This is part 3 of our 5-part series on medical school interviews. The goal of these interviews is to give medical schools a holistic sense of who you are by rounding out the quantitative and written elements of your application—including your GPA, MCAT scores, essays, and recommendations —with a more personal sense of your potential to succeed in medical school and as a physician.
This series covers the four types of interviews and assessments for medical school: the Acuity Insights and AAMC PREview assessments, as well as traditional and MMI interviews. For information on the other posts in this series, see our overview post here.
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Overview of Med School Interviews
In our previous posts on medical school interviews, we’ve detailed the process of taking the Acuity Insights and AAMC PREview™ assessments, which—if the programs you’re applying to require them—are taken and submitted along with your application materials. Traditional interviews (in both individual and panel format) are different in a few ways. First, they are held in real time, either in person or online—unlike the Acuity Insights and AAMC tests, which are completed asynchronously and virtually. Second, while all applicants take the Acuity Insights or PREview test if the school requires it, only a small fraction of applicants to a given school are invited to participate in traditional interviews. Finally, while Acuity Insights and PREview scores are submitted along with your application materials, traditional interviews take place after schools have reviewed your application materials and selected you as part of a small group of highly promising candidates.
Medical schools vary in whether they require Acuity Insights, AAMC, a traditional interview, and/or multiple mini interviews (MMI), which we’ll detail in a subsequent post. Some schools require you to first submit either an Acuity Insights or AAMC score before potentially inviting you for a traditional interview or an MMI. Other schools don’t use Acuity Insights or AAMC at all and only invite select candidates for on-campus interviews. Still other schools rely solely on Acuity Insights or AAMC assessments and have abandoned conducting interviews later in the application process. So make sure to check the websites of the programs you’re applying to and keep careful track of their requirements. In a subsequent post, we’ll detail the interview requirements of a handful of programs as examples.
Here, we’ll detail the process of traditional interviews, which can take place one-on-one or with a panel of interviewers.
Structure
The format of traditional interviews varies: you might speak one-on-one with one person or have two or more back-to-back, one-on-one interviews. Other schools offer panel interviews, in which your interview is conducted by a group of interviewers, rather than a single interviewer. Potential interviewers include admissions committee members, med school faculty members, doctors, nurses and/or med students. Some interviews are still conducted in person on campus, but most are now conducted virtually.
Timing
You’ll most likely receive interview invitations between September and January after you’ve submitted your application. However, since invitations are sent out on a rolling basis, it’s possible you could receive some as early as July or as late as March.
Respond to your interview invite as quickly as possible and aim to secure an early slot. This will show you’re interested, responsive, and dependable; ensure that you get an interview time that works for you; and enable you to take advantage of the rolling nature of med school admissions. The interview process usually concludes by late spring. Some schools will let you know shortly after your interview whether you’ve been accepted, while others wait for a specific date to notify all the interviewees of their decisions.
Content
In the interview, you may be asked to provide more context and details related to the information you’ve discussed in your primary application and secondary essays. In addition, the admissions committee seeks to gain a sense of who you are beyond what your application conveys. Are you easy to be around—the kind of person who will not only be genial toward classmates and professors, but also toward patients and fellow doctors in the future? Are you professional—do you dress well, speak well, and comport yourself with confidence? Do you value patients as much as your application claims you do?
Remember that if you’ve made it to a school’s interview stage, your application materials have already impressed the admissions committee. As Sunny Nakae, Senior Associate Dean at California University of Science and Medicine, wrote in a post on the AAMC’s website, “Remember that you were selected ‘as is.’ If you fear that you have some fatal flaw or deficit in your application, there is nothing you can do about it now and nothing in the interview that will make up for it. So relax and be the best version of your genuine self on interview day.”
Our Tips
Review your application. Go over your application materials repeatedly and in detail before your interview so that they’re fresh in your mind and your answers are consistent with what you’ve written. Some interviewers will ask follow-up questions about content you’ve included on your application; other medical schools have “blind” interviews, in which interviewers have not seen your application. Make sure you know the nature of your interviews beforehand and prepare accordingly.
Practice. Familiarize yourself with common interview questions, and practice interviewing! Make sure you are speaking clearly—without many “likes” or “ums”—and give specific examples to substantiate your points. Working with Collegiate Gateway or another medical school consulting service that conducts mock interviews will give you an ideal forum in which to refine your interview skills.
Be prepared to discuss relevant topics, such as bioethics, current events, and healthcare policy issues. You can also look up common interview questions and practice saying the answers out loud to yourself and/or to a trusted friend. Common questions include “Why do you want to become a doctor?,” “What is the biggest challenge you have overcome and what did you learn from the experience?,” and “What experience have you had with diverse populations?”
Research the med school. Make sure you are familiar with the unique features of the med school, such as curriculum, electives, clinical rotations, and community outreach. Come prepared with questions to ask your interviewer about the school when you’re invited to do so. This will demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and your genuine interest in their school.
Pay attention to your nonverbal behavior. As you practice, focus as much on the way you’re speaking as on the content itself. Rehearse good eye contact, open body language, and a professional tone (warm, but not too casual).
Behavior on interview day. On interview day, arrive on time (if not early), dressed in a professional outfit. Be cordial and gracious to all the people you meet. Be an active participant in your interview. Demonstrate your listening skills, responsiveness, and knowledge.
Evaluate the med school. Don’t forget that interviews are also your chance to determine if a school is right for you. “Keep in mind that you are also interviewing the school,” Nakae writes. “The exploration of fit is a two-way street. What are you looking for in a medical education? Does this school fit all or most of your specifications? These personal evaluations can help you make a decision down the road.” Hopefully it takes some pressure off you to remember that schools don’t have all the power—you have power, too!
After your interview. Take notes immediately after the interview with specifics about the various events of the interview day. Send a thank-you note after your interview that expresses gratitude for the opportunity; include a few specific mentions of highlights of the interview day and features of the med school that align with your individual values, experiences, and/or goals.
Applying to medical school is a complicated process, and interviews are no exception. We encourage you to read through the rest of our blog posts on med school interviews. Feel free to contact Collegiate Gateway if you would like guidance on any aspect of the med school application and admissions process. As always, we’re happy to help!
