UTMB Video Secondary (Spark Hire): What to Expect and How to Prepare

Short answer: UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine's supplemental ("secondary") application has two parts: two essays submitted in the AMP portal and two asynchronous video responses recorded on Spark Hire. You record your answers alone, on a timer, with no interviewer on the call. UTMB will not invite you to interview until both parts are submitted. For the 2027 entry cycle, the supplemental deadline is Friday, November 6, 2026 at 8:00 AM CST, and the processing fee is $70 (UTMB admission requirements).

This guide separates what UTMB actually publishes from what it doesn't. It then gives you a timing plan, original practice prompts and a one-week routine so your two recordings sound like you on a good day.

What UTMB officially says about the video secondary

Everything in this section comes from UTMB's own admissions pages, checked on September 24, 2026:

• You get an email invitation to the supplemental application once your TMDSAS application has been processed. The invitation includes the instructions for both the essays and the videos (I'm Ready to Apply).
• The supplemental has two components: two essay questions in AMP and two asynchronous video responses on Spark Hire.
• No applicant is invited to interview without a completed supplemental application, meaning both components.
• The minimum requirements for interview consideration are a TMDSAS application, the completed supplemental, the $70 fee, an MCAT and Casper score on file, and the two Spark Hire video responses (Admissions Policies and FAQs).
• For the 2027 entry year, UTMB lists October 20, 2026 as the last Casper test date it accepts. You must select the School of Medicine for distribution before Acuity's distribution deadline.

What UTMB does not publish

UTMB's public pages do not list the video questions, the think time, the answer length or whether re-recording is allowed. Those details arrive with your invitation. Posts from past cycles on forums describe different setups from year to year, so don't prepare for someone else's numbers. Read your invitation first and write down four things: the number of questions, the think time, the maximum answer length, and whether you get a second take. Then practice under exactly those limits.

Why a one-way video is harder than it looks

In a live interview, the interviewer's face tells you when you're rambling, and a follow-up question rescues a weak start. A one-way recording has neither:

• The clock is the only feedback. Answers usually go wrong because the story runs long and the point never arrives, not because the content is bad.
• You may get one take. If your invitation allows only one recording, your first attempt is your final answer, so the practice has to happen beforehand.
• You're talking to a lens. Looking at your own face on screen reads as looking down. Practice looking at the camera.

A timing plan for any answer length

The most reliable structure for a short recorded answer is: make your point, prove it with one specific example, explain what it changed, then stop. Here is how that splits across common limits. Use the column that matches your invitation.

Answer limit	Your point	One specific example	What it taught you / why it matters in medicine	Closing line
60 seconds	5 s	35 s	15 s	5 s
90 seconds	10 s	50 s	20 s	10 s
120 seconds	10 s	70 s	30 s	10 s
150 seconds	15 s	85 s	35 s	15 s

Word budget: a comfortable speaking pace is often somewhere around 130–160 words per minute. That's about 195–240 words for a 90-second limit and 260–320 words for 120 seconds. Time yourself reading a paragraph aloud to find your own pace. If you're near the top of your range, cut words rather than speaking faster.

Using think time: don't script sentences. Pick your example, name the one thing you want the listener to remember, and decide your closing line. That's three notes, and it's enough.

Original practice prompts

These are original practice prompts written by Confetto. They are not UTMB's questions, and we don't know which questions you'll receive. They're built around the qualities UTMB says its committee weighs: interpersonal, oral and communication skills; nonacademic experiences such as community service; and unique educational, career or life experiences (UTMB criteria for applicant evaluation).

1. Tell us about a time you had to explain something difficult to someone who didn't want to hear it. A strong answer shows how you adjusted your words to the person, not just that you delivered the news.
2. Describe a community you've served and one thing you learned from the people in it. Strong: the lesson comes from them, not about them.
3. What's a responsibility outside school that shaped how you work with others? Strong: a concrete duty (job, caregiving, team role) and a specific habit it built.
4. Tell us about a mistake you made on a team and what you did next. Strong: ownership in the first ten seconds, then the repair, then what you do differently now.
5. Why do you want to train at UTMB specifically? Strong: a reason tied to something you've actually looked into, stated plainly. Don't recite the website back.
6. What's something you'd bring to your medical school class that isn't on your application? Strong: one specific trait or perspective with a quick example, not a list.

Worked example: a 90-second answer

Illustrative only. This is a fictional applicant written by Confetto to show the structure. It is not a real UTMB response.

Prompt: "Tell us about a time you had to explain something difficult to someone who didn't want to hear it."

[Point, ~10 s] I learned that difficult news lands better when the other person gets to set the pace.

[Example, ~50 s] I worked weekends at a pharmacy counter. A regular customer came in for a refill and I had to tell him his insurance had stopped covering it, so the price had gone from ten dollars to over a hundred. He got angry fast. My first instinct was to explain the whole insurance rule, which only made it worse. So I stopped and asked what he needed to get through this week. He said he just couldn't go without it before payday. With the pharmacist, we found he could fill a smaller supply that day, and I wrote down the number for his plan and the exact phrase to use when he called.

[What it changed, ~20 s] The facts didn't change, but the conversation did once I stopped defending the rule and started solving his next step. I try to do that now whenever someone is upset. I find out what they need first, then explain.

[Close, ~10 s] I expect to have harder versions of that conversation as a physician, and I want to keep starting with the person rather than the policy.

That's just under 200 words, which fits a 90-second limit at an unhurried pace. Notice what it leaves out: no background about the pharmacy, no second example, no summary of the prompt.

Recording setup checklist

• Camera at eye level, with your head and shoulders in frame. Stack books under a laptop if needed.
• Light in front of you (a window or lamp behind the camera), not behind you.
• A quiet room, with notifications off and other apps closed. Tell anyone at home when you're recording.
• A stable connection. Use a wired connection or sit close to the router if you can.
• Dress as you would for the interview. It helps your mindset as much as your appearance.
• Put a sticky note next to the lens as a reminder to look at it, not at yourself.
• Work through any practice or test question the platform offers before recording the real ones, and follow the instructions in your invitation.

A one-week practice routine before you record

1. Day 1: Read your invitation and note the question count, think time, answer length and retake policy. Find your speaking pace by reading aloud for 60 seconds.
2. Day 2: List five experiences you could use (service, work, team, mistake, why medicine). For each, write the one-sentence point it proves.
3. Day 3: Answer three of the prompts above under your real time limits, one take each. Record yourself on your phone and watch it back once.
4. Day 4: Fix the most common problem you noticed, which is usually a late point or a rushed ending. Repeat with three new prompts.
5. Day 5: Run a full practice set with unfamiliar questions so you rehearse thinking on the spot, not reciting.
6. Day 6: Rest from recording. Re-read UTMB's pages and your own essays so your answers and essays tell a consistent story.
7. Day 7: Record for real, early in the day and well before the November 6 deadline, in case of technical problems.

Practicing with Confetto

Rehearsing with unfamiliar questions on a real timer is the part that's hard to do alone, and it's what Confetto's one-way video interview practice is built for. Choose the Medical school secondary one-way video preset or Custom, then enter the think time and answer length from your UTMB invitation. Each question gets one attempt, and recording stops automatically when time runs out, just like the real thing. Confetto sessions have at least three questions, so you'll get an extra rep compared with UTMB's two.

Afterward, you'll see a transcript of every answer with a 1–5 score for content, structure, specificity and fit with the program's mission. You'll also see your words per minute, filler words, how much of the time you used and whether you were cut off. For mission-fit feedback, you can paste in UTMB's mission statement. Confetto currently scores your audio and transcript, not your on-camera presence, so still watch one recording back yourself to check framing and eye contact. One-way practice is part of Confetto's paid plans, and the free trial covers single-question mock interviews.

After the video: UTMB's interview format

If you're invited, UTMB's interview is a virtual Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) with seven 7-minute stations. You get 3 minutes to read each scenario before the interviewer connects. Interviewers include faculty, alumni, staff, residents and students. UTMB interviews on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, about 56 applicants a week, with a required orientation day on the Friday before your interview day (UTMB interview information).

You can rehearse that exact rhythm for free with the Confetto MMI timer by setting it to 7 stations, 3 minutes of reading and 7 minutes of response. For school-specific context, see our UTMB interview guide, and for general MMI preparation, see medical school interview practice.

FAQ

Is the UTMB video secondary required?

Yes. UTMB lists the two Spark Hire video responses among the minimum requirements for interview consideration, and it won't invite you to interview without a completed supplemental.

How many video questions are there, and how long do I get?

UTMB's public pages say two video responses. The think time, answer length and retake rules come in your invitation, so use those numbers rather than numbers from past cycles.

When is the deadline?

For the 2027 entry cycle, UTMB lists November 6, 2026 at 8:00 AM CST as the supplemental application deadline. Record early. Don't leave a timed recording for the final night.

Do I also need Casper?

Yes. UTMB requires a Casper score on file, and it lists October 20, 2026 as the last Casper test date it accepts for 2027 entry.

Is Confetto affiliated with UTMB or Spark Hire?

No. Confetto is an independent interview-practice tool and is not affiliated with UTMB, Spark Hire or Acuity Insights. The practice prompts in this article are original and are not UTMB interview questions. Always follow the instructions in your own invitation and check UTMB's admissions pages for changes.