Begin preparing for your interview by thinking through your most meaningful experiences that will help demonstrate your skills and abilities in the areas of critical and creative thinking, problem solving, leadership, teamwork, and empathy, as well as those that reinforced your commitment to the study of medicine. As with your personal statement and secondary essays, you’ll want to show the reader your strengths and potential through specific examples, rather than limiting your content to claims.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of common interview questions, by type, to help you with your preparation.
Know yourself. This interview is about giving the admissions committee a view into who you are. They will be looking for you to demonstrate confidence and fortitude, but also authenticity, humility, and the ability to overcome adversity.
Tell me about yourself. You’ll want to prepare an elevator pitch (three minutes) that provides an overview of your background and interest in medical school. What were the three most meaningful experiences that reinforced your commitment to the study of medicine? Why? Are there specific experiences that prompted an evolution in your perspective so notable you want to include them here too? What led you to make certain academic and professional decisions?
Why Medicine? Your response to this question should demonstrate your understanding of and interest in a career as a physician (rather than as a nurse or physician’s assistant, for example). In other words, it should be more specific than wanting to help people, or having an interest in patient care. You’ll want to highlight key experiences in the areas of critical thinking, problem solving, research, or leadership in a clinical environment. Prepare also for related questions such as: Is there anything that makes you hesitate about going into medicine? What challenges do you expect to face in medical school and later in practice?
What has been your most meaningful research experience to date? Why? Prepare to speak confidently on any of the experiences you have listed in your application materials, particularly those in the clinical or research category. What did the experience teach you about yourself? How did it challenge you? How did the experience reinforce your interest in pursuing medical school? How did it change or reinforce your views of patient care?
Would you change anything about your undergraduate education? Why?
If there is a red flag pertaining to your undergraduate education (for example, a semester with a low GPA or a transfer between schools), this may present a good opportunity to address it. Without making excuses, emphasize what you learned from the experience and/or point to other areas of your academic record that are much more indicative of your ability to compete in a rigorous academic environment.
If you do not have a red flag to address, you may want to talk about that missed opportunity to study abroad or take a class in medical ethics. Did an early disappointment ultimately inspire you to take part in a clinical role abroad after you graduated? Be sure to link your chosen topic to qualities related to your medical school candidacy.
Understand your fit with the school. You must prove to your interviewer that you know about their program and are confident you would be a great fit.
Why [specific school]? Look at the mission of the school, student organizations, courses, faculty, key areas of research, and come to the interview prepared to explain how you would engage with their offerings. Beyond this, keep in mind that medical schools are integrated in their local communities, so consider your fit here too. Do you have experience, for example, working in a rural (or urban) hospital? Did it impact your decision to apply to this program? Why?
Share stories. Use stories from your life to show your interviewer who you are, how you’ve grown, and what you will bring to the incoming class. Spend some time brainstorming and reviewing anecdotes that can be tailored to different behavioral questions and demonstrate the qualities medical school admissions committees are looking for.
Tell me about a time when you challenged the group consensus? For a situation-based question, use the SAR (Situation, Action, Response) model. Spend about 20 percent of your response on the situation, and the remaining 80 percent on the actions you took and what resulted/what you learned. The SAR model applies to a question like: What is your greatest weakness? You will want to spend 20 percent of your response on the weakness, and 80 percent discussing the actions you took/are taking to improve and what the results have been/what you’ve learned since beginning your improvement plan.
What is your greatest strength? How would you sum up your leadership style? For questions where a simple claim would seem to suffice for a response, always take it a step further. Make a claim, THEN back it up with a specific example to illustrate that claim in action—in a group project, clinical experience, or research role.
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