Preparing for the Wake Forest University School of Medicine interview

Landing a Wake Forest University School of Medicine interview is a major accomplishment—congratulations! To stand out, it’s essential to showcase not only your readiness for medicine, but also your understanding of North Carolina’s evolving healthcare landscape, salient state and national health policy issues, and the defining healthcare challenges in and around Winston-Salem.

This guide will give you a deep dive into Wake Forest’s interview process, state-specific healthcare trends, local social issues, and what to expect in the interview room.

1. The WFUSM Virtual Interview: Structure, Philosophy, and What They’re Really Assessing

Wake Forest conducts virtual one-on-one interviews via Zoom/Webex, blending traditional questioning with scenario-based assessments. The process emphasizes alignment with their "Compassionate Innovation" ethos in a digital format.

Key details:

• Virtual Traditional Interviews: 30–45-minute sessions with faculty or senior students. Expect probing questions about systemic healthcare challenges, delivered in a conversational but focused virtual setting.

  • Example: “How would telehealth address care gaps in rural Appalachian communities post-COVID?”

  • Virtual Tip: Maintain eye contact with the camera (not the screen) to simulate in-person engagement.

• Behavioral/Situational Assessments: Conducted through shared screens or virtual breakout rooms. Scenarios test ethical reasoning and adaptability to remote teamwork.

  • Recent virtual prompt: “A patient refuses a telehealth visit due to distrust of technology. How do you build rapport?”

  • Virtual Tip: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure concise, focused answers.

Themes (adapted for virtual evaluation):

1. Health Equity: Discuss WFUSM’s Atrium Health partnership through the lens of virtual care innovations (e.g., their telepsychiatry program for underserved NC counties).

2. Innovation in Rural Care: Highlight the AIR Hub’s telehealth work in Surry County—1 in 3 residents lack broadband, a challenge you might problem-solve in the interview.

3. Interprofessional Collaboration: Reference virtual STEP program adaptations (e.g., med students co-teaching anatomy via 3D virtual models with PA/Nursing peers).

Insider Tip: WFUSM evaluates “grit with grace” in virtual settings. Share stories where you demonstrated empathy in ambiguous, remote contexts—e.g., coordinating virtual health literacy workshops for NC’s Medicaid gap populations pre-expansion (shemmassianconsulting.com).

2. North Carolina’s Healthcare Policy: Battleground for Equity

1. Medicaid Expansion Fallout & WFUSM’s Role

NC’s 2023 Medicaid expansion covered 600,000+ adults, but WFUSM researchers found 42% of rural providers still reject Medicaid patients due to reimbursement delays. The school’s Rural Health Initiative trains students in “advocacy billing” tactics used by MAHEC clinics in Asheville to sustain Medicaid care.

2. Opioid Crisis & Novel Interventions

NC’s $1.5B opioid settlement funds are fueling WFUSM’s Project EMPOWER in Winston-Salem—a naloxone distribution network paired with recovery housing vouchers. Meanwhile, WFUSM’s ERs in Forsyth County report a 22% rise in fentanyl-linked overdoses since 2022, driving student-led research on ER-initiated buprenorphine protocols.

3. Maternal Mortality & Doulas of Color

Black women in NC face maternal mortality rates 2.6x higher than white women. WFUSM’s Birth Justice Warriors program (partnering with Sisters in Birth Winston-Salem) trains med students to co-manage prenatal care with community doulas—a model reducing preterm births by 18% in pilot data.

Tip: Reference WFUSM’s Center for Healthcare Innovation when discussing policy solutions. Example: “Building on CHI’s work with Medicaid chatbots, I’d propose…”

3. Current Events & Social Issues: The Piedmont Triad Lens

Local Flashpoints

• Mental Health in Forsyth County: After a 2023 youth suicide cluster, WFUSM psychiatrists launched Teen Connect, embedding therapists in 15 Title I schools. Students can shadow in clinics addressing TikTok-fueled anxiety spikes.

• Environmental Justice: Winston-Salem’s Creek Week Cleanup (co-led by WFUSM) tackles carcinogenic PCB deposits in historically Black neighborhoods—a legacy of RJ Reynolds’ dumping.

• Immigrant Health: WFUSM’s Su Clinica serves 3,000+ uninsured Latino patients annually, critical as NC’s immigrant population grows by 4.2% yearly.

National Issues with NC Resonance

• Abortion Access: NC’s 12-week ban strains WFUSM’s Family Planning Clinic, now a referral hub for out-of-state patients. Interviewers may probe your stance on provider conscience clauses.

• AI in Medicine: WFUSM’s Deep Learning Lab partners with Atrium to predict sepsis in rural ERs. Be ready to discuss ethical AI use.

Tip: Mention WFUSM’s Street Medicine team (serving Winston-Salem’s homeless) to demonstrate awareness of their community footprint.

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

1. “Our curriculum integrates clinical exposure from Year 1. Which population would you want to serve during your ACE (Applied Clinical Experience) rotations?”

2. “How would you improve access to prenatal care in Anson County, where 35% of mothers lack transportation?”

3. “Describe a time you advocated for someone from a different background. What systemic barriers existed?”

4. “WFUSM values ‘innovation through humility.’ Share an example where you balanced creativity with cultural humility.”

5. “A diabetic patient misses three appointments. How do you address this while respecting their autonomy?”