How to Prepare for Your Residency Interview

You are well on your way to becoming a doctor. You have studied hard, excelled in your classes, and developed crucial skills. In your final year of medical school, you will need to apply for residency. After earning your Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from an accredited school such as Ross University School of Medicine (Ross Med)¹ a medical residency is the next step in becoming a practicing physician.  

Residencies give medical graduates time to develop the clinical skills required to practice medicine on their own. A key part of the residency application process is the interview, during which you must demonstrate that you are an excellent candidate for the program.  

A residency interview is more than just a question-and-answer session. It is often a day-long event that includes an orientation to the institution and the program, a tour of the facilities, social activities such as meals with current residents, and interviews with staff and residents.  

This article can help you with your medical residency interview preparation, so that you feel confident and prepared during this important process.

When Do Residency Interviews Start?

While December and January are the most popular months for interviews, they most typically take place anywhere between October and January of the fourth year of medical school. Residency interviews can be held in person, virtually, or as part of a panel.

In-person interviews are usually an all-day affair where you complete various interviews with faculty, residents, and possibly the program director. You may receive a tour of the facilities, immerse yourself in a program’s culture, participate in pre- and post-interview events, and learn about the program from current residents in both formal and informal settings.  

In-person interviews can take place in many formats, such as:

• One-on-one interviews, where applicants can complete multiple interviews, one interviewer at a time.
• Group interviews, where you and a handful of other applicants are interviewed simultaneously.
• Panel interviews, where applicants are interviewed by multiple interviewers—usually faculty, residents, and the program director—simultaneously.
• Multiple mini interviews, where the school sets up stations and an interviewer at each station asks one type of question (behavioral, situational, ethical, motivational). Applicants move from station to station until they’ve completed the interview process.

Since this process will take around eight hours, breaks will be worked into your schedule. How you spend your downtime is just as important as how you conduct yourself during interviews. Stay professional and courteous at all times with everyone you encounter.

Virtual residency interviews are a bit shorter than their in-person counterparts, but they provide more convenience since you don’t have to travel. They give you complete control over your interview environment, meaning you can have off-camera resources to help you stay focused. Having notes on a second screen can help you stay on track when answering questions and remind you of important anecdotes you want to work into your answers.

The structure of a virtual residency interview depends on the program, but it is conducted as either an asynchronous or live interview. In an asynchronous interview, you’ll record your response to a standardized set of questions. Live interviews will allow you to connect face-to-face with your interviewer and answer questions in real time.  

Much like an in-person interview, you’ll have a few breaks factored into your schedule. This gives you time to grab some water, stretch, and prepare for the next round of interviews.

Residency interviews may feel more like a job interview, since residency programs are looking for potential colleagues willing to provide clinical care for complex patients and apply for a permanent position with them in the future. Rather than focusing on how smart you are as a student, they’re interested in learning what kind of person you are, how you’d potentially care for patients, why you chose this specific program, and how well you’d mesh with their current staff.

Residency Interview Tips

1. Research the residency program, its faculty members, and commonly asked interview questions.
2. Review your application and personal statement during your interview prep.
3. Create a checklist of what you need for interview day.
4. Make travel arrangements beforehand.
   • OR, if interviewing virtually, make sure to check your technology and have backups in case of technical issues.
5. Plan to arrive early.

Research Your Program

Before your residency interview, spend some time reading about the specifics of the program you want to enter, and understand exactly how the program will serve your particular interests. The interview is your opportunity to learn more about a program and determine how it will help you develop your skills and achieve your professional goals. Therefore, you should be prepared not only to answer questions, but to ask  them as well.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has a list of questions—including those particular to specific specialties—you might ask your interviewers. The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) also provides a list of questions suggested by current and former residents.

Be sure to read up on the backgrounds of your potential colleagues to see if they have interests similar to yours. If you find someone researching a topic that interests you, you can ask them the ways in which the program can help you gain knowledge in that subject.

As you apply for residencies, create a list of the programs ranked in order of preference. The information you gather during interviews can further help you decide  where they will ultimately end up on your rank-order list.

Prepare for Your Interview

There’s no shame in asking for help—interviewing doesn’t come naturally to most people. If you feel intimidated by the prospect of the interview, practice. Consider recording practice interviews so you can see where you stumble or if you use too many filler words like “um” or “uh.” You don’t want your interviewers thinking you’re unprepared, and you want to show that you have given a lot of thought to the ways in which their program fits your goals.  

However, you don’t want to overprepare—interviewers don’t want to hear you robotically reciting memorized answers to general questions. It’s fine to admit you don’t know the answer to a particular question, or to ask for a moment to think about how to formulate a response.

Make the Proper Arrangements Ahead of Time

If you’re interviewing in person, make sure to factor pre- and post-interview events into your travel arrangements. If you have multiple interviews in the same area, schedule them within the same week so you can save money and reduce time spent traveling.  

If you’re interviewing virtually, make sure that your computer is working properly and that you have a back-up option nearby. Choose a quiet, distraction-free environment and use a high-quality headset or microphone. You’ll want the device to be at eye level, so you can maintain eye contact throughout the interview.  

You’ll be expected to dress professionally, so make sure to buy appropriate clothing if you don’t already own it. You should also plan on having a copy of your résumé, notes, and questions nearby, preferably on a second screen.  

Crafting Your Personal Narrative

Your interviewers will want to know a lot about you, your skills, and your background. You’ll encounter a broad range of questions, from the general, “Can you tell me about yourself?” variety to the  more specific “What makes you interested in this particular program?” ones. Be prepared not only to express what you know and what you can do, but to describe your values, your professional goals, and your motivations for wanting to pursue a career in a particular field of medicine.

Before your interview, make a note of some important experiences and accomplishments, and identify the impact they had on you and your decision to pursue medicine as a career.  

As you research common residency interview questions and practice your responses, make sure you understand the purpose behind these questions.  

What Is the STAR Method for Residency Interview?

The STAR method helps you create a cohesive answer in four steps:

1. Situation. Briefly offer the necessary context.
2. Task. Explain your objective, role, or responsibilities.
3. Action. Explain what you did.
4. Result. Explain how the situation was resolved.

This method may not come naturally to you, which is why you should practice answering commonly asked residency interview questions using it. Don’t memorize your answers, since this will give you less flexibility and authenticity in the moment.

Remember to review your application and personal statement as part of your interview preparation. Interviewers are likely to ask questions about parts they find interesting or unclear. Knowing the content of both of these documents well can help you better prepare your responses.

Mastering Common Interview Questions

While the interview team may throw a few curveballs your way, most residency interview questions can typically be broken down into two main categories: behavioral and situational.

Behavioral questions require you to draw on past experiences and reflect on how you’ve grown into the person you are now. They help admission teams get a better idea of how you acted in prior situations and gauge how well you would mesh with current employees.

Common behavioral questions are:

• In your college years, how did you handle conflict? I’d like to hear about a specific example.
• Tell me about a time when you put your needs aside to help a classmate or co-worker understand a task. How did you help him or her? What was the result?
• Describe an encounter you had with someone that was unpleasant and how you handled it.

Situational questions can draw on past experiences or pose hypothetical situations. They’re designed to test how well you can adapt to and improvise in different situations while maintaining professionalism.

Common situational questions are:

• What was the most difficult situation you encountered in medical school?
• If you could do medical school over again, what would you change?
• How much did lifestyle considerations fit into your choice of specialty?
• What will be the toughest aspect of this specialty for you?
• Describe the best/worst attending with whom you have ever worked.

Remember to keep your answers concise, but as informative as possible. Pull from experiences that both align with the program’s core values and demonstrate your maturity over time. The interviewers aren’t looking for one specific answer. Instead, they’re interested in learning more about you and how they can work alongside you as mentors and eventually colleagues.

Using the STAR method described in the previous section ensures you’re giving them a detailed account of your experiences. You can show the character you’ve gained and how you’ve grown rather than simply saying, “I work well under pressure” and leaving it at that. Don’t forget to create your own list of questions to ask your interviewers.  

Questions to Ask During Residency Interviews

Some questions to ask your interviewer are:

• What other forms of feedback does a resident receive (in-training exam, etc.)?
• Where do your graduates go (e.g., fellowship, academics, private practice)?
• Are moonlighting opportunities available?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program?
• How committed is your institution to resident education and graduate medical education in general? How is this evidenced?
• Do your residents express that there is an appropriate balance between independence and supervision?

How Do You Stand Out in a Residency Interview?

You should treat a residency interview like any other professional interview—men should wear a suit and tie, and women should wear a skirt suit or pantsuit. Don’t overdo it on makeup, cologne, or jewelry—a little goes a long way.

Make sure to sit up straight and avoid fidgeting during your interview. Maintain eye contact with your interviewer and show you’re engaged with subtle nods and smiles when appropriate. If you gesture a lot when speaking, that’s fine. Do your best to keep the movements in frame if you’re interviewing virtually or controlled if you’re interviewing in person.  

If you’re interviewing virtually, keep your camera at eye level—you may need to stack books underneath your laptop to make this happen. Make sure the room is well lit so interviewers can clearly see your face and body language. Keep your background clean and professional to minimize potential distractions for both you and the interviewers. Avoid bouncing your leg, shifting in your seat, and fidgeting, as this can come off as nervous or impatient.  

Most importantly, speak clearly and naturally. A perfectly rehearsed answer that’s monotone may not be as memorable as a natural response with tone variation. Spend less time focusing on how perfect your response is and more time focusing on engaging with your interviewers and answering their questions as concisely as possible.  

It’s also important to get contact information for your interviewers. Be sure to send them a thank you letter after the interview expressing gratitude for their time and for the opportunity to learn about the program.

Leveraging Ross for Residency Success

At Ross Med, the Office of Career Advisement helps students with residency interview preparation, which can help you gather your thoughts and be more at ease when it’s time for the real thing.  

You may find it beneficial to talk to students and graduates who have matched in the specialty you hope to study for advice on how to approach the interview. They can give you pointed guidance and help address specific concerns you may have. We offer several virtual events throughout the year that allow you to connect with current Rossies, alumni, faculty, and more.  

For more information on how to prepare for residency interviews, the AAMC’s Residency and Fellowship Applicant Interview Preparation Guide provides helpful tips on presenting yourself in a professional manner.  

You should now have a good idea of how to prepare for residency interviews. With preparation and practice, you can make a good impression. As a student at Ross Med, you can gain the knowledge and skills you need to succeed prior to residency. If you are not yet a med student, learn more about Ross Med’s MD program. When you are ready, apply for admission to Ross Med and begin your journey toward a rewarding medical residency  

¹Ross University School of Medicine is accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP, www.caam-hp.org).

CAAM-HP is the legally constituted body established in 2003 under the aegis of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), empowered to determine and prescribe standards and to accredit programs of medical, dental, veterinary, and other health professions education on behalf of the contracting parties in CARICOM.

Accreditation by CAAM-HP is a rigorous, peer review process which examines all aspects of a medical program. The CAAM-HP board, an independent and autonomous body of professionals, only certifies medical schools which are operating at the highest levels of industry standards.

Through this accreditation, the CAAM-HP provides assurance to medical students, graduates, the medical profession, healthcare institutions, and the public that programs leading to qualifications in medicine meet appropriate national and international standards for educational quality, and that the graduates have a sufficiently complete and valid educational experience.

As a Ross Med graduate, you’ll be eligible for Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates^® (ECFMG^®) certification and can apply for U.S. and Canadian residencies and licensure.

The information and material contained in this article and on this website are for informational purposes only and should not be considered, or used in place of, professional medical advice. Please speak with a licensed medical provider for specific questions or concerns. Ross Med is not responsible for the information maintained or provided on third-party websites or external links.