Applicant Interviews

No applicant is accepted until interviewed by members of the SOM Admissions Interview Committee (AIC). Applicants should not present themselves for interviews until requested to do so by the associate dean for medical school admissions.

Selection for interviews

Criteria for selecting interviewees are established by the SOM Admissions Committee. Selection for interviews is based on a balance between life experiences, personal attributes (those evaluated by reading the AMCAS application) and metrics. Criteria may vary slightly from year to year depending on the number of applications received and the quality of the applicant pool.

Applicants with minimum metrics (2.8 GPA and 493 MCAT sum) will automatically have their files reviewed by the Admissions File Review Committee (AFRC) to determine if there is evidence of life experiences and personal attributes that this medical school values and seeks in its students and graduates. Notable deficiencies in either experiences or attributes may result in applicants with high metrics not being invited to interview.

Applicants whose GPA or MCAT sum are close to but below thresholds listed above, may have their files reviewed by an AFRC to determine if there is compelling evidence of life experiences or personal attributes that this medical school values and seeks in its students and graduates. Notable experiences or attributes may result in applicants with low, but acceptable, metrics being invited to interview.

• Multiple mini interviews (MMIs)
  The MMI consists of a circuit of eight to ten interview “stations” each of which provides a ten minute scenario-based encounter. Each station has a trained rater who is a member of the AIC; therefore, each applicant will be evaluated by approximately eight to 10 different raters. The station scenarios do not test or assess scientific or clinical knowledge; instead, they focus on personal competencies such as oral communication skills, service orientation, respect for others including compassion and empathy, critical thinking and decision making, teamwork, awareness of ethics, maturity, coping skills and opinions on healthcare issues.
  Information on MMIs can be found here; additional information will be provided to applicants when they are invited to interview and during the admissions interview day program.
• Scheduling interviews
  Applicants whom the admissions committee selects are notified by email to schedule their interview date. Interviews are generally scheduled two days each month from September through December. MMIs will be conducted at the UMMC Clinical Skills Assessment Center located in the School of Medicine. 
• Interview Day program
  All MMI participants must sign a School of Medicine Participant Agreement and Statement of Confidentiality; click here to view. Applicants will be provided a copy to read and sign during the Registration and Welcome (see below).The following schedule is for illustrative purposes only. While times beyond registration may vary, it is imperative that applicants plan to arrive well ahead of time to ensure participation in the complete program.
  • 8 a.m. - Introduction and welcome
  • 8:30 a.m. - Circuit 1 - MMIs
    Circuit 2 - Admissions Program
  • 10:30 a.m. - Circuit 1 - Admissions Program
    Circuit 2 - MMIs
  • 12:30 p.m. - Lunch with medical school representatives
  • 1 p.m. - Tour of UMMC (wear comfortable shoes)
  • 2:30 p.m. - Interview day concludes