Interview preparation guide
Preparing a pre-interview technology check: residency interview preparation guide
AAMC's virtual interview guide recommends a computer or tablet with a good webcam and microphone, and a deliberate technology check before the interview starts. Most virtual interview failures are boring ones: a dead battery, a notification, a microphone that worked yesterday.
How to prepare
- 1
Use the right device and re-create your practiced setup
The AAMC guide recommends a computer or tablet over a phone, for stability, and a device that will not accept phone calls mid-interview. When you set up, position the camera and microphone exactly as you did when you practiced, so the framing you rehearsed is the framing the interviewer sees.
- 2
Strip the device down to the interview
The guide's pre-start check includes shutting down all programs on the device so no alerts, notifications or other electronic interruptions can distract you. Do the same check twice: microphone and camera working well, picture and sound quality acceptable.
- 3
Charge, plug in, and have a fallback
The guide asks for a fully charged device, a charger within reach and an outlet you can use if the battery fails, plus a backup plan if the technology fails - which can be as simple as giving the interviewer your phone number in advance.
A practical exercise
Device (computer/tablet): [..]. Camera and mic positioned as practiced: [yes/no]. All other programs closed: [yes/no]. Battery full and charger ready: [yes/no]. Fallback shared: [yes/no].
This is an editorial exercise to adapt to your own interview, not a script or a program requirement.
What the source guidance supports
AAMC's virtual interview guide recommends a computer or tablet with a good webcam and microphone, and a deliberate technology check before the interview starts. Most virtual interview failures are boring ones: a dead battery, a notification, a microphone that worked yesterday.
The exercises and checklists are editorial applications of the cited guidance, not required program procedures or predictions of interview outcomes. Formats and policies vary by program, so follow your actual invitation, the R3 system and school guidance.
Mistakes to avoid
- Trusting that equipment which worked last week works today; the check takes two minutes on the day.
- Leaving messaging apps running and letting a notification steal the first answer.
- Starting on 40% battery with the charger in another room.
Check your preparation
- Is my camera and microphone quality confirmed today, on this device?
- Is every other program shut down and every notification silenced?
- Is the device charged, the charger in reach, and the fallback plan ready?
Questions for your practice review
- Does my microphone and camera pass a same-day test?
- Have I closed every program and silenced every alert?
- What is my backup plan, and does the program have my phone number?
Common questions
How early should I run the check?
AAMC's guide says to allow time before the interview starts for the technology check, and its first-impression advice in the preparation guide is to log in early. Build the check into the start of your interview block, not the final minute.
Is a phone ever acceptable?
The guide allows that a mobile phone may be used but recommends a computer or tablet to improve stability, and warns against a device that will accept phone calls during the interview because a call will interfere with your response.
Is this current for the 2027 ERAS season?
The cited guidance is published by AAMC and NRMP as current for applicants in the 2027 ERAS season. Program formats, policies and Match dates change year to year, so confirm the details with each program and the current NRMP schedule.
Related guides
Sources
This page is general editorial guidance based on the sources above. It is not a prediction of any program's questions or a statement of its current policies.