Nail Your BS/MD Interview with These Strategies

Our favorite season is finally here—  interview season! BS/MD interview invites have just started rolling out. Understandably, this is an exciting (but nerve-wracking) time for many students as they nervously await from their top programs. If you are preparing for BS/MD interviews, here are some tips to keep in mind to nail your interview.

Application Architect has one of the most comprehensive BS/MD interview prep, with special curricula for MMI and healthcare review. If you want to prepare with us for BS/MD interviews, click here to get started.

What are BS/MD programs looking for?

Interviews are another way for the admissions office to see students’ personalities and understand their strengths. Students should be able to articulate their passions and motivations for medicine, in addition to relaying experiences that have contributed to their outlook. While essays are a good way to grasp what is important to a student, interviews are important for admissions to assess the student’s fit for their program. It is also important to observe if the students’ demeanor matches what was presented on paper. 

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) provides a list of competencies as a criteria for medical schools to assess a students’ preparedness to succeed in medical school. The following competencies are listed below:

Common BS/MD Interview Questions

It’s no surprise that interviews can be revealing about an application. While having a great personality and charisma is half the battle, the other half relies on content and delivery. Having had students interview and accepted to nearly every BS/MD, here are the top 10 most common questions that I see:

1. Tell me about yourself
2. Why Medicine/ Why Doctor
3. Why are you interested in this BS/MD Program
4. Why are you interested in an accelerated program (if applicable)
5. Tell me about [an activity]/ [your research]
6. What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?
7. Where do you see yourself in 10-20 years?
8. Describe a challenge/ failure
9. How will you contribute to the diversity of our program
10. What’s the most important healthcare issue

While BS/MD MMI interviews are typically centered on ethics, traditional interviews (1-on-1 with a faculty member) can occasionally throw in an ethics or situational question.

As you’re preparing, know your application and motivations inside and out. One of the most common mistakes I see in mock interviews, even from students who prepared with other consulting companies, is that students only superficially understand what it means to be a physician. If you’ve read any of my other posts, you’ll likely have seen my emphasis on articulating the goals you hope to achieve as a doctor. In some interviews, your interviewer could easily challenge your motivations for medicine. Without solid preparations for these follow up questions, a hesitant answer could cost you the acceptance.

Lastly, the daunting healthcare question does exist for these interviews. Some schools place an emphasis on this question more than others. If you’re anticipating an interview invite, start preparing for this question by reading up on topics like insurance, healthcare barriers, and the healthcare system. Application Architect offers its own curated resources and review for our interview students.

Best Ways to Practice for BS/MD Interviews

Mock interviews are the best way to practice. However, I recommend choosing someone who is well-versed in medical school or BS/MD interviews. While there are many “experts” out there, be wary of the ones without experience in teaching interview prep, or those without a strong understanding of medical ethics and the healthcare system. Each season, I host mock interviews with me after preparing with different consultants or companies. However, despite their preparation, many students still feel that the Application Architect mock interview is difficult. What’s the difference? Our mock interviews aren’t meant to just practice basic questions. Utilizing our background in medicine, our mentors meticulously push students to thoroughly articulate their knowledge and motivations for the healthcare system.

Outside of mock interviews, practicing aloud is important. While it’s important to not sound too rehearsed, thinking about a topic mentally can come across differently when verbalizing your answer. I often recommend students to record themselves on Zoom especially for high yield questions like the ones above. As you’re practicing, pay attention to your facial cues. Many students are understandably focused on delivering content well. However, this focus can cause them to overlook how their facial expressions or body language may convey a lack of enthusiasm. Remember, passion is of the utmost importance in interviews. The subtleties of your demeanor contributes to how you convey your passions.

The last piece of advice I have to nail a BS/MD interview is to improve your storytelling. Storytelling in essays is very different from storytelling in interviews. Don’t add too many flowery or unnecessary details in your stories. The stories should be present succinctly (What was the context? What was the problem? What was the solution?). This makes the message you’re trying to convey easier to follow. Arguably the reflection of your story is much more important. Not everything has to be related back to medicine. Be sure to articulate how your experiences contributed to your personal growth or development of specific skills.

Read More: Preparing for BS/MD Interviews

Final Thoughts

As the final step to getting admitting into medical school, BS/MD interviews are one of the most important aspects of your application. Whether practicing for UMKC MMI questions or Penn State’s BS/MD interview, students can master the interview by learning how to interpret questions and thoroughly practicing their answers. Good luck on your interview!