· 5 min read
How Long to Hear Back After a Medical School Interview
From 2 weeks to March: when med schools send decisions after interviews, rolling vs non-rolling schools, what eight schools say, holds and what to do meanwhile.
Expect anywhere from two weeks to March. Rolling schools decide soon after each interview day, often within a few weeks. Non-rolling schools wait until all interviews are done and send every decision in March. MD acceptances in regular decision start no earlier than October 15. Silence is normal, so keep interviewing.
Rolling vs non-rolling schools
How long you wait depends mostly on one thing: whether the school admits on a rolling basis. A rolling school votes on you soon after your interview day and sends offers through the season. Ohio State presents each interviewee “for a committee vote at the end of each interview day”.
A non-rolling school compares everyone at the end. Columbia says “Columbia does not have rolling admissions for medical school.” Interviewing in September there still means hearing in March. Many schools sit in between, deciding in batches or holding some files for later.
What eight schools say
Each school's own admissions page, read October 18, 2026, from the fastest answer to the slowest. Under each name: degree and how the school describes its process.
| School | Its admissions page says |
|---|---|
| Western COMPDO, decision in weeks | A decision 2 to 4 weeks after your interview: admit, alternate or deny. Source |
| OHSUMD, modified rolling | Most files are reviewed 2 to 8 weeks after the interview. The committee meets weekly but waits until all your scores are in. Source |
| Ohio StateMD, rolling | The committee votes at the end of each interview day. Decisions start October 15 and come out about every two weeks. Source |
| Arizona TucsonMD, semi-rolling | From late October the committee decides about twice a month, through March. Outcomes are accepted, wait list or no position this year. Source |
| UNECOMDO, rolling | Decisions come on a rolling basis after the interview. Some interviewees are accepted and others are placed on hold. Source |
| KansasMD, conservative rolling | A few offers each month of interviews. Most interviewees learn their final status in mid-March, by email. Source |
| ColumbiaMD, not rolling | Decisions are made at the end of interview season, and every applicant hears in early March. Source |
| Weill CornellMD, not rolling | Most acceptances go out in March, after all interviews. Wait list offers follow through the spring. Source |
The dates every MD applicant shares
The AAMC Application and Acceptance Protocols set the frame for MD schools that use AMCAS. Arizona Phoenix, for example, says “Applicants to the MD program will begin receiving acceptance offers beginning mid-October through mid-March.” Ohio State starts on the first possible day: “Beginning on October 15, accepted, deferred and rejected applicants are notified of their status via their personal status page”.
- October 15. The earliest date MD schools may send acceptances in regular decision, under the AAMC protocols. Other decisions can come earlier.
- February 19. You can select Plan to Enroll at one school in the AAMC Choose Your Medical School tool and still hold other offers.
- April 15. Narrow to three acceptances at most. Wait list spots have no limit.
- April 30. Hold one acceptance. You can usually stay on wait lists, unless a school's policy says otherwise.
In the AAMC's own timeline, by April 15 “Applicants should narrow acceptance offers to 3 schools, with no limit on alternate list offers.” By April 30, “Applicants should hold only one acceptance offer.” DO schools follow the AACOMAS traffic guidelines instead, so check each DO school's page for its deposit dates.
No response yet? Holds and wait lists
No answer usually means no decision yet, not a quiet no. OHSU says its committee meets weekly, but “we do not discuss applicant files until all scores and evaluations are submitted”. Some schools also park files on purpose. Ohio State says “Being deferred means that the Admissions Committee wants to review more candidates before they make their decision on your application.” At OHSU, if you are on hold, “you may be accepted out of the hold pool at any time before April 30”. Our guide to medical school interview holds explains both kinds of hold.
A wait list place comes later, often in March at non-rolling schools, and offers from it come as seats open, through the spring at Weill Cornell. Our medical school wait list guide covers what to do there.
What to do while you wait
Keep interviewing
Treat every invitation as if no other school will say yes. At a rolling school, a fast answer is common. At a non-rolling school, no answer until March is normal.
Check the portal and your junk mail
Ohio State posts decisions to your status page, Kansas sends them by email, UNECOM sends everything electronically and OHSU uses its admissions portal.
Send an update only with real news
A new publication, role or grade is worth an update letter, sent the way the school takes updates. Some schools take none until they ask.
Save the letter of intent for one school
Only for your clear first choice, and only once you know you would go there if accepted.
Read each school's update rules before you write. UCSD says “We do not accept updates.” It adds “If you are an applicant on the waitlist, we will request updates or letters of intent in the spring.” Western COMP says “Once the interview is over, we do not offer the opportunity to provide additional information to your interviewers.” Where updates are welcome, our update letter guide shows what counts as news, and a letter of intent is for one school only. If you have not sent a thank-you note, it is a courtesy, not a factor.
The best use of the wait is your next interview. Practice the questions every school asks out loud, with follow-ups.
Sources: AAMC, Application and Acceptance Protocols for Applicants and Choose Your Medical School Tool and Acceptance Protocols Timeline, and the admissions pages of Western COMP, OHSU FAQ, OHSU admissions, Ohio State, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Phoenix, UNECOM, Kansas, Columbia, Weill Cornell and UCSD. All checked October 18, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hear back after a medical school interview?
Anywhere from two weeks to the following March. Rolling schools decide soon after each interview day, such as Western COMP in 2 to 4 weeks and OHSU for most files in 2 to 8 weeks. Non-rolling schools such as Columbia and Weill Cornell send decisions in March.
Is no response after a medical school interview a bad sign?
Not on its own. Non-rolling schools answer everyone in March, and rolling schools can hold or defer a file to compare it with later interviewees. Ohio State says deferred means the committee wants to review more candidates first.
Can a medical school accept me before October 15?
Not in regular decision at an MD school. The AAMC protocols set October 15 as the earliest date for regular MD acceptances, though schools can send other decisions earlier.
Should I email the school to ask about my status?
Check the school's portal first, since most post decisions there or send them by email. Write only if the school invites it or a deadline is close, and keep it to one short question. Western COMP, for one, says it takes no added information for interviewers after the interview.
What does being put on hold after the interview mean?
The school has not decided yet. OHSU says you can be accepted out of its hold pool at any time before April 30, and UNECOM places some interviewees on hold for future consideration. What to do on a medical school wait list.