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Medical School Interview Invite: What to Do Next
Got a medical school interview invite? How fast to book, what eight schools say about rescheduling and canceling, a reply email and your first 48 hours.
Reply and book your date as soon as you can, and always before any deadline in the invite. Most invites come by email, some through a school portal with a set of dates to pick from. Some schools let you reschedule once if you ask early, but it is not guaranteed. If you will not go, tell the school right away so another applicant gets the spot.
What an invite looks like
An invite is an email, a change on the school's applicant portal, or both. It usually tells you how to pick a date and where the details of the day will come from. WVSOM puts it plainly: you are notified by email with the date options and details. VCU posts the invite to its applicant portal, and UTMB lists your dates in its AMP system.
Wondering when invites go out at a given school? Our medical school interview timeline lists interview windows and invite months school by school.
What eight schools say
Each school's own admissions page, read October 22, 2026, strictest first. Under each name: degree and how the invite arrives, when the page says.
| School | Its admissions page says |
|---|---|
| VCUMD, portal and email | Book within seven days or the application is withdrawn. One reschedule in the portal, then by phone. Source |
| AlbanyMD, email | You pick from a list of dates. One reschedule only, asked at least a week before the original date. Source |
| UTMBMD, AMP system | Choose from 3 dates. Reschedules are not guaranteed and need documented extenuating circumstances. Source |
| Central MichiganMD, email | Reschedule or cancel by phone. Rescheduling is for extenuating circumstances and is not guaranteed. Source |
| GWMD | To reschedule, email the office as soon as you can with two or three dates that work. Source |
| UTHSCMD, email | Need a new date after booking? Email the admissions office to explore options. Source |
| WVSOMDO, email | The invite email comes with the date options and details. Source |
| Western COMPDO, electronic confirmation | An electronic confirmation gives your date and time. Changes go through the admissions office. Source |
How fast to book
Few schools print a booking deadline, but the ones that do mean it. VCU gives you seven days from the status email, and “Failure to schedule your online MMI interview before the deadline will result in withdrawal of your application.” Albany and WVSOM send a list of dates, and UTMB offers three, so reply while your first choice is still open. The AACOM advice for DO applicants starts with the same step: “Confirm the day, date, and time of your scheduled interview.”
Rescheduling and declining politely
You can often move a date, once and with notice. Albany allows one reschedule and asks for it at least a week ahead, “so that another candidate has time to fill the vacancy”. GW asks for an email “providing two or three preferred alternative dates”. Other schools are stricter. UTMB and Central Michigan keep rescheduling for extenuating circumstances, and UTMB warns “If a reschedule is possible, it often results in a significantly later interview date.”
Declining is normal, and doing it quickly is the courtesy. AACOM says “If for any reason, you must cancel, reschedule, or withdraw from an interview, contact the school promptly, courteously, and honestly.” It adds “If you decide to cancel, the college will use the opportunity to invite another candidate”. Central Michigan asks the same: “As a courtesy to other applicants, please cancel your interview as soon as you know you are unable to attend”. Never skip a booked interview without a word. VCU says “Failure to show up for an interview without notifying the office will result in no additional interview being offered.” and “Please be courteous to withdraw in a timely manner.”
Your first 48 hours
Book a date
Open the email or portal the same day and pick a date. Some schools set a hard deadline, so do not let the email sit.
Put it on your calendar
Add the date, the start time with its time zone, and any orientation or social the school adds. Save the confirmation email where you can find it.
Read the format
Find out if it is an MMI, a traditional one-on-one or a panel, online or on campus, and how long the day runs. That decides how you practice.
Start practicing out loud
Write down your answers to the common questions in a few bullet points, then say them out loud with a timer. Practice the school's format, not just its questions.
Fix travel or tech
For campus days, book travel you can change. For online days, test your camera, microphone and a quiet room before the week of the interview.
Then read up on the day itself. Our guides cover what happens on interview day, how long the interview lasts by format, and how to prepare. Start with the questions every school asks and say your answers out loud.
A reply email you can copy
Use it only when the school asks you to reply by email. If it uses a portal, book there. About 58 words. Subject line: Interview invitation: [Full name], [AMCAS or AACOMAS ID].
To decline, follow the school's own route first, since Albany uses a portal form and Central Michigan takes a phone call. Where email is the route, about 53 words is enough.
Sources: AACOM, Admissions Interview, and the admissions pages of VCU, Albany Medical College, UTMB, Central Michigan, GW, UTHSC, WVSOM and Western COMP. All checked October 22, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How fast should I respond to a medical school interview invite?
As soon as you can, and always before any deadline in the invite. VCU gives you seven days to book, and missing that deadline withdraws your application. Albany and WVSOM send a set of dates to choose from.
Can you reschedule a medical school interview?
Often, but on the school's terms. Albany allows one reschedule, asked at least a week ahead. UTMB and Central Michigan keep rescheduling for extenuating circumstances and do not guarantee it, and UTMB says a new date is often much later.
How do I decline a medical school interview invitation?
Tell the school as soon as you decide, by the method its page names: a portal form, an email or a phone call. AACOM asks applicants to contact the school promptly, courteously and honestly, since the spot goes to another candidate.
How do medical school interview invites arrive?
By email at most schools, some through an applicant portal. Albany, Central Michigan, UTHSC and WVSOM say they email invitations. VCU posts it to the applicant portal and UTMB uses its AMP system. Check your junk folder and portal often during the cycle.
What happens if I miss my medical school interview?
Do not let it happen without telling the school. VCU says a no-show without notice means no additional interview is offered, and UTMB says a last-minute cancellation may cost you the interview.