How to Prepare Medical School Interviews: 10 Tips from MDs and DOs

How to Prepare For Med School Interviews: Before the Interview

1.    When to Start Preparing for Medical School Interviews

If you receive an interview invite, congratulations! That means that your application and grades stood out to the admissions committee – they wouldn’t invite an applicant they weren’t actively considering. With that said, your interview for medical school requires copious preparation, but if you get started early, you can have a pleasant and productive experience.

When is the best time to start preparing for a medical school interview? In our opinion, weeks or months before you even receive an invite! Better safe than sorry:

“One thing that I wish that I had done that I didn't think about was start preparing for interviews before you even get an invite … that first interview invite showed up and of course it was a moment of excitement but then it was a moment of oh my god, the reality set in. I was like someone's going to be deciding my future in two weeks and I haven't even started I don't even know how this works.” – Allison, former BeMo student and current student at Dell Medical School.

2. When to Respond to Interview Invites

Responding to any invites you receive, and knowing how to schedule medical school interviews is an essential part of your pre-interview prep and organization.

Some schools send out more interview invitations than available slots, so promptness will in some cases make or break your chance to attend the interview at all. More importantly though, responding right away will allow you to choose an optimal date and time for your schedule, ensuring that you’ll be able to travel to and attend your interview as comfortably as possible. Here is what two of our experts have to say:

“Medical schools often use the time an applicant takes to respond to their interview invite as an indicator of their interest in the program. Remember that medical schools have ALOT more applicants than the number of seats available. This is why it is important to not take your interview invite for granted, even if you have multiple, and to respond in a timely manner. The time you take to respond can also be indicative of other traits such as your organization skills and your ability to prioritize tasks, all of which are crucial to the role of a future physician” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD

“Replying right away through the portal or email really ensures you get your desired interview date. There was a risk that if you got an interview and did not respond right away there would not be interview spots available when you went to sign up.” – Dr. Monica Taneja, MD

3. What are the Different Medical School Interview Formats?

There are a few different types of medical school interviews. It’s crucial to research what type of interview format you can expect at each individual school:

1. The panel/traditional medical school interview is a relatively straightforward interview format that involves a typical formal interview with one or more interviewers.
2. The multiple mini interview or MMI is a situational judgement test involving multiple interviewers, each of whom independently evaluate every applicant.
3. The Modified Personal Interview or MPI shares characteristics of both MMI and traditional interviews. In this type of interview, you visit 4 different stations, each with a different interviewer, who will question you on specific aspects of your application and candidature.
4. A hybrid interview combines various medical school interview types into multiple different sessions.
5. Virtual or video interviews are now being offered as a convenient option for students, but they come with their own set of prep challenges.

Most medical schools provide this information on their website. You can also check MSAR, which is AAMC’s official resource for information about medical schools in the US and Canada. And you can always email admissions offices to find out further details about the interview format.

Want to see what a virtual MMI interview is like? Check out our mock interview below:

4. Use Mock Medical School Interviews

Mock med school interviews provide the most realistic experience to rehearse for your interview. During your interview, it’s only natural that you’ll experience stress, anxiety, and even display nervous habits—you’re human! The goal of mock interviews is to get these emotions under control through preparation, as well as familiarize yourself with the format and get personalized feedback on what to work on from a medical school advisor. 

“[In] my practice or my mock interviews with my expert I realized I touch my face a lot and I play with my hair and all of those other super distracting things that were taking away from the words I was actually saying and I would never have known that I did those things if I didn't number one record myself and number two work with my [BeMo] expert during those mock interviews and I think that all along with everything else really contributed to the success I had during my interview cycle.” – Allison, former BeMo student.

5. What are some Common Medical School Interview Questions?

Practice MMI questions or medical school interview questions give you the opportunity to prepare for commonly asked questions and will give you an idea of what type of questions you can expect. It goes without saying that ample practice is recommended because you’ll encounter many types of questions. From policy-related, to personal, to unusual or ethical (and everything in between) you should have a well-rounded approach to all question types.

Check out some medical school interview questions to practice with:

6. Should I Memorize my Med School Interview Answers?

While you might think that the best way to prepare for an interview is to memorize their answers, this isn’t the case. It’s not uncommon to assume that if you (re-)state a well-memorized response and dazzle your interviewers, you’ll get accepted. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth!

There are two main problems with relying on a catalog of memorized responses:

• A canned answer will always sound postured, robotic, or fake. Evaluators listen to dozens if not hundreds of students give answers to these questions every year, and can tell a memorized answer from a genuine one.
• If you receive a slightly varied version of a question for which you have a memorized response, it’s very difficult to modify your burned-in response in the moment.

Instead, thoroughly understanding what the questions are asking and becoming familiar and comfortable with generating a genuine response is recommended. This will come more naturally with practice!

By following these guidelines, your answers will be more impactful and leave a stronger impression on your interviewers. One of our consultants has this vital piece of advice when it comes to delivering strong answers on-the-spot:

“Take a breath, think about what the point of this question is and what the interviewer may be getting at, and just like every other question have a well thought out introduction, flow, and ending without it sounding like a stream of consciousness. Again, it is OK to ask for some time to think about your answer” – Dr. Jaime Cazes, MD, former admissions officer at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.

7. Prepare Questions for Your Medical School Interviewers

Preparing questions to ask your interviewer is critical to show that you’ve done your research about the school, program, faculty, and curriculum, and you are committed to their program.

“The best questions to ask after the interview are those that are not readily available on the institution’s website or anywhere else. Doing so makes your question seem genuine rather than making it seem like you are asking for the sake of it. Often, the best questions are ones that make the committee think.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD.

“Good questions to ask interviewers are: what does the patient population look like at X institution? What support is there for students interested in research? What mentorship opportunities exist? Where do students rotate during third year rotations?” – Dr. Monica Taneja, MD.

Check out the different types of questions you can ask your interviewer:

How To Prepare For Med School Interview: Day of the Interview

8. Plan Your Interview Day

The last thing you need on your interview day is more stress, which is inevitable if you don't give yourself enough time and end up running late. You should try to arrive roughly 20-30 minutes before on the day of your interview; giving yourself buffer time is always recommended. It’s better to arrive early and have time to kill than to be stuck panicking in traffic The itinerary for most medical school interviews is typically well put together—as long as you review it and prepare—you can show up with confidence.

It's always recommended that on interview day, you stay hydrated and nourished. Your body and mind will need fuel! Avoid eating or drinking foods that will cause any irritation, discomfort or jitters, and if needed, make time for a bit of mindfulness, meditation or anything you personally find gets you ‘into the zone’ before your interview.

 Here’s what some of our MD consultants recommend you do on interview day:

“I read the interview day itinerary multiple times to make sure I would be on time and knew where I needed to go. My interviews were in-person so I often was travelling and arriving a day early to get settled before the interview day. On the actual day I would make sure to arrive early, so that I had time to navigate to the specific room where I needed to go.– Dr. Monica Taneja, MD

“The night before, I planned everything for interview day, including what I was going to wear, what time I was going to leave hotel, and when to arrive for the interview. Planning ahead of time and mentally envisioning the process unfold can help calm the nerves for the big day.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD.

9. Dress to Impress!

Don’t overthink this, but don’t look too casual, either! Many people wear suits, office-appropriate skirts and blouses, dress shirts, close toed shoes, and more neutral patterns/colours to their med school interviews. Scents should be minimal, and most importantly, you should be well-groomed and clean.

“Overall, it was tidy, professional, and, most importantly, comfortable! In deciding what to wear, I had seen YouTube videos posted by some medical schools on what to expect for interview day. These showed me glimpses of what other candidates had worn in previous sessions, and I just made sure to emulate this. In terms of advice, as long as you look neat and professional, that is the main goal.” – Dr. Shaughnelene Smith, DO.

10. Make A Lasting Impression

It’s natural to feel nervous, shaky, and out of your element – radiate confidence as much as you can when you walk in the door.

Be yourself…but ensure you are being your professional self! Let some of your genuine nature shine, without seeming too relaxed. Working with a professional during your mock interviews can help this feel more natural.

“I often read cliche phrases online or even by medical schools posting 'Just be yourself.' Although this is very true, it is still important to prepare and establish a sense of confidence and calm. For me, preparation meant having a solid grasp of the interview format, researching the medical school, reflecting on my life experiences (and extracting lessons applicable to a medical career) as well as ensuring I was well informed about current issues. Having gone through all of these numerous times, I was then able to blend my personality with a competent and professional response, which (I think) aided me in making a more substantial first and lasting impression!” – Dr. Shaughnelene Smith, DO.

“It’s important to be yourself and to approach the medical school interview sincerely. While this may seem like obvious advice, during my experience interviewing medical school applicants, many allow nerves and anxiousness to hinder their performance. They can often come off as distant, rigid, and insincere because of that.” – Dr. Tony Huynh, DO.

Bonus Tip: Be Ready to Tackle Questions You’re Unprepared For

“You can prepare for weeks and months but still come across a question, on the day of, that may appear to be ‘outside the box’. That is normal. If you are asked a question that you have not prepared for, do not let your nerves get to you. Perhaps have a sip of water and ask the interviewers to repeat the question – doing this will give you a bit more time to think.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD.

 Be engaged! Don't let nerves glue your mouth shut. You're the focus of the interview, so feel encouraged to actively participate in it. Be conversational and try to let go of all that's riding on this interview, and instead engage in an actual dialogue.

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

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