Medical School Interviews: Expert Advice & Sample Questions

How To Prepare For a Medical School Interview

1. Research the Interview

Do you know anyone who has interviewed at the school? Perhaps you know a student currently in the program. If so, reach out to express your interest and seek his or her insight on the application process, interview experience, and the program itself.

If you don’t know anyone, do a quick internet search to see if there is any information on the interview structure available.

Here’s what you want to know:

• Is this an in-person or virtual interview?
• How many interviewers will be present?
• Have the interviewers already seen your application, or are they blind to your application when they meet you?
• Will the interview format be a traditional interview or Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)?

Consider contacting the coordinator to find out who will be interviewing you. Most schools won’t disclose this information, but it is worth asking — this can give you the opportunity to briefly research the interviewer’s medical career and interests. Your familiarity with your interviewer allows you to ask pertinent questions and generate interesting talking points.

The more insight you have into the structure of the interview day, the more tailored your preparation can be. And if you can’t find answers to all of those questions, don’t sweat it — there are still plenty of ways to get ready.

2. Learn About the Program

Gaining background information on program-specific details helps you ask your interviewers informed questions, improve your interview performance, and project your sincere interest.

Most information about a school can be easily found on their website. This is a simple way to locate interesting details, like information about their curriculum, teaching methods, student body, and more.

You should also strive to know about the school’s:

• Resident placements.
• Mission.
• Student initiatives.
• Facilities.
• Hospitals for clinical rotations.

Find out what key aspects form the school’s most prized assets or reputation. This will go a long way in showing the interviewer why the school is the perfect fit for you.

Prepare a series of thoughtful questions that cannot be answered by visiting the FAQ section of the institution’s website. Asking more meaningful questions will show your true interest in studying healthcare at their school.

3. Review Your Application

As with all interviews, your interviewer will go through the documents you presented during your medical school application and ask questions based on the information you made available. Not reviewing your application can present a major pitfall, since you likely submitted it months ago and your memory of the details may be hazy.

Go through your AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) application or other applications (TMDSAS or AACOMAS), especially the sections on:

• Shadowing.
• Research.
• Work and extracurricular activities.
• Your personal statement.

Your interviewers are most likely to ask questions about those topics. Factors like your GPA and MCAT are unlikely to be focuses of your interview day.

If you have any research experience as a pre-med student, be able to discuss the specifics, including how far the project has gone up to date. Remember to think about your research in multiple ways — what was the question you were trying to answer, what was the hypothesis, and what was the outcome? Try to explain your research in terms no more complicated than you’d use for a high-school student.

Even though many of the people your interview may be MDs or DOs, they do not all have a background in the niche topic your research is likely in, but do have a general scientific and medical understanding. If your experiences include clinical work, be sure to understand the disease process and treatment options.

4. Prepare To Be Questioned

Start preparing for the interview by reviewing common medical school interview questions. You will notice many questions are similar. Come up with concise answers that directly address the question at hand. Use real-world, personal examples to enhance your credibility and substantiate your claims.

The most common medical school interview question is “tell me about yourself.” This open-ended question allows the interviewer to hear what you think is important. You can begin at any point in your life as long as you are concise and modest.

Phrase your answers with the understanding that the program has your secondary application. They know your competencies. Most interviewees briefly cover important undergraduate and/or graduate work, and spend most of their answer time explaining why medicine is their passion.

Here are a few of the most frequently asked medical school interview questions:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why did you choose your undergraduate major?
• How have your work experiences, volunteer opportunities, and extracurriculars prepared you for a medical education and career?
• What are the most important qualities of a good doctor?
• Why do you want to be a doctor?
• What is your best quality/strength?
• What is your greatest weakness that may impact your future career as a physician?
• What do you do for fun?
• What would you do if you couldn’t be a doctor?
• How will you contribute to the diversity of this medical program and medicine at large?
• Describe an ethical dilemma you faced and how you handled the situation.

When using examples, implement the STAR method: Briefly describe the Situation or Task, the Action you took, and the Results you achieved.

Check out the example demonstrating the STAR method below.

Example Interview Question and Answer

Question: What is your biggest strength?

Answer: I think my biggest strength is resilience. Last year, I was asked to [insert task]. It was difficult because of [insert dilemma]. I approached it by [insert your tactic that demonstrates resilience]. With this approach, I was able to [insert how you accomplished task A]. I believe that this quality will help me to contribute to your program in a meaningful way by [insert why you would be valuable/add to their program].

You don’t need to write out a response, word for word, for each question. Prepare just a few bullet points to avoid sounding overly prepared or robotic.

For each practice question, come up with one example related to the field of medicine, and a second, more personal (non-academic) example. Try not to repeat your examples. This exercise will likely be harder and more time-intensive than anticipated — but well worth it. You will learn a lot about yourself and create a plethora of invaluable examples you can have at your fingertips throughout the interview season.

If you have multiple examples for any one question, choose the best example. Remember, it’s not about giving an example — anyone can do that — it’s about providing the best example, so do your best to identify it and be ready to share it on interview day.

Another common interview pitfall is not being prepared to answer questions concerning end-of-life matters. Your interviewer may ask you to share your views on medical ethics issues like euthanasia, abortion, or stem cell research. Know that interviewers will judge your ability to make an educated, coherent, and informed opinion, rather than judging your stance itself.

5. Practice, Practice, Practice!

Many students don’t think you need to do much to prepare for medical school interviews. Maybe they’ve had some job interviews or looked at common questions, so they feel ready. 

But the truth is, during the actual interview day, the stakes are high and you will be much more nervous. A good interview can push you closer to an acceptance, but a bad interview can cause an immediate rejection.

Don’t just practice common questions, but also practice having professional discussions and interactions with as many people as possible. You may feel comfortable practicing answering, “Why do you want to be a doctor?” with your parent, but will you feel as comfortable answering that with the chair of the cardiothoracic surgery department at a major hospital?

The point is, you don’t know who you will interview with. You might speak with someone who is the easiest person to talk to or the most intimidating person you have ever met.

The only way to do well is to practice with as many people and professionals as possible so you can be ready, no matter who walks into the room.

Remember, much communication is nonverbal. Even if your content is ideal, do not underestimate the power of your delivery. How you share your examples will likely be at least as important, if not more, than the actual words you use. Talk to a trusted advisor and ask for honest feedback on how your communication comes across.

While it’s important to make sure you practice, it’s also important not to sound too rehearsed. Anticipate some questions, then think in terms of themes you’ll talk about rather than memorizing specific sentences. Remembering a couple of keywords is much more efficient and safer than trying to memorize a speech.

6. Review Current Events in the Medical Field

In the world of medicine, research is everything and many discoveries can be made within a short period of time.

As a prospective medical student, you should be up-to-date with the current research and discoveries that pertain to the world of medicine. Reading medical journals and blogs or even talking to researchers and resident doctors you meet while working or volunteering are all great sources for current medical events.

Review publications such as the NYTimes for an understanding of health policy.

Sharing this information during your interview is a good way to impress your interviewer. They will take note of your ability to form personal opinions on relatively new information.

What To Do On Your Interview Day

Professionalism is an absolute must-have for prospective medical students. When meeting with students as a member of an admissions committee, I was most compelled by those who carried themselves with a high degree of professionalism and demonstrated themselves as someone I’d personally enjoy working with.

Here are a few tips to show professionalism and your best qualities on the day of your medical school interview.

1. Dress Appropriately

It is important to dress professionally for a medical school interview. Wearing a suit or business attire conveys a level of professionalism and respect for the interview process. It also shows that you are taking the opportunity seriously.

In terms of specific clothing items, it is generally best to wear a suit jacket or blazer with dress pants or a skirt. A collared shirt or blouse is also appropriate, and it’s important for the shirt to be clean and wrinkle-free. A tie is not required, but you can wear one if you’d like.

Pay attention to your appearance and make sure you are well-groomed. Make sure your hair is clean and styled, with minimal makeup and jewelry. Avoid clothing that may be perceived as immodest, overly casual, or polarizing in any way.

In general, aim to present yourself in a polished and professional manner.

Finally, it is important to be comfortable in your clothing choices, as this will allow you to focus on the interview itself rather than worrying about your appearance. It is also a good idea to dress in layers, as the temperature in the interview room may vary.

2. Show Your Personality

Don’t let the interview setting detract from your personality. For example, if you are a funny person, feel free to insert some humor (in good taste) as you address the interview questions.

After all, you’ve made it to the interview — your application already demonstrates that you possess the skills to succeed in that particular program. Much of the interview is actually about finding a good personality fit. Do not underestimate the power of your personality.

Smile, relax, make eye contact, and enjoy your moment.

3. Be Friendly Towards Everyone

Take the opportunity to befriend fellow applicants; it will make the day more fun and less stressful. You may end up making a lifelong friend, whether you end up in the same medical program or not.

Another substantial part of the interview process is interacting with current medical students. Keep in mind what you can gain from these interactions. If a school incorporates a current medical student interview, you should feel lucky!

Sometimes, this interview is in a formal one-on-one setting. In other cases, it’s more casual, over lunch or a campus tour.

Be on your best interview behavior with the medical student interviewer like in the rest of your interviews, but don’t be afraid to ask questions that matter to you. Many students will be accepted to multiple schools. At the end of a long interview season, it will be hard to remember the pros and cons of each institution, so make use of any time with current medical students.

Insights To Gather During Your Time With Current Medical Students:

What do they have to say about the professors and physicians who teach them? Of course, they may feel like a specific test was more difficult than anticipated or that a professor covered too much information in one hour. Every medical student feels this way at some point.

But are the instructors reliable? Do they respond to emails and genuinely care about the medical education of the students? Are they responsive to students’ concerns?

Are there enough volunteer and research opportunities? Medical school is not only about studying. During your first two years, in particular, you’ll want to participate in other meaningful activities during study breaks.

Maybe you want to volunteer at a health clinic or help teach science classes to grade school students. Perhaps you are interested in research and want to get involved right away. Does it sound difficult for the students to get involved at that institution?

How do the students feel about their grading system? Every school is different. Some put the students in competitive positions against each other, and some don’t rank the students at all. Some people thrive off of competition, and others are turned off by it. Think about what would be a better fit for you. Know what you are looking for and get an idea of how the current students feel about it.

Is there a community atmosphere? This is something you need to gauge yourself. Watch the students interact with each other. Even though they may be in a competitive situation, do they have advice for each other? Do they seem comfortable together? Do they talk about weekend plans and ways to take a break from studying together?

Medical school is stressful and having a sense of community at the school is important. Try to picture yourself with the current students. Would you fit in?

After the Interview: Send a Thank You Letter