Acing the Interview
Congratulations on receiving an invitation to a medical school interview! Here’s how you can best prepare for the important day.
Research the school: It is important to be familiar with the program, particularly the mission of the school. What the interviewers want to know is how you will fit into their class. For example, if the school emphasizes working with the underserved population, you can highlight your experiences with volunteering during the interview. Tailoring your answers to the school’s unique attributes demonstrates your genuine interest in their program.
Practice common interview questions: Research and compile a list of common medical school interview questions. Common questions to prepare for are: 1) Tell me about yourself, 2) What drives you to want to pursue medicine, 3) Why our program?, 4) Describe a challenge that you had and how you overcame it. Practice answering these questions in a structured and concise manner. Note, some schools may also have ethics questions. Many of these do not have a clear black-and-white answer - what the interviewers are looking for are not whether you get the “right” answer, but if you are able to clearly delineate your thought process.
Stay updated with current healthcare topics: Along with being prepared for common questions, one advice I got during interview season was having a basic idea of current events in medicine. You do not have to know the minute details, but being aware of large themes, such as the impact of the Affordable Care Act on healthcare, can demonstrate that you are engaged in the evolving medical landscape.
Conduct mock interviews: The more practice, the better! Having a simulated interview session will help you respond to questions in a comprehensive way. In addition to your family, friends, or mentors you should look there are other resources in your community or school. For example, if your school has a premed committee, they may offer mock interviews. Some medical schools have clubs that pair medical student mentors with premedical students.
Dress professionally: Make sure that you set up the interview outfit the night before. Perhaps this tip is more applicable to when interviews were conducted in person, but make sure you have everything ready to go before the big day. Do note, most interview days usually have a time allotted for a tour of the school - professional but comfortable footwear should be considered.
Have questions ready: At the end of every interview, there will almost always be a time for questions. Always have questions ready - the general tip I have gotten is to not ask questions that can be easily Googled, but one that allows you to get a deeper insight into the program. For example, one that I commonly asked during my interviews was: What support systems are available to students when transitioning from pre-clinicals to clinical, from medical school to residency? Other themes to consider are student wellness, opportunities to develop your interests (research, volunteering, etc), and curriculum structure.
