· 6 min read
Medical School Group Interview: What to Expect
How group interviews and group activities work on med school interview days: what six MD and DO schools run, how long, what is observed and how to prepare.
A medical school group interview puts you in a room or Zoom call with a few other applicants while a moderator, faculty member or student watches. Schools such as KCU, NYU Long Island, Rochester and Geisel run one, from a 20-minute discussion to an hour-long team exercise. You cannot prepare the topic, but you can practice listening, building on others and summarizing out loud.
What a group interview is
Several applicants work together at the same time, on a discussion prompt, a team task or a short case. Someone from the school runs it and watches how the group works. It sits next to your other interviews, not in place of them.
It is not the same as a panel interview, where one applicant faces several interviewers. It is also different from an MMI teamwork station, which is one timed station inside a circuit.
Six schools that run one
Each line comes from the school's own interview page, read October 20, 2026. Under each name: degree and the school's name for the format.
| School | The group part of the day |
|---|---|
| KCUDO, Group discussion | After your one-on-one interview, a few applicants discuss one or two points from a moderator for about 20 minutes. Moderators observe. Source |
| NYU Long IslandMD, Team-based activity | A team-based exercise run by simulation center staff, about an hour, to evaluate teamwork and collaboration. Everyone also does the MMI. Source |
| RochesterMD, Small group discussion | A problem-based learning discussion of an ethical issue with the other applicants that day, led by a member of the admissions community. Source |
| Geisel (Dartmouth)MD, Group exercise | A 20-minute group exercise in the morning, then two 30-minute interviews with admissions committee members in the afternoon. Source |
| UT TylerMD, Group exercise | Two interview types on one day: multiple mini-interviews and a group exercise, in person whenever possible. Source |
| UTRGVMD, Group interview | An in-person group interview comes first, then two 30-minute Zoom interviews. Miss the group interview and your application is withdrawn. Source |
Formats change between cycles, and several of these are virtual. Your interview invitation has the final word.
What observers look for
Few schools say what they score. NYU Long Island is the clearest: it runs “an interactive group activity to evaluate their teamwork and collaboration skills”. At KCU, “The moderators will be there to observe the group interactions.”
The AAMC premed competencies describe the behaviors a group setting shows best. Under Teamwork and Collaboration, an applicant “Collaborates with others to achieve shared goals and prioritizes shared goals”, “adjusts role between team member and leader based on one's own and others' expertise and experience”, “shares information with team members and encourages this behavior in others” and “gives and accepts feedback to improve team performance”.
Under Oral Communication, an applicant “actively listens to understand the meaning and intent behind what others say” and “recognizes potential communication barriers and adjusts approach or clarifies information as needed”. Our AAMC core competencies guide covers the full list.
How to prepare
Rochester says of its discussion, “Discussion will center around an ethical issue in medicine and no preparation is needed.” That is true of the topic. The behaviors above are skills, and they improve with practice. Seven to work on:
Get the task and the goal clear first
Restate the prompt in one line and ask if everyone reads it the same way. A shared goal early saves the group from talking past each other.
Say what you know, then ask what others know
Put your idea on the table briefly, then invite the people who have not spoken yet. The AAMC teamwork wording asks you to share information and encourage others to do the same.
Build on other people's points by name
Refer back to what someone said before you add to it. It shows you were listening, not waiting for your turn.
Lead when it helps, follow when it doesn't
If nobody is keeping time or summarizing, take that job. If someone has more experience with the topic, let them steer and support them.
Disagree with the idea, kindly
Name what is good in a point before you raise a concern, and give a reason. Accept pushback on your own point without getting defensive.
Close with a summary the group agrees on
In the last minutes, pull the threads into one answer or plan and check that the group agrees. The AAMC teamwork wording puts shared goals first.
On video, make turn-taking easy
Look at the camera when you speak, keep points short, and use a hand raise or a name to hand the floor to someone. Test your setup the day before.
Rochester's discussion centers on an ethical issue, so work through a few MMI ethics questions out loud and practice giving a clear view in under a minute. For a video day, the virtual MMI tips on setup apply here too. And keep your one-on-one answers ready, since every school above pairs the group part with individual interviews or an MMI. Start with the questions every school asks.
Sources: the interview pages of KCU, NYU Long Island, Rochester, Geisel, UT Tyler and UTRGV, and the AAMC's Refreshing the Premed Competencies. All checked October 20, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is a group interview in medical school?
A part of the interview day where several applicants work or talk together while a moderator, faculty member or student watches. It can be a discussion, a team task or a problem-based learning case. It is separate from your one-on-one or MMI interviews.
Which medical schools have a group interview or group activity?
Among schools that describe one: KCU (DO), NYU Long Island, Rochester, Geisel at Dartmouth, UT Tyler and UTRGV. Formats change by cycle, so check your invitation.
How long is a medical school group activity?
It depends on the school. KCU's group discussion runs about 20 minutes and Geisel's group exercise 20 minutes. NYU Long Island's team-based activity takes about an hour.
Should I try to lead the group?
Not by default. The AAMC's Teamwork and Collaboration competency describes adjusting your role between team member and leader based on your own and others' expertise. Take on a role the group needs, like keeping time or summarizing, and make room for others.
Can you prepare for a group interview?
You cannot prepare the topic, and Rochester says no preparation is needed for its discussion. You can practice the behaviors: listening, building on others' points, disagreeing kindly and summarizing out loud. How the MMI teamwork station differs.