Asynchronous video interviews in the 2027 ERAS season: what they are and how to prepare

The invitation arrives with a link, a deadline and no scheduled time: instead of meeting an interviewer, you record answers on your own and the program reviews them later. That is an asynchronous video interview, and more residency programs are using it in the 2027 ERAS season for first-round screening. It feels informal. AAMC's guidance says to treat it as anything but.

Reviewed October 21, 2026 against AAMC's Virtual Interviews: Applicant Preparation Guide. This is editorial preparation; your invitation and the program's own instructions control.

What the format actually is

AAMC divides virtual video interviews into two types. Live virtual interviews connect you with an interviewer in real time over video conference, face-to-face, usually with a chance to ask questions. Asynchronous virtual interviews, also called on-demand interviews, have no interviewer present: you respond to questions presented by text or prerecorded video, your device's webcam records your responses, and reviewers watch them later. The evaluation is just as real; only the scheduling is different.

Why the format changes your preparation

Three things change when nobody is on the other end:

1. No conversational rescue: In a live interview, a puzzled look earns you a clarifying follow-up. Asynchronous answers stand alone, so structure and completeness carry more weight. AAMC's answering guidance - detailed examples, one strong example over several weak ones, and the situation-action-outcome shape for behavioral questions - matters even more here.
2. No audience feedback to ride: Speaking well to a silent camera is a skill most people have never practised. AAMC recommends practising on your own specifically to get used to responding without an interviewer present, and recording yourself to review eye contact, sound and fidgeting.
3. The setup is entirely yours: Device, environment, lighting, framing - all of it is under your control and none of it can be blamed on logistics. AAMC's setup guidance applies in full: a computer or tablet with a good webcam and microphone, a private, quiet, well-lit space, light in front of you, and a technology check before you begin.

How to prepare, concretely

Gather the same information you would for any interview: whether the interview is live or asynchronous, the platform, the length, the question types and any competencies being assessed - AAMC lists these as things worth asking the program in advance. Then rehearse in the exact format: the same device, the same room, the same framing, answering question prompts aloud and reviewing the recordings. Our new guides on preparing your virtual interview environment, the pre-interview technology check and on-camera presentation cover the setup in detail, and the guide on asynchronous recorded interviews covers the format itself.

One caution that applies doubly when recording: never include information that could identify a patient or a colleague, and remember the recording is persistent. AAMC's guidance on not recording or capturing interviews runs both ways - you should not capture theirs, and you should assume yours will be retained and reviewed by more than one person.

If you want structured practice

A self-recorded practice run may be enough. If you want paid practice, compare mock-interview packages and terms; practice does not guarantee an interview, a rank position or a match.

Source: AAMC Virtual Interviews: Applicant Preparation Guide (interview formats, preparation, setup and presentation), reviewed October 21, 2026. Program invitations and their own instructions control.