Explore some of the most common medical school interview questions and our expert responses so you can start brainstorming your own answers. We use the same questions to help our students in our medical school interview prep and MMI prep programs. I have seen these types of questions appear during panel/traditional type interviews, modified personal interviews (MPI) and even multiple mini interviews (MMI). In today’s blog post, l will provide you with some clear guidance on how to approach these questions in a personal way based on my experience as a former medical school admissions interviewer.
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Article Contents 1 min readThis question helps interviewers understand your background and motivations, providing a segue into more detailed questions about your experiences and qualifications.
Stuck on “ tell me about yourself ” in a med school interview?
Medical School Interview Question #2: Tell Me About a Time You Did Not Get Along with a Superior.
In addition to learning about your unparalleled skills in your medical school recommendation letter, admissions committees love to hear genuine and thoughtful replies during your interview. Interviewers want to assess your ability to handle conflicts professionally and learn from those experiences. This question reveals your conflict resolution skills, maturity, and ability to reflect on and grow from difficult situations.
Check out some of the HARDEST medical school interview questions you must prepare for!
Medical School Interview Question #3: What Do You Think Makes a Good Team?
Any medical school curriculum will involve a great deal of teamwork and collaboration in a clinical environment. You will have to rely on others, and they will have to rely on you. This is also true for when you become a residency student, a resident doctor and an independent practician. Cooperating well with other professionals like nurses, physician assistants, and secretaries enables delivery of high-quality health services. Good cooperation also coincides with proper use of resources relative to patient needs.
Medical School Interview Question #4: What is the Most Unpopular Position You Have Taken? Have You Changed Your Opinion Since Then?
This question assesses your ability to critically evaluate your beliefs and adapt your perspectives based on new information. It also reveals your open-mindedness and willingness to learn.
One of our med school students, Sarah, found that expressing an unconventional opinion can unfortunately sometimes have negative consequences during the interview. Fortunately, Sarah was able to reapply to medical school, brush up on her interviewing skills and received 2 acceptances.
Interviewers want to see if you can recognize and learn from your mistakes. This question tests your self-awareness, maturity, and ability to grow from past experiences, so it’s important you take the time to craft a mature and genuine answer. This is why medical school interview preparation is vital, and also why medical schools value situational judgement tests like CASPer and AAMC Preview.
Dr. Monica Taneja, a graduate from the University of Maryland medical school and one of our admissions experts, emphasizes the importance of spinning a negative into a positive.
Remember to choose an example that isn’t too critical. Dr. Jaime Cazes, MD, says:
Medical schools seek applicants who can demonstrate empathy and compassion, essential traits for effective patient care and professional interactions.
Practice for your interview with our mock MMI simulation!
Medical School Interview Question #7: What Was Your Favorite Extracurricular?
Similar to the AMCAS Work and Activities section, and AMCAS most meaningful experiences, interviewers want to learn about your interests outside of academics and how these experiences have prepared you for a career in medicine.
This question aims to understand your academic interests and how your undergraduate studies have prepared you for medical school.
Medical School Interview Question #9: What Should Be Done About the Shortage of Medical Specialists and Adequate Resources in Rural Settings?
Interviewers want to assess your understanding of healthcare disparities and your ability to propose practical solutions, whether as a traditional interview format or MMI policy question. This question also reveals your awareness of current challenges in the medical field.
Essentially, knowing what’s happening in the medical field is your best preparation for this question. Our med school admissions expert, Dr. Monica Taneja, MD, says:
Brush up on regional initiatives, both public and private, to improve healthcare in the areas around the school you’re interviewing at. A region-specific answer will resonate more than discussing a national or broad solution to this issue, since many medical schools have a special focus on improving healthcare in their region and local rural communities.
Applying to DO schools? Prepare for osteopathic med school interview questions!
Medical School Interview Question #10: Have You Completed Any Research Projects or Are You Interested in Research?
This question assesses your involvement in and commitment to research, an important component of medical education and practice. It also evaluates your ability to discuss your research experiences in detail.
This may also seem obvious, but if you did not complete a research project, do not lie about it. It is dishonest and could really damage your career. Not having research is not the end of the world as it isn't usually considered in the same league as other medical school requirements.
Medical School Interview Question #11: Have You Applied to Other Schools? Which Ones? Why Those Schools?
News flash: we know you’ve applied to other schools…every member of the admissions committee does! This question is asked to assess your learning style and goals for training. If you have no knowledge of the schools you applied to, this shows a lack of resourcefulness and diligence, which are two substantial red flags.
This question assesses your self-awareness and ability to articulate your strengths in a way that aligns with the medical school's values and needs.
Reframe how you think about this question to avoid coming off as too “braggy” or not confident in yourself, says our admissions expert, Dr. Monica Taneja, MD:
Here’s an example of how to respond from one of our admissions experts, Dr. Jaime Cazes, MD:
Here's a tricky MMI interview question to practice with:
Medical School Interview Question #13: If You Could Be Any Utensil in the Kitchen, What Would You Be and Why?
This is also a moment-of-lightness question, but it also provides an opportunity to shed light on your character in a way that applies to medicine. There are many skills that you can exemplify in your answer to this question. For example, with a spoon, you can break things apart, gather things up, and eat directly, so it’s probably the most adaptable. If you’re really into cooking and healthy living, you might choose something like tongs because you’re really into creative salads. You could also just say that your favorite utensil in the kitchen is your own hands because they’re the most tactile, most efficient way of getting from A to B, and you don’t mind getting your hands dirty.
If you’re caught off guard by a quirky question like this one, take a quick pause. Dr. Monica Taneja, MD, one of our admissions experts, says this is completely fine to do:
Simplifying and summarizing difficult concepts is a huge part of a physician’s job. Patients don’t need to know, for example, the neurochemistry involved in a case of depression, unless they are interested in that sort of thing. Their goal is to find a solution. A physician should be able to explain the relevant information to an audience of different ages and knowledge levels.
They’re asking you to be a real human and not an interview-bot. Relax and have fun, but be appropriate.
How you teach is as important as what you teach in responding to this question. Explaining things is often easier in our heads than it is in reality. You have to be cognizant of the people you’re explaining to. Assume they know nothing or very little, but don’t condescend. Use analogies or metaphors when you can and always try to show an example or visual.
Here are some ideas for you:
Now, this question could be a multitude of things. It may be an open-ended question. It may be extra time for you to ask questions during your medical school interview. They may give you time to tell them something that isn’t on your application. They may ask you an ambiguous or weird medical school interview question that doesn’t have a clear answer.
Once, while interviewing, I was asked what I thought the definition of “still” was. For the osteopaths out there, you may have realized that it is the last name of the founder of osteopathic medicine and that was what they wanted to hear. This is why knowing the differences between DO vs MD is key when you are preparing for your interview, whether it's for an allopathic or an osteopathic school.
The best way to approach the "wrap-up" question, as always, is to be prepared. Research the institution, including the curriculum, unique opportunities, and its mission statement.
Dr. Jaime Cazes, MD, our admissions expert, stresses asking questions you really want to know the answer to:
Dr. Monica Taneja, MD, adds:
One last thing about this “wrap-up” question – remember about the recency effect. Your last answer might be remembered more than anything else you say in the interview. Make sure that you leave the interviewers with the best impression by acing any question they ask at the end.
There are many other types of questions you can expect, including (but not limited to) ethical questions in a medical school interview , policy-based ones (practicing for these will help you ace MMI acting stations , MMI collaboration stations and even CASPer questions ). And, even quirky or weird medical school interview question s , which are known to throw some students for a loop! Below is a list of these various other types of questions you may wish to review.
Here are some common ethical med school interview questions you might be asked:
Here’s a guide to answering ethical questions during a med school interview:
Quirky and ‘weird’ medical school interview questions can really test your creative, on-the-spot thinking abilities; they may include such questions as:
Medical school interviews use a variety of different MMI question types , including traditional interview questions, behavioral and situational questions, personal interview questions, ethical dilemma questions and school-specific questions. You should also be prepared for questions about healthcare.
Asking your interviewers a few questions is important in demonstrating your interest and enthusiasm for their program and school. For this reason, you should research both the program and the school ahead of time. You could ask questions about the location of the school, student population, program, curriculum, opportunities available for research – anything that you'd genuinely like to know and isn't already answered on their website are safe bets.
Our students will agree with the fact that a response at an MMI station should not take up the entire time. The reason behind this strategy is that a concise, direct, well-crafted response is more valuable than a response that rambles on.
In other cases, your interviews may ask you MMI follow up questions , which is a great opportunity to explore your ideas further, strengthen your points, or consider your argument from a different perspective. Make sure to review sample MMI questions and answers for practice.
Do take the time to extend a proper introduction at the beginning of each station by stating your name and getting the interviewer’s name. At the end of the interview or station, ensure you take the time to thank them for the opportunity by name.
If you have started your answer and feel you are rambling or disorganized, do not feel the need to keep going. Let the interviewers know that you wish to have a moment and you will re-start your answer. Re-starting your answer is a much better strategy as this shows you can evaluate your performance and adjust, rather than just rambling or giving a disorganized answer.
Feeling nervous before a high-stakes interview is perfectly normal. Preparing for your interview before is one of the best strategies, as you will know you have an approach to the different questions you may face. Ensure you are well-rested and get enough sleep the night before your interview. When you’re outside the interview room, take a few deep breaths in and out and give yourself positive reinforcement.
Remember, you are being evaluated by faculty and students the entire time you are there, so ensure you remain calm, confident, and professional in all of your interactions, including with the other applicants. Be friendly and express your genuine curiosity by asking about the program and about the medical students’ experiences.
Many medical schools in Canada and medical schools in the US use a variety of video interview formats and tools to pre-screen their applicants. Your medical school interview preparation tactics are not going to change significantly if you have a video interview.
Remember to do your interview in a quiet and distraction-free space. Make sure your face is in the center of your screen and that your audio and visual settings work correctly.
If it's been more than a month since your interview and you have not heard back from your top-choice school, you might want to consider writing a medical school letter of intent .
The best prep strategy is to participate in realistic mock interviews and receive personal feedback. You can try enrolling in a medical school interview prep course.
To your success,
Your friends at BeMo
Sources: Royal College of Surgeons .Missouri State University, Berkeley University of California, University of Texas at Austin, Cedarville University Handbook, University of Pennsylvania, Nebraska Wesleyan University
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