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Empathy Interview Questions and Answers for Healthcare Applicants
An empathy interview question wants one moment, not a self-description: the cue you noticed in someone, the question you asked, what you did differently and what happened for them. The AAMC describes its Empathy and Compassion competency as recognizing and acknowledging others' feelings and wanting to ease their distress (AAMC).
Here are eight real questions and formats, what medical, nursing and PA programs say about how they score empathy, the words that separate empathy from sympathy, and an example answer we wrote. Sources were checked October 31, 2026.
Empathy questions you may get
They come in four kinds. Stories about you are the most common, but expect opinion questions, scenarios and, in an MMI, a conversation with an actor.
| Question | Kind | Listed by |
|---|---|---|
| Thinking of examples from your recent past, how would you assess your empathy and compassion? | Kind: About you | Listed by: University of Montevallo pre-health list |
| Can compassion be taught and do you need it to be a successful optometrist? | Kind: Opinion | Listed by: UH Manoa's list, optometry questions |
| What different feelings and issues might you experience with a terminally ill patient, as opposed to other patients? | Kind: Opinion | Listed by: University of Montevallo pre-health list |
| Describe how you can effectively deal with someone in a crisis? | Kind: Scenario | Listed by: AAMC common interview topics |
| Tell me about your most difficult patient. | Kind: About you | Listed by: USF list for nursing job interviews |
| Tell me about a time you had to care for a patient with another cultural/religious belief. | Kind: About you | Listed by: USF list for nursing job interviews |
| How do you respond to upset family members? | Kind: Scenario | Listed by: Villanova topics for nursing externship and job interviews (a topic, worded by us) |
| An MMI station where you talk with an actor playing a patient or relative. | Kind: Role-play | Listed by: OHSU PA program, MMI stations (described, not quoted) |
The question bank has more to practice, including a meaningful interaction with a patient, delivering difficult news and a dying patient who asks you to pray.
Who scores empathy
The AAMC's Empathy and Compassion competency describes someone who “is sensitive to others' needs and feelings” and “demonstrates a desire to help others and alleviate others' distress” (AAMC). The AAMC's PREview exam counts empathy and compassion among its relational skills (AAMC PREview). The University of Montevallo's pre-health guide puts it plainly: admissions officers use the interview to find candidates with maturity, empathy and strong interpersonal skills (Montevallo).
- Auburn's BSN program scores empathy in its traditional interview and defines it as understanding that everyone has their own perspective and acknowledging others' feelings respectfully and without judgment (Auburn Nursing).
- OHSU's PA program lists empathy among the qualities it assesses in its interviews (OHSU).
- Baylor College of Medicine's PA interviewers rate compassion and empathy, alongside critical thinking, teamwork and humility (Baylor).
- Pepperdine's PA program evaluates interviewees on its mission of humility, integrity and empathy, with a tiered scoring rubric (Pepperdine).
Empathy vs sympathy, in words
Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone. Empathy is understanding what they feel from where they stand. Compassion adds wanting to help. In an interview, the difference shows in the exact words you say you used. The left column below is kind but closes the conversation. The right column opens it.
| The moment | Sounds kind, stays outside | Shows you understood |
|---|---|---|
| A patient is anxious before a procedure | Sounds kind, stays outside: "Don't worry, you'll be fine." | Shows you understood: "It sounds like the waiting is the hardest part. What's on your mind?" |
| A relative is angry about a long wait | Sounds kind, stays outside: "I understand completely, we're very busy today." | Shows you understood: "Four hours with your mom in pain is a long time. Let me find out where things stand." |
| A friend did not get an acceptance you got | Sounds kind, stays outside: "You'll definitely get in next year." | Shows you understood: "That's really disappointing after everything you put in. Do you want to talk, or would you rather not right now?" |
| A classmate breaks down before an exam | Sounds kind, stays outside: "Everyone's stressed, you've got this." | Shows you understood: "You look exhausted. Is it the exam, or is something else going on?" |
Telling an empathy story
“Tell me about a time you showed empathy” is the version to prepare first, because the opinion and self-assessment questions are easier once you have the story. Choose one of these:
| Pick | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Someone whose life was unlike yours | Why it works: Understanding across a gap is the point. Same-age, same-background stories show less. |
| A moment where understanding changed what you did | Why it works: The change is your proof. Without it, the story is only about a feeling. |
| A small moment, told in detail | Why it works: A ten-minute conversation you remember well beats a summary of a year of volunteering. |
| Someone who was hard to like | Why it works: Empathy for an easy person shows little. Frustrated, rude or withdrawn people test it. |
Then tell it in four parts, in about a minute and a half:
| Part | What to say |
|---|---|
| What you noticed | What to say: The cue. A look, a silence, the same question asked three times. |
| How you checked | What to say: What you asked instead of assuming, and what you learned. |
| What you did differently | What to say: The action your understanding changed. This is the core of the answer. |
| What happened | What to say: For them first, then one line on what you took from it. |
What makes an empathy answer fall flat:
- "I'm a very empathetic person" with no moment behind it.
- A story that ends with how good helping made you feel. Keep the focus on the other person.
- Fixing the problem without ever acknowledging how the person felt.
- "I know exactly how you feel." You rarely do, and interviewers notice the claim.
- A long personal loss where the other person barely appears.
Empathy in MMI role-plays
In a role-play station the empathy is live. OHSU, for example, says its MMI stations may include role playing with an actor (OHSU). The actor is often upset, and the station tests whether you acknowledge that before you explain or fix anything. Our MMI role-play guide covers the common setups, the difficult patient guide has phrases for naming an emotion, and SPIKES covers breaking bad news. Two to try out loud: an angry daughter after a four-hour wait and telling a friend you got in and they did not.
Opinion question: can compassion be taught?
UH Manoa's list records this one from optometry interviews (UH Manoa). A balanced answer says the habits can be taught and practiced: asking before assuming, naming what someone seems to feel, protecting their dignity. The wish to help has to be there already, and training can grow it or wear it down. Then give one habit you learned from someone you watched, and say yes, you need it, with one reason from your own experience.
Self-assessment: how would you rate your empathy?
Montevallo's list asks you to assess your empathy and compassion from recent examples (Montevallo). Avoid a perfect score. Name one example you are proud of, one kind of situation where it is harder for you, such as someone who is angry at you, and what you do in that moment.
Practice question: tell me about a time you showed empathy
“Tell me about a time you showed empathy.”
Interviewers are not asking whether you care. They want one moment where you noticed what someone felt, checked, and did something differently because of it.
Example answer written by Confetto (the applicant is invented)
Last summer I was a cabin counselor at a week-long camp for kids with type 1 diabetes. One ten-year-old kept skipping his blood sugar check before lunch, and the other counselors kept reminding him, louder each time.
On the third day I sat with him away from the group and asked what bothered him about the checks. He said kids at school called him a pincushion, and even at camp, where everyone checks, he hated doing it with people watching.
The checks were not optional, so I did not pretend they were. I asked the camp nurse whether he could check on the cabin steps five minutes before the group walked to lunch, with me there. She agreed, and he picked one friend to come along.
He did not miss a check for the rest of the week. The rule never changed. What changed was that someone asked him why before telling him again, and I try to ask that question first now.
Sources: the AAMC premed competencies, common interview topics and PREview exam page, Auburn Nursing, OHSU, Baylor College of Medicine and Pepperdine PA admissions, and the Montevallo, UH Manoa, USF and Villanova interview lists, checked October 31, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What are empathy interview questions?
Questions that check whether you notice what another person feels and let it change what you do. Some ask for a story, some for your opinion, such as whether compassion can be taught, and some put you in a role-play with an actor.
How do you show empathy in an interview answer?
Show it instead of claiming it. Describe the cue you noticed, the question you asked, what you did differently because of the answer, and what happened for the other person.
What is the difference between empathy and compassion?
Empathy is understanding what someone feels from their side. Compassion adds the wish to help. The AAMC joins them in one competency that covers recognizing others' feelings and wanting to alleviate their distress. See the AAMC premed competencies.
Can my empathy story come from outside healthcare?
Yes. A job, a team, a family role or community work all count if the story shows the four parts. Auburn's nursing program suggests listing ways you have acknowledged others' feelings in a respectful manner. See Auburn Nursing's interview criteria.
How should I answer when asked to assess my own empathy?
Montevallo's pre-health list asks it in this form. Skip the perfect score: give one recent example you are proud of, one kind of moment where empathy is harder for you, and what you do then. See Montevallo's interview questions.