Icebreaker Questions:

Many Interviewers will start here. Most are looking for an icebreaker to put you at ease. Rarely, will you meet someone who comes out swinging with tough questions. This is a great opportunity for the interviewer to learn how you interact with others. They want you relaxed and making good eye contact. They want to see you aren’t too pompous, stiff, over-rehearsed or just plain odd.

1. So, tell me about yourself.

2. Tell me about your hometown.

3. What do you like to do for fun?

4. Where are you from originally?

5. How many siblings to you have and what do they do?

Questions about your Education

Now we are getting into the meat. Don’t be scared though. If you have been invited to an interview they already feel you have what it takes academically to make it to medical school. This is an opportunity for you to explain the good, the bad, and the ugly. You can clear up any blemishes here. 

1. Why did you choose your school?

2. Why did you choose your major and minor? 

3. Tell me about this poor grade you made.

4. Tell me about your research.

5. What have you learned from your volunteer activities?

6. What was your favorite class in college and why?

7. What was the biggest academic challenge you had and how did you overcome this?

8. What did you learn about yourself during undergrad?

9. Who was your favorite teacher and why?

10. Why did you take a gap year and what did you learn during that period?

Deeper Personal Questions

This is the interviewer’s opportunity to get a little more personal and invasive. They want to know if you can take on the challenges you will face in medical school. They want to know if you know what you are getting into and if you have determination and strong support.

1. Why do you want to be a doctor?

2. What is your greatest strength and weakness?

3. Where do you see yourself in the next 5, 10 and 20 years?

4. Who was your role model growing up and why?

5. What person living or dead would you like to meet and why?

6. What major challenge have you faced in life and how did you overcome this?

7. How do you deal with failure?

8. When have you felt the most vulnerable and how did you overcome this?

9. What 5 words would others use to describe you?

10. Who has been most influential in your path to becoming a medical doctor?

11. Why should we accept you here?

12. What is your favorite book?

13. What is your favorite show?

14. What is your favorite medical show?

15. What would you do next year or long term if you are not accepted into medical school?

Questions Related to Medicine

It’s time to make sure you know basics about medicine and sometimes a little deeper than that. This is the interviewer’s opportunity to see if you are passionate about this and if you are aware of major current news in the medical world.

1. What do you believe are the biggest problems facing the US healthcare system?

2. What are your thoughts on our new health care plan?

3. Tell me something current going on in medicine.

4. What challenges do you foresee transitioning from undergraduate to medical school?

5. Why have you chose to interview at our school?

6. What type of medical schools are you applying to and why?

7. I know it is early but do you have a particular field of interest yet?

8. What qualities do you feel are necessary for a good physician to have?

Diversity Questions

Schools are looking for diversity. By diversity they are not simply referring to race or gender but things that make you different and stand out from the crowd. Everyone is a minority in one way or another and had to overcome barriers to get here. Medicine needs diverse minds to treat a diverse population.

1. Do you think diversity is important in healthcare and if so, why?

2. How can you contribute to our diversity mission?

3. How have your adversities affected you?

4. What makes you unique as an applicant to medical school?

Social/Ethical Questions

These may be some of the toughest questions as they can cover a broad range of topics. Many can be brought up in scenario format.

1. Are there any current ethical controversies in the news you can tell me about?

2. Are there any moral or ethical dilemmas you have faced while volunteering or shadowing?

3. What are your thoughts on euthanasia?

4. How would you inform a 60 year old woman that she has a new diagnosis of cancer?

5. How would you respond to discovering a colleague of yours is dealing with substance abuse?

6. If you observe a medical student cheating on an exam what would you do?

7. If you are in an elevator and hear physicians discussing patients, what would you do?

8. What are your thoughts on alternative medicine?

Closing Question

1. So, what questions do you have for me?

I hope you find these questions helpful. I suggest practicing these questions with a friend as a mock interview. You may consider recording it and reviewing your weaknesses and strengths. Those who have interviewed previously please share some questions you received. What questions surprised you? Which were most memorable? For those interviewing this year, please share any concerns or suggestions on how best to answer these.  

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