Our recent live Q&A session, Med School Interviews During COVID-19, was incredibly informative. Dr. Rothman and Dr. Gordon, two of Accepted’s med school admissions experts, provided clear and helpful answers to attendees’ questions about how to successfully navigate med school interviews in a virtual environment. Just because you might not have been able to join…
Did You Miss Our Med School Interview Webinar?
Our recent webinar, How to Nail Your Medical School Interviews, was packed with helpful guidance about what to do (and what not to do) to deliver a memorable performance at your interviews. Don’t walk into the process blind. You’ve worked so hard to get to this place; let us help you bring it all home…
Medical School Interviews During COVID-19: What You Need to Know
This is a particularly challenging year for med school interviews, not least due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unavailability of testing in the spring. Now comes the newest change, entirely virtual interviews and in some cases a video interview: AAMC’s Video Tool for Admissions (VITA) program, which launched this year to…
4 Tips for Discussing Failure at Your Med School Interview
Inevitably, you will be asked to describe a time when you have failed. It’s a common medical school interview question, and it’s a tough one. This post will help you prepare for this question. Strategies for tackling the failure question When selecting an example to discuss, consider the following strategies: Bottom Line We’ve all had…
Medical School Interviews: 7 Things You Need to Know
Think you know everything there is to know about interviewing, and that interview prep and mock interviews just aren’t for you? “It’s sad to see an applicant do well throughout the entire application process, only to crash and burn during their interviews,” says Accepted consultant Dr. Barry Rothman. “Many applicants assume that an interview is…
How to Approach VITA, AAMC’s New Video Interview
To address the novel challenges the pandemic has created, the AAMC will be using a video recording in place of in-person interviews. They are calling it the AAMC Video Interview Tool for Admissions (AAMC VITA). It is being offered at no cost to applicants since it is a pilot program and will be available from…
The Anatomy of a Post-Interview Thank You Email
After your medical school interview, it is appropriate to send thank you notes to all of the people who helped you throughout the day. These days it is rare to receive a thank you card. You can easily set yourself apart by sending out handwritten notes. If, like most people, you only have time to…
The Art of Interviewing—Are You a “Can” or a “Cannot”?
“I am doomed… This is a disaster… I really never expected this… What am I going to do?” This from Daniel, a prospective PhD student. I couldn’t imagine what had happened to cause such a negative response, especially as Daniel is a very strong candidate with impeccable credentials. My shock was further compounded when he…
Check Out Our Q&A on the MMI!
If you missed our live Q&A on the MMI, don’t worry – you can now view it on demand! If you’re preparing for an interview at a med school that uses the MMI method, this is a must-see: Accepted med experts Dr. Barry Rothman and Dr. Herman Gordon answered frequently asked questions and helped the…
What the Medical School Admissions Committee Looks for During an MMI
During the multiple mini interview, or MMI, you’ll be evaluated by many different people at several different stations. Having multiple reviews and reviewers provides a more consistent way to evaluate applicants because schools end up with more data from the evaluations provided by each person who observes you. They rate you based on how you…
An Overview of Your Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) Day
Currently, at least 37 medical schools in the U.S. offer the MMI. A typical MMI day lasts about nine hours. Starting the multiple mini interview day If you have a morning interview, check-in can begin as early as 7:15am which may include eating breakfast with medical students. After breakfast, the dean or assistant dean will…
Practicing for Your Med School Interview: Conversation 101
Most applicants come away from their first med school interview saying, “that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” As in many areas of life, the anticipation of a stressful event can be worse than the event itself. Although many med schools work hard to make applicants feels relaxed, this doesn’t mean you…
The Women’s Guide to Dressing for Medical School Interview Success
In a medical school interview, a first impression is often the only impression you get to make. With just a handshake your aim is to come across as professional, confident, and trustworthy. After all the hard work you have put in to your pre-med journey, this is your moment to shine as the outstanding applicant…
The Men’s Guide to Dressing for Medical School Interview Success
After the tests are scored, resumes printed, and applications submitted, interview day is the last—and potentially most—stressful part of getting to your school of choice. This is your chance to make a great first impression with the interview committee, and your appearance should mirror the image of a medical student; clean, professional, and detailed. Follow…
What’s the Best Way to Prep for Your Residency Interview
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and then some more PRACTICE! According to Dr. Sheryl Neuman, Accepted’s expert in residency and fellowship admissions, one of the most common residency interview question asked will be: “Why did you want to become a doctor?” Practice your answer to this question ahead of time so you can create a coherent answer and…
7 Steps to Acing Your Med School Interview
Congratulations! You have been identified as one of the most promising applicants for medical school during this application cycle. Follow these seven steps to ensure that you ace your interview and receive an acceptance: Step 1: Celebrate! While you may be nervous about embarking on the next step of your journey, don’t forget to celebrate…
Allopathic Medical School Interview Styles: From Traditional to New Approaches
Your interview is the next and hopefully final step in your journey to medical school acceptance. Are you ready for it? Before prepping for your interview, you’ll need to know what type of interview you’ll be having. There are four main types of medical school interviews that you can expect at an allopathic med school:…
How Can Introverts (And Anyone Else) Do Well on the MMI?
The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) was designed at McMaster University in Canada to better evaluate an applicant’s interpersonal skills and predict performance in medical school. Like all other interviewers, MMI interviewers are looking for problem solving, communications skills, and the ability to listen to and respond to another person. The benefit of the MMI (to…
Ask Away at Your Admissions Interview!
An interview works in two directions: The interviewer asks you questions to see if you’d be a good fit for the school in question, and you ask the interviewer questions to help you determine if this program is right for you. In order to come up with some good questions, you’ll want to make sure…
6 Tips for Talking About Your Weaknesses
How do you react when you read/hear the weakness question? With this question, schools are assessing how well you self evaluate. Like a business problem, they want to hear your plan of action, your implementation, and your success rate. Here are some tips to help you a) think about and evaluate your weaknesses, and b)…
