5 Commonly Asked Medical School Interview Questions You Need to Prepare

You just got your first interview invite and you want to maximize your odds of turning that invite into an acceptance. So what questions do you need to prepare for the medical school interview? Read on to find out.

Looking back on my interview season, there were questions I was asked during both my real interviews and mock interviews. Now, it’s important to note, while I recommend that you do prepare answers to these questions, do not memorize answers word-for-word.

This post is all about the 5 most commonly asked medical school interview questions that you’ll encounter during your application cycle.

5 Commonly Asked Medical School Interview Questions

Medical School Interview Question #1:

Tell Me About Yourself

If you’ve done any searching on interview prep, you will find full posts and videos on how to answer this question. And yes! They are so warranted. So why is this question so important? Well, first, it’s super open-ended so this is a great opportunity to get creative. Try mentioning things that maybe you didn’t mention in your written application. You should show your interviewer your unique personality! Not to stress you out, but, this has a similar sentiment to the personal statement. Your answer is whatever you make of it!

Medical School Interview Question #2:

Why Become a Physician?

So this question can come in many different forms — Why medicine? Why do you want to become a physician? What do you like about the career? Why a physician and not a PA or NP? — but one way or another, you will be asked to elaborate on your chosen career path. And what they say is right… Stating you love science and want to help people is not a sufficient answer. The truth is, there are many careers that involve science and even more jobs that involve serving others.

For some applicants who realized relatively later on in life they wanted to become physicians, there’s often a specific memory associated with that decision. Use that event and elaborate from there! If you’re like me, and have wanted to become a physician since you were a kid, think about what experiences confirmed that desire. Think of physicians you have shadowed or worked with, what specifically do you like about their job? Think about the training to become a physician, does that intrigue you? Using an anecdote here can also add a unique and genuine touch on your answer!

Medical School Interview Question #3:

Why This Medical School?

This in my opinion, is the most important question you will get on interview day. Nowadays, so many applicants are applying to 20, 30, 40,…even 50+ schools! But with that being said, it can be easy to confuse certain programs and what each school offers. Regardless of how many schools you apply to, your answer to this question must articulate why YOU are interested in this school. You’re probably thinking, Sabie why capitalize “you?” Of course they’re asking me the question so why wouldn’t it be about me? You would be surprised how often even the best of applicants unintentionally answer this question poorly.

Medical School Interview Question #4:

Is There Anything Else You Would Like the Admissions Committee to Know?

“No” is always the wrong answer to this question to put it quite frankly. There are three ways you can answer this question.

One is, if the interviewer has not asked you the “Why This School?” question, tell them here why you want to attend their institution.

A second approach would be, if you forgot to mention anything in your interview — maybe a passion that you hope to use in medical school or as a physician, maybe a formative experience that didn’t come up naturally anywhere else — this is your opportunity to talk about it here.

Lastly, you can reiterate your desire and motivation to go into the field of medicine. If you choose the last option, really summarize your motivation to become a physician, what experiences make you a unique candidate to the school and to be a physician, and how you will continue to reapply if you’re not granted an acceptance. Don’t repeat yourself here, but draw emphasis to the fact that you are highly motivated to become a physician!

RELATED POST: How to Create Your Medical School List

Medical School Interview Question #5:

Do you have any questions for me (the interviewer)?

Same as the question above, “no” is always the wrong answer. Always, I repeat, ALWAYS, have about 4-7 questions prepared for your interview day. Realistically, you probably will only have enough time to ask your actual interviewer 1-3 questions. However, you should have questions ready to ask students, faculty members, administrators, etc. throughout the day. As much as they are interviewing you, you are interviewing them. You and the school both have to choose each other!

Questions to Ask

Having questions shows that you care about getting to know them and that you care about you (and your future medical training)! I recommend asking them questions that are somewhat seeking an opinion. For example, “why did you choose to teach/study/be affiliated with this medical school and community?” Another example would be, “To get an idea of what my future cohort or colleagues might be like, what is a common trait you look for in all of your applicants?” You can ask “what is something about your school that I wouldn’t be able to find on your websites that you really love about it?”

Questions Not to Ask

Refrain from asking questions about niche programs, unless you know your interviewer is familiar with them. Truth is, medical schools offer a lot of programs and not everyone at the school will be deeply familiar with each one. Additionally, don’t ask questions that are answered on the websites very clearly. For example, most school will state on their website (at least once!) whether they are more lecture oriented or have a problem-based learning curriculum. So don’t ask. If you have a question that elaborates further, go ahead and ask it! But don’t craft questions that you know the answers to.

This post was all about commonly asked medical school interview questions. I hope this post helps you form a starting point to your interview prep!