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Guide to the Residency Interview
Apr 12, 202611 min read
By Mike
By MikeYou've survived Step exams, clerkships, and the monotony of putting together your ERAS application. Now comes the (not so fun) part; sitting in front of a virtual call and convincing strangers that you belong. The good news? Interview season is entirely manageable with the right preparation. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from pre-interview prep to the follow-up email.
This sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many applicants stumble when asked about something sitting right there on their CV. Before every interview, re-read your personal statement, your experiences, your research abstracts, and your letters of recommendation topics. If you listed a hobby, a volunteer experience, or a publication, be ready to talk about it with enthusiasm and detail.
Before you can answer "What are you looking for in a program?", you need to actually know the answer. Sit down and think honestly about what matters to you. Is it mentorship? Research opportunities? Geographic location? Case volume? Work-life balance? Culture? Rank these priorities so you can speak about them with conviction rather than giving a vague, people-pleasing answer.
Your application tells a story. The interviewer is trying to figure out if that story makes sense. Why this specialty? Why now? How do your experiences connect? You don't need a dramatic origin story. You need a thread that ties your choices together in a way that feels authentic. Know the key components of the story so that it feels natural when you explain it.
This is the hardest one. Interviewers can usually tell when you're performing versus when you're being genuine. Reflect on your actual strengths, your real weaknesses (not the "I work too hard" kind), and the experiences that truly shaped you. Authenticity goes further than polish.
This one is non-negotiable. Show up on time (early, actually). Dress appropriately.Thank people by name. Be nice to all the staff/program coordinators/residents you interact with. Depending on the post-communication guidelines, consider sending thank-you emails. These are table stakes. They won't win you a spot, but their absence can lose you one.
Here's the thing interviewers are really asking themselves: Would I want to work with this person at 3 AM on a tough call night? Programs are building a team, not just filling slots. Be warm. Be curious. Ask genuine questions. Laugh when something is funny. Let your personality come through (within reason). That's what makes you memorable.
Anyone can say "I'm a hard worker" or "I'm passionate about patient care." What sets you apart is showing it through specific stories and examples. Don't tell them you're compassionate. Describe the moment you sat with a patient's family after a difficult diagnosis. Don't just say you handle stress well. Walk them through how you managed a chaotic overnight shift.
Vague answers are forgettable answers. When you describe an experience, include enough detail that the interviewer can picture it. Name the rotation, describe the patient scenario (while respecting privacy), explain what you did and what you learned. Specificity signals authenticity.
Residency interview questions generally fall into a few categories. Here's what to expect and how to prepare for each.
These are your chance to show who you are beyond your application. They're often the first questions asked and they set the tone for the entire interview.
Common examples:
How to approach them: For "Tell me about yourself," have a 60 to 90 second version ready that hits your background, what drew you to medicine, what drew you to this specialty, and one thing that makes you unique. It should feel like a conversation opener. For strengths and weaknesses, pick things that are real and relevant. A good weakness answer names the weakness honestly, then describes what you're actively doing to improve.
These are the "Tell me about a time when…" questions, and they're where the STAR method really shines.
STAR stands for:
Common examples:
How to approach them: Before interview season, brainstorm 5 to 7 strong stories from your clinical experiences that demonstrate qualities like teamwork, leadership, adaptability, conflict resolution, and patient advocacy. Most of these stories can be flexed to fit multiple questions. Practice telling them in under two minutes using the STAR structure.
Pro tip: For the "colleague behaving unprofessionally" question, the answer should always include addressing it directly with the person first (if safe to do so), then escalating through appropriate channels. Programs want to know you won't just look the other way.
These questions test your self-awareness and emotional intelligence in clinical settings.
Common examples:
How to approach them: The mistake question trips people up the most. Choose a real mistake (not a humble brag), explain what happened, take ownership, and, most importantly, describe what you changed afterward. Programs don't expect perfection. They want to see that you can learn from errors and grow, which is exactly the skill you'll need as a resident.
If it's on your application, it's fair game.
Common examples:
How to approach them: For research, you don't need to recite your methods section. Focus on the big picture: why the question mattered, what you found, and what it meant to you personally. For hobbies and fun, be honest. This is a chance to be human. If you love cooking, hiking, gaming, or painting, say so. It helps interviewers remember you as a person, not just a candidate.
These questions are where your pre-interview research pays off.
Common examples:
How to approach them: Generic answers here are a missed opportunity. Before each interview, research the program's website, recent publications from faculty, unique curriculum features, and community characteristics. Reference something specific: a global health track, a simulation center, a faculty member's research, the program's approach to wellness. Show them you've done your homework and that your interest is genuine.
Pro tip: "Where do you see yourself in 5/10 years?" doesn't need to be a perfect roadmap. It's okay to say you're still exploring. What they want to see is that you've thought about your future and have a general direction, even if the details aren't finalized.
These test the depth of your commitment and awareness of the field you're entering.
Common examples:
How to approach them: Your "why this specialty" answer should feel personal and specific. Connect it to a patient encounter, a mentor, or a moment that crystallized your decision. For challenges in the field, stay current. Read a few recent editorials or society position statements so you can speak intelligently about issues like burnout, access to care, scope of practice, or emerging technologies.
Don't underestimate the end of the interview. This is your last impression.
Common examples:
How to approach them: Always have questions prepared. Good questions show curiosity and genuine interest. Ask about mentorship structure, how the program supports struggling residents, what recent graduates are doing, or what the program is working to improve. For "anything else you'd like us to know," this is your chance to share something meaningful that didn't come up naturally. Have one thing ready.
For the "What are you most afraid of?" question, be honest but thoughtful. A good answer might be the fear of missing something clinically important, or the transition from supervised to more independent decision-making. It shows self-awareness without raising red flags.
There are topics that interviewers should not ask you about. These include:
Sometimes interviewers cross these lines, often unintentionally through casual conversation ("So, is your spouse relocating with you?"). You have a few options:
There's always a fourth option (like the bad option in a video game), which is to call them out and start arguing. I supposed you could do that although I would generally recommend against it.
The key is that you should never feel pressured to disclose personal information, and a program that pushes on these topics may be showing you something about their culture if they keep pushing.
Send a brief, genuine thank-you email within 24 hours to your interviewers and the program coordinator. Keep it short. Thank them for their time, mention one specific thing you enjoyed discussing, and reiterate your interest if it's genuine. Don't over-do it.
Interview season is exhausting, expensive (!!), and emotionally draining. But it's also your chance to find the place where you'll spend some of the most formative years of your career. Prepare thoroughly, be yourself, and remember that the interview is a two-way street. You're evaluating them just as much as they're evaluating you.
You've already done the hard part by getting this far. Now go show them who you are.
Best of luck!
— Mike