If you’re terrified of your upcoming medical school interviews, trust me, I get it. Having to answer questions about yourself is hard enough sometimes without the added pressure of acceptance into a great school looming over your head. But, I believe that, with the right amount of preparation, anyone can ace their med school interviews!
So, how long are med school interviews? How early should you arrive? What should you expect when you sit down at the table? I’ve got all your answers to these questions and more so you can walk into your med school interviews brimming with confidence.
This post is all about answering out how long are med school interviews.
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Find Out How Long Are Med School Interviews
Types of Interviews
Different schools offer different types of interviews. If you’re invited to interview at multiple schools, you’ll probably experience more than one type. The main 4 types of med school interviews are: in-person, virtual, hybrid, and recorded.
In-Person
An in-person interview happens live at the medical school. Usually, it will last between 40 and 60 minutes. You may be interviewed by one or multiple people. These interviewers may be faculty, admissions staff, or even students.
Virtual
A virtual interview takes place online, usually on Zoom or another virtual conference platform. It will be very similar to an in-person interview, just held virtually. You can expect about the same length (40 to 60 minutes) and the possibility of one or multiple interviewers who may be faculty or students. Lots of medical schools have made the switch to virtual interviews for the upcoming application cycles.
Hybrid
Hybrid interviews give you the option to choose between interviewing online or in-person. This allows students to pick an interview format that best suits their needs. If you can’t make it to an in-person interview for some reason or you simply feel more comfortable interviewing online, you can freely choose a virtual interview without fear of penalization.
Recorded
Recorded interviews are the least common type of med school interview. In a recorded interview, you will not actually talk to an interviewer. Instead, you will answer a series of questions presented either in text format or a pre-recorded video. Your answers will then be recorded and sent to the school for review.
Interview Day Procedure
Most medical schools send out interview invitations starting in late summer or early fall. However, you can receive an invitation as late as winter or early spring. During that time, you will be able to pick from a variety of dates to schedule your interview. If it’s an in-person interview, make sure to plan out and book any necessary travel arrangements ahead of time and request time off from work if you need it.
If you are interviewing in-person, you will probably end up making a whole day of your visit, even for interviews scheduled later in the day. After all, you want to be there early to make sure you’re on time. In general, aim to arrive at least 20 to 30 minutes before your interview is scheduled to begin so you can find the room and try to relax a little beforehand.
Depending on when your interview takes place, you may also be invited to take a tour of the campus or attend an event or talk. Take advantage of these opportunities to learn more about the school and really feel what it would be like to go there.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has put together a compilation of the 2025 interview procedures for over 150 medical schools. Check it out and see if any of your schools are listed for extra information!
Interview Structure
The structure of a med school interview typically depends on the format of the interview. For example, a group interview will be carried out very differently from a one-on-one interview. Some schools will also be more or less rigid when it comes to asking questions. Interviewers may stick to a strict list of questions or let the conversation flow freely. It changes from school to school.
Here is a breakdown of the structure you can expect from each interview format.
One-on-One Interview
In a one-on-one interview, you will speak with just one interviewer. They may be an admissions officer, a faculty member, an enrolled student, or a physician. Throughout the conversation, they will ask you to expand on different parts of your application, including your personal statement, clinical experience, past education, research opportunities, and more.
Remember to ask questions of your own either during conversation or at the end of the interview to show your interest and learn more about the school.
Panel Interview
In a panel interview, you will be interviewed by multiple people at once. They may be all faculty members, all physicians, all students, or a mix of different people. I know it can be scary to walk into a room with a panel of people waiting to ask you all kinds of questions, but try to stay calm and just think of it as a conversation with them wanting to get to know you better.
Group Interview
In a group interview, multiple prospective students will be interviewed at the same time. Usually, group interviews are designed to test your interpersonal and collaboration skills. Your group may have to complete a certain task or come up with a solution to a problem in a restricted amount of time. Interviewers can then observe how you work with others to develop solutions.
Group interviews can be a little intimidating as well, but don’t be afraid to get in there and make sure you stand out from the crowd.
Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)
MMIs have become increasingly popular over the years among medical schools. In an MMI scenario, multiple applicants will be interviewed by multiple interviewers one-on-one at different stations. There will usually be between 6 and 10 stations set up. You will rotate from station to station and answer questions for about 5 minutes at each one. Typically, different stations will be dedicated to unique topics or questions. You may even be asked to solve a problem before moving on. It’s sort of like a fun game show – just more nerve-racking.
Other Tips for Interview Day
Use these 5 tips to help yourself feel more prepared and shake off some of those interview day nerves.
1. Dress for Success
No one wants to look like a slob on interview day. Dress like you would for a professional interview in either a neutral or dark-colored suit or dress with a blazer. I recommend also wearing comfy shoes since you’ll be walking around campus quite a bit and bringing a neat bag or padfolio to keep your paper organized.
2. Turn Off Your Phone
The last thing you want during your medical school interview is to have your phone going off or buzzing. Not only is it distracting for you, but interviewers might view it as disrespectful or unprofessional. I recommend turning your phone off completely and keeping it stored in your bag (even outside of the interview while still on campus) instead of just putting it on silent to avoid even the slightest possibility of it going off.
3. Greet Students and Faculty
If you have an in-person interview, make sure to be friendly to students and faculty that you run into on campus. You want to make a good first impression on everyone, not just your interviewer. After all, you might end up attending in the future. This is a great opportunity to start making connections, especially with students. Try to exchange contact information with a few students if you can so you can ask them questions later on.
4. Prepare Questions to Ask
At the end of your interview, you will probably be asked if you have any questions. In my first ever med school interview, I made the mistake of just saying no. Don’t be like past me! Prepare questions to ask ahead of time that show how interested you are in the school. Make sure you don’t just ask something that could easily be answered by browsing the school website.
Click here for some examples of questions to ask in your interview.
5. Send a Follow-Up Email
After your interview, it’s a good idea to send a follow-up email thanking your interviewers for their time. This will keep you on the school’s radar and could improve your chances of getting in.
If you don’t want to leave anything to chance for your interview, my course The Ultimate Guide on Medical School Interviews guides you through each step of your preparation. So you don’t have to shudder with fear every time you think about that looming date. And once you are walking into your interview room, you feel confident and (even) excited to share your unique story with them. In this course you’ll learn all the strategies I used for my own medical school interviews, which earned me 10 acceptances out of 13 interviews!
Final Thoughts
As someone who’s made it through my fair share of scary med school interviews, I know how stressful it can be while you’re preparing. I hope this guide helps take a little bit of that stress away. Remember, even just a few minutes of prep can go a long way, especially when it comes to building up your confidence.
