The interview question bank

Tell me about yourself, why this school, strengths, weaknesses and plans.

• About youBeginner·Traditional one-on-one, Panel · Most programs

  Tell me about yourself.

  Communication · Self-awareness

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  Sample answer outline

  1. 1Keep it to about 90 seconds and use present, past, future: who you are now, what shaped you, where you are headed.
  2. 2Pick two or three experiences that show different strengths, such as care, curiosity and leadership, instead of reciting your resume in order.
  3. 3Add one human detail (where you grew up, a family role, a serious hobby) so you are memorable.
  4. 4Land on why this path and this program, which hands the interviewer an easy next question.

  What makes it work

  • It is a guided tour, not a biography, so it stays short.
  • Each experience is a hook the interviewer can ask about.

  Avoid

  • Reading your application back to them.
  • Going past two minutes.

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• About youBeginner·Traditional one-on-one, Panel · Most programs

  Why do you want to attend our school?

  Self-awareness

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  Sample answer outline

  1. 1Name two or three things specific to this school: a curriculum feature, a clinical setting, a patient population, a program or pathway.
  2. 2Tie each one to something you have already done or plan to do, so the fit runs both ways.
  3. 3Say what you would contribute to the class and the community, not only what you would take.
  4. 4If you talked to students or visited, say what you learned and why it mattered to you.

  What makes it work

  • Specific details prove you did the research.
  • Linking features to your own story makes the fit believable.

  Avoid

  • Rankings, location or "great reputation" as your main reasons.
  • Facts you could paste into any school's interview.

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• About youBeginner·Traditional one-on-one, Panel · MD, DO

  What would you do if you do not get into medical school this year?

  Resilience · Self-awareness

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  Sample answer outline

  1. 1Show commitment and calm: you would reflect, ask schools for feedback and reapply.
  2. 2Name concrete steps aimed at your real weak spots: more clinical hours, a course, a stronger personal statement.
  3. 3Show you would keep doing meaningful work in the meantime, and why that work matters to you.
  4. 4Restate briefly why medicine remains the goal.

  What makes it work

  • A specific plan shows maturity and self-knowledge.
  • It turns a stressful question into evidence of resilience.

  Avoid

  • Sounding desperate, or naming a different career as plan A.
  • "I haven't thought about it."

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