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Below are 50+ questions to ask during your medical school interview. Organized by category, these questions include everything from school-specific questions that show you've done your research to student life questions that help you figure out if this is actually the right place for you.
For comprehensive prep, you can also check out the Inspira Advantage med school interview question generator for an in-depth look at questions you’ll be asked.
Asking school-specific questions demonstrates that you have a sincere interest in the medical school you’re interviewing with. Some questions you can ask include:
Preparation Tip: Spend time exploring the school's website, social media, and any recent news or publications. Look for different programs, initiatives, or values that align with your own interests and experiences. Jot down a few key points that resonate with you to include in your questions.
Here’s what Silas Monje, an Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident at Columbia University, shares on the importance of asking school-specific interview questions:
Asking about resarch during your interview signals that you think beyond clinical rotations and see yourself as someone who will contribute to the field. You don't need an extensive research background to ask these questions. What matters is that your questions are specific, grounded in what you already know about the school, and connected to a topic you genuinely want to pursue. Here are some examples of research questions to ask:
Preparation Tip: Familiarize yourself with some of the major research areas and initiatives at the school by browsing faculty profiles, department pages, and research center websites. Note any projects or findings that spark your curiosity and think about how they intersect with your own research interests or experiences.
Asking your interviewer about their own path to medicine and experiences at the school is a great way to build rapport and gain insider insights. It shows you view them as not just a gatekeeper to admission, but as a valuable source of wisdom and guidance.
Here are a few questions to consider asking your interviewer:
Preparation Tip: Before your interview, think about the mentors or experiences that shaped your decision to pursue medicine. Identify one or two qualities you genuinely value in a mentor and the kind of support you want in medical school. When your interviewer shares their own story, you will be ready to respond with something specific and personal, which turns a Q&A into a real conversation.
Here’s what Dr. Katherine Munoz, an expert medical school admissions counselor at Inspira Advantage and admissions committee member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency Program, says about asking personal questions during the med school interviews:
Demonstrating an understanding of the broader medical landscape and a commitment to being a lifelong learner shows maturity and intellectual curiosity. Potential questions you could ask include:
Preparation Tip: Follow reputable medical journals, health policy outlets, and clinical thought leaders before your interview so you can engage with these questions, not just ask them. Identify one or two trends that connect directly to your interests and think about how you want to contribute as a physician. The strongest candidates don't just ask about the future of medicine; they already have a perspective on it.
While academics and career preparation should be your primary focus, it's also important to ask about student life and well-being. You want to choose a school that will support you personally and professionally. Consider asking:
Preparation Tip: Think about the conditions in which you do your best work and what you need outside of academics to stay grounded. Before your interview, look up active student organizations and recent wellness initiatives at the school so your questions reflect genuine familiarity, not generic curiosity. If possible, connect with a current student on LinkedIn to get an unfiltered perspective on what daily life actually looks like.
How you close an interview matters. A strong final question signals that you are genuinely invested in the school, not just collecting acceptances. Use this moment to reinforce your enthusiasm and leave the conversation on a forward-looking note.
Preparation Tip: Rehearse your closing questions so they land with confidence, not hesitation. Before the interview ends, briefly connect what you learned during the conversation back to why the school fits your goals. A specific, genuine closing statement does more than a polished one.
This is not meant to be a checklist to robotically work through in your interview. Rather, it's a list of options to guide your school-specific research prior to the interview, help you reflect on what you actually want to know, and tailor your questions to match your own professional and academic goals.
The key is to come prepared with insightful questions that demonstrate your fit with the school, your vision for your future in medicine, and your potential to contribute to the institution's mission and culture.
Chiamaka Okorie, a member of the Dartmouth medical school admissions committee, offers this general advice to keep in mind when asking your questions:
Medical school interview days often include "low-stakes" networking opportunities, such as student-led tours, lunches, or faculty meet-and-greets. These interactions are not just social interactions, they are your best chance to gather "insider" details that you can reference in your final interview or thank-you notes to prove your mission fit.
Current students are your most honest resource for understanding the daily reality of the program. Use informal time to ask questions that reveal the true student experience:
If the day includes a research showcase, a presentation by the dean, or a department tour, use that access to ask questions that signal your high-level interest in the school's future:
Current students have the best perspective on the transition into medical school. Asking for their advice helps you identify specific resources or challenges you won't find on the school's website.
Preparation Tip: Research the faculty, students, and alumni who will attend before the event. Identify two or three people whose work or path connects to your interests and prepare a specific question for each. Walking in with targeted questions makes every conversation more productive and leaves a stronger impression than asking what everyone else asks.
Avoid questions that shift focus away from your qualifications, create discomfort, or signal poor judgment. Your interview time is limited, and every question you ask shapes how the interviewer perceives you. Use that time to demonstrate that you have thought carefully about your training, your goals, and your fit with the program.
Political topics introduce unnecessary risk into a professional conversation. You do not know your interviewer's views, and probing for them signals poor situational awareness. Avoid any question that touches on specific legislation, elected officials, or party politics, even when framed around healthcare policy.
Avoid questions like:
Religion is personal. Do not ask about your interviewer's faith, practices, or beliefs under any circumstances, even if you think you share common ground. The same applies to questions that probe the institution's religious identity or affiliations.
Avoid questions like:
Avoid asking your interviewer to take a stance on ethically contested topics. Questions about abortion, physician-assisted suicide, stem cell research, or universal healthcare may come up in MMI stations as prompts you are expected to reason through, but they have no place as questions you direct at your interviewer.
Avoid questions like:
Do not use limited interview time to ask about grade curves, class sizes, or whether lectures are recorded. These questions signal that you did not research the program and that you are thinking about convenience rather than growth. Find that information on the school's website or student forums before your interview day.
Avoid questions like:
Strong questions reflect the quality of your thinking. Weak or inappropriate questions make an impression for the wrong reasons. When in doubt, ask yourself whether the question advances the conversation or derails it.
Preparing the right questions takes practice. If you want guidance from someone who has coached students through this process, our medical school interview prep counselors know exactly what interviewers are looking for and how to ensure you stand out.
The difference between a strong and a weak interview question comes down to specificity and intent. Weak questions are superficial and generic.
Strong questions show that you researched the school, connected it to your own goals, and came ready for a real conversation. Here is what that looks like in practice:
Use this checklist in the week leading up to your interview. Each item directly affects how prepared and confident you will feel when it matters most.
Most traditional and panel interviews include a dedicated window for your questions at the end of your interview. Expect your interviewer to close with something like "Do you have any questions for me?" Treat that moment as a core part of the interview, not an afterthought.
MMI and group formats handle this differently. MMI stations rarely include question time, and group interviews vary by school. Research the format in advance so you know where and when to engage.
Even if your interviewer doesn’t ask if you have any questions, you should ask them anyway. If the conversation reaches a natural pause or your interviewer signals they are wrapping up, say, "I do have a couple of questions if there’s time." Most interviewers will welcome it. Leaving without asking anything signals disinterest, even if that wasn’t your intent.
Ask two to three questions per interview. That number respects the time available while still demonstrating genuine interest. Rank your questions before you go in so you lead with the most specific and substantive ones. If the conversation naturally covers what you planned to ask, skip it and move to the next. Asking a question that the interviewer already answered signals that you were not listening.
To avoid asking a senseless question, ask yourself: Can I find the answer on the school's website, and does this question tell the interviewer anything meaningful about me or my goals? If the answer to the first is yes or the answer to the second is no, cut the question. Generic questions about class size, grade curves, or lecture recordings waste limited time and leave a weak impression.
Look up your interviewer's faculty profile before the interview to ask the most specific questions. Identify their research focus, clinical specialty, publications, and any leadership roles they hold at the school. Then build a question that connects their specific work to something you genuinely want to understand.
For example, if they study health equity and that intersects with your own background or interests, ask how their research has shaped the way they teach or mentor students. Specific questions get specific answers. And specific answers give you real insight.
No, it’s never appropriate to ask about grading and rank during interviews. Questions about grade curves, class rank, or academic standing shift the focus away from your growth and onto performance metrics. Find that information on the school's website or student forums before interview day, and use your limited question time for conversations that actually matter.
Yes, you should plan to ask people besides your interviewer questions. Interview days typically include interactions with admissions staff, current students, and faculty outside of your formal interview session.
Current students give you the most unfiltered perspective on what daily life actually looks like. Ask them about student culture, workload, and what surprised them most about the program. Save your most substantive and research-specific questions for your formal interviewer. And use the broader interview day to fill in the gaps.
You typically can’t ask questions during MMIs, as they do not include dedicated question time. In group interviews, you will typically only be able to ask questions if the interviewer specifically asks the group if anyone has them.
The end of a traditional or panel interview is the most natural and expected moment to ask questions. Do not force questions into the middle of a conversation unless the interviewer explicitly invites it. In hybrid interview formats, identify which portion of the day includes one-on-one or panel time and save your most substantive questions for that window.
Use informal interactions with students and staff throughout the day to ask the logistical and culture-focused questions that do not need to go to your formal interviewer.
You can personalize your questions for each med school by first researching their mission, curriculum structure, research centers, and recent initiatives. Identify what makes the program distinct and connect that to something specific in your own background or goals. Then build questions around that intersection.
A question that references a faculty member's work, a specific dual-degree program, or a recent partnership the school announced tells the interviewer that you did not recycle the same question list for every school. Personalized questions are the clearest signal that you want to be at this institution specifically, not just any medical school.
Dr. Jonathan Preminger was the original author of this article. Snippets of his work may remain.
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