Preparing for the University of Mississippi School of Medicine interview

Securing an interview at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine (UMSOM) is more than an academic achievement—it’s an invitation to join one of America’s most mission-driven institutions, serving a state where health care challenges are as layered and urgent as its Delta soil. 

To truly stand out, you’ll need a keen grasp of Mississippi’s health policy, the social context shaping its communities, and the transformative journey the university is hoping to inspire in every student. Here’s your locally-informed, highly strategic guide for interview day.

1. The UMMC MMI: Structure, Themes, and Hidden Priorities

UMMC’s MMI includes 8–10 timed stations assessing ethics, cultural competence, and problem-solving. 

Key details:

• Scenario Stations: Expect Mississippi-specific dilemmas (e.g., “A rural patient refuses diabetes care due to distrust of ‘city doctors.’ How do you rebuild trust?” or “Design a low-cost prenatal program for a Delta clinic with no OB-GYN.”).

• Role-Play Stations: Simulate patient interactions (e.g., “Counsel a teen mother in Clarksdale hesitant to vaccinate her newborn.”).

• Written Stations: Analyze policy (e.g., “Should Mississippi expand Medicaid? Defend your stance.”).

• Themes: Resourcefulness in underserved settings (Mississippi has the fewest physicians per capita in the U.S.), cultural humility (38% of Mississippians are Black; 3% Hispanic), and advocacy for systemic change.

Insider Tip: UMMC values “grit over gloss.” Practice scenarios tied to Mississippi’s rural health crisis, and cite local programs like Delta Health Collaborative or Mississippi Free Clinic Network to show depth.

2 Mississippi’s Healthcare Policy: Deep South Realities and Resistance

Mississippi’s policies reflect its status as the only state without expanded Medicaid—a defining issue. Key points to weave into answers:

1. Medicaid Non-Expansion

   • 297,000 Mississippians fall into the “coverage gap,” earning too much for Medicaid but too little for ACA subsidies. UMMC’s Children’s Justice Center treats uninsured kids in Jackson, where ERs are overcrowded with non-emergent cases.

2. Rural Hospital Crisis

   • 38% of rural hospitals are at risk of closure. Greenwood Leflore Hospital (Delta’s largest) cut obstetrics in 2022, forcing pregnant women to drive 50+ miles. UMMC’s TeleEmergency Network now supports 15 critical access hospitals via virtual consults.

3. Opioid Settlement Funds

   • Mississippi allocated $18M from opioid lawsuits to recovery housing and naloxone distribution. UMMC’s MAT Clinic in Oxford uses medication-assisted therapy—controversial in a state with high stigma toward addiction.

Tip: Name-drop UMMC’s Myrlie Evers-Williams Institute for the Elimination of Health Disparities when discussing systemic solutions.

3 Current Events & Social Issues: The Mississippi Lens

Local Flashpoints

• Maternal Mortality: Black women die at 3x the rate of white women postpartum. UMMC’s Mississippi Perinatal Quality Collaborative trains midwives in majority-Black counties like Hinds.

• Jackson Water Crisis: Lead-contaminated water (2022–23) spiked pediatric ER visits for GI issues. UMMC partnered with Mississippi Rapid Response Coalition to distribute filters in West Jackson.

• Diabetes Epidemic: 13% of adults have diabetes (highest in the U.S.). UMMC’s Diabetes Telehealth Network serves 18 rural clinics, slashing A1C levels by 2.3 points on average.

National Issues with Mississippi Stakes

• Abortion Access: Post-Dobbs, Mississippi’s lone clinic closed. UMMC now handles complex cases, but OB-GYN residency applications dropped 25% in 2023.

• Climate Health: 2023 heatwaves saw ER visits for heatstroke triple in Sunflower County. UMMC’s Climate & Health Initiative maps “heat islands” in South Jackson.

Tip: Reference UMMC’s Rural Physician Scholarship Program to show alignment with their mission.

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

1. “Why Mississippi? How will you address our state’s health disparities?”

2. “A patient in the Delta can’t afford insulin. What’s your solution?”

3. “Mississippi rejected Medicaid expansion. How does this impact rural hospitals?”

4. “Describe a time you adapted to limited resources.”

5. “How should UMMC improve Black maternal health outcomes?”