Preparing for an Interview

To prepare for an interview, you should:

  • familiarize yourself with the interviewing resources provided by the Center for Work and Service
  • read available literature about the school
  • check with students who have already been interviewed at the school and/or students who were accepted at the school the previous year (the MPAC Chair can suggest students you might contact) 
  • review previous applicants’ responses to the MPAC’s interview debriefing form
    • ​responses from 2007-2011 application cycles are stored in a binder to near the Committee Coordinator’s desk
    • the form was moved online for 2012 applicants; their responses will be added to our Sakai site under Resources at the close of the 2012 application cycle
  • ​practice interviewing with your adviser or with a friend

​Additionally, your MPAC interview in the spring of your application year will provide you with useful feedback and advice.

Sample Interview Questions

  • Why do you want to be a doctor/dentist/veterinarian?
  • Tell me about yourself. 
  • What is your greatest strength or weakness? (Think about this ahead of time, particularly a weakness.)
  • Are there any areas of medicine/dentistry/veterinary medicine, interests you the most?
  • How do you react to criticism? 
  • What three adjectives might your friends use to describe you?
  • How do you think changes in health care policy will affect your approach to medical practice?
  • What is the most difficult medical situation/moral dilemma/challenge you have faced?
  • Tell me about your research.
  • Why should we accept you over the thousands of other applicants who are applying?
  • What books do you read for fun? What do you do for fun?
  • How do you handle stress? What do you do to relieve it?
  • Looking back over your life, what are you most proud of?
  • Give an example of a situation in which you showed initiative. What did you gain from this experience?
  • Why do you want to come to our school? (You need to do your research before your interview.)
  • Be prepared to answer questions about ethical situations related to your medical profession and healthcare in general. 
  • You might be asked about medical/dental/veterinary insurance.
  • You might be asked to describe what you see as the greatest problem facing medicine/dentistry/veterinary medicine today.

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