Why Medical School Interview Questions Matter More Than You Think
You know that moment when you're sitting across from a candidate who looks perfect on paper, but something just doesn't click during the interview? That's exactly what medical school admissions committees face every single day. Medical school interview questions aren't just formalities – they're the make-or-break moments that separate the 56% of applicants who get rejected from those who secure their spot. As someone who's worked with countless hiring managers, I can tell you that the right questions reveal character, resilience, and genuine passion in ways that no transcript ever could.
The Numbers Tell a Sobering Story
Here's what most people don't realize about medical school admissions: most medical schools receive at least 10 applications per place, and there's no safety net like clearing for medical school entry. When you're dealing with over 1,000 applicants who are just as qualified as the top candidate, those interview questions become your most powerful screening tool.
The statistics are eye-opening. In 2023 alone, 56% of medical school applicants faced rejection, despite many having stellar academic records. Some candidates even achieve a perfect 528 on the MCAT but still don't make the cut. Why? Because academic brilliance doesn't automatically translate to bedside manner or the emotional intelligence needed to handle a 130,000 physician shortage by 2037.
What Makes Interview Questions So Crucial
Dr. Harvey Katzen, a clinical oncologist and former admissions committee member at George Washington University School, puts it perfectly: "An interview can turn the tide in your favor or against you." The most successful programs understand that they're not just selecting students for 4 years of medical school – they're choosing future doctors who'll spend 3 to 7 years in residency and potentially 15 or 20 years serving patients.
The interesting part? Most applicants come away from their first med school interview saying, 'That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.' But here's the kicker – 96% of students who do 3+ mock interviews with physician advisors get into medical school. This tells us that preparation and the right questions make all the difference.
Medical schools don't want students who think they know everything. They're looking for people willing to admit when they don't have all the answers – a crucial trait for doctors who'll face life-or-death decisions daily. The biggest mistake many interviewees make is talking about a pre-rehearsed topic rather than actually listening and responding to what's being asked.
Ready to Transform Your Interview Process?
Now that you understand why medical school interview questions are so critical to identifying the right candidates, it's time to see them in action. We've compiled 145 best practice questions for medical school interviews that will help you uncover everything from ethical reasoning to emotional intelligence, ensuring you select candidates who won't just succeed academically but will thrive as compassionate, competent physicians.
Because you're reading this article, you might be interested in the following article as well: Asynchronous Video Interview: Main Characteristics.
🏆 The list of TOP 145 medical school interview questions in 2025
Why did you choose your undergraduate major?
Asking this question helps uncover what originally motivated the candidate and how they make long-term decisions. It's a simple way to understand whether their academic choices were strategic or based on genuine passion.
Best practice tip: Look for answers that show thoughtfulness, self-awareness, and a connection to future goals—especially if the role requires planning and commitment.
Some candidates may connect their major to their desire to work in medicine or healthcare. Others might highlight transferable skills like research, communication, or analytical thinking. It's okay if their major doesn’t directly align with the role—as long as they can clearly explain how it helped shape their journey.
Use this moment to see:
- Did they make intentional choices?
- Can they connect the dots between their education and career path?
- Do they show ownership of their decisions?
Effective screening comes from spotting clear reasoning and personal insight here.
How have you tried to achieve breadth in your undergraduate curriculum?
Asking this question helps you understand if the candidate made an effort to explore different academic areas beyond their core field of study. It reveals curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to learn outside their comfort zone—traits that are valuable in a dynamic work environment.
Comment:
This question evaluates how candidates have diversified their academic experience beyond their major requirements. Look for responses that mention electives in different disciplines, interdisciplinary projects, or study abroad programs. A strong answer often includes examples like:
- Taking unrelated courses to understand broader contexts
- Participating in seminars outside their department
- Pursuing a minor in an unrelated subject
Best practice: Candidates who show intellectual curiosity and self-directed growth usually adapt better, think more creatively, and bring new perspectives to a role.
How has your undergraduate research experience, if any, better prepared you for a medical career?
Asking this question helps you see how someone connects hands-on research with real-world medical skills. You're looking for more than just lab work—a strong answer should show critical thinking, attention to detail, scientific curiosity, and time management.
Best practice: Look for candidates who can clearly describe what they learned and how those lessons apply to medical situations. Did their project involve teamwork? Were they solving problems under pressure? Did they practice presenting complex ideas clearly?
What to look for:
- Specific research projects or topics
- Skills gained, like data analysis, patient interaction, or scientific writing
- Personal growth stories or lessons they can carry into med school
Red flag: Vague responses or focusing only on technical work without connecting it to real medical applications.
This question is great because it filters for both academic drive and applied thinking—two things medicine really demands.
How have the jobs, volunteer opportunities, or extracurricular experiences that you have had better prepared you for the responsibilities of being a physician?
This question examines how practical experiences have prepared candidates for medical practice responsibilities.
Look for candidates who connect real-world experiences to the core duties of a physician—like patient care, communication, empathy, and decision-making. The best answers demonstrate reflection and growth. For example, someone who volunteered at a hospital and learned to stay calm under pressure or a summer job that taught them teamwork and accountability.
What to listen for:
- Clear connections between the experience and physician responsibilities
- Personal development in areas like compassion, resilience, or leadership
- Specific examples that demonstrate how they handled difficult or meaningful situations
Best practice: Strong candidates won’t just list past roles—they’ll explain how those roles shaped their mindset and prepared them for a medical career. This helps you assess emotional intelligence and maturity, which are key in healthcare settings.
How do you envision using your medical education?
Asking this question helps you understand how a candidate plans to apply their training in real-world settings. It reveals whether they’re driven by patient care, research, or perhaps a specialty area—giving you insight into what motivates them.
What to look for in a strong answer:
- Clear career goals or a path they’re aiming for
- Passion or commitment to a particular area of medicine
- Alignment with your organization’s values or specialties
Red flags to watch:
- Vague or generic answers with no real direction
- A mismatch between their vision and the role you're hiring for
- Lack of enthusiasm or uncertainty about their next steps
Best practice tip: Use this question to spark a deeper discussion. For example, if they mention an interest in public health, follow up with how they’ve explored that interest or plan to continue developing it. This can reveal consistency between their past actions and future goals.
Overall, this question helps you identify candidates who have purpose and clarity in their medical journey—traits that often translate into stronger performance on the job.
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
This classic question assesses self-awareness and the ability to reflect on personal qualities.
Why it works: A candidate who can clearly explain their strengths and weaknesses shows emotional intelligence and honesty. It gives insight into how they see themselves and whether their strengths align with your open role.
What to listen for:
- Specificity: Are the strengths directly relevant to the job?
- Contextual examples: Do they explain how their strengths have helped in past roles?
- Ownership of weaknesses: Are they honest about areas for improvement, and do they show steps they’ve taken to grow?
- Balance: Are they too modest or overconfident?
Red flags:
- Generic responses like “I’m a perfectionist” without context.
- Claiming they have no weaknesses.
- Strengths that don’t match the needs of the role.
Best practice tip: Follow up with a prompt like: “Can you tell me how that strength has helped you in your last job?” or “What steps have you taken to improve this weakness?” This helps you evaluate behavioral patterns and growth potential.
What travels have you taken and what exposure to other cultures have you had?
This question evaluates cultural awareness and a candidate’s global perspective. It’s especially useful when hiring for roles that involve international teams, global clients, or a diverse work environment.
When asking this question, you're not just looking for a list of places. Focus on how the candidate reflects on their experiences. Strong answers often include:
- What they learned from the trip
- Interactions with local communities
- Challenging situations they navigated in a different culture
- How travel broadened their outlook
Best practice tip: Look for candidates who link their travel experiences to personal growth or improved workplace skills—like adaptability, open-mindedness, or communication. These are indicators of emotional intelligence and a strong fit in multicultural teams.
Thinking of examples from your recent past, how would you assess your empathy and compassion?
This question requires candidates to provide specific examples demonstrating empathy and compassion. It's a strong behavioral question that reveals emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills.
What to look for:
- The candidate should describe a real situation and their role in handling it.
- Look for actions that show genuine concern and understanding for others.
- Pay attention to how they balanced empathy with professionalism.
Best practice: Ask follow-up questions like “How did the other person respond?” or “What was the outcome of your actions?” to probe deeper.
Red Flag: Vague or surface-level answers may indicate a lack of real empathetic experience.
This question works especially well for roles involving teamwork, leadership, customer service, or healthcare.
As a pre-med, what skills have you learned to help manage your time and relieve stress?
This question assesses stress management and time management skills crucial for medical school and practice.
Asking this helps you understand how the candidate handles pressure, structures their schedule, and balances multiple demands — all essential traits in healthcare professions. Look for responses that show self-awareness, discipline, and healthy coping mechanisms.
Best practice approach:
- Strong candidates often mention tools like calendars or task tracking apps.
- They may talk about prioritizing tasks, setting boundaries, or using study techniques like the Pomodoro method.
- Bonus points if they highlight exercise, meditation, or other habits that support mental health.
Avoid candidates who give vague answers or glorify burnout ("I just grind through late nights") — that's not sustainable or safe in a medical career. You're looking for someone who has figured out how to manage pressure without crumbling. Stress isn’t the issue—it’s how they respond.
If you could be granted three wishes for making the world/society/your community a better place, what would they be and why?
This question is a great way to understand a candidate's values, sense of purpose, and social awareness. It opens up a conversation beyond the job description and helps you see what matters most to them.
What to listen for:
- Answers that reflect empathy, responsibility, and thoughtfulness
- Clarity in explaining why each wish matters
- A willingness to think big but also practically
Best practice: Look for candidates who genuinely care about others and can balance idealism with action. For example, a strong answer could include wishes like access to education for all, mental health support, or environmental sustainability—with reasons tied to personal experience or long-term impact.
Red flags:
- Surface-level or generic answers that lack explanation
- Responses centered only on personal gain or unrelated topics
Remember, you're not judging how “noble” their wishes are, but whether they show a thoughtful, values-driven mindset that aligns with your company culture.
What do you do for fun?
This question helps reveal a candidate's personality and ability to balance work with downtime. You're not just hiring skills—you’re adding someone to your team culture.
Listen for answers that show well-rounded interests, hobbies that support creativity, stress relief, team interactions, or commitment. For example, someone who enjoys hiking or painting may show discipline and independence, while those involved in team sports or volunteering often bring great people skills and collaboration flair.
Best practice: Don’t judge activities—what matters is passion, commitment, and attitude. If someone struggles to answer, they might need prompting—ask what they did last weekend or in their free time.
Use this question to spot:
- How they recharge
- If they value a healthy work-life balance
- Personality traits that may resonate within your team
This can also be a strong icebreaker early in your screening call. It builds rapport and puts candidates at ease.
What is 'success' in your opinion? After 20 years as a physician, what kind of 'success' would you hope to have achieved?
This question explores the candidate’s personal values, motivation, and ability to set and stick to long-term career goals. It’s a valuable question, especially for roles where longevity, personal drive, and alignment with the organization’s mission matter.
What to look for in responses:
- A clear and thoughtful definition of success—does it align with patient outcomes, peer recognition, work-life balance, or continued learning?
- A sense of long-term vision and planning—are they thinking about leadership roles, mentoring the next generation, or contributing to medical innovations?
- Evidence of intrinsic motivation—are they driven by personal growth or just external rewards?
Best practice: Look for candidates who blend professional accomplishments with meaningful personal fulfillment. Their answer should show they’ve reflected on their journey and how they measure their impact, not just titles or money. A physician who focuses on positive patient impact, professional development, or contributing to improved healthcare systems will usually be a strong cultural and performance fit.
What qualities do you look for in a physician? Can you provide an example of a physician who embodies any of these ideals?
This is a great question to assess a candidate's core values and their understanding of what makes an effective physician. You're not just looking for keywords like compassionate, knowledgeable, or ethical — you're evaluating how deeply the candidate has thought about these qualities and how they apply them in real-life situations.
Best practice: Listen for thoughtful, specific traits and avoid generic answers. Strong candidates often mention:
- Patient-centered care
- Strong communication skills
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Clinical expertise
- Empathy and emotional intelligence
Even better, if they can back those qualities with a real-life example, it shows they’re not just repeating what they think you want to hear. They’re reflecting real experiences and values.
Watch how they describe their role model, whether it’s someone they’ve worked with, studied under, or read about. Ideal responses show insight, humility, and a desire to grow into those same ideals.
This question gives you a clear window into who they are and the kind of physician they aspire to be.
What kind of experiences have you had working with sick people? Have these experiences taught you anything that you didn't know beforehand?
Asking this question helps you understand a candidate's hands-on experience with patient care and any personal or professional growth they’ve had from it. It goes beyond technical skills—you're looking for emotional intelligence, adaptability, and the ability to reflect on and learn from real-life situations.
Look out for candidates who:
- Share specific examples of working directly with sick patients
- Explain the challenges they faced and how they handled them
- Reflect on what they learned—whether about patient care, communication, empathy, or themselves
Best practice: The strongest candidates not only describe past experiences but also show how those experiences shaped their behavior or thinking in future situations. This reflection shows maturity and growth.
Do you have any family members or role models who are physicians?
This question explores family influence and role models in the medical field. It helps you understand what inspired the candidate to pursue a career in medicine and how deeply rooted their motivation is.
Why it works:
- Candidates with physician role models often have a strong grasp of the demands of the profession.
- It sheds light on personal motivation and career values.
- Helps assess long-term commitment and passion for the field.
Best practice: Look for answers that blend personal connection with professional ambition. Candidates who reference both emotional ties and a clear understanding of the role tend to show balance and maturity. However, this should not be the sole deciding factor—ensure it complements other findings in the screening process.
What family members, friends, or other individuals have been influential in your decision to pursue a medical career?
This question helps uncover the personal motivation behind the candidate’s choice to enter the medical field. Whether it's a family member who worked in healthcare, a mentor who inspired them, or a friend’s experience that sparked interest, their answer provides insight into what drives them.
Look for responses that reflect:
- Genuine passion and enthusiasm
- Long-standing interest in medicine
- A support system or mentorship that provided clarity or encouragement
Be cautious with answers that sound forced or overly scripted. The best responses often come with a personal story that feels authentic.
Best practice tip: Follow up by asking how this individual influenced their decision – was it through direct advice, example, or a shared experience? This reveals more about the candidate's values and motivations.
If you could invite four people from the past to dinner, who would they be, and why would you invite them? What would you talk about?
This creative question gives you a window into the candidate’s imagination, values, and critical thinking. The goal here isn't to judge them based on who they pick, but why they pick them and how they explain their choices.
Look for responses that show:
- Intellectual curiosity
- Meaningful interests beyond their career
- Ability to reflect and engage in thoughtful conversation
Great answers often include a mix of historical, cultural, or scientific figures, and clear reasons for each choice. It also helps when candidates can tie their choices back to personal or professional growth.
Watch out for vague or superficial answers. If their response lacks depth, it might suggest limited curiosity or engagement outside of work.
Best practice tip: Use this question to spark conversation. Dig into the "why" behind their answers, and you’ll learn a lot about who they are beyond the resume.
Does your academic record reflect any major challenges? If so, what are they and why did they occur?
Asking about academic challenges helps reveal how a candidate handles setbacks and learns from tough situations. You’re not just looking for grades—you’re looking for grit, growth, and honesty.
What to listen for:
- Ownership of any issues, such as illness, family hardship, or needing to work through school.
- Focus on how they recovered or adapted—did they seek help, improve later, or stay consistent in other areas?
- Genuine reflection rather than blame.
Best practice tip: It's okay if their record isn’t perfect. What matters more is how they dealt with adversity. This can tell you a lot about their resilience and potential in a professional setting.
What excites you about medicine in general?
This is a powerful screening question that helps uncover a candidate’s true motivation for pursuing a medical career. It gives insight into their passion, long-term commitment, and alignment with the values of your practice or healthcare organization.
Comment:
This question assesses genuine enthusiasm and passion for the medical field. You're looking for responses that go beyond surface-level answers like “helping people.” Strong candidates may talk about:
- Lifelong learning and scientific discovery
- Problem-solving and critical thinking
- Making a real difference in people’s lives
- Specific areas within medicine they’re drawn to
Best practice: Listen for energy in their tone, specific examples, and a clear connection between their personal values and the mission of your organization. This helps ensure you're hiring someone who sees medicine not just as a job, but as a calling.
What do you know about the current trends in our nation's healthcare system?
This question evaluates awareness of current healthcare issues and trends.
Asking this helps you see if the candidate stays up to date with what's happening in the healthcare world. It’s especially useful if you're hiring for roles in healthcare, public policy, or any position that touches on health services.
Look for responses that cover:
- Telehealth expansion
- Rising healthcare costs
- Mental health awareness and services
- Healthcare staffing shortages
- Value-based care vs. fee-for-service models
- Health equity and access to care
A strong answer would mention recent statistics, regulatory changes, or emerging technologies. If a candidate can tie these trends to the kind of work your organization does, that's a big plus.
Best practice: Follow up by asking how these trends might impact their role or the company's strategy. That shows if they can think critically, not just repeat headlines.
What do you believe to be some of the most pressing health issues today? Why?
This question assesses a candidate’s awareness of global or local health challenges. It’s especially useful for roles in healthcare, public policy, or roles that impact community well-being.
Look for:
- Knowledge of current health trends like mental health, chronic diseases, or the impact of pandemics
- Thoughtful insights into why these issues matter globally or locally
- How their views might align with your organization’s mission or values
Best practice: Encourage candidates to give examples or cite data if possible. A strong candidate will showcase not just personal opinion, but an understanding of broader trends and their implications.
What do you feel are the negative or restrictive aspects of medicine from a professional standpoint?
This question evaluates realistic understanding of challenges in medical practice.
Understanding the downsides of a profession is just as important as highlighting its rewards. This question helps hiring managers assess a candidate's self-awareness, maturity, and practical insight into the realities of medical work.
Look for responses that mention:
- Work-life balance concerns
- Bureaucracy or administrative burden
- Emotional toll and burnout
- Ethical dilemmas under pressure
- Challenges in patient communication or non-compliance
A strong candidate will speak honestly but professionally. They won’t just vent frustrations—they’ll discuss how they manage or adapt to these challenges. This shows resilience and realistic expectations, which are key traits for longevity and performance in healthcare roles.
Best practice tip: Follow up by asking how the candidate copes with or addresses these challenges in their day-to-day work.
If you had to choose between clinical and academic medicine as a profession, which would you pick? What do you feel you might lose by being forced to choose?
This question explores where a candidate's real passion lies—whether it's working directly with patients or contributing to the field through teaching and research. It reveals their long-term goals, motivation, and how well they understand both aspects of the medical profession.
A strong answer will clearly express preference with reasoning, showing they’ve thought deeply about both paths. Look for candidates who:
- Show awareness of what each path involves (patient care vs. teaching/research)
- Acknowledge the trade-offs (e.g., missing direct patient contact in academia, or lack of research time in clinical care)
- Align their choice with their personal values or strengths
Best practice: A thoughtful candidate should recognize the value of both fields and show emotional intelligence when explaining what they might lose by not having both.
If you're looking to see more in the meantime, if you're looking to see more medical assistant interview questions, check out this article: Medical Assistant Interview Questions
This question helps you understand how well a candidate aligns with your organization's focus and reveals how self-aware and forward-thinking they are in their career planning.
What do you feel are the social responsibilities of a physician?
This question assesses understanding of physicians' role in society beyond patient care.
It’s not just about diagnosing and treating patients. A standout candidate should touch on broader responsibilities like promoting public health, educating communities, reducing healthcare disparities, and advocating for ethical practices and equal access to care.
What to look for in a strong answer:
- Awareness that healthcare is a service to the whole community, not just individuals
- Mentions of health education, preventive care, or community outreach
- Sensitivity to health equity and the impact of social determinants on health
- An ethical mindset and commitment to serving vulnerable populations
Best practice tip: Look for candidates who show both passion and practical understanding of how their role connects to larger societal needs. This shows empathy, maturity, and professional integrity—qualities that matter just as much as medical skills in today’s healthcare landscape.
What do you consider an important/the most important social problem facing the United States today and why?
This question helps you learn how candidates view current events and larger social issues. Their answer gives insight into their social awareness, values, and ability to think critically about complex topics. It also shows whether they keep up with news and if they’re able to explain their perspective clearly.
Best practice tip: Look for candidates who provide a thoughtful answer backed by reasons, and not just a vague statement. Their response should be respectful of different views and show emotional intelligence.
You're not looking for the “right” answer—but rather how well the candidate communicates, backs up their opinion, and demonstrates empathy or ethical thinking.
How do you think national health insurance affects physicians, patients, and society?
This question helps you see how well a candidate understands broader healthcare issues beyond clinical work. It also gives insight into their values and awareness of system-wide challenges.
What to listen for:
- A thoughtful understanding of all three stakeholders: physicians, patients, and society.
- The ability to explain pros and cons logically.
- Genuine awareness of healthcare accessibility, costs, and ethical responsibility.
Best practice tip: Strong candidates will balance perspectives—recognizing benefits like increased access to care for patients and challenges such as physician workload or resource limitations. You’re looking for clear communication, critical thinking, and empathy.
Red flags: Vague answers, overly one-sided views, or lack of knowledge about healthcare systems may suggest limited understanding or interest in broader industry issues.
In what manner and to what degree do you stay in touch with current events?
This question evaluates engagement with current affairs and staying informed.
Asking candidates about how they stay updated on current events offers insight into their curiosity, awareness, and communication habits.
Look for responses that show a healthy media diet—such as reading reputable news sites, subscribing to industry newsletters, or following thought leaders on platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter. It’s helpful when candidates reference how staying updated benefits their role or decision making.
Best practice: Focus less on what news they follow and more on how they process and apply information. A strong candidate won't just consume content—they'll seek to understand broader trends and their relevance.
Watch out for overly passive answers like, “I scroll news sometimes.” This might show a lack of initiative to stay informed, which can be a red flag in roles that require strategic thinking or customer understanding.
What books, films, or other media come to mind as having been particularly important to your sciences/non-sciences education?
This open-ended question gives insight into the candidate's intellectual curiosity, interests, and approach to learning. It also reveals how they engage with complex information outside traditional education settings.
What to listen for:
- Candidates who name diverse sources, from books and documentaries to podcasts or public lectures, demonstrate a broad learning appetite.
- Look for a thoughtful explanation of why the media mattered. Did it shape their worldview? Spark a career interest? Reinforce a key skill?
- Bonus points if they reference current sources, showing they're still actively learning.
Best Practice Tip: Good candidates often connect media back to their real-world application — like using a Stephen Hawking book to explain black holes or a business podcast that helped improve their decision-making skills. Keep an ear out for relevance and critical thinking.
Can you think of any examples in our society when healthcare is a right? When is it a privilege? When is it not clear?
This question evaluates a candidate’s critical thinking and perspective on social and ethical issues, especially in roles related to healthcare, policy, or social services.
Look for candidates who can:
- Clearly differentiate between scenarios where healthcare is treated as a right (e.g., emergency care, public health programs)
- Recognize when healthcare tends to be a privilege (e.g., elective procedures, premium insurance access)
- Identify complexities or gray areas where it’s hard to define (e.g., undocumented individuals, access to specialists)
Best practice approach: Good answers should show empathy, awareness of different systems (like universal healthcare vs private insurance), and an understanding that these views can be influenced by laws, culture, and policy.
Use this question to assess not only knowledge but also how a candidate handles nuanced topics – a great indicator of maturity and communication skills.
Are you aware of any current controversies in the area of medical ethics? List and discuss some of these.
Comment: This question assesses knowledge of current ethical debates in medicine.
It helps you see if the candidate is staying up-to-date with real-world issues in the healthcare field. You're also checking their ability to think critically about sensitive topics, and how well they can explain complex subjects.
Look for candidates who mention specific, recent issues like:
- AI in diagnosis and treatment — concerns about bias and accountability
- End-of-life care — right-to-die laws, assisted suicide, and palliative care access
- Vaccine mandates — balancing public health versus personal freedom
- Patient data privacy — especially with telemedicine and health tech
- Gene editing (e.g., CRISPR) — potential future implications and ethical limits
Best practice: Strong candidates won’t just list controversies—they’ll offer a balanced perspective and explain why each issue matters. Look for clarity, awareness of both sides of the debate, and a sense of responsibility that matches your organization's values.
💡 Remaining 115 questions...
The online article only includes the first 30 questions to keep it digestible, but we’ve put together an ebook for you with all the questions we gathered through our extensive research.
Download E-Book here 👉
Real-World Insights from Medical School Admissions Experts
When it comes to understanding what works in medical school interview questions, learning from experienced professionals makes all the difference. Several leading experts have shared valuable insights about the admissions process that can help both candidates and screening committees.
Dr. Harvey Katzen, a clinical oncologist and former admissions committee member at George Washington University School, has provided crucial perspective on what admissions committees actually look for during interviews. His experience sitting on the other side of the table offers real insights into how medical school interview questions are evaluated and what makes candidates stand out.
Dr. Sahil Mehta MD, founder of MedSchoolCoach, brings a unique combination of clinical expertise and admissions guidance to the table. As a practicing physician specializing in vascular and interventional radiology in Boston, Dr. Mehta has successfully guided thousands of medical school applicants through the interview process. His dual perspective as both a practicing physician and admissions coach provides valuable understanding of what medical schools truly seek in their candidates.
Dr. Kevin Jubbal represents another success story worth examining. After graduating magna cum laude from UCLA with a B.S. in Neuroscience, he earned his M.D. from UC San Diego as the sole recipient of the top merit scholarship for all four years. Dr. Jubbal matched into Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center and has authored more than 60 publications in plastic surgery. Now a physician entrepreneur, he founded both the Blue LINC Healthcare Incubator and Med School Insiders, demonstrating how proper interview preparation can lead to exceptional career outcomes.
Why Video Screening is Revolutionizing Medical School Admissions
The recruitment landscape is changing rapidly, and medical schools are no exception. Video screening software is becoming increasingly popular among admissions committees for several compelling reasons.
First, it allows schools to efficiently review more candidates while maintaining quality standards. Traditional in-person interviews are time-intensive and expensive, especially when considering travel costs and scheduling conflicts. Video screening enables admissions committees to assess candidates' communication skills, professionalism, and responses to medical school interview questions without geographical limitations.
The technology also provides consistency in the evaluation process. Every candidate receives the same questions in the same format, eliminating variables that might affect traditional interviews. This standardized approach helps ensure fair assessment of all applicants.
Additionally, video screening offers flexibility for both candidates and admissions committees. Candidates can complete their interviews at convenient times, reducing stress and potentially improving performance. Admissions committees can review responses when it works best for their schedules, leading to more thoughtful evaluations.
The ability to replay and review responses is another significant advantage. Unlike traditional interviews where important details might be missed or forgotten, video screening allows committee members to revisit candidate responses, ensuring more accurate assessments of medical school interview questions and answers.
Ready to modernize your medical school admissions process? Discover how video screening can transform your candidate evaluation process and help you identify the best future physicians more efficiently than ever before.