Preparing for the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine interview

Excelling at the Pritzker interview demands more than the right answers; it requires fluency in the nuances of Illinois healthcare policy, awareness of local health disparities, and a deep understanding of Chicago’s living social history. 

This hyper-local guide unlocks what you need to know for your interview—and what will set you apart.

1. The Pritzker Interview: Structure, Themes, and Hidden Agendas

Pritzker uses a traditional one-on-one interview format (30–45 minutes) with faculty and/or students, emphasizing conversational depth over rapid-fire questions. 

Key themes:

• Service and Social Justice: Expect probes into your commitment to underserved populations, especially Chicago’s South and West Sides.

• Collaborative Leadership: Pritzker values interdisciplinary work (e.g., their Urban Health Initiative). Be ready to discuss teamwork in high-stakes environments.

• Resilience and Reflection: Questions often revisit challenges or failures, seeking evidence of growth.

Insider Tip: Pritzker’s “Tell me about a time…” questions aren’t just assessing your past—they’re testing how you’ll handle future crises. Structure responses using the ARR framework: Action, Reflection, Reapplication.

2. Illinois Healthcare Policy: Where Progressive Vision Meets Systemic Fractures

1. Medicaid Expansion & the Healthy Illinois Campaign

Illinois expanded Medicaid in 2013 under the ACA, covering 1.4 million residents. However, post-pandemic redetermination (2023–2024) has disenrolled over 500,000 people—many in Cook County. Pritzker’s Center for Health and the Social Sciences (CHeSS) researches coverage gaps, particularly in Black and Latino communities.

Tip: Mention Pritzker’s Medical-Legal Partnership, which aids patients navigating Medicaid reinstatement.

2. Rural Hospital Deserts vs. Urban Safety Nets

Illinois leads the Midwest in rural hospital closures (9 since 2005), forcing patients to travel 50+ miles for care. Contrast this with Chicago’s trauma center disparities: After activists fought for decades, UChicago Medicine opened the South Side’s first adult trauma center in 2018.

Tip: Reference Pritzker’s REACH Initiative, which trains students to address rural-urban health divides.

3. Opioid Crisis & Harm Reduction Innovation

Illinois received $760M from opioid settlements, funding vending machines for naloxone and fentanyl test strips in Cook County. UChicago’s MATTER Clinic provides low-barrier buprenorphine access—a model likely to come up.

Tip: Link harm reduction to Pritzker’s community-first ethos; cite their student-run Community Health Clinic.

3. Current Events & Social Issues: The Chicago Lens

Local Flashpoints

• Maternal Mortality: Black women in Illinois die at 3x the rate of white women. UChicago’s Family Birth Center partners with community doulas to combat this.

• Gun Violence as Public Health Crisis: Chicago saw 617 homicides in 2023. UChicago’s Violence Recovery Program treats trauma through hospital-based intervention.

• Environmental Racism: The 2020 closure of Crawford Coal Plant in Little Village (a Latino neighborhood) highlighted air quality disparities. Pritzker researchers study asthma rates in Pilsen, where PM2.5 levels exceed EPA limits.

National Issues with Chicago Stakes

• Abortion Access: Illinois saw a 54% rise in out-of-state abortion seekers post-Dobbs. UChicago’s Family Planning Fellowship trains providers in complex care.

• Immigrant Health: Over 150,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since 2022. Pritzker students volunteer at Hyde Park Refugee Clinic, addressing gaps in pediatric care.

Tip: Weave in Pritzker’s “Chicago is my classroom” philosophy. Name-drop specific faculty (e.g., Dr. Doriane Miller’s work in Bronzeville).

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

1. “How has your [specific experience from AMCAS] shaped your understanding of healthcare inequity?”

2. “Chicago’s South Side faces X issue. How would you collaborate with communities to address it?”

3. “Describe a time you advocated for a patient. What systemic barriers existed?”

4. “What qualities define a good physician, and how have you demonstrated them?”

5. “How will you contribute to Pritzker’s culture beyond academics?”