Preparing for the JPaul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University interview

In a fiercely competitive field, excelling at the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine interview means more than showcasing grades and shadowing hours. To stand out, you’ll need an in-depth understanding of Texas borderland health, state policies, regional disparities, and national issues as they directly impact El Paso. 

This playbook arms you with hyper-local insight and essential context to help you shine, demonstrating you’re not just seeking a medical degree—but a place in the fabric of Texas healthcare.

1. The PLFSOM Interview: Structure, Format, and Core Themes

PLFSOM employs a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) structure—usually 8-10 stations, each lasting about 7-9 minutes. Expect a mix of standardized scenario prompts (ethics, decision-making, communication) and 1-2 traditional interviews with admissions committee faculty and sometimes senior students.

Common Themes:

• Cross-border and immigrant health (unique to El Paso’s proximity to Ciudad Juárez)

• Ethics in under-resourced settings

• Spanish language and cultural competence

• Social determinants of health in the Texas-Mexico border region

• Commitment to West Texas/rural medicine

Insider Tip: PLFSOM is one of the nation’s most border-focused med schools—interviewers are watching for applicants genuinely committed to public service and equity in underserved, multicultural communities. Have stories or reasoning that show you understand—and want to engage with—these realities.

2. Texas Healthcare Policy: Where Conservative Ideology Collides With Crisis

Texas is a laboratory for healthcare paradoxes. Master these three issues:

1. The Medicaid Gap & Hospital Closures

Texas remains one of 10 states rejecting Medicaid expansion, leaving 1.4 million low-income adults uninsured. This fuels rural hospital closures—22 since 2010, including Pecos County Hospital (2019), forcing patients to drive 90+ miles to Midland.

How to Use This: Link the policy to PLFSOM’s Family Medicine Accelerated Track, which places graduates in underserved areas.

2. Abortion Restrictions & Maternal Mortality

After SB 8 (2021) banned abortions post-6 weeks, Texas saw a 38% rise in maternal deaths by 2023. The state’s maternal mortality rate (22.9 per 100k) disproportionately impacts Black women (53.6 per 100k). PLFSOM’s Border OB/GYN Consortium trains providers in high-risk pregnancies—a likely discussion topic.

3. Mental Health in the Permian Basin

The oil boom exacerbated addiction and depression in counties like Ector, where suicides rose 27% (2018-2022). Texas’ SB 1849 (2023) funds mobile crisis units, but waitlists still exceed 3 months.

How to Use This: Reference PLFSOM’s Project ADIOS, which deploys peer navigators to Latino communities battling substance use.

3. Current Events & Social Issues: The Texas Lens

Local Flashpoints

• Dengue Fever Resurgence: 2023 saw 47 locally acquired cases in El Paso linked to climate change. PLFSOM researchers partner with Mexico on vector control.

• Asylum Seeker Health: 30,000+ migrants cross monthly into El Paso. The school’s Humanitarian Care Clinic provides free screenings—mention this to highlight interdisciplinary care.

National Issues With Texas Stakes

• Climate-Driven Health Disparities: July 2023’s 45-day heatwave caused 334 deaths, hitting colonias without AC hardest.

• Gun Violence: Texas leads in firearm deaths (4,613 in 2022). PLFSOM’s trauma surgeons published a JAMA study on ED triage protocols—cite this to discuss preventive medicine.

How to Use This: Weave in the school’s Frontera Initiative when discussing social determinants of health.

4. The 5 Questions Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University is most likely to ask during your medical school interview

1. “El Paso has 300+ colonias. How would you improve access to prenatal care there?”

2. “A patient refuses a life-saving blood transfusion for religious reasons. What do you do?”

3. “Texas ranks 50th in mental health workforce. Design a pipeline program.”

4. “Describe a time you adapted to a resource-limited environment.”

5. “How should medical schools address vaccine hesitancy in West Texas?”