Why This School | Common Medical School Interview Questions

Personally I feel like the “Why this school?” question is the most important question you’ll be asked in an interview. The admissions committee will get a pretty good picture of who you are and why you want to be a physician from your primary application. Now is the time to really explain why you want to go to their school, not just medical school.

You will hear this all the time — if you go to any U.S. accredited medical school, you are going to get a good education. So each school wants to know why their school is the best setting for you to earn your medical degree and develop as an individual who will go out into the community as a physician one day!

This post is all about how to answer the question, “Why this school?,” so that you can show varied and genuine interest in a particular medical school’s program.

Your answer must be unique to you.

You must answer this question in a way that is unique to you. If any other applicant can give the same answer, you are not being specific enough. How do you do this? Tie aspects of their school into your personal experiences. You also want to demonstrate that there are a variety of different reasons you want to attend their school.

Here’s how you craft the perfect answer to “Why this school?” in 5 Easy Steps

Step 1: Your Opener.

Similar to writing an essay, you want to start with a hook. This can be a short anecdote or fact about the school that impressed you. Maybe you had an experience with the affiliated hospital. Maybe you had read a research study that was conducted there. It can be anything but keep it relatively quick. I like to start with this because it sort of flatters the interviewer in a sense that their school had an impression on you. Here’s some examples (that I used in my interviews!):

Fact Example:

“Well, I first heard about “XYZ School of Medicine” (XYZSOM) when they were awarded the “ABC” Service Award. Given my personal mission and desire to attend a school that was committed to the community around them, I began to do more research on “XYZSOM.” I was really intrigued by…”

Anecdote Example:

“My father used to manage physician groups in the Midwest and when I told him I was invited to interview at XYZSOM, he was so excited because he loved working with physicians from XYZ Medical Center. After hearing this, I was hopeful about the potential opportunity to learn from these reputable physicians. Additionally, …”

Step 2: Comment on the Curriculum

While you will become involved in a lot of things while in medical school, you are going there to get an education. So make sure to make it a point to comment on their academics! Most schools will provide descriptions about their curriculum structure, sample schedules, course catalogs, and different academic pathways on their website. This is also a space to talk about a dual-degree if this is something you’re interested in. Remember to tie it back to you! Let’s take a look at the examples below and see how the responses get progressively better:

Bad:

“I’m really interested in the problem-based learning curriculum pathway that is offered at XYZSOM. It seems a lot of schools are making a transition to this type of structure and I’m excited to see that XYZSOM’s curriculum is evolving in that way as well.”

Good:

“I’m really interested in the problem-based learning curriculum pathway that is offered at XYZSOM. I love the team setting that this approach to learning encourages. Therefore, in addition to learning medical knowledge, I will be able to grow my collaborative skills and practice working in a team, which will be valuable as a physician in a clinical setting.”

Best:

“I’m really interested in the problem-based learning curriculum pathway that is offered at XYZSOM. Having played soccer in high school, I knew I enjoyed being a member of a team and, similarly, this approach to learning really encourages group work and collaboration. I have worked as a medical assistant for the past two years and have teamed up with physicians, nurses, case managers, and other healthcare professionals to work together to provide the best care for our patient. From experience, I know the most comprehensive care involves the work of an entire team. Not only will problem-based learning teach me the medical knowledge to make clinical decisions, but it will also grow my communication and teamwork skills to be a better physician and colleague in the future.”

Step 3: Programs You Want to Participate In

Admissions committees want to be able to picture you in their school and community. It’s your job to paint that image for them. How will you add to their mission? How will you represent them in the community? Similar to the section above, it’s imperative that you explain your interest in certain programs and tie in prior experiences to back it up. Discuss the ways you hope to further your knowledge or grow in that area.

Step 4: Your “Other” Reason

Here is where you elaborate on a reason that is not “school” related. Maybe you grew up in the area or have a support system in that community. Maybe you’re looking to live in an urban setting. Perhaps you are an avid hiker and the school is located by a lot of trails that will be accessible for you when you need to relax from the stresses of medical school. This is your opportunity to show how this school is attractive to you outside of the obvious degree they offer.

Step 5: The Closing

This can be really brief. Perhaps just a sentence relisting the three main points and reiterating the fact that you find XYZ medical school to be the perfect program for you to learn from. It can also be something as simple as briefly stating your personal mission as a physician and that you feel that your mission aligns with that of the schools. Basically this is just one to two spoken sentences to tie up your thoughts.