Interviews

Interviews are granted by invitation only. The interview provides the medical school with an opportunity to learn more about an applicant’s maturity, motivation for the study of medicine, problem-solving skills, ability to relate to people and ability to express their ideas in an organized manner. The interviewers will not have access to the applicant's MCAT scores, academic history and GPA prior to the interview. These scores will be calculated automatically by a computer program. The interview will be based strictly on non-cognitive skills (i.e. clinical/research experiences, volunteerism, letters of recommendation and personal statement).

• Applicants will have two interviews with two different admissions committee members
• Interviews can last from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the interviewer
• On the day of the interview applicants should expect to block out the whole day for their interviews

Applicants who are invited for to interview will be asked to submit a recent photo of themselves. Photos do not have to be of professional quality, but should consist of a simple head shot against a solid background with only the applicant in the frame.

Starting with the 2021 admissions cycle, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is providing all medical school access the new Video Interview Tool for Admissions (VITA). The VITA, developed and administered by the AAMC, is a one-time, one-way video (recorded) interview designed to help medical schools assess applicants’ pre-professional competencies important for success in medical school.

At this time, the University of New Mexico School of Medicine will only utilize the VITA for the Combined MD/PhD applicant interviews. For all other programs, the VITA recordings will NOT be viewed or evaluated. For more information regarding the VITA, go to the the AAMC website.