Interview preparation guide
Asking about the next RRC review: residency interview preparation guide
AAMC's program performance questions ask when the next Residency Review Committee review is due. A program under active review is not necessarily troubled, but the timing and the program's account of it belong in your picture.
How to prepare
- 1
Ask when the next review is expected
The AAMC list asks when the next Residency Review Committee review is. Ask plainly, and note whether the program answers with a date and a calm account or with discomfort.
- 2
Understand what a review involves
ACGME describes site visits as part of how it accredits programs, including reviews of how a program actually runs. A scheduled review is routine accreditation business, so weigh the program's openness more than the fact of the review.
- 3
Connect it to what else you heard
If the program also mentioned citations or recent changes, ask how the next review relates to them. Consistency between answers is itself informative.
A practical exercise
Next review expected: [when]. Program's account: [routine or issues named]. Consistent with other answers: [yes or 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 program performance questions ask when the next Residency Review Committee review is due. A program under active review is not necessarily troubled, but the timing and the program's account of it belong in your picture.
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
- Reading a scheduled review as a hidden problem.
- Not asking at all and missing the program's own account.
- Ignoring inconsistencies between the review story and other answers.
Check your preparation
- Do I know when the next review is expected?
- Did the program answer openly?
- Is the answer consistent with what else I heard?
Questions for your practice review
- When is the next Residency Review Committee review?
- Is there anything the program is working on ahead of it?
- How does it relate to any recent citations or changes?
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?
The program director owns accreditation timing. ACGME's public materials describe what site visits and reviews involve, so you can read the program's answer against the official process.
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
- AAMC: insight from residents on what to ask during residency interviews
- ACGME: site visits in program accreditation
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.