Interview preparation guide
Taking notes after each interview: residency interview preparation guide
AAMC's preparation guide recommends capturing your impressions immediately after each interview, because programs start to look alike as the interview trail goes on. Notes taken the same day are what let you distinguish programs accurately when you build a rank list weeks later.
How to prepare
- 1
Write the summary the same day
The AAMC guide suggests taking notes or writing a summary of the things that stood out most, both good and bad, straight after each interview. Memory compresses fast; a same-day note preserves the detail you will actually want in February.
- 2
Record comparisons, not just highlights
The guide's reason for notes is that programs blur together as you travel the interview trail. Note what distinguished this program from the last one: the answer to a question you ask everywhere, the mood of the resident session, the schedule you actually saw.
- 3
Keep the notes where the ranking work happens
A note you cannot find at rank-list time does not help. Keep one running document per program in a single place, dated, so your rank-list sessions start from evidence rather than from a general feeling.
A practical exercise
Same-day summary written: [yes/no]. Standouts, good and bad: [..]. Distinguishing detail vs other programs: [..]. Stored in one place: [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 recommends capturing your impressions immediately after each interview, because programs start to look alike as the interview trail goes on. Notes taken the same day are what let you distinguish programs accurately when you build a rank list weeks later.
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
- Assuming you will remember each program clearly; the AAMC guide warns the trail makes programs look alike.
- Recording only positives and skipping the concerns that matter most at ranking time.
- Taking notes so long they become a chore you abandon after the third interview.
Check your preparation
- Did I write down what stood out, good and bad, the same day?
- Does the note say what distinguished this program from others I have seen?
- Will I be able to find and use this note when I build my rank list?
Questions for your practice review
- What stood out most, positive and negative, in today's interview?
- What answer or detail distinguished this program from the others I have seen?
- Where will I keep these notes so they are usable at rank-list time?
Common questions
Why does same-day timing matter?
AAMC's preparation guide says programs start to look alike as you travel the interview trail, and that notes help you recall experiences and distinguish between programs. The blur gets worse with every additional interview, so the note has to beat it.
Should notes influence how I communicate with the program?
No. Notes are for your own ranking work. Post-interview communication with programs is a separate topic with its own rules, covered in our blog guide on thank-you notes and post-interview contact.
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.