If you do not get into medical school this year, what is your plan?

Where answers to this question lose points

Our scorer marks every answer on three parts. For each of the 104 applicants who finished this question on Confetto, we took their first scored answer and counted the part that scored lowest.

• Structure: a clear order and a clear point51 of 104
• Content: covering what the question needs33 of 104

Confetto data as of November 8, 2026. A part is shown only when 20 or more applicants share it. Answers where two parts tied are not counted toward either. We never show anyone's answers or details.

What this question tests

• Personal growth
• Resilience

How to structure your answer

1. Answer (20 seconds). The opening gives a concrete plan: continue working as an EMT, seek application feedback, and address weaknesses before reapplying. It acknowledges disappointment honestly while showing that the applicant would avoid rushing into another cycle with an unchanged application.
2. Moment (45 seconds). The applicant describes a Sunday ambulance call in Dayton involving a man with worsening shortness of breath who had delayed seeking help because of cost and family concerns. His explanation prompted the applicant to move beyond collecting clinical information and listen more carefully.
3. What it changed (30 seconds). The experience shows why continued EMS work would offer meaningful learning, especially in asking useful questions and noticing patients’ unspoken concerns. The applicant also outlines targeted application improvement through advisor meetings, available school feedback, and stronger academic preparation if needed, rather than accumulating activities.
4. Looking ahead (15 seconds). The closing reaffirms the applicant’s goal of becoming a physician without treating admission next year as guaranteed. It frames an additional year as an opportunity to become better prepared, more aware of personal limitations, and more attentive to patients.
5. Common pitfalls. A vague promise to reapply, without explaining how the application would improve, would weaken this answer. Treating EMS as merely a way to fill time or blaming admissions committees for rejection would also undermine its thoughtful, constructive approach.

Example answer from Confetto

Example answer from Confetto. Not a real applicant's answer.

If I don’t get into medical school this year, I plan to continue working as an EMT, get feedback on my application, and reapply after addressing the weaknesses I can identify. I’ll be disappointed, especially after investing so much in this cycle, but I don’t want that disappointment to rush me into submitting the same application again.

One Sunday morning on an ambulance shift in Dayton, we transported a man with worsening shortness of breath who kept apologizing for calling 911. While my partner assessed him, I asked what had made him hesitate. He said he had been worried about the bill and hadn’t wanted to wake his daughter. I had initially focused on getting his history and recording his vital signs. Hearing that made me slow down, reassure him that we were there to help, and listen more carefully during the ride.

That call helped me understand why continuing in EMS would be meaningful, not simply something to fill a year. I still have a lot to learn about asking useful questions and recognizing what patients may be reluctant to tell me. Alongside my weekend shifts, I’d meet with my prehealth advisor and request feedback from schools that offer it. If my academic preparation needs strengthening, I’d make that the priority rather than adding activities just to look busier.

I still want to become a physician, and an additional year can help me arrive better prepared, with a clearer understanding of both my limitations and the patients I hope to serve.

Use it for its structure. Interviewers can tell a memorized script, so tell your own story.

Keep going

• Tell me about a significant challenge or failure and what you learned from it.
• Tell me about yourself.
• Why do you want to become a physician?
• Medical school interview questions by type
• The full interview question bank