Interview preparation guide
Asking yourself about contentment and fit: residency interview preparation guide
AAMC closes its list with questions to ask yourself: whether you can be content working in the program and with these people, and whether you are confident in the program and the sponsoring institution. These are ranking questions, not interview questions.
How to prepare
- 1
Ask yourself after each interview day
The AAMC self-questions ask whether you can be content working in this program and with these people. Write your answer the same evening, while the day is fresh, before other interviews blur it.
- 2
Separate confidence from comfort
AAMC asks both whether you are confident in the program and institution and whether you would be content there. A program can impress you and still feel wrong, or feel warm and still leave doubts, so note each separately.
- 3
Use your notes when ranking
AAMC frames these as fit questions for deciding between programs of similar quality. Return to your written answers when you build your rank list rather than reconstructing feelings from memory.
A practical exercise
Content with the people: [yes, no or unsure, with why]. Confident in program and institution: [..]. Written the same evening: [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 closes its list with questions to ask yourself: whether you can be content working in the program and with these people, and whether you are confident in the program and the sponsoring institution. These are ranking questions, not interview questions.
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
- Skipping the self-questions because they are not asked in the interview.
- Writing impressions weeks later from blurred memory.
- Letting prestige answer a question that is really about daily contentment.
Check your preparation
- Did I write my answer the same evening?
- Did I note confidence and contentment separately?
- Will I use these notes when I rank?
Questions for your practice review
- Can I be content working in this program and with these people?
- Am I confident in the program and the sponsoring institution?
- What specifically drove each answer today?
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?
These questions are for you, not the program. A trusted advisor or mentor can help you read your answers honestly, especially when a prestigious program feels wrong or a quiet one feels right.
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.