The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine interview format

The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM, Bentonville, Arkansas) uses two one-on-one interviews. The AAMC's MSAR report for the 2027 class says "interviews are two 30 minute one-on-one interviews" and that "interviewers are blinded to MCAT performance, academic background, and biographic information." The rest of the interview day "is designed for applicants to learn about AWSOM and ask questions." The school's admissions process page says selected applicants "will be invited to register for a virtual interview day."

Item	What AWSOM and the AAMC say
Interviews	Two 30-minute one-on-one interviews (AAMC MSAR)
What interviewers see	Blinded to MCAT performance, academic background and biographic information (MSAR)
Virtual or in person	Virtual interview day (AWSOM process page)
Rest of the day	Designed for applicants to learn about AWSOM and ask questions (MSAR)
Invitations	Beginning late July or early August, on a rolling basis
Interview dates	Late August or early September 2026 through late February 2027 (MSAR and school)

What AWSOM doesn't publish on its current pages: sample questions, a scoring rubric, or who the interviewers are. The school's "how to apply" page still shows last cycle's dates, so we use the admissions process page for 2026-27.

AWSOM's 2026-27 timeline

AMCAS: available early May, submitted from early June. Primary application deadline November 1.
Secondary application: invitations in early July, a $100 non-refundable fee, supplemental materials due December 1.
Interviews: selected applicants are invited from August, rolling. First interview day early September, final interview day late February.
Offers: rolling from mid-October until the class of 48 is full.
Enrollment: April 30 is the plan-to-enroll deadline and June 1 is commit to enroll. Classes begin mid-July.
PREview: a school blog post from October 2025 says the PREview exam "is also highly recommended."
Letters: at least three, up to five, or a committee letter, through the AMCAS Letter Service.

What AWSOM looks for

The about page lists the school's values: "Empathy, Self-care, Humanism, Entrepreneurialism, Community Focus." The admissions process page says "applicants who are most successful in our process demonstrate empathy, self-care, humanism, an entrepreneurial spirit, collaboration, and a community focus," and that experiences in community service, leading a team or project, clinical work, "practicing whole health principles" and research "help us understand how you align with AWSOM's mission, values, and learning environment." The mission is to train physicians "devoted to transforming the health of medically underserved and rural communities in Arkansas, its surrounding states, and beyond."

The curriculum page describes ARCHES, a curriculum with six elements: Art of Healing, Research, Clinical, Health Systems Science, Embracing Whole Health and Science of Medicine. The school opened with its inaugural class in July 2025. Those are good hooks for a "why AWSOM" answer.

How to prepare for AWSOM's interview

Prepare for a blind interview. Your interviewers do not see your MCAT, academics or biography, so they only know what you tell them. Do not assume they know your background: say it briefly and clearly.
Use the five values. Empathy, self-care, humanism, entrepreneurial spirit and community focus. Have one honest story for each, including self-care, which most applicants skip.
Know what whole health means. Read the curriculum page and be ready to say what the idea means to you in practice, not as a slogan.
Be ready for the arts and humanities angle. The Art of Healing thread is part of the curriculum. Have a thoughtful answer about how the humanities shaped your thinking.
Prepare for the entrepreneurial question. Be ready to describe a time you built or started something, even small.
Prepare your own questions. The rest of the day is for you to learn about AWSOM. Ask what you cannot find on the website.

AWSOM practice questions (written by us, not AWSOM)

AWSOM doesn't publish its interview questions. These are ours, shaped around the values the school names. Practice each aloud for about two minutes.

Why AWSOM, and why now at a school that is still new?
What does whole health mean to you, and how would you practice it on a busy clinic day?
Tell me about a time you took care of yourself when it was hard to do. Why does self-care matter for a physician?
Describe a time you built or started something that did not exist before.
Tell me about a time you worked with a community whose needs were different from your own.
How has art, music or writing changed the way you see people?
Describe a time you were part of a team and the team succeeded because of someone else.
What would you want to change about health care in a rural community?
Tell me about a time you showed empathy for someone you disagreed with.
What is one thing about you that an interviewer who cannot see your application should know?

For a wider set, see our interview practice questions with answers.

A drill for the AWSOM interview

Pick four prompts: one on whole health, one on self-care, one on starting something and one on empathy.
Answer each in two minutes on camera, in the setup you'll use on interview day.
Watch it with the sound off. Are you looking at the lens and nodding when you listen?
Have a partner give two follow-ups per answer: "Where did you make a decision?" and "What would you do differently?"
Rewrite each story as three bullets and repeat it two days later, without reading.

If you don't have a practice partner, Confetto's AI mock interviews ask follow-up questions based on what you actually said and give rubric-based feedback afterward. The question bank has over 500 questions, and you can start with a 7-day free trial.

AWSOM interview FAQ

Is the AWSOM interview an MMI?

No. The AAMC describes two 30-minute one-on-one interviews.

Is the interview blind?

The AAMC says interviewers are blinded to MCAT performance, academic background and biographic information.

Is it virtual?

The school's admissions page says selected applicants are invited to a virtual interview day.

Is PREview required?

A school blog post from October 2025 says it is "highly recommended." We did not find it listed as required.

How big is the class?

The school says admissions continue until the class of 48 is full.

Applying to other schools too? See our guides to the UAMS, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri interviews, or our medical school interview prep page.

Sources: Admissions process, About AWSOM: mission and values, Curriculum, Navigating the AWSOM admissions cycle (blog, October 2025), AAMC MSAR interview procedures (2027).

Confetto isn't affiliated with Alice L. Walton School of Medicine. Everything here about the school comes from its public admissions pages and the AAMC MSAR report, checked in October 2026. Formats can change between cycles, so go by your invitation email.