What to Ask During Medical School Admissions Interviews

Medical school applicants are in the throes of interviewing season. It's a time where they not only speak with various school leaders about why they want to be doctors, but they also get a chance to ask questions about a school's curriculum, facilities and more.

The interview is often the last step before an admissions committee makes the final decision about an applicant, which often isn't a "yes."

"Usually we try to interview between 600 and 650," says Cary Jewkes, director of medical student admissions at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. The class, she says, has 114 seats.

Interviewing season can run from late August through March at medical schools, and the actual interview is usually one part of a busy day for applicants.

In addition to being quizzed about their professional goals and interest in medicine, prospective students usually get a tour of the medical school's campus and spend time with current students, whom they may ask about student life or other concerns.

[Learn why being authentic and thoughtful can help during a medical school admissions interview.]

Usually the interviewer guides the discussion, asking applicants about how they've overcome hardships or their views on teamwork. But it's also important that prospective students chime in with questions of their own.

The worst is not to ask anything, says David D. Grier, associate dean for admissions and an associate professor in the pathology department at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. "That shows lack of interest."

Here are three questions applicants can ask medical school staff and students on interview day to learn more about the institutions and leave a good impression on those that they meet.

1. What does the school do to prepare me for residency? This question is important because getting matched with a residency program is a very competitive process, says Patricia Harper, director of admissions at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences' College of Osteopathic Medicine.

More M.D. and D.O.-granting institutions have opened in the last decade, allowing more students to go to medical school, but the number of residency positions has not kept pace.

Applicants should ask schools what they will offer to help them stand out as medical students, Harper says. They should also inquire about what resources a school can offer them if they don't pass a board exam or struggle in other ways academically.

"Residency directors are looking for people who have passed their boards, who have never flunked a board," she says. "As a student, you want to make sure you're going to go somewhere where a school has strategies in place to help you, should you not be successful."

[Know what to expect during a medical school multiple mini interview. ]

2. Why did you choose to come to this school? "People always like talking about themselves, so that's not a bad question," says Grier. Applicants can also ask about things to do in the community or, when applicable, an interviewer's research, he says.

Personal questions can be revealing, says Harper.

"You can learn about activities that the school has. You can learn about the heart and soul of a school as well," she says.

3. What do you have in place to help me if I experience stress, anxiety or depression? Medical school can be a grueling experience, demanding that students work diligently for hours each day for four years.

"It's well known that many medical students commit suicide," Harper says. She encourages applicants to ask about options for nurturing their mental health while in school.

[Use five strategies to ace a medical school admissions interview.]

While it's important that applicants be candid about questions they have about a school's curriculum, campus or other things that may influence their experience as students, there are some things that they should not ask, experts say.

"How much money are you going to make and that kind of thing, that would be a bad thing," says Jewkes, from University of Vermont.

During interview season at Vermont, applicants do multiple mini interviews, a series of six-minute interviews with various people connected to the medical school, such as faculty. Because these interviews are short, prospective students are also paired with medical students in small groups where they have more time to ask questions, Jewkes says.

Applicants should "ask the same question of multiple people and see what different kinds of answers you get," she said. "It just gives you a broader perspective."

On an interview day, she says, some may ask about global health experience opportunities or even student housing accommodations.

"You want to know as much as possible," Jewkes says. "A lot of students will have multiple choices, and you want to be able to compare."

Searching for a medical school? Get our complete rankings of Best Medical Schools.

Delece Smith-Barrow is an education reporter at U.S. News, covering graduate schools. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at dsmithbarrow@usnews.com.