Your medical school interview will be the most influential component of your application. It is your chance to showcase your personality, drive, and commitment to a medical career as well as those characteristics that will benefit your medical school class and future patients.
Scheduling the Interview
Most medical schools have rolling admissions so we recommend scheduling your interview as early as possible in the interview season, which runs from the fall to the spring. Before solidifying your travel plans, you should also contact nearby schools to which you’ve applied and let them know you have an interview in the area in case they have availability. This serves the dual purpose of letting the other school know that you are “in demand,” while also showcasing your strong interest in their program.
What are the Interviewers Looking for?
Most medical schools will offer prospective students one or two 30-minute interviews with faculty members or students. The interviewers are looking to assess your interpersonal traits, commitment to and aptitude for medicine, potential contributions to the school/community, and to discuss and resolve any red flags in your academic and/or professional record. They will also want to ensure that your interview is consistent with your application.
Interview Types
The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)
The MMI is growing in popularity within the United States and consists of multiple “stations” through which each applicant rotates. At each station, you are given a scenario, asked to role-play, or asked to do a team exercise. You are provided a couple of minutes to read each exercise and prepare, then you must have a discussion with the interviewers and/or perform the team task.
The scenarios are designed to evaluate your ability to critically assess a situation under pressure by presenting a dilemma to which you must respond. Be sure to carefully consider the various sides of the issue and address them all. Role playing exercises specifically evaluate your communication skills, while team tasks assess your leadership and collaboration potential. Some stations may be clinically based while others are not.
The Traditional One-on-One Interview
This interview type is the most common and focuses on behavioral-style interview questions such as:
The Group Interview
This situation involves several interviewers and interviewees. The objective is to see how you interact with and respond to others. Be sure to listen attentively to everyone’s answers and showcase your ability to be a team player.
The Panel Interview
Typically, the panel includes multiple interviewers with just one interviewee. Their questions will likely be a mix of MMI-style and behavioral-style.
Read the full blog post for details on what interviewers are looking for and Apply Point’s tips for success.
Scheduling the Interview
Most medical schools have rolling admissions so we recommend scheduling your interview as early as possible in the interview season, which runs from the fall to the spring. Before solidifying your travel plans, you should also contact nearby schools to which you’ve applied and let them know you have an interview in the area in case they have availability. This serves the dual purpose of letting the other school know that you are “in demand,” while also showcasing your strong interest in their program.
What are the Interviewers Looking for?
Most medical schools will offer prospective students one or two 30-minute interviews with faculty members or students. The interviewers are looking to assess your interpersonal traits, commitment to and aptitude for medicine, potential contributions to the school/community, and to discuss and resolve any red flags in your academic and/or professional record. They will also want to ensure that your interview is consistent with your application.
Interview Types
The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)
The MMI is growing in popularity within the United States and consists of multiple “stations” through which each applicant rotates. At each station, you are given a scenario, asked to role-play, or asked to do a team exercise. You are provided a couple of minutes to read each exercise and prepare, then you must have a discussion with the interviewers and/or perform the team task.
The scenarios are designed to evaluate your ability to critically assess a situation under pressure by presenting a dilemma to which you must respond. Be sure to carefully consider the various sides of the issue and address them all. Role playing exercises specifically evaluate your communication skills, while team tasks assess your leadership and collaboration potential. Some stations may be clinically based while others are not.
The Traditional One-on-One Interview
This interview type is the most common and focuses on behavioral-style interview questions such as:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why School X?
- Talk to me about a time that you challenged the group consensus.
- What has been your most meaningful clinical experience to date? Why?
- What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- Tell me about your biggest failure.
The Group Interview
This situation involves several interviewers and interviewees. The objective is to see how you interact with and respond to others. Be sure to listen attentively to everyone’s answers and showcase your ability to be a team player.
The Panel Interview
Typically, the panel includes multiple interviewers with just one interviewee. Their questions will likely be a mix of MMI-style and behavioral-style.
Read the full blog post for details on what interviewers are looking for and Apply Point’s tips for success.
