Preparing for the Burrell College of Health Sciences School of Osteopathic Medicine interview

Which Burrell are you interviewing with?

Burrell's Las Cruces campus is on the campus of New Mexico State University, and its Melbourne campus is on the campus of the Florida Institute of Technology. Burrell says its admissions requirements are applied consistently across both campuses, and that applications are welcomed from in-state and out-of-state candidates. You choose a campus preference on the AACOMAS application.

That makes "Why Burrell, and why that campus?" a likely question. Have a specific reason for the campus you picked, such as the region you want to practise in or a connection to the community, and be ready for "would you consider the other?"

What Burrell is looking for

Burrell's admission requirements page describes an "individualized, holistic admissions process." It says the admissions process is meant to select students who show "academic preparation, professionalism, service orientation, resilience, communication skills, and commitment to osteopathic medicine." The AACOM profile adds that Burrell wants students "who have shown a commitment to fulfilling the College's mission," and screens for academic excellence, clinical experience, community service, maturity, motivation and awareness of the osteopathic profession.

The mission, as listed on AACOM, is to educate "a diverse osteopathic physician and healthcare workforce committed to improving the quality and access to healthcare in underserved communities." Burrell's tagline is "Para la gente y el futuro! For the people and the future!"

What Burrell states	How it might show up (our suggestion)
Access to care in underserved communities	A specific community you have worked with and one barrier you saw people face
Service orientation	Service you kept up when it was inconvenient, and what you learned about the people you served
Resilience	A real setback, how you responded and what was different afterward
Communication skills	A time you explained something hard to someone who needed to understand it
Awareness of the osteopathic profession	What you observed from shadowing a D.O. or reading about the tenets, in your own words
Professionalism and maturity	A time you did the right thing when nobody was checking

Timeline for the current cycle

• AACOMAS opened May 4, 2026. The primary deadline is April 30, 2027.
• After pre-screening (U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and an MCAT score on file), Burrell invites applicants to a secondary application. AACOM lists the fee as $80. Secondary invitations began in June 2026, and the secondary deadline is May 15, 2027.
• Admission is rolling. Burrell says to apply as early as you can, and recommends submitting all materials by February 2027 for best consideration.
• Interviews began in September 2026 and run virtually on Zoom.
• Letters: at least two. A pre-health committee letter can satisfy both. Burrell strongly recommends letters from a pre-health committee (or a composite letter), a science professor who taught or advised you in the past three years, and a physician (D.O. or M.D.).
• Burrell says it has no set minimum for MCAT or GPA. It lists a recommended 3.0 cumulative science GPA and an MCAT of 496 or higher with no section below the 15th percentile.

What to know before the interview

• Class size. AACOM lists 295 first-year matriculants on the New Mexico campus (2024-25), with Florida figures not yet listed.
• Clinical skills. Burrell describes a pre-clinical standardized patient program, high-fidelity manikins, procedure-specific training, a cadaver lab and digital anatomy software.
• Community outreach. Burrell says students coordinate regional outreach, education and service projects.
• Residency placement. Burrell says its average graduate medical education placement rate is 99%. That is the school's own figure.

How to prepare

1. Write your "why" answers. Why medicine, why osteopathic medicine, why Burrell, why Las Cruces or Melbourne. The last two need a specific detail, not general praise.
2. Tie your experience to underserved care. Pick one or two stories where you saw how access to care affects people, and be honest about what you did and didn't do.
3. Prepare for a standard conversation. With a traditional format, expect a mix of personal, motivation and situational questions. Know your application cold.
4. Set up for Zoom. Camera at eye level, a quiet room and a test call at the same time of day as your interview.
5. Run three mock interviews. Use someone who will ask follow-ups, and record at least one.

Practice questions (written by us, not Burrell)

Burrell doesn't publish its interview questions. We wrote these around its stated mission and criteria. They are for practice and don't predict what you'll be asked.

1. Walk me through why you want to be a physician, and why an osteopathic physician.
2. Why Burrell, and why Las Cruces or Melbourne in particular?
3. Our mission is about access to care in underserved communities. What experience of yours speaks to that?
4. Tell me about a time you served people whose life was very different from yours. What surprised you?
5. Describe a setback and how you handled it.
6. Tell me about a time you had to explain something complicated to someone who didn't want to hear it.
7. What do you understand about the osteopathic approach to a patient, and where did you see it?
8. A patient cannot afford the medication you prescribed. What do you do?
9. Tell me about a time you did the right thing and it cost you something.
10. How do you handle stress, and what would you do if you were failing a course?
11. What would you want to do with your medical degree in the first five years after residency?
12. What question were you hoping we would ask today?

Our free question bank preview has more medical school interview questions, and the full bank has over 500.

A 30-minute practice run

1. Recruit one or two people to play interviewers. Ask them to read your application first.
2. Have them pick eight questions from the list above and ask one follow-up for each.
3. Run it on Zoom for 30 minutes, cameras on. Keep answers to about two minutes.
4. Record it. Afterward, watch two answers and check three things: did you look at the camera, did you give a specific example, and did you answer what was asked.
5. Ask what they would still want to know about you. Add that detail to your next round.

Practicing alone? Confetto's AI mock interviews run traditional and panel-style interviews as well as MMIs, ask follow-up questions based on what you said, and give rubric-based feedback afterward. You can start with a 7-day free trial.

Burrell interview FAQ

Is the Burrell interview an MMI?
AACOM lists the format as traditional. Burrell doesn't describe the structure, so go by your invitation.

Is it in person?
No. Burrell says interviews are conducted virtually via Zoom, and AACOM lists virtual only.

Do I choose a campus?
Yes, you indicate a preference between Las Cruces and Melbourne on the AACOMAS application.

Is there a minimum MCAT or GPA?
Burrell says there are no set minimums, with recommended values of a 3.0 science GPA and an MCAT of 496 or higher.

Do I need a letter from a physician?
A physician (D.O. or M.D.) letter is one of the sources Burrell strongly recommends. It requires at least two letters in total, and a pre-health committee letter can satisfy both.

Do I need Casper or PREview?
Neither appears on Burrell's admissions pages or its AACOM profile.

Applying to other DO schools in the Southwest or Florida? See our guides to the Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine and Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine interviews, or our medical school interview prep page.

Confetto isn't affiliated with Burrell College of Health Sciences. Details about the school come from Burrell's public admissions pages and its AACOM Choose DO Explorer profile as of October 2026. Formats can change between cycles, so go by what your invitation says.