Tulane University

just take a deep breath

nothing

very conversational

sdn interview feedback

Tulane is a very fun and laid back culture in a fun and laid back city, so make sure that shines through in your interview. They already know you have the academics and experience to succeed in med school, so rather than making it about seeming "impressive," try to instead seem kind/ sociable/ empathetic/ like a good team player who wishes well for others.

None of my interviewers read my file at all which was disappointing since I was hoping to talk about specifics with them. Instead, it was mostly just "tell me about yourself" over and over.

Students seem to love the school, very fun and laid back culture, Tulane has a ton of resources for people. Ex students said after big tests, Tulane will rent out a venue for all the students to hang out and celebrate together. Interview-wise, I LOVED the fake patient interaction. It was super laid back, and the "patient" wants you to succeed. They aren't trying to trick you, just putting you in the very real scenario of having to meet someone new and establish an empathetic rapport with them.

Re-read my primary and secondary applications. I put together a timeline of my activities since your applications look very random/ non-chronological which helped me remember details I forgot. I re-read any papers/ research things I was involved with in case someone wanted to go into more specifics, but that hasn't come up in any of my interviews so far. I think the BEST thing to do to prepare (besides reading SDN) is to look at articles on STAR events for interviewing and outlining 5-10 possible stories you could have on hand for a variety of questions like "tell me a time when you were a leader/ had to work in a team/ had a difficult conversation with someone/ faced a challenge/ had to overcome a failure/ etc." You think of a story from your life and sketch out the situation, task, action, and result and I swear this made me feel so much less stressed for my interview because I knew I would have a great, well-considered example of how I tackled a wide range of things when I had plenty of time to consider them in peace. For the fake patient, I can't say what it is about bc you sign an NDA, but it is not a medical thing they expect you to know about, so don't worry. I would highly recommend reading articles about motivational interviewing for physicians because those skills and tips will certainly come in handy.

I absolutely love this program and the school. I felt like I really resonated with their mission statement. Heads up, they are a very community-service oriented school!

prep more for the SP

the SP was confusing

the student panels, the students we're super excited to talk to us and share about the school.

sdn, made flashcards, mock interviews

So much of the interview day seemed to be getting a "vibe" of each applicant rather than trying to grill them or put them under pressure. I felt like the program really tries to avoid admitting gunners and wants to make sure you'd be pleasant to have around as a fellow student.

The interview day starts at breakneck speed getting through everything but eventually calms down and settles. I had one of the first interview dates though so this may have improved since.

The medical school facilities are somewhat spread out and ugly, but I don't think it would get in the way of learning. Our group was rushed through the 1-on-1 student interviews to meet a deadline yet we had plenty of "empty" time later.

The interviewers made me feel very comfortable and seemed to genuinely enjoy our conversation. Everyone seemed very cheerful and excited to talk about the program. The standardized patient encounter was actually pretty fun and I think it gives better information to admissions than an MMI would.

Read a book on med school interviews and made a mock interview from it to practice with my father. Wrote out quality questions to ask before the interview

Very laid back interview, I really enjoyed speaking with the students and faculty and had overall a good time!!

How laid back it would be!!!! Seriously do not stress. defs prepare but do not be worried that they will ask purposely difficult questions, they genuinely want to get to know you as a person.