Interview preparation guide
Asking about life outside the program: residency interview preparation guide
AAMC's questions for other residents ask what activities they are involved in outside the program. Whether residents have a real life outside work tells you about workload, sustainability and what your own years there would feel like.
How to prepare
- 1
Ask residents what they do outside work
The AAMC list asks what activities residents are involved in outside the program. Ask residents directly: hobbies, sport, family life, volunteering or community activities, and whether work leaves room for them.
- 2
Ask whether it survives busy rotations
A hobby that exists only on elective blocks is fragile. Ask what outside life looks like on the heaviest rotations, since AAMC says specific examples give a true understanding.
- 3
Compare it with what you need
Be honest with yourself, as AAMC advises, about how you want your residency structured. If the outdoors, faith community, family time or a partner's career matters to you, check that the answer fits your life.
A practical exercise
Outside activities named: [..]. Survives busy rotations: [yes or no, with example]. Fits what I need: [..].
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 questions for other residents ask what activities they are involved in outside the program. Whether residents have a real life outside work tells you about workload, sustainability and what your own years there would feel like.
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
- Being embarrassed to ask about life outside work.
- Accepting a brochure answer without an example from a busy month.
- Ignoring whether the answer fits your own needs.
Check your preparation
- Did I ask residents what they do outside work?
- Did I hear whether it survives busy rotations?
- Does the answer fit what I need?
Questions for your practice review
- What activities are you involved in outside the program?
- What does that look like on your heaviest rotation?
- Is there anything you wish you had more time for?
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?
Residents answer this honestly in informal settings such as the resident social. AAMC notes some questions are best answered by residents, and this one has no official program version.
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.