When it comes to your medical school interview, preparation is the best antidote to anxiety. But there are better ways to prepare than just churning through sample questions. Over the next week, we will walk you through everything you need to know to prepare for the traditional medical school interview. Check back daily as we discuss the question types you can expect and provide response structures and practice questions.
The First Response: The Three-Minute Elevator Pitch
The first question your interviewer asks will likely be something general that invites the widest-ranging answer. This question comes in many forms. It could be as short and blunt as: Tell me about yourself. It could be: Walk me through your resume. It could be: Can you talk to me about anything you believe will enhance your candidacy for admission? We had a client who told us her first interview question was: “So…?"
These opening questions require a three-minute answer. Think of it as an elevator pitch response. Naturally, you want to reiterate your commitment to studying medicine. It is okay to stay in a linear timeline: I did X and transitioned to Y. What's important is explaining the motivation behind your decisions. You can also share who you are via your three most impactful experiences. Practice some possible responses to ensure you're not going wildly under or over the three-minute mark. Don't try to memorize anything word-for-word as this will lead to fumbling with your words or coming off as wooden. But have an outline in mind—some milestones you know you want to pass.
Some sub-questions you might answer to build your "Tell me about yourself"-answer are:
What was your path to wanting to study medicine?
How did your undergrad experience prepare you for medical school?
Do you know what specialty you'd like to study? Why?
Do you want to take this opportunity to expand on any meaningful clinical or research experiences and how they've impacted you?
What fun fact about you could you close on?
Admissions committees like it when applicants include personality in their answers, especially when answering this question. Revealing something fun about yourself encourages a connection between you and the interviewer.