Questions to ask during medical school interviews

Date published

March 14, 2022

Author

Jake Romm

This is a short list of must know info for evaluating medical schools. You should be armed with several questions to ask during your interview because it demonstrates true interest and intent. And it’s better than saying “I’m very interested in your program”. I’ve given my thoughts on why it would be prudent to research these questions ahead of your interviews and keep the info in your notes. Any information you can’t find on their website or via presentations you can place in your back pocket to ask in person. Keep in mind that some of these questions might be too specific for just anyone to answer. You may have to pay attention to who you’re meeting with to determine if they would actually know (i.e. second year students may not know much about Step 2 or Clerkship items).

Do faculty write their own syllabi and course texts?
Do faculty write their own tests?

Faculty authored materials can be hit or miss. It also lets you know how valuable lectures or assigned reading will be. I would always pay attention to any points of emphasis coming from the person writing the test.

Is there internal ranking of students?
Is the preclinical curriculum graded P/F?
How are clerkships graded?
Are NBME shelf exams required during clerkships?

Most programs preclinical years are graded P/F. It’s quickly becoming the gold standard. It takes the pressure off and allows you more freedom to branch out and do research, study early for Step exams, and enjoy your life. I would think long and hard about programs that internally rank students based on the preclinical years.
Clerkships, or clinical rotations, will most likely be graded on a 4 or 5 point scale and this is so that you can be competitive for residency applications. Some programs grade on a purely subjective type of scale. Others mix in objective scores from NBME exams. Most have a combination of the two.

How is material delivered? Traditional lecture and group study sessions? Are lectures recorded?
Mandatory classes?
How does the school assess professionalism?

This may be a touchy subject given recent trends in medical school. Lecture attendance has declined across the country and mandatory attendance policies have been instituted with varying effects on morale and performance. Interesting article published by the University of Utah on the subject here. I still think it’s incredibly important to know beforehand what the policies are.

How long do you get for Step 1/ Step 2 prep?
When do students take Step 1 and 2?
Does the school provide any free Step 1 or Step 2 preparation materials (Qbanks, etc)
How does performance on Step 1 and Step 2 compare to national averages?

With Step 1 being P/F now there is slightly less anxiety surrounding it compared to when I was in the preclinical years. It’s good to know how much time you get for dedicated study, resources, and when you can expect to take the exam. This should be presented to you, but if not, I’d ask the students. My school gave us 6 months of the Uworld Qbank as well as 3 months of AMBOSS access.

Does the program provide a study space for students?
Does the school offer free tutoring services?

The LCME requires that a school gives students adequate “study space”. Turns out this can be a small cubby to put your bag or computer in. Tutoring services are excellent opportunities to get extra help if needed or may be opportunities to earn some money on the side. I tutored for UW and it was the most fun I had in all of medical school.

Are there policies or restrictions on early specialty exploration?
Are official physician mentoring programs in place?

This is important. If you aspire to provide primary care, you probably don’t have to worry, but if you are on the fence about some very competitive specialties (ortho, plastics, ENT, etc) you will want to know if they will actively prevent you from getting exposure prior to 3rd year. Second year is prime time for getting exposure and research leads.

How are clinical skills taught and assessed?
3rd and 4th year clerkship tracks and sites? (Will they be sending you all over the friggin state or do you get to stay in a single location)

May be important if you have a significant other who is trying to find a job while you are in school or if you have kids to move around.

Does the school organize 3rd and 4th year clerkships for you? Required and electives?
Does the school allow away rotations?
Do they have rotations for the specific specialties you are interested in?

Some programs will tell you to find your own electives and figure out the credentialing on your own. This is a nightmare and should be avoided if possible. You want to see well established clerkship sites with long history of medical student education. Otherwise, you may not learn anything or have a hard time even finding a place to rotate.

How does tuition compare to other schools?

I would highly recommend reading Ben Whites book about student loans. He gives a better outline than anyone out there and it’s all still current and applicable. Really wished I’d read it before heading to medical school. If a program justifies their extortionately high tuition by presenting income based repayment plans or PSLF, please collectively roll your eyes and shout “boo” for me.

Free student counseling services?
Significant other support programs?
How does the school promote wellness?
The Bennies (gym memberships, free food, housing stipends while on rotations, parking costs, student health plan cost).

These are just a few things to look out for while comparing programs. Counseling services and wellness programs show they care. Some universities will charge you ridiculous amounts to park on campus and may not even let you work out at the gym.

Any changes to curriculum in the recent past or on the horizon?
How do faculty respond to student feedback and concerns?

You don’t want to become a guinea pig unknowingly. Hopefully any changes are greater than 2 years in the past ideally. You may have to ask students if they feel heard when they see problems within the curriculum.

Are there opportunities for students to serve on curriculum committees?
Is there a career advising office? What do they help with?
Does the program have established volunteer activities?
Is there support for students to participate in research opportunities?
Are medical students provided time to engage in research endeavors?

All of these items will help you figure out the level of support for building your residency application you will have. Hopefully your career advising office will offer CV workshops, personal statement workshops, as well as sponsor a list of available research projects.

Keep these things in mind as you research prospective programs. If there are a few things that really matter to you, put them in an excel sheet so you can keep the programs straight. They definitely start to run together after a while. Good luck!