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Questions to Ask at the End of a Medical School Interview (2026-27)
What to ask faculty, the admissions dean, current students and second look at a medical school interview, why each works, and what not to ask.
At the end of a medical school interview, ask two or three questions the school's website doesn't answer, chosen for the person in front of you. Ask faculty about teaching and support, the dean about cost and outcomes, and students about daily life. In an MMI, you ask at the student sessions and Q&As, not at the stations. To practice the half where they ask you, Confetto, an AI mock interviewer for medical school and other healthcare program interviews (MMI, traditional, panel), runs mock interviews out loud.
How many questions to ask
Two or three for each interviewer, with a follow-up on what they say. As a Northwestern student put it for the AAMC, “At the end of the interview, most interviewers will ask if you have any questions for them.” The AAMC's rule: “Be sure not to ask any questions that are easily answered by reading the school's website.” Many of the 17 questions below build on the AAMC students' list, Selecting a Medical School: 35 Questions I Wish I Had Asked.
Questions for faculty interviewers
What can students do here in the first two years that they can't do at most schools?
It is the AAMC's "What makes your medical school unique?" made specific, so the answer can't be a brochure line.
Listen for: A named clinic, track, course or program. If it sounds like the website, ask students the same thing at lunch.
How early do students work with patients, and what does that look like in first year?
Schools start clinical work at very different points, and it shapes how the first two years feel.
Listen for: A week you can picture: a preceptor, a longitudinal clinic, standardized patients.
When a student falls behind in a course or on boards, what happens next?
The AAMC students' list asks how a school helps students who don't pass the boards. Everyone hits a hard block at some point.
Listen for: Named people and an early check-in, such as learning specialists or tutoring. Policy words before any support tell you how the school reacts.
How do students find a research mentor, and is there time for it?
Ask it if research matters to you. Research opportunities are one of the AAMC's example questions.
Listen for: A named office or summer program, faculty who take students, and recent student posters or papers.
Questions for the admissions dean
What is changing in the curriculum over the next few years?
Schools redesign their curricula, and a change can land in the middle of your four years.
Listen for: What is changing, when and why. A clear plan is a good sign, even if it means change.
How does the school help students with the cost, beyond federal loans?
Financial aid and scholarships are one of the AAMC's example questions, and the cost follows you for years.
Listen for: School scholarships, need-based aid, a financial aid officer students actually meet, and help with debt planning.
Where did recent graduates match, and how does the school support residency applications?
The AAMC students' list asks to see the residency list. Outcomes are the clearest measure of a school.
Listen for: A list you can see, advisors by specialty, and time off for residency interviews.
What has changed recently because of student feedback?
The AAMC students' list asks almost exactly this. Every school says it listens, and this asks for the proof.
Listen for: A concrete change and how it came about.
Your answer to Why do you want to attend our school? shows the same research. A strong one names two things only this school offers.
Questions for current students
Including student interviewers, who sit on the interview team at Hofstra and Mercer.
What surprised you most about first year here?
It gets at what the tour doesn't show, good and bad, from someone who just lived it.
Listen for: Surprises you would welcome. A long list of hard ones is worth a follow-up with students at lunch.
What does a normal week look like for you right now?
It turns the curriculum chart into hours, classes and clinic time.
Listen for: Real numbers: required sessions, recorded lectures, time in clinic, a free evening or two.
Where do most students live, and do you need a car for rotations?
The AAMC students' list asks about cars and parking. It decides your rent and your commute.
Listen for: Neighborhoods by name, rent ranges, and how far the clinical sites are.
How do students prepare for Step 1 here, and is there dedicated study time?
Step 1 is pass/fail, but schools still differ in how much time and support they build in.
Listen for: Weeks of dedicated time, resources the school pays for, and what happens if someone needs to delay.
How easy is it to get an advisor, a mentor or counseling when you need one?
The AAMC students' list asks what academic, personal, financial and career counseling there is.
Listen for: Names, wait times and examples, not just that an office exists.
If you could change one thing about the school, what would it be?
Every school has something, and students will tell you if you make it easy.
Listen for: A specific thing, and whether the school knows about it. The same answer from three students is a real pattern.
Questions for second look
Which hospitals and clinics will I rotate at, and how far apart are they?
The AAMC students' list asks which clinical sites are available or required.
Listen for: A list of sites, travel times, and whether housing comes with the distant ones.
Can I sit in on a class or a small group?
Ten minutes in a real session tells you more than a slide about the curriculum.
Listen for: A yes and a time. Then watch how students and faculty talk to each other.
How does my aid package compare with the real cost of living here?
The AAMC students' list asks how students cover an "unmet need" in their budget.
Listen for: A financial aid officer who walks through your numbers, not just the school's averages.
Do you ask questions at an MMI?
Usually not at the stations. Most are timed scenarios, such as Arizona Phoenix's 2 minutes to read and a 7-minute conversation, so schools put your questions into the rest of the day. Hofstra's circuit also has 1 open, traditional-style station, so keep one faculty question ready. See how the MMI is scored.
| School | Where you ask (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Rutgers RWJ | A 7-station live video MMI. Questions go to a student-hosted Q&A on another day. Source |
| Hofstra | 7 scenario stations and 1 open station, plus lunch with students. Source |
| UA Phoenix | An MMI of 5 stations. Students join you in the morning and at lunch. Source |
| South Carolina | Columbia campus: a 40-minute Q&A with student Ambassadors before your interview. Source |
| UNLV | Not an MMI. A 90-minute Q&A with administration, not scored. Source |
Questions not to ask
Anything the website or MSAR profile already answers
The AAMC says not to ask what the school's website, its MSAR profile or the materials you were sent already answer.
Instead: Start from what you read: "I saw that first-years work in a clinic. How does that work week to week?"
"What is your average Step 1 score?"
Step 1 has been reported only as pass/fail for exams taken on or after January 26, 2022, so there is no average to share.
Instead: Ask how students do on Step 1 and Step 2 CK, and what support there is before each.
"What are the strengths and weaknesses of your school?"
Norma Wagoner, who has served on admissions committees at five medical schools, tells applicants in the AAMC's Ask the Experts not to, and to be more creative.
Instead: Ask what first-years would change, or what the school is working on right now.
"How did I do?" or "Will I get in?"
Interviewers can't tell you, and it puts them on the spot at the end of a good conversation.
Instead: Ask the admissions office when decisions usually go out.
A question you can't follow up on
Ask about a global health track and expect "What draws you to it?" back.
Instead: Only ask about programs you would really join.
Using the answers to choose a school
Loyola Stritch's assistant dean for admissions, Sunny Nakae, reminds applicants “Keep in mind that you are also interviewing the school.” Note what each person said that evening, compare schools on the same answers, and take the open ones to second look at Mayo, Vanderbilt or Rochester, which calls its version a revisit “without the pressures of the interview day.”
AMCAS dates for 2027: Plan to Enroll opens February 19, 2027 and lets you keep other acceptances. Commit to Enroll opens April 30, 2027, is final, and says you have withdrawn everywhere else. You still tell each school yourself.
Sources: AAMC interview prep, student tips, admissions officer tips, Ask the Experts and Choose Your Medical School, USMLE and each school's own page. All checked October 17, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What questions should I ask at the end of a medical school interview?
Two or three that the school's website doesn't answer, matched to the person. Ask faculty what students can do there that they can't at most schools, how early they work with patients, and what happens when a student falls behind. Ask students about a normal week and the dean about cost and where graduates match.
How many questions should I ask a medical school interviewer?
Two or three, with a follow-up on what they say. Have a few more ready in case the conversation answers some. If they covered everything, say so and ask what they enjoy about the school.
Do you ask questions at an MMI?
Usually not at the stations, which are timed scenarios with a rater each. Schools put the questions elsewhere in the day: Hofstra has a lunch with current students, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson holds a student-hosted session with a Q&A on a separate day.
What should you not ask at a medical school interview?
Anything the website or MSAR profile answers, the average Step 1 score (Step 1 has been pass/fail since January 26, 2022), the school's strengths and weaknesses, and how you did.
What should I ask at second look?
The deciding questions: which hospitals you rotate at and how far apart they are, how your aid package compares with the real cost of living, and whether you can sit in on a class. Compare the answers with your other acceptances before you Commit to Enroll, which AMCAS allows from April 30, 2027.