Preparing for the Morehouse School of Medicine interview

Landing an interview at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) means more than meeting academic benchmarks — it demonstrates that your journey, passion, and purpose are in alignment with an institution whose mission is bigger than medicine. 

To shine in your MSM interview, you'll need to think beyond your transcript and clinical hours and toward how your story weaves into Georgia’s healthcare inequities, systemic injustice, and the legacy of health equity Morehouse champions.

1. The Morehouse School of Medicine Interview: Structure, Themes, and Hidden Priorities

MSM’s interview process emphasizes community alignment and cultural humility through a panel-based format blending collaborative discussions and ethical scenarios:

• Panel Interviews: 2-3 faculty/community members assess your commitment to underserved populations. Expect questions like:

  • “How have your experiences prepared you to address health disparities in Atlanta’s Westside?”

  • “Why Morehouse over other HBCU medical schools?”

• Scenario-Based Stations: Ethical dilemmas testing cultural competence (e.g., “How would you advocate for a patient facing housing insecurity?”).

• Themes: Social justice in medicine, community partnership (MSM’s work with Grady Hospital), and systemic solutions to health inequities.

Insider Tip: MSM seeks “mission-fit” candidates. Highlight experiences serving marginalized groups, even informally (e.g., volunteering at free clinics, mentoring in Title I schools).

2. Georgia’s Healthcare Policy: A Tale of Unmet Needs and Grassroots Innovation

Georgia’s policy landscape is defined by stark disparities and inventive local solutions:

1. Medicaid Non-Expansion & Its Fallout

Georgia remains one of 10 states refusing full Medicaid expansion under the ACA, leaving 430,000+ low-income residents uninsured. This disproportionately impacts rural counties like Clayton (20% uninsured) and fuels ER overcrowding at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital, where 40% of patients are uninsured.

• Tip: Reference MSM’s Project HEALTH (free clinics in underserved areas) to show you understand grassroots care models.

2. Rural Hospital Crisis

Nine rural Georgia hospitals have closed since 2010. MSM’s Rural Health Initiative trains students in towns like Bainbridge, where the nearest specialist is 90 minutes away.

3. Opioid Settlement Funds & Harm Reduction

Georgia is allocating $638M from opioid lawsuits to expand naloxone access and recovery programs. MSM researchers lead studies on methadone access barriers in Black communities—a potential interview topic.

3. Current Events & Social Issues: The Georgia Lens

Local Flashpoints

• Maternal Mortality: Black women in Georgia die from pregnancy complications at 3x the rate of white women. MSM’s Center for Maternal Health Equity partners with doulas in DeKalb County to combat this.

• Mental Health Workforce Shortages: Georgia ranks 48th in mental health provider access. MSM’s SNMA Chapter runs peer counseling programs in Atlanta high schools.

• Environmental Racism: Neighborhoods like West Atlanta’s English Avenue face lead poisoning risks. Cite MSM’s Environmental Justice Partnership with the Westside Future Fund.

National Issues with Georgia Stakes

• Abortion Access: Georgia’s 6-week ban (2023) increased demand at MSM-affiliated clinics like Feminist Women’s Health Center, now serving out-of-state patients.

• Voter Health Policies: Georgia’s SB 202 (voting restrictions) impacts health equity; studies link voter suppression to underfunded clinics in Black-majority counties.

Tip: Mention MSM’s Satcher Health Leadership Institute when discussing policy solutions—it’s a cornerstone of their advocacy work.

4. The 5 Questions Morehouse School of Medicine is most likely to ask during your medical school interview

1. “What is the most pressing health issue facing Georgia today, and how would you address it?”

2. “Describe a time you worked with a community different from your own. What did you learn?”

3. “How does systemic racism manifest in healthcare? Provide a Georgia-specific example.”

4. “A patient distrusts vaccines due to historical trauma. How do you respond?”

5. “Why is cultural humility more critical than cultural competence in medicine?”