A question about the interview process.

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

Is there a writing sample or essay sample during the day of the interview at most med schools? I was originally looking into PA schools and most of those contained a 30 minute essay session during the interview.
thanks.

2

I haven’t heard any mention of any schools doing a writing sample on interview day. I think most schools consider your AMCAS personal statement and then any essay that was required for your secondary applications to be sufficient.

3

I agree with Amy. None of the schools I interviewed at had such a thing. In retrospect, the day is designed for the school to get to know you and for you to get to know the school. You have already made an initial cut, so really the interview is your chance to for them to sell their school to you. Additionally, the school is making sure that the applicant doesn’t look good on paper, but lack all social skills.
It wasn’t able to see the application process like that while I was going through it since all I was interested in at the time was to be accepted by any school willing to take me. Many applicants are very suprised to find they have been or could be accepted by multiple schools and are in the position of choosing between them- hence the need for the school to impress you too.
Sorry for the longwinded answer. Good luck in the process

4

The MCAT writing sample serves a similar purpose from the point of view of the medical schools, and so unlike PA schools which I think don’t have an equivalent measure, they don’t need to do the assessment of writing ability under pressure.
joe

5

Although not a written sample, I interviewed at one school, LECOM, where they did give you a written article, and during the interview you were supposed to summarize it’s findings, or something like that (it’s been a few years now, so I don’t remember the exact details), but that was the only school where I had anything like that.
Epidoc

6

Thanks for the info, I didn’t think there was an essay but wasn’t for sure.

7

I’ve never heard of a med school having interviewees writing an essay during their interview day.
Cheers,
Judy

8

None of the places I interviewed asked me for anything like that. In fact, all of them were relatively laid back and seemed to be about deciding if I would fit in with the school.
Take care,
Jeff: MD - 24 days and counting