then to try and discuss more normal topics. Then we moved on to Texas related things and then questions for him. Honestly I don't know how you'd choose someone with questions like this but i'm crossing my fingers.
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I was surprised at how many people they interviewed on the same day. There were quite a few of us there. I interviewed in the morning, then we had an informational session where a faculty member told us about the changing curriculum, a fourth year talked about the last two years of the program, and there was a presentation on financial aid. After, we went on a brief tour of Light Hall and the library. Then we had lunch and there was an optional tour of Children's Hospital. I would recommend taking it; the hospital is amazing.
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Amazing!!!
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Overall, a very relaxed experience. I would suggest scheduling a morning interview if possible so that you have the time in the afternoon to go on the student-guided tour. My interview was very casual as my interviewer really only asked me to expound on some of my AMCAS activities, rather than trying to challenge my belief system with thought provoking questions. He asked some questions about me for about 25-30 minutes and then he allowed me to ask him questions about the school. We chatted back and forth about Vanderbilt for almost an hour. Make sure you have some questions lined up ahead of time. Because the faculty takes such pride in their relationship with students, I would ask about something like that...they enjoy talking about it and their passion really shines through. The tour was ok, nothing special. If you have the chance between your interview and the tour, I would suggest taking the time to walk the undergrad campus as you won't see it on the tour. Vanderbilt definitely impressed me as a place where learning comes first. I think the medical education you get at Vanderbilt is on par with any school in the nation and the facilities are top-notch and getting better. On the other hand, I got kind of a strange feeling that this wouldn't really be a place where I was challenged outside of the academics. I guess, for me at least, it felt safe...like staying in the box, rather than trying to take in new things outside the box. Maybe that's just me. Nonetheless, I would be very happy going here.
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I really enjoyed this interview. It was very conversational and relaxed.
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It was very conversational and relaxed. My interviewer had clearly knew my file but did not sit with it in front of her. She asked very straightforward questions. At the end she said she even had fun!
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Very good. i wish i had mentioned some more things during my interview.
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I had a really good time. Students, faculty, and staff were really friendly and helpful. My interviewer was pretty informative about what's good to consider in the admissions process. There is a lot of opportunity for student research, which is very impt to me. It seems like a great place to go to school!
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Overall, I felt great about my interview, and I had a fantastic day. I'm really hoping I receive an acceptance from Vandy!
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Very laid back and relaxed conversational interview. It ended up a lot less stressful than I expected, especially since this was my first interview. My interviewer basically told me that their job is just to get to know te applicant as a person, and not to grill them on details or anything.
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It was great!! very relaxed.
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First, a talk about the school from the dean of admissions. Then a little about financial aid and a presentation about the new and exciting curriculum. A tour by two very nice students followed by lunch. Interviews are either in the morning or afternoon. If you miss the children's hospital tour, ask and you can get a special tour. It is worth it.
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My interview was more structured than is typical of interviews here. Most other interviewers just 'shoot the breeze.' My Interviewer seemed to have a standardized set of questions that he likes to ask but I imagine that it helps him be objective in his judgement of applicants. The interview was very informative for me also and a very good experience.
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Excellent. It was a two-way dialogue that flowed naturally. We covered important aspects of my application, but the questions weren't direct, and I was able to lead the discussion back to my strong points.
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My interviewer had a lot of titles, so I was pretty intimidated ahead of time. However, as soon as I arrived at her office, I relaxed. She greeted me in a friendly manner, said how much she enjoyed interviewing prospective students, and explained exactly how the interview process would go. We then had a nice conversation, really bidirectional, for about 40 minutes. We could have gone longer but my information session was approaching.
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Overall really awesome; got in a day early to explore the campus and find the admissions office; interviewer was really nice and truly loved the place
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Interview was almost too laid back, but we conversed for about 90 minutes about topics that usually didn't involve medicine!
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Overall, I was excited about the whole expereince, but there was a lingering discomfort about the treatment I received from the secretary in the admissions office.
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We had a little bit of downtime before the interview, and then afterwards we had a financial aid presentation. But basically the presentation was all about how to take out the necessary loans.
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The interview was great, very comfortable. The interview was more conversational than just a question & answer session. My interviewer had a list of questions he wanted to ask me but most of our discussion went off the answers I gave. Everyone gave me a sense that they just expected to see you in the Fall, instead of "if you get accepted...." This was my first interview so I know I tripped up on a few questions, mostly because I was nervous and drew a blank on what I wanted to say. As long as you know what is on your AMCAS app, you will do fine. Try to be yourself, they are looking for how you are as a person...not if you answer their questions correctly or not.
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Everyone there seemed genuine and really enthusiastic about their school
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My interview experience was very positive. The people at the admissions office were helpful and the interview was essentially a conversation. I was also impressed by the students.
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A casual interview. My interviewer was very friendly and genuinely wanted to get to know me. The whole interview was just conversational, with hardly any real questions asked.
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It was a wonderful day; Lunch was good!
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It was good, I spend the night with a student host, and learned alot about the school. My interview was really really long, and really tried to get to know me.
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Like everyone else has said, everything was very laid back and cool. Know your AMCAS inside/out. Make sure you can succinctly explain you research, and also your motivations and lessons learned from each of the activities you participated in.
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The school impressed me very favorably: it seems like the staff and administration are genuinely helpful. It also seems like the students enjoy themselves -- parties, sports tournaments, etc. The new emphasis program seems very promising.
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I was interviewed almost 15 minutes after arriving. After the interview they talk about the curriculum, financial aid, etc. Then tours.
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The admissions basically discussed logistics for a half hour, then a brief powerpoint, and then 3 hours to do whatever we wanted. Although I like the freedom to explore, none of us knew where to go or what would be important to us as med students other than the library and lecture halls. There was construction everywhere. My interview lasted only 25 minutes and was the last one of the day, which sucks seeing I spent $350. I mean come on...at least give me 45 minutes. THe interviewer was a great guy , but I didn't feel like he got to know me that well, which will likely result in a poor and objective recommendation. I appreciated that he at least read my application before hand. I think that 75% of those who interviewed with me viewed Vanderbilt negatively after that day.
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Really horrible, which is weird 'cause everyone else said theirs was light and fluffy. My interviewer argued with pretty much everything I said; by the end I was exhausted. I still really want to go though...
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The interview is not stressful at all, so don't worry about it. There were a few questions that I wish I had answered more articulately but that's all. Ovearll, I was so, so impressed with the school. The students are so friendly and warm with one another. And the facilities are amazing, especially the chidren's hospital. Vandy is definitely my top choice, so here's hoping I get in!
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I think it was pretty good, although I feel like my interviewer had his mind made up about me even before my interview. Whether this was good or bad I couldn't tell.
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It was very low stress. My interviewer was just trying to fill in gaps in my application. We ended up talking about outdoorsy stuff.
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Had a fun, engaging, and helpful interviewer. Overall experience was positive although I didn't leave feeling satisfied with my performance. Information session was brief but helpful, and tours were pretty nifty.
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Good- the interviewer was nice and knowledgable about the program at many levels (she was an alumnus) I liked Nashville- I would love to go here
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Converstaional
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I showed up at 9:30am to check in and everything, and Ms. Sharp walked me to my first interview (most people only have one interview, but as a Vandy student, I guess I get two... great!) which went very well. The interviewer had looked over my file in depth and asked questions about my activities... he even wants me to start a program at VUMS like one in which I was involved during undergrad. After that interview, there was a bit of waiting; however, at noon, our guides picked us up, took us to the cafeteria (where we got a $7 voucher, but good luck spending it all - cheeseburger, side, dessert, drink all came up to $4.70 for me. We sat and chatted, and then split into groups - late interviewers (or morning interviewers) got the full tour, while those interviewing before 2pm got the rushed, abbreviated tour. After returning to the admissions office, I was escorted by a staff person to my second interviewer's office; however, I had to wait 35 minutes for him - apparently, he had picked me up as a favor for someone else and had completely forgotten to put me in his palm. In any case, I got a chance to get to know his nurse a bit, giving me a hand up, hopefully. He was very apologetic and asked the traditional questions (nothing terribly thought-provoking or interesting), probably because he hadn't reviewed my AMCAS - he began to while I was sitting there and then decided that he didn't want to read while I was waiting. After an hour and fifteen minutes, it was then back to the admissions office to drop off my plastic name badge holder (they recycle them) and then home.
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Absolutely a great experience. I was definitely nervous going in, but mhy interview ended up lasting fo 90 minutes. The interviewer was great, very friendly and cordial, and also very thoughtful and the interview was much more of a back and forth conversation and we both asked eachother questions throughout. The school itself is awesome--they do everything and then some in terms of their med studnets, and it shows in the interview process. enjoy the experience, know your primary application well, and be yourself! good luck!
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The whole interview was pretty coversational and my interviewer was more concerned with me having all my questions answered than questioning me. It was a little concerning since I was not sure he learned much more about me, but I left the interview feeling he had a pretty good sense of who I was. The information sessions and tour are pretty standard as these types of things go.
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VERY low stress. The day starts with a brief introduction by the Assistant Director of Admissions. This is followed by a discussion of financial aid. Thereafter, a 4th-year speaks with you before a faculty members outlines the curriculum. Then, there are several tours and your interview.
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The interviewer really tries to get to know you. My interviewer read over my AMCAS pretty thourouly, and asked relevant questions. The faculty there really show that they genuinely care about the students. The facilities are nice, lots of new buildings and new constructions. You get to eat lunch with a few current med students.
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Great! A very relaxed conversation. It seemed too easy, actually, but I guess I'll see if I get accepted!
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Wonderful experience.
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This was my first interview so I really had no idea what to expect. I had a morning interview so I arrived the night before and walked around the med center to get an idea of where I was to go the next day. I think I knew the day was going to be good when I entered the admissions office and met Dawn Sharp, who is definitely one of the nicest people ever. The interview itself was a little choppy at first because he asked me if I had any questions at the very beginning, which caught me off guard, but soon we were able to start a conversation. Before I knew it, it had already been about 70 minutes when our talk came to an end. For the next 3-4 hours, we learned about the curriculum, financial aid, toured the school, had lunch and then toured the children's hospital. From this experience, I gathered that Vanderbilt definitely has a very friendly, homely atmosphere which people can adjust to very quickly.
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My interviewer was amazing, made me forget that I was begging for the next four years. lasted 2 hours 45 minutes, talked about pretty much everything except tough questions. she knew my amcas well, but as long as you're honest it will not be a sweat AT ALL. Some other people didn't have as good a time. one person got asked immediately if he had any questions, whatever he said the interviewer immediately told him he should have asked about the strengths and weaknesses of vandy's program...but most people said it was chill. I really got the impression she just wanted to get to know me, and was not grading or judging anything I said. she gave a lot of advice on choosing a med school also. I stayed with a student both nights, definitely recommend it, you get a much better sense of the school. played IM soccer with a bunch of the students my first night, went out to dinner with a group of 10 the second night.
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The interview was shorter than I would have liked because my interviewer was busy. Though extremely congenial and pleasant. The whole day I was surrounded by really nice, helpful people who seemed really excited to be at Vanderbilt.
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My interview was just like everyone else who posted on this site - low-key and relaxed. However, my interview lasted an hour and 45 minutes. We each spoke about half the time.
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Excellent
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Basically, my interviewer hadn't read my application, so I was just asked to talk about myself ... which I did for basically the whole time, just reciting my AMCAS. I'm not sure that it added anything for them, other than the knowledge that I'm not a psychopath or something.
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It was a really great experience. Nice interviewer, admissions staff, even the other interviewees were all relaxed
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Very impressive, definitely one of my top choices
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VERY low stress. My interviewer started by asking me about some travel experiences I've had, then just asked questions as they came about naturally in conversation. I intermittently asked questions as well. We found a lot of common ground to discuss & it was not a Q&A session at all. Very relaxed. I can't believe I was stressing about skirt vs. pants or anything along those lines at all, it's just very low-key.
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Very conversational and friendly. My interviewer was great and asked "get to know you" questions.
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Very friendly interviewer, talked more than I did, kept asking if I had questions
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The people are so welcoming, from my student host to the admission office, to my interviewers. People kept saying Vandy was one of the most laid back of all their interviews
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This is a great school, although I was left wishing that I had studied in an ivy league school...
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The interview was extremely conversational. At no point did i feel uncomfortable, and no "challenge" or "situational" questions were posed. The interviewer clearly hadn't read my secondary, but that wasn't necessarily bad as it gave us ample subjects to discuss.
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Morning interview at 10, info session 11:15, student guided tour 12-1, lunch with the group/students 1-2, optional children's tour 2-3. spent alot of time with the people i interview with. everyone was really nice. this school attracts alot of ivy kids. female interviewer who seemed to really like talking. 1st part, she asked ?s and I answered, then did the reverse for the second part. started running out of ?s to ask.
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Very informal
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For a first interview, this was fabulous. Nashville is inviting, the students are enthusiastic, and the interviewers are friendly. Who could ask for anything more?
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Had a great interviewer. great students at the school. My first med school interview and med school visit, but it will be hard to top that one. The atmosphere is wonderful
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It seemed she just printed out my ECs and took notes on the back. She asked one question each about community service, research, leadership, and my hobbies. That was it, and it couldn't have taken more than 30 minutes, and she didn't ask for more detail during my explanations. I was a little discouraged, until I got to ask her questions. Then she became really engaging, and we probably spent 45 minutes as I interviewed her. That was a huge plus, because I think my interview went a lot better as a result. She apparently likes answering questions more than asking them.
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The interview was very conversational. No difficult questions were asked. The interviewer was just trying to get to know me better and we mostly discussed activities I had been involved in in college.
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My interviewer was very nice, tried to make the interview as relaxed as possible. I really couldn't tell how well I did though, he seemed kind of unimpressed.
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I had a great interviewer and we had a very laid-back interview. He was friendly and in no way tried to stress me out. I really liked him and I would be delighted to study under a faculty member with his sunny outlook. The info session was at 1115am, followed by a couple of quick presentations, a tour, and a 1230pm lunch. My interview was as 215pm and was done by 315pm. There weren't any long stretches of, "Hmm... what do I do now?" as there seem to have been in past years, so that was good.
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The interview itself was amazingly relaxed. It was very conversational and it really seemed like my interviewer just wanted to get to know me better. He did have some weird habits that were hard to ignore. He kept resting his right arm over his head and scratching his left eye. It kind of made me feel uncomfortable.
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I had an awesome time in Nashville. The interview was really laidback. They are really trying hard to sell you the school. The facilities are incredible and med students seem to be respected here. On my way, I didn't think I would like Vandy. This interview totally changed my opinion and I so hope I get in.
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My interviewer must have learned to effectively hide all form of emotion, because I couldn't tell if I was doing well or not. He did brighten up a li'l bit when I asked about his work as a psychiatrist tho.
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Professional but relaxed, everything was well organized and someone escorted me to the interview, tour of childrens hospital was great
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Interviewer made me feel very comfortable, he knew everything on my AMCAS personal statement, asked very specific questions.
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I *really* wish I had done better on this interview. No difficult questions were asked, but few questions were asked at all. It was very open ended, and I just rambled on for an hour about jobs, schools, family, etc. The interviewer was very nice, but I couldn't tell if he was impressed or not. In a nutshell you have a lot of control over this interview, so go into it, prepared to sell yourself rather than be interrogated. Also ask the interviewer about him or herself..mine seemed to enjoyed telling his life story
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The interview was great; very conversational
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My interview day went well. It was a case of the best two out of three. The last interviewer was kind of intimidating.
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Vanderbilt begins its interviews much earlier than most medical schools, so it was nice to ease into the interview process starting here. The interview itself is exceptionally non-threatening, and the staff and faculty try to make you as comfortable and relaxed as possible. The hospital and children's hospital are wonderful. The dreadful weather and somewhat lukewarm environment of Nashville notwithstanding, this is a good school.
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Great experience. I would now consider Vanderbilt my top choice, even over more highly-ranked institutions.
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Stay in student hosting. You can apply for it online. People in my interview group who stayed in hotels said they wished they'd have known about it. My general impression is that the student class is a close group that supports each other. My interviewer says they look hard for friendly, outgoing people. I imagine this somewhat explains the class mentality.
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I think vandy expects you to be impressed with them because they're vandy. compared to other schools i've interviewed with, this school didn't do a hot job of showcasing their stuff and impressing me.
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I loved my experience. If Vanderbilt admits me, I'm definitely going to be there
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It went relatively well, I think. (?) My interviewer was nice, but pressed me hard on a couple of issues. It was hard to tell if the interview went well. He didn't really seem all that into it.
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Overall a very relaxed interview. my interviewer knew my AMCAS really well, and basically could quote all my post-sec experiences. we talked for over an hour and a half, and he walked me back to where i had to be. very good first interview experience.
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It was very conversational, which makes identifying individual questions difficult. There was a nice ebb and flow, where I'd talk for a while, then she would. I think it helps to know what you're talking about. I wasn't asked any tought health policy or ethics questions, but I was prepared to discuss them, and we talked politics for a while. Thankfully we were of the same mind. She even unexpectedly said that it wasn't such a bad thing to be sheltered, because she was sheltered herself. So not having had a wealth of diverese experiences in the past didn't seem like a big negative, probably provided you want to seek them now.
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Overall positive, standard interview. My interviewer was very informative and willing to talk at length about the school, unlike other interviewers I've had.
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Good first interview to have. interviewer very friendly and went out of his way to find out more about my interests. he'd thoroughly gone over my amcas, so there was no pressure to reiterate everything already said in it
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This was my first interview, but it went pretty good. Everyone was very nice and seemed to care about the success of others. Very collegial and supportive. My interviewer was nice, but he seemed to have other things on his mind and only asked me a few questions. Hopefully he can still write something good in my regard. From this visit, Vanderbilt moved from one of my last picks up to a much higher place.. Relax and don't worry, it will go smoother than you think.
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I hadn't seriously considered Vanderbilt because it is in Nashville, but I have realized that it is a great place to be and it is going to be tough to make a decision on it.
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This was my second interview and I was much more relaxed. I had not taken much time to prepare for the interview but I still felt comfortable. The students were very friendly and they came out to greet us and answer our questions everytime they had a lecture break. Mrs. Williams was very nice and she did all that she could to keep us comfortable. My interviewer was very cool. He had thoroughly studied my AMCAS application and knew everything. He basically told me that he had a set of questions written down and he wanted the interview to be conversational. He was really interested in knowing me as a person. So we went back and forth asking each other questions. This was great, but I soon ran out of questions because I wasn't expecting this at all. :)
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Great--admissions people, students, faculty all very nice. New Children's Hospital is beautiful--definitely a plus if you are interested in peds. Had an opportunity to talk with other interviewees as well which was nice.
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Very structured, very dry, and very open-ended. I came in, he said he was going to ask me four questions, he proceeded to ask those four questions, and then the interview was over. It was clear that he didn't like my personal statement (political differences), but I think it went alright overall...
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Excellent school. Don't sweat the interview. They just wanna make sure you're not crazy.
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Ummm, that sucked. I thoroughly BOMBED that interview. By far, the worst one I've had. My interviewer and I just did not "click". I was reminded of the scene from Anger Management, where Jack Nicholson first meets Adam Sandler and asks, "So tell us who you are?" and no matter what Adam Sandler says he can't seem to answer the question. It was very strange. No matter what I said, the interviewer made like I wasn't answering his question. It got very confusing and frustrating. Other interviewers seemed to accept these answers, but this one would just ask the same question all over again. And then she would go off on a long monologue about absolutely nothing.
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Great! Loved Dawn Sharp! Did not like the students as much as everyone else seemed to! Loved the campus! Nashville-hmm- it was great too (I guess) Country music- didn't even have time to listen to any 1 interviewer- ingenious Interview mode- totally relaxed, just keep the conversation going
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Nice to know interviewer's background & name ahead of time. Friendly, gave me in-depth info. He went over my sketch and essay thoroughly.
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As the other interview feedback comments have suggested, the vanderbilt interview process is extremely friendly and low stress. everyone is very nice. my interviewer spent 30 minutes selling the school and nashville. it would actually have been better if he'd asked some more questions (he didn't really have any prepared). additionally, they set up a separate meeting with a doctor in my field of interest, which was great.
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I would love to go here. I hope I get in. Period.
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This was a wonderful place. i was inspired to forego my interest in PBL in favor of attending this austere place. however, as a URM, diversity is rather important to me. last yr, only 4 URM in the whole class and this past yr, there were 15 total.. compared to some other schools, the #s don't look so good...but it was definitely a great day!!!
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The interviewer was extremely friendly and went out of his way to make me feel comfortable. He was very positive and really allowed me the chance to share some of my experiences with him. I was suprised that my interview was actually enjoyable and I definitely would rank Vanderbilt as a top choice.
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I had a late morning interview so I was able to sit in on a class after the morning orientation. Students came up to the interviewees during their break and talked to us about the school. My interviewer was very nice and he basically wanted to get to know my interests a little better. The tour wasn't that great, but you do have time to look around a little on your own. Overall I had a really fun time visiting Vanderbilt and I think I'd be happy there.
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Going into my first interview I was very nervous but I was glad to have it at Vanderbilt. The staff in the admissions office was very nice and answered all my questions. You even get walked to your interview. The poor lady who took me to my interview took me into the underground tunnels under the hospital to get to my interview. We then found out that it was the wrong way and had to walk all the way back and then go above ground to my interview that was three blocks away. I felt so bad for her. The interview itself was very chill and that was nice. I wasn't asked any ethical or medical related questions. I was just asked about stuff that came off of my AMCAS (that is all the interviewer read) and we got into a conversation right after that. Definately a good experience and now one of my top choices after seeing how satisfied everyone was with the school.
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My interviewer was a great guy to talk to. He definitely wanted as much information about who I am as a person and future physician. He was very clear, to the point, and organized in the way he conducted the interview. He even gave me a summary of what he was going to write up to the admissions committee. Thanks! Took away a lot of the (unnecessary) mystique of the admissions process. It is a fantastic school. Students seem (on the most part) happy to be there. There is a ton of work, and the first year anatomy exam is EIGHT hours long. Wow. As an Asian American, I was disappointed in the lack of diversity of the class. When I sat in on the first year class, I literally saw three East Asian students and maybe three black students. I came from a very diverse undergrad, so if I got in, I know it would be a hard transition.
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This was my first interview and it was great! All the students are very nice, the faculty is nice, and the campus is beautiful. I live in LA, but now that I've seen the campus and the students, I have a very high interest in moving to Vandy. All the interviewers go through a training class that teaches them to be extra nice to you. You shouldn't be worried because you don't really get grilled and the interviww is basically like a regular conversation. The interviewer talks like 60% of the time because they want to tell you about Vanderbilt.
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My interview was an absolute disaster. I thought I did well and argued my points clearly and consisely, but my interviewer was stuck on discussing how much Vandy costs and how I should consider public schools because they cost less and give you the same result (MD degree). He also kept going back to the fact that I went to a public university for undergrad and citing the low costs of that school. WTF? Yeah, so I came out of school WITHOUT any debt and have been personally and FINANCIALLY successful since my years out of college. Just because I don't have mommy or daddy footing the bill or just because I didn't already prove myself by coming out of undergrad massively in debt does not mean that I could not afford Vanderbilt. I let my interviewer know that I saw med school as an investment, and financial concerns were last on my list because it was the school and how they fit my criteria as far as clinical and academic training that mattered most. Oh, and my interviewer also asked my what I was going to do about a family. I am positive that had I been a male, he would not have asked me that question. I do not have high hopes for this school .... too bad, since besides the interview, I really liked the school and its curriculum.
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There weren't really any questions asked, per se. We just had a conversation about my life, application, experiences, goals, etc. It was a great convo and I learned a lot about the school that impressed me. My interviewer and I had a great rapport and it was extremely low stress. He even took me up the NICU to see the babies and showed me the new hospital. Before today, I had just applied to Vanderbilt because it was close to home. But now I am genuinely excited about the school, the faculty, the students, and everything they have to offer.
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The interview was very relaxed, the students were really happy and friendly, and the faculty seem great. The classes were good (though there is a ton of lecture) and the students rock their boards. The campus is ugly, at least compared to mine, and the building that you spend all day in is solid dark brick, and it's ugly too. The hospitals are excellent- especially the children's hospital, which is incredible. The weather is . . . good except when it is either raining or hot and humid, which is a good deal of the year. I like the cold and am not fond of hot/humid weather, so I wasn't a fan.
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Very nice, conversational. I was well matched with my interviewer and we had a lot to discuss
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It was great. i will very likely go if i get the chance.
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Although this was my first interview, I doubt I will have any others as laid back as this one. The interview focused mostly on my application and experiences. It was rather conversational; although my interviewer asked most of the questions, they were not from a checklist but flowed based on the previous answer. The facilities at Vanderbilt are great. The classrooms are right next to the hospital, VA, clinics, and the gorgeous, new Children's Hospital. Administration seems really supportive of students. Many others have mentioned it, but be warned that the interview day is not very structured. If you don't want to be bored, take the iniative to walk around the facilities, drop in either the first or second year classes, talk to your fellow applicants in the lounge, etc.
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I was sold as soon as I walker in the door. The students, faculty, and staff were amazing. The interviewer put me at ease and everything flowed smoothly.
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I was a little disappointed here. I guess I was expecting too much, but I think the interview experience just turned me off. The iunterviewer didn't even look at me and kept flicking his fingernail in an annoyed manner. I heard the opposite about Vandy so I was surprised.
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I arrived at about 8:15am where I met everyone and then we recieved some information on their generous financial aid packages. Then I had a lot of free time to wander around before meeting with the student tour guides. My interview was incredibly laid back. Pray that you get Dr. Lonnie Burnett, he is the nicest person you could hope to meet. Not only that, he spent more time trying to sell the school to me than I did on telling him about myself. He asked what my interests were and then told me what the campus and Nashville had to offer that matched my interests. Also, the technological resources of the school are quit impressive. Everything is hot for wireless internet, and their is an online database which links you to every handout and lecture slide you will recieve throughout your four years. On the way out I met another student who talked to me. I asked him why he chose Vanderbilt, and He said, "The other schools treat you like the bottom of the totem pole. At Vanderbilt, you are treated like family." Vandie was one of my lesser choices, but after the interview its jumped up to one of the top.
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I had an afternoon interview with a neurologist. He was really nice and we had a good conversation, but very laid back. I should have gone in with a few more questions prepared because we ended up talking about Vandy for quite a while. He even walked me back to the admissions office and gave me a tour of the parts of the campus that the other tour had left out.
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Overall it was really good, the faculty, administration and students were all super nice and friendly. They just built an awesome new childrens hospital that is really cool. You are escorted to your actual interview, so dont worry about getting lost. Definately a top notch school.
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This was a very easy interview, I can't say I was really nervous at any time throughout the day. Basically, you get to admissions at like 8:15, and chill with the other interviewees for a little while. Then, they take you into this conference room and tell you a little about the school, the day, and the process. By about 8:45, we were turned loose until our interviews or 11:30, whatever came first. So, I went to two classes in the morning, and walked over to the library before my interview. All the students who saw us were really welcoming and encouraged us to go into classes and recommended other things to see. Then, at 11:30, we met with a physician who told us about their emphasis program and academics, and a med student who talked briefly about her experience. Then, we met up with like 6 1st and 2nd year med students who took a few questions, told us about their experience, took us on a really brief tour (essentially only of Light Hall, which is where there are classes and a med student lounge), and then we went to lunch. If you had a morning interview, you were done for the day after lunch, around 1:00. They assign interview times and interviewers ahead of time, and you can find out the time and interviewer on the application status check page. So, in summary, the only scheduled things that you have to attend are the welcome, your interview, and the info session at 11:30. I'd look at the interview time before you book your flight, if you can, because a lot of the people in my group had AM interviews, but were told by admissions not to schedule a flight until after 6 PM, so they ended up having like 5 hours to kill. My interview was with one faculty member, who was really laid back. I think she talked as much about her as I did about me, which made it a really easy, conversational interview. But, at the same time, I felt I didn't really add anything to my application with the interview because everything I told her was already in my application. I wonder how important the interview is at Vanderbilt.
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This was a very laid-back, non-competitive type atmosphere, and a great way to start the interview circuit. Everyone there, from students, to the admissions staff, to even your interviewer goes out of there way to be friendly and accomodating.
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The interview was so relaxed and conversational. My interviewer started off by telling me all about himself for 5-10 min. Then he asked me to basically tell me about myself. The conversation progressed from there, we talked about the emphasis program about my background as a biomedical engineering major, etc. He kept asking me if I had any questions about Vanderbilt and when I ran out I asked if he had any questions about me. Then we talked about my hobbies. It was really great!
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The Vanderbilt Interview Experience was really really really relaxed. For this being my first interview, I was happy that this atmosphere qualmed my fears. Vandy is a great school where the students are extremely satisfied and the administration does everything it can to fix complaints. The only thing to be aware of is that the curriculum is totally traditional, meaning there's none of the that problem-based learning or everything. You better hope the kids you are interviewing with that day are cool, because you're going to spend a crapload of time with them. Otherwise, don't fret about the interview, they really just want to get to know you.
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The interviewer does not sit on the admissions committee. S/he mearly writes a letter of recommendation on your behalf based on the time you spent with him/her. With the exception of two short presentations, the rest of the day is up to you. You can talk to current students, sit in on classes, take a self-guided your of the hospital, speak to anyone of the faculty members, or anything else you may want to do. Vandy also has a host program. Be sure to check out the web site for information on staying with a current student.
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For a first interview experience, I could not have asked for a more relaxed day.
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It was really a great experience - everyone was amazingly nice and welcoming, and the interview was very low-stress - basically just a conversation to find out more about me. The tour was pretty brief and there was some downtime, but I got to sit in on the anatomy and neuroscience classes so that was cool.
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My interviewer was changed at the last minute from a faculty member to the dean of admissions!
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It was fantastic.
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Overall it was low stress, and everyone else I talked to who interviewed on my day seemed to have similar experiences
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Everyone was very very nice: my shuttle driver, the applicants, the med students, the interviewer. The campus tour and lunch were pretty bad. They hooked me up with an MD/PhD. He was very helpful and showed me around. This is the only way to see what the labs are like. The place is huge, though not too attractive. Overall, it was pleasant.
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It felt much more like a discussion than an interview. Since the interviewers only read the AMCAS essay, I ended up answering questions reminiscent of the Vanderbilt secondary essays. Everyone strives to make the experience as comfortable as possible, and they succeed.
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Fantastic
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The whole experience was good. This was my first interview, but it was very relaxed so it was a good place to start. The school is great. Everyone is very laid back.
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I would never go here, ever, even if i were offered a full scholarship.
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I really enjoyed my day at Vanderbilt. The campus and facilities are what one would expect from a school with such a reputation. The administration/students seemed to focus on interviewees as individuals rather than just one of many faces coming through that day. I think Vanderbilt's curriculum is a significant strength. Through the Emphasis program and electives beginning the first year, I get the sense that students at Vandy are encouraged to go beyond accumulating the knowledge that the administration/boards say a student should know; they are encouraged to incorporate their own interests and goals into their education to make the basic science years more than just a series of required classes, but an opportunity for students to begin to shape who they want to become as physicians.
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Info session in morning, then tour and lunch. I had interview at 1:30 until 2:20
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Vanderbilt was not in my top 5 schools before my visit, but now it is ranked as my #1 because the faculty,
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The interview was mostly a discussion of my essay. And then we talked a little of why I wanted to apply to Vanderbilt. And about problems in medicine. More of a flowing conversation that a Q&A session.
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My interview was originally scheduled for 7:30 in the morning (ugh). But they called the night before and bumped me back to 9:30 (yay!). I got there early and just hung out in the admissions lounge. The staff is pretty friendly and the lounge is nice. A member of the staff took me over to meet my interviewer, and we had the interview in his office. It was really laid back. We just talked about questions off of my AMCAS, and he asked me to give a 2-minute biography of myself. He then asked questions during my "biography." He asked what I thought the hardest part of being a doctor would be, if I had a free weekend where would I go, questions about my undergrad classes, and other normal stuff. He also asked me for one sentence to tell the admissions committee about me. He then asked if I had any questions for him. He assured me that the interview process was not all that important. His words were, "We just want to make sure you speak in complete sentences and don't drool." That really put me at ease. I feel it went really well.
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As I mentioned earlier, I had a great time meeting all the students. I sat through a few classes, and got a first-hand feel of a typical day as a med student at Vanderbilt. The teaching faculty are very nice and also very engaging. They gave great lectures and always got the students to participate in lively discussion. All the first years I met said that Anatomy was their most intense course because the professor cowrote the text that is being used all over the country. But the students try really hard, and everyone comes out ok in the end. They just started the Pass/Fail system for first years, and Honors/Pass/Fail for subsequent years. I guess this eliminates some of the pressure on the students, but not completely. It is easy to get stressed out here (the workload is rather heavy), but the students are very good at encouraging one another and there seems to be a genuine camaraderie between them. The only downside to my visit was the actual interview itself. I felt my interviewer was not prepared for our meeting at all. He only asked me typical med school interview questions and did not seem familiar with my personal statement (by the way, the interviewers only see your AMCAS application, NOT your secondaries). He didn't ask me if I had any questions for him and didn't really say anything about the school that I hadn't already read or heard from others. It turned out that I had originally been scheduled to interview with another faculty member, so I guess that would explain the lack of preparation. However, I did get a chance to meet the other doctor who had originally been scheduled to interview me and we had a great time talking for a short while. How I wish he had interviewed me in the first place! We could only talk for a few minutes, but I felt so much more at ease with him than with my actual interviwer. I hope his brief meeting with me will count towards my review, as I am not sure what my interview feedback will contain.
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I really had a pleasant experience at Vanderbilt. I enjoyed meeting everyone and taking the small tour. The interviewer was very friendly, but he constantly interrupted me. He'd ask a question, and about 15 seconds into each of my responses, he'd ask another question. It was a little frustrating, but i doubt it'll make much of a difference in the end. I'd really like to attend Vanderbilt.
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I had a lot of fun. Definitely one of my top choices. It was also my first interview. It seemed like Vanderbilt is known for having laid-back interviews. The best advice I can give is to just relax and have fun.
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I really liked the school. The students are super friendly and seemed really happy. I am totally siked because I got in (heard 5 weeks after interview). Just wish the curriculum was a bit more integrated and less focused on memorization.
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The interviewer just went over my AMCAS in a timeline fashion. No surprises thrown at me. Staff, students were very nice. Overall, very laid back.
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Happy students, caring adminstration, and beautiful campus. I didn't see too many South or East Asians there, which was weird for me, because my school is very diverse.
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A friendly interview, conversational, with a doctor eager to point out Vanderbilt's many strengths
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Extremely nice interviewer, very conversational. Be sure to write a thank-you note. Small gestures like that are especially important at Southern medical schools.
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It felt more like an opportunity for me to understand the school better than an actual interview. My interviewer started the interview by letting me ask questions but was also very prepared and very familiar with my AMCAS. The interviewers don't see your secondaries.
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Vandy is a beautiful place with much to offer. They make you feel as if they will do anything to cater to your desires in medicine.
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Simply put, this is my top choice. I had heard great things, read great things, and my visit only confirmed everything I previously heard and read. If you want to enjoy your 4 years of med school and obtain a great residency, then your search should stop here. I hope I get an acceptance.
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The School is fantastic - students perform excellently on the boards every year and match at some of the best programs. Loved the school/area, and I think the curriculum is geared toward learning as much as possible. This is definitely my top choice!
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Great experience
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The interview was very conversational, very relaxed. I chatted with a lot of the interviewees there that day, and we all felt the same way. I suggest taking the time to talk to the other people being interviewed. I ended up having a great time with them, playing foosball and table tennis in the student lounge. It made the day a lot more fun and relaxing! Don't stress about this interview, just be genuine :)
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The interview was very low-stress. It definitely felt like more of a conversation than being interrogated. I heard all the interviews here are really laid back.
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Wonderful. I love the school, and it speaks volumes that all the students really seem to love the school and that they're not competitive at all. They have a wonderful 2nd-1st year mentor program and the class seems very close.
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Vanderbilt is a wonderful institution. My interview was extremely laid-back and very conversational. Just be yourself, and you will do great!
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It was fine. A few strange questions and comments, but all in all it wasn't horrible.
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The interview was totally conversational and seemed to pass by too fast. My interviewer seemed to be very familiar with my file and brought up topics that were directly relevant to me. My only concern with the interview was that I ran out of time to talk about everything I wanted to, and although I thought the interview went great, I'd guess that everyone with my interviewer comes out feeling the same.
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It was so laid back that I didn't know how they went about selecting applicants for acceptance. It seemed like EVERYBODY had a good interview.
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The faculty member i had during my interview was the sweetest man ever, one of those cute grandfather-types. Vanderbilt is impressive, the students were good-looking, relaxed and happy with a system with pass/fail, without a curve grades.
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My interview was really relaxed and refreshing. Very conversational. I got lucky in terms of having a chill interviewer, though I think others who are not so lucky will curse the one and only interview Vandy provides. The campus is incredible, the resources are great, the students are cool, the faculty seems accessible. Very nice school.
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Very laid back and conversational. Basically half the time you ask questions and half the time you answer them.
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My interviewer was a young professor and was very friendly. He talked a lot about the good things about the school, but I wish I had more chance to talk.
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It was a nice interview, everyone was really friendly there wasn't really anything to be stressed about.
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It was a great day and not stressful at all. For sure this is one of my top five choices! I hope that I get very lucky and receive and acceptance from this great school.
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It was ok, but very intense. Maybe that's to be expected. My interviewer was very attentive to my responses and wrote them down. It wasn't as conversational as I would have liked, but that might have been due to me. Always some things to work on! :)
-
Great school. Great town. Great folks (students, faculty, staff). You'd be crazy not to go there if you get in.
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I spent about thirty minutes discussing random stuff with an M2 whom I met while sitting near the med school bldg. She was really nice and excited about Vandy. It was good to speak with someone who wasn't there to specifically sell the school by giving a tour or info-session.
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Overall, very positive. I liked the school a lot, feel as though my interviews went well--not stressful in the least. you'll all do fine; just go in there w/no bs!
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This was my first interview and it was a fun experience. Everyone was so laid back.
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The day began at 11:30 so I was able to sleep in. I had found the building the day before so I knew exactly where to go so I wouldn't be nervous. There were 8 other applicants and we began with a short information session followed by a fourth year medical student who spoke about her experiences at Vanderbilt. A tour and question session were given by two first-year students followed by lunch in the hospital cafe. I had about a half hour after lunch to relax and prepare for my interview. The interviewer was very friendly and I felt comfortable talking to him. He did not ask any questions I was not prepared to answer. The day went by quickly and I felt good about the school in the end.
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The school facilities are great, the campus is beautiful, the people very nice, thourough curriculum, and the faculty is nationally recognized. I went into the interview having Vanderbilt be a distant second choice behind my state school. After the interview and campus tour, I would have a difficult choice between the two if accepted at both.
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The interview lasted only 30 minutes when everyone else had 45 minutes-1 hour. I felt that the interviewer was busy (he received 3 phone calls during the interview). So try to avoid the morning time when people are very busy.
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This place is worth the cost of applying, traveling, and interviewing. It's really an awesome school where I felt I would be happy and incredibly successful. It's my second choice right now.
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Good except for when my interviewer told me that despite being a great applicant, I'll be waitlisted.
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I go to Vandy for undergrad, so I already knew how great the med school is. For people who aren't familiar with Vanderbilt, though, the tour was a bit short. The students led most of the interview day, which was really positive. They really gave it the personal touch that carries over into the whole med school curriculum. FYI - a lot of people think Nashville is a hick town - it's SO not...don't dismiss the school just because of the location - Nasvhille is awesome, fun, great music (not just country), great food, friendly people, beautiful, good shopping, and VUMC is an excellent hospital. The med students have led the nation in student satisfaction for 4 years running - this is a great place!
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It went really well - better than I would have guessed anyway; i have a full merit full ride there and thus will most likely be attending here in August. I love the school and people here so much. I'm a little apprehensive about nashville but hopefully i'll get over that
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After reading over two other feedbacks, I'm guessing three of us had the same interviewer. It was intimidating at first because he wouldn't ask any questions. Then, he asked about my MCAT, and said the same thing: I had a stong app, he'd put in a good word, and he'd figure I'd be an accept or on the wait list. Because Vandy is trying to get ranked higher, they pretty much won't accept anyone with an MCAT below their average.
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Awesome school. Love it. Will probably turn down some ivies to go here.
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My interview was another "weird" experience. My interviewer chatted with me for almost two hours about a variety of topics, but he kept making comments about the strength of my application. He assured me that I would get into my state medical school. It was difficult at times to maintain an appropriate level of self-confidence - surely I wouldn't have gotten an interview if they were planning on immediately wait-listing me, as my interviewer told me right off the bat. To the interviewee who left feedback about Vandy on 12/4: Thank you. It's nice to know that there's another person out there who's in this quandary after interviewing at this otherwise beautiful place.
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Very weird interview. lasted 2.5 hours. interviewer was very nice guy and easy to talk to. but he led me back and forth in opposite directions as to the strength of my application, ultimatley said he would write me a strong recommendation but thought I would end up on the wait list and not get in. he also talked a lot about other applicants he had interviewed and the amazing things they had all done. not exactly what I wanted to be hearing. made me wonder why I had been offered an interview and why he had bothered to read every word of my application, which he clearly had. if I could add it all up in terms of positive and negative things he said about me as an applicant, I think the sum would be zero.
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Since I chose for a regional interview, I did not have the chance to look at the school and the city. I would really like to do so, though. Overall, the experience was very positive and relaxed. The faculty interviewer was nice and we just talked casually. He read my application beforehand and had specific questions for me.
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I had a wonderful experience. It was my first interview and I was a little nervous, but it turned out great. The interviewer seemed really interested in who I am and I had a wonderful time talking to him. He was honest about his feelings at the school, too, which impressed me a lot. I could tell that the whole city is proud of the school, and so was my interviewer. People were great and friendly.
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Great... despite my interviewer's attitude.
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It was great! I ended up chatting with my interviewer for an hour and a half. He took me around the pediatric neonatology unit and introduced me to the nurses, med students, & pharmacists. I ended up going to one of his classes later in the day, also. He was super-enthusiastic about Vandy.
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Soo laid back and friendly. wasn't asked anything too hard or out of line, just a pleasent time and excellent experience. i came in thinking i wouldn't come cause of nashville, but i have definately reconsidered and would be happy attending.
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The interview was a great experience. The staff and students were extremely friendly, and there is free time available during the day if you want to sit in on the first/second year class lectures.
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Very laid back
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Overall, the experience went much better than I expected. It was my very first interview and it couldn't have gone any better. The students, admissions staff, and even the dean are very friendly and helpful and couldn't be any happier. It was nice to come into that kind of an environment.
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A very friendly enthusiastic doctor. a completely non-stressful interview, there's nothing to really prepare ahead of time.
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No stress Interview. Nice City. Check out the Parks around Nashville if you are into outdoorsy stuff.
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The interview was mainly focused on my extra-curricular activities and research. I think my interviewer spoke more than I did because he spent about 15 minutes telling me about why I should choose Vandy and then gave a brief history of Nashville
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My interviewer was very down to earth and easy to talk with. We did not talk about my motivations for entering medicine, as I had anticipated. We covered a number of topics outside medicine including a little bit about our families, music, and the importance of mentoring.
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My first interview, and a very positive experience. The people were so kind, and so HAPPY. The Dean was very friendly, as well as the students. They have no problem with you sitting in on a class, it seemed like they were trying to sell the school.
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If the rest of my interviews go this well, I will be very happy! People were really friendly, and it was just a very positive experience.
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I interviewed with a fabulously enthusiastic instructor of the anatomy lab and she couldn't stop gushing (rightfully so) about Vanderbilt.
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I wasn't a big fan of the interview, since the interviewer and I didn't click. Otherwise I enjoyed everyone else I met and I would recommend people to consider the school.
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My first interview went awesome! I got a free copy of the book my interviewer wrote signed with a very nice encouragement. It sets the tone for interviews coming up.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
🕐
Length:
52 Minutes Average
🔄
Number:
1.1 Interviews Average
👥
Interview Type (Interaction):
100% One-on-One
0% Group Interview
📁
File Type:
94% Open-File
6% Closed-File
💻
Interview Modality:
100% Virtual
0% In-Person
Vandy-COMP interviews are an average of 52 minutes, with an average of 1.1 interviews. 100% of interviews are one-on-one, 0% are in-person, and 6% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about personal experiences such as describing a book or movie that influenced one's worldview, discussing times of disagreement with authority, detailing difficult decisions faced, and sharing accomplishments and failures. Additionally, respondents mentioned mixed formats of short, closed-file interviews focusing on ethical and behavioral questions, and longer, conversational open-file interviews covering personal, creative, and academic aspects, indicating potential exposure to an MMI format and nondisclosure agreements.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Tell me about yourself.
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Describe a book, movie, etc that has changed the way you view or approach the world.
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There was one short, closed-file interview (30 minutes) where they asked you ethical/behavioral questions, and one longer, conversational open-file "summary interview" that lasted approximately an hour and 20 minutes with another interviewer.
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Tell me about a time when you disagreed with authority (or something like rules).
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There's 2 interviews. One short, one long. The long one is traditional (OPEN FILE) type questions, the short one is personal/creative questions (CLOSED FILE). In the first interview we discussed global health and my background and interests. The most difficult questions were regarding my research, but they were only difficult because I didn't prepare this!
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years (career wise)?
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Describe a difficult decision you had to make (and other similar behavioral questions in the closed file interview)
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Can you give me an example of a time you failed?
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Give an example of a time you gave someone the benefit of the doubt and were glad you did.
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Tell me about your childhood.
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What would you contribute to Vanderbilt? Why should we choose you over thousands of other applicants?
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Did you have any shadowing/volunteering experiences to make sure that this (becoming a doctor) is something that you want to do?
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Elaborate on _______ activity on your AMCAS.
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Why Vanderbilt?
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Tell me about a difficult situation and how you handled it.
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What one accomplishment are you most proud of?
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Activities on AMCAS - which most meaningful
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Do patients that make poor lifestyle choices deserve to get one of the limited number of organs available for transplantation? (This was the only ethical question)
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Tell me about yourself
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What are you looking for in a medical school?
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Tell me about your weaknesses?
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None really.
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What do plan on doing with medicine?
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Tell me about your timeline (I have a confusing one with regard to what school when, what job when).
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Questions about non-science classes I'd taken.
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Why did you decide to pursue an MPH?
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What community service activity had the most impact on you? Leadership activity?
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Tell me about your family and growing up
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Why would you want to stay at Vanderbilt? (I go there undergrad)
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Tell me about your background/personal history.
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What is the one accomplishment you're most proud of?
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What are 3 adjectives to describe yourself?
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What are you doing right now?
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Just a few questions about my motivations for medicine and specific classes I took.
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Why medicine?
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What I wanted to know about Vanderbilt?
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What qualities do you have that would make you a good doctor?
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Tell me what a day in your life is like?
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Have you been to Nashville before?
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How/When did you decide you wanted to go to medical school?
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How involved were you/what was your specific role in your research experiences?
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Tell me about your research project
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Tell me about this EC activity. What do you want me to know about you? Tell me about your basic sci research & why you stopped it. Why didn't you apply to medical school last year? What are you looking for in a medical school? Any questions for me?
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Tell me about your research experiences.
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What distinguishes you from the rest of the applicants?
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Research
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Tell me why medicine? Why Vanderbilt?
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What three qualities would your best friends say you have?
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Tell me more about X (on the AMCAS)
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Where did you grow up?
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What other schools have you interviewed at?
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What should I emphasize to the adcom?
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Tell me about x research
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About my family
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How are you? How was your flight? Will you be staying for a few days or ...?
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What type of setting do you want to practice medicine in?
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Tell me about one of your research experiences.
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Tell me about your research experience.
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What Vanderbilt?
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Why engineering?
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Asked about my research.
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Why did you take X course?
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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Tell me about your path to becoming a doctor.
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Explain past experiences
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Do you have any questions for me?
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What did you do during your summers
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Tell me about anthropology.
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How did you become interested in medicine?
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What other schools did you apply to
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How did you come to choose medicine?
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Tell me about yourself. This led to a 60-minute conversation.
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What do you look for in a medical school?
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Why medicine
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Questions specific to my application.
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Asked about my activities briefly
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Tell me about your research.
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There really weren't questions, per se. At least not any that I remember directly.
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How would you like me to present you to the admissions committee?
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Tell me about your ___ experience
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How did you decide on your undergraduate university?
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Tell me about your family
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Why are you interested in medicine?
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
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So what do you know about vandy?
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Why are you taking a year off?
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When did you first develop an interest in medicine?
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What draws you to Nashville?
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Tell me more about yourself.
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Why did you choose your major/degree?
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Why are you taking time off before medical school?
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Describe a specific example of how you helped another individual and what you learned from it?
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Why did you pursue your advanced degree?
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Tell me about Earlham College and why you chose to go to school there.
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You have a good record, but your grades have slipped at certain points; why?
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Do you plan to practice in the USA after your training?
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How long have you been interested in a career in medicine and what spurred that interest?
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Tell me about your research
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Tell me a little about yourself...
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TEll me about urself.
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Tell me about yourself and your family
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What made you decide to pursue medicine?
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How do you think your major will help you in medicine?
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Why do you want to become a doctor?
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Major healthcare problems/solutions
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Favorite/least favorite class?
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Why do you want to be a doctor
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Where have you demonstrated leadership? What are you strengths/weaknesses?
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Strengths/weaknesses
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I see you have athletics in your backround, compare that to medicine.
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Explain your current research.
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What was your favorite class? What was your least favorite class?
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What other schools have you applied to?
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Tell me about your volunteerism abroad
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Asked about my research
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Why did you wait until you graduated from college before applying to medical school?
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Do you plan on continuing your research in medical school?
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We talked about dogs for a while before even got started
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Tell me about yourself?
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Why I am studying for an MA at Columbia.
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Tell me about your extracirriculars
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Do you know what kind of medicine you want to go into: specialty? academic/private practice?
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What is your favorite nonscience class?
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Why Vandy?
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My extracurricular activities
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All of your community service is admirable, but I don't understand how that connects with your desire to study and practice medicine....um...so how does it connect?
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Tell me about the latest book you've read.
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What's your biggest accomplishment?
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Most meaningful community service?
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Why do you want to go to Vanderbilt?
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Tell me about your undergraduate experience.
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Tell me about your undergraduate experience -- why did you choose ABC university?
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What do you want me to tell admissions committee about you?
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Have you considered what field you might enter.
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Tell me about your medical leave
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Describe your college experience.
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Tell me about your family.
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I was asked about the C's on my transcript
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Have you thought about what field you want to go into? Why that field?
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Tell me about your research/college/other experience.
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How would your friends describe you?
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Why did you choose your undergrad institution?
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How was your "introduction to modern culture" class?
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What do you want to get out of medical school besides just learning the academics?
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How did you choose your undergraduate school?
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Tell me about this piano class you took.
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What makes you better than everyone else?
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Why do you want to study medicine?
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What do you want me to tell the admissions committee?
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Tell me about your life before undergrad.
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Why do you want to attend Vanderbilt?
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If you could decide where to go to college again, would you go to the same school?
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Why did you take the MCAT twice?
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What are your strengths?
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What are you going to do about a family? (Aaack!)
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I am writing a recommendation for you to the admissions committee - what do you want me to put in it? I mean, what differentiates you from any other student?
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Tell me about your childhood and growing up.
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Name the top three reasons you want to enter medicine.
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What volunteer experience do you have?
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Tell me about a specific volunteer experience.
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Is anyone in your family a doctor? What made you want to go into medicine, then?
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Tell me about your relationship with your family and your experiences growing up in a small town.
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Tell me about what brought you here, why medicine, why vanderbilt etc.? (all given as one big question)
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Tell me about yourself (growing up, school, family values)
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What motivates you to practice medicine?
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What do you want to talk about?
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Describe your thesis research in terms that I could understand
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Wh o is your role model
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What do you do if a patient dislikes you?
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How did you like (name of your college)?
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You were a non-science major. How did some of your non-science classes relate to the field of medicine?
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How did you spend your summers? What extracurriculars were you involved with?
-
What was this like, that like? etc. on my essay
-
Give me a 2-minute autobiography.
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Tell me about your undergraduate experience?
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-What were the positive and negative aspects that you've gathered from your experience with health care? How would you improve it? -Why Vanderbilt?
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What book are you reading now? Strengths and weaknesses? How would your friends describe you? 4-5 words or phrases.
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Essay-specific question
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If you could spend two hours in any museum, which museum would you go to?
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Why Vanderbilt? Why medicine?
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All pertaining specifically to my amcas
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Why do you want to go into academic medicine?
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What in your college career has made you believe that medicine is the right thing for you?
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Tell me about your experiences in the medical field.
-
What has been the most rewarding experience for you so far?
-
What's it like to be a whitewater kayak instructor?
-
Describe your research.
-
Describe a Clinical Experience
-
Again, lots of questions on me (my undergrad experience, how I became interested in medicine, how I completed my pre-requisites, what other schools I applied to, my work experience....
-
What was your most valuable research experience?
-
Tell me about XYZ research project.
-
Tell me about your experiences?
-
A difficult and complex case study of a patient with a potentially terminal illness that only responded to an exotic therapy that the insurance company refused to pay for because of its' contract. What would I do?
-
What questions to you have about Vanderbilt? (asked over and over)
-
What's the most meaningful volunteer work you've done? What's the most impactful leadership experience you've had.
-
What questions do you have for me? (Ask what the strengths and weaknesses are)
-
My questions were mostly about my extracurricular activities - I didn't have any of the standard questions about my personality or motivations. But be prepared to defend yourself if you don't have clinical experience involving lots of hospital time during recent years.
-
Do you have any questions for me about the school?
-
Tell me a little about time you've spent abroad.
-
Why is your second degree (unlrelated to med or phd) useful in the career you have ahead of you?
-
What excited you the most about your college?
-
Tell me about your research activities.
-
Who is your role model?
-
What are your strenghts/weaknesses?
-
How diverse is your school?
-
What do you think of the politics in the Sino-taiwan region?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics such as personal experiences with authority, perspectives, hobbies, and career choices. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) given the diverse nature of questions, and respondents may have been under a nondisclosure agreement due to the variety of personal and unique questions asked.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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The "summary", longer open-file interview had read my file very detailed, and asked me a lot of questions about small tidbits in the essay. It was really nice!
-
Tell me about a time when you disagreed with authority (or something like rules).
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Discuss a time when you had to see something from someone else's perspective.
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What do you like to do for fun?
-
When was the last time you asked "Why?"
-
Nothing really out of the ordinary
-
When were you glad that you gave someone a second chance?
-
Is there anything that you wish that you could redo or do more?
-
Discussion of the differences in the healthcare systems of the US and the country where I grew up.
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What would you do if you could not go to medical school?
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Are you sure that you want to be a doctor?
-
Our discussion on family life and time commitments in medicine
-
Why did you take a year off
-
What do you know about Nashville?
-
Not really any.
-
None in particular.
-
What was the purpose of your personal statement? What was your intent for the reader?
-
Imagine you are being interviewed on a news channel. Tell us about your math research in layman's terms.
-
Asked me why my band (something I mentioned in app essays/AMCAS activities) wasn't "getting big" on Music Row
-
The 2 words for just meeting one.
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Background because I have a lot of stories to tell :-)
-
What's the deal with Mugabe?
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Why are you in a sorority?
-
None.
-
I really didn't get many questions, and when I did, he usually interrupted me after a sentence or two. The interview was basically an hour of him talking at me. He was nice, but I didn't feel like I was able to express myself much at all.
-
Why Vanderbilt? (the interview was very conversational, I was able to take the direction of the conversation where I wanted to)
-
If you could choose one social cause to take up what would it be?
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What other schools have you applied to, followed by, what do other schools have that Vanderbilt doesn't?
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Before entering medicine, what did you see as the pro's and con's?
-
(When talking about my research) What color does it fluoresce? (She wasn't testing me, she was curious)
-
The interview began by asking me to ask questions and we went from there.
-
What was your marathon time.
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I see you teach MCAT prep class. Do you feel like those prep classes are actually helpful?
-
Do you think there should be a 1-year mandatory civil service law in the US?
-
What do you think about the health care reforms proposed by the presidential candidates?
-
None
-
''I see you've done X... do you think you would be interested in continuing your work on that in medical school?''
-
Don't remember
-
None, he was pretty quiet and got interrupted during our interview by his beeper.
-
Tell me about yourself--let's start from the beginning. (Didn't read any of my essays because she wanted an unbiased interview.)
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Describe a situation (medical) that did not go well.
-
None of the questions were especially interesting. It was more of a conversation about why I was applying, what I was looking for, and how I got interested in medicine.
-
What is the biggest problem in the area you live?
-
Could you explain why your grades improved after sophomore year?
-
Really none...
-
I was asked: Do you have any burning question for me? about 3-4x so I wonder what else to say. Please arm yourself with info about what your interviewer does. and you can ask them about their work.
-
I shadowed a Dr. in England so my interviewer asked, ''What are the differences in medicine between the US and UK?''
-
If you could address any issue, anywhere in the world, what would it be?
-
Questions were all rather routine.
-
Nothing too "interesting"
-
If you were assigned to be the leader in a group in medical school, and you had someone who was a obvious slacker, how would you handle them?
-
Why engineering?
-
Pretty standard really. really conversational.
-
Nothing interesting per se. They have your information there and ask questions from it. He asked about some courses I had taken.
-
Do you consider yourself to be an MCAT expert?
-
What do you do for fun?
-
Specific stuff about my resume...
-
About something in my application.
-
Who is your favorite philospher (i'm a philosophy major)?
-
What is your most significant community service experience?
-
So I see you're on the Academic Dishonesty Committee . . . What's been the most challenging case you've seen?
-
What do you think about USC (I go to UCLA - cross town rival)
-
Tell me about anthropology (my minor).
-
The interview was really open-ended. He just asked me to talk about myself.
-
What do your bracelets mean?
-
None - all questions were straight forward
-
Tell me about a time you helped someone. What did you learn from it?
-
Tell me about a time you helped someone.
-
Do you think all McDonald's should close down?
-
What does the term 'doctor' mean to you
-
None that I can remember, really.
-
Why should we accept you?
-
Tell me about yourself
-
What do you think about the TV programming available to modern youth?
-
How did you come to be Korean?
-
A question related to a unique part of my application.
-
I see you have a background in medical imaging, could you see yourself exploring this opportunity in our emphasis program?
-
Have you given any thought to what it's like to be a woman in medicine?
-
What was the one most imporant thing you learned from being a pastor?
-
N/A
-
What do you think of Paul Farmer (public health guy)?
-
What makes you want to come to Tennesee?
-
Tell me about XYZ class...
-
What would you like for me to highlight about your application to the admissions committee?
-
How did you like your summer at Duke?
-
All pretty generic questions, although there were a couple interesting questions relating specifically to why I took a class or expanding on a hobby.
-
Given your interests in ____ and ____, how have they influenced your decision to become a physician?
-
It was a friendly chat, everything was interesting but also very laid back.
-
What are some of your hobbies?
-
If you have a choice between two med schools, what are your criteria for choosing between them.
-
Why did I start a particular organization on campus and what was the value?
-
Why did you decide to take Weaving as an art class?
-
What can I say to make you want to come here?
-
What is your ethnic background?
-
I was asked about my foreign educational background. The interview was very positive and I found this to be very encouraging because a lot of people have negative attitudes towards degrees from outside the USA, though from my experience, there is a lot of spoon-feeding in the USA educational system.
-
What do you think the sol'n to America's obesity problems is? (follow up to something in a previous question)
-
If you could have dinner with 2 people, living, dead or fictional, who would you choose?
-
What would you propose to teach students a more humanistic approach to medicine?
-
My favorite undergraduate course
-
None really
-
Tell me about something not on your AMCAS
-
Tell me about your research...i mean let's spend like 20 mins talking about it in depth.
-
Tell me about your high school - it was interesting because I just didn't expect to go back that far.
-
The interview was very conversational, not a lot of direct questions. Nothing really stuck out
-
What do you think the greatest challenge facing medicine will be over the next 30 years?
-
The traditional questions were asked, "Why do you want to become a doctor" and "what do you do to relax"
-
What do you think the major health issues are for women in the Middle East?
-
So what do you think about universal healthcare? (This was really just asked in a joking manner in response to something I had said, nothing serious)
-
If I asked your mom about your three best attributes, what would she say?
-
Who's your favorite artist
-
Was there one thing that led you to medicine.
-
Can you help me set up a program like this here next year?
-
The interview was more of a discussion. We talked about my research and background.
-
What kind cancer did your mother die from (They get specific on your AMCAS personal statement file!)
-
What sort of Emphasis Program would you do if you attended Vanderbilt?
-
My interviewer asked me to summarize a few interesting courses I took in college.
-
Why did you choose your undergraduate institution?
-
My interviewer didn't really ask many questions - it was more of just a conversation.
-
Why did you fly in on American Airlines and not Southwest?
-
Tell me about your dogs
-
Nothing unusual.
-
Nothing really thought-provoking.
-
Nothing to interesting.
-
Everything was totally standard.
-
What frustrates you?
-
If medicine did not exist, what profession would you be in?
-
How my undergrad major (not a typical pre-med major) prepared me for medicine.
-
What was your favorite nonscience class?
-
Describe neuromarketing (for me_
-
Are you familiar with Chinese philosophy?
-
All of your community service is admirable, but I don't understand how that connects with your desire to study and practice medicine. Do you?
-
Although we talked about interesting things, they all came about through the conversation. No really interesting questions were posed.
-
Why Vanderbilt?
-
Name the other top 10 schools you are applying to?
-
The interviewer asked very open-ended questions. it seemed like she was simply trying to get to know me.
-
What do you look for in a medical school program?
-
What gets your blood boiling? What makes you really really mad
-
What has been your biggest accomplishment in college?
-
None. I was really disappointed by all the boring questions. She wouldn't even bite when I mentioned things that other people usually find interesting.
-
(for me): why did you join the military?
-
He asked me to talk about my clinical experiences, my research, my major, my family... really just trying to get to know me.
-
A question about my research in management - business fraud.
-
Nothing really interesting
-
Why did you decide to study in the US?
-
Nothing particularly interesting
-
Nothing very interesting
-
If you had a day off to spend time with your family and a patient called, what would you do?
-
My interviewer asked me many questions regarding my volunteer work, some of which had little to do with clinical/research work (strictly speaking), which seemed unusual but were very much welcomed.
-
How would your friends describe you?
-
Aww, it just escaped my mind.
-
So what do you think about the situation in Ukraine?
-
Do you have any concerns about medical school (i.e. are you worried about it)?
-
Describe your usual role when working on a team.
-
We talked about the importance of literature / the humanities in medicine, but I can't remember a specific question
-
Nothing too interesting... Just basic questions you would expect.
-
What's the best thing that's ever happened to you? The worst?
-
You have had many extraordinary experiences, which one was your greatest? Which one was your least favorable?
-
We had a discussion about how my research related to his work.
-
Nothing interesting...
-
The interviewer had my AMCAS file memorized. He knew that I took a piano class my freshman year. When he asked me about it, I was kind of shocked.
-
I was really only asked two questions: What makes a good doctor? And what makes you better than all the other applicants? She seemed to disagree with my answer to the first question. I didn't particularly like the second question, since I don't know anything about the other applicants. I just tried to say what made me different, which didn't work. At all.
-
What percentage of the GDP is consumed by healthcare in America? Don't worry guys, I probably led to this question by discussing the health systems in other countries and how much of the GDP it was consuming.
-
Nothing too intersting, just asked how I got interested in medicine.
-
Out of your community service experiences with people, describe a positive and negative experience.
-
Why a year off
-
Nothing too out of the ordinary really.
-
The whole thing was basically a conversation so it wasn't stressful really at all.. the questions just flowed and followed naturally.
-
Why did you travel after college?
-
What makes a good doctor?
-
Tell me something interesting about what you learned as a political science minor.
-
Nothing super interesting. He had me discussing my AMCAS application (which is all they have to look at), and I know mine like the back of my hand.
-
Did you find your thesis project or did it find you?
-
What one aspect of your time at 'insert hospital here' most surprised you?
-
How a class from my major could apply to medicine (not a typical cell bio, biochem, etc. class).
-
Have you ever been accused of something that you didn't do?
-
What role does religion play in a physician's life?
-
How exactly does a basic swing dance step go? (I told him I teach swing dance lessons)
-
Tell me about yourself growing up.
-
What do you do in your free time?
-
Describe your best friend.
-
Tell me about what brought you here, why medicine, why vanderbilt etc.? (all given as one big question)
-
Nothing really super sweet
-
How have your parents' professions influenced you to become a doctor?
-
All of the questions were about things on my application
-
Nothing that really threw me - all pretty standard and expected.
-
Who has been an important mentor for you?
-
There wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
-
Who is more musically talented, you or your sister?
-
Why pole-vaulting?!
-
Do you watch Sex in the City?
-
How do you show compassion?
-
Nothing was that interesting.
-
A question that was really more in the form of a discussion of the role of alternative medicine in the US healthcare system.
-
What is the best thing that has ever happened to you?
-
Tell me about a time when you felt that you let yourself and other people down.
-
Tell me what other schools that you've been looking at and if you have any questions of how they compare to Vanderbilt.
-
Hmm . . . nothing too crazy. I guess I liked the question, "If you had an absolutely free weekend, no strings attached and no cost applied, where would you go and what would you do?"
-
What would you do if you were partnered with another student who vehemently opposes your interest in serving underrepresented communities?
-
None really---all were related to my AMCAS
-
Not really anything interesting. Lots of personal stuff like my undergrad school, my family, aspects of health care that I've encountered, my research and clinical experience.
-
What makes a musician great? Can you tell the difference? (Don't worry - I wrote in my AMCAS that I play a ton of violin!)
-
What books have you read recently? (Interesting b/c it lead on to other related questions)
-
If you could spend two hours in any museum, which museum would you go to?
-
If you were writing your bio at age 70, what would it say?
-
How would your roommates describe you?
-
Nothing really. all were very fair and off AMCAS
-
Nothing really. Very conversational. Extremely nice interviewer. I was nervous before the interview because there was a large portrait of the Dr who interviewed me hanging in the First Year lecture hall but he was great.
-
How did you get a C in General Chem and then an A in Organic?
-
What type of medicine do you want to go into and why?
-
How do you manage to do all of this stuff?
-
What has been the most fascinating place you have seen in your travel experiences?
-
Nothing especially sticks out.
-
How did you get involved in whitewater kayaking?
-
None particular
-
Very conversational interview, so there were a lot of interesting topics, but they weren't really ASKED, just arrived at them naturally.
-
What do you do in your spare time? The questions were pretty standard.
-
No unexpected questions - very conversational. You were basically given a chance to explain yourself. The interviewer tried to make you as comfortable and possible and just got to know you.
-
Nothing really
-
Tell me about your Bioethics class
-
None really, just a no stress interview. The basic getting to know you better.
-
What did you learn as a team player?
-
How is it living in Las Vegas?
-
No really interesting/difficult questions. The interviewer was incredibly nice, and she basically let me discuss whatever experiences (research, volunteer, etc) that I wanted to.
-
Tell me about the impact of immigration on human capital. (a project i'd done some research on)
-
What is the worst situation you been in?
-
Questions about my research and research group.
-
The interviewer described a difficult case study of a patient with a potentially terminal illness that only responded to an exotic therapy that the insurance company refused to pay for because of its' contract. What would I do? This lead to a discussion of the pitfalls of the current medical economy set-up
-
What were the best and worst experiences of your life?
-
What was the most meaningless extracurricular on your AMCAS?
-
Interesting convo overall - we talked about politics, healthcare, rural medicine (while I have experience dealing with rural patients, its not what I want to do)
-
None, didn't really seem to ask the "usual" questions
-
What extracurricular activity did you enjoy the least, and why?
-
Tell me about your interest in art.
-
Who is your favorite jazz musician?
-
None... all were specific to my file
-
What's the difference between country music and bluegrass?
-
Please make a simple flowchart of the complex variants involved in healthcare mobilization based upon the Olerick model of statistical exchange. kidding. chill, its realy easy.
-
If you had all the resources in the world to do whatever you want for a weekend, what would you do?
-
Mainly discussed research and some current healthcare issues (i.e. malpractice insurance)
-
What was your favorite and least favorite classes?
-
All specific to me - very chatty
-
After a long discussion of various problems in the health care system, what would I do to fix them?
-
What are the advantages and disadvantages of socialized health care? (As a Canadian, I expected this question)
-
1) Who is your role model? 2) How do you get a 10-year-old child to practice a musical instrument?
-
Why did you choose the high school that you attended?
-
How would you compare what and how much students read for pleasure compared to 10 years ago?
-
Nothing terribly exciting; mostly standard "why did you transfer?" "what was your most favorite and least favorite class?" "how did you like Stanford?"
-
Nothing was particularly interesting.
-
What does poetry do for you
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by reviewing their AMCAS application, reading interview feedback on SDN, researching the school's website, and conducting mock interviews with friends or classmates. Suggestions include practicing answering common questions, researching the school's unique programs, and familiarizing oneself with current healthcare issues.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Looked at questions on SDN, prepared answers to the most common questions.
-
Thought about how I would answer interview questions I saw on SDN.
-
Read SDN, researched school
-
Read SDN interview feedback, re-read my app, and practiced with someone else
-
SDN. No need to super prep tho.
-
Reviewed my secondary
-
Researched the school and reread my application
-
Read primary and secondary applications and read through the school website.
-
Read the CV of my interviewer, read up on Vanderbilt medical, reviewed my research and AMCAS essays, and read the interview questions posted here at SDN ahead of time.
-
Reviewed AMCAS, SDN, and Vandy website; mock interviews with classmates
-
SDN, website, review my AMCAS and secondary
-
SDN, The Paddle, mock interview with friends
-
SDN, Reviewed AMCAS, VUSOM Website
-
SDN interview feedback, reread my AMCAS (be super familiar with your AMCAS activities! Pretty much the entirety of my open-file interview involved the interviewer asking me to elaborate on each AMCAS activity), talked to student host, read the Paddle (Vandy's guide for incoming first years).
-
SDN interview feedback, mock interviews, spoke to VUSM students on campus
-
SDN, read about the school, read my application.
-
Reviewed my AMCAS and secondary applications. Did some introspection. Did research about Vanderbilt SOM.
-
Reviewed AMCAS. Prayed. Researched the school.
-
SDN, talked to students
-
Reviewed why I liked Vanderbilt, SDN.
-
SDN, chat with student host, Vandy website, etc.
-
Mock interviews. Interview workshop. SDN. Reviewed my AMCAS app and secondaries.
-
SDN feedback, website
-
Reviewed my application materials
-
SDN, mock interview, talked with a friend
-
Kept up with New York Times and NEJM (sort of), reread primary app, reviewed old research experiences, read through admissions website
-
SDN, talked to friends who had interviewed there, mock interview
-
SDN interview feedback, current medical student feedback, researching school
-
AMCAS book. Online material about the school. Talked to a current mstp student.
-
SDN interview feedback, read my secondaries for all schools, reviewed AMCAS application, school website.
-
Read SDN reviews, reviewed my essays and AMCAS application,
-
SDN, read website, read over AMCAS, practiced with friends
-
MSAR, SDN, Talked to other students, School's website, Reviewed AMCAS.
-
Researched Vanderbilt's programs, looked over my application
-
Read SDN, read over my application
-
Read some McCain and Obama health care plans.
-
Slept
-
SDN interview feedback, school website, MSAR
-
Mock Interview, School's Website, Interviewer's Online Profile, Peppering Admin secretary with questions
-
I didn't really. I never do.
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Vandy website, read through my primary and secondary apps, SDN, a book called "the Medical School Interview" by Jeremiah Fleenor
-
SDN feedback, School website, read blogs on healthcare, reviewed my applications and essays I had written for all schools
-
SDN, school website, read primary app (interviewer does not get secondary), slept well.
-
Amcas, school's website, talking to students
-
SDN, read personal statement, school website
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SDN, Website, Amcas, the usual.
-
Having other interviews before this and going over the typical why medicine, and tell me about yourself questions as they pertained to me.
-
SDN, AMCAS application, vandy website
-
Website, sdn, amcas
-
Read over primary and secondary applications.
-
Vandy website, SDN interview feedback, going over my AMCAS and Vanderbilt secondary.
-
Visited the school website, talked with my student host
-
This website, reading newspaper, school's website.
-
I read the interview feedback and read over the really long secondary essays I wrote.
-
Sdn interview feedback, website, student host
-
Vandy's website
-
SDN, school website, read over my application, read over faculty descriptions of my interviewers
-
Read SDN, my application.
-
Vandy website, SDN, practiced interview questions
-
Sdn, school website
-
Hmm.. SDN, mock interview, really RESEARCHED school's website...random questions
-
SDN, didn't browse the school's website alot (My mistake! Please please send a lot of time on the web and asking students prior to interview). AMCAS and experience from my 3 other interviews.
-
Read AMCAS, talked to student hosts
-
Looked over my AMCAS and Secondary, SDN, and school's website
-
SDN feedback, talked to several Vandy med students I know, researched my interviewer online, read Vandy's website on the Emphasis program and their computer technology.
-
AMCAS, this website, brainstormed questions that someone might ask me about background and interests and answered them
-
Mocks, SDN
-
SDN Interview Feedback and researched Vanderbilt's website
-
SDN, NY Times, School's Website
-
SDN, school website, reviewed AMCAS app
-
Read vandy website/sdn
-
SDN, Vanderbilt website, talked to a friend who went there
-
I re-read my AMCAS application (the interviewer has seen your AMCAS, but has NOT seen your secondary), looked up information about my interviewer (the school will provide his/her name to you ahead of time), read about the Vanderbilt curriculum, and read the previous interview feedback posted here on SDN.
-
Read AMCAS, talked to students, SDN, Vandy's website
-
Reread AMCAS app and secondary essays, SDN, school website
-
Read previous interview questions from SDN, Read Vandy's website, reviewed my AMCAS application and secondary essays.
-
Reviewed sdn pages, researched the new curriculum, reread my primary application. (The interviewers do not see your secondary.)
-
School's website, studentdoctor.net, thought about potential interview questions, read over AMCAS and secondary
-
Read over primary and secondary (even though the interviewer doesn't see the secondary). Read over info regarding the school.
-
Read over primary, secondary, researched Vandy, and wikipedia'd some small details from my primary and secondary (plots from books I had mentioned)
-
SDN, online, read over my primary and secondary
-
SDN Interview feedback, school website, reviewed my AMCAS application
-
AMCAS, SDN, talking to myself as if I were answering questions...yeah, sounds lame but it actually helps.
-
VMS website
-
Sdn, current events, read apps, practice interview, read website
-
Read over ps, sdn interview feedback, standard questions. no mocks though
-
SDN, Vanderbilt's website, my own application and research
-
Read SDN, reviewed health-care articles, explored the school's website, talked with an alum of the undergrad program.
-
Read websites, interviewed at other schools
-
SDN feedback, school website, my app.
-
School's website, my application
-
Read over AMCAS application, SDN feedback, Vandy website, research pubs, interviewer biography.
-
StudentDoctor, AAMCAS, website, MSAR
-
Vanderbilt website
-
SDN, Vandy website, read over my apps.
-
SDN, read the school website, asked questions of friends currently attending, looked at questions from other interviews
-
AMCAS, secondary, school website and SDN
-
Read AMCAS application, researched interviewer, studied the curriculum/website info
-
Read over primary (that's all the interviewer has) and read SDN feedback.
-
SDN interview forums, previous investigation for interviews
-
SDN, website, read over my AMCAS (interviewers have not seen your secondary)
-
Read Vanderbilt's curriculum, looked over primary and secondary app, practiced answering questions
-
SDN, read secondaries
-
Practice interviews, read up on the school, reviewed AMCAS
-
SDN, AMCAS, read website, reviewed secondaries
-
Read through the website. Spoke to a friend who's currently a med student about interviews. Read comments on studentdoctor.net
-
Read the latest news articles (esp. medically-related ones) from CNN.com and NYT online, googled my interviewer and printed/studied info about her and her interests, studied the school's website (esp. the research aspects, which is what I'm interested in), practiced some questions w/ a friend
-
Read SDN questions, browsed the website, reviewed my interviewer's profile
-
SDN, prepped some interview questions from Interview Feedback
-
Read over my AMCAS application
-
Researched the school (of course, I did this before I even applied), read about my interviewer.
-
SDN, read about the school, spoke with medical school students
-
Reviewed my application. Secondary app not necessary to review. (your interviewer won't have it.) Answered practice questions from this website, Vanderbilt in particular. Studied the website.
-
School Website, SDN, Students
-
Reviewed AMCAS (interview did not have access to 2ndary or letter of rec), studied school's website, MSAR
-
SDN, school interview feedback, talked to myself a lot
-
I had a nice breakfast at a friend's house.
-
Read all the tips I could find about interviewing.
-
Looked over the school's website.
-
Reviewed my AMCAS application, this site
-
Reviewed my AMCAS and secondary, SDN, interview advice from undergrad school
-
Browsed school's website, read some articles
-
SDN, reviewed AMCAS application
-
This site, Vanderbilt website, practice from other interviews
-
AMCAS, website, student hosting
-
Read SDN, talked with students the night before
-
Read SDN, read an interview prep book, got a lot of sleep
-
Practice questions
-
Vanderbilt's website has very little information about the school itself. Good info on the programs during the summer and if you want to take a year off.
-
Read over SDN stuff, looked at website curriculum
-
SDN, Vandy's website, mock interviews, reread AMCAS, prepared for frequently asked questions
-
SDN, mock interview
-
Re-read AMCAS (they do not use the secondary) and information about what makes the school unique, practiced with friends and family
-
AMCAS, SDN.
-
Reviewed my AMCAS
-
Reviewed some application things, mock interview, researched school.
-
SDN, Interview Feedback, Vandy's website, my AMCAS (don't look at the secondary, the interviewer doesn't have it)
-
Looked over my application, looked at other responsed from interviews of this site
-
SDN, Vanderbilt's website and programs, The Paddle (first year student guide), MSAR
-
SDN website, AMCAS application, Vanderbilt website
-
This site, read up on health policy, mock interview, re-read secondary and AMCAS, school website.
-
Read over SDN, AMCAS
-
SDN, read AMCAS, practiced interview questions, mock interview
-
Looked over AMCAS, read interview feedback on SDN, Vanderbilt website.
-
Read SDN, website, one or two mock interviews with friends, AMCAS application.
-
Asked lots of questions of vandy students and people who had inerviewed, internet site
-
Website, review applications
-
Amcas, website, sdn, reviewed my research
-
Website.
-
Reread AMCAS application and read past feedback for this school.
-
Read over my AMCAS, read the school's website, looked up info on the interviewer.
-
SDN,MSAR,schoo website
-
SDN, mock interviews, re-read AMCAS, vandy website.
-
Read SDN, look over my AMCAS and read about Vanderbilt's curriculum
-
SDN, Vandy website, read AMCAS, read interviewer bio and text book
-
Read over AMCAS, talked to students
-
Read some stuff on their website, reviewed my AMCAS app.
-
Read over AMCAS, secondary application, posed mock questions to myself
-
Read school's website, SDN, watch TV. (I was still trying to finish my essays)
-
Read Vanderbilt prospectus.
-
Reviewed school website, SDN reports, talked to other past interviewees, looked over the MSAR, and other typical stuff.
-
Read SDN
-
SDN, princeton review book, drank tea
-
Not much. SDN mostly.
-
Read over AMCAS app, this website, researched some healthcare issues
-
Review AMCAS application, read SDN reports, really wasn't prepared enough for this interview
-
The interviewer only had access to my AMCAS application (not the secondary or my letters of rec), so I read over the AMCAS really well. I also looked at studentdoctor.net and copy/pasted a bunch of questions that had been asked at previous Vandy interviews to practice answers. DEFINITELY PRACTICE if it is your first interview, as it was mine. The practice was invaluable.
-
This website, read over my AMCAS application as well as secondary essays
-
SDN, Vanderbilt website.
-
SDN, amcas and secondaries.
-
SDN, read interview book, definately re-read AMCAS
-
SDN, AMCAS, Secondary, Vanderbilt website
-
Not enough, just read some info on the school. Bring up how they are one of the highest rated in terms of NIH grants
-
SDN, website, reviewed app.
-
SDN, web-site, reviewed app.
-
Read SDNet, browsed Vanderbilt's website, prepared a few questions to ask my interviewer regarding Nashville.
-
Read AMCAS app, read the material on Vandy's website, spoke with current students.
-
Sdn, some introspection
-
Read SDN, the schools website and my AMCAS application
-
This website, read my interviewer's bio ahead of time.
-
SDN, read my AMCAS, read about the school
-
I knew my AMCAS file, read the website information and the interviewer's bio available on the day of the interview.
-
SDN, read school's website, reviewed AMCAS application
-
Sdn, vandy website, read up on health policy, read amcas app
-
SDN, read my AMCAS, thought about some basic questions.
-
Studentdoctor.net, reviewed research papers, website, AMCAS
-
I only read about my interviewer for a couple of minutes the night before the interview and it really helped, especially when it was my turn to ask the questions.
-
Read over AMCAS, made a list of questions.
-
Read AMCAS, this website, and my reseach.
-
Vandy website, SDN, read my AMCAS stuff.
-
SDN of course...read through the website etc. I really went all out preparing for this one.
-
Went over AMCAS app, read over SDN, went over interviewer's bio
-
Read SDN, school webpages, talked with host, prepared for questions.
-
Sdn, went over research
-
Looked over AMCAS application...that's all the interviews are given. Looked over my research to make sure I could explain it well.
-
Read over my interviewer's page on the Vandy website, read over my app but i didn't need to b/c your interviewer does not see your Secondary, only your AMCAS..
-
Read their website, reviewed my application.
-
Read SDN, vanderbilt website, practiced interview questions, read up on healthcare/health policy
-
Read AMCAS, SDN, Interview Feedback
-
Read up on the school and brushed up on healthcare issues
-
SDN, Primary, School website.
-
Read SND interview feedback, read up on Vanderbilt
-
Read SDN, looked over application
-
Student Doctor, mock interview, re-read AMCAS and got familiar with my research again.
-
Read my amcas, read information about the school
-
Read the website (especially the section on Emphasis), read about my interviewer (your status page should tell you his/her name), talked to a student host the night before.
-
I looked over the website and practiced answers from a general medical school admissions book put out by Pfizer.
-
Health care reports, Vandy website, SDN, etc
-
Re-read AMCAS and Supplemental. A lot of online research on the school and different medical issues.
-
Read SDN, Vandy website, reread my AMCAS (they don't see your secondary), mock interview
-
SD.net, read over amcas (the interviewers do not see your vandy secondary app), scanned website, practice answering questions out loud.
-
Read this website and the Vanderbilt website, reviewed my research and AMCAS
-
Read SDN, reviewed AMCAS, medical ethics, talked to current students
-
Read interview feedback, read Vandy's website, talked to other people who had interviewed there.
-
SDN, re-read AMCAS and Vandy secondary, got familiar with me research, mock interview, read about the school on the web
-
Mock interviews, read all the questions from SDN, re-read my AMCAS and secondary applications, brought a demo of something I do research on.
-
Read my application, reviewed website, talked to several friends who go there
-
Just read interview feedback and looked over the school website.
-
Read over my amcas and reviewed the research i've done, read feedback, did a mock interview at school
-
Read earlier feedback
-
I read SDN, read their website and had a mock interview.
-
Read about the school, looked at SDN
-
Read SDN.
-
Read SDN, read over my AMCAS and Vandy secondary app, researched the school on its website
-
Vandy website, talked to Vandy prof, read NYtimes, SDN
-
Read website, read my application
-
This website, the school's website, and a quick review of my AMCAS.
-
Read over this site and my application
-
Vandy website, SDN, read over my application
-
Talked with other students, looked over Vandy website, re-read my AMCAS statement. On the day of the interview, I went to class for a few hours then went on the student tour and finally interviewed.
-
Walked around campus, talked to people in department I was interested. Read this site, the VU site
-
Nothing. Just chilled and relaxed.
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SDN website, student hosts, other medical students that I met the day before my interview.
-
This site and the vanderbilt website
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Look up the website, but I didn't find much. Found out the name of the interviewer on the status page. Reread my files. Brush up on medical issues (completely unnecessary).
-
Here, talking to students, looked over application...
-
Reviewed my AMCAS, visited this site.
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SDN, webpage, read up on my research
-
Printed out AMCAS app, read these, read up on the Emphasis program
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Read about special programs at the school, read over my secondary essays for all the schools
-
This website, reviewed my file, talked to others that had interviewed
-
Read over my application
-
Sdn, talked to current students, reviewed applications
-
This website.
-
only needed to review amcas. they didn't even have a copy of my secondary in front of them.
-
Read about Vanderbilt and read this website. Kept up with world events and health care issues.
-
Read the school's site, my AMCAS, looked over SDN
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Read school website, my application, MSAR; talked to friends who go there
-
I went over some typical interview questions. It was completely unnecessary, though, because we just sat around and talked about my AMCAS.
-
Read this and the school's website. Reviewed my application.
-
I read the website and my AMCAS
-
I stayed with a student host who loved to talk about the school, read over the website, reviewed current events, used this website, and talked to a lot of med students before my interview.
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SDN interview feedback, website, vanderbilt med students
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SDN, read through my application, read about vanderbilt
-
Interview feedback, read AMCAS/secondary application.
-
Lots of research on the school. Its helpful to look the school up in lexis nexis academic universe and see what comes up.
-
Read SDN, review AMCAS and secondary, mock interviews
-
Read over my application, looked at the website
-
Read as much about Vanderbilt on their web page, reading interview feedback here, know yourself.
-
Read SDN, feedback, thought about basic questions, read over application.
-
Re-read my AMCAS application, my secondary application, SDN interview feedbacks, made some notes on the classic questions I expected (why medicine? why this school?)
-
I way overprepared for the interview by reading up on health policy, bioethics, etc. I wasn't asked anything regarding these issues. It was only about what was in my AMCAS. The interviewers don't even see your secondary responses.
-
Read SDN, read up on school, relaxed...
-
Read school website and read my application
-
Reviewed my application. Got a lot of sleep and relaxed.
-
Read applications, read up on the school to have questions to ask them, kept up with the news, reading these reviews were a help too.
-
Read my secondary, looked up some info on Vandy, talked to the students before the interview.
-
SDN
-
SDN, read about their program online.
-
Really looked into the opportunities available there for me and why I would want to come there, sdn, talk to friends
-
Read papers to catch up on current events
-
Attempted to meditate briefly
-
Read over website, thought about likely questions, read over application, etc
-
Read AMCAS applications and secondaries. Looked at SDN.
-
Read about some old interview questions, read about the school online and their thick book at the admissions office, read over my application, and slept.
-
Went over what the school has to offer
-
Read about Vandy med.
-
Read their website, read the feedback here
-
Nothing
-
Read up on healthcare issues and bioethics, although I wasn't asked anything remotely related to these areas. I also went over my AMCAs, secondary, read this site and sdn
-
Reviewed current medical issues
-
Went to the website and took the virtual tour, went online and read about my interviewer, reviewed my application materials
-
Websites, interview feedback, read my app
-
Relaxed, Read some books on health care, etc etc
-
SDN, mock interviews, surfed the school's website
-
Mock interviews; read the school's website and their bulletin; talked with my student host about the school
-
SDN, relaxed
-
Read SDN interview feedback and a book called Severed Trust on health care issues.
-
Just relaxed and read some AMA newsletters to see the state of medical care in the U.S.
-
Read materials on school and application.
-
My interviewer wrote a book. I read it. Score!!!
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine discussed various specific behavioral and ethical scenarios, research-related inquiries, and reflections on personal experiences. The interview format appeared to be conversational for most, with a mix of traditional questions and some challenging topics, including ethical dilemmas, research details, and future healthcare system perspectives.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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The short interview questions were more specific and took more thought than those in the long interview since the longer interview was mainly focused on my application.
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From the short interview: "When have you wanted to go back in time and change a decision you had made?"
-
Tell me about a time when you disagreed with authority (or something like rules).
-
Regarding my research.
-
Give an example of a time you had trouble being empathetic.
-
Lots of very specific behavioral questions
-
Do you know specifically what type of research you would like to do?
-
Explain an ethical decision you made that you later regretted.
-
What is your take on abuse in nursing homes?
-
When talking about my volunteer experience at the hospital, the doctor asked me whether I have looked at the patient's medical chart and why I have decided not to.
-
What is the most interesting fact you know?
-
Tell me about a time when your integrity was challenged.
-
What do you think about the US health care system?
-
What could you do better?
-
None really - it was very conversational
-
Why did you take a year off
-
No difficult questions.
-
Interview was pretty casual. Length of interview is suppose to be around 1-hour, mine ended up being over 1.5-hours long, but you have plenty of downtime anyway so it was nice to have an extended interview.
-
There weren't many questions, just pointless banter.
-
Lots of grilling about my research.
-
What do you think you will change about yourself when you come to medical school?
-
What can you bring to this school?
-
Questions about the future health-care, though we both came to the agreement that we don't know what was going to happen so we laughed it off and continued
-
Chronic disease question
-
Why should we pick you over the other 5,000 qualified applicants?
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Very specific details about my research
-
None.
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Why Vanderbilt?
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What are you most passionate about?
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What do other schools have that Vanderbilt doesn't?
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Do you see yourself more likely to do basic science or clinical research?
-
None were difficult. It was really very conversational and chill, as you can see from my examples.
-
Asking me to ask questions
-
Why not pursue an MD/PhD
-
Why did you stop your basic science research? Did it lead to any publications?
-
Nothing too out of the ordinary that I wasn't prepared for.
-
None
-
None really... probably something open-ended like, ''is there anything else about you that I should tell the admissions committee?''
-
Don't remember
-
None really.
-
How did you survive your family ordeal?
-
Above
-
A series of questions about protein purification and preparation of a mutant protein. Not exceedingly difficult, but they were very on the spot and brisk, so I felt a bit flustered.
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Why did you change your path?
-
Actually no 'difficult' question..
-
What should I emphasize on your application to the Adcom? He told me that I'm an amazing applicant so I wasn't sure of what else to say from my experiences. Hey, but I said smthg and I think he loved it! OOh, pls try to smile as much during the interview to show that you are interested. It's not stressful at all....RELAX my friend.
-
There were no difficult questions. All of the interviews were relaxed.
-
Nothing was difficult, but he did challenge me regarding my (lack of) interest in bench research and choosing not to retake the MCAT.
-
He asked for more detail about my research and the implications of it than i was prepared for
-
What are the qualities that make a good physician? You could say so many things here!
-
What is your main weakness?
-
Nothing really difficult. It was very laid back and conversational.
-
Nothing really.
-
If you could go back and do things differently in college, what would you do?
-
What do you do for fun?
-
What is special about Drug X---why not use Drug Y? (for my research)
-
Nothing too crazy... I guess I had the most trouble with the ''what is your least favorite class from college'' question, just cause I hadn't really thought about it too much.
-
Tell me about a leadership role? Some initiatives you took with that role?
-
1st question: Tell me what you know about Vanderbilt.
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How would you bring diversity to Vanderbilt?
-
Explain how you differentiate between B1a and B1b cells (from my research - very specific question!)
-
What was your most difficult class?
-
There weren't any...it was very conversational
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If you have to chose between (other school) and Vanderbilt, how will you decide?
-
Tell me how you got to where you are today.
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What do you think is the most significant problem facing health care in the next ten years?
-
How would you change the curriculum?
-
Everyone seems to come into med school wanting to change the world and when they leave this seems to change. What do you think happens?
-
None were too bad
-
What else do you want to know?
-
Personal question about AMCAS essay.
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Why not apply to your in-state schools?
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What is a problem with the current health care system and what would you do to solve it?
-
N/A
-
What was your least favorite class?
-
Describe a challenge and how you handled it.
-
None really. although some of the questions were indirect. it seemed like the interviewer wanted you to talk rather than ask you a direct question
-
Nothing was really difficult. Maybe "What are some of your concerns about entering medicine?"
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What area(s) of medicine do you see yourself participating in?
-
Were do you see yourself in 10 years?
-
Nothing difficult
-
If you had to choose, what area of medicine would you go into?
-
What will be 3 major challenges in medicine when you graduate from medical school and how should the curriculum address those challenges?
-
Tell me about your experiences as a homeschooler in high school.
-
What would you like me to highlight about your application to the committee?
-
Really none. We had a very healthy discussion with my interviewer.
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Why did you spend time on X activity if you already were very committed with school and work?
-
Tell me one social issue that interests you the most and why.
-
Should more money be devoted to education or healthcare?...Prevention or intervention?
-
Identify some problems with the current healthcare system.
-
Same as above
-
Why medicine, why not another health care career
-
Nothing difficult, it's all about the AMCAS
-
None were difficult, most were just clarifying parts of my application
-
How do you think that a medical school curriculum should be designed to meet that challenge?
-
Nothing difficult.
-
Question about my Amcas activity...
-
See above
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How would your acquaintances describe you?
-
What's the difference between an applicant and a supplicant?
-
Describe yourself in one word
-
None really
-
All straightforward.
-
What else do you think we should know about you?
-
There really weren't any.
-
Nothing
-
Of the activities you listed on your AMCAS application, which activity are you most proud of?
-
Nothing really difficult.
-
Nothing too difficult.
-
Tell me about your family
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What makes you better than other applicants
-
Nothing to difficult.
-
Nothing. No surprises.
-
What diversity would you bring to the medical school?
-
Specifics about my research
-
Whether or not I see myself in academic medicine. Only difficult b/c I don't know.
-
Describe yourself.
-
Are you familiar with Chinese philosophy? (No)
-
Same as above.
-
What would you want the admissions committee to know about you?
-
What kind of research would you pursue if you did research here?
-
"tell me about yourself" -this question is so general; i wasn't really sure how to start answering it.
-
How do you feel about Nashville?
-
If you could choose two people to have dinner with, who would you choose and why?
-
In ten years, what field of medicine do you see yourself in?
-
Nothing.
-
Nothing really difficult
-
(for me): what do you think of the military mother camping outside of Bush's ranch?
-
Nothing too tricky.
-
You scored a 9 on the Verbal section of the MCAT, and your English grades are your lowest grades. Why do you think that is?
-
Regular questions
-
He was well versed on my personal statement and asked me to clarify very specific things I had written.
-
Tell me about this "medical leave" <I went nuts>
-
If a chronically ill patient asked you to assist them in committing sucide, would you do it?
-
Nothing much. Most questions were in regards to the details of my AMCAS.
-
No difficult questions, really. The interview was very conversational.
-
What was your least favorite college course and why?
-
What frustrates you?
-
How do you think developed nations can contribute to improve the health care situation in developing countries? Do you think they should train more physicians in the developing countries or train physicians for instance here in the US. ( I think I steered the interview in this direction).
-
I see you had a hard time in some of your physics classes, but you stuck with it anyway, huh?
-
What other med schools are you applying to? (Is this even allowed??)
-
Why Vanderbilt? (first question asked)
-
What other schools would you like to go to? (I don't know if this is a completely "legal" question in the med school interview process.)
-
Which do you prefer - the canadian health care system, or the us health care system?
-
You have had many extraordinary experiences, which one was your greatest? Which one was your least favorable?
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What don't you like?
-
All-open ended, nothing difficult
-
Nothing difficult, just a friendly conversation about Vandy and Nashville.
-
Explain your research and tell me what you learned from this. This was not hard but I did some research that can be hard to explain...(don't laugh)
-
(I would be an international student): You have many options for where to live, where would you choose? Talked about what he knew about people getting residency in US, asked if I knew about it.
-
None was difficult, all expected
-
None really, we ended up chatting after a couple of questions about my application. I guess "Is there anything else you'd like to let the committee know?"
-
I wasn't asked any particularly difficult questions.
-
Talk about how your research applies to the larger objective of the lab.
-
What was a mistake you made? (My mind filled with answers, couldn't pick just one)
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What makes a good doctor?
-
Where do you see yourself in 10 year? (PS. I have no clue because I do not know what residency I want to pursue).
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None were too bad.
-
About a detail in my application that most people won't have to answer
-
What was the one part of my study abroad that was most memorable or educational or something to that effect.
-
What percentage of Americans exactly are uninsured?
-
Tell me about yourself (this one always gets me nervous, I just want to say "I'm fine, how are you?")
-
Will you add diversity to next year's class?
-
Was asked about one of my weaknesses in a round about way. Basically the question was what do i want to do in the future to improve a weekness of mine.
-
No really difficult questions
-
Describe your best friend.
-
No difficult questions
-
How would you like me to explain to the admissions committee that you had a poor freshman GPA?
-
You got four C's as an undergraduate. How do you explain these grades?
-
About the content of a bioethics paper on abortion
-
Your MCAT score was lower than I would have expected given the strength of your application. How do you explain that?
-
How do you think the new HIPAA privacy regulations will impact the future of research? (I kinda brought it up, so don't worry it wasn't completely random or anything)
-
What are you least proud of? What do you want to talk about?
-
Tell me about yourself.
-
What are your weaknesses?
-
How did you choose your major?
-
Why a doctor, why not another type of helath care professional?
-
A very specific question about my research.
-
Why did you take a year off and how would you like me to explain that decision to the Admission's Committee?
-
Tell me more about your trip. (It's very hard to squeeze evrything releveant about a year in two to three minutes)
-
Nothing too hard either. He asked what I thought the hardest part of being a doctor would be. He also asked what one sentence I would give to describe me.
-
What is a health disparity?
-
There were some really personal but appropriate (family, religion)questions related to my AMCAS. I came prepared, so it wasn't a big deal.
-
Why Vanderbilt? What did you do to reinforce your desire of becoming a doctor?
-
Tell me about a good deed you have done. Or what is your biggest accomplishment.
-
What would you do to improve healthcare?
-
A question specific to my essay
-
Why don't you draw a picture of my daughter while we talk? (Note: I wrote on my AMCAS application that I was an artist, so this will not happen to the unsuspecting.)
-
Something about health insurance...
-
Very conversational...just relax and enjoy the opportunity to speak with a faculty member
-
What's your worst quality?
-
None -- all were laid back
-
What do you think the committee will most question about on your application?
-
Why do you think that you, personally, would be an asset to the school.
-
No real tough questions: very conversational.
-
Why I chose to attend the high school that I did. (It's public, and the ONLY one in my tiny town.) I couldn't explain that well enough to my interviewer.
-
How did you hear about Vanderbilt? I know this is an easy question, but it was probably the most difficult one that was asked.
-
What did you do during the three summers in college? This question caught me by surprise, and my answer came out less refined than I would've liked.
-
None, all very straight-forward.
-
What was your most important leadership role and why?
-
No medical ethics or healthcare questions. Just stuff like: hardest/easiest class, why doctor, tell me about yourself, family, hobbies, research, weaknesses, etc etc etc
-
What do you think is an important problems that future physicians will face?
-
None were really hard
-
None, again this interview was not stressful at all.
-
So, what kind of person are you?
-
Nothing really...most questions centered around getting to know me.
-
See above.
-
None were really difficult
-
No really difficult question
-
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing doctors today?
-
The same case study question.
-
Do you travel a lot?
-
None were really bad, but after being asked about 8 times if I wanted to ask him anything else about Vandy I about ran out of there. There's only so much to ask!
-
Tell me about a failure and how you dealt with it.
-
What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment thus far in life?
-
Nothing really
-
My first and pretty much only question for the first 40 minutes was "what questions do you have about Vanderbilt?"
-
So you have a 4.0 GPA. What's wrong with you?
-
Why haven't you done community service or had experience in a clinical setting?
-
A detailed question about my research because the faculty interviewer have done research in the same area as I have.
-
Out of the many applicants, we selected only 700-800 to interview, and then we admit about 100 students. Why should we accept you into our school compared to the rest of the interviewees?
-
Sorority? Greek letters? I'm not from the US, could you explain that system to me?
-
What can i do to convince you to come here
-
What do you think is the greatest difference between Western and Eastern religions?
-
Do you see a difference between disease and illness?
-
What do you think of the whole managed care thing?
-
None, really-- all were very cordial questions
-
Why do you want to come to Vanderbilt?
-
How can we stop people from engaging in unhealthy behaviors like smoking or eating junk food? Doesn't it all begin with personal responsibility? (I come with a public health background and don't always agree that everything begins with personal responsibility. We need to also modify the environment to make it conducive for healthy behavior.)
-
What is the number one problem faced in the world today?
-
What do your friends think about your reading Dostoevsky for pleasure?
-
"How would your friends describe you?"
-
Why is your MCAT essay score so low? (second question)
-
Do you think you write stream of thoughts versus real poetry?
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and enthusiasm of the faculty, staff, and students at Vanderbilt. They appreciated the supportive and collaborative environment, the top-notch facilities, the emphasis on student wellness, and the focus on individualized student experiences through programs like Emphasis. Many also highlighted the beautiful campus, the new Children's Hospital, and the overall happiness and satisfaction of the student body.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
The school did a great job of having friendly faculty/staff for interviews and was available to answer any questions we had. Interview day was small (only 6 other students in my "group") and didn't drag on for forever.
-
Pretty much everything. The interviewers were super super nice, the students were all nice and pretty relaxed. The building we spent most of the day in was very open and all the school of medicine buildings were easy to get to. On my interview day, the M1s were on a field trip break day and they still came to say hi in the morning. Students seemed happy there and the faculty was really supportive.
-
The interviewers were really kind, and especially all of the deans of admission. Also, the research is really impressive here.
-
People at the admissions (not just my interviewer) seem to have read my app!
-
Curriculum 2.0, Nashville, facilities, administration
-
Friendliness of students/faculty, student enthusiasm, curriculum, research opportunities, surrounding Nashville area, facilities...
-
The interviewer knew my file completely and was very open about the whole application process.
-
Strong focus on student wellness, personally and academically. Very friendly, down-to-earth environment. I didn't detect much, if any, pompousness among students or faculty. Very positive, constructive, collaborative environment.
-
Prestige, organization, polite/supportive faculty, staff, and students, commitment to innovation, excellent facilities, and increased diversity efforts
-
Small class size, people were friendly
-
Faculty and students were really friendly and nice.
-
The people there are very friendly - we had many current students drop by the office to chat with us and a couple even stopped us while we were wandering around to ask if we were interviewing there. The facilities are also top notch.
-
Close faculty-student mentoring relationships, huge focus on student wellness, really friendly interviewers.
-
The fellow interviews were awesome. Administration and interviewers create a very calming and comfortable atmosphere.
-
Everything about the school. It's beautiful, has great facilities, the people are really nice...
-
How nice everyone was (the interviewer, admissions office, students)
-
I love Vandy! Spent the summer here! It was AMAZING.
-
Vanderbilt's simulation center (CELA) is by far the most extensive and impressive I have seen (I have interviewed at 10 schools including 3 top in the 10). The campus is beautiful. All of the staff seemed really fun to work with.
-
The students at Vanderbilt were the most happy, chill and friendly of any medical school I've visited. Facilities were outstanding, although I wish I could have seen their new anatomy lab. Nashville seems like a fun place to live. The admissions office is the most friendly I've come across.
-
Friendly students, admissions staff, and physicians. Many facilities are new, and the children's hospital is impressive. The students seemed happy to be at Vanderbilt. The brand new (opening next week) ICU.
-
Overall friendly atmosphere. Nice facilities (anatomy lab, CELA, Children's Hospital), Value student feedback,
-
The medical campus. The children's hospital. The friendliness of everyone around. CELA.
-
Facilities, CELA, anatomy labs, cohesiveness of students and campus, board scores, match list, Children's Hospital, everything...
-
Everyone LOVES vandy, the faculty seems VERY involved with the students, there is a lot of effort from the school to make sure students have fun, there is A LOT of support for independent research of any kind
-
Judy! Being walked to/from my interview, Children's hospital, CELA, friendliness of random people passing us in the hallway
-
Umm...EVERYTHING???? incredibly friendly and blazingly intelligent people everywhere, beautiful, state of the art facilities, gorgeous campus, lots of new education technology
-
Everything!
-
Everyone seemed very happy. I liked how much peer mentoring there is (and how second years pass their textbooks onto first years...how nice!)
-
The facilities, students
-
Students were nice and actually go to class. They are also pretty honest about how hard medical school is. My interviewer was nice and pretty honest about the schools good and bad points.
-
Friendliness of everyone, amazing facilities - , med students seem really happy and have good relationship with administration, professors; they also get good board scores and matches
-
The friendliness of the medical students. They seemed to have a low stress-level, and they loved Vanderbilt.
-
Everyone here was INCREDIBLY nice, including the admissions staff, the interviewer, tour guides, and even random medical students walking by. The new Children's Hospital is exactly what a children's hospital should look like. The campus had a comfortable feel, and the hospitals are huge. The new anatomy lab is the best one that I've seen yet!
-
The students really seemed to like the school, and the facilities were great. Curriculum updates seem to have gone over well.
-
The medical center is unbelievable. Everyone around was super friendly and upbeat! Nashville is unparalleled as a city - large but easy to navigate with a very vibrant social scene.
-
The facilities are unreal. The anatomy lab and children's hospital are awesome.
-
The people and the atmosphere of the school.
-
Everything, the campus, facilities, the people
-
Fantastic new anatomy lab Great similation wing Extremely friendly students Three hospitals, med school and undergrad all on one campus
-
The anatomy lab and children's hospital were amazing!
-
The facilities are VERY nice. The new anatomy lab and CELA show that the school puts a lot of money into improving the medical student experience. Also, the flexibility of the curriculum allows students to explore their own areas of interest and feel supported.
-
Everything was amazing. The curriculum is so well suited to students needs. There is flexibility and excellence at the same time. The CELA is incredible, the anatomy lab was over-the-top amazing. Nashville is just the right size. 5, soon to be 6, hospitals in a two block district would pay dividends as a rotating student/resident.
-
Children's Hospital, CELA, Judy, undergrad campus (so beautiful!), students were very happy
-
Children's Hospital, CELA, friendly students, school spirit, nice interview day box lunch, Emphasis Program, advisory colleges,
-
CELA, happiness of students, Judy
-
Bright, friendly and happy students, hot chicks, excellent facilities especially CELA, the anatomy lab and the Children's Hospital, and the emphasis program sounds awesome.
-
My interviewer spent more time trying to sell me on the school. Also, everyone seemed really nice there even in the city, the shuttle driver, the hotel staff, everyone seemed to know interviews were going on.
-
The students seem really happy. They have a lot of really fun traditions and the students seem to be involved in a lot of activities outside of med school. My interviewer was fantastic. The interview was a conversation, not an interogation. No tough questions were asked. The only information she had about me was my AMCAS so we talked a lot about my activities and interests. Also, the new children's hospital is incredible!
-
Very laid back atmosphere. Students and faculty seem to love the university.
-
The facilities, the faculty, the students.
-
New simulation facilities, new anatomy lab, new research building... pretty much new (or soon to be new) lots of things since there was so much construction going on. Students, faculty, and administration are all very enthusiastic about everything and really sell the school well. Also, this interview was by far my lowest-stress and most fun out of all of my interviews. My interviewer and I ended up going over the allotted time and he personally walked me back to the admissions office. Vanderbilt itself is also in a very awesome area in Nashville. Lots of little restaurants and shops nearby and within walking distance of some cool bars.
-
The children's hospital - it is really a state-of-the-art facility.
-
The student tour guides were soooo enthusiastic and they had only good things to say about the school. It wasn't like they were trying to sell the school, they were really genuine about their passion for the school.
-
The hospitals and facilities were very nice.
-
Facilities, admissions staff, students
-
Happy students, great facilities, pretty much everything
-
Students, administration, faculty, facilities, Cadaver Ball!......and list goes on...
-
The students really seemed to like the University and the Children's Hospital is unbelievable.
-
The students were SO happy there. The atmosphere of the school was relaxed but professional. I liked the small class size and the way the students all know and hang out with each other.
-
Vanderbilt looks like a really fun place to go to school
-
The students and profs. They really LOVE it there.
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The close proximity of the hospitals to the medical school that is you don't really need to drive to diff. hosp. to do rotations. everything is there! Lectures are also recorded so you can listen at home if you prefer. Also the new curriculum is amazing. I'm very glad that many major medical schools are moving to this system of educating us. It may not be the best but it is definitely excellent and on the right path to producing very competent physicians. One of the things that will impress you is that all the students will finish med. school with very unique experiences. There are vast opportunities to do whatever you want! Please read more about the medical scholars program. but overall, I was really impressed although I felt that I was way underprepared for the interview.
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The students really seemed to enjoy that we were there and they came and talked to us at all possible times
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The whole atmosphere at Vanderbilt really impressed me. It's a collegial collaborative research environment.
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Everyone truly loves the school. You can tell there are great opportunities to have unique experiences. Facilities are all being updated.
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Children's hospital, everyone seemed to love going there
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Facilities and enthusiasm of the school!
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Facilities, how well the students were treated
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The reception of the faculty and students, the admissions office escorted you everywhere you needed to be, the children's hospital, the lunch (it was actually really good), the tours, and everything else
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Great facilities, awesome faculty, incredible resources, laid back feel, not competitive, emphasis program
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Great school, excellent opportunities, very supportive faculty and administration, friendly students
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The FLEXIBILITY of the curriculum. You really can do anything you want to.
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The students are VERY happy. The associate dean is a psychiatry major and is very focused on student health. His office is directly across from the first year lecture hall, he made a point to talk to all of us. The secretary and the deans know all of the students personally. The professors I listened to had a great sense of humor. They are getting a lot of new facilities in the next month including a state of the art anatomy lab.
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1. The students seem friendly and appeared to have good camaraderie. All of the first-years were wishing us interviewees luck when we saw them in the halls. 2. The office staff were extremely friendly and helpful; Vanderbilt is an example of Southern hospitality at its best. 3. The interviewer was pleasant and conversational, and he had clearly taken the time to learn about me before the interview. 4. The facilities were on the whole very nice, especially the new Children's Hospital, the Cancer Center, and main Vanderbilt Hospital.
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The facilities were beautiful and the school had very advanced technological resources for students. Everyone was so FRIENDLY. Southern hospitality at its finest!
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The student body is really close, relaxed...tons of faculty support and mentoring opportunities...the Emphasis program...Electives...Amazing hospitals and clinics
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LOTS... How nice everyone was (including my interviewer); how happy the students seemed to be there; the investment and new construction that is going into the school; the emphasis program; the new curriculum; Children's hospital is beautiful
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The facilities, children's hospital, new anatomy lab and simulated classrooms.
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This is a fantastic school- students are really happy there; rotations seem really valuable; great student-faculty relations and student-student relations; great location
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How happy everyone was! Apparently Vandy med students rate highest on the ''happiness scale?!''
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EVERYTHING at Vanderbilt is AMAZING! Everyone is friendly and the facilities are unbeatable.
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It's true what they say ... the students really seem to love Vanderbilt ... and I think the reason is that they seriously cater to the students - they try and make it as easy as a process for you while your're there. I was impressed by the new Childrens hospital and just how major of a medical instution it is ... theres 5 hospitals on the immediate campus all wihtin a 2 minute walk of each other
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The facilities, happiness of the students , casual tone of the interview
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The students were very friendly and very enthusiastic. They truly love the school.
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Enthusiasm of the student tour guides
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Students very happy, Emphasis program is interesting with good opportunities for international study, interviewer very proud and excited about school
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Administration, students, and overall vibe of the school
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The students and my interviewer took a lot of time out of their day to ensure all my questions were answered and show me to locations they thought I would find interesting. My interviewer saved time to escort me to an office she knew I'd be interested in, and told me all about opportunities to study abroad, do service, etc. The students seemed to seriously LOVE Vanderbilt; I definitely saw why this school supposedly has the highest self-reported student satisfaction in the country. Between scheduled activities, an MSI student invited me to come sit on a lecture they were in, which is right across the hall from the admissions office.
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The emphasis program and available selectives are really neat. It seems like there is a lot of contact and individual work with professors here.
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Everything! nashville isn't that bad (though still not home), the students were incredibly intelligent and down to earth. It's a bit more formal than some other schools. The facilities are great. The new curriculum looks like it will be incredible.
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The environment as a whole
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The people were very welcoming, warm and more than willing to answer any questions I had
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The facilities, and the way that Vandy seems to really take care of their students. The area surrounding the campus was very quaint and had a lot of southern charm. Downtown Nashville would be a fun place to spend 4 years.
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The students are supposed to be the self-rated happiest in the country
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Children's hospital is unbelieveable. library is also nice. students seemed genuinely happy.
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The STUDENTS.
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The facilities were state-of-the-art, all of the medical buildings were on-campus (no travel! Yay!) and were pretty new. Also, the students seemed really happy and welcoming.
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Enthusiasm of students for the school, Emphasis Program, how concentrated the facilities / hospitals are - everything is right there
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My interviewer, who was humorous, knew my application front to back and was a genuinely great guy, in general. Also, how supportive different classes are of one another. Emphasis program, funding for med scholars program, intersessions, really hands-on rotations.
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The school is phenomenal, as are the hospitals (especialy Children's). All the med students were really enthusiastic about the school and loved it there.
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How nice the campus is, but that's expected for 53K/yr
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Everyone was so enthusiastic about the school. You can tell they really enjoyed it there. My interviewer said there is a lot more diversity in Nashville than you might think. Children's Hospital as everyone before me has said, is amazing.
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EVERYTHING. Vanderbilt was amazing. Both the students and staff were remarkably happy and very helpful.
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The Campus and Nashville!!!!! So beautiful. The student body is the happiest out of any where! Vandy bends over back wards to make them happy.
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Emphasis on teaching students, great faculty/student relationship, quality of facilities, co-location with undergraduate and other professional schools, happiness of students, proximity to downtown and cultural activities, affordability of housing
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I basically was impressed by everything about the school, especially the student's excitement over 8 AM class.
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Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Students were really enthusiastic and happy with the school.
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Children's hospital
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The Children's Hospital was really nice, all facilities were great, the library is new and would be a great place to study, and the students all seem to have a good social life in addition to med school work. Also, my host was SO kickass!
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The students are insanely happy. It's almost scary. The first years had their first biochem test that morning, and they had breakfast prepared for them by the other classes. New labs for the first and second years are in the process of being constructed, and the new Children's Hospital is amazing. Construction and remodeling seems to be a way of life.
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The facilities are NICE, especially the Children's Hospital. Everyone was extraordinarily friendly.
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The medical center, friendliness of faculty/students
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Everything. Nashville is a great city. The facilities are amazing at the medical school. The new children's hospital is top notch. Everybody was happy and friendly. It was almost surreal how great everything was.
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The students all seemed like they absolultely loved Vandy. The campus was beautiful and the Children's Hospital is amazing.
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The facilities are top notch. All the students love it here. Vanderbilt graduates are known to be the most satisfied with their medical education than any other school in the nation. Nashville is a nice friendly town and a great place for families. Students are encouraged to pursue their own interests and electives. Teachers are encouraged to teach in the manner that they feel is most effective for them. i.e. lecture, problem based, etc. Some may see the lack of problem based learning as a downfall but Vanderbilt's students do great without heavy emphasis on it.
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How friendly the students, faculty, and staff are. Everyone seems to be really happy to be at the school.
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Facilities are first-rate, Children's hospital is fantastic. Students, faculty, and admissions staff alike were all very energetic, friendly, and seemed to love their school. The area around campus seemed very nice and there was a lot of food and entertainment within walking distance.
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A whole lot... everyone is really nice and laid back; traditional curriculum with classes 8-5 (which is being much more integrated with a curriculum rehaul in 2007); P/F system eliminates competition; good residency matching; faculty really enjoy teaching; beautiful undergrad campus and nice medical facilities (all 10 schools, including law, business, medicine, nursing, education, and music, are on same campus as undergrad); electronic medical records and evidence-based system really help doctors make decisions
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The students and the facilities.
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The reception by the diversity office and most students that I spoke to.
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The students all seemed really happy, and the Children's Hospital was gorgeous.
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Everyone was very laid-back and very friendly. The school is awesome, great facilities. Everything: med school and hospital very close together. The new children's hospital is amazing. I was very interested in the Emphasis program and the Electives for the 1st and 2nd years. All the students seemed really happy to be there and they enjoyed themselves there.
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The medical students, weather, & children's hospital
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The friendliness of the people at the school
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I really expected to love Vanderbilt based on all the good things I've heard about it, but nothing about the school really impressed me. I've filled out a bunch of these already (seven) and this is the only one I'm giving a negative impression to. Everyone was nice during the day, but a lot of the med students giving us tours were bent up on criticizing other schools. It gave the impression that they were insecure about the quality of their school.
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Students seem really happy, very nice facilities, lots of oportunities for research
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The caliber of the school and the girls there are hot.
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Everyone really loves the school. the admissions office is also very nice, and they have a lot of candy.
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Facilities are amazing -- Children's hospital and new wing of main hospital. More new facilities should be ready by 2nd year.
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Happinness of the students
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The caliber of fellow interviewees. Nothing spectacular, especially for a university that considers themselves the Harvard of the South.
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The students were very nice and seemed really happy. But the big draw is the Children's Hospital- I'd go there for that alone.
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Nothing unimpressed me. I absolutely loved the school!
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Children's hospital is amazing!
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Everyone was very friendly and it seemed like a big happy family. The Children's Hospital was amazing. There are lots of opportunities for students, something for everyone. Everyone I met in Nashville was very frendly (not just at the school) and it was a safe area.
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The people are exceedingly friendly and satisfied with the institution.
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Happiness of the students- evident cameraderie- good student host program
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The sincerity of the students and staff.
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The facilities seemed nice, and Nashville is a great place to live (not for culture, though). Cost of living is low and the people were the type that seemed to have fun on the weekends.
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Everyone was so friendly! The students also seemed very happy. The newly built Children's hospital was amazing!
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Sense of community and friendliness toward one another; the fact that the students were just naturally hanging out in the student lounge; children's hospital; how well they treat medical students; diversity in programs for medical students; cadaver ball (look it up!)
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The facilities are absolutely amazing and they are constantly building more. Every person I came in contact with seems to have loved their experience and the graduation rate is amazing!
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1) The PEOPLE 2) Nashville 3) Facilities, especially the children's hospital
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Really supportive environment--they treat the students well, and take their feedbacks seriously, and a lot of positive changes have been made as a result of that
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Everything! the rapport of the students and staff, the facilities, the friendly people...
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The hospitals and facilities are amazing, and everyone was extremely friendly.
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Pretty much the entire day impressed me. My interviewer was very helpful and willing to share various aspects about the school, students and culture. The buildings are all gorgeous. Parts of the medical center look like a 5 star hotel. They are definitely technologically advanced. All of the students are incredibly friendly, even during midterm week. The anatomy class I observed was very lively and an enjoyable experience.
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Every single person here loves it
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How happy the students were.
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Students, faculty, curriculum, research opportunities, campus, new facilities
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Attitudes, personalities, facilties. A beautiful place with a positive attitdue.
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It seemed very organized, and the students were very enthusiastic, friendly, and open to answering questions. Try to get a morning interview so you can take the tours in the afternoon without rushing or leaving early.
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Great facilities -- their children's hospital looks better than anywhere I've ever had a birthday party.
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Cohesiveness of entire medical student population as well as the entire campus
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The extreme enthusiasm students, faculty, my interviewer have for Vandy & Nashville. The emphasis program & flexibility of curriculum to accomodate independent projects/dual degrees.
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The students are very friendly and seem to have a lot of influence at the school. The professors and students get along well. Everyone seems proud of their school but not arrogant. First-years receive a lot of mentoring and help from faculty and older students.
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Children's hospital, nashville
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The students were so welcoming, everyone was so nice
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The facilities are pretty awesome, especially the new pediatric hospital. The students seemed to be really happy with the school.
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The students are VERY enthusiastic about Vanderbilt. There appears to be little competition among students, and the class is really close-knit. The fact that the undergraduate and all graduate programs share the same campus is a plus due because of the access to additional social and cultural opportunities.
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P/F first year. students were really nice. 1st/2nd year mentorship program. Biomed library
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Quality of students and faculty, impressive location and campus of Vanderbilt.
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Great facilities; nice people; well organized
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The entire medical complex is wireless! Physicians can call up lab reports, medications, and recent relevant journal articles from anywhere on the medical campus.
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I stayed with a student which was an awesome experience, I really liked Nashville, Children's Hospital
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ENTHUSIASTIC students! great tour. curriculum seems well planned. looks like a great school
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Vanderbilt faculty seems extremely committed to their students. I was blown away by how cohesive the environment felt among everyone involved. The local community also seems to recognize this (or at least, my cab driver did.)
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The interviewer was very friendly, making it a very relaxed interview; the students seemed really happy to be there and seemed to have lives outside of medical school
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The facilities are absolutely amazing, much has been built within the last few years. The students are enthusiastic and really nice. I also sat in a couple of classes that were interesting.
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The Children's Hospital is the premier children's hospital in the nation in my estimation... just incredible; the students are collegial and friendly; the campus has some very pretty spots; first year is pass/fail (2nd year is honors/pass/fail); the Emphasis program is really cool (they'll explain at the info session); my interviewer was just a really nice guy, as were all the faculty/staff I met.
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The students and faculty were SO friendly. They all seemed to be really happy there. It seems like they make an effort to have fun and have a life outside of studying.
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The student body, facilities, people, Children's hospital, their match list, the emphasis program.
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The curriculum, which encourages research in a wide range of fields, and allows you to conduct research over a 2 yr period so u can really focus on one area or try out a whole lot of things.It is a wonderful school, and the faculty and students take such awesome pride in everything that they are.
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School was awesome, every student I met loved Vanderbilt, town had lots of interesting things to do, living facilities for students were really nice, good tour.
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The students were so friendly and seemed very comfortable there. Student body seems to be getting more diverse.
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I loved the school, the students were genuinely happy to be there. Aside from the cowboy hats, Nashvillians are mad cool, not nearly as rednecked as I thought; very refreshing city
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The professors seemed really down to earth; my interviewer was very nice
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The lecture Power-Point slides are posted on the web; financial aid; students
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I was a little worried that there would be a lack of ethnic diversity in the faculty and student bodies at Vanderbilt, but what I saw and heard at Vanderbilt during my interview day was very encouraging. For one, my interviewer was herself a woman of color. Also, during our group talk with several medical students, one girl who was Asian-Indian said she has had no worries so far despite the fact that most of the student body is Caucasian. The students and my interviewer were also quick to emphasize how supportive the faculty is of the students there and how the school values cooperation and camaderie among the faculty and among the students. Also, the Children's Hospital on campus, which was built only a year or two ago, is gorgeous.
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The students! All of the current students I met seem to be having a wonderful experience at Vanderbilt and in Nashville. Their enthusiasm, even after just finishing finals, certainly improved my opinion of the school.
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The students really seemed to enjoy going to vanderbilt. In addition, when I slipped into a classroom to observe the student sitting next to me randomly introduced herself and gave me her email in case I had any questions. She went out of her way to make me feel welcome and to say good things about the school. In addition, the admissions staff are wonderful, friendly people.
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Beautiful student lounge and library, facilities are pretty fancy
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The students loved where they were and what they did. I thought the Cadaver ball was very funny.
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The facilities are great, I encountered some really friendly people, Nashville (despite what other people say), high quality of life among students, good student/faculty relations.
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The students love the school, amazing Children's hospital
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Everybody was very open adn friendly. They wanted you to engage them.
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As others as said, the interviewer had thoroughly reviewed my AMCAS application. Everyone-students, interviewer, admissions staff-was very friendly and warm. The campus is beautiful and improvements are continuously being made. Lots of space in the city!
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Children's hospital is amazing, though eerily empty. all of the construction is also impressive - shows how successful hospital is
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The school is awsome! Beautiful campus, friendly and happy students, very nice faculty, nicest children's hospital I have seen.
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The people. Vanderbilt prides itself on its collegiality, with good reason. Class size is barely a hundred, competition is non-existent, everyone seems to get along, and USMLE averages are top notch to boot.
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The students displayed great group dynamics and seemed to like the program. Mrs. Williams was a great hostess and her life story was an amazing testimony to Vanderbilt's excellence. I also had an informal interview with one of the faculty members and I was amazed at the level of detail to which she knew my AMCAS application and how she really wanted to know me as a person.
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The students LOVE the school. I stayed with a student the night before and she showed me around the town. It was great to talk with her and then get to go to her class the next day. The students are so happy there, they have a really good history of scores on the MLE and in residency placement.
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Students were all very happy
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The interviewers are trained to be gentle. The students there seem to love Vandy.
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Vanderbilt has a very nice campus. I like how all the parts of the school are adjacent to each other. Nice weather. The new Children's Hospital is pretty amazing, and if I were gung ho pediatrics I'd stronly consider Vandy...but I still don't know what I want to do. Vandy ranks in the top 3 every year in student satisfaction, which I think is partly due to the selection of a specific type of applicant (not much diversity), but it's still a pretty impressive stat. Um, nice student lounge.
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Everything from the campus to the lovely staff.
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The students were all incredibly nice and happy. The staff and faculty seem to be very supportive of all the students.
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Admissions very friendly, organized. Host was also. Nice campus, construction in progress and new children's hospital.
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Everyone was very friendly, great children's hospital
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How happy and comfortable all the students at Vanderbilt seemed. It seemed like they had a close relationship with each other and also the faculty and support staff there.
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OMG...you have not seen a Children's Hospital 'til you see the one at Vandy... wow. also..students were happy. and vanderbilt has so much $$$.. tons of scholarship
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The interviewer was very friendly and clearly well versed with my AMCAS application. The students seemed very happy.
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Many things. the students are incredibly happy and they told us that the faculty is always there to help. Also, the medical students seem to be a big part of the medical center and not just at the bottom level. Vanderbilt also has a great campus and Nashville is pretty nice. Emphasis program.
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Everyone was really nice and seemed very happy. Like everyone else said, the interview was VERY laid back and comfortable, which is great for a first interview experience.
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The commitment to students. We had multiple people talk to us - students, deans, financial aid peeps. They wanted to make the experience as stressfree as possible. The facilities are great - there is too much brick in my personal opinion, but otherwise, decent campus and lots of sunshine (always a plus)
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The Children's hospital is beautiful! The campus in general is very beautiful. I relally liked the rec center also. I was impressed with how friendly everybody was. The med students seem to get along with each other very nicely and the faculty is very nice.
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Beautiful campus! The weather was perfect (mid 70's, clear skies), and this only enhanced the school's appearance despite all the construction.
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Talking to students and realizing that they are super happy. The new children's hospital. Everyone is so nice and excited about the school.
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Academics are incredible, pass/fail encourages teamwork, and everything regarding the students (happiness, attitude, etc).
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The huge amount of construction and funding at the school, the medical informatics program, the genuinely happy student body, the low cost of living
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The facilities are all amazing. everything is new. they seem to have money flowing out of their ears. the complex is really incredible. nashville is also a great city, not too large but not too small either. cost of living is low in relation to most cities its size. they are investing a lot of money into the school right now.
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The collegiality of the students, administration, etc. Even my interviewer was incredibly nice. Also the Emphasis program is impressive. I think most schools of Vanderbilt's caliber have ample research opportunities, but with this program the funding is guaranteed, and the structure should lead to productivity with a tangible outcome (e.g. a publication). Lastly, the vast majority of students in both the first and second year classes attended the lectures we had a chance to peek in on. When asked why, they said because the teaching was so good.
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Everyone was so friendly. Everyone I saw came up to me and told me what a great program Vanderbilt had. I was also impressed by the organization of the hospital and school. Additionally, I was impressed by the timeliness of all events.
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Ease of life in Nashville, professor excitement, administration
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The enthusiasm of the students. They REALLY love being there. I thought they had to be put up to looking this enthralled.
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Every medical student I talked to was bright, happy and energetic. Student satisfaction was really high and there was lots of participation during classes, even with 105 people there. Be
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I think everyone says this about vandy, but the satisfaction of the students...they are just all around happy to be there
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How happy the students were, how nice the admissions staff and faculty were, and the quality of the instruction in the two classes I sat in on.
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The Emphasis program and the happy and upbeat student body. also, the fellow interviewees seemed like genuinely decent people.
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Beautiful facilities, very very nice and enthusiastic students, sat in on two classes whose instructors were great, p/f first year, h/p/f second year, emphasis program and electives.
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Student satisfaction was really high, the facilities are pretty nice, everyone seems really into the program there
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Everyone was so happy to be there. Vanderbilt ranks number 1 in student satisfaction. The students have a lot of freedom -- the Cadaver Ball, the golden shovel award, the portrait of Yoda on the Wall of Deans.
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Proximity of the hospitals to the school and to the university campus, all the students are happy, decent amount of research opportunities, lots of resources for ECs (dual degrees, away clerkships, time off to do research), family friendly neighborhoods close to school
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The students seemed very happy - not just the ones that spoke with us or gave the tours, but the ones I spoke with in the halls and in the restroom!
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How happy and friendly all the students are - they seem to be having a great time and learning a lot too. My interviewer said vandy gets the best student satisfaction rating every year in a survey of all the med schools. They seem to have great faculty too, and the administration is really helpful - the school is very focused on the students.
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Happy students, supportive faculty and administration
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Everything. The medical school is actually part of the main campus yet the hospitals are all within walking distance of the classes. Everyone was extremely friendly. I was early and I spoke with several medical students before their calss. They truly love the school.
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The people were friendly in Nashville and at Vanderbilt. The hiking in the surrounding areas was great. There's a lot of interesting research going on at the school.
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The students and faculty are supportive. Vandy gives you a ton of options for what you want to do there.
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The students there are actually happy. There is tons of student and faculty support, and the professors have the best personalities I've ever seen on a staff. The facilities are much newer and nicer than I expected as well.
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THe studnets are incredibly happy
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The cohesiveness of the students
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Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. There wasn't too much lecturing about the school, so it wasn't too boring.
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Nice hospital (which we didn't even tour)
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The facilities, their new Emphasis program, the friendliness of students and administration. Also, my interviewer directed the session such that we were having a conversation as opposed to a series of disjointed question-answer sets. I felt like he didn't come into the day with an agenda set of exactly what he wanted to know. Instead, he came prepared to listen and get a sense for who I am via a conversation focused on various life/global/medicine related issues.
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How collegate the students were w/ each other, stressed that fact that it is not competetive
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The students are incredibly friendly and social...not your typical med school students. They seem very close-knit and supportive of one another. The school provides a lot of support (in terms of professors donating extra time/tutors) for any students who are having academic difficulties, and before my visit I didn't realize how well Vandy students did on the Boards. The medical school and hospitals/medical facitlities and undergraduate institution are all located is close proximity.
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Seemed like it was a bit less nerdy than a some of the other top schools, but everyone did just as well.
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The interviewer was terrific. He was really laid back and sold the school more than grilling me. It felt just like a conversation where he was making sure I was normal.
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Vanderbilt students are simply awesome! My interview fell around their finals, but they still took some time out of their busy schedules to talk to me about the school and to give me advice concerning my interview. I was very impressed by how concerned they were about my welfare.
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The campus and facilities were very nice. The faculty, staff and students were extremely friendly. Everyone seemed content. Being from the south, I find Nashville to be a pleasant city to live in. I was surprised and delighted to see as many minority interviewees there (around 50%, 25% URM). But only a dozen or so students were in my group, so take those stats however you'd like. Finding out about the first year P/F and second year H/P/F grading system.
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The overall positive attitude of the students and the faculty. I really like the campus too. The cafeteria is not all that bad either. Their facilities are all modern. I think the coolest part was the underground network of tunnels, allowing one to go from one building to another without ever going outside (definitely helpful since it was cold).
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Students are really happy. School is very student focused. Great class comraderie. All first years are paired with a second year, and they really, really help them - much more than at other schools. Cost of living is so cheap. Very musical city.
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Everyone's gung-ho attitude about the school. they definitely sold me!
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The overall happiness of the students. The gorgeous campus.
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Facilities, weather, good natured people
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How friendly people were! And my interviewer was very complimentary and supportive.
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Vandy cares a lot about its students and wants them to be happy. The admissions staff made sure you were comfortable and took you to your interview, etc. I go to Vandy undergrad, which I have been impressed with, and I continued to be impressed by the medical school. The 2nd year students help out the 1st year students A LOT.
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The manner in which Vanderbilt caters to specific students needs was outstanding. Everyone was extremely accepting.
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The campus, the students, the facilities, the student-focus and support of staff in helping students
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Great city, great hospital, a nice area to spend 4 years.
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People were all very nice and the day was real low key.
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The interviewer, the happiness of the students, the beautiful campus
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The genuine happiness and kindness of the students. They were all excited about being at Vandy and all were ready and willing to answer any questions or just have a chat.
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Friendliness of staff, faculty and students; high level of student satisfaction; gorgeous library
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Everyone love this school. I am not kidding. This includes students, faculty, and staff.
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The people, close proximity of hospitals, location!!!
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I absolutely love this school and everything about it!!! Vandy is number 1!!!!!! The students were so helpful and nice and everyone was happy that you were there.
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Every single student I talked to, and I talked to a lot of students, seemed to love Vanderbilt. More than one student stopped the tour group to say "Come to Vanderbilt. We love it here!" Everyone was extremely friendly, and students seemed particularly supportive of each other. Vanderbilt really made clear that their emphasis is on the education and training of the current med students more than anything else.
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Man, all the students were so excited about Vandy. A wonderful experience.
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The faculty and staff are so warm and wonderful, very intelligent students with impressive board scores and residency placement. and although I'm a minority from California and didn't know what to expect of Nashville, I loved it, and it wasn't hick-ish, and even heard there is a salsa club and lots of regular hip-hop clubs, not just country music :)
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Nice city, campus. Brand new pediatrics building. Changes in curriculum. The student hosts/tour givers are really nice. I was told by the students (both male and female) that the student body is very attractive (no pun intended).
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Very laid back, nice location, great school.
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The student satisfaction rate and very high average board scores
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Everyone was really friendly and all the students only had positive things to day about Vanderbilt. Take advantage of the student hosting, you learn a lot.
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The medical students are very very happy to be here.
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Students Challenging and fun classes Overall balance of student body.
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The students, faculty and staff. They were all very happy to be at Vandy...even the cashier in the cafeteria told me how much he enjoyed Vanderbilt!
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The school seemed really concerned with letting students explore their interests through electives. Their also implementing a new "Emphasis" program so students can spend two years studying an area of their choice (ethics, health policy, mol biology, etc)
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Students were amazingly laid-back. I really like the curriculm & option to take electives, not to mention the MedScholars program. The dean of admissions is so eloquent and approachable--seems like a really nice person. The admissions office people are too nice; faculty are very laid back and dignified. highest board scores/residency matches in the nation for 3 years' running!
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The students and the faculty were very friendly and supportive
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The students were so happy and friendly! Nashville is a great city.
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Everyone in Nashville is incredibly friendly, the students and faculty at VUMS seem very excited about the school, and they did a great job of not only "selling" the school and program, but the campus and the city as well.
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High board passing rates
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The students are literally giggling with excitement about the place. Their curriculum and electives are awesome, and even though they do not have an entirely pass/fail system, they seem to be on target with how they grade for specific classes.
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Gorgeous campus, good school.
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The students are so happy, the administrators and faculty are really cool, they are aimed at training "leaders in medicine", cool student lounge and nice atmosphere overall.
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Great hospital!, cool students, the med students are really respected and treated well here, they are all genuinely happy and thats hard to find at many schools
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The place was awesome. The students really seemed to like the school, and they had time to do things outside of school. They'd answer pretty much any question you'd ask.
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The happiness of the students. Cheap cost of living. School's seemingly increasing reputation. Good looking students and fellow interviewees.
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The students were so enthusiastic and happy. They really tried to "sell" the school - but in a genuine way.
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Everyone was all smiles and very gung-ho about the school. student lounge atmosphere reminded me of movie starship troopers
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The faculty was really nice and he was selling the school to me. Moreover, he made a nice comparison of the medical practice on the East Coast vs. West Coast. He also gave some comments on Vanderbilt and another school in the area, from which I also had an interview offer.
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The people: they were so friendly and personal. The school was beautiful, and the students seemed happy.
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The campus, the happiness... etc
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Flexibility of curriculum, happy students.
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1. High(est) USMLE scores 2. Great Advising/Support system 3. Substantial opportunity for clinical research
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The facilities are gorgeous - and the students are happier than a pig in
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The facilities and the extreme friendliness of people in Nashville.
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Friendly students and faculty
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How much EVERY student I came across could not stop bragging about how much they love it there. I never thought I would want to live in the South, but the school is incredible.
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Happy people
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The level of satisfaction of students and faculty of the SoM, The quality of instruction, The new Hospital under constructions...
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EVERYTHING! Students raved about their school, faculty were supportive, facilities were great, seemed like a fun place to go to school
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Faculty's dedication to help students succeed; high student satisfaction at the time of graduation; tradition of second year students helping first year students with reviewing for biochemistry and anatomy; beautiful student lounge with a pool table and ping-pong table
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Student happiness!!!! Beautiful campus. Beautiful people. Great hospitatlity
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The students' level of satisfaction and happiness with Vanderbilt.
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The passion the faculty have for undergraduate education, the happiness of the students, the extent of the brand-new facilities.
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The students are all about Vandy.
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The interviewer was a perinatologist who was very accomplished; the students were incredibly helpful and enthusiastic
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the lack of diversity in Nashville, the interview process being too rushed or stressful, the traditional lecture-based curriculum, limited clinical exposure in the early years, and the minimal campus tour provided. Suggestions included more interactive interviews, improved campus tours, increased clinical exposure, and addressing concerns about diversity in the city and school.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Nothing really
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I'm not too sure I like Nashville
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My open-file interviewer was a very stern person. He just went through his list of questions and didn't try to have a conversation with me at all. The lack of response from him made the interview a lot more stressful than it needs to be.
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Racial Diversity, Liveliness of Fellow Prospective Students
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Nothing. love this school
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The interviewer did not give me much time to speak. I felt like I was being lectured to.
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The interview process seemed a little rushed. Specifically the faculty all seemed very flustered and almost too busy to really invest any time in us. It wasn't that they had an attitude or anything, they were just too busy (they were friendly).
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My first interviewer seemed to be unfamiliar with my application
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My long interview, which was supposed to be conversational, was very difficult. My interviewer was initially rude, but I feel I began to earn his respect by the end. He asked multiple difficult questions about healthcare, abuse in retirement homes, and other questions that I would not consider "conversational" at all. I spoke to other students who interviewed with me and it seems mine was an isolated incidence. Most other interviewers are more relaxed, especially for the long interview. Hopefully you don't get the same person I did, it was a very unpleasant 70 minutes!
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Some interviewees can be really competitive and obnoxious.
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Fellow interviewees were pretty intense. The student body overall seemed very young (I've taken time off, and only met one current student who didn't go straight through from college).
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Nothing.
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Nothing really...
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They only have pass/fail for the 1st year.
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Public transportation in Nashville.
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A few students I encountered did not seem very professional. I realize that they were trying to make the day as relaxed as possible, but a few times I had to wonder how they made it into medical school.
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The interview itself - I don't feel like was given an opportunity to portray myself as a person or even an applicant
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Nothing
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Such a short campus tour. Should be longer.
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Didn't get to see the beautiful new anatomy labs *sad*
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Lots of downtime for interviewees especially those who interview in the morning.
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My interviewer talked most of the time and he was pretty cynical. I don't feel like he gave me a enough time to portray myself to him.
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4 more years in Nashville might not be the best thing.
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I'm not sure I will like the city. Lack of emphasis in primary care (especially family medicine). I was also told that the school isn't that involved in the surrounding community, but work is being done to change this.
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Nashville is a car town (I prefer public transportation)
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Nothing in particular.
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Interview style, general feelings about the school and how I felt there. I'm also not very enthusiastic about going that far South, although Nashville does seem like a nice city.
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We sat in on some real people talking to Med 2s about having cancer - pretty depressing!
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Nothing. Just the stiffness of the competition at the interview day (they weren't competitive-natured, they were just excellent candidates) and the realization that it may take a miracle for me to get in :/
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Down time between certain parts of the interview day.
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Nada
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Nashville isn't my ideal locale, but its also not as backwards and boring as one might be led to believe. Also the complaints about having too much down time are fairly accurate, but I can't say that I was actually bored at any point during the day. Honestly I tried to get every person that I met to state even one thing they wished they could change about the school and not one gave me a remotely consequential answer. Dare I say that this school might be perfect?
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Long lecture hours
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That I came during fall break when all of the students were out of town. Also that due to my afternoon interview which was rescheduled at the last minute, I missed the Children's hospital tour.
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The students spend a lot of time in class, more so than at other schools I've visited.
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Although we did get to see the children's hospital, I wish the tour had taken us through the main Vanderbilt hospital.
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My interview - it was quite bad
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I was upset by how short the interview was. I didn't feel that I really got to discuss all aspects of my application. I felt like I was leading the interview, pulling for questions.
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Uh... there wasn't as much friendliness as I had hoped there would be...
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Nashville sucks
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One interviewer was a bit on the negative side towards MD-PhD....
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There was nothing to do for most of the day, they left us on our own to explore and it got pretty boring.
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Don't want to sound cliche, but I didn't find anything that was negative...
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The culture of the medical school seems much more professionally inclined than academically. Not necessarily a bad thing, nor does it mean there isn't a lot of excellent research. But being a southern gentleman seems to still be in style
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Hmm everything seemed soo compact..
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The lunch was okay but I'm personally tired of sandwiches for lunch. See, I would love my rice or pasta...
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Classrooms are a little bit cramped and old
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There was quite a bit of construction.
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Bread & Co has great lunch, but their selection of sandwiches was horrible. I had two 2-hour breaks with nothing to do while waiting for the tours.
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Nashville isn't particularly vibrant when it comes to cultural life
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Not much
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Vandy is $50K a year after living expenses!!!
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Lack of diversity (but it's really not that bad)
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The competition is a little daunting - everyone i interviewed with seemed so qualified - i don't have any idea how they will decide between everybody.
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The weather was both rainy and muggy. The tour guide seemed out of it, but that was probably because he had to give the tour alone and impromptu because someone cancelled.
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I can't think of too much to say here, but just to caution future interviewees, there is a lot of construction going on right now at Vanderbilt, so be careful where you walk. Also, the cafeteria is pretty expensive, but the medical school gives you a voucher for $7, so it doesn't cost you out-of-pocket. Vanderbilt is a conservative school, so you should dress appropriately; ladies, wear skirt suits here, and save the pants for when you interview up North. Finally, if you go to Vanderbilt this early in the interview season, keep in mind that this is the South, so you can expect it to be HOT and HUMID.
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Nashville is smaller than I thought
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There was a lot of down time between information sessions, tours, and interviews. The tour could have been more structured (we didn't get to see classrooms, labs, etc...).
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Nashville is pretty small
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I don't know how much diversity there is in the city of Nashville- the Vanderbilt student body is diverse, but I don't know about the patient population.
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Is there such a thing as TOO MUCH country muscic?
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Nothing, really.
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Humidity (im from so cal soooo)
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Long period of open time between interviews and tours.
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The humidity and torrential downpour,although that has nothing to do with the school.
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Starting new curriculum next year, haven't yet encorporated PBL, attended a very boring lecture
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One arrogant fellow applicant - otherwise all good.
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Although it's great in one way that the medical campus buildings are all so close to one another, it seemed claustrophobic to me, like I couldn't really get out into the city. I was also not impressed by Nashville; everyone was incredibly nice but I just don't like the culture of country music and chicken wings. Also, I am interested in an MPH and while Vanderbilt has great opportunities for sending you overseas, no one could answer questions about the MPH program or even tell me where its office is.
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Anatomy lab is very rigorous--but the students do well on their boards.
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The first years have all their classes in one classroom, same for second year (lecture classes). Depending on how much time is spent in class, that could get old.
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Nothing specific
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My interview was during fall break so I didn't get a chance to get a feel for the student body, and nashville doesn't seem like the most diverse of places
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Nothing really. Perhaps just the cost of the school and the fact that the students I met were somewhat repetitive.
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Vandy is re-doing their curriculum next year and some of the faculty were a little unsure about how exactly things would run next year
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Lots of construction. some people had to wait around all morning for their interviews.
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I wish students all lived together, but they seem really spread out. The hospital is really nice, but it's private so I wonder how much third and fourth year students really get to DO.
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Nothing, really
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Nashville's car-driven.
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Having class from 8-5.
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Mostly just the money. I also think they did a poor job making sure everyone saw their hospitals. Also, we only met a few of the students, at all of the texas schools we were able to talk to tons of students, but not here.
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I wasn't too worried about the location in Nashville until the 18th time someone said
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The tuition. Ill be in debt 200,000 when I graduate
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Southern atmosphere, limited diversity, smaller town
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Nothin really--I guess it seemed that many of the students are from a small number of elite schools, but that could be a misconception.
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Cost.
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Most of the students live off-campus (but in really nice apts), and I'm a little worried it might be kinda hard to build class camaraderie at first. Also, my interviewer was telling me how hard it is for women in medicine and I was kinda thinking wtf.
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The gross number of Ivy League applicants shocked me, and I felt a little alienated from my group being from Miami.
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The seats in their lecture halls are a bit stiff.
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None
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Nothing at all.
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Too humid for wearing a suit!
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Only a little bit of financial aid besides loans is available to students.
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Nashville is kinda hard to get around without a car.
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The hospital tour couldve been a bit more thorough.
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Vanderbilt had encouraged interviewees spending the night in Nashville to stay at a particular inn, which was supposed to shuttle interviewees to the interview venue. The shuttle proved unreliable and I was late for a few minutes, though not for the actual interview. The admissions office secretary was not warm in the way she received me, and I found some of her actions very unfriendly. For instance, after the interview I was supposed to go back to the diversity office but she tried to stop me.
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My interview was really confrontational; I left expecting a rejection only to later find out that he'd given me the highest interview rating possible. So, don't let a weird interview experience worry you. The other thing that negatively impressed me was the financial aid- almost no grant money available.
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I applied for a host student a month in advanced and I wasn't able to have one arranged. I do understand...they have quite a bit of work and this was the beginning of the semester.
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Students spend so much of their time in lecture, few small-groups, even though the med school is integrated with the rest of campus, the whole school just didn't seem lively at all. All the first year classes are in one lecture hall and the lecture I attended was a lot worse than ones I've been to at other schools.
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Very hard classes in general, according to medical students; and if you don't like country music, Nashville may not be the best city in the world
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Not much, just the location i suppose is not the best...
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Nothing, everything was pretty okay. i guess it would of been nice if we could have toured the school more, but they have exams now
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It seemed like a couple of the student tour guides "settled" on Vanderbilt -- it wasn't their top choice and they all just kind of happened to end up there.
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I did not feel treated as well as other schools have. The tour by the students sucked...I was basically disappointed. I expected a lot more from Vanderbilt, but they are probably saving their time and energy for the accepted applicants during "second look weekend".
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How rough the interview was.
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I'm not really into country music.
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Somewhat quiet (i.e. missing that electricity in the air).
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Light Hall (where all the classes are 1st and 2nd years) seemed kind of cramped (it's under construction)
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Vanderbilt is a small undergrad. Being from a large university, it was different to see hardly anyone walking around campus at night.
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I didn't get to see everything because I had an early interview, so I got the abbreviated tour (Outside plus Light Hall). Hopefully, I'll make up for it on Second-Look weekend.
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Not really ANYTHING
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I would have liked to see a few more facilities during the tour, but otherwise the day was awesome.
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Not much, a few details.
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No good Chinese restaurantes around
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The humidity, but I've been to Taiwan so this was not a very big deal.
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Tour was kind of short and not that informative
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Nashville doesn't have much besides ribs and catfish for eating out options. This was really the only bad thing, though, which is pretty impressive.
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The tour was very short. We didn't get to see much.
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It could be somehwre on Long Island, than it would be a better school than Harvard.
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Not much ethnic diversity. The coasts and other large cities are several hour drives away.
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Nashville can be boring
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That the children's hospital tour is scheduled during some of the afternoon interviews. I had to skip it to go to my interview & I was disappointed b/c of the positive feedback I've read about it on this site.
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The facilities are nice but not extremely impressive. Someone's car was broken into at the hotel I was staying at after I was told that I was in a very safe area of Nashville.
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HEAT, 96degrees
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Nashville, I felt very isolated, not only becuase it's in the middle of nowhere in TN, but because you need a car to get anywhere.
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I was one of the only students from a state school at the interview, and it really gave the impression that Vandy is out for the Ivy League kids. It also seemed like the town and student body lacked diversity.
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Limited places to eat. The cafeteria was mediocre at best and all other options are fast food establishments.
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Nashville, TN
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Tour guides were new M1s - they had only been at Vanderbilt for about a week.
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Nothing...
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Seemed a little cramped, but then again I come from a small school with lots of space.
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The students leading the tour had only been there for 5 days themselves--it was a case of the blind leading the blind.
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Nashville isn't the most amazing city on earth; the curriculum is pretty traditional, with lots of hours spent in lecture halls; not a whole lot of clinical exposure integrated into the first 2 years of the school (though you can get it if you seek it out).
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The tour was not very informative. We didn't get to see that much of the school.
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I wish the curriculum wouldn't be so conservative, but I would be willing to overlook this fact to attend Vandy.
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It was open-file, but it was either my interviewer had not bothered to look at my file at all, or he found it very boring.
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Tour ran over into lunch, had to leave without eating to make interview
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Mostly ivy-league undergrads.
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It was WAY TOO COLD! So I couldn't walk around campus much. But overall I was impressed and wish I had done better on this interview
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Very traditional lectures; the day was not very organized; the tour wasn't very impressive
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The weather was really strange to me, perhaps because I'm used to the mild weather of California. Maybe Hurricane Ivan (which was quickly approaching Tennessee on the day before and on the day of my interview) had something to do with it, but it was unbearably hot and humid during my entire stay, and even the increasingly heavy rain didn't help cool things down. Also, Nashville doesn't seem very lively, even in the area immediately surrounding the campus. The medical campus of Vanderbilt itself is somewhat drab, all brick and concrete.
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A bit too much down time, but it was understandable, given that finals had finished the day before and many of the students were leaving for break.
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We didn't really get a tour of campus. In addition, we had 3 unscheduled hours with which to sit in on classes, explore campus, etc... but we didn't really know where to go, what to see, etc. A bit more structure would have been better.
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The tour was very short, vandy didn't really seem like it was trying to sell itself, interviewees waited in the admissions office most of the day, there was way too much down time
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A medical student actually bagged on my school when he saw the list of interviews for the day (in the admissions office), not knowing I was in the room! It came to his attention that I was there, and we held a brief conversation (about unrelated things) in which he was extremely condescending toward me. I met several med students that day who seemed cool, down-to-earth types, but that one experience left a very negative impression on me.
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Very standard curriculum, long class days, staff/faculty seem to hold your hand
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I got some side-swiping comments from my interviewer about the northeast and ivy league schools, even though a huge percentage of Vanderbilt's students are from the north and/or from ivy league schools.
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The curriculum is straight up old school. real patient interaction isn't introduced until third year and for the first 2 yrs, you're in lecture from 8-5
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A lot of construction and rain.... but nothing too bad.
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Weather (it was raining), and the student tour consisted of a trip to the library, and then the cafeteria. Fairly weak.
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The lecture days are just too long! Also, I didn't really understand why Vanderbilt had such a reputation. I didn't get to see much of the campus. I only got to see the biomedical research library, which is adjacent to Light Hall. I had an afternoon interview and I was left to myself for most of the morning.
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Students were a little bit too happy. Also, the pace of the place felt a little slow.
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The day was sort of slow, do your own thing. I went and visited a class, which was good. But the day wasn't organized well.
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Externally the school and some of the new buildings are very nice, but I left with absolutely no clue why Vandy deserves its reputation. Which isn't to say that Vandy is overrated. I'm just saying there was almost no attempt to sell the school. Apart from the Emphasis Program, I have no idea what goes on in Years One, Two, Three, or Four...or what makes Vandy better than anywhere else. Easily the least informative interview day I've been to. Also, from what little I saw of it, Nashville didn't seem that interesting.
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The students were not as wonderful as I thought. Everyone has this proclivity for courting name-brand schools. without mounting my soap-box, let me say that the name of the school says absolutely nothing about the quality of the student. In many cases, students with poor academic performances lean heavily on and hide behind the names of their schools. Tell that to the admissions assistant dean!
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Didn't tell us that 1st years had a huge anatomy exam that day, so only 2nd years could meet us.
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Didn't get to see much of nashville because of rain
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Nothing, really. :-D I loved Vanderbilt...the only thing is that they interview 1000 and take 100.
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The one thing students said they'd change about the school is the fact that they're in lecture all the time.. this is straight traditional style..no PBL whatsoever...don't know if that's a negative though?/?
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Nothing. I would rate my experience at Vanderbilt very positively.
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Tour was short (only saw the library and the student lounge); TONS of down time but I got to know some other interviewees
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Not much - I just don't know about Nashville
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They have a poster in the admissions office showing a picture of all the first year students and listing where they went to undergrad. It looked like everybody went to Harvard, Columbia, or Yale. Public schools were far and few between .... great, that means I have a wonderful chance (insert rolly eyes here!).
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Campus is mediocre, the class-building isn't too cool. The weather sucks, too.
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It is true, there isnt a lot of diversity
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Not much really. I wish the curriculum were system-based (just a guess about how I will learn best in med school).
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My interviewer was anal, the students spend two years on one hallway, lots of class time
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My interview was almost a little too laid back. It was very unstructured and my interviewer hadn't even looked at my application when I walked in so we went over it together.
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Not much of a tour, didn't get to see the hospital.
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Homogenous class, most seem to be rich white kids, from what I could tell, tour wasn't very extensive (i.e. didn't even show us the HOSPITAL), and there was too much down time.
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The tour seemed a bit too brief. I am sure Vanderbilt has a lot of great things to show prospective students, so they really should take the time to do so.
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Nothing!
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The large amounts of unscheduled down-time
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You are required to spend your summers at Vanderbilt. All students are required to specialize in a subsection of medicine under the Emphasis Program. There are many specialities -- lab work, spirituality and medicine, medicine and law, your choice. Students spend their afternoons during the first two years doing research on their project to the point of producing a publishable paper. Unfortunately, students must also spend the summer between the first and second year on campus.
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Very traditional lecture-based curriculum (but this might not be a bad thing because Vanderbilt students tend to kick ass on Step 1)
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The tour was pretty much nonexistant; the only part of the actual hospital we saw was the cafeteria. However, the lunch with the students was nice.
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Lots of lecture time (but they do really well on boards), not the greatest in terms of diversity
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Lots of down time
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Nothing. What you hear about Nashville isn't true. Yes, the downtown is small but many cities are like that. There's lots of different areas with bars and restaurants. Nashville has a lot of great restaurants and nightlife. Yet it is a manageable city, easy to navigate and in 20 minutes you can be in the country. It's also beautiful and clean with a lot of amazing parks.
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I liked the hiking, but Nashville's too remote.
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Brick is everywhere. It's on the buildings and the sidewalk. There isn't enough greenery to balance it.
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The tour was pretty short, and there was lots of downtime in the morning, before and after the interview.
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Nothing really, I had a lot of trepidations coming in, especially about Nashville so my opinion could only go up.
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The fact that everyone there seems to be from Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and other east coast uppety schools. Granted, the students were nice but I have a feeling that Vanderbilt cares more about the numbers than they let on. Oh, and the idea of living in Tennessee is horrible. Everyone is caucasian and of the same background. And I think Vanderbilt tries to make their class more colorfully heterogeneous rather than wanting to get to know the prospective students as individuals.
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The staff had a very difficult time finding the office of my interviewer.
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I was shocked by the lack of diversity at this school. This school doesn't even know the definition of the word "diversity". Rather, its admissions philosophy seems to be founded upon a rigid, conservative elitism, favoring upper class applicants from safe, prestigious private schools. And considering Vanderbilt's determination to reach the USNews Top 10 by 2010, it's safe to state that this university is overly concerned with its image. Whatever happened to taking pride in what your institution accomplishes based on your own standards, rather than those of some magazine editors. If I had known the above, I wouldn't have even applied here.
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The presentation by administrators did not go into much depth, but on the other hand, they were very willing to take the time to answer questions one-on-one.
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Seems to be less early clinical exposure than in other schools
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My interviewer was very strange (and I later found out other students felt similarly). Nashville was a smaller city than I had realized.
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It gets very cold in tenessee, just like the north.
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The tour was silly-short. You see the classrooms, the computer lab, the entrance to the library, and that's it.
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Although my overall impression of Vanderbilt was a good one, the actual interview was a bit of a disappointment. I was kept waiting for about 20minutes because my interviewer was busy chatting with another student. He didn't really apologize to me, but told me to talk about my undergraduate school while he ran around getting information for that other student! I felt so inconsequential. Also, the tour is really just a Q&A session with a quick walk around Light Hall. If you can, walk around yourself before or after your interview.
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Nothing except for some of my fellow interviewees who were stuck on the prestige of their undergraduate institutions.
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Like many have said, the tour only goes around the student lounge and the medical school, not even the hospital or other parts of the campus. But I didn't mind; it was cold, rainy, windy. I guess the weather might be a slight negative factor. If you go there during the winter, and plan to tour the campus by yourself, bring an umbrella.
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Nasvhille is pretty southern. The curriculum is pretty traditional - students take anatomy first semester and then physio second semester, rather than integrated more.
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Few Asians on campus
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Nashville itself, apparent lack of Asian students
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The 7:30am interview. This does not happen to most people. I was the only one with a 7:30 interview, so don't worry.
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The tour did not include any of the facilities.
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Hardly any tours of facilities were given
-
ALL DAY CLASSES
-
The tour was quick...allow time to look around on your own.
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Some of the locals, but still better than I expected.
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Nothing! I thought Nashville was going to be a total hick town and was pleasantly surprised.
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Lack of diversity in Nashville; amount of lecture hours
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Nothing except a few of the other interviewees. They were a bit snotty. That doesn't count, though, since we're talking about the school. Okay, they don't have much patient contact in first year, but traditional curriculum doesn't bother me.
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Nothing really except the realization that I probably won't get in!!!
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Although students seemed happy, they also appeared more stressed than at some other schools I've visited. This might have been due to an upcoming anatomy exam for first years and pathology presentations for second years.
-
Not enough diversity among students.
-
My interview was during a major part of the tour and during the student QA period, so I missed all that stuff.
-
The map SUCKED and couldn't find the location and no one knew where anything was.
-
Nashville, though not as country-like as I expected, still holds me back
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Nashville has no public transportation
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Nothing negative at all.
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Not much financial aid, nor diversity.
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Not a thing.
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I wish there'd been a bit more structure to the day. At other interviews they seemed to go all out to explain the school's strengths, curriculm, etc. here the tour was very sparse--the students were in a rush to get to class even though they were very friendly. we ate lunch in the cafeteria, which was interesting...i feel like i didn't get to really know the school & its students as well as in other interviews. but it didn't matter b/c i was sold almost from the start anyway...
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Nothing really.
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The weather was cloudy and cold. There were going to break the record of most consecutive cloudy days at 14. They did not provide any information about the financial aid process at VUMS, which would have been nice.
-
Students' attitude--they seemed miserable being there.
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Nashville sucked. It rained literally the entire two days I was there. I had to call 5 cab companies to finally get one to pick me up within a decent amount of time. I loved the school, but got a rather bad impression of the city. And I'm not into country music, at all.
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Nashville, classes seem very hardcore, ABCF grading system (which will add so much unnecessary stress), lack of diversity.
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Nothing really ; well everyone seemed a bit homegenous esp. in nashville, I don't know if I'm ready to handle Nashville esp. when I have my heart set on NYC, or Philly
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My interview didn't seem to be going real well, he just wanted to tell me about Vanderbilt, and didn't seem as concerned with my application.
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Letter grades.
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As others have noted, the tour was very, very short.
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Saw a few students with heads down on desks during class. area surrounding campus consisted of strip malls
-
The tour was not that great. They also don't seem to have a good international opportunity.
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Nashville. I asked about "cultural opportunities" and got told about country music.
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Nashville
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The tour was pretty short, but not bad at all
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Nashville - i found out it wasn't really a huge place and met a student who didn't like it and had some negative things to say about the first year classes (not taught well)
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Student run tour, was lacking. Hosts were nice students.
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The tour was short so I had to do some exploring myself
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Traditional curriculum--not systems based
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Very weak tour, plan on staying later so you can really explore the campus!
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The student tour was practically non-existent, but I don't think they were hiding anything. We were pressed for time.
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The hospital cafeteria is a little cramped (you can tell I'm struggling to come up with something).
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They are apparently not as good as they like in research and there is a lot of pressure on faculty to increase research funding.
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The tour of the school consisted of going upstairs to the student lounge and computer room and then coming back down.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the structure of the interviews, the focus on personal attributes in closed-file interviews, the relaxed and laid-back atmosphere, the amount of downtime during the day, the importance of familiarity with their AMCAS application, and the emphasis program at Vanderbilt. They also recommended reading interview feedback, being prepared for conversational interviews, and bringing comfortable shoes and snacks for the day.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Both of my interviews were in the morning.
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The closed-file interview is all behavioral/HR-type of questions, and I believe they recycle questions. So it's very helpful to read SDN interview feedback ahead of time, or even better, ask someone who has interviewed here in previous years
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Read up on my research!
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Nashville is in the Central Time Zone
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Neither of my interviewers gave any kind of feedback as to how I was doing -esp the short/closed file behavioral interview. A bit unnerving
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Make sure to ask your first interviewer if you think you will have trouble finding your second interviewer.
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That the closed file interview was focused on identifying if you have the personal attributes befitting a medical doctor, while the second, open-file interview focused on the specifics of your experience and desire to be a medical doctor.
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They want you at the admissions office by 7:45, however if you don't have an interview until later, you won't be doing anything for a while. You can have an 8, 9, or 10 o clock interview. If you're at 10, you just sit and wait around until then.
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That it would rain the night before and that it's soooo COLD! And that my short interview would be at 8 a.m.!!
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You will have one long (~60 min) and one short (30-45min) interview with faculty. The long interview was very conversational and revolved around my activities and my motivations for pursuing medicine. The short interview is a bit more structured and my interviewer read several questions from a list they got from the admissions office. However, there were only 4-5 questions asked and then the conversation shifted to less medically relevant topics.
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It was my first interview and I was pretty nervous, but both interviews were VERY laid-back and friendly. Everyone told me this ahead of time, but I didn't quite believe them til I experienced it for myself. Don't be nervous! :)
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The 8:30am arrival to admissions office is not mandatory. You can arrive 15 minutes before your interview, but I dont recommend it.
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That we would have SO much free time during the day. I also wish I would have known what kind of questions I would be asked. I felt a little unprepared since it was so conversational.
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That there was no reason to worry or be nervous.
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Take the afternoon interview if possible.
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How much Vanderbilt would impress me-- more than some of the Top 10 USNEWS programs I've visited.
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Sweet tea isn't all its cracked up to be. :)
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That it was going to be so relaxed.
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That the interview would be like that and that lunch would be light.
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That my fellow interviewees would be so impressive; interviewer doesn't see your secondary, just your primary app.
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Lunch is sparse, bring your own snacks. there's also a lot of free time built into the day, so bring a book or be prepared to wander around the campus.
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That it would be so laid back.
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That it was going to rain!
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If you come early it isn't structured time, but time to walk around/sit in on a class/etc.
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That Nashville is such a small "city" more like a town really.
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I really liked Vandy!! Everyone was friendly and cool. Make sure you really know your AMCAS- it's open file, and they like to go through each activity that you've done and talk about each one. My interviewer also asked me very specific questions about my research. The interview is low-stress.
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How great this school really was.
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Lots of down time, especially since I had the earliest interview. They give a few suggestions of things to do, but it wasn't enough to really occupy me for the three hours or so I had with nothing scheduled.
-
That I could get there early and sit in on a class or two - many people did this!
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The unstructured nature of my interviewer
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The interview was a little different from other interviews I've had. Not quite as conversational, I wasn't really ready for that.
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Don't be the last one to the lunch room like me and end up with the veggie sandwich...
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There was no pressure
-
That my shoes were going to hurt my feet so much.
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If you have an afternoon interview like I did, you should still arrive to the campus in the morning and check in at the admissions office. I arrived a few hours before my first information meeting and got to sit in on one of the first year clinical presentations.
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Nothing comes to mind.
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There can be a LOT of down time.
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It was going to rain all day :(
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I wish I had known how cold it was going to be.
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Nothing really.
-
If you have an early morning interview, you'll have some downtime to explore the med center/undergrad campus on your own.
-
That music means country music down south!
-
Try to get a morning interview so you can go on the Children's Hospital tour.
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I wish I had known my feet were going to kill me. There was also a significant amount of down time where we had to find something to do until we had to go to more stuff. I wish I brought a book or had a map to go exploring. Or better shoes to go walking in. Expect lots of walking.
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Don't buy a round ticket shuttle pass. They take you to the airport.
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That they really only look for students from private institutions.
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The interview was so informal, I really did not have to be scared at all.
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No real suprises..
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Emphasis program is a biggie in the school. so pls read about it before stepping there! oops.I knew of it from the website but not in detail. Know which of the 9 concentration areas interests you the most.
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That it would be my first choice (I am done interviewing)
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I didn't realize there would only be 10 of us interviewing. It didn't make a big difference, I was just a little surprised.
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Letters of recommendation aren't scanned until about 3 weeks after the interview.
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That great scholarships that Vanderbilt gives minorities
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Be laid back. No worries.
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There is a lot of downtime during the interview day, especially if you have an afternoon interview. Bring something to read or plan on exploring the campus on your own.
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Sweet tea is amazing, even at McDonald's.
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Parking on campus is pretty easy...lots of down-time during the interview day
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Vanderbilt will not consider you to be independent for financial purposes, regardless of your age.
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Nothing earth shattering that affected performance, but there were some cool facts, i.e... Each student is paired up with a patient with a chronic illness and follows their treatment/progression over the 4 years. The tremendous amount of flexibility each student has in defining an Emphasis project.
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The bricks in Light Hall are SLICK! Watch out!
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How much I want to go to Vanderbilt.
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That the interview would be sooooo chill ...seriously i think i spent 1.5hrs in my interview just talking about everyday stuff with my interviewere
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How cool Vanderbilt is.
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Ladies-bring bandaids.
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How cool vanderbilt is
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That there is nothing to be nervous about
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There will be down-time so think of a place you'd like to go, or something you'd like to learn, and spend your free time doing that. I spent my time sitting in on an MSI lecture and trying to find the MPH office.
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Nothing
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That the curriculum is being changed, and that the Emphasis program seems to take up a lot of time during the school year.
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You should not stay with a student host if you dont have one of the first interview times...you may have to be out of their place by 7:45 am anyway so they can go to class
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They are completely changing their curriculum beginning with the entering class of 2007. Ask about it!
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They have merit scholarships
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None.
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Nothing.
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Enjoyed learning about the emphasis program, the curriculum is more flexible than I originally thought
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How really awesome this school is.
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N/a
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Wear comfortable shoes! Cute shoes aren't so cute when you're limping in them...there is a LOT of walking involved!
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If you push a little, you can sit in on different class lectures. Also, you have a relatively large amount of free time in the day, so plan on exploring on your own.
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Pretty much 95% of the information covered over the course of the day can be found on the website, so unfortunately I didn't learn a whole lot more about the school other than just the experience of being there.
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Nothing. Alot of people were nervous about the interview. Remember, it is an honor to be at such a great school, and you should be excited, not nervous about the opportunity to be there.
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I wish I would have known that everything was as laid back as people say. There was no need to be anxious at ALL!
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I felt prepared ahead of time. I suppose I wish I had known how relaxed my interview would be -- I'd have been less stressed!
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How nice people are, and also how not everyone who goes to school here is Southern.
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This school is much better than I thought it would be and it moved up to a much higher position on my list after the visit.
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That the accommodation and shuttle promotions were not as honest and reliable as they looked. I also discovered that the whole process is very subjective and though the actual interviewer might be great there might be other people in the periphery who might influence the process negatively.
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I wish I would have had a map of the whole campus beforehand, the campus is HUGE. But I did arrive the afternoon before so I went and found the location of the hall I needed to report to.
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I would have to end my tour early in order to get to my interview on time
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It seems everyone there was from an Ivy League school except for me!
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Tennessee is not very diverse
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That i would need to explain why i didn't take any courses outside my pre-med requirements
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Wished I had known a bit more about the school -- I applied mostly on its general reputation
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I could have caught an earlier flight
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The emphasis program sounds pretty cool.
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That I wouldn't get a chance to go on the full tour because of my early interview; if that happens to you, walk around in the morning and try to find everything you want to see.
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That i had to schedule attending a class on my own, that it was not worked into the tour.
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The amount and variety of dual degree programs at the school.
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How great Nashville is.
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They treat you lunch
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Most people wear dark suits... but I doubt that it really matters.
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Pick a hotel that has a shuttle to the med school.
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Stay with a med student, they can tell you soooooooo much and are definitely there to help you. Plus, near the weekend, you might get to go out and have fun!
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I wasn't prepared for the humidity.
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Nothing, all was honest.
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That it was going to be so laid-back. Vanderbilt tells their interviewers to go easy on everyone, so don't stress out AT ALL. All you should really know about is (1) the emphasis program, (2) the fact that their gross anatomy lecturer is world renowned, and the class extremely intense, (3) there are new facilities, like a student-run clinic, that are in the works, and (4) that the curriculum is very traditional and lecture-based (no PBL). Residency matches are strong, and so are USMLE scores.
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I could've left my luggage at the admissions office.
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Nothing. No surprises.
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My interviewer wanted to answer the questions I had about the school (I spent half the interview asking him questions.)
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The undergrad, div school, law school, business school, med school, everything is on the same campus. great cuz all the facilities are all centralized.
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I should have talked more about my research interests and how they affected my decision to pursue medicine...the interviewer really didn't care much for my community service experiences.
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That my interview was going to be as long as it was (almost 2 hours).
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Didn't have to fly in the night before. Just make sure to be there for the interview/info session, whichever came 1st. Could have saved alot of hotel money. also, my flight back was at 6:30, should have flown around 4 since they day was done around 2:45. Also traveled during Labor Day wkn=high priced tickets. No hotel discounts b/c of a Titans game that day.
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The range of culture available in Nashville.
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That my interviewer was going to ask harder questions than I expected
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That it would rain
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How amazing Vanderbilt is.
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How awesome the children's hospital is.
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I wish I had known Vanderbilt was such a better place than I thought it was so I could have scheduled my interview earlier.
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Take a snack-the day was long and my interview was in afternoon
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More about their MD/PhD program
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Even though the website says the hotels are within walking distance, that isn't really true although shuttle service is usually available. Don't forget to tip the airport shuttle driver <they leave every 15 mins> and don't lose your round trip ticket like I did! Also, you are usually done by 4 so a 6PM flight is doable
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How hot and humid it would be. I would have packed T-shirts and shorts, and maybe a towel and a nice heavy-duty fan, if I had known the air would be so heavy and sticky. Fans of cooler & drier weather, beware.
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How prevalent the southern influence would be (attitudes, hospitality, use of the term "y'all", etc).
-
The school seems to cater to ivy league students, i felt out of place coming from a state school
-
That I would end up making Vanderbilt my top choice.
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That it seems more like a popularity contest than a medical school admissions process at Vanderbilt.
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Day ends early (2 ish). book your flight for 4, or else you'll be hanging around in the admissions lounge for a long time.
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That this was such a great school...
-
If offered acceptance to the university, they will fly you down all expenses paid for "second look" weekend. Everyone says its fun as hell.
-
That the emphasis program, despite what they tell you during the day, does NOT require that you stay on campus for the summer after 1st year.
-
Bring an umbrella
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I discovered that not every interview at Vandy is conversational.
-
Oh the wonderful grayline bus that skipped me three times and kept me waiting for two hours after my interview. PS when you use the grayline, ignore the woman at the desk. Also the grayline bus driver would "require" a tip so load your wallet with those $1's.
-
I was doing too much in my heels!! also, lots of downtime,.so explore!!!
-
The interview day seemed rather unstructured - but it gave me a chance to sit in on classes and check out the beautiful campus and facilities.
-
Call beforehand and see if you're interviewing in the morning or afternoon. If you're interviewing in the morning, book a flight around 4pm. I thought they had morning and afternoon interviews (as sort of implied by emails I got from them), and I ended up waiting in the airport with four our applicants until our 7pm flights. It was nice talking to them, but I seriously could have left so much earlier.
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You could be finished anytime between 1 to 3pm so its safe to book an evening flight.
-
You need to have attended an ivy league school to be taken seriously for consideration and acceptance.
-
That the day would end after lunch. I would have caught a flight out earlier.
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All classes basically in one building, and that building is ugly.
-
If you interview before lunch, you will be done by about 2 pm. Could have scheduled an earlier flight home.
-
That I would have to walk a good distance from the parking deck. I should have worn more practical shoes.
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That the taxi driver didn't know how to get to the building. Print yourself a map before you go.
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That my feet were going to hurt after walking around in my shoes all day
-
The interviewer is not on the admissions committee, he simply writes a letter to the committee about your interview with him
-
That I was going to be done as early as I was.
-
Vanderbilt Medical Center serves one of the highest amounts of Medicaid patients of any hospital in the country.
-
Nothing. I chose to stay in a hotel with shuttle service to the med campus. It was super convenient. Also the grayline shuttle is great to get to and from the airport.
-
I should have brought something to read
-
That we were allowed to sit in on classes.
-
This wasn't a big deal for me, but I missed the lunch because the student presentation/tour ran long and I had to leave to go to my interview. If you have a 1pm interview eat a big breakfast and snack during your off-time in the morning
-
If you have a morning interview you can be done by like 1:30!
-
Bring an umbrella!
-
I wish I knew they had installed a deranged mutant killer water fountain right next to my interviewer's office.
-
Nashville is much smaller than I expected, and further from the campus than I hoped.
-
THey really really care about your undergrad grades! They are recruiting form the same pool as HArvard etc so they wnat good numbers. Also, second look weekend at VANDY is FREE! Htey fly you out. Cool.
-
See above
-
Vanderbilt really is its own community, so if you really want to get a feel for Nashville, you will need to drive/rent a car or pay for a cab to take you around.
-
Vandy has FABULOUS students.
-
The day winds up pretty early, you're done by one, I probably would have flown out that day.
-
The students at Vandy are all 'bout their school. Several students stopped us and said, "Come to Vandy; we love it!" Also, they have a new program called the Emphasis program that lets you choose electives and research topics to explore.
-
Nashville does not have a good public transportation system. I am very fortunate that my student host and other medical students I met had cars and could drive me all over the place. Getting a car will be a good investment. I asked why we didn't get to see the hospitals (the VA and Vanderbilt Medical Center are very close to Light Hall) and I was told we'd get a better tour if we got accpeted to Vanderbilt and came for second look weekend.
-
That it would have been much cheaper if I rented a car instead of spending 90 dollars on taxi. (I went to the Grand Ole Opry thing; it's nice but no big deal).
-
That there exists a program for taking 5 years, doing extra research
-
Nothing, which is good. But men, note: In the South, it is expected that you hold the door open for people (men or women) behind you until the last person has gone out. It is considered rude if you don't do this, but doing it will score you points!
-
Nothing was a surprise
-
It's very laid back...don't stress.
-
Traditional ciriculum. No PBL stuff at Vandy.
-
There are a lot of opportunities to begin clinical experience in your first year (their new emphasis program, for example)
-
How happy the students seem to be
-
I wish I had spent more time to tour the facilities. They give a tour, but it's so quick...
-
How much I loved it! But then again, I probably would have been more nervous.
-
I wish I knew how friendly and laid back my interviewer was going to be. This would have allowed me to talk about everything I wanted to mention.
-
That I would be out by 1:30PM. Man, I gotta wait another six hours before my flight (at Vandy biomedical library as we speak).
-
The grayline shuttle DOES NOT pick you up right next to the library like i thought it would, it picks you up in front of the hospital down the street!!!
-
Take a look at the main campus beforehand/afterwards, its really neat. The admissions office will get a shuttle for you to the airport and it costs $11.
-
About the emphasis program. I could have added that to my secondaries.
-
The interviewers do most of the talking, and don't ask many questions. Be sure to elaborate more on each question so you get the chance to talk more.
-
I should have stayed an extra day! :)
-
Pass/Fail grading system (I had conflicting info on this topic). To be clear...they just started the Pass/Fail system this fall.
-
That the school is really laid back. It would have made the days prior to the interview a lot less stressful.
-
Estimated cost of attendance...over $45K per year!!!!
-
That inspite of having the A, B, C, F grading system, the students have an incredible amount of commradery and cooperation. This was very encouraging
-
Try to schedule the interviews in the afternoon after info session so you can ask good questions about school.
-
Students are on the admissions committee and seem pretty involved in it. I wish I had structured some of my secondary essays a little differently knowing that.
-
My interviewer and I talked for about 3 hours. He told me that I am going to make a tremendous physician, but said I'll probably get waitlisted. I was completely dumbfounded. I wanted to ask him why they invited me for an interview to tell me that.
-
Even though this school is research-oriented, you can still thrive there if you don't want to be a researcher.
-
That the parking garage they want you to park in is pretty far away.
-
If you have an afternoon interview, be aware that it might take a while for you to finish up.
-
They don't like you to refer to their curriculum as "traditional"
-
That the interviewer was so down-to-earth.
-
That this was hc weekend... all the hotels were booked!
-
All the schools are so close to eachother - makes it a great opportunity to take other classes or mingle with non-medical people.
-
That the tour was pretty minimal at best. To really see the school, you really need to visit on your own time, like before or after the interview.
-
The interview is not a stressful experience at all. My interviewer was extremely nice and seemed interested in what I had to say.
-
I like it!
-
The was no need getting all worked up because the interview was very relaxing
-
Unless you have an afternoon interview, the rest of the day is unstructured and you'll have to do some exploring on your own
-
That Vanderbilt has a pretty traditional curriculum.
-
Their electives programs allow you stress free classes to explore medical settings or do research.
-
That Nashville is really a nice place to live.
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest improving communication about potential long walking distances and providing more structured activities to reduce downtime during the interview day.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
Maybe to notify to students ahead of time that they may be walking far distances to get to their interviews
-
Give Sherita a raise, she was awesome! Both of my interviewers were late to their appointment, and as a result my interviews were cut a little short. On the whole my experience was very positive, but I felt like the process was very rushed (by the faculty).
-
Bigger waiting areas for applicants
-
Perhaps provide folders on interview day, don't have students waiting several hours first thing in the morning. It reflects poorly on the organization of the day.
-
Use EMAIL!! :)
-
Continue the great work.
-
I enjoy meeting more of my potential classmates so a larger interview class would be nice.
-
Keep up the good work! This was the most organized of all my interview days.
-
Give us something to do during down time - or just don't have as much. Make the day more structured
-
Judy is fantastic!
-
Suggestions for what to do in down time.
-
None, you all are awesome, keep up the great work!!!
-
There's lots of down-time in the afternoon if you have a morning interview.
-
Didn't interact much with admissions officers. Faculty presenter was great though!
-
Better suggestions for what to do during down time in interview day (or having tour of hospital befo
-
Keep up the great work!
-
Is there a larger place for everyone to sit and meet? That conference room was way too small for th
-
Consolidate the interview day. There was a lot of downtime.
-
The admissions office should note that if people are interested in joint degree programs other than
-
They should assess the layout of the day and create a bit less downtime.
-
Nothing! Judy was so sweet! Southern hospitality is wonderful!
-
Include anatomy lab/main Vanderbilt Hospital in tour.
-
The sandwiches for lunch were yummy, but WOW very difficult to eat. Made things a little awkward...I
-
Umm..please let me in.. :-)
-
Quicker Decision after interview!
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
✈️
BNA
73% interviewees used BNA (BNA), with 8% using Nashville (Nashville) and 7% using bna (bna) and 3% using Nashville International Airport (Nashville International Airport) and 2% using BNR (BNR) and 2% using Nashville International (Nashville International) and 1% using NAS (NAS) and 1% using NIA (NIA) and 1% using NSH (NSH) and 1% using NBA (NBA) and 1% using Memphis (Memphis).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by airplane to the interview.
✈️
74% Airplane
🚗
24% Automobile
🚆
1% Train or Subway
🚲
2% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Guest House Inn (average ranking 7.3/10), with some staying at Hampton Inn (average rating 7.8/10). (Top 3 displayed)
🏨
Guest House Inn
7.3/10
🏨
Hampton Inn
7.8/10
🏨
Holiday Inn
7.6/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (2%)
Faculty member (4%)
Other (1%)
Student (93%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Enthusiastic (98%)
Neutral (2%)
All Responses
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