Interview preparation guide
Making a strong first impression: residency interview preparation guide
AAMC's preparation guide treats the first minutes of the interview as a professionalism signal you control. Being set up early, testing your technology, greeting interviewers by name and holding eye contact are simple behaviours that interviewers read as preparedness.
How to prepare
- 1
Be ready before the start time
The AAMC guide's first advice is to be well-prepared and log in early, because scrambling with setup or technical difficulties is the most stressful start you can choose. Test your equipment, internet connection and the platform in advance; for an in-person interview, plan the route and aim to arrive a few minutes early.
- 2
Greet like a professional
The guide recommends maintaining eye contact, greeting interviewers by name and showing a positive demeanour. For virtual interviews that means looking at the camera and offering a friendly smile; in person it adds a firm handshake.
- 3
Remember the impression window is wider than the interview
The guide warns that everything you say before, during and after the interview can have an impact, including informal conversations with current residents. Treat meetups and receptions as part of the interview, and if alcohol is offered, drink responsibly or abstain.
A practical exercise
Setup tested: [yes/no]. Arrival or login time planned: [..]. Names of interviewers noted: [..]. Informal events treated as professional settings: [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 preparation guide treats the first minutes of the interview as a professionalism signal you control. Being set up early, testing your technology, greeting interviewers by name and holding eye contact are simple behaviours that interviewers read as preparedness.
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 and school guidance.
Mistakes to avoid
- Logging in at the start time rather than before it, leaving no buffer for a failed camera or a wrong link.
- Performing for the faculty panel and relaxing in front of current residents; the AAMC guide counts both audiences.
- Confusing confidence with performance; the guide pairs confidence with courtesy, not with polish alone.
Check your preparation
- Have I tested my equipment, connection and platform before the day?
- Do I know my interviewers' names and how I will greet them?
- Am I treating informal resident events as professional settings?
Questions for your practice review
- How early should I log in or arrive for this interview?
- Who will be interviewing me, and how should I greet them?
- Are there informal events with residents where the same professionalism applies?
Common questions
Does a first impression really change anything?
AAMC's preparation guide presents preparedness and professionalism as qualities applicants are evaluated on throughout the process, and the first minutes are where both are most visible. It is one factor among many, not a deciding trick.
What if something technical still goes wrong?
Handle it the way you handled the rest of the season: calmly, with a backup plan. Our guide on preparing a virtual technology backup covers the fallback side of this.
Is this current for the 2027 ERAS season?
AAMC publishes this interview preparation guide as current guidance for applicants interviewing in the 2027 ERAS season. Program formats and policies change year to year, so confirm the details with each program that invites you.
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.