The Temple Katz interview format

The Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University uses three separate interviews per applicant, one of which is with a member of the local community. From the school's admissions interview page: "A primary interview with a physician or PhD faculty member who is on the Admissions Committee, a secondary/blind interview with a faculty member or a student member of the admissions committee who is blinded to the application materials, and a Community interview with a member of the local community."

The AAMC's MSAR interview procedures report for the 2027 entering class matches that description and adds that Katz plans to conduct all interviews virtually for the 2027 application cycle, with invitations starting in August 2026.

Item	What Katz and the AAMC say
Number of interviews	Three
Interview 1	Primary interview with a physician or PhD faculty member on the Admissions Committee
Interview 2	Secondary "blind" interview with a faculty or student committee member who hasn't seen your application materials
Interview 3	Community interview with a member of the local community
Virtual or in person	All virtual for the 2027 cycle (AAMC MSAR)
Interview season	September through April
Style	"Katz does not conduct 'stress' interviews"

Applicants being considered for the regional campuses, St. Luke's in Bethlehem or WellSpan, interview with faculty from that campus. MD/PhD applicants have two additional interviews on the same day.

The community interview is the one to prepare for

Most guides skip this part, so it's worth understanding. A 2022 Katz news story describes how the school added community interviewers for the Class of 2026. They are drawn from people who live or work in the neighborhoods around the medical school in North Philadelphia, were trained by the Admissions Office, and had "a voice and a vote" on the Admissions Committee. In that cycle, a community interviewer met with applicants in groups of two or three for about 30 minutes.

The same story reports what those interviewers asked about: "very specific questions about the students' experiences working with marginalized groups, their volunteer experiences, and their biases," plus whether applicants were ready to work in the community, and even whether they'd feel comfortable with the applicant providing medical care for themselves or their families. The school said it expected to keep the program, and today's interview page lists the community interview as a standard part of the day.

Two cautions. That story is from 2022, and Katz hasn't published the current length or group size, so treat those details as background, not a script. And it describes what interviewers asked about, not a question list.

Katz's timeline and Casper requirement

From Katz's How to Apply page:

AMCAS deadline: December 15. Transcripts to AMCAS: December 29.
Supplemental materials, including fee and letters: January 15.
Casper is required of every MD applicant. For the 2027 entering class, Katz considers tests taken between March 19, 2026 and January 5, 2027.
Katz doesn't use DUET or the AAMC PREview exam.

Decisions come "in either November, December, March or at the end of the interview season," and some candidates are placed on a continuing candidate list that's considered after April 30.

What Katz says it looks for

The interview page names five qualities Katz seeks in candidates:

Strong interpersonal skills
The ability to listen and take another's point of view
Self-confidence
Compassion
Social consciousness

The school's Why Katz page describes "a unique focus on service to others, a special connection to our community and a commitment to our neighbors that becomes a way of life, not just a part of our curriculum." The mission statement is to "align with diverse communities to advance medicine and improve health." Its main teaching hospital, Temple University Hospital, is described as Pennsylvania's leading safety-net provider in the nation's largest city without a public hospital.

How to prepare for Katz

Know why Philadelphia and why this community. "Why Katz?" should name the neighborhood, not just the city. Describe a community you've worked in and what you learned from it.
Rehearse a story about working across difference. Katz's community interview asks about experiences with marginalized groups. Describe what you did, what you got wrong, and how you changed. Humility reads better than a polished narrative.
Be ready to talk about bias. The community interviewers asked about it. Think through a real instance, and be ready to say it plainly.
Listen visibly. The school says it wants people who can take another's point of view. In a virtual interview that means pausing, reflecting back and asking a follow-up.
Treat the blind interview as a first meeting. That interviewer hasn't seen your file, so explain your story from the beginning in 90 seconds.

Temple Katz practice questions (written by us, not Temple)

Katz doesn't publish its interview questions. These are ours, built from the qualities and topics the school describes. Practice each aloud for about two minutes.

Walk me through your path to medicine as if I've never seen your application.
Tell me about a time you worked with people whose life experience was very different from yours. What did you learn?
Describe a time you were wrong about an assumption you made about someone. What changed?
What do you know about the neighborhoods around Temple, and how would you want to serve them?
Tell me about a time you listened to a perspective you disagreed with. How did you respond?
Why does a safety-net hospital appeal to you, or what concerns do you have about training in one?
Describe a service experience you've kept up over time. Why have you stayed?
If a patient didn't trust you because of something that happened to them in the past, what would you do?
Tell me about a moment when you felt confident leading, and one when you needed to step back.
Why Temple, and why not a different school in Philadelphia?

For a wider set, see our medical school interview questions guide.

A drill for three different interviewers

Prepare three versions of your opening: a 90-second story for a blind interviewer, a 60-second version that assumes the interviewer has read your file, and a version for a neighbor who knows nothing about medicine.
Record each one. In the third, check that you used no jargon.
Pick two community-oriented questions from the list and answer them aloud. Have a partner ask what you'd do differently now.
Listen for any answer that makes you the hero. Rework it so the other person's perspective gets as much space as yours.
Repeat the drill 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.

Temple Katz interview FAQ

How many interviews does Katz have?

Three: a primary interview, a secondary blind interview and a community interview.

Is the Katz interview virtual?

The AAMC MSAR entry says Katz plans to conduct all interviews virtually for the 2027 application cycle.

Is Casper required at Katz?

Yes. Katz requires Casper for all MD applicants and says it doesn't use DUET or the AAMC PREview exam.

When do I find out the decision?

Katz says decisions go out in November, December, March or at the end of the interview season. Some candidates are placed on a continuing candidate list.

Does Katz do stress interviews?

No. The school says interviewers will make every attempt to put you at ease.

Applying to other Philadelphia schools too? See our guides to the Drexel, Sidney Kimmel (Jefferson) and Perelman (Penn) interviews, or our medical school interview prep page.

Sources: Katz admissions interview, How to Apply, Community Interviewers Join in Admissions Decisions (2022), Why Katz?, Mission and Vision, AAMC MSAR interview procedures (2027).

Confetto isn't affiliated with Temple University or the Lewis Katz 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.