The WMed interview process

The Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed), in Kalamazoo, has one of the more unusual admissions sequences, and the interview comes late in it. After a supplemental application that includes an online assessment, selected candidates have a phone interview, and a smaller group is invited to a Virtual Interview Day. WMed's application process page lays out the steps:

Supplemental application with essays and a short online assessment.
Experiences review of your pre-medical experiences, essays and application materials.
Phone interview. WMed says this stage "is designed to help us learn more about your personal attributes. This is not an interview you can study for and is not designed to test your medical or scientific knowledge."
Virtual Interview Day. About 450 applicants are invited, and all interviews are virtual.

The AAMC's MSAR interview procedures report for the 2027 entering class describes the Virtual Interview Day as "a traditional one-on-one open file interview in addition to a group activity." Applicants get videos, links and information to review beforehand "so the virtual time together can be used to answer specific questions," and the day includes time with current students and faculty. Invitations begin in August, and interviews run from late September through mid-March.

Item	What WMed and the AAMC say
Online assessment	About 50 multiple-choice questions, about 30 seconds each, free, unique to WMed; no preparation needed or recommended
Phone interview	A personal-attributes conversation, not a knowledge test
Virtual Interview Day	A traditional one-on-one open file interview plus a group activity (MSAR)
Invited to the day	About 450 applicants
Decision	Initial decisions within four weeks of completing the virtual interview
Casper and PREview	Not used, per WMed's FAQ

WMed doesn't publish how long the phone interview or the one-on-one interview lasts, what the group activity is, or sample questions. Treat those as unknown until your invitations arrive.

WMed's timeline for 2026-27

AMCAS: due November 15, 2026.
Supplemental application, essays and online assessment: due January 8, 2027 on the application page (the FAQ says January 9, so confirm in your portal). The supplemental fee is $110, waived with AAMC Fee Assistance Program approval.
Interviews: virtual interviews begin in late September 2026 and continue through March 2027.
Offers: the first offers for the Class of 2031 are made October 15, 2026, then on a rolling basis.

WMed asks for a minimum 499 MCAT and a 3.0 GPA to receive the supplemental. It uses a commitment letter, not a monetary deposit, to reserve your seat. WMed also has an early decision program, WMedStart, for students at its preferred institutions.

What WMed says it is looking for

WMed uses a mission-aligned review based on the AAMC's experiences, attributes, metrics and competencies model. It says its program "focuses on teamwork" and that the selection process is designed to build cohorts with complementary experiences. The attributes it names are being a team player, problem solving, compassion and empathy, commitment to serving others, strong oral and written communication, and integrity in decisions. Its FAQ says candidate attributes are evaluated "at nearly every stage," including the online assessment, phone interview and virtual interview.

The FAQ describes a systems-based, integrated curriculum that blends basic and clinical sciences across all four years, using team-based learning, small and large group sessions, early clinical experiences and extensive simulation. WMed enrolls 86 students a year, and 42% of the Class of 2030 was from Michigan. It has preferred relationships with Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, Grand Valley State University and Albion College.

The supplemental asks you to explain why you chose WMed and how you will use "the unique features of WMed's mission, vision, and curriculum." Expect the interviewer to follow up on that answer, so reread what you wrote.

How to prepare for a phone interview and a group activity

Don't over-prepare content for the phone interview. WMed says you can't study for it. Prepare to be yourself, clear and warm, and to give specific stories about teamwork and service.
Practice on the phone, not just on video. Without a face to read, your voice carries everything. Practice pacing, tone and brief pauses.
Prepare for a group activity. WMed hasn't described it, so practice the skills that any group exercise shows: listening, building on others' ideas, including quieter people and staying on task.
Reread your supplemental. Be consistent with what you wrote about mission fit.
Use the pre-interview materials. WMed sends videos and links so you can ask specific questions. Arrive with two real questions.

WMed practice questions (written by us, not WMed)

WMed doesn't publish its questions. We wrote these around the attributes it names. Keep each answer to about two minutes.

Tell me about a time you were part of a team that struggled. What was your role?
Describe a problem you solved when you didn't have all the information.
What is the most compassionate thing you have seen someone do for a patient or a stranger?
Tell me about a time you made a decision that cost you something because it was the right thing to do.
Why WMed and its integrated, team-based curriculum?
Tell me about a time you explained something difficult to someone who didn't want to hear it.
What does serving others mean to you, and what have you done about it?
Tell me about a time you helped a group make a decision when members disagreed.
What connection, if any, do you have to Southwest Michigan or a community like Kalamazoo?
What is something about you that your application doesn't show?

For a wider set, see our practice questions with answers guide.

A drill for a phone call and a group activity

Call a friend and have them ask three questions from the list. Answer by phone, with no notes and the screen off.
Record the call. Listen for flat tone, filler words and answers that never get to a specific moment.
Join a three- or four-person practice group and solve a short task, such as planning a health fair on a small budget. Aim to contribute, not to win.
Ask the group afterward whether you listened, built on ideas and included everyone.
Fix one habit, such as interrupting or going quiet, and run it again.

If you don't have a practice partner, Confetto's AI mock interviews ask follow-up questions based on what you actually said and give rubric-based feedback afterward. The question bank has over 500 questions, and you can start with a 7-day free trial.

WMed interview FAQ

Is the WMed interview an MMI?

No. WMed describes a phone interview, then a virtual day with a traditional one-on-one interview and a group activity.

Can I study for the WMed phone interview?

WMed says no: it is "not an interview you can study for." Prepare your stories and your voice, not content.

Does WMed require Casper or PREview?

No. WMed says it uses its own online assessment instead, a free one of about 50 multiple-choice questions.

Is the WMed interview virtual?

Yes. WMed says all interviews are virtual, and the AAMC MSAR report agrees.

Does WMed prefer Michigan residents?

WMed's FAQ says it enrolls students from across the U.S. regardless of legal residence, and 42% of the Class of 2030 was from Michigan.

Applying to other Michigan schools too? See our guides to the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine interviews, or our medical school interview prep page.

Sources: WMed: Application Process, Admissions FAQs, MD Program admissions, AAMC MSAR interview procedures (2027).

Confetto isn't affiliated with Western Michigan University or WMed. Everything here about the school comes from its public admissions pages and the AAMC MSAR report, checked in October 2026. Formats can change between cycles, so go by your invitation email.