Describe a Problem in Your Life Medical School Family

Medical schoolhouse interviews are the final step in the tedious, turbulent, and fourth dimension-consuming process of applying to medical school. Only while they're the concluding footstep, they are likewise one of the about challenging. A bad interview can ruin your chances of credence, even if y'all scored a perfect 528 on the MCAT. You'll face up a number of challenging medical school interview questions, and if you're not properly prepared for them, y'all could fall flat on your face up in front of the admissions committee.

In this postal service, we'll share 21 of the most common medical school interview questions as well every bit how to answer each of them.

For a thorough overview of the interview process, read our complete Medical School Interview Guide and get insight into The Platonic Attire for Medical School Interviews.

one. Tell Me Nigh Yourself…

Some version of this question volition open up most of your interviews. The broadness of this question is daunting, but go on in heed that the interviewer has already seen your GPA, MCAT score, personal statement, coursework, and extracurriculars. They know yous're a promising candidate—that'due south why they're interviewing yous. Don't answer this question past giving them another rundown of your credentials.

The interviewer is asking this question because they want to get a better sense of who the person is behind the accomplishments. Who are you? Why do yous want to be a medico? What drives you? What'due south your favorite hobby? How has your family unit experience shaped who you are? Why are you a good fit for this program in particular?

The broad and open-ended nature of this question may seem intimidating, but information technology can actually work in your favor. It'south an opportunity to create your ain narrative and steer the entire interview in the management yous're most comfy with. Providing a multi-layered reply with plenty of threads the interviewer can describe on and ask you almost enables yous to control the menses of the conversation.

That's why it is essential to set for the tell me about yourself question earlier your interviews.

Fix a few interesting and important life events or facts about yourself that you are confident you can aggrandize upon. The interviewer tin then pick and choose which stories or facts they would like to know more than almost. Where did you grow up? Who raised y'all? What experience in your past made you know you lot had to pursue medicine? Structure your response and practice answering this question in front end of friends, family unit, a mentor, the mirror, and during mock interviews.

Acquire more in our Guide to the Medical School Interview Tell Me Virtually Yourself Question.

2. Why Are You lot Applying to Medical School?

This could exist the most of import question you'll be asked, and it's not one that you can afford to flub. Unfortunately, almost of your fellow applicants will accept like answers to this question, so it'southward important to exist as unique as possible. The best way to practice this is to draw from your ain personal experiences.

Do not, under any circumstances, give a generic reply. Use a personal anecdote or experience from your past, every bit it enables you lot to speak most yourself and the field you're pursuing in a way that will keep the interviewer engaged.

Practise your response before your interview so that you can keep information technology to less than one-2 minutes.

three. Why Do Y'all Want to Attend This Medical School?

This question is meant to test how intimate your knowledge is of the plan. The interviewer is looking for details about why you're attracted to the school and why you believe it'due south a adept fit for y'all specifically. You cannot requite a solid answer without a thorough understanding of the school's values and offerings.

It is vital that yous practice ample research about each schoolhouse you're interviewing at. What are the school's strengths? What's unique near the school? Is there a physician there you're eager to study under? Intertwine your knowledge of the program with your own personal strengths, attributes, and interests to demonstrate how you are a good fit. How do your own experiences and dreams for the future complement the schoolhouse? How volition the programme help yous achieve your personal and professional goals?

4. What Makes You Stand Out?/Why Should We Pick You?

This is the fourth dimension to clearly describe your values and how they relate to the school's values. What specifically makes yous a strong applicant? What separates you from the other applicants? Which of your academic achievements or research or clinical experiences tin can y'all chronicle to the schoolhouse'due south offerings?

Use actual stories and experiences from your past to sell yourself. It's not bad that you lot accept values, but listing them isn't enough. Provide examples of how and when you lived those values. Demonstrate how they compliment the schoolhouse'south ain values to illustrate why you lot're a good fit for the program.

5. What Are You lot Looking for From a Medical School?

This question is an opportunity to highlight what you notice most important in a medical schoolhouse. How yous answer this question says a groovy bargain about who you lot are as a person and bidder.

Are you lot looking for good inquiry or clinical opportunities? Are you hoping to find a group of fellow students yous tin abound with and larn from over the class of your med school career? Are you excited to find a mentor in 1 of your professors?

Each of these directions is a good 1 to accept, equally they demonstrate that yous're applying to the program for the right reasons—you lot're not but applying because you think it would exist cool to live in New York Metropolis or because it's the schoolhouse your parents are forcing you to attend.

Avert bland answers; flat, balmy responses to this question suggest you lot haven't put enough thought into the schools you practical to, making yous seem wishy-washy and unprepared.

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6. What Are Your Biggest Strengths?

The interviewer isn't request this question considering they're looking for a long list of appealing adjectives. Select strengths that are unique to you every bit an individual, but demonstrate them through tangible examples from your past.

Don't come up with strengths on the fly. Prepare for this question well in accelerate. Inquire your friends, family, and mentors what they believe your strengths to be. Sit downwardly with a pen and notepad and reverberate on what makes y'all uniquely you.

Are you skilled with time management? Are you a highly empathetic person who excels at communicating with people and achieving compromise? Always relate your strengths back to how they brand yous a good addition to that particular medical school.

vii. What Are Your Biggest Weaknesses or Flaws?

Yes, this is a bit of a trick question. Don't think you lot tin can get effectually it past saying that you lot're a perfectionist—interviewers take heard that response k times. Exist honest, but be positive.

No one is perfect, and your interviewer knows this. Everyone has weaknesses; what matters is what you learn from them and how you lot are able to address any professional shortcomings. This shows maturity—an extremely appealing quality in a prospective medical student and future doc.

This is not an opportunity to highlight your personal insecurities; information technology's all-time to go along the focus on your professional person and academic development. If you struggled with research and information technology shows on your awarding, what take you done since to rectify that gap in your cognition? If yous have trouble proverb no to opportunities, you tin exist honest about that, simply specify how you are learning to prioritize.

viii. Describe a Recent Challenge and How Yous Overcame It

Select a personal experience you had in which you were forced to deal with a difficult team fellow member, an overbearing manager, or manage an otherwise challenging personal struggle. How did you find a reasonable compromise and lengthened the disharmonize? What strengths and values did yous demonstrate in doing so?

What'due south well-nigh important is choosing a genuine experience from your life y'all can speak about comfortably and authentically that reveals your own personal and professional person strengths.

Equally with all of these questions, prepare for it beforehand. You must take i or more stories set up that accost overcoming a challenge or disharmonize.

ix. Explicate a [Specific Shortcoming] of Your Application…

If in that location'south an aspect of your awarding that's peculiarly weak, wait to be asked about it. Don't be defensive. Instead, explicate what happened, what you learned in the process, and how the situation afflicted your growth as a human existence and medical student.

Everyone makes mistakes. Don't sweep them under the carpeting. Demonstrating what yous learned from the experience shows maturity and perseverance.

10. Describe One of Your Enquiry Projects…

If you listed a newspaper, idea, or abstruse on your application, there'southward a good chance the interviewer will ask y'all to elaborate on information technology. If y'all included it on your application, it's off-white game for the interviewer, and then ensure you reread your CV as well every bit whatever publications or research projects mentioned on your application. Exist prepared to hash out them in detail on interview day.

11. What Specialty Are You Interested in?

Be conscientious answering this question, as it's a lot more dangerous than it seems. Information technology's important that you announced open to learning all fields of medicine. If you lot do have a particular interest in a specific specialty because of family unit or a personal or bookish experience, it'southward okay to mention that, merely make sure that you conspicuously demonstrate curiosity and an interest in all fields.

12. Who Inspires You?

Use this question as an opportunity to discuss the person or people in your life who had the greatest impact on yous. Choice someone close to you that you feel comfortable speaking almost, such as an of import mentor, teacher, or family unit fellow member. Choice someone you know personally so that you tin speak well-nigh them and their bear upon on you lot in depth.

It's a adventure to break down how that person inspired you, which, in turn, allows you to discuss your ain strengths and unique qualities in relation to them. For example, you could say that you admire your late mentor's integrity and try to match that level of integrity every day in order to keep their retentiveness live.

13. How Has Your Undergraduate Pedagogy Prepared Y'all for Medical School?

This is a great opportunity to highlight your accomplishments in academics, extracurriculars, or the lab. Don't exist arrogant, but don't shy abroad from all that you've managed to reach.

Provide groundwork and context for these accomplishments with tangible anecdotes from your life that showcase your technical chops in biology and medicine. It'due south as well a skilful idea to include a couple of stories that showcase your soft skills and bedside fashion to demonstrate that you lot tin can remain at-home nether pressure.

14. What Are Your Hobbies?/What Do You Do for Leisure?

Select a scattering of hobbies, around three to five, that you're passionate virtually and comfortable discussing. What do you do during your downtime? What practice you like to do for fun? Do you savor spending time with your family, playing sports or music, dancing, cooking, reading, writing, watching movies, gardening, horseback riding, or painting? Whatever hobby you cull, be prepared to speak almost it with genuine enthusiasm.

Be honest. The interviewer wants to know more than near you lot, simply they also want to ensure you're someone who is able to accept a break. If you lot have no hobbies but studying for medical school, it may seem like dedication to you, but it's also an indication that you could overwork yourself and burn out on the process.

If you've just started trying out a new hobby, feel gratuitous to discuss that also.

xv. What's the Last Book You Read/Enjoyed?

This is quite similar to the previous question, as information technology's another opportunity to demonstrate in that location is more to your life than the strict pursuit of medicine. The interviewer could ask yous about a volume, movie, or boob tube show y'all enjoyed recently.

If you didn't savour the final book you lot read or plan you watched, it could likewise exist a good opportunity to flex your disquisitional reasoning and analysis skills and discuss the specific reasons why you didn't enjoy it. Were the author's arguments weak? Did y'all not savour their writing style? Did you lot observe the actors or plot unbelievable?

Why You Should Read and How to Brand a Habit of It

sixteen. What Exercise Yous Think Most [Current Recent Topic]?

Stay on top of current affairs during your awarding bicycle—especially if they pertain to healthcare. You don't need to have a strong opinion most the event; in fact, information technology'southward better to appear informed and diplomatic than overly opinionated.

For example, a few years dorsum, the Affordable Care Act came upwardly in interview questions. More than recently, you might get questions about the COVID-xix pandemic and vaccines.

17. What Career Would You Pursue if You lot Couldn't Be a Dr.?

You lot can be honest about how disappointing it would exist not to exist able to become a medico, only that's not an reply to the question. Medicine is a very value-driven field of employment, so it'south important to select a career with similar values to the ones you lot find in medicine. For example, if y'all wanted to stay in the realm of medicine, y'all might say y'all would become a paramedic, a lab or radiologist technician, or surgical technologist.

Pick a field that demonstrates your values and want to help people.

18. What Will You Do If You Don't Become Into Medical School?

This is by no ways an easy question. The best course of action is to say you will reapply to medical school later yous take the time to strengthen your application. It's vital you demonstrate to the interviewer that you have a realistic and comprehensive backup programme in place, every bit this shows your maturity. If you say you want to grow your research or clinical experiences to heighten your application, detail exactly the steps yous would accept to achieve that.

19. Where Do Yous See Yourself in 10 Years?

Answer this question thoughtfully and honestly, and try to avert being overly ambitious. After all, if all goes well and y'all're accepted to medical schoolhouse, you'll take 4 years of that earlier three to seven years of residency, depending on your specialty. Then, information technology's possible you'll yet be in residency in ten years. Saying you hope to become an internationally sought-subsequently neurosurgeon in x years is bold—but extremely unlikely.

Pick a realistic answer and explain why that reality would exist platonic for you. If y'all want to ane solar day become a neurosurgeon, explicate why pursuing that goal is exactly where you hope to be in ten years. Take time in advance to think about how you will answer this question and be prepared for variants of it, such as, "where practice you see yourself in 15 or 20 years?"

20. What Questions Exercise Yous Have for Me/United states of america? (Interviewer)

Never answer no if an interviewer asks if you have questions for them. If you don't accept a long list of questions about the opportunity, it demonstrates to the interviewer that you're either unprepared or uninterested. Having a list of well-idea-out questions shows that you lot have a genuine and long-term interest in attending the medical school in question.

Practice not ask questions that can be easily answered on the school'southward website. Take advantage of the interviewer'due south expertise. What's their favorite thing about working at the schoolhouse? Why did they decide to teach for that particular program? If the interview goes well, asking detailed questions based on what you spoke about could be a mode to turn the interviewer into a valuable mentor and supporter.

Questions to ask the interviewer:

What are you most proud of nigh this medical school?
What are this medical school's greatest strengths?
Are there any new additions planned for this medical schoolhouse in the near hereafter?
Is there anything you would change about this medical school?
Are there any research requirements or structured research mentoring programs?
How practise the students here do in The Match?
Why did you decide to become an interviewer?

21. What Questions Do You Have for Me/U.s.a.? (Pupil)

You should accept unlike questions prepared for student interviews. They have a deep agreement of what it'due south similar to nourish that specific schoolhouse, then take full advantage of their knowledge of the programs, faculty, campus, other students, and surrounding urban center.

Questions to ask students:

Why did you lot choose this medical school?
What is something y'all would change about this medical school?
How competitive or collaborative are the other students?
Are in that location whatsoever fields or specialties that are underrepresented at this school?
How difficult is it to travel to and from the campus?
Do you need a motorcar, or is there public transit available?
What is life like outside of the hospital?
What is life like in this particular city?
Practise the students spend time with each other outside of medical school?

How to Set up for Medical School Interviews

Med School Insiders offers a comprehensive course on How to Ace the Medical Schoolhouse Interview that provides adept training to set you for the entire interview process.

Yous'll take dozens of years of medical school access committee experience on your side. Our team of top doctors, all with adcom feel, came together to build this course from the ground upward to provide you with the ultimate resource to master the medical school interview. The course includes all of the details, from what precisely to pack to making a cheat sheet to mutual pitfalls to how to address the well-nigh mutual questions.

Nosotros also take an extensive library of complimentary resources covering a long list of interview topics equally well as how to ready for your principal applications, secondaries, and residency applications.

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Source: https://medschoolinsiders.com/pre-med/medical-school-interview-questions-and-answers/