Rochester, MN
Applicant sentiment — from 150 anonymous posts, 2016–2027
4.2 / 10
What anonymous posters said
Anonymous posters frequently described the Rochester location as isolating or undervalued due to weather and setting, even as they praised faculty research support and resources. Several commenters reported frustration with repeated survey emails and extended waitlist status often called "Mayo limbo," while opinions on the program's overall prestige ranking were mixed.
AI-generated summary of opinions expressed in anonymous, unverified posts. It describes what posters wrote, not verified facts about this program. Based on these 150 posts · Updated Aug 2026 · Contest or respond to this entry · Takedown & right of reply
❌1. You have to be one of Mangolds fellows to match here. It is a waste of 1 of 28 applications otherwise. The match history of the last however many years speaks for itself, but a current attending at Mayo AZ said to me (slight paraphrasing) “you just have to do what he says for a year and they’ll take you.”
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Anyone have any luck with the Mayo Rochester waitlist? I'm trying to organize travel for January, and the Mayo date is the only uncertainty that I have
I'm certain that people have cancelled the 1/14 date because of overlaps, but I'm surprised that there's been no sign of waitlist movement
any insights on Mayo vs Michigan? both in very cold places so location is kinda equal in my eyes
I've heard that you get your own secretary at Mayo and very little scut. Don't know if true
Rochester MN is about 10-15F colder than Ann Arbor
Have also heard the rumor that Mayo gives more support staff. Rochester is more boring and colder than Ann Arbor with the qualifier that both are cold. Ann Arbor has stuff around it but Rochester is really isolated.
Re-reading the Freida expanded selection, I'm surprised by how many people that the programs interview. For instance, last year, Northwestern interviewed 73 applicants for 3-4 spots. I wish more schools provided this sort of data. 73 may also includes their med/derm spots for a total of 5 spots (1 spot for med/derm).
Oops, it was 73, not 63 (fixed). And its expanded listing specify 4 positions per year, so I have a feeling that it's only for the derm spots. What's the point of interviewing so many people -_-
how do we access this information?? x2
Other interesting facts: accoriding to program information, UTSW interviewed 65 for 9-11 spots, Mayo Rochester interviewed 55 for 8 spots...
<Northwestern may have been really high last year b/c they had A TON (I think 12?) of internal applicants (not including rotators - though rotators don't all get intervews).
I'm also surprised that their step i is slig lu below average for the general population of derm applicants.
look at other programs on there. They all have crazy low step scores reported. No way is the average for NW less than 250. I think programs lie.
<- as a reference, there were about 24-26 interviewees at the nu internal day (home students, away rotators, re applicants, and research fellows)
which top 5 program is the best for those interested in mohs ?
Programs with fellowship spots <just go to Mayo and stop caring bout Top 5 lol x3
<I was told NOT to express your interest in mohs as they will think you are just interested in money .. always say you want general derm (or peds) even if its a complete lie
Do Mohs surgeons actually make that much more? <um, YES!
But that's if you do 100% Mohs, which is super rare. You need such a large network of general derm practices to feed your Mohs practice that there are not enough cases to go around
Anyone have Mayo on 1/14 that would like to trade and receive 1/24? Reached out to a few of the interview swap emails but haven't gotten a response
I can do this switch with you. Text me at 716-531-1270
Do Mayo (Rochester) residents wear scrubs?
i thought mayo was all suit, all the time
Scrubs on surgery and inpatient consults. Otherwise you wear a suit
Jeesh, has anyone successfully gotten off of an official waitlist (I'm not talking about non-responses). I had two, and one is done interviewing, so I don't know how I likely the other waitlist will be.
How about Mayo Rochester?
<yes x2 <yes off Mayo Rochester waitlist or just in general?
Can anyone comment on UTSW vs Mayo vs Northwestern? Want to drop one of these interviews for sanity's sake but not sure which. From one of the coasts, don't care about location or weather, just about the program . <All are great, as someone who has gone to top 5 college and medschool, I feel program does not matter when they are this comparable. You will be successful at all of them, so follow your gut (sry I know this is the most annoying/vague advice lol).
Mayo Clinic in Rochester?
yes. They seem like they are of comparable rank. NW is in the top 10. Definitely can't compare NW with Rochester or UTSW. < You can't go wrong with any of these. I feel like you're splitting hairs with regard to quality of training and should be basing your decision off of location. x2
UTSW is known to be INTENSE you will be HIGHLY trained. Northwestern AMAZING Pediatric dermatology exposure & Mohs. Mayo = Great COMPLEX med derm and research support (you get dedicated research assistants etc.) Depends on your career goals. ALL will prepare you for Academic Medicine. If you want to do Mohs I would say UTSW>NW>Mayo If you want PEDS NW>Mayo>UTSW
Go to Northwestern. You'll be glad you did.
False completely. If mohs, go to Mayo, they have 3 internal spots, and in recent recent years, they have matched 5-6 residents yearly to mohs. However, they are not well known to churning out academic derm (last 3 years, no one is going to academic). They really care about fits more than score, medical school reputation and research
<even with name, they have TREMENDOUS difficulty attracting actual top tier applicants, Rochester is just... you know
Does Cleveland Clinic pay for a hotel? I could’ve sworn I heard that they did but the email didn’t say so.
No, they attached a sheet with hotel rates too
Which Derm programs offer free hotel? Henry Ford, Mayo-Rochester, Mayo-AZ... others? Penn State, I'm there this week.
Nice
Geisinger pays fo hotel as well
Mayo-Jacksonville too
Southern Illinois university as well
Anyone else waiting for that "3" UNC trickle? I'm waitlisted for UNC, but it's so late at this point, right? <Said up to a week prior to their interview day (Dec 6th), so I would assume not. That's so last minute, and most of the people have solidified their interview schedules during that time.
I'm waiting for the Mayo Rochester trickle post-Thanksgiving because (1) lots of people won't be able to make it during the days with lot of overlap and (2) the applicants are required to submit their interview dates by today
ehh year after year they recruit 3 off the waitlist. Trust the process haha! No biggie just venting
Hey people with interview to Mayo Rochester, what are the dates of the interview? I'm one of the waitlistees trying to plan ahead and there's no information in the email, online, this spreadsheet, or in the Interview Invites section. Your help would be very much appreciated!
< dates are on the Calendar tab, Jan 13, 14, 21, 24
Thanks, stranger!
< I don't know the interview dates myself as I was rejected, but the PC seems like a nice, chill person. I think if you called or emailed her tomorrow she'd be happy to tell you. If you got waitlisted it means they like you and they want you there.
Thanks for the advice, but I fear that this might seem like counting chicks before they hatch.
Can someone clarify what "mostly behavioral" interviews means on the interview impressions tab. Like, does that mean each room or interviewer asks a behavioral question, or is it spitfire all behavioral questions? Im looking at the Uchicago and Mayo ones for references
"Ayy P, they want me to tell 'em what animal I would be if I could be one." x2<<who is P, am i reading this wrong lol
it's a meme about Carmelo Anthony (NBA player, former superstar now old and washed).
<I also think people aren't going to give you a ton of details that they themselves didn't have the benefit of having when going into interviews for spots we are all competing for <yep<<i mean its not like im asking for the exact interview questions, im just more curious to hear about overall interview styles. rapid spitfire behavioral is much more different than just one behavioral question in each room.
same issue
in my experience last year, it was usually just 1 or 2 random behavioral question <thank you!! :)
< IDK for these specific programs, but I have heard of both happening,so just be ready for anything
why are the 1/8 and 1/15 interview dates so popular? SO many schools with conflicting dates on those days that i would have LOVED to go to but was forced to choose :( there has to be a better system for this
the system is trickle, gimme dem invites! but seriously i dont know why schools do this, i guess its their way of filtering out even more candidates...<<i guess but then they miss out on some really great applicants that might have gone there. for example, i literally couldnt choose between two schools on those dates, so i just went with the more convenient flight option. Not because i liked one school more than the other....who knows if i would have been a better fit for the other school
man i feel for you, im not saying its right or anything.
I feel for UConn and Maryland internals/rotators. Only given 1 date << can you imagine if you rotated at both, and then had to pick between invites at JHU, UCSF, Northwestern, UC-Davis, UMiami, Mayo-AZ?<<that was me, i had to pick between ucsf, northwestern, mayo AZ, Davis, and hopkins <goals x3
i would love to have those problems
I hate the overlap especially since I have had to pick even though I only have 5 invites. However, with people going to 15+ or 20+ interviews, I'm glad they do this to force a little trickle. << problem is for some of us we already got rejected from these programs, so even if the spots are now open...it won't be to us :(
As someone with far more rejections than invites, we have to accept that those were not for us.
Just received Hopkins invite (245PM EST)! X4 Seems like a second round is going out now?<yes! x1<<in their letter they mention to let them know if there's a big issue with the dates because of other interviews. I do have an issue, but Im kind of scared to say so. Is anyone thinking about letting them know about date conflicts and seeing if they would be amenable to interviewing another day? <Yes I would absolutely say so. It is not fair to other applicants if you dont.
But they must know their dates conflict with other big research centers since they are suggesting we look at the calendar...<mayo arizona, UCSF, and hopkins all have same dates :'[[[[
but it sounds like they're willing to work around it?<thats what i was trying to gather...are they though?
they are not....they won't allow us to interview on another day :(
< AH!!! Congrats!! Are you an internal or rotator by chance?? Holding onto hope over here!!!<<yes, internal/rotator
AYYY congrats friend!! <external, no connection here<also internal/rotator here with invite : )
I think first batch was external and second batch was internal/rotators!?!
Congrats!!!!!! (as I refresh my email nonstop) x3
fml
is it over now..?
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Have not heard of any movement yet :(