Preparing for the Tulane University School of Medicine interview

Here's what Tulane publishes about the day. Anything not in this table, such as how long each interview runs or how many minutes the patient encounter lasts, Tulane doesn't state, so go by your invitation.

Timing and numbers

On timing, the interview page says interview days run Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until about 12:30 pm. The admissions process page gives the same hours but frames them as how things worked "in previous admission's cycles," so treat the 4.5-hour morning as likely, not promised.

Interviews run from August through the end of February or early March. Tulane invites about 600 applicants a year from more than 14,000 applications, and it matriculates 190 students a year.

Scheduling

Scheduling is first come, first served once you get the invitation email. Tulane says rescheduling is possible on request but not guaranteed "due to our heavy volume," so book the date you can actually keep.

You probably haven't done anything like this part of Tulane's interview before, so a little practice goes a long way here.

Tulane says only that you'll play a first-year student interviewing a patient. It doesn't publish a rubric, so the advice below is ours, based on what a first-year student is actually expected to do in a patient interview.

What's expected of you

A first-year student isn't expected to diagnose anything. You're expected to listen, ask good questions and treat the person well.

That's good news, because it means medical knowledge won't save you here and lack of it won't sink you.

What does sink people is interrogating the patient with a checklist or jumping to reassurance before they've heard the problem.

A practice sequence

Practice this sequence with a friend playing the patient. It works on video, which matches Tulane's virtual format this cycle.

1. Introduce yourself by name and role ("I'm a first-year medical student"), and ask what they'd like to be called.
2. Open with one broad question, such as "What brings you in today?" Then stop talking for longer than feels comfortable.
3. Follow up with open questions about what they told you: when it started, what makes it better or worse, how it's affecting their life.
4. Ask what they're worried about. Patients often have a specific fear that a symptom checklist never reaches.
5. Name any emotion you notice ("That sounds frightening") before moving on.
6. Summarize back what you heard in two or three sentences and ask if you got it right.
7. Close honestly. Say you'll share what they've told you with the supervising physician. Don't promise a diagnosis or a treatment you can't give.

An example

Here's a fictional example of step 4 changing the encounter. A patient says she's had headaches for two weeks.

An applicant who runs only through the checklist learns the timing and the severity. An applicant who asks "Is there anything about these headaches that worries you most?" learns that her brother had a brain tumor.

Same patient, but the second applicant now knows why she came in.

Setting up practice rounds

For your practice partner, have them pick a simple complaint (a cough, back pain, trouble sleeping) and one hidden concern they'll share only if asked directly.

Do five rounds with different complaints. After each, ask them whether they felt heard, and whether you found the hidden concern.

Tulane doesn't publish its interview questions. It does publish what it reviews applicants for, which is the best guide you'll get.

Its admissions process page describes a "mission-aligned review" and lists reflection questions under each area, including:

• Commitment to service: "what did you learn about the community you served? What did you learn about yourself?"
• Passion for medicine: "what opportunities did you pursue? How did these experiences shape your view of medicine?"
• Maturity: "How have your past experiences taught you about resiliency and adaptability?"
• Leadership: "What lessons have you learned by being a leader? What traits have you learned from being a follower of a good leader?"

The same page asks: "How does your 'mission in medicine' and values align with TUSOM's mission and values?"

Tulane's selection factors page adds clinical activity, appreciation of community and scholarly activity to the list, and says twice that it values "quality over quantity." For research, it says it's looking for whether you can explain the goal of the project and why it mattered.

Why Tulane

For "why Tulane," the school describes its mission on its About page in one line: "Education, Research and Patient Care: We Heal Communities."

You don't need to quote it. You do need a concrete reason for spending four years in New Orleans and at this school that goes beyond the city's reputation.

No. Tulane's Casper page says MD applicants are "encouraged" to take Casper, and that applicants "will be invited for interviews with or without CASPer results."

Results are valid for one cycle, and you can take it after you've submitted your application. If you do take it, our Casper practice questions are a good place to start.

• Committee review. Tulane says your file typically goes before the full admissions committee 4 to 6 weeks after your interview.
• Decisions. The committee can accept you, place you in the "acceptance range" or reject you. The acceptance range is a non-ranked waitlist, and Tulane fills seats from it as accepted students withdraw.
• Acceptance dates. Acceptances go out starting October 1 for early decision and October 15 for regular applicants, and continue until the class is full.
• Replying. If you're accepted, you have two weeks to accept or decline, and the deposit is due by April 30.

Dates are on Tulane's timelines and deadlines page.

For context on numbers, Tulane's FAQ says students who enrolled in fall 2024 had an average cumulative GPA of 3.61 and an average MCAT of 509, and that there are no minimums.

Is the Tulane interview an MMI?

No. It has three parts: a one-on-one with a faculty member or administrator, a one-on-one with a current medical student, and a standardized patient exercise.

Is the Tulane interview virtual?

Yes, all interviews are virtual for the 2026-27 cycle.

Does the interviewer see my file?

Tulane calls its interviews "blind and informal," but the faculty interviewer can see your secondary application and personal statement if they choose.

Confetto isn't affiliated with Tulane University School of Medicine. Details come from Tulane's public admissions pages as of October 2026; check your interview invitation for anything that differs.