Each year, we get a number of questions about what to wear to your medical school interview and what to bring to interview day.
In this blog post, we name 5 things that students tend to forget during interview day. But, being prepared with these 5 things to bring to a medical school interview will make interview day A LOT less stressful!
- Directions to the medical school interview site
- Interview folder + pen
- Resume and CV
- Abstracts, articles, and books you wrote
- Questions for the interviewer
Since the beginning of COVID in 2020, medical schools have transitioned to virtual interviews. As the world slowly gets “back to normal,” read more on how to prepare for virtual medical school interviews!
What to Bring to a Medical School Interview #1:
Directions to Med School Interview Site
- Be sure to bring directions to the exact med school interview site. The med school interview site might be different than the medical school admissions office. For example, some interviews take place in the main medical school center, a medical school dorm, or a medical school library.
- If there are several options of transportation, know how to get there using all modes. These modes of transportation include: car, taxi (or uber/lyft), public transportation (train, subway), and walking.
- Know where the parking structure is, and how to walk from the parking structure to the med school interview site. Parking structures can be far from the interview site. So take into account extra walking time.
- If you have a smart phone, bring it so you can check your phone in case you get lost. But remember to turn your cell off throughout the med school interview. Medical school admissions committees may view you negatively if you are checking your phone throughout the interview day.
What to Bring to a Medical School Interview #2:
Interview Folder + Pen
- Get one at your college bookstore or you can buy one online. Buy a black interview folder (ideally a nice leather one, which may have your school logo embossed).
- Interview folders can help store your abstracts, resume, notepad for writing notes, pens, and business cards you collect.
- Make sure there aren’t random notes from other med school interviews written on the top page.
- Bring a pen, and bring an extra pen. Make sure your pens are black or blue.
What to Bring to a Medical School Interview #3:
Resume / CV
- Make sure your resume is updated
- Have multiple copies, in case your interviewers want to keep your resume for reference. If you have time before the interview, try to ask friends or look online for the format of the med school interview. Are they one-on-one interviews? Are they multiple mini interviews?
- Put the activities you want to discuss on the first page of your resume. For example, if you want to discuss your research, make sure the first section of your resume after the “Education” section is “Research.”
What to Bring to a Medical School Interview #4:
Abstracts, Articles, Pictures, Books You Published
- Have 2 copies in case one of your interviewers want to keep a copy.
- During your mock interviews, practice when you will present your additional exhibits (abstracts, articles, pictures, books). You may not want to tell all your interviewers about a book that you wrote or an abstract/poster you presented.
If you have want to practice med school interviews, contact the Cracking Med School Admissions team at info@crackingmedadmissions.com. We help pre-meds prepare and practice med school interviews through our mock interviews.
What to Bring to a Medical School Interview #5: Questions
- Have questions for your interviewers and tour guides
- Show your excitement about the school by having very specific questions tailored to the school
- Try to tease out what makes this medical school different than other medical schools you are interviewing at.
- Sometimes, your interview day – through the people you meet – will give you a general “gut feeling” of whether you like a medical school or not. So be engaged and get a good feel for the school!
- Keep in touch with people you meet! Ask students and professors for their contact information, in case you have additional questions after your med school interview. And remember to send thank you emails to your interviewers.
Some topics to discuss with your med school interviewer or other students you meet on interview day:
- Culture of the medical school
- Curriculum, including clinical curriculum
- Clubs and extra-curricular activities
- Available research
Some questions you can ask your interviewers:
- How much funding do students have for extra-curricular activities or independent research?
- What percentage of students take time off from medical school and what do they usually do?
- Why did you choose to come to this school / University?
Read our other blog posts about medical school interviews:
- How to Answer 3 Common Medical School Interview Questions
- 5 High-Yield MMI Interview Tips
- Medical School Interview Attire: Women
- Medical School Interview Attire: Men
If you want the Cracking Med School Admissions team’s help with your medical school interviews, contact us at info@crackingmedadmissions.com.