Interview preparation guide
Asking about fellowship support and career development: residency interview preparation guide
AAMC's research and education questions ask how fellowships are handled by the program. Ask how residents actually secure fellowships and what support the program gives, since fellowship placement shapes your career after residency.
How to prepare
- 1
Ask how the program handles fellowship applications
The AAMC list asks how fellowships are handled. Ask what the program does when a resident applies: who writes letters, whether time is protected for interviews and whether a faculty mentor guides the process.
- 2
Ask for recent outcomes
A claim of support means little without results. Ask where recent graduates matched for fellowship and how many applied, since AAMC says specific examples give a true understanding of the program.
- 3
Connect it to your own path
If you have a subspecialty in mind, ask whether residents in that track get the rotations, research and mentorship it needs. If you are undecided, ask how the program helps residents choose.
A practical exercise
Fellowship support: [letters, mentors, protected interview time]. Recent fellowship matches: [programs and specialties]. Help for my path: [..].
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 research and education questions ask how fellowships are handled by the program. Ask how residents actually secure fellowships and what support the program gives, since fellowship placement shapes your career after residency.
The exercises and checklists are editorial applications of the cited guidance, not required program procedures or predictions of interview outcomes. Costs and formats vary by program, so follow your actual invitation and school guidance.
Mistakes to avoid
- Accepting a general statement that residents match well without recent examples.
- Skipping the question because you are undecided about fellowship.
- Forgetting to ask who actually writes letters and mentors applicants.
Check your preparation
- Did I learn how fellowship applications are handled in practice?
- Did I hear recent fellowship match outcomes?
- Do I know what support my own likely path would get?
Questions for your practice review
- How are fellowships handled when a resident applies?
- Where have recent graduates matched for fellowship?
- Is time protected for fellowship interviews?
Common questions
Is this an official list of required questions?
No. AAMC describes it as a list created by residents and students to help you assess fit, and says to build your own more specific questions from it.
Who should I ask?
Program leaders can describe the official fellowship process and recent outcomes. Residents who have just applied can say whether the promised support actually happened, and AAMC notes some questions are best answered by residents.
Is this current for the 2027 ERAS season?
AAMC publishes this question list as current guidance for applicants interviewing in the 2027 ERAS season. Program answers change year to year, so ask each program for its own current answer.
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.