Planning to get into medical school this upcoming school year? Then keep reading! In this article, you’ll be able to get a glimpse of common questions they ask during medical interviews. This is crucial since how an interview goes is how they’ll determine–to either get or reject an applicant, apart from other qualifications.

So it’s important to take your pre-med interview seriously. These questions can help you prepare by giving you an idea of what to expect, so you’re not caught off guard. Another option for pre-med interview prep is by taking medicine interview courses. 

So if you’re ready to know the common questions asked in medical interviews, here’s a rundown:

1 – Tell me something about yourself

This is a question commonly asked in any form of interview, whether you’re applying for a job or school. Now this question is not meant to be anything serious, if anything, it’s more of an icebreaker to get into the “question and answer” vibe going.

To efficiently answer this question (not like there’s a right or wrong answer for it), simply give the interviewer a brief background of yourself. But remember to really get into your educational background, like the schools you’ve attended and any other relevant experiences.

2 – Why do you want to pursue a career in medicine?

This question is asked to merely get an idea of why you decided to pursue a career in medicine. Your answer can give the interviewer an idea of what motivates you to study medicine. So make sure to answer along the lines of “it’s my passion” or “it’s my choice.” If you answer with a “I’m doing it for my parents” or anything similar, this will give them the impression you’re not fully committed.

3 – Describe a challenging medical situation you’ve faced and how you handle it.

This question is aimed at knowing your strengths and weaknesses in a medical setting. This is more of a behavioural question and is a great way to know an applicant better. This is specifically aimed at knowing how good your problem-solving skills are as well as your interpersonal skills.

4 – What qualities make you a good candidate for this program?

Before your interview or application, it’s crucial to be well-prepared to talk about your strengths, skills, and attributes in detail, making sure you can convincingly demonstrate how they seamlessly align with the unique requirements and expectations of the programme or job you are pursuing.

5 – What made you choose this medical school/program?

Interviewers are very interested in your degree of dedication and preparation when you are in an interview situation. They want to know whether you’ve done your homework on their school or business and whether you’ve considered whether it would be the best fit for your career objectives and aspirations.

Making a good impression and showcasing your sincere desire to join their team may be accomplished by demonstrating your familiarity with their organisation and how it complements your goals.  

6 – How would you handle stress and pressure in a medical environment?

It’s critical to understand that medicine frequently includes extremely stressful and pressure-filled circumstances where people’s lives and health are on the line. Your ability to successfully handle and navigate through various sorts of stress becomes crucial in this sense, not simply advantageous.

Your ability to control your stress levels may have a big influence on how well you perform overall, how well you make decisions, and how well you care for patients. This makes stress management a vital skill with a huge impact on the world of medical professionals.

7 – Where do you see yourself in 5 years in the medical industry?

It’s best to express in detail how the particular opportunity at hand matches your larger career strategy. As well as your ambitions during this conversation, as well as to be upfront about your long-term professional plans.

The interviewer or evaluator can learn more about your professional goals and how this particular opportunity serves as a strategic stepping stone towards the realisation of your overall career vision by receiving a thorough overview of your aspirations. 

8 – Tell me about a time you had to work with difficult patients as well as colleagues.

They want to learn important information about your abilities for working in a group and interacting with others, therefore they ask you this question. This helps them comprehend how you handle tricky interpersonal situations and effectively contribute to accomplishing group objectives in a work context.

9 – What experiences have prepared you for this role?

We want you to explore and expound on any relevant experiences you may have had, like clinical rotations, research endeavours, or volunteer activity. Giving us detailed insights into these particular areas of your experience will help us better grasp your knowledge, abilities, and competence in situations related to the post or programme you are applying for.

10 – Expect questions about your application/CV

This will never go unasked. As you hand in your application/CV, there will be questions raised in regards– may it be about school, experiences, research, volunteer work and so much more. These questions are simply asked to clarify any information in your application and also to get to know you better.