How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.00 | 146 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 115 |
| Negatively | 9 |
| No change | 23 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.72 | 145 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.35 | 110 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.62 | 94 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 6 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 13 |
| 25 minutes | 11 |
| 30 minutes | 93 |
| 35 minutes | 12 |
| 40 minutes | 6 |
| 45 minutes | 6 |
| 50 minutes | 1 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 7 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 136 |
| At a regional location | 5 |
| At another location | 7 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 146 |
| In a group | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 134 |
| Closed file | 11 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.00 | 146 |
"Why TTHUSC?"
"What do you think is more important- placing focus on treating symptoms once they occur, or placing focus on preventative medicine?"
"Why MD over DO?"
"Why do you want to be in medicine?"
"How do you feel about Lubbock?"
"Tell me about your experience living in [foreign country]?"
"What experiences have prepared you and made you a good candidate for becoming a doctor?"
"Why TTUHSC?"
"Why Medicine"
"Why medicine instead of a different career in service?"
"Heavy focus on responses from the secondary... I mentioned having several animals in one of my responses and my interviewer asked me to tell her about my cat."
"As I haven't really looked at your file yet, please take about five minutes to tell me about yourself and why you are applying here?"
"What is your greatest academic achievement?"
"How did you get to where you are today?"
""What is something you are most proud of?""
"Describe a time your integrity was challenged."
"Tell me why you want to be a doctor."
"What do you think about Lubbock & TTUHSC?"
"If you were a third year medical student and an attending announced he planned to perform a procedure on a patient and you don't agree that it was necessary/good/appropriate, what would you do?"
"Both interviews started with "Tell me about yourself, why medicine, why Tech, why Lubbock and what do you think is most important in your decision to pick a med school...""
"The first interviewer: The questions were derived from my file mainly. Questions were about (1) osteopathic medicine (My app showed that I applied to many osteopathic schools). (2) Ethical question: how do you deal w/ a fellow medical student that showed up for a rotation with alcohol breath? (3) Talked about the economics of medicine (I had taken an economics class in undergrad). There were other questions but I really couldn't remember the rest."
"If you were on third year rotations and a fellow student had been drinking, what would you do?"
"So now that I've told you how I came to be here, you tell me, how did you get here?"
"Out of all of your volunteer activities, which is your favorite and why?"
"If you had a 25 y.o. male and a 55 y.o. male who both needed a kidney transplant, who would you give the kidney to?"
"How do you plan to pay for medical school?"
"What is your view of the rigors of medical school? How do you view it and what is your plan to pay for medical school?"
"Questions about my research. "
"What was the last book you read?"
"How would you balance being a physician and a mother if you have children in the future?"
"How can I convince you to come here?"
"Interviewer 1: tell me about yourself... Interviewer 2: explain what choices have led you to where you are now?"
"Do you plan to have children? (Ob/gyn asked that. then proceeded to tell me 15-25 was the most fertile age and that clock is ticking, (I am just 19 so it's ok with me)."
"What are three of your strengths? "
"Will Lubbock be a problem?"
"Tell me something I don’t know about you."
"Do you have any questions about the curriculum?"
"So, you're a fine arts major, how did you choose medicine and why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Tel me about....(walked through my volunteer experiences)"
"Why medicine?"
"What do I see as the physician's role in society outside of medicine?"
"Why did you choose your undergraduate school?"
"Random history/trivia questions related to my background and experience. (for example - What is an "
"Typical questions about why medicine and describing myself"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Tell me about your career change."
"are you going into med. b/c of your dad?"
"Choose one issue in healthcare, address it and describe your opinion about possible solutions. (This has been asked at every interview I've been to)."
"Tell me about your family."
"The only knock on you is you have not traveled much. Why not?"
"What type of medicine do you want to do"
"15 years from now, what do you imagine yourself to be?"
"Do you enjoy Lubbock and El Paso?"
""What do you think were the causes of the Civil War?" "
"XXX is a very competitive undergraduate institution; do you think you are going to fit in at Tech? (Interviewer #2)"
"What does personal integrity mean to you? "
"If you were accepted to all the schools you interviewed at, would you highly consider going to Texas Tech and why?"
"What brought you to apply for medical school?"
"Is your decision going to be biased because of internships at other schools that you participated in?"
"Construct for me the perfect doctor? "
"Do you have any questions for me? -this was the first question and it through me off gaurd. We had just sat through three hours of question and answer and I was scrapping to find something to ask."
"What can I do to interest you in Texas Tech? "
"How was Bolivia?"
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Tell me about your interest in medicine. "
"Why architecture major?"
"What is your mcat score?"
"What is the most important thing you learned or acquired from your experience at your undergraduate institution?"
"Do you want to live in this area of Texas after you graduate? How do you feel about becoming a rural physician?"
"What do you see as the greatest problem in Medicine today? "
"Why not be a social worker?"
"What do you want to be when you grow up? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"TELL ME ABOUT YOUR UNIVERSITY. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE HERE?"
"You are obviously close to your family. Would Lubbock be too far away for you?"
"Tell me about ___. (from PS)"
"At what point in your life did you begin to focus your career toward medicine, or was it a more gradual experience?"
"why do you want to be a doctor"
"tell me about yourself"
"Why do you want to become a physician? "
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"on medicine: is it possible to implement socialized medicine in our country & if so, would you do it?"
"What influenced you to become a physician?"
"What class in college were you most passionate about?"
"Why medicine/what drew you/ any particular experiences or exposure to medicine/ what field in the future? "
"What do you think about Tech and Lubbock? Have you ever been here before?"
"Tell me about your research."
"what are some of your best qualities?"
"standard questions"
"What is your favorite book?"
"Asked about Research Experience. "
"About my research"
"My MCAT Scores"
"Why did you attend xyz college? (out of state)"
"Status of healthcare in fifteen years? "
"Why ... volunteer experience?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"Why be a doctor?"
"Explain your one semester in which you got two C's...."
"Typical...Tell me about your research, volunteer work, leadership..."
"What qualities of medicine do you admire? "
"I usually try to be thorough here, but in my two interviews there were no questions that stood out. These were very standard "get to know you" interviews. There were no difficult ethical questions or list questions."
"What would make you choose one med school over another? "
"Why a doctor? "
"What are some of the issues doctors face today?"
"What do your mother and father do? Have any siblings, etc."
"What does HMO stand for and what do you think about it?"
"What specifically about you would make you a good physician?"
"what qualitites do you have that will help you when you are a doctor and which will help you get through medical school?"
"What places are you going to visit this summer in Europe?"
"Are you married? (this still gets me!)"
"What type of activities did you participate outside of schoolwork? "
"Why this school?"
"What would you do as a matriculant, that is not medicine-related?"
"Why do you want to attend the TTUHSC School of Medicine?"
"Ethics question regarding prescribing medication to a friend."
"Questions about research"
"If you could choose clinical or academic medicine, which would you pick? What would you lose by choosing that option?"
"What are some of your hobbies?"
"How my passion for Women's Health began?"
"Why did you choose your undergraduate major?"
"What is one time you have overcome an obstacle?"
"What do you expect being a doctor to be like"
"What makes you an asset to our class?"
"So you have family here in Lubbock?"
"Tell me about your participation in undergraduate research."
"Tell me what you know about Obamacare."
"If you had a patient leave without paying, what actions would you take to solve this situation?"
"What field of medicine are you interested in."
"How did you resolve a conflict at work?"
"What would you do if your superior (say a Resident) told you (a medical student) to do something you were not comfortable with or thought was wrong?"
"What do you do when a patient refuses to follow your advice?"
""Why a doctor?""
"Should medicine be egalitarian -- the poor getting the same expensive treatment as the rich?"
"What do you think some of the biggest problems in healthcare are? and following my answer- what is one thing you like about another country's healthcare system that America could learn from?"
"Describe to me what would cause some people to seek medical attention and others to not. Direct this question towards gender considerations and argue both ways."
"I got 3 questions relating to medical ethics of a physician, so be ready for that."
"What do you do for fun?"
"Interviewer 1 (PhD): Tell me about your research, what was your role in this research, and how do you think you have benefited from it. Interviewer 2 (4th year med student): Tell me about graduate school, what did you learn, how did it change your life."
"Second interviewer: Questions also derived from my application. (1) What do you want me to highlight in your app? (2) talked about my PS. (3) what specialties?"
"You're young... [silence]"
"Do you think that research should be required for our medical school students?"
"What were your favorite classes while in undergrad and why, and could you tell me a bit of what you learned in those classes?"
"What were your favorite and least favorite classes? What was your favorite non-science class?"
"What kind of person is annoying to you? "
"Nothing else was really a specific question, mostly just "tell me about ..." from my application or essays. Talked about a survival camping because I wrote about it in one of my essays. "
"Ethical questions. "
"Mainly conversational questions or about my file."
"What do you admire about your parents? "
"What do you want to know about El Paso?"
"Interviewer 1: Asked about a specific volunteer experience. Interviewer 2: If you had two people who both needed a kidney, how would you choose who received the organ?"
"How do I manage my days? (In reference to working almost full-time on top of a full course load and being engaged)"
"Tell me about existentialism (course I took)"
"So tell me why you want to be a doctor."
"How have you been involved in the health care field up to this point?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What area of medicine are you interested in?"
"What is your greatest weakness?"
"Tell me about your volunteering experience. "
"A bunch of questions about how much I think I will have to study as a medical student and how much debt I will be in (what my interviewer called a ''reality check'')"
"What are some attributes or characteristics that you have that you feel will help you be a good physician? What is one that might not help?"
"What dissections did you perform in your Comparative Anatomy course?"
"What do you think you could offer this campus?"
"Would you serve a low income community? Why is this important and should it be required?"
"What if you don't get into medical school?"
"What do I see as the biggest problem in health care?"
"Did you always want to be in a sorority?"
"Why medicine? Why surgery?"
"Why do I want to return to a small town to practice medicine."
"What's your personal motivation for medicine?"
"Tell me about your volunteer experiences."
"your grades slipped here. why?"
"Tell me about yourself (another interviewer favorite)."
"Tell me about any interactions with patients that you have had."
"Describe your research."
"Does your family and boyfriend support you"
"What would you like to specialize in?"
""Tell me about malaria.""
"Where do you want to go for Med School?"
"Do you know what kind of medicine you want to go into?"
"What clinical experience do you have?"
"What type (ethnicity) of friends do you hang around?"
"Tell me about your family"
"Why did you make a C in . . .? He fingered through my entire transcript. I finally had to stop him and say that I could spend the entire interview making excuses for grades, but that I don't think that my GPA is an accurate reflection of my abilities or my intelligence. This might not have been the best answer."
"Have you ever experienced racism? (That was unexpected)"
"What should we do about health care in the country?"
"Would you come to Tech?"
"Will you be getting married in the next couple of years? If so, will your spouse move to Lubbock?"
"What attracts you to medicine?"
"What was your favorite class in college?"
"Why become a doctor?"
"How do you feel that health care costs should be lowered?"
"What class do you think would be the most difficult for you in medical school? Why?"
"Why did you not continue working in the medical field following graduation (undergrad)?"
"Your mother is a _ and your father is a _. There seems to be no family history here in the medical profession - so why did you pick it?"
"What personal qualities would make you a good doctor? What personal weakness would make it difficult for you to be a doctor?"
"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A SCHOOL?"
"What do you like about our school?"
"Tell me about your family."
"Do you know what kind of doctor you want to be?"
"how well would you say you work in groups"
"who was your mentor"
"Why do you think you will be a good physician?"
"Why do you think Texas tech is for you?"
"on my app: what will you do if you don't get into med school this year? why do you think you were invited to interview? (interesting twist). your recommendation letters blew me away. how do you form such strong positive relationships with such different people? (they had obviously read my application, which i appreciated.)"
"What do you do to relieve stress?"
"Sell yourself to me."
"more personal questions- describe yourself, what kind of person are you, who do you like to be with, what is something i would not expect about you, how do you handle conflict/ name a particular incident in which you were in a conflict and how you resolved it"
"So how many times have you applied to med school? Where else have you applied, this year and before? What have you done to improve your application for this cycle year?"
"What is your motivation for pursuing an MD/MBA degree?"
"what do you think will be the hardest part about medical school?"
"I see here that you have alot on your plate right now; how will you manage your time while in medical school?"
"Best subject in undergrad."
"About my healthcare experiences"
"G.P.A and specific class grades."
"Tell me about xxx experience?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"What are your hobbies?"
"Who are you more like, your mother or your father?"
"Why is your MCAT so high compared to your GPA?"
"Explain your research"
"What do you think of Lubbock and Texas Tech?"
"Do you speak Spanish? "
"How do you deal with failure?"
"How will you sharpen your saw (how will you relax between studying?)? It was a metaphor from the novel "7 habits of truly effectvie people"."
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Specific questions relating to my GPA and MCAT score"
"What do you enjoy doing during your spare time?"
"Why aren't you pursuing a career in research?"
"what do you think the hardest thing about being a physician is?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"As a big city guy, are you worried about coming to a small town like Lubbock?"
"What did you enjoy about being a student at Texas A&M? "
"The interviewer threw in a scenario/ethics question."
"Why do you want to be a physician?"
"Difference between medicare and medicaid."
"Ethical/behavioral question"
"Tell me about a specific research project."
"Tell me about (specific experience)"
"What I think about existing healthcare disparities?"
"Why do you think you will continue to like science in medical school"
"Why did you volunteer with the special olympics? (an EC question)"
"Imagine you are a physician and upon leaving the room, your patient asks you on a romantic date. How do you respond?"
"What was the most important experience that has led you to pursue medicine?"
"What do you like to do for fun."
"Tell me about a mistake you made and how you fixed it."
"How would you deal with a patient (or their parents) who insist they want a certain procedure that they read about on the internet, but it is not right for their situation?"
""How would your friends describe you?""
"Where do you see yourself in medicine?"
"How should a doctor deal with noncompliant patients? (looking for possibly letting them go as a patient)"
"If a patient presenting back pains who has already been perscribed pain medicine came to you to ask for a referral to an acupunctureist, what would you do?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor? Explain your research experience?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"Interviewer 1 (PhD): How did you get here, what was the process of changing your career from business to medicine. Interviewer 2 (4th year med student): I see you applied many times, why do you think you didn't get in before, what has changed, and what will you bring to Tech."
"Should illegal immigrants have coverage?"
"One interviewer asked me to explain my research"
"Would you be interested in doing a rotation in a third world country?"
"What kind of philosophy would you use as a physician?"
"What was your favorite and least favorite healthcare experience?"
"Questions about health care policy."
"What would you like me to say about you?"
"Tell me about... (stuff from application)"
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Interviewer 1: Why do you want to do rural medicine? Interviewer 2: Why not be a vet (I am an Animal Sci major)?"
"Tell me about your GPA Fall semester of freshman year? (I got a 3.00 that semester)."
"Tell me about perspectives on infectious diseases (course I took)."
"Since I will be advocating your case to the admission committee, what should I tell them?"
"What about your research has been beneficial?"
"Have you travelled abroad anywhere? How do their health care systems compare to ours?"
"Why Texas Tech?"
"What is your greatest strength?"
"If you could do one thing over, what would it be?"
"What physician do you look to as a role model and why?"
"Why not become a nurse, PA, pharmacist, or any other health care professional?"
"Was it difficult playing a sport while being a full time student?"
"Any other questions?"
"How did you become interested in medicine?"
"Why didn't you apply to TCOM (DO school)?"
"Why did you transfer schools?"
"How do you feel about the distance between the school's location and your hometown?"
"Do you speak Spanish?"
"My interviews were very conversational and we talked about our families and future plans. My second interviewer actually said "I hope you will choose to complete your residency at ---" He was soooo nice"
"What clinical experiences have you had?"
"Where do you see yourself practicing medicine?"
"expound on clubs."
"What do you see will be the greatest challenge for you as medical student?"
"Why do you want to come to our school?"
"Would you come here?"
"Are you really even interested at all in coming to Lubbock"
"What's the biggest issue in healthcare?"
"What do you do for fun?"
""I was under the impression that only doctors can touch the patient-- so why do you think that it's OK for you to close after surgery?""
"Why do you want to come here?"
"Did you always know you wanted to be a doctor?"
"You know, this is a very conservative area. [made as a statement, not a question]"
"Why did you major in psychology?"
"What is the average indebtness of medschool graduates?"
"Rank the Texas schools for me. Once again I refused to answer. I told him what I liked about Tech, but I still had several interviews left and out of respect for the interview process I am not going to prerank schools before I have a chance to visit them. Then I said that if I had preranked schools that Tech would have been last, but since my visit I have changed my views of the school and now would be happy to be a student there."
"You want to come here?"
"What is it like in Beaumont, TX?"
"What should I tell the admissions committee about you?"
"All other questions directly from personal statement"
"Tell me about your upbringing."
"What was your least favorite class in college?"
"Why is your MCAT not a 30?"
"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"What did you gain from serving in the military?"
"What happend your sophomore year? (my grades slipped)"
"Describe your ideal medical school. Tell me about "xyz" volunteer experience. What would you like me to tell the admissions committee about you?"
"WHO IS YOUR MENTOR AT YOUR UNIVERSITY?"
"How did you end up at your undergraduate institution?"
"Tell me about your volunteer experiences."
"potential specialties"
"why do you want to go to tech. (who knows)"
"How much debt do you have as of right now? Tell me about your research. Are you interested at all in becoming a OB/GYN? (He was an ob/gyn.) "
"How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if...."
"on me: hobbies? languages? countries visited? last 4 books read? what makes you go on when things get rough?"
"If you don't get in to medical school, what will you do instead?"
"Express anything about yourself that you feel you were unable to convey on paper"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years? And is there a field of medicine that you think you'd like to practice now? 4. What makes you think you can handle the stress of medical school? I could rattle of lots of questions, but most of them are very common and general. They want to get to know you, so be prepared to share yourself. "
"Why did you chose Cornell? Is there anything about the program there that you would change?"
"Tell me about this (specific) volunteer experience?"
"Volunteer experiences"
"How I felt about Lubbock"
"My job experience and research."
"Question pertaining to research experience."
"Why a doctor?"
"Tell me about your volunteer work."
"Explain your volunteer work."
"What do your parents do for a living?"
"Why did you choose your college? What will make you choose one medical school over another? "
"What do you want me to tell the committee about you?"
"Why did you attend an out of state school?"
"What do you think health care will be like in 10 years?"
"What kind of doctor do you want to be? Where do you see yourself in 10 years"
"What are you looking for in medical school?"
"What will you do if you don't get in this year?"
"what qualities are you looking for in a school?"
"Where do you plan to practice medicine?"
"Who do you depend on the most? "
"Do you have any questions for me [the interviewer]? / How do you see medicine evolving in the [near future]?"
"A patient with Down's syndrome comes in and is pregnant. The patient wants to keep the baby, but her caretakers want her to terminate the pregnancy. What do you do in this situation?"
"Would you rather be the smartest or funniest person in the room?"
"An ethical question about a parent not giving their child medical care"
"If I could be an expert in one thing, what would it be?"
"Ethics Question that is unique to every person."
"What book best describes you"
"Say a classmate walks up to you and says he has a copy of the next exam. What would you do?"
"Imagine you are a physician and upon leaving the room, your patient asks you on a romantic date. How do you respond?"
"If you are a doctor and you post a status on Facebook that offends one of your patients, how do you handle the situation?"
"If you had a pencil, tell me three things you would do with the pencil besides write or erase."
"The first interview we talked about electronic health records and the future of digital medicine. The interviewer was high in the EHR department for TT so this was definitely a fun conversation with him."
"When was the last time you felt humbled?"
""If a patient comes up to you and says that they are offended by something they saw on your facebook, what would you do?""
"If a child who has cardiovascular problems is not receiving the medications he needs because his parents do not want to give him the medicine, what would you do as a doctor?"
"If a patient presenting back pains who has already been perscribed pain medicine came to you to ask for a referral to an acupunctureist, what would you do?"
"The interviewer picked a statement from PS, and he debated with me on it."
"If you were a third year medical student and an attending announced he planned to perform a procedure on a patient and you don't agree that it was necessary/good/appropriate, what would you do?"
"If you were in the room with a patient and they asked you out on a date what would you do? What are your views on dating patients? I ended up saying that I was married and either way I would have to say no to the patient. Then he asked me what I would have done if I wasnt married, and I said that of course I would say no because it would be an awkward situation and not worth the problems it could cause."
"What is your favorite plant? (I expressed interest in horticulture)"
"Would you be interested in doing a rotation in a third world country?"
"What kind of philosophy would you use as a physician?"
"None. They were all very typical, easy interview questions. "
"Both were more like conversations about our lives versus actual Q&A."
"Tell me a story."
"Nothing really out of the ordinary."
"If your baby was about to die an imminent death, and the drug at the pharmacy is too expensive to afford, what do you do?"
"Just interesting that both my interviewers were MS IIIs."
"What is your definition of "strength of character"? "
"None"
"How do I handle it after I've had a bad experience with a customer/patient at work (I work in a pharmacy), and do the feelings linger with me over the day or just go away?"
"What is your take on religion (I'm a religion/philosophy major)?"
"Was your mom on fertility treatment when she had triplets or was it natural. ( that has a lot to do with the interview?! interviewer was ob/gyn though, so i guess it interested her. )"
"none."
"Why isn't your mother a doctor?"
"If I remember only one thing about you, what would it be?"
"If we only accepted one student, why should it be you?"
"So where exactly is covent garden (my street name)?"
"If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be and why?"
"We discussed my time abroad and current job ad nauseum."
"What was your most sressful time during college?"
"Well, while i was there i decided to apply for the MD/MBA program and had to add on a third interview to that day... the first interviewer asked me about my early childhood days overseas... wasn't expecting that one, really not that odd"
"What did you hope we would not talk about today? How can Tech help you become a better doctor?"
"Why didn't you apply to any DO schools?"
"Do you think it's acceptable for Hispanic women to assume a role model position?"
"How can I convince you to come to this school?"
"None really... very conversational interview"
"If you won the lottery how would you spent the money?"
"Do you think healthcare will become more socialized in the next 10 years"
"So you're multilingual?"
"Tell me about your career change."
"my research"
"A question in regard to the research I've participated in."
"What do your parents think about you wanting to go into medicine?"
"You are a star and are probably going to end up at Southwestern or Baylor we dont get your type here...would you even consider us?"
"Did the little boy you wrote about die or did he get better"
"Are you really considering Texas Tech?"
"none, they were very sweet and personal questions"
""You took a class in pre-civil war American History, what was the most interesting thing you learned in that class and why would I (mind you he wanted me to answer why HE would find it interesting) find that interesting?"
"I was not asked anything interesting."
"Did you vote for Prop. 13? (The Texas Constitutional Amend. limiting malpractice award amounts)"
"What do you think the future holds for medicine?"
"So tell me about statistics."
"Are you bitter about your parents divorce?"
"Why do so many doctors turn to drugs and alcohol?"
"What are the three most important characteristics in a good physician?"
"(After looking at my file)...You want to come here?"
"How was your trip to Bolivia?"
"Tell me the problems facing the health care industry in the next 15 years?"
"Will you be getting married in the next couple of years? If so, will your spouse move to Lubbock?"
"Tell me about your culture?"
"What is your MCAT score? And right after that question she stopped the interview, told me that with my activities, life experience, and gpa, that I was guaranteed an acceptance and then bid me farewell....That caught me completely off guard, especially since I'm a natural pessimist."
"Just the usual."
"My interviewer was from Nigeria and she asked me about the current political, social, and economic conditions there."
"Why is the U.S. having such difficulty in dealing with world politics?"
"ethics questions, but very basic...how to handle DNR orders"
"Ethics Question regarding the lost of physician autonomy and leading to a discussion on existing disparities in healthcare. "
"What is this (webpage of a project I did my freshman year in college) about? He had googled my name and found it..."
"who are your role models?"
"What did I learn from my university?"
"Nothing too interesting..."
"Nothing interesting."
"At what point in your life did you begin to focus your career toward medicine, or was it a more gradual experience?"
"an analogy question about relating an extracurricular(non-health related) activity to medical school"
"nothing in particular"
"Tell me about you little brother. I guess she saw in my application that I had a 19 yo brother, but he wasn't mentioned anywhere else in my app."
"What would you do I just suddenly dropped to the floor?"
"what prevents people from seeking medical care in your community? what about psychiatric medical care? sexual medical care?"
"I was mostly asked ?'s about my background and experiences in health care. I was asked about future issues in health care in the state of Texas."
"What was the worst class you took and why?"
"Why would you like to be in Lubbock?"
"What are all the negatives about being a doctor? .... Given all these negatives, why do you want to be one?"
"What is the most important issue facing the health care industry today?"
"tell me something I don't know about medicine "
"The questions were kind of generic..... my first interview was a little harder... i was asked: what kind of people do I like to be with? and also, about my feelings of providing medicine for those who can't afford it"
"I had many good and interesting questions. One was what makes you think you will like medicine over another profession?"
"Why do you want to pursue a MD/MBA and what kind of changes would you make?"
"how do you feel about making flu vaccinations mandatory?"
"How would I change the health care system?"
"Why do you that there are 7 medical schools in Texas? WHy are there so many different schools?"
"Most were pretty standard questions. Nothing too interesting or difficult."
"Who are you more like your mom or dad?"
"It was all conversation about my healthcare experiences, Lubbock, and life as a med student."
"My job experience."
"What is the one area in medicine that you feel will impact doctors the most in the next ten years?"
"Who would be your most difficult patient?"
"Pretty much what you'd expect."
"What sort of experience discouraged you the most when thinking about going into medicine?"
"How do you think healthcare will change in California if Arnold S. is elected governor?"
"What should I ask you???? He literally asked me what he should ask me? "
"Why did you want to go to medical school in Texas if you went to your undergraduate out-of-state?"
"What do you think of the Democratic Presidential candidates? Who do you think will receive the nomination? Who has the strongest platform? (I'm a liberal arts major)"
"What books have you read lately?"
"How do you see the medical field changing in the next 10 years?"
"This response is to the few negative interview experiences that are posted on this site. I am currently a fourth year med student at Temple. The one thing that I can say is that my education has been first rate. Temple gives you the relaxed atmosphere of learning. There is no cut throat type of behavior during the basic science years. Furthermore, the clerkships at Temple hospital are incredible. No other school in Philadelphia will give the type of trauma and core internal medicine that Temple will give you. In addition, Temple continues to have first rate match lists. They post match lists on their website for anyone to access unlike many other schools. Board scores are above average every year with the school's average being second only to Penn in Philly. ALso, I think someone mentioned that they lost their children's hospital? I don't know why they would say that? Temple Children's is right next to the main hospital and is doing well and thriving. If anyone has any questions about Temple please feel free to reply to this post"
"If you were confronted with a situation where a close friend and colleague had made a mistake in a procedure/treatment, would you be inclined to cover for your close friend or would you disclose the entire truth despite the consequences?"
"So, what do you think of Lubbuck?"
"How do you feel that previous medical education will change your perspective for future studies?"
"Name some negative things about a doctor, then the interviewer asked me, despite these negative things you listed as doctor, why do you still want to be a doctor?"
"I know why you became interested in medicine, but why do you continue to be interested in it?"
"Nothing was very interesting."
"What type of music do you listen to?"
"if you were queen for a day, how would set up the health care system?"
"Why are you going to Europe in the summer?"
"Tell me about your business - an opportunity for me to show-off!"
"Talk about some of your plans before entering medical school, such as travelling, studying abroad..etc. "
"Who is your mentor?"
"A random scenario/ethics question. Wasn't expecting it in a traditional interview"
"Should healthcare remain privatized and why?"
"What are 3 important qualities every physician should have?"
"An ethical question about a child with bruises who wanted it kept a secret and not reported."
"Ethical questions"
"How would legalizing marijuana effect health care cost"
"Some parents want to give their 17 year old daughter a graduation present of breast augmentation. Both parents and the daughter consent to the procedure and the exam is normal. Assuming you have all of the proper skills and training to perform the procedure, would you do it? Why or why not?"
"Imagine you are a plastic surgeon. Two parents want to give their 17 yo daughter the gift of breast implants for high school graduation. What do you tell them?"
"Looking back, what would you do differently in your undergraduate years?"
"How do you feel about Texas Tech compared to other schools you've been accepted to or interviewed at and tell me which one's they are."
"The second interviewer we talked about the difficulties of the patient. She asked what is the main reason most patient's do not comply with doctors orders. She gave her viewpoint that it was due to the patient's time/financial commitments."
"What do you expect to be your biggest challenge in medical school?"
"How did you get to where you are today?"
""If a patient comes up to you and says that they are offended by something they saw on your facebook, what would you do?""
"Describe a time your integrity was challenged. I couldn't think of one!"
"Nothing really difficult, just be prepared to answer 1) why medicine, 2) your leadership and/or work experiences, and 3) how you spend your free time"
"Describe to me what would cause some people to seek medical attention and others to not. Direct this question towards gender considerations and argue both ways."
"So, did you feel relieved that it was over (talking about my father's battle with cancer where he died recently) afterwards? This Q teared me up during the interview."
"If you were a third year medical student and an attending announced he planned to perform a procedure on a patient and you don't agree that it was necessary/good/appropriate, what would you do?"
"There werent really any... But one interviewer did ask me about healthcare. What do you think the biggest problem in healthcare is and why?"
"How can we make medicine more efficient?"
"Having read your application, what is the one thing you want me to know about you?"
"no real difficult questions"
"How did you get here? (The same thing as 'what made you decide to pursue medicine' but in a different form and it kind of threw me off)"
"What would you do if medicine did not work out?"
"None. They were very standard."
"The kidney one."
"Nothing was difficult"
"Nothing really difficult at all, just conversational about me and the school. "
"What makes you tick?"
"nothing was difficult for say- I hadn't thought about what I would answer for "last book I read"... but it wasn't hard since I do read"
"What about medicine am I not prepared for?"
"views on CHIP (had no idea about it)"
"What are three of your weaknesses?"
"none."
"What are your thoughts about Lubbock?"
"What is the best book you’ve read this year and why?"
"I was asked to analyze a sonnet and two paintings."
"What would you do if your good friend was cheating and you knew about it?"
"What do you consider your greatest accomplishment? (Not really that hard but I couldn't think of anything that I would really call ''great'')"
"Why do you want to come to Lubbock?"
"my second interviewer and I got on the edgy topic of annorexia and insurance payments (as I work in the ER)"
"What did you hope we would not talk about today?"
"Why didn't you apply to any DO schools?"
"What school do you really want to go to? "
"None really... very conversational interview"
"What would you do if you aren't accepted this cycle? (I haven't planned that far ahead yet)"
"None were difficult. The interviews were very conversational and positive experiences."
"there's a discrepancy in your mcat score. were you inadequately prepared in bio?"
"Questions dealing with the research I'd done."
"What can we do to make you come here?"
"Talk about ethics."
"Do you have ANY MORE questions (after I had already asked about 10)"
"What other questions do you have?"
""What do you think were the causes of the Civil War?""
"I was not asked anything difficult."
"Name the three attributes that every doctor should have...(in order)"
"What makes you want to go into medicine."
"The guy basically told me I would be accepted to the school and I had to respond."
"nothing difficult"
"How are you going to pay for school with a wife and two kids? -and then every answer I gave did not add up to enough money to cover all expenses. "
"What can I do to interest you in Texas Tech? (Yes, really. I had a tough time telling him why I'd be interested)"
""One of you letters says that 'pre-meds don't know anything' and that you do. What does he mean by that?""
"What should I tell the admissions committee about you?"
"Do you believe in government sponsored health care? (Dr. Felton)"
"What do you want to know about Tech?"
"Nothing too difficult. I was asked what I was most proud of and well...in a 30-minute interview it is hard to elaborate about something that you're so passionate about and have the other person understand in such a limited amt of time. "
"Just the usual."
"What questions do you have for me about the medical school? (I had volunteered there in the hospital for over a year and had already interviewed there the year before, so I couldn't think of anything)"
"Why are you applying to dental school as well (I'm not)?"
"how to ration healthcare and funds; better to spend $ on expensive procedure for one or provide preventative healthcare for many"
"Describe your _______ research? (This question was difficult because I haven't been asked it on other interviews. Besides, I thought my clinical research experience was pretty mundane (but I knew it was fair game). I attempted not to regurgitate my application verbatim and ended up going in circles). "
"So I have to go downstairs and present you to the committee. What should I say about you? (It was the ONLY question he asked me - He asked it over and over again.)"
"what would you like me to tell the committe about you?"
"What is border medicine?! "
"If you don't get in this year, what would you do to strengthen your application?"
"Absolutely nothing difficult. No ethical questions or medical issues or anything."
"If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?"
"who had the largest impact on your life"
"What do you think of managed care?"
"Nothing New"
"what books did you read in your (insert name) class? ...in your (insert other classes)? this was difficult only b/c some classes i had 8 years ago & struggled to remember titles!! ended up describing some books, instead of naming. this could have been better if i had taken 5 minutes to look at my bookshelf before i left home!! (highly recommend looking over old class syllabi.)"
"One of the interviewers just aked what ?'s I had about the interview. I was all prepared to talk about the presidential debate of the previous night, or something to do with health care delivery. Be sure to read up about the school programs...ex: The MD/MBA program that is 4yrs The new organs based cirriculum they are planning on starting in the near future"
"Lets go through your transcript ...."
"How do you expect to handle being a woman in medicine amongst gender bias?"
"How do feel about stem cell research?"
"Compare and contrast public health and medicine."
"tell me something I don't know about mediine"
"none were that difficult, except maybe the above"
"None were very hard or challenging, but the only question that I really needed to think about before answering was what medical issue do you feel will affect this profession the most in the next 10 years?"
"Detailed questions about some research I had done over 2 years ago... I couldn't remember all the small details!"
"what do you think about the new medical malpractice laws"
"How I would change the health care system?"
"Why Texas Tech? There is really nothing much going for them other the fact that they are building another medical school in El Paso."
"None were hard."
"What experience in medicine demoralized you?"
"Questions about my grades and fluctuations in G.P.A from semester to semester."
"Name three things that would make us select you over the other applicants interviewing today."
"Tell me about yourself. "
"Pretty much what you'd expect."
"How can you be a good physician if you don't have any research experience? (I interviewed with 2 researchers)"
"What should I ask you?"
"Looking at your transcript, what happened during the spring of your sophomore year?"
"How do would you compare the educational system and the percentage of students that complete higher education in Italy, China, and the United States? (I have travelled and lived abroad...)"
"They were all softballs."
"How do you see the medical field changing in the next 10 years?"
"Same as above"
"none"
"Are you picking Texas Tech as your first choice?"
"Nothing really difficult, just the standard questions"
"Describe a time in your life that you felt you would not succeed and how you overcame it. /How do you feel about the Oregon proposition?"
"They were all pretty easy. One interviewer asked me what HMO stood for, so be prepared."
"Why do you want to go in to medicine, why not research?"
"what quality in yourself would you most want to change and why?"
"Explain a certain bad grade from undergrad. And, "are you married?!""
"Current problems with childhood obesity, and how would you solve these issues? "
"What do you want the admissions committee to know?"
"I didn't prepare much. This was my third interview, and nothing new came at me that I didn't experience in the first two."
"Participated in mock interviews with peers"
"Read sample questions from the school."
"Practiced with family and school advisor"
"Made light notes for possible answers to common interview questions"
"Looked through SDN"
"SDN, university pre-med resources."
"Read over my app"
"Book, other interviews"
"PreMed Playbook by Dr. Gray. Looked over my application and reread my research information."
"Writing out answers to sample interview questions provided by the Texas Tech career center."
"I didn't really prepare for this one as I felt my other interviews had adequately prepared me for any interview."
"TT background, motto, future goals, etc."
"Read up about the healthcare reform, practiced standard interview questions, reviewed my application"
"I read through common interview questions and thought about my answers. I heard Texas Tech is very relaxed so I did not do anything else."
"I read through all of my applications, and I practiced interviewing with my family."
"I read questions others had been asked here on SDN. I reviewed my file, and did a practice interview with my school's prehealth advising department."
"SDN, TTUSOM website, healthcare articles and books"
"SDN. Interview book. mock interviews."
"confident from prior interview experience."
"Reviewed file"
"SDN feedback questions... Looked over my application and essays again."
"Mock interview. Read over SDN interview feedback and over my application materials."
"SDN, ttuhsc.edu/som"
"Looked up information about the school and made specific questions."
"Read about the school, looked at past interview feedback, read over my application materials. The interviews are after the orientation, tour, and lunch, so you really have been given a lot of info before you actually interview."
"Researched topics in healthcare, spoke to someone who had already interviewed, tried to relax and destress the night before. "
"Read SDN, Tech's website, practiced answering typical interview questions, read up on healthcare current events and ethics."
"Read SDN, TMDSAS, the secondary, Tech's website"
"SDN, MSAR, school's website, MS2s at the school. "
"SDN, read my application and essays. Read about the school online. "
"School website, student doctor forum/interview feedback, talked to friend who interviewed there, stayed with student night before"
"Reviewed info about the school and my app- nothing more"
"website"
"reviewed application"
"Looked over my personal statement, my TMDSAS, my secondary. I used SDN to review current events and possible questions about healthcare. Oh, and some wings at Buffalo Wild Wings the night before with the student I stayed with!"
"SDN, general questions list"
"SDN, Mock Interview, Reviewed my Personal Statement"
"SDN, Tech website, read over my application."
"SDN, School's website, talking with other med. students."
"SDN, read Tech website"
"Reviewed app, SDN"
"SDN, researched school, looked at interview tips"
"Read this site, my app, and the schools website"
"This website, looked over my application, talked to friends who had already had interviews"
"didn't really"
"This site, review app, read some med ethics articles"
"SDN, review application and secondary, MSAR"
"review my application"
"this website, the school's website, reviewed applications and basic interview questions"
"MSAR, SDN feedback, journal articles on current issues in medicine, reviewed apps"
"This website, their website, other interviews."
"read sdn, app., relaxed (I had a couple before this one)"
"SDN interview feedback, reading primary and secondaries"
"SDN. Various med school interview guides."
"sdn, read over app"
"SDN, reviewed secondary, talked to friend who is third year."
"read through my TMDSAS application and Texas Tech secondary application"
"Did not"
"Reviewed my app and reviews of interviews there"
"nothing"
"read my app"
"good night of sleep"
"This Website...Pre-med advisor...news"
"no preparation"
"Good night's rest."
"SDN"
"didn't prepare"
"SDN, read application, drank a bottle of wine :)"
"I got enough sleep for the margaritas to wear off."
"Eating good Mexican food and getting a mango margarita at Los Bandidos de Carlos and Mickey's. Had I known that Hurricane Rita was going to cancel my Baylor interview, I would have gotten smashed. And I'm a teetotaller. I didn't care about this interview so much that I wore a wierd hat I had bought in Bolivia to it. It makes me look like a 1930s gangster. "
"Made sure my hotel alarm clock worked."
"SDN, review TMDSAS application"
"My university's feedback notebook and the school's catalogue."
"Had an answer (not memorized) ready for any possible question or situation by compiling huge list of questions ever asked. WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY OVERPREPARED. You really need not do this, though there are just some you should expect. Know why you chose your major if it isn't the typical science. =)"
"carefully thought up of the correct ways to express myself :)"
"Reading current events, keeping my mindset confident."
"SDN, other interviews, familiarization with healthcare and world issues."
"studied current events, reviewed website and old apps"
"SDN, TTUHSC website, Reviewing mock interview questions, AAMC website"
"It was my fifth, so I had practice. Looked at the website."
"read interview feedback on this site, relaxed"
"STUDIED! LITERALLY! SDN, and some Tech Brochure about the school"
"I listened during the information session and rode on the coat tails of experience from other interviews at other medical schools. Talking to some students beforehand about the split campus structure helped me fabricate my enthusiasm for it."
"I over prepared for what was basic conversation by reading up on SDN and having thought about, but not memorize, an answer for every possible question. I'm an anal premedder. =P"
"Just listened during information session"
"read SDN, Tech website, talked to students"
"this web site"
"Mock interview this summer and 3 interviews prior to this one. Also, read up on the flu vaccine controversy, Prop 12 stuff and anything else I could find while on the plane and during the layover in Dallas."
"Read TMDSAS file, SDN"
"attended houston-area recruiting event."
"Mock interviews, website, reading newspapers and magazines."
"Reading studentdoctor.net, Kaplan book, prepared answers to questions from SDN and Kaplan, mock interview with my girlfriend"
"I checked out the website"
"SDN, read their catalog, website, talked to current students."
"This site, Tech's website, course cataloge, stayed with a student the night before."
"didn't"
"this site"
"Reviewed my application, and personal statement; Wrote a list of questions that I would expect to be asked regarding my application; Reviewed prior posts on SDN for encouragement; Looked at the Tech HSC website; Mock interviews; And reviewed the AAMC medical school guidebook about the school. Don't forget to get a good night sleep and to put something in your stomach before arriving;"
"Got a full night's rest and woke up early to get some breakfast so my stomach wouldn't be grumbling. :)"
"read this site"
"this site, school homepage, and know friends that go there."
"read SDN"
"Read the school's website, SDN, talked to others who had already interviewed there"
"Student Doctor Network, Texas Tech website"
"Read feedbacks and the school's website."
"student-doctor.net"
"Student Doctor.net, mock interview, made up questions and answered them"
"read school's website, SDN, healthcare issues"
"Read over my application, looked at the school's website and this site"
"SDN, read application, school website"
"Talked with previous interviewees, students, SDn, looked over some tips about interview etiquette"
"Read SDN, reviewed application"
"School Website, SDN"
"Read SDN interview feedback, reviewed my application, and relaxed."
"read SDN. talked with the 1st year I stayed with the night before."
"The usual"
"my dad thought of questions, looked at these reviews"
"Reviewed applications and read SDN feedback. Also met/talked at length with sudent hosts. "
"Read interviews from this site, went over my application, remained confident. I think being yourself is the only thing you really need to do."
"Texas Tech Website."
"Read this site, Read over my personal statement, Had a list of questions i used to prepare for the interview"
"Looked over my applcation, read feedback from this site"
"Mock interviews, internet, feedbacks"
"Read this site, the TTUHSC site, went over my apps."
"read this site and review my appliactions and essays"
"Read stuff here. Mock interview at my school."
"Internet. Read what others had been asked."
"Review source material. "
"Every single person on interview day was happy to be there! There seems to be a great culture of collaboration here. I have also confirmed this with alumni no longer affiliated with the school and they agree!"
"The staff and faculty did an incredible job making the virtual interview setting a stress-free and welcoming environment. By the time it was time to interview, I was way more relaxed than I anticipated"
"The environment and interviewers were extremely laid back and kind. It was more like a conversation."
"How lax the admissions staff was"
"Something that stood out to me was how happy and easygoing everyone affiliated with the school seemed to be when compared to some of the other schools I interviewed at."
"Strong student involvement in interview day and strong community"
"The enthusiasm and laid back environment created by both staff and students"
"How relaxed and positive everyone was"
"The interviews were not like a structured set of questions. The conversation just flowed and they just found out what they wanted without making it seem like we were checking off a list of questions."
"Facilities, people"
"Friendly students and faculty"
"Facilities, Food, Culture."
"This school is incredibly tentative to all of its students, and the collaborative learning environment is very positive."
"Everyone was EXTREMELY accommodating and friendly. The professors helped you get from one interview to the next."
"Everybody is so friendly and it truly feels like a family."
"The facilities are very nice and new."
"Curriculum, new and impressive facilities"
"Everyone was very helpful and the students seem to love the school and their classmates."
"Extremely friendly. Great sim center. The dean."
"All of the students and professors where extremely friendly."
"Lubbock is actually a nice place. Everyone was so friendly! And it's quick to get around. I was also impressed with their innovative FMAT program. (3 year medical school, what?)"
"Awesome students, amazing facilities, Lubbock is great too despite its usual impressions"
"The friendliness of the community. The ability of the students to have time to pursue non-medical activities. The SIM lab."
"4 yr MD/MBA program, module system whith one integrated class and test at a time, NEW & very expensive Sim center, MS 2 student I host I stayed with."
"Site, school, students, SIM center...."
"Everything. I LOVE TECH. I didn't realize how much I would really love this school until I stepped foot on campus and felt like I was at home. The students and faculty are the best part of this school. They are amazing and I think since I am a non trad student, I really fit into the vibe at Tech."
"The school is amazing. Focused on clinical side of medicine rather than research. People here are sooo nice and helpful."
"Impressive state-of-the-art sim lab. And a GREAT lunch (fajitas, rice & beans, vegetarian enchiladas, 2 cakes). The lunch almost made all the waiting around bearable."
"The medical school facility is great and I enjoyed the fact it is apart of an undergraduate campus"
"The friendliness of the students, the facilities, etc. everything."
"The curriculum, the continuity clinic, the student-run clinic, the students opinions of the program, the faculty and staff, etc."
"The facilities were very nice. The med students were also very friendly. Living is very, very cheap in Lubbock. "
"The students and the atmosphere -- everyone was really wonderful, so friendly, and the students truly seemed happy."
"That Lubbock is really not bad at all. The school facilities are very nice. (Library, lecture halls, labs, etc.) Block schedules, and 100% pass rate on Step 1 for the last two years. "
"Great students, faculty, and facilities! Students seemed happy to be there, faculty seemed happy to interact with students. Two years in a row 100% pass rate for step one. General atmosphere and friendliness of everyone. "
"Students are very welcoming and excited about incoming classes. Seems like a lot of class bonding."
"Students were happy and cohesive, opportunity to get a lot of early clinical experience."
"The amount of early clinical experience and unity among students and faculty"
"Cheap cost-of-living, great facilities, new hospital, students were great"
"students were very friendly, and helpful, and seemed to really enjoy Tech."
"Curriculum; half day schedules; block system; the school is attached to a division I undergrad campus, so the gym and campus are fantastic!"
"Basically everything. The curriculum is very well designed and has apparently upped their Step 1 scores: with only 20 or so students left to take it, they have a 100% pass rate thus far. "
"great people, nice and friendly. awesome buildings. good facilities."
"I was impressed with the completion of new facilities on the campus, as well as the friendliness of the students and the staff. Also, they have recently hired their President from Harvard University, and they seem to be on the upswing in regard to their board scores (they increased 6% which puts them at 91% for the USMLE Step 1). I think that this is probably due to the new curriculum that was recently implemented on campus."
"Lubbock is a really charming little town. Everybody is soooo nice! It's so refreshing."
"Facilities were brand new. Everyone was super friendly. The med students walked me to my interview rooms. A med student drove the shuttle to the airport. The university has ties to Mayo clinic so a few of the students do residency in Mayo clinic. "
"Attitudes of faculty and students"
"The attitude of the students"
"How down to earth and cooperative the student's seem to be."
"Given the bad things I've heard from other people, everything impressed me during the visit. The facilities were great, the school seemed pretty new and there was actually construction going on. The students and faculty were very friendly and really tried to convince you that Lubbock is a great place to live in. And I wouldn't disagree, other than being really far away from other big Texas cities, I thought Lubbock was pretty nice."
"The facilities are really nice and college town atmosphere in Lubbock might be appealing to some."
"The students are all very enthusiastic about the school and the facilities are pretty new"
"awesome facilities, I had an email from my second interviewer waiting for me when i got back home, that was very very nice- normally you're the one sending THEM emails "
"The facilities are all new, and the students are interested in each other performing well."
"The facilities were nice. I liked the student breakroom."
"The Health Sciences Center facilities. "
"The laid-back atmosphere. Everyone there is very easy-going and truly proud of their school. I felt at ease the whole day, even during my interviews."
"El Paso and the width and bredth of the patient population available in the area."
"Facilities are very modern. You have the option to spend your clinical years in El Paso or Amarillo. The interview day is well-organized and the lunch buffet is really good. Tech's main campus is beautiful too."
"Curriculum (MD/MBA in 4 years), enthusiastic students, facilities are nice."
"Everyone was very friendly, the facilities were very updated, and recent changes in the curriculum"
"The curriculum, the facilities, the bonding of the students, no one is trying to sabotage someone else's med educations, the El Paso rotation opportunity"
"Several of the med school buildings are REALLY nice. The hospital is average. There is quite a bit of interaction with the faculty and clinicians. Most of the people are laid back, easy to talk to, and professional. The curriculum is systems-based, which I like."
"the facilities at this school were much nicer than i expected. new geriatric center. also, i liked the fact that the class is split into 1/3 b/c it will allow more one on one exposure in the clinics"
"The Academic Classroom building and several of the other buildings are new and impressive. The faculty is working to improve their curriculum and everyone is relaxed and easy-going."
"the people were all very friendly"
"Facilities, students, combined degree program"
"The facilities and the students"
"People in West Texas are the nicest folks you will ever meet. Texas Tech is a really fun school. People are very nice there. I also like the dual degree programs they have, especially the MD/MBA."
"the people, faculty, new facilities, their great MATCH list for residencies."
"not a whole lot, the introductory speaker was really good"
"Students and staff were overly helpful/friendly-- I'm very independent and I'm not accustom to people going OUT OF THEIR WAY to help me. Freaky almost... "
"The Facilities are fantastic...very nice environment. There was strong sense of teamwork among the students. Everyone was extremely helpful. New Curriculum."
"The people were really friendly and welcoming, the newly built medical school was very nice, the faculty seemed very accessible for students, fairly small class size for a Texas school. I liked the small town atmosphere as well."
"The people there, especially faculty/admin. All very nice. Good curiculum too, for getting patient contact and experience. "
"nice facilities, new buildings, laid back, more one on one time with patients, new curriculum, clincial experience in the first year, "
"The people's attitudes. Everyone was extremely nice, helpful, and honest. The lunch was good too."
"The school, students, town and teachers are all really laid back. The town is not bad if you are already from a really small town (houstonians beware!). Their curriculum also is one class at a time and you get limited clinical experience from day one."
"The weather in El Paso is hot but dry...I walked around in a full suit outside and it didn't feel that bad. Note that I am from Southeast Texas so my standards are pretty low."
"El Paso doesn't seem to be that bad of a town. I wouldn't mind studying at El Paso at all. Seems okay out there compared to College Station/Temple and Lubbock. I got a free folder for a medical school that doesn't exist yet. "
"Nice place, I liked it, seemed like a good place to learn how to take care of patients."
"The facilities, Synergistic Center, welcoming attitude of staff and students, new classrooms"
"The faculty and staff."
"Friendly people everywhere. "
"friendly interviewers."
"Facilities, staff, city, residencies of graduates."
"The academic program at Tech is very solid with good residency placement and good clinical exposure."
"medical school is very new and modern; lots of quiet study space; nice synergistic center"
"The students were increbibly friendly and offered quite a bit of inside information on the school and faculty. A couple even gave me their contact information and offered me a place to stay the next time I come to town. "
"The facilities are really nice and the students are really down-to-earth and very easy to talk to. It's part of a huge college campus so there are lots of resources at your disposal. "
"the classrooms and facilities are very nice and new with more construction underway, the people are friendly, medical students have access to the law school library and university facilities, they are revising the curicculum starting with the incoming class of 2005 to better integrate the basic sciences education "
"AMAZING FACULTY"
"The new academic center is really nice and decently comfortable. The Synergistic Center also seems like a great student facility to just relax for a while."
"Friendly folks. They take you back to the airport. Students seem to get a lot of personal attention and one-on-one during their rotations."
"El Paso is in need of physicians, so students get a lot of experience."
"friendliness of current students and staff, friendliness of town, non-competitive atmosphere, synergistic center, REC center, overall happiness of everyone, new classroom facility"
"New academic center"
"Linda Prado, Dr. Dalley, and Tamara Lane all spoke in the morning and they were great. They covered everything about the interview process to getting accepted and the match system. They will interview 800 out of 2500 applicants and they will rank 500 of the interviewees. Also, when you first meet in the foyer @ 9am, students are there to greet you. They are there to talk to you until ~9:30 and I thought that they were super nice and very informative."
"Really new facilities, very community oriented school"
"surprisingly, everything! classroom building facilities are brand new, bright/clean & state of the art. students looked remarkably well-rested & happy... and also genuine. med library has private rooms w/ individual thermostats & allows food & open till 12. main campus has FABULOUS gym/pool. all main campus stuff open to med students--including sports & theatre events & their classes & library. NO traffic in lubbock, easy parking (compare to nightmare parking in houston--who needs the extra stress in med school?!). seems like the perfect place to be a student (just like my old college town). spring orientation to ease the transition & meet classmates & look for housing."
"The new wing of the hsc is impressive. They have a new synergistic center with workout facilities, ping-pong, a pool table, fooseball, and a snack bar. I also liked the cheap rent there (~500$/mo for a nice 1 bdr), and you can drive pretty much anywhere in the town in under 15 min."
"Very nice classroom facilities, nice recreation center right in med school for students"
"I loved the student volunteers. They were so thoughtful and really cared out the interviewees. "
"The students were very friendly and seemed honest in how they described the school. The facilities are top-notch. The "synergistic center" is awesome, the recreation center on the main campus rocks."
"Tech has started using their new class building, which is awesome. Very comfortable and relaxing environment. The students were among the friendliest I have seen so far. Good lunch."
"nothing really"
"friendliness"
"The students seemed genuinely happy- particularily after having just finished their first block exams. It was good to hear the Dean and other people speak highly about their mission to train doctors. I got the impression that students truly are their priority. Also, the new lecture hall and classroom facilities are state of the art. All of the facilities are modern and in great condition. Although some people (students and professors) at Tech feel they have to convince people to like West Texas, the school and city are very nice and have everything you will need during your 2 or 4 years in Lubbock."
"Students seem to be very close and have a real sense of community. They also built a new classroom building which we weren't able to see but is rumored to be VERY nice."
"friendliness of students. everyone who interviews at a texas school should really stay with a student host. i did, and mine was amazingly hospitable. this way you also get a real peek into a life of a medical student at that particular school. also, the opportunity "
"Everything looked very nice and newer than most of the other schools I had visited. The students were very nice also."
"nothing really... "
"The friendliness of the students and faculty; the wide range of ailments you will see if you choose to go to El Paso for the third and fourth years."
"Friendly atmosphere, personal attention, good lunch"
"Lubbock isn't really that bad (I was VERY hesitant at first). True, the place is small, but traffic is only 25 min max. The city pretty much has one of everything (but only one) and you have a chance to see snow."
"The facilties and the recreation center."
"Campus was very clean, Lubbock is not huge, several new buildings, students and staff very friendly"
"there is a student run liason committee which you can submit questions or concerns in a test given. if the committee decides that you have a valid point they submit the question to the professor for possible revision,explanation, and hopefully points added to your test score; they are now on a high pass,pass, fail grading system; the student,resident,attending ratio during rotations is great; the cost of living in lubbock"
"Everyone went out of their way to make you feel comfortable. What struck me the most was how sincere and helpful the students were. "
"Students seem happy."
"The friendly students"
"The "Synergistic Center" (Student Lounge) was pretty cool."
"The school was nice (new buildings coming. The student body seemed friendly."
"The faculty are very accessible to students. Students are friendly and appear to help each other out. New facilities are impressive and clinical training is personal."
"The synergistic center is really amazing. Both of my interviewers were friendly and genuine. "
"Tech seems to be concerned about the ambiance of there facilities. Most things in the buliding just feel nice and classy. There new student rec center is really cool. They are building brand new class rooms that will open in October. I like that the med school campus is connected to the undergraduate campus, and you can go to football games and other undergraduate-related activities."
"Everyone there was really laid back and helpful. It seemed like everybody really wanted to do everything they could to make you feel good about their school."
"Everyone was very open and friendly and the facilities were being upgraded as seen by the ongoing construction. "
"Very kind people. Down to earth. "
"The lunch was great."
"The students, how happy they were in Lubbock. The facilites are pretty nice, with the new classrooms being built. "
"The facility and the genuine liking of the school by the students"
"They are building a whole new wing for the medical school and it will be open for the next entering class. Als their student lounge is very nice."
"The facility was A-1, but small. The staff and students made the candidates feel very welcome. It is true about the food, a very good chicken fried steak was served. Tech has awesome clinical rotations if you want hands-on."
"the facilities, the students, the faculty, everything. mostly the way that they treat their students and do what ever they can to help them get through"
"THEY CANNOT GET OVER THE FACT THAT THEY ARE IN LUBBOCK. If you go be prepared for them to sell you the city rather than the school. Students are the most laid back of all the schools I've seen."
"Library is much better than other Tx schools visited. The new facility being created."
"Everyone was extremely helpful, from the students to the faculty. Facilities were really nice, plus new construction of state of the art lecture halls. "
"The atmosphere of the city and attitude of the students"
"Two minutes per interviewer did not feel like enough time. Ended up having to rush my points towards the end"
"Honestly, nothing"
"N/a"
"Social was way too far from campus/airport, just cookies for breakfast"
"The location."
"It IS in Lubbock."
"We were supposed to have a break between our two interviews, but mine were scheduled back-to-back in different buildings, which made it hard to make both on time."
"I sat in on a lecture, and the lecturer was pretty horrible."
"Up to half the class skips class sometimes (just personal thing I noticed)"
"The location. The size of the medical buildings. the rank."
"All the TT undergrad students around (distraction), Dusty & HOT climate."
"Curriculum isn't perfect"
"Nothing really. I love Lubbock. It kind of sucks that you have to move in the third and fourth years if you are matched out of Lubbock (into Odessa or Amarillo). But since I am married and will be buying a house when I move there, if I get in, then I will more than likely be able to stay in Lubbock."
"The location but who cares your going to be studying anyway."
"The tour was VERY lacking. All the students wanted to show us was the sim lab. We didn't see any actual patient care facilities or lecture halls."
"Location"
"Nothing. "
"I didn't get to see or hear much from the staff at the presentation. It was kind of unorganized and random bits of information. The only downfall of this school may be that it is in Lubbock."
"Most of the students were married already."
"Morning was a little disorganized/there was a fair amount of idle time. Hospital seems a bit outdated. "
"Nothing really, maybe living in Lubbock but it was far better than I had imagined (very cheap cost of living). "
"No ENT residency program (but they're working on developing it). Only 4.4m for research."
"Not being Mac compatible"
"dusty, windy city"
"Location, though it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected."
"Nothing!"
"nothing really. one of my interviewers (the ob/gyn) had not reviewed my ap, which i thought was a drawback since i had great essays."
"I was pretty impressed with everything that I saw on campus; the only thing I wondered about was why they are a regional campus (after two years, you can stay in Lubbock, or you can go to Amarillo, Odessa, or El Paso (which will end once El Paso has their first group of medical students become 3rd year students in 2011 (check the year on that)). However, I was told that the reason for this is to give 3rd and 4th year medical students a chance to see different things and have more opportunities to get involved (Amarillo is a good place to go for surgery; El Paso is a good place to go for OB-GYN and infectious disease). "
"low board scores. They try to avoid answering questions about their scores but from what I've heard they tend to be below the national average."
"When I asked the student panel about their dislikes about their university, the question was basically dodged. I have heard that they have low board scores. "
"My first interviewer was very unfriendly."
"There really was not too much planned to do for the day, but it wasn't that big of a deal"
"There was alot of down time"
"Long drive to get to Lubbock"
"Board scores are below average, students aren't the most ambitious, and I would give Lubbock a 3/10 as a place to live."
"well, all of my interviews went over scheduling time, so I didn't get to take the full tour "
"Started late, but that may have been because many people called in with flight problems."
"Poor organization of the interview day, the med school students and the other pre-med applicants left a bad impression of the school"
"West Texas in general. I'm not a huge fan, but that's a personal thing."
"I can't really think of anything that was too bad."
"No tour, no financial aid briefs though both were on the agenda, the whole day seemed disorganized."
"Location (lubbock) is somewhat dismal. Second year students we met seemed a little immature (almost like the pre-meds in college that slacked off/goofed off, but suprisingly still get into school somewhere). In the student panel, someone asked "
"Lubbock is a wasteland that is 5 hours from any real city. Students didn't seem that bright or very serious about school (many times only 10-20% of class shows up for lectures)."
"The 2nd year students giving the tour were lost a couple of times. But they were very excited about their school and answered our questions with enthusiasm"
"the location....it's a small town....I think I would get used to it....on the plus side there would be little or no distractions from studying....."
"They started the interview day 30-40 minutes late ... that created a negative impression."
"the student body seemed unmotivated. they saw it as a blow-off school and acted accordingly."
"Three campuses for the 3rd and 4th years is unattractive. 2/3 of the class has to move from Lubbock after the 2nd year."
"it didn't seem like the school was all that challenging...the people there didn't seem very smart (didn't speak in a grammatically correct way)"
"Location pretty much sucks... and the three campuses is weird"
"the interviewers were a bit unprepared"
"The lower than average Step 1 scores."
"nothing, I love this place"
"Just about everything: the location, the facilities, the teachers, and the students. My first interview ever was with a pompous ass."
"The school is in the process of changing curriculum and, when I asked the curriculum director/speaker “what changes are you planning?†he could not give me an answer. This was concerning. When asked “what is the board passing rate?†no one in the auditorium (from the school) could give me an answer. "
"Lubbock is not an impressive city."
"I didn't really get to talk with many students, only residents. And for those who don't like small towns, Lubbock may not suit them. "
"The med student at our lunch seemed to want to just talk about the Texas-OU game."
"3 different campuses that you might get sent to, the location, "
"The students told me tech was their last choice but that's the only place they got in but it isn't as bad as they thought it would be."
"The grading system is honors / pass / fail. Making a 92 puts you in the same category as the person with a 70. It seems a little unfair. Also the average step 1 scores on the USMLE are a bit below the national average."
"See the above comments."
"That it sucks. That the "best interview lunch" of the Texas circuit was at Texas Tech in LUBBOCK not El Paso. "
"Little research"
"To a certain degree, Lubbock. Overall though, the facilities made up for the small town environment."
"Lubbock."
"Lubbock...and the fact that the class splits up after 2 years to either stay in lubbock, go to amarillo, or go to el paso. "
"nada."
"The uncertainty of knowing where your final two years of medical school will be."
"Too much of a defensive attitude regarding the city of Lubbock. It got old hearing "Lubbock really isn't that bad" several times throughout the day. One of the students on the panel said, "we are a pretty competitive class. I guess you can consider us a class of gunners". Not really interested in that type of environment."
"no tour of the library or the hospital; i toured it on my own and it was very old and there weren't very many patients"
"The isolation of Lubbock gives it a slightly desolate feel. But the cheap real estate and the reduced stress of low crime rates and fewer mainstream distractions make it a appealing place to learn. "
"Lubbock. It's EMPTY. Although you wouldn't really notice it studying so much... They have below average board pass rates AND they are changing their basic science curriculum next year... One speaker said that have to move low on the match list to fill the class. Not exactly motivational. Also, the thought of ending up in Amarillo is scary BUT you get some great surgery experience, I hear. Ask a student about it."
"the traffic is heavier than I expected, the air is very dry, and the water tastes salty, It was a little difficult to find the locations of the interviews as the instructions were not clear and the layout of the academic classroom building can be confusing, Several of the speakers focused too much on dispelling negative stereotypes rather than really selling the strengths of the school"
"THE 1ST YEARS WHO DROPPED BY SEEMED LIKE THEY COULDN'T EVEN SPELL MEDICAL SCHOOL, LET ALONE BE ADMITTED IN."
"Taking thirty minutes to hear someone read out every single interviewer and every singly interviewee that they had today and their times...just to make sure that our agendas (sitting right in front of us) were accurate. They didn't talk about residency matching or USMLE scores or anything like that, but if you asked the students, they all said that board scores are typically at average or maybe even a few points lower."
"Lubbock - the smell and isolation. "
"Do not really want to live in Lubbock or El Paso. Beginning info session was a little boring."
"A student said this is the first year they have not been allowed to see their exams after they take them (how can you learn from your mistakes?!)"
"Although you are isolated from distraction, you would kill yourself from studying and nothing to do when you want to take a break! The curriculum is nothing innovative compared to other schools."
"Nothing was bad. I went to West Texas not expecting much, but I really enjoyed Lubbock and Texas Tech. I thought that the chance of spending the 3rd and 4th years in either El Paso or Amarillo would be bad, but 2 weeks after the match you get to rank where you would prefer to live. People interested in OB/GYN and Peds get a whole lot of experience in El Paso. Also, since it's a border town you get immersed in the hispanic population and get to practice your Spanish. Amarillo has no residents, so you and maybe another 3rd or 4th year are the only ones working with the attendents...no residents!! People who want to stay in Lubbock must provide a reason. They have a strong surgery rotation and if you are interested in becoming a surgeon, this would suffice as a reason to stay. Other more important reasons, however, include: spouse employment and children enrolled in Lubbock schools, etc."
"Lubbock is NOT the most desolate place in the World, but you can certainly see the place that is from Lubbock. This is entirely offset by the Extreme Friendliness of the Students, Faculty and Community."
"only 4 black people in last year's class! (even though i'm white) i would prefer my med class to represent my home community (urban), but maybe the class actually represents the west tx community.?? on the up side, i met some black students who seem extremely pleased there. "
"For the 3rd and 4th years you are thrown into a lottery and may end up @ El Paso, Amarillo, or Lubbock. I have also heard that Amarillo is a very boring place to spend your time."
"Overall the school did not do a very good job selling itself. The faculty talked about mostly issues that were not germane to new incoming students. They talked a lot about potentially opening up a 4 year medical program in El Paso. The things they did not discuss were: Residency placement, why Texas Tech provides a better education Perhaps the worst experience was meeting students at the school. They all seemed to take pride in looking/dressing sloppy. For example the student who gave the tour showed up in his workout cloths as he was going to the gym right afterward which was very awkward since we were all in suits. It also certainly showed where he places his emphasis on how much he respects attracting top students. He made jokes about Texas Tech's attempts to recruit minorities during the tour. He basically said Texas Tech is just like all other hospitals and schools and cut the tour short any only showed us the anatomy lab. This made me wonder why would I go here if this place doesn't have anything special? Most of the students were very nice, but a few with huge egos will have difficulty finding scrub caps to fit their swollen heads. There was nurse bashing, PA bashing, and "physicians are the only real doctors." I'm not attempting to debate this online, but it was suprising Texas Tech choose to present this as their image. From talking to other people that were interviewing Texas Tech was pretty much last on their preference list, and Tech certainly did nothing to change their ranking. As a small side note Texas Tech served chicken that had to be eaten with your hands, a classic interview faux paux ... no finger food at interviews Tech ... get your etiquette right!!!"
"First, I never recieved notification that I had an interview until I got a very rude email about my lack of response. At the interview day, of 17 people interviewing, 8 had never recieved notification and the administration still tried to blame us. Then they made us wait about 2 hours because our first speaker was late. The afternoon wasn't much better. One of my interviewers kept insisting that I wasn't prepared for medical school and I in no way had what it takes to be a doctor. If they honestly thought that, then I shouldn't have gotten an interview. "
"They have a lame testing policy that doesn't allow students to see what items they missed on exams. You just have to take their word for whatever grade you get. The profs believe that "tests aren't for learning, they are for evalutaion only"."
"The interviewers had stacked schedules, so I was not able to spend as long with them as I would have liked. People had conflicting information about the curriculum change."
"the interviewer gave me helpful hints on what I should do to improve my application for the next year during the interview"
"lot of waiting around with no one to interact with other than other applicants upon arrival in the morning"
"Even though I like West Texas I got the impression some people don't really like Lubbock because it seemed everybody said something like "Lubbock really isn't a bad place to live..." Other than that Tech is very similar to other schools in the state."
"Lubbock is SMALL- only 200,000 people. They say there's a lot to do but the students didn't seem too enthusiastic about being there."
"unless you are married, have a family, or have any other pressing reason to remain in lubbock for all four years, you can be sure that you will be moving to either el paso or amarillo for years 3 and 4. if you are single and are not prepared to move out of lubbock after 2 years then you should consider this before making your decision to go there"
"nothing"
"tour was aweful... student spend ALL of their time in class... almost 8 hours a day of lecture.. THere is NOTHING, AND I MEAN NOTHING to do in Lubbock. I come from a big city is school, AND I feel that this school and town will work with my lifestyle."
"The size of the "campus" is very small; no recreational facilities. This location seems very cut off from the first and second years of school."
"We didnt get to tour the new classrooms and facilities"
"Having to move to either El Paso or Armarillo during your 3rd and 4th years."
"Far from my home."
"They didn't serve country fried steak for lunch the day I interviewed. I had heard they served that, and I was looking forward to it."
"the idea of living in lubbock; their very traditional curriculum(but they are trying to change this...i just don't know when); the averge step 1 score is 87%."
"The number of times people kept emphasizing that Lubbock was a college town and the school suffered from an identity crisis. "
"The interview day didn't appear to be very well organized. Also, there is too much of a focus on telling you that Lubbock is a nice place to live. I wanted to hear more about the school itself. "
"Lubbock...flat, dry, isolated... will most likely have to move for 3rd and 4th year to Amarillo or El Paso."
"Lubbock. Inevitably having to move (if you're not married/have small kids/are a local) for the clinical years."
"The students I talked to negatively characterized Tech's "How to be a doctor" course as a "waste of time" and "a class to study other subjects in." Soon after being accepted, you have to choose where you want to spend your third and fourth year. "
"The class days are very traditional and very long. They do not offer a whole lot of time to prepare for boards like some schools. Also, there is very little patient contact in the first two years (although this doesn't bother me as much as some). My first interviewer really didn't interview me. In the thirty minutes alloted he told me about the history of the school and the history of Lubbock. I probably talked a total of 5 minutes - I didn't know quite how to feel about it. It was hard to know when and if to interject during his diatribe just so I could distinguish myself from the other interviewees. The second interview was redeeming, though. Each of the interviewers interviews several students back to back, and then they meet together that evening to present and evaluate each candidate together as a group."
"Besides talking up the school, some people seemed a little too concerned about how we would feel about the school being in Lubbock. They kept trying to sell us on the town."
"I tried to keep an open mind about each school, but Lubbock has some inherent issues that make it different. Somewhat isolated and then many have to move after the first 2 years. "
"I was interviewed by staff and a 3rd year med student. The med student seemed apathetic. Med student interviews frustrate me. Feel like they don't care enough to take time from a physicians schedule."
"The attitude of the admissions staff. The match results showed that they accepted very few of their own graduates into competitive residencies (lack of faith in their own graduates). Students had dim outlook on gaining top ten residencies."
"Just the fact that Tech is in Lubbock. There really isn't anything to do in Lubbock, but we aren't intending to be playing alot now are we? "
"Their anatomy labs are only so so."
"Lubbock, but it really doesn't seem that bad. My hotel sucked(Sheraton)"
"lubbock"
"Lubbock, the city itself is as flat as the surrounding farm land."
"Student opinion is dismal. Terrible morale. They seem angry at the curriculum and preparation for boards/clinics."
"Other parts of the HSC could use some updating. "
"The tour. The student was a resident and a little hurried."
"I wish I had reviewed more ethics scenarios!"
"More about the school to ask more questions."
"Interviews were very short and did not have time to ask questions - I would have prepared to ask the students not involved in the interview day more questions"
"It's more of a casual conversation than formal interview, so just relax and really be yourself"
"The interview is very conversational so ask as many questions as you choose to"
"The networking thing the night before is extremely casual"
"Good breakfast"
"How relaxed the interview was. I way over-prepared. They mostly just asked about me then talked about the things I mentioned about myself. They're required to ask one randomized ethical question and everything else is just a back-and-forth conversation about anything. I talked to all of my interviewers about mutual friends/colleagues for a part of each interview."
"After the first two years of schooling, they send students to one of their three campuses in Midland, TX, Lubbock, TX, or Amarillo, TX."
"The interviews are a little hard to get to because you have to go through some hallways where doors are access-card only. Luckily my interviewers walked with me and let me in but I'm not sure if this was the case for others."
"Lubbock is not a research-intensive school, but is definitely the place for primary care doctors."
"To bring bandaids and/or mole skin! My new shoes gave me bad blisters."
"How relaxed things were going to be."
"How relaxed the interview would be."
"To check that there was nothing wrong with your secondary application (long story)"
"how relaxing it would be."
"Its hard to find parking the day before a TT football game."
"Nothing. I think Tech is pretty much what I thought it would be..."
"RELAX. Texas Tech interviews are chill and laid back."
"They give you a portfolio. No need to bring your own, you'll just have more to carry."
"Nothing was a surprise. "
"There was some confusion on the forums and the interview feedback as to whether these interviews at Tech were open or closed file. We were told in the morning that they are OPEN. The interviewers get everything EXCEPT your GPA/Coursework and MCAT scores (of course they can still ask you about these if they wish). One of my interviews might be considered closed since she didn't even look at my file during the interview, but I would still inform others that this school does open interviews with blind GPA/MCAT. "
"That the interviewers were really as laid back as everybody said they would be."
"none"
"I felt well prepared"
"Do not get too stressed out about what to wear, it really isnt that big of a deal. "
"How relaxed everyone was going to be."
"they provided a portfolio, if i knew that, i wouldn't have taken one with me."
"Really, I think that the process is stressful for everyone, but if you can just relax and realize that the interviews are the good part of the application process, then you will be much better off."
"Lubbock is really not as bad as people make it out to be (I come from a BIG city). Keep an open mind."
"They decide on you (yay or nay) that very day."
"info about their MD/MBA program"
"First year students get to work with real patients, not actors, to practice examination skills and work closely with an assigned physician."
"how nice the classrooms would be..."
"Most students relocate after the second year to the other campuses."
"Two thirds of the class is relocated to either Amarillo or El Paso for the third and fourth years."
"Tech has you meet at the interview rooms yourself whereas with my previous experience a student had shown me there. You just need to leave the common meeting area early enough to possibly get lost :)."
"Lunch involved bean burritos."
"La Quinta Inns aren't always clean and neat. "
"That we were going to have garlic bread for lunch (yuck)"
"how nice the facilities were."
"They appear to have a great MD/MBA program that can be completed through Texas Tech in 4 years total."
"they served chicken fried steak for lunch...very weird (so if you're a vegeterian be prepared)"
"They start late, almost every time"
"That they split the 3rd/4th years classes."
"Lubbock isn't so bad"
"don't bother coming"
"Nothing."
"How unique their curriculum is for learning hands-on. The possibility of transfer to satellite campuses for y3 and 4."
"should've stayed with a med student."
"The presentation portion was going to kill me slowly. It took forever."
"I wish that I would have known that Hurricane Rita was going to make me evacuate from Beaumont to Austin so I could have saved the airfare and just drove."
"That Tech-El Paso is the gift that just keeps on giving. I accepted this interview waaaay back in the summer before I had any other offers. I stupidly chose to delay my Baylor interview until 9/23, which coincided with Hurricane Rita. Now I won't be at Baylor until November, and I'm kicking myself every day for letting that happen."
"That I was a complete idiot for delaying Baylor's interview for camping out in the godforsaken West Texas desert. I also discovered that all Texas Tech medical students have to spend two years in Lubbock and then break up for the last two years between Amarillo, El Paso, and Lubbock. "
"should have asked for vegetarian meal"
"How far out there in Texas Lubbock is."
"Despite claims of how random this whole med app process is, I sometime wish I hadn't applied here or accepted the interview invitation. It cost me more than any other texas school to apply here. "
"nada."
"How many people they were interviewing this year, over 800. Made me feel less confident of my chances though I think I did well. "
"Reliance on hotel shuttle service isn't a wise idea, when you want to arrive at the interview early. Didn't really matter, since the welcome session started almost an hour late."
"the first hour or so is just meet and greet; the day ends early so i could have taken an earlier flight; lubbock is not a major city at all, so be prepared"
"That Lubbock has cotton fields! TTU has a beautiful and consistent Spanish Art-Deco (if you will) architectural style- it’s quite refreshing amid the inert, arid west Texas landscape. "
"They send you an email and you have to pick a date - I only had one choice THE VERY NEXT WEEK and so getting travel arrangements together was kind of hectic (and more expensive). Be ready for that - I hear it's not an uncommon experience. "
"after two years in Lubbock, one-third of the class must move to El Paso and one-third to Amarillo, the pass rate for the step 1 exams is below the national average"
"NADA"
"That the tour does not take you outdoors. I was stuck carrying around my coat the whole time thinking that I would need it for the tour. If I had known, I would have left it in the admissions office with my luggage. Also, many of the students say that unless you are married or own a house, staying in Lubbock for your 3rd and 4th years is near impossible."
"That I could have changed my interview date to a later time."
"if I didn't want to go on the tour, I could leave by 2:00"
"I wish I did not waste my time going."
"Not much in the way of mid-morning snacks or soft drinks like the other schools I've been to so far. "
"chance to move to el paso for years 3-4. beautiful city w/ mountains!! :)"
"The avg age of the entering student is 27."
"That the administration and my interviewers were going to be disrespectful. I was completely put off gaurd by their verbal attacks first regarding their mistake in notifying me about my interview and secondly during my interview. "
"Tech is in the process of converting to a system-based curriculum."
"Nothing I can think of, but everybody answered all of my questions. I left feeling I got everything out of the interview as I could have expected."
"That the MD/MBA program is outside of the regular Texas Match Program so decisions would be sent out before Feb. 1. "
"nothing really. lubbock is a small town and west texas definitely feels like a different world coming from houston."
"that there is absolutely nothing to do in Lubbock!!!!!"
"That the interviews were completed by 3:00. I could have taken an earlier flight home."
"How cold it was going to be, yikes. On a good note, med school students get full access to Texas Tech University and all of its facilities (read: sports and a gym)."
"The nice facilties and fairly nice looking place to live in."
"Med students get a Texas Tech ID card that gets them into sporting events."
"that lubbock is actually a friendly town"
"I wish I had known that the exact schedule of the day. If you flew, plan on leaving the same day as your interview. "
"It is possible to get lost in Lubbock"
"How much time I was going to waste"
"I could have flown out at five PM instead of seven PM b/c interviews were finished at three PM for everyone."
"the construction on loop 289 can lead to unexpected delays."
"It sounded as if you could be sent to do your clinical years in a place you don't want to be (like Amarillo), especially if you're single and mobile. You won't know where you are going to be assigned for years three and four until after you're there."
"A lot more about the three campus system for the third and fourth years. They really elaborated on how the small group settings allows for more communication between the instrutors and students before and after going to the separate campuses."
"Could have flown in and out the same day of my interview. Would have been a big time saver."
"nothing really"
"The 3rd and 4th year are spent in Amarillo or Lubbock (I didn't do my homework apparently because this suprised me.)"
"Nothing"
"take a coat other than the suit jacket. there was a cold front while i was there and i ended up at the mall buying a jacket."
"The smell of the anatomy labs. Forgotten how strong it could be."
"Current student opinion of the school!"
"Being from the area, I was already pretty familiar with most aspects of their program. "
"The school culture seems very welcoming and friendly. The event was also impeccably organized, with breakout rooms for: housing, activities in Lubbock, conversation with Dean's Ambassadors, and playing jeopardy with other candidates. Overall a very fun and relatively low-stress day!"
"Very great impression from interview day, they want students to choose them and they care about their applicants."
"I really liked the laid back atmosphere of this interview. One of my interviewers was the Associate Dean of Admissions and the interview was really conversational. He was incredibly kind and friendly."
"My interview was via zoom, and they were understanding whenever minor technical issues came up"
"I really enjoyed it and think it a great medical school to attend."
"The new Health Sciences building is really amazing and state of the art."
"Great school, shocked at how much I like it"
"Relaxed environment. Everyone is super friendly and eager to get to know you."
"Awesome school. Lubbock gets a bad rap for some weird reason. I kind of want it to stay that way so the snobby pre-meds won't apply and it can continue to be a hidden gem."
"Extremely friendly students and faculty. Very familial, collaborative learning environment."
"I was extremely impressed with this school and they definitely moved up on my list after touring and speaking with everyone. The facilities are excellent and it is a very close-knit atmosphere."
"Great school, it's very evident that the faculty and students believe a lot in the quality of the education here."
"Great school, great facilities, great for primary care."
"Texas Tech seems like a very nice school & lunch was delicious!"
"Great school. One of my top picks despite its location."
"Loved, loved TTU. Great school, awesome students and faculty that love teaching Tech students."
"Everyone is very welcoming and inviting. They love their city. I feel that the school is less competative than many, but what you loose in competition you seem to gain in lifestyle."
"Our interview group was huge... There were 70-75 people interviewing that day. It was crazy. From everyone I talked to after the interviews, everyone said that their interview was great. It kind of made me worried because I am not sure if I would be able to stand out... Also, right after the interview was over, the interviewers told us that they would be meeting with the adcom to discuss us. It seems like they make decisions pretty quick, but we wont know the outcome until November 15th. That was kind of nerve racking, but its not Techs fault."
"I did my best to go in with an open mind, but they just didn't sell the school to me. Also, no one could tell me what the difference was between Tech and Paul Foster in El Paso and why I should choose one over the other."
"Best interview day so far!"
"This interview was the most laid back I have had. I spent 30 minutes just talking about all of my experiences with one interviewer and had a great conversation. The other interviewer was more direct with questions, but she didn't ask me anything difficult at all. Besides the school being far from home, I was very pleasantly surprised by my visit, the people, the facilities, the curriculum, and I think it would be a nice place to go (Lubbock and West Texas aside). So if you are going, go with an open mind. Lubbock is not as terrible as many would think."
"I was pleasantly surprised by this school. Current students seem very happy and proud of their school. Go with an open mind about Lubbock, it's probably not what you've imagined it to be. Highly recommend staying with a student. "
"Really enjoyed everything about the school. Definitely could see myself here if given the opportunity."
"none"
"Interviews were supposed to be 30 minutes, but neither lasted that long. The first interviewer was more traditional with actual questions, though she was very nice. It only lasted 20 minutes. My second interviewer was just straight up conversation. It was done in 15 minutes, but we were just talking about random stuff for another 5-10 minutes. Very relaxed and nice, I loved it!"
"Didn't start out great cuz I live in amarillo, and I decided to drive there on the morning of instead of night before, and alarm didn't go off. Still made it on time though. There were multiculture office reps to greet us with donuts and juice etc. Linda Prado then gave us a short tour of the building and orientation followed. The dean and another person who was supposed to speak were unable to be there ( a lil disorganized there, I thought) but someone filled in. long presentation, but I liked it. Lunch isn't suited to vegetarians, just a precaution in case you are one. My first interview was an ob/gyn who said she had been too busy to read my ap,so I had to sort of start from scratch. She was also 10 mins late cuz of her surgery that she was doing, but it was alright. She was really nice. DeRiese was her namo. She asked me about CHIP, and I was unfamiliar with any lately updated stuff on it, which I thought was the only negative thing to my interviews. She conversed with me, wished me good luck at the end. Second interviewers, Blanton, was awesome! He started the interview with '' I love your essay'' and basically proceeded to tell me what the admission committee looks for and how I meet it. We talked about a lot of things, not all of them medically related. It was great! Very nice guy. He ended the interview with ''I'll see you on campus next fall'' I hope so!! This was my first interview and for a first one, this is probably as easy as it can get. Good luck to all of you!"
"I think that Lubbock is different from most places that people go to medical school, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. The people in Lubbock seemed to be really friendly, and the medical school is near campus, so there is a lot of student activity surrounding the medical campus. However, as I mentioned earlier, Tech's medical school really seems to be on its way up, as they are continually getting more competitive (at least from what I can tell). So overall, I was impressed by what the medical school had to offer."
"I was pleasantly surprised by the school and Lubbock. They have many students there to answer questions and the students are really really nice and talkative. The morning is spent orienting you with the university and what it offers (kinda boring). The afternoon is spent at interviews, student panel, and the tour. One of the students was so nice and gave us a ride back to the airport after the day was over. I went to Lubbock with an open mind and I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone there is so polite and so nice. They say hello, offer to help you if you look lost (which I did), and always make small talk. Even one of the TSA women at the airport knew all about the med school admissions process at Tech! We were all pleasantly suprised! Go to Lubbock and give them a chance...they deserve it."
"Amazing. This interview was basically low key. The interviewers just want to see if you have people skills. They just want to talk with you. Beware of one guy though he makes you read sonnets. "
"The first interview was extremely tough, while the second was really laid back."
"My experience was typical; however beware there was one interviewer who was having the applicants analyze sonnets and paintings and another who only asked 3 questions and did not let the interview go on longer than 5 minutes"
"Great people, good facilities, nice city, but a little bit small (population ~200,000)"
"Lubbock was nicer than expected but some aspects of the school (board scores and possibly having to move, in particular) were less appealing."
"All the current students were very nice and willing to answer any questions that you had. They gave honest feedback about the new curriculum and told us what to expect from each one of our interviewers. the interviewers themselves are kind. They really want to get to know you as a person so the interviews are very conversational, and they really like to talk about the new curriculum."
"odd early morning, seemed kind of disorganized, unimpressed with the room in which we held the morning briefings, students directed me to my first interview, which was nice, had a bunch of downtime inbetween my first and second interviews, and had such great connections during my interviews that i missed the campus tour. I also didn't know that their avg MCAT score is highly comparable to that of UT Houston and UTMB... getting into the MD/MBA program will be the deciding factor for me here."
"The interviewers were very friendly and just interested in me as a person. Not so much concerned with my academic file. The schedule for interviews leaves a little bit of time to kill, and you have to find your own way to the interview rooms so plan accordingly. Really though, I wouldnt sweat this one too much."
"The facilities were nice. The interviewers and presenters were very kind. I would have liked some coffee in the morning. We were also instructed to be there at 9am, but no one from the admissions office showed up until 10am, which was a little awkward for everyone. I also had three separate hours to kill throughout the day. "
"The interview process was great. All the students that were on panels and talked with us throughout the day really seemed to love the school and appreciate the location for what it had to offer. It was a very organized, but long of course, day."
"El Paso is a big plus. I'd be more inclined to come to the 4 yr school Tech is starting up next year though. Wasn't terrible, but I wasn't bowled over by the experience either."
"Overall, I though Tech was alright. I would be much more interested if it were in a better location (Lubbock would be very difficult place to take a significant other). "
"Overall it was great! I would love to attend Tech"
"I stayed with a med student so I got their point of view of the school which may not necessarily agree with my impression at the end of the interview day...I went in very open-minded about the school because I had heard mixed reviews...I tried not to go in with any misconceptions like the lack of things to do...I think you gotta look at the positive side...I'm a city person and I wouldn't mind being in a small town for two years....the day started off with the lovely Linda Prado introducing the school...we walked to our conference room and the Dean of Admission spoke to us about the school. There was a series of presentations about the curriculum, student affairs, financial aid....after that we had lunch and I was in the group of those who went first to their interviews. I interviewed with two PhDs which was fine. The first guy was a combined Micro/Immuno...he was awesome...one of my favorite Upper Bio Courses is Immuno so we talked about that and his research interests..I found it a plus to have something in common with the interviewer...anyways...the usual interview questions were asked...this was my third interview so I had to pretend I was thinking hard about my answers..lol...then after that I had a break and then on to my second interviewer...this guy was Italian...I'm used to the Italian character...he was very to the point and had no time to dawdle outside of conversation...we conversed a little bit in Italian...the interview was a lot shorter than the others....despited this he agreed and supported my motivation for medicine....I just wished he had taken time like other interviewers to get to know me better in person...after that we congregated...went to a student panel and then ended with a tour of the facilities...All in all, I would not mind coming here especially since the HSC students don't seem to be forced to interact with the undergrads at TTU..."
"The school provides an excellent education in a positive environment. The faculty were positive and encouraging ... good communicators. The students were friendly and were happy to be there. I came away with a positive impression. Lubbock is a cheap place to live and there is plenty to do there."
"i was overall impressed with tech as a school. however, the student body did not seem to mesh with my personality"
"As expected they started late. Overall I was pleasantly surprised by their new facilities and very professional and progressive presentation. The facilities looked extremely nice and we even toured the Anatomy lab. Interacting with current students at lunch and during a student panel gave me a better feel for what the education there was like. Everyone seemed relaxed and laid-back, perhaps a little too much so. Lubbock isn't a great location for some people, but it could be a great place to go to school."
"I wasn't very impressed "
"It was a pleasent interview. I was more recruited than interviewed though. But I really like Tech."
"The first interview was really casual and laid back. The second one was a little more strange and he was very concerned that I didn't have any interest in Tech"
"They told us to be there at 9am, but didn't start until way later. Then we went to this two hour presentation, which was a little boring. Then we had lunch, chicken fried steak; I guess it's a West Texas tradition. Then went to the interviews, student panel, and a student-led tour. "
"This school really surprised me. I received an interview at every school in the state, and I enjoyed TT the best. It has the best facilities and nicest faculty. A true gem in the rough. I am definitely ranking this school first!"
"My first interview EVER began with me coming in and introducing myself and sitting down. This was followed by silence untill I decided to begin the interview by asking a question. He gave a two word answer and then started reading off classes from my transcript and asking me what was interesting in them. Then he asked me about the causes of the civil war. Then he told me to tell him everything I knew about malaria. Every answer I gave was followed by a full 10 seconds of tense silence. I think I did well considering but this school left me with a bad taste in my mouth, and not just because of Lubbock's putrid tap-water."
"Interviewer #1 was wonderful. The entire interview was very conversational. The first thing he said was “I think you’re going to make an outstanding doctor,†which made everything else easy. We laughed a lot and sat around swapping stories. Easy breezy… Interviewer # 2 tried to ask intelligent questions about my research, which was ridiculous because she didn’t know anything about the subject. She kept asking irrelevant questions and I (tactfully) tried to answer the questions without making her feel like an idiot. Her other question, however, were very specific to my application and demonstrates she thoroughly reviewed my application before the interview. "
"Great Interview. I really was sold on going to Tech for med school."
"Things were running a half-hour late, but all in all, the day was laid-back and enjoyable. Even though Lubbock is a small town, the hospital has a level-one trauma center and deals with patients from Dallas to Albequerque. Just from observing the students, they seems to be really cooperative and friendly. The school itself is very nice and aesthetically-pleasing. One of my interviewers is a cardio surgeon that worked under Dr. Debakke in Houston, so it seems good doctors are drawn to Lubbock in order to raise a family. They are very community-service oriented and the faculty (at least the ones who interviewed me) seemed to be excellent teachers. One thing is 3rd and 4th-years do rotations in El Paso, Odessa, Lubbock, or one other city. "
"Seems like a really great school. I was positively surprised."
"I was very impressed with the facilities and liked the school however I think their biggest downfall is their location and there's no way around it. Also, the school is usually for people who can't get in anywhere else, so it doesn't have a very good reputation but you have to experience it for yourself before you form your opinions. If you're from a small town, then this is the place for you. Great oppurtunites and very laid back."
"The facilities are new so they're pretty nice. The people are all very nice and laid back. They know its not the greatest medschool out there and they don't seem to care. They like it how it is."
"I had a good experience. I might not have expressed myself the way I had planned, but I left Lubbock with a good feeling about the school and my chances there."
"The only available date for Texas Tech required me to go out to El Paso, which is currently a branch campus where 3rd/4th year students do their rotations. As the director of admissions (which one of the other El Paso interviewees described as "Mr. Red") stated, "I know Tech may not be your top choice." And now I know why it isn't. I was hoping, just HOPING to be pleasantly surprised in some form, but not even lunchtime could prevent me from wanting to make a run for the border by then. The other review about El Paso pretty accurately sums up our day...read it if you want to know more. I just wanted to add that the attitude of the admissions staff was one of not even caring enough to try to sell the school to you, and most of the students blatantly admitted that they only went to Tech because they "couldn't get in anywhere else". We had a half-hour rant by some random doctor who interrupted the main speakers. The interviewers themselves were cool, I had El Paso's only child neurologist and an Internal medicine doctor. They seemed happy that I even came out all the way to El Paso. Two minutes into one of them, my interviewer just flat out said "Of course I'm going to rate you highly, now what can I tell you?" The other even tried to interest me in joining their faculty in a few years once El Paso is a full-fledged med school (funding is currently held up in the Legislature somewhere). -----------A few weeks later at my UT Southwestern interview, I saw a girl who had been at there that same day. As soon as I asked "weren't you at my Tech interview", her face contorted into this painful grimace and she went off about how depressing it was. Guess I wasn't alone on that one."
"THIS ACCOUNT IS ABOUT A TX TECH INTERVIEW in EL PASO WHICH IS NOT YET A FULL MEDICAL SCHOOL (2008). This interview experience was just awful and mostly accidental. The other days offered for Tech were filled up with other interviews, so I had to pick the interview day that was in El Paso instead of Lubbock. Usually a school will have administrators and an army of secretaries ready for your interview. Not this place. TWO bumbling guys run the show here and make the presentations about Texas Tech. One guy talked about the MD/MBA program and how good ol' Gov. Preston Smith, a Red Raider alumnus, felt like making a medical school out west at his alma mater. Applicants (good and bad alike) have been suffering ever since. After that, the guy in red (I forget who) said, “Well, since you will all have to stay in Lubbock for two years, I’ll show a video about Lubbock.†At which point he promptly RAN out of the room. Had I known better, I would have too. The video went on to describe the wonders of the South Plains of Texas. “I lahk Lubbock cuz there’s plehnty of parkin’,†gushed one satisfied customer. “It’s a great place to raise a family.†Sorry pal, not at that stage in life. “There’s no traffic out here.†Because Lubbock blows so hard Buddy Holly wrote the blues out there. “There’s a Stonehenge made out of Cadillacs here.†I tried to slit my wrist with a pen, but it wasn’t working. After that video, all of us interviewees started looking around wondering what we had got ourselves into. The bloke in red came back and said, “Lunch isn’t ready, so does anyone have a question.†Someone asked about the MBA thing, and Mr. Red had to pull out Good ol’ Boy out to answer the question cuz he didn’t know the MD/MBA program from a hole in the ground. Then a Mexican-American El Pasoan doctor named Palafox got up to talk (people out there really are different from the rest of Texas). He was wearing a string cowboy/Western tie and was my second interview. “I want to say something,†he says, shocking Mr. Red. “Ah have no idea what this man is about to say, but I’ll let him talk for fifteen minutes.†Palafox goes for thirty. He goes into this ill-defined harangue and diatribe about how much medicine blows and how poor it is out here on the border and how his wife kept him from getting a Corvette because she wanted a house for the kids (no lie.... I’m not that creative). It’s all about money; it sucks out here, and goddammit we doctors need to get up and be militant about the health problems here. Not that I disagree, but when he finished we were all about to kill ourselves. And then the lunch sucked for vegetarians. The interviews were really good. First up was a neonatologist who loved me and my essay. Mostly I bullshitted about my recent trip to Bolivia to volunteer in a hospital the month before (long story). Anyhow, I think the only non-specific question was how should improve health care to which I gave my Canadian “national health insurance†opinion. Which wasn’t a lie, and I actually know about it so don’t crib notes without knowing. Palafox gave me a little tour of the hospital and facilities, including the hole in the ground where the medical school is supposed to be when the good ol’ boys in Austin get around to sending the money over. I bullshat with him pretty well (Vishnu knows I can bullshit till the cows come home), and I went waaaay over time. Just talk about the Third World and how in El Paso it is across the street. I don’t think Palafox should be a problem for anyone since you can already know what he likes to talk about before you even get in there. The scariest thing was the fact that the hospital didn’t look that different from the one in Bolivia, with so many patients that people were in stretcher beds in the hallways. At the end, Good ol’ Boy said, "Well, maybe Texas Tech isn't your first choice...." Ain't that the damn truth. "
"Positive. Its essentially a community based medical center taking care of west Texas, and I think its a very good learning environment."
"This was my first medical school interview. Linda Prado, the lady who contacts interviewees, was very sweet. Everyone emphasized that they just wanted to get to know the students. My first interview, by Dr. Lampe, was very relaxed. He made notes from my application and was reassuring throughout the interview. My second interview, by Dr. Felton, was also amiable. She had a tendency to look a little displeased while I was answering her question, but would break out into a wide smile toward the end of each response. "
"Great, except Lubbock."
"Lubbock is a friendly city and tech seems a friendly school. I ranked them 5 out of 7 mainly b/c of preference for UT schools and b/c I didn't want to move to west texas. But it is a fairly good school - with a ton of longhorns. hook 'em...even if in lubbock. =)"
"Everything went swell...My no. 1 choice for the match."
"Friendly, but pointed. Know about the health care system and your ideas on how to make it better."
"Probably the worst interview experience I've had so far (5 others to compare with). Rather disorganized process overall. When one of the speakers started touting the joys of a drive-in movie theater, putt-putt golf courses, and a go-kart track, I started to worry. My first interview went very well with "tell me about yourself", an ethics question regarding abortion, and some questions regarding my medical experience (lots). The second interview went downhill when the interviewer (mistakenly) pegged me for a conservative and starting asking liberally biased questions about foreign policy and Bush's neo-conservatism. I love history and world politics, so the questions were pretty enjoyable to answer. I think that the program is good and housing is cheap, but I don't like the idea of uprooting a spouse, who would be established in the community to move to one of the other locations. I would attend, but it isn't my top choice."
"i'm not sure if the patient exposure would be as good as in the metropolitan areas; however, i was intrigued by the potential to provide care to border cities by moving to el paso after the 2nd year"
"My first interview was terrific. I engaged in a meaningful and stimulating conversation with an MD who seeked to learn more about me and attempt to assess my potental contributions to TTUHSC and to medicine. My second interview was a bit more of a interrogation where I sat defending my purpose and desire to practice medicine. "
"It was really easy going from the airport to the hotel to the med school to the airport. Our little group got to know each other well because there were only 2 flights out to the rest of Texas. That was great for me because it was my last interview and I had a chance to recap with everyone. My first interviewer really dug into my file and asked me good questions. He had googled me beforehand. My second interviewer was horrible. If the interview is open file, the interviewer should LOOK AT IT. Since they are thinking about opening up a new med school in El Paso, they might be switching third and fourth year kids over to Odessa. "
"About 40 students were being interviewed on this day. The interview questions were pretty standard, straightforward, and stress free with no questions about ethical issues or current events in medicine. There are 150 people on the admissions committee and you may be interviewed by an MD, PHD, or med student. My second interviewer did a good job of employing the Socratic method, asking a whole series of questions to reach a point. This seemed a bit tedious, but was fun at the same time. There was a lot of down time at the start of the day and in between interviews. This interview day fell in the middle of exams for the med students so they were pretty stressed out and (understandably?) not too enthusiastic about med school at the moment. The tour was very short and did not involve going outside, into the hospital, the library or any lab."
"IT WAS EXCELLENT."
"Unlike all of the other schools in Texas, Tech doesn't try to sell itself to you at all. Instead of providing a student panel or a presentation of the school's credentials, they talk about how Lubbock has no Foley's, no traffic, and cheap (very cheap) housing. In general, I think that I will find a way not to be miserable at any medical school, but Tech will still be my last choice. None of the students seemed especially enthusiastic about their school, and they're switching next year (fall 2005-spring 2005) to a more integrated curriculum. The interviews themselves were very easy and both interviewers just spent the time talking about how great my application was. Strange thing though - both made a huge deal about how I was born outside of the US. No other interview I have ever been to considers Asians to be a minority, but they treated me like one. But I wasn't expecting anything from Tech, so I wouldn't say that my impression changed any as a result of my interview day. One final piece of advice: do not feel obliged to go on the tour. They do not show you the hospital or anything else other than the new academic building and the anatomy lab. I thought it was in really bad form for them to pull a cadaver out of the tanks just to show us. Just seems strange after they talk about how they're "really good" about respecting the families who donated their loved ones to their cause."
"I had one weird interview. Barely ten minutes into the interview my interviewer says, "You'll have no problem getting in. You're in." That took me by total suprise and I wasn't quite sure what to do, being as it had only been ten minutes. So I asked questions... The other interviewer was also very nice and it would have gone on forever except my interviews ran back to back and I had to haul ass to get to the second one on time. I didn't do it, but perhaps if you get the chance...apply for MD/MBA for at least these two advantages alone: extra interview to enhance your application and you find out about acceptance before the match. Also, my general impression was that students there (though not all) didn't rank Tech high but rather just "ended up" there. "
"It was nice. The people were very kind, but overall it was a little boring."
"I was really impressed with this school. The interviews were very laid back. The friendliness of Lubbock is quite inviting. There is enough stuff to keep you busy in the town without having to worry about traffic or big city life. The students seem genuinely happy and have great relationships with each other. Tech needs to have more confidence in itself because this school seems like a diamond in the rough."
"This school would definitely be my last choice. The only reason I would go there would be if it were my only choice."
"First of all, Lubbock was great. From the moment we got off the plane, everybody was super nice and they had nothing to do with the school. Everyone in Lubbock seemed super spirited for their school which was neat. I was really impressed with Texas Tech HSC, too. Students are great and I don't think anybody would not be able to fit in with this group of totally normal students. We were told by the students that the faculty are totally concerned with how well they do. Dr. Dalley who teaches anatomy and serves on the admissions board holds "Dalley Reviews" almost everyday and will meet the students on the weekends and stay until 8 or 9 pm. "
"Very Low Stress in Lubbock. Spent the first hour just talking with some Really Friendy students, then a couple of staff briefings. Lunch at 11:30, 1st interview at 12:30, 2nd at 2:45. Campus tour, done by 4PM."
"overall, a great experience. the staff was super. students rave about dr larsen (student affairs) & the professors, how everyone places the student at the center of the school. i felt like they were seeking quality *people* & quality *future caregivers*, not just quality gpa's. school is perfectly in line w/ my humanistic vision of medicine. definitely stay w/ a student host, who can tell you all the ins & outs of the program/town."
"I was impressed. The students were all very nice, the 2 interviewers I had made me feel very comfortable. The students also mentioned that all of the other students are very helpful and the atmosphere is more friendly than competative."
"* Faculty/interviewers were great * The students giving the tour and representing the school were sloppy and not the type of person I would want as a colleague "
"I had a miserable time and ended up leaving the interview day early after going to the dean to report how miserable my interview experience was. I wish I had saved the money I spent applying to Tech. Thankfully I matched to a MUCH better school and don't ever have to worry about dealing with Tech again. "
"I was impressed with Tech. The interviewers and students were very friendly."
"I was very impressed with Tech. While it was probably the most difficult interview yet, I found the day very enjoyable. While I don't believe I will rank Tech first, it will be high on my list and I would not mind going there at all."
"depends on your interviewer.... first was stern and serious, the second was laid-back and joked with me.... overall, the questions were easy, very generic and i felt at ease"
"I am a reapplicant and applied to all of the schools in Texas. Overall the interview day is very relaxing, considering it is one of the most important days of a medical career. The morning starts off with all of the interviewees meeting in a lobby. Take this time to get the butterflies out of your stomach and meet some of the other interviewees and 1st/2nd years who stop by. Then we spent about an hour listening to the Dean and other speakers promote the school before eating lunch. All of the interviews are after lunch, and spaced out for walking/finding time. Just relax during interviews because you have already passed the "test". They are now looking for positive attributes and reasons to accept you- not reject you. The first part of both of my interviews consisted of prepared questions that the interviewer had for me. Then we spent about 10 minutes talking, giving them a chance to get to know me. Then the last part I was given a chance to ask questions, so have questions to ask or things you want to know. The tours of the med school and hospital were given at the end of the day- some people left at 3 PM because they didn't want to stay for the tour. The 3rd/4th year guides answered all of our questions and were not on the committee- no question is a bad question. "
"The interview was very un-stressful. I had 3 interviews, as all MD/MBA applicants, and all three interviewers were wonderful. The BEST part of my interview was that I got my acceptance letter only 3 days after the interview!!!"
"if you are really into working with border health issues and low-income communities, the opportunity to go to el paso sounds like an amazing experience for years 3 and 4. the downside is that you will have to move, but after being in lubbock for 2 years, you will probably want to move out anyway."
"fair"
"I was disappointed that I did not get to see the Lubbock campus. I heard very positive things about it, but seeing as though Lubbock is the only for sure location during your time at TTUHSC, I would have liked to see it. The interview day as a whole was very informative and positive, but we were given some misinformation by the admissions officers that really put a negative air on the day. (This was later cleared by email.) The interviewers were very nice."
"Overall, my interview experience was a good one. I felt really comfortable and had all my questions about the school answered. "
"My first interviewer was 15 min late and the interview only lasted 15 minutes. He was very friendly and mostly asked about my research and the remainder was just coversation. I spent 40 min w/ my second interviewer who seemed very interested in my healthcare experiences. We basically kept talking until the next person showed up. Last thing, the students there seem genuinely happy."
"Overall, I think it was a good interview experience. Good facilties, good location for rotations if you want to go into primary care. First interviewer asked me questions from my file. The second interviewer did not ask me any questions. We bascially talked about different things."
"The questions were pretty general and easy to field. My two interviewers were very affable. Tech seems like an excellent choice for applicants who want to practice primary care medicine in smaller communities (like myself)."
"overall the school seems good...but lubbock,el paso and amarillo are a drawback"
"Don't stress out! The interviewers want to really get to know you and why you want to be a doctor. So just be yourself! "
"I think that this is probably a good school and don't mind the location. I would've liked to learn more about the unique aspects of the program. "
"Overall, the interview was "ok". However, they seemed very disorganized. There were a lot of gaps in the schedule...a lot of waiting. The tour was pretty lame. Shouldn't potential doctors interview with clinical docs instead of couple of lab rats?"
"Lubbock is a town that I don't think I will like. If you picked up Texas Tech Medical School and moved it to Dallas then I would think it's the best medical school in the world."
"Texas Tech is a great school and is getting better. However, the regional campuses are a big drawback if you don't want to move. Despite the hassle of moving, Tech's clinical years seem to prepare their students well for residency."
"My interviews went way past the allotted time of 30 minutes. The conversations just flowed. Always have at least two questions to ask. The interviewers have a checklist that they use to compare one student from the next. After the interviews, all of the interviewers talk before the admissions committee and pitch each candidate. Texas Tech is a good school that emphasizes in clinical training. For the first two years of basic sciences you learn in Lubbock (the brand new lecture halls open next month). For your last two years, you can choose between Lubbock, Amarillo, and El Paso. They explained the split as a benefit because it allows you to have a smaller class size=more hands on experience. Lubbock isn't the most amazing city, but how much time will you actually have to play anyways???"
"Tech seems to be a nice school, similar in many ways to A&M. The class size will be 140 next year, which is quite a bit bigger than A&M, though. Lubbock is way out there in west Texas, but as a city it's not bad at all. They have the most traditional curriculum I have seen so far, meaning you will be in class most of the day should you choose to go. The interview day is long, and there are several breaks during which you can hang out and play pool or ping pong in the student center. Overall, it's becoming clear that every school is great as far as education, but there are some important differences such as location and perks that will ultimately spell the difference between spots three through six on my match list."
"Overall, it was a positive day and everyone was helpful and open. As mentioned, I was trying to keep an open mind about every school and location and I left with a positive impression despite it being in Lubbock and somewhat isolated. "
"Very lax. As long as you are confident with yourself and your credentials you'll be fine."
"The SOM was very superior in their viewpoints about their own program and constantly compared themselves to the UT system."
"Other than the fact that it's in Lubbock, I have nothing but positive things to say. I was surprised about the facilites, the students, and how the students were really happy to be out there. They all admitted it took them a little bit to get use to Lubbock, but they all said they adapted to life there pretty quickly."
"It was a fairly laid back interview. Some questions really threw me. The town is small but the facility is really nice."
"It was a good interview. The school has a lot of good points and the students were nice. I have nothing negative to really say about it. Lubbock is the kind of town that you go to to study and seems to have little distractions."
"Tech is definitely a school that is tops on my list. The interviews are laid back, but beware that there are some malignant and indifferent interviewers."
"after half a day there, this became my first choice! I really have nothing megative to say about the school or the people. the interviewers were great and weren't out to get you like some of the other schools."
"Great interviewers, laid back. Also we had a lot in common, I think they go out of their way to do that. They continously sold me on the city and how beautiful it was out there. Overall I got this great impression of non-competitiveness of their students and the laid back atmosphere in the school. If you want a no pressure medical school, this is it for you."
"Not very stressful compared to others. Make sure you talk to current students (not the representatives) - I will rank this place last/safety."
"Tech has offered the best lunch so far of the interviews, small point I know, but it was pretty good. I think most people came to eventually understand the advantage of having a multisite campus for the clinical years. Overall the day was very relaxed and informative. "
"The interviewers were honest and truley interested in my application. I felt they would be my advocate."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 118 |
| Faculty member | 5 |
| Admissions staff | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 67 |
| Neutral | 10 |
| Discouraging | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.69 | 87 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 77 |
| Out of state | 8 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 11 |
| 2-3 hours | 31 |
| 4-6 hours | 29 |
| 7+ hours | 11 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 54 |
| Automobile | 25 |
| Train or subway | 1 |
| Other | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 16 |
| $101-$200 | 18 |
| $201-$300 | 21 |
| $301-$400 | 8 |
| $401-$500 | 1 |
| $501+ | 6 |
Lubbock Preston Smith Airport
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport
Preston Smith International Airport
Lubbuck
IAH to Lubbock International Airport (tiny)
DFW to Lubbock international airport
Lubbock International Airport
Lubbock Airport
Lubbock International
There is only one
There's only one
Lubbock
ELP
lbb
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 15 |
| Friends or family | 13 |
| Hotel | 43 |
| Home | 1 |
| Other | 0 |
No
Yes
No
Yes
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.78 | 93 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.10 | 93 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.22 | 93 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.62 | 47 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.04 | 47 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.61 | 44 |
"None. They made an incredible first impression!"
"More communication, applicants get hung out to dry for months at a time."
"Everything went smoothly for my virtual interview, no complaints here"
"Have snacks and drinks in the waiting room during interviews"
"None."
"Merlin is a terrible online application site."
"AWESOME JOB. This school floated up from last place on my preferences!"
"None, I enjoyed every minute of the interview day..."
"No suggestions. Very well organized day. Things have changed quite a bit. Didn't have any negative experiences unlike other users of the past."
"We started at least 30 minutes late, and I spent a total of like 3 hours waiting throughout the day."
"Need a central area for interviewees to go back to during breaks (I guess they kind of used the Syne"
"I thought they were great!"
"They need to work on the online application process."
"Less down time during the interview day."
"Re-number the offices! There is no rhyme or reason to how the rooms are numbered. But the staff was"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?