Medical school interview prep must include more than running through sample medical school interview questions. In addition to practicing your answers, you must hone communication skills, critical thinking skills, and develop behaviors of a future medical professional. But how to do this in a short span of time?

Did you know that most students who are accepted into medical school after their interview use some form of professional preparation such as medical school admissions consulting? Regardless of whether you have one interview or a few, you need to be 100% prepared, so yes, seeking professional help is very important to give you the best chance of acceptance. In today’s article, we will discuss how a professional med school consultant can help you prepare and how you can find the right one to succeed in your interview. 


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Article Contents
32 min read

Why should I prepare for my interview? Why should I prepare with a professional? How can a medical school advisor help me prep for my interview? How much does interview prep cost? What type of interview can a professional help me with? What should I look for in selecting a professional to help me with my interview? Should I sign up for professional interview prep? FAQs

Why should I prepare for my interview?

Keep in mind that the success rate at most medical schools is When you consider this question, it’s important to keep in mind that medical school acceptance rates at most programs are below 10%, with many accepting less than 4% of all applicants. If you've made it to the interview stage of the application process, you could be so close to acceptance, or so far away depending on your performance. Hundreds of other students have also made it to the interview stage, and the spots available are far less than the interviews offered. When determining the final ranking order of candidates, some schools weigh the interview as high as 100%, meaning all of the other factors such as your MCAT score, personal statement, secondary essays, extra-curricular activities, shadowing, etc., won’t make up for a mediocre interview performance.

The interview will certainly make or break your chance of acceptance and if you don't do well on your interview, at those odds we mentioned, you won't be accepted. In fact, we had a student with near-perfect MCAT and GPA scores seek our help after being rejected during the previous admission cycle.

Bottom line is: you should prepare for your interview because preparation is the key to success. Professional athletes prepare for games the same way a presenter prepares for a presentation. It makes sense that if you prepare, your performance will be better, and shouldn't you be doing everything possible to improve your performance? But most applicants simply do not know how to prepare for a medical school interview. They are not aware of all the medical school interview nuances that can positively or negatively affect their performance because they are not admissions experts.

So does this mean that you should get professional help?

Outside of academics, the answer also shows why the student thinks the very environment the school is in – the city it is in – will help them thrive as a physician. Note that the answer doesn’t just say something superficial about the location. It could say, “I like living in big cities because they’re more fun and have more movie theatres,” giving us no real indication as to how this is related to medicine. But connecting the setting of their education to practice of medicine is more notable to the admissions committee.

All three points note reasons for joining that are directly relevant to the growth of the candidate. Note also that three points makes for a good answer structure. It covers a lot of ground without overwhelming, and tends to be easier to remember and recall later.

Did you know that overall success rate at most medical schools is below 10%?

Why should I prepare with a professional?

The answer to this question isn't as obvious as the first one. While many students understand the value and importance of preparing with a professional, some students believe that they can fully prepare for their medical school interview on their own or with the help of family and friends. While some practice is better than no practice, quality will always be better than quantity and the quality that a professional can bring is unmatchable.

Practicing on your own is definitely a good step to take, but it's only one step of the process and it's only beneficial once you already know exactly what you should be practicing. Students often target their studies and practice in the wrong areas, for example, learning everything they can about a school and who the evaluators may be. While this is an important aspect to consider, it's not the only aspect of the interview to prepare for. Unfortunately, due to the majority of time focused on incorrect areas, students are often left with a false sense of preparedness when really, they're not prepared at all. The other flaw with practicing on your own is that there are no opportunities to receive feedback. It's not easy to learn your weaknesses or determine all areas you need to improve on without someone else pointing them out to you. You may think you've prepared a great answer for a question, and spent a lot of time practicing your response when really that response may be flawed and doesn't highlight your best self.

Wondering why admissions committees ask "tell me about yourself"?

Practicing with family and friends, on the other hand has its own shortcomings. There is no way around the fact that your family and friends are not objective evaluators. They know you and care about you which prevents them from providing you with unbiased feedback. In addition, your family and friends may not want to hurt your feelings if they feel there is something you should work on, so they may be inclined to without information, or to sugar-coat how they really feel. The other issue with practicing with family and friends is that in most cases, they are not qualified to give you feedback.

What do I mean by qualified? A qualified person is one that has received extensive training, has in-depth knowledge and countless experiences with interview questions, what the admissions committee is looking for, and how to answer questions in a fashion that highlights an individual's skills, passions, and experiences. Now, that's not to say that everything your family and friends may tell you is invalid, but the bottom line is, their feedback has not been and cannot be verified or qualified. A solution to all of these problems is to use a professional medical school advisor or medical school admissions consultant for your medical school interview preparation. A professional advisor doesn't know you personally, and because of that, they are able to provide you with objective, unbiased feedback.

A good medical school advisor will be an expert in the medical school admissions process and because of that, will be well trained, possess tremendous experience working with students, and should boast a reliable, evidence-based success rate for helping students get accepted into medical school.

How can a medical school advisor help me prep for my interview?

The short answer is, they can help you with everything. An excellent professional advisor will be able to help you with all aspects of your medical school interview prep. However, it’s important to know what you can learn with medical school advisor, so let’s go over some of the most important gains. 

Answer Strategies

The old saying, there is no right or wrong answer, does not apply for almost all interview questions. If, for example, you're asked in your interview, “why do you want to be a doctor?”, and your answer is simply because you want to help people and make a difference, that would be considered a wrong answer, lacking reflection, depth, passion, and proof. Even worse, it would sound cliché. A professional advisor will work one-on-one with you to help expand your answers, highlight your strengths, strengthen your weaknesses, and eliminate off-topic responses. They know what questions to expect during your interview so they will help you prepare accordingly. Remember, you will need to review your application materials, such as your medical school letter of intent, to prepare adequately.

It's important to note that there is no way to determine every single interview question you can expect on your interview, therefore, most students who are not properly prepared are often caught off guard when asked a question they didn't predict. They draw a complete blank or may stumble through an answer that likely lacks the qualities the admissions committee is looking for. With a professional advisor, however, the most important thing you will learn is a technique for addressing and answering ANY TYPE of question, even if you run into weird or intimidating medical school interview questions.

This means that an advisor must help you learn how to identify and have a strategy for different TYPES and categories of questions. For example, if you have an MMI interview ahead, you must learn how to tackle the different types of MMI questions, including acting stations and MMI writing stations

Professional Behavior

In addition to practicing and learning how to respond appropriately to any type of interview scenarios, including MMI questions or ethical questions in a medical school interview, a professional advisor will also help you develop life-long skills that will be applicable in any academic and professional interview you may face in your career.

Interview behavior is an acquired skill. It’s certainly important what you say in your interview, but it’s also very important how you say things and how you behave during the interview. Did you offer appropriate greetings and farewells to your interviewers? Did you catch their name and repeat it throughout the interview? Did your posture and body language convey confidence? All these behaviors can be learned from a professional consultant.

You may think that the content of your answers is more important but think again: hundreds of other students have great stories of why they want to pursue medicine. They also know how to answer questions like “tell me about yourself” and “what’s your greatest weakness”. Admissions committees have a really tough job of selecting the students who will eventually get offered admission, so everything counts. Your behavior during the interview must be professional and appropriate, so be sure to pay attention to not only how you express your answers, but how you perform throughout the entire interview day. And an admissions consultant is exactly the right person to prepare you for this!

Examples of How Professional Help Improves Answers

The easiest way to show you how professional help will improve your answers is to show you what happens when a student works with professional interview prep help. Think of these samples as “before-and-after” pictures with interview answers.

Question: Why did you decide to go into medicine?

Weak Response

I decided to go into medicine because I truly enjoy taking care of people and providing them with the best treatments possible. I also really like working in a team and I think I will be a good fit for this profession in the future. My parents are also physicians and I was introduced to medicine early. Considering all my previous experiences, I would love to treat people and be a knowledgeable physician in the future.

Why is this a poor response?

A brief idea blurt that rattles off good reasons without evidence, the weak response lacks detail and therefore clarity.

Note that it lists several facts: the candidate enjoys caring for people and working as a team, they have physician parents, and “previous experiences” but none of these facts are backed up by evidence.

Vague answers like, “previous experiences” are unhelpful. Without detail or examples, saying that you have experiences means nothing. What are those experiences?

The structure of this answer feels rushed and sloppy. It’s little more than a list, with no thought given to the order of experiences or reasons why – if they can be so-called – that this candidate is worthy of admission.

Strong Response

Thank you for asking this very important question. There are many reasons why I would like to enter the medical field, but I would like to discuss the three most important ones in my life.

Firstly, I grew up in a medical family where my parents, both physicians, had to take care of me and my sister, as well as their parents in the hospital. My parents taught me the importance of passion, dedication, and commitment to the medical field and other human beings. Despite their limited time with me, they exemplified these traits every day, and were always role models to me and my sister. My childhood and experiences associated with it definitely sparked my interest in medicine.

Secondly, the experiences that I had as a student, researcher, and volunteer have shaped the curiosity and knowledge-seeking attitude that I live by every day. One particular experience from my senior undergraduate year stands out to me. I witnessed a pedestrian get hit by a car and, as a result, had a bleeding laceration on his arm. Even though I was just a student at the time, I used my knowledge from my recently completed “Stop the Bleed” class to provide the initial care and tamponade his bleeding until the paramedics arrived. The ambulance team thanked me for what I did and told me that I might have saved his life.

This experience made me realize that medical knowledge, paired with a sense of responsibility toward fellow human beings, is what medicine is all about. At that moment, I realized that this is the profession I would like to dedicate my life to.

Last, but not least, I would like to emphasize the importance of research in my life. I have had the opportunity to be part of excellent search teams in the fields of surgical oncology and trauma surgery. They both taught me problem-solving and communication skills that will help me not only help individual patients, but also benefit the larger population by engaging in groundbreaking research. The opportunity to evaluate large datasets, analyze tumor tissue in the lab, or conduct BLS classes for other medical providers have further taught me the importance of research in medicine and looking at the big picture.

All these activities and experiences have shaped me to be an ambitious, dedicated, and proactive medical professional who will dedicate their career to helping patients in a time of need, whether it is in the operating room, clinic, or on the street.

What has improved?

Right from the first sentence we can see that this response is improved.

It starts by thanking the committee for the question, and already we’re off to a better beginning.

Next, the interviewee acknowledges the scope of the question, but tells the listeners that they will be covering three main points. This frames the answer with a definitive structure and prepares the listeners for what they’re going to hear. They know they will be listening to three points, so they are ready to receive the information.

That strong structure continues with the body of the response – seen with the words, “firstly,” “secondly,” and “last,” used within the answer.

Finally, the strong response caps itself with a quick summary at the end.

Each answer gives a good reason, backed up by evidence. This is what is meant by “show, don’t tell,” that oft-repeated piece of excellent advice: evidence is showing,

In the first section, contrast the strong response to the weak one. Each mentions an upbringing by medical professionals, but the first only mentions this, while the second goes into detail about why that made a difference in this person’s life, and the qualities and attributes demonstrated by their physician parents that influenced their decision to pursue medicine.

Structurally, we also see that this person is answering chronologically in their life, which makes their answer subconsciously easy to follow for the listeners.

The second reason given, the student’s experience with firsthand knowledge of medical assistance in an emergency situation, again shows the admissions committee that they have taken the necessary steps to prepare for medical school and why this person will be a great doctor. They respond quickly, efficiently, and helpfully in a real-life scenario. They know from this story that this person uses their knowledge well and understands how to help people.

The final point highlights not only another good reason for this candidate’s acceptance – their passion for the scientific aspect of medicine – but also how they might fit in with the particular school they are applying to. Note the opportunity to highlight research being done by the specific institution being applied to.

Question: Why would you like to attend our medical school?

Weak Response

This is a great school because of the early clinical exposure and the research opportunities. I also like that students get great results on their board exams and have a high chance of matching to specialties, so coming here will help me succeed.

Why is this a poor response?

Again, we have a vague, quick response, almost dismissive in its focus on the student’s exam results over anything altruistic or professional.

It can only be said to have structure in the sense that its sentences are grammatically sound, but it doesn’t take the listener on a journey, it doesn’t use examples, and it has no opening or closing paragraphs to capture its essential points.

It seems like the speaker here has not thought through the answer. Why? Because it lists generalities that could be true of many schools, and because it lacks details and substance.

Finally, note the external motivators listed in the second reason. Passion for the mission and values of the institution, excitement at the opportunity to learn with notable faculty, eagerness to participate in classes or research that the school is conducting – these are all far better reasons that put the emphasis on the qualities the student can absorb and how they want to participate in things bigger than themselves and purely getting ahead.You need an answer with demonstrations, experiences, and structure.

Strong Response

Thank you for asking this question.

I put a lot of thought into where I applied as there are many wonderful medical schools. However, in looking into your program, I feel I would be a great fit here for three reasons. First, I really like the clinical exposure that occurs early on in the first year of the program. I myself learn best when theory is combined with practical experience. For example, I really enjoyed my 4th year biochemistry lab as it allowed me to apply the theories I learned in lecture to the experiments we conducted, thereby cementing my knowledge. Coming to a school with this type of curriculum will help me become the best physician I can be.

Secondly, this program is invested in innovative research. I have done research on the social isolation of the elderly under the supervision of Dr. Greer at my university. Seeing as there are labs in your school that also carry out this line of research, I would love to continue it here and contribute what I know to this area.

Lastly, I would love to live in this diverse city. I feel the multicultural population and multitude of clinical settings will give me exposure to the widest population range and help me become a stronger physician who understands the different needs of my patients. I look forward to studying here!

What has improved?

Again, politeness off the top is appreciated by a committee. You probably don’t need to thank them for every question, but make sure that you remain respectful and polite. Show enthusiasm for the questions. They are opportunities, after all.

The student here continues by acknowledging other programs. This demonstrates that they have put thought into their schools of choice, and says to the committee that this decision was not arrived at lightly. Their school selection will be something that aligns with their personal goal. If the student has a professional goal, that will influence their school choices, and shows that they know what they want. They don’t just apply to schools for statistics or prestige. If the student sees merit in many places, , they probably have something that they connect with at this particular school. This also begs the question, “what?”

That question is answered immediately. This strong answer shows the committee why the student connects with the style of learning present at their particular institution, using a demonstrative reference to a real experience that this student has within their educational history.

The student continues by showing another area where the school is exciting to them, and shows that they want to not only gain knowledge, but give back to the institute. They say they want to contribute to the research being done. The school can benefit from its students, as well, and a student who is eager to be useful is very desirable as a candidate.

Outside of academics, the answer also shows why the student thinks the very environment the school is in – the city it is in – will help them thrive as a physician. Note that the answer doesn’t just say something superficial about the location. It could say, “I like living in big cities because they’re more fun and have more movie theatres,” giving us no real indication as to how this is related to medicine. But connecting the setting of their education to practice of medicine is more notable to the admissions committee.

In other words, everything about this school is something that resonates with the student. They are connecting their goals and their experiences with the school. The student is showing the committee that they want objectives in-line with the school’s objectives, and in all ways the student fits with the school.All three points note reasons for joining that are directly relevant to the growth of the candidate and how they fit with the school. Note also that three points makes for a good answer structure. It covers a lot of ground without overwhelming, and tends to be easier to remember and recall later.

Question: What is your biggest limitation?

Weak Response

I think my biggest limitation is the fact that I do not know how to say “no” to people and often take on too many projects. I keep myself involved in many different organizations and the responsibilities often become too much for me. I think it is important to remain active on different levels and therefore I continuously work to finish everything on time.

Why is this a poor response?

First, not being able to say no isn’t a true weakness. It’s just something glib that people like to say to answer this question in a manner they think is clever. In short: it’s really a dodge of the question. Ironically, this can make it seem like the interviewee is trying to hide some egregious personality flaw because they aren’t answering the question.

Second, the student here doesn’t say how they are working towards solving their non-weakness. How are they trying to improve? How are they correcting their flaws? Are they making progress? There is a vague hand-wave about working to finish on time, but that’s it in terms of progress. Any listener wouldn’t know beyond that one, unhelpful phrase.

Strong Response

I believe one of my limitations is the tendency to procrastinate.

When I was studying for my final exams during my freshman and sophomore years of college, I would postpone my studying until the week before the finals. Even though I have always performed well on the final exams, I was unable to retain much of the knowledge I learned. I realized that I needed to build a solid knowledge base before medical school, as every physician should strive to continuously learn and use that knowledge in practice.

Since my sophomore year, I have implemented significant changes in my studying habits, including setting short-term study goals, having designated study hours, and using Google calendar reminders to keep myself on track.

Since I implemented these changes, I have been able to achieve a higher GPA, a competitive MCAT score, and more importantly, a solid knowledge base that I feel confident about. This experience has taught me the importance of preparation, systematic learning, and persistence in excelling and reaching my goals. I will certainly continue to strive for excellence while in medical school.

What has improved?

This is a real problem. Procrastination can cause difficulties in a person’s life, and is absolutely a problem originating with them. This isn’t some outside force, no excuse is being made, this student is answering honestly, directly, and in such a way that they are owning up to their limitations.

Don’t worry about revealing a flaw that is going to cost you your entrance. Why not? Well, two reasons. First, because these aren’t limited to you. Many people struggle with procrastination. It’s possible that one of the committee members struggles with it. Any flaw you have might feel like a deep personal failing, but you won’t be alone. The main thing is: how are you improving?

That brings us to the second reason why your flaw won’t cost you admission, as well as why this is a strong response. This student demonstrates why their problem – procrastination – was hurting them, and how they came to recognize this problem in their life. Most importantly, they explain how they are improving.

Describing how they are working towards solving the problem is important. Note that they don’t just say they are changing their study habits, they say how they are improving those habits. Show-don't-tell is being applied here.

The student moves on to show how they are achieving results, and their procrastination might still be something they need to watch out for, but it won’t prevent them from achieving goals or being a good student.

Just like that, they have demonstrated a strength of character that they couldn’t have without this flaw. They recognize weakness, solve problems, make personal improvements, and move forward – all demonstrated within their excellent answer.

Take note of the structure here, as well: this answer starts with a quick, direct answer to the question before using chronological order to tell a story of how they (1) had a problem, (2) recognized it and set out to correct it, and (3) are improving. Chronological structures are easy to remember and easy to follow along as both a listener and speaker.

Question: Tell me about yourself

Weak Response

Well, I grew up with my parents in the suburbs. It was nice. I had a nice childhood, a pretty typical one. Hung out with friends at school a lot. We liked to play baseball. I played a lot of baseball. I don’t play baseball as much anymore. These days I like to read, play video games, play with my dog. I have a great dog. Mostly I’m doing school, though; I study a lot. Keeping grades up is important, so I have to study hard to get into medical school.

Why is this a poor response?

This response is unfocused and rambling. Note the total lack of recognizable structure. It bounces around from subject to subject, and while it is vaguely chronological, the subjects covered are so scattershot as to render any chronology moot.

Worst of all, most of the areas covered here are generic; this could be anybody’s story. Many people have dogs, many people hang out with friends. Does anybody care if this person plays video games? Will they be a good physician because of a “typical” childhood? It’s hard to see how, and maybe they will be, but they have demonstrated nothing. A typical childhood can be a great source of knowledge about how to be a physician, but the answer needs to connect those two things together, not just list them.

None of these vague, unfocused points connect to the school or the candidate’s future as a physician. Loving a dog might connect to medicine. Maybe it has taught a sense of responsibility, or thrown up a hardship in training or discipline that the student can bring to school. Maybe it has, but anybody listening won’t know it because this answer doesn’t make that connection.

Most committees might pause a bit if told about a student’s video game hobbies. Nevertheless, videogames could be a fun way to show the student’s understanding of the value of teamwork, or maintaining a sense of play. Maybe the type of game being played solves puzzles and shows off analytical skills or lead to a curiosity that led to other hobbies. If there was a real value there, the speaker could show it off, but – and this is of paramount importance – they didn’t.

This answer gives generic, common experiences and doesn’t connect the person to the institution and profession they are applying to.

Strong Response

I never got on with my dad. All through my childhood, it just seemed like he was always busy, always irritated with me, and I just could not get that relationship going. He was a neurosurgeon, and so my first journeys into medical science was to try and get my dad to open up to me, even if only a little bit.

The only times that dad was on better terms with me was when we would go for nature walks. It wasn’t often; he was really, really busy, but when we did, he would point out the details of the natural world, whether the beauty of a flower or some useful knowledge about using tree moss to find north. You could see him getting genuinely excited about it. There were far too few walks.

So, I started using my little junior science kits and chemistry sets to try and learn about his world, and he would listen to me talk about it, or come and watch me demonstrate it after supper. So it worked a bit. I also discovered I had a knack for scientific pursuits, even if I did singe my eyebrows a couple times with the chemistry set.

But, then when I was a teenager, we started fighting. I had all of those spiking hormones playing havoc with my emotional states, and he was burned out from work, and we just argued a lot.

Then comes career day at my school, and I’m going in with dad. I watched him in an operating theater lose a patient on the table. And when I met him afterwards, when he was washing his hands, we didn’t say anything, but I knew why he was tired and busy. I knew his job was about life and death, but seeing it was different.

That experience healed our relationship, because I had understood him on a level I hadn’t before. I asked if I could come back and he told me to volunteer at the hospital, and I did.

Volunteering became immediately so rewarding to me. Getting to help vulnerable people, being a part of a team that heals, and learning about how to maintain and fix health was all so wonderful to me. I discovered passion for these subjects that I have never had before. Furthermore, I understood better than ever why my father was so focused and dedicated to this world.

My favorite part of the job was being able to see people on the mend smiling as they felt better and better. It made anything hardship on the job worth it.

I have since had a few hard conversations with dad about the time I want with him, and he agrees.

I’m looking forward to becoming a doctor because of this journey with my dad. I have discovered a passion for science, for medicine, and for healing. My relationship with my father is healing nicely, and now I’d like to give back and save more lives.

What has improved?

Off the top of this response, we see a good attention-grabbing start to the answer. This person has any listener’s attention by setting up a problem: they have had an imperfect relationship with their father. Okay, now the listener wants to know why and if any improvement has been made.

The structure here sets up this story of the father and child, and goes on to employ a chronological structure.

At each point in the speaker’s life, they bring their experiences of connecting with their father – or failing to connect – back to their journey as an aspiring doctor. They connect through an understanding of medicine as a career, and shows that this person understands not only their parent better, but also the profession.

The speaker connects their desire for a relationship with their interest in medicine. One led to the other, and we can see their passion for health and helping people coming through.

The detail along the way uses showing over telling to demonstrate desirable qualities in a student, doctor, and person.

Structurally, also note again the summary paragraph at the end.

This answer is also deeply personal, and thanks to its detail, can only be really true of this one, unique speaker. With a question about you, you want to give your unique aspects the spotlight. This is about why you are a great candidate, after all.

Question: Why should we choose you over other applicants?

Weak Response

I’m very passionate about being a doctor, and I’ve been studying very hard. I have very high grades, I know for example, that I’m in the top percentiles on my tests, so I’m a lot smarter than most of the other candidates that you’re going to see, maybe all of them. I think that’s just because I work harder at it than they do. So, I’m a very hard worker and I’m very intelligent.

Why is this a poor response?

We see a theme developing here. Vagueness, lack of structure, lack of personal connection, genericness, lack of preparation,– or other poor qualities – are the hallmarks of a bad answer.

This weak response ticks a lot of those boxes. It certainly has no structure, rambling through its answer.

It uses unverified information. None of this is demonstrated. “Top percentiles” is vague; different interpretations could have this student in the 99th or 51st percentile depending on how they have chosen to define “top”, since technically they are in the “top” as long as they are above half-way. Of course, that could be seen on their transcript, but why give information that is, at best, just some factoid from your transcript?

Worst of all, this response comes off as arrogant and dismissive. Saying things like, “I’m a lot smarter than most,” seems to sneer at people who simply didn’t achieve quite so high a grade. In fact, just about the only thing demonstrated, or backed by evidence, in this response is the speaker’s snide attitude.

Strong Response

Growing up, the idea of a cell phone was completely alien to me. We lived so far out from the gaze of civilization that I think my family’s farm was only recently discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope. Because of this, what I will bring to the table is that unique perspective and unique experience of medicine in a rural area, low on resources, but high on need. I already know how to do some of that.

I am applying to your school because I understand that you have unique opportunities for people that understand rural life and rural medicine. I want to help in this way, and I think I have some understanding of what that’s like.

Growing up in that environment, on a farm, any kind of trouble and we were truly on our own. I leaned about basic first aid at my parents’ insistence, because they knew that out where we were, we would have to know about first aid for any potential emergencies.One time, my brother Jack broke his leg. We were swinging on trees way, way out in the woods, and he fell and hurt his leg. Turns out it was broken. We had to get him back, and so dad showed us how to splint the leg in the woods so we could get Jack somewhere safe. An ambulance could have taken hours.

I think I would make a good choice as an applicant because of my unique perspective. I’ve had a background in medicine from growing up with rowdy brothers on a farm, and often times we were Jerry-rigging things together like splints in the woods. Being able to respond in emergency situations without resources, relying on wits and knowledge makes me a good candidate because there are medical situations where that’s going to happen. I have a history with exactly that. That’s what makes me unique, and what makes me unique is what makes me stand out.

What has improved?

This bears repeating once more: structure matters, and here we have an opening paragraph, a chronological approach with the candidate’s childhood and youth forming the next section, a paragraph dedicated to demonstrable skills, and a summation.

As to the content, here we see a unique, personal story. This candidate demonstrates their unique position of why they, in particular, will be an asset.

In this case, the candidate is speaking with a school that emphasizes rural medicine, has a rural program, or is interested in training physicians for rural medicine. The speaker says as much, and connects their personal experience with the school’s values and programs.

Contrasting to the weak answer, this is shown by their joy in their own upbringing and what they can bring to the table, as opposed to simply implying that other candidates aren’t as intelligent.

This person has selected stories that will also showcase their direct connection with medicine, and why they will be valuable to the school. They are applying to a school that values rural medicine, emergency medicine, or is looking for experiences that relate to rural life; they have all of those qualities shown in this response.

What makes for a strong answer or a weak one?

Strong answers share these traits: they are direct, arrest attention with good use of language, they demonstrate ability instead of just declaring it, and they show off your uniqueness and how suitable you are for the school you are applying to. This might seem obvious, but they also answer the question – no digressions, non-sequiturs, or vague half-answers here.

Weak answers, in contrast, are vague, tell about accomplishments with no proof, ramble or are unstructured, and jump around all over the place. They are also generic; anybody could make those statements.

Do you want to see a summary of some of our advice? This infographic is for you:

Mock Medical School Interview

One of the most significant advantages of preparing for a med school interview with an advisor is the ability to experience the interview format via realistic mock medical school interviews. You will be able to apply all the answer strategies and advice your consultant has provided in a realistic simulation of your interview format. Not only will you be able to articulate answers to some of the most common interview questions, but you will be able to test your interview behavior skills, such as facial expressions, body language, as well as your greetings and goodbyes. What can be better for building your confidence than the opportunity to perform in the same environment as you will face on the day of your interview?

A mock medical school interview is also a great way to gauge how long to prepare for a medical school interview. Without seeing yourself in action, in the proper environment of the interview, it will be difficult to assess whether you are ready for it. A mock will help the med school advisor evaluate whether you are ready for the real thing!

Check out a mock MMI interview session with our expert!

BeMo has a 93.5% success rate for students working in our Platinum or Titanium programs!

How much does interview prep cost?

Medical school interview prep is an investment. Investment means you spend something now in order to gain something more later. This is the mindset of most successful medical school applicants because medicine requires lifelong learning and it’s not cheap to train to become a doctor. The medical school tuition alone could easily cost over $50,000/year.

In comparison, the cost of medical school interview preparation is insignificant. While the cost of medical school interview prep can vary, interview prep plans can start as low as $500, with most students spending at least $5,000. That may seem costly, but consider the cost of applying to medical school in general? It can be as high as $4000 for applications alone. And consider this: if you don't invest in medical school interview prep, and you don't get in because of it? Are you prepared to spend $4000 all over again for the application process? What about losing an entire year? What about losing a full year of income which could be an average of $300,000/year depending on the specialty.

This put the cost of medical school interview prep in perspective: a $5000 investment is a lot less than a $300,000 loss. Most would agree that the cost involved with medical school interview preparation is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and the value it adds is priceless.

Applying to medical school is exhausting, so doing it right the first time, and getting accepted the first time is much easier than the cost and time involved with re-applying.

What type of interview can a professional help me with?

An experienced, professional consultant or advisor will be able to help you with any interview style your school may be using, whether it's a panel, traditional or conversational med school interview, a group interview, an MMI, and MPI, or a hybrid interview format. Your advisor will provide you with mock interviews, personalized feedback, sample questions along with the techniques to answering any type of interview question appropriately.

What should I look for in selecting a professional to help me with my interview?

To select a professional advisor for your medical school interview prep, there are a variety of qualities and qualifications they should possess. It's crucial to do your research because not all advisors are created equally, and some of them do not possess the tools, experience, and qualifications necessary to help you get accepted into medical school.

Firstly, you need to determine who the company is and whether or not they are qualified to be giving advice, recommendations, and feedback to help you prepare for your medical school interview. Dig into the company to look at their mission statement, core values, and their team members. Are they genuinely interested and passionate about helping students get into medical school? What about their team members? Do they have information on their website about the team members that you'll be working with? Do they put these individuals through rigorous standardized training to ensure they can provide you with the best, qualified feedback?

Good advisors will be experts in the field of admissions, whether they were past evaluators, interviewers or have gone through the process themselves. Make sure you know who you'll be working with and their level of experience to ensure you'll be working with qualified individuals who know what they're talking about.

The next important aspect to look at is whether or not they believe in their work. Any advisor can say that they believe in the work they are doing, but how can you truly assess whether that's true or not? The best way is to check their brand promises. Firstly, they should guarantee that if you follow all of their instructions and recommendations, you will be accepted. Secondly, if you did everything right and you still were not accepted, they should offer to give you your money back. For example, BeMo proves that they believe in their product, it's the only company that offers both a 100% satisfaction guarantee and a Get In or Your Money Back® guarantee.

Another great way to assess whether or not the service offered by a company is good, is to look at their reviews and success rate. It's important to consider reviews not only posted on their website, but those posted on an independent review website such as TrustPilot. It only makes sense that a good service will have many reviews from past students raving about the positive experience they had. Did you know that BeMo has hundreds of Trustpilot reviews and has a 4.8/5 rating? This is the highest rating of all medical school advisors combined. Next, you need to look at the success rate of students they worked with that gained acceptance. Bear in mind that this success rate should be evidence-backed, as anyone can list a statistic but not everyone can prove it. For example, BeMo has a 93.5% for students working in our Platinum or Titanium programs!

Other than proven success rates and reviews, you'll want to consider whether or not you trust the company. You can determine this firstly by testing them out, a professional medical school interview prep company should offer the opportunity to see if they're a good fit for you by offering a free initial consultation.

This will give you a chance to have an honest one-on-one conversation with an advisor about what you're looking for and what result you're hoping to achieve, in this case, acing your medical school interview. The advisor will be able to talk to you about their process and how they believe they can help you achieve your goal. In this initial conversation, you'll be able to get a good sense of how genuine the advisor seems and whether or not you feel they are invested in helping you showcase the best version of yourself. If any red flags come up in this initial conversation, such as the advisor seeming to solely be invested in money and not your best interests, you can safely determine that they are not to be trusted.

During the consultation, you can also find out what sort of service you can expect. Will you be practicing with real-life mock interviews and given additional questions, such as MMI questions to practice with? Will they provide you with feedback that is 100% personalized to your interview responses as opposed to generic feedback? Are they completely honest about the price to use their services or is this information unclear and seemingly hidden? In the end, you should feel confident and comfortable to work with the advisor. If something doesn't seem right or you feel like they avoided answering important questions, they may be hiding extra fees or may not be as experienced as they'd like you to think, so it's best to look for a different company.

Finally, if you are still wondering whether BeMo Academic Consulting is worth it, feel free to reach out to us for a free initial strategy call. We have helped thousands of students achieve their professional and academic dreams, so be sure to check out their stories and their experience with BeMo

Should I sign up for professional interview prep?

Anyone who is willing to learn and improve can benefit from interview preparation. Remember what we mentioned earlier in this article: medical school interview prep is not just about learning how to ace the interviews you have ahead – it’s about learning skills that will be useful in all and any professional interview you may face in your career. 

If you're someone who doesn't like constructive criticism, doesn't like being told what to do, or doesn't have any interest in changing their approach, style, language or behavior, then medical school interview preparation probably isn't for you. If on the other hand, you're truly interested in becoming better and want to increase your chances of acceptance and are willing to spend the time, money and effort it will take to get there, you should sign up right away!

Check out our video for a quick recap:

FAQs

1. Should I prepare for my medical school interview?

You absolutely must prepare for your medical school interview. You have no chance of success without interview prep.

2. Do I need professional help to prepare for my medical school interview?

While it’s possible to prepare on your own, getting professional help increases your chances for interview success. Preparing on your own has 2 major flaws: 1. You do not always know what you should improve on. 2. You get no objective feedback on your performance. 

3. How can a professional help me get ready for my medical school interview?

A professional advisor can identify your weaknesses to help you improve on them. As you go through mock interviews, the advisor can give you honest personalized feedback that will help you improve significantly. They can also help you manage nerves and develop professional interview behaviors. 

4. How can mock medical school interviews help me prepare?

Mocks mimic the format and environment of your interview. What better way to see how you will do than participating in a realistic simulation of your interview format?

5. Who are medical school advisors?

Medical school advisors are well-trained professionals who know everything there is to know about medical school admissions. They can be academics, former evaluators, former admissions officers, and so on.

6. How much does medical school interview prep cost?

Depending on the services you get, prices can range from $500 to $5000, or more. Remember, this is an investment into your future.

7. How long will it take to prepare for a medical school interview with an advisor?

Every student is different. Some are ready after a couple of sessions, while others may take weeks to prepare. One huge advantage of getting ready with an advisor is that your weakness will be tended to sooner than if you practiced on your own. Also, an advisor will let you know as soon as you are ready for the real thing, so you are full of confidence when entering that interview room!

8. Do I have to travel anywhere to get professional help for my interview?

If you sign up for services with BeMo, then you will not have to. We do everything online, in the comfort of you home! 

9. Can’t I just get ready by reading your blogs and watching your videos?

That’s a great start. It’s true that our free resources totally reveal all our strategies and tips – we do not hide anything! However, no amount of blogs can replace mock interviews and personalized feedback, and it’s very difficult to improve your interview skills without these two components. 

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting


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