Interviews
After reviewing written applications, medical schools invite select candidates to interview. Interviews are a wonderful opportunity to bring your application to life, share your updates and accomplishments, and contextualize any extenuating circumstances, as well as to demonstrate your professionalism and strong communication skills.
This stage of the application process is also a great opportunity for you to decide which schools are the best fit for you.
A successful interview requires research and preparation. Medical schools will look for applicants to answer:
How do the mission, vision, values, and goals of the school align with yours?
How does this specific school support your career goals (population served, culture, priorities/initiatives)?
How have your past experiences and activities prepared you for medical school?
For general interviewing tips in addition to answering behavioral questions, please visit the Career Advancement Interviewing Guide.
Format
The interview format can vary from school to school, but it is common to undergo a full day of interviews and meetings, including an orientation, lunch, campus tour, and exit survey. Interviews are often conducted by admissions staff, faculty, current students, community members, and alumni.
Medicals schools typically employ one of two interview styles:
Traditional Interviews: Applicants are interviewed one-on-one by a faculty member, admissions staff member, and/or current medical student. Interviews last 30 minutes to an hour and cover the applicant’s experiences and motivations for pursuing medicine.
MMI Interviews: Applicants move through a series of timed interview stations. Each station presents a unique question, often a clinical scenario, ethical situation, or even simulated patient encounter.
CASS Resources
Interviewing Workshop: Participants learn about the types of interview styles used by medical schools and what good answers to common medical school interview questions look like.
Mock Traditional Interviews and Mock MMI Interviews are offered by the CIH team each August through April.