The FAU Schmidt College of Medicine interview format

Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine (Boca Raton) says on its requirements and process page that "Interview days are scheduled on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays between mid-September and February. The interview is scheduled for the entire day." The AAMC's MSAR interview procedures report for the 2027 entering class gives more detail than the school's page: a "closed file" interview (blinded interviews) in a "situational-behavioral style format," on Tuesdays and Thursdays (some Mondays) between August and March, with a live Zoom interview and, in addition, an asynchronous SparkHire interview.

Item	What FAU and the AAMC say
Interview type	Closed file (blinded) interview in a situational-behavioral style (AAMC MSAR)
Live and recorded parts	A live interview on Zoom, plus asynchronous SparkHire interviews (AAMC MSAR)
Interview day	Introductory presentations, interviews, current medical student panels and video tours; a "What will happen next?" talk by the director of admissions (AAMC MSAR)
Hours	About 9:00 a.m. to mid-afternoon (around 3 p.m.) Eastern (AAMC MSAR)
Days	Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays per FAU; Tuesdays and Thursdays, some Mondays, per the AAMC
Season	Mid-September to February per FAU; August to March per the AAMC

FAU's current page doesn't say whether the interview day is virtual or in person, so use the AAMC's description of a live Zoom interview as a guide and confirm it in your invitation. What FAU doesn't publish: the number of interviewers, station or question lengths, or a scoring rubric. Because the AAMC mentions an asynchronous recorded component, set up a quiet space and a working camera before the invitation arrives.

FAU's process and timeline

Screening: after AMCAS and the secondary, "each completed application ... will be screened and scored by a team of evaluators." Factors include attributes, community service, values, educational background, GPAs, MCAT, program rigor, breadth of life experience, research and "the meaningfulness of direct patient contact experiences." The scores decide who is invited to interview.
Secondary application: $30, made up "primarily of reflective analyses of personal experiences." Secondaries submitted after December 31 are not considered.
Invitations: rolling, starting in August by email (AAMC MSAR). Promptly schedule your interview when invited.
Decisions: rolling. Each applicant ends up accepted, on the alternate list or not accepted.
MCAT and letters: take the MCAT no later than September of the year before you enter. Letters come through AMCAS Letter Service: a premedical committee letter, or at least three individual letters from faculty who taught you.

The school says it gives preference to applicants "with truly competitive cognitive credentials, highly desirable personal traits, and compelling life experiences." We didn't find a Casper or PREview requirement on its M.D. admissions pages.

What FAU looks for

FAU's strategic plan lists five core values: integrity, transparency and accountability; compassion and respect; collaboration and partnership; curiosity and innovation; and leadership and stewardship. Its mission is to transform health care in South Florida and beyond. The M.D. program page describes an Integrated Patient Focused Curriculum, with "an early introduction to the patient and the community," problem-based learning in small groups, standardized patients, a small class size and, in year three, longitudinal integrated clerkships in which students are placed with a group of physicians at community hospitals for an extended time.

A situational-behavioral format means you'll be asked what you would do and what you did. The AAMC description fits the two kinds of preparation: a scenario answer should show reasoning and values, and a behavioral answer should show a real example with your own actions.

How to prepare for FAU's interview

Prepare both question types. For each value, have a "what I did" story and a "what I would do" approach to a scenario.
Practice the recorded part. Recorded answers feel different: no nodding, no cues. Practice looking at the lens and ending on time.
Expect a blinded interview. Introduce your experiences as if the interviewer has not read your file.
Know the community. Read about South Florida's health needs and the community-based curriculum so you can explain your interest in it.
Prepare for a long day. A day from 9:00 to mid-afternoon includes panels and a tour. Be curious and attentive throughout.
Use your secondary. It is a set of reflective analyses. Reread your answers before the day, and be ready to discuss any experience you wrote about.

FAU practice questions (written by us, not FAU)

FAU doesn't publish its interview questions. These are ours, mixing the situational and behavioral styles the AAMC describes. Practice each aloud for about two minutes.

Tell me about a time you had to make a decision with incomplete information. What did you do?
A patient refuses a treatment you believe is clearly in their interest. What do you do?
Describe a time you showed accountability for a mistake that wasn't obvious to others.
You are on a team and a teammate takes credit for your work. How do you respond?
Tell me about a time you worked with someone whose values were different from yours.
What interests you about learning medicine in a community-based, longitudinal way?
A patient with limited English asks you a question while the interpreter is delayed. What do you do?
Describe the most meaningful patient contact you've had and what it taught you.
Tell me about a time you showed curiosity that led to a change.
Why Florida Atlantic, and what would you bring to a small class?

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

A drill for the FAU interview

Pick two situational prompts and two behavioral prompts from above.
Record each answer on video in one take, with a two-minute limit, and no re-recording.
Watch each with the sound off and then with sound. Note where you look and where you rush.
Do one live round with a partner asking two follow-ups per answer.
Rewrite your weakest answer in three bullets and record it again two days later.

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.

FAU interview FAQ

Is the FAU interview an MMI?

No. The AAMC MSAR entry describes a closed-file interview in a situational-behavioral style, with a live interview and an asynchronous SparkHire component.

Is the FAU interview blind?

The AAMC entry calls it a closed file interview with blinded interviews.

Is it virtual?

The AAMC entry says a live interview on Zoom. FAU's current page doesn't state it, so confirm with your invitation.

Does FAU accept transfer students?

No. FAU says it has a no-transfer and no-advanced-standing policy for its M.D. program.

When is the secondary deadline?

FAU says secondary applications submitted after December 31 will not be considered.

Applying to other Florida schools too? See our guides to the Florida State, UCF, FIU and University of Florida interviews, or our medical school interview prep page.

Sources: FAU M.D. admission requirements and process, M.D. program, Strategic plan 2023-2028, AAMC MSAR interview procedures (2027).

Confetto isn't affiliated with Florida Atlantic University. 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.