Interviews
A personal interview is required for acceptance to medical school. Interviews usually take place at the medical school or online. Two or more members of the admissions committee typically interview applicants. The interviewers can be faculty members of the school, practicing physicians in the area, current medical students, or individuals in the admissions office.
The format of the interview varies for individual schools. The interviews can be one on one with an interviewer, or they can be a more formal panel interview. Many schools are using the new Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format originally started in Canadian medical schools. The information available to the interviewers varies. Some schools prefer a blind interview. In these situations the interviewer has not had access to the student’s application and has no previous knowledge of the candidate. Other schools provide the interviewers with all the information available, and still others use a semi-blind format withholding some information from the interviewer, for example MCAT scores and/or GPA. It is helpful to find out which type of format the school is using in order to better prepare for interview day.
Interview Invitations
Being invited to interview means you’ve passed on paper! Now it’s time to shine and show the school that you’re the right candidate for them to select for admission. Schools begin inviting applicants for interviews in September. Most institutions admit students on a rolling basis, which means that the schools start filling their classes with the first pool of applicants they interview. There are more openings available in September than there are the following February, so applying early is advantageous.
Preparation
First, find out everything you can about the school. Every school has something that is unique to them. This information will help you get excited about the school and also give you some things to ask about at the interview.
Second, schedule a mock interview through the Pre-Medical Sciences office. We will ask you the same kinds of questions you’ll expect to hear at your interview, will practice an MMI scenario, and will provide feedback on how your verbal and nonverbal communication skills might influence your interviewers.
Once you have been invited to the interview the admissions committee has already determined that you are academically qualified to attend their school. Therefore, the purpose of the interview is to assess your motivation for medicine, your communication skills, your understanding of current topics in medicine, and your personality and if you are a good fit for their program. The following are a sample of some of the questions that you may be asked at an interview:
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Tell me about yourself.
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
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What branch of medicine are you interested in?
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Why do you want to go to this medical school?
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What experience do you have in the medical field?
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What do you see as being the biggest issue facing health care today?
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What is your opinion on stem cell research/abortion/physician-assisted suicide?
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How would you solve the high cost of medical care?
Attire
Dress conservatively. A dark suit is appropriate. A white shirt is not mandatory but avoid flashy colors. Wear comfortable shoes. Many in-person interviews include tours of the campus or walking from one interview site to the next. Depending on the school, there also may be several hours between the orientation and the actual interview. For an online interview, dress conservatively from the waist up. Your background in the online interview should be simple and generic or a white background.
Travel and Expenses
In-person interviewing can be a costly process. You are required to travel to the school and spend at least one night. Airfare out of Missoula is expensive. As soon as you know the date of your interview begin checking fares. Many tickets are cheaper if purchased 21 days in advance of departure. Also, traveling from Spokane and Bozeman can be significantly less expensive than traveling from Missoula.
Many schools give you a choice of interview days, either in-person or online.