Compare 160+ U.S. MD school interview formats for 2026–27 using current AAMC data: MMI vs. traditional, file type, virtual status, season and length.
When you finally receive a medical school interview invitation, one of the first things you need to figure out is what the interview will actually look like. A traditional open-file conversation requires a different kind of preparation from a closed-file interview, and both feel very different from rotating through timed MMI stations. Even the logistics now vary substantially because some medical schools remain fully virtual while others have returned to campus or give applicants a choice.
I remember trying to piece this information together during my own application cycle. I applied to 25 medical schools, completed both traditional and MMI-style interviews, and eventually received multiple acceptances, but school-specific interview information was scattered across admissions websites, AAMC resources, Student Doctor Network, Reddit threads, and applicant spreadsheets. I built this database so you can start with one place and then confirm the final details in your interview invitation instead of searching five different websites the night you receive an invite.
If you are looking for preparation rather than the school-by-school format itself, start with my Complete Medical School Interview Guide. I would then use this database to identify your school’s format before moving into my more specific guides on what to do before your medical school interview, what to study before a medical school interview, and how to research a medical school before your interview.
Medical School Interview Formats by School for 2026-2027
The table below covers more than 160 U.S. MD programs and includes the interview structure, whether the interview is open-file or closed-file when that information is publicly verifiable, whether interviews are virtual or in person, the reported interview season, and the number or length of interviews when available. I primarily used current school-reported information compiled in the AAMC’s Interview Policies report for the 2027 entering class, which the AAMC says is supplied by the individual medical schools and updated as schools provide new information.
I deliberately did not fill every blank with an old forum post. When current official information was available, I used it normally. When I found sufficiently recent applicant-reported information that added something useful, I marked it with an asterisk and the words “applicant reported.” When a detail was conflicting, old, or not clearly published for the current cycle, I wrote “Not publicly specified” rather than turning an uncertain answer into a fact.
Last verified: September 2026. Medical schools can change interview logistics during the cycle, so your invitation email, applicant portal, and the school’s current admissions page should always override this table if they give you newer instructions. The AAMC Interview Policies report for the 2027 entering class is also worth checking because the AAMC notes that these reports are updated and republished as schools change their information.
| State | Medical School | Interview Format | Open / Closed File | Virtual / In-Person | Interview Season | Number / Length of Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 30–45 min each |
| AL | University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine | Hybrid: 1:1 + 9-station MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 1 traditional interview + 9 MMI stations |
| AR | Alice L. Walton School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Partially blinded: MCAT, academic background, biographic info withheld | Virtual (Zoom) | Late Aug 2026–Feb 2027 | 2 interviews; 30 min each |
| AR | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine | Traditional / faculty interview | Blind interview | Mostly in-person; limited virtual day | Sep 2026–Jan 2027 | Not publicly specified |
| AZ | Arizona State University School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering (SOMME) | Traditional | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | 3 interviews; length not publicly specified |
| AZ | University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson | Two-stage: recorded response + MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| AZ | University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix | MMI | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | 5 stations × 7 min |
| CA | California Northstate University College of Medicine | Traditional / holistic dialogue | Not publicly specified | Currently virtual; subject to update | Interviews begin Sep 2026 | Not publicly specified |
| CA | California University of Science and Medicine – School of Medicine | Video assessment / multiple-reviewer interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual / online | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| CA | Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science College of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Sep 2026 onward | Two virtual interviews; station length not publicly specified |
| CA | Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine | Hybrid: MMI + traditional interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| CA | Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California | Traditional; faculty + student interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; length not publicly specified |
| CA | Loma Linda University School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 30–40 min each |
| CA | Stanford University School of Medicine | Hybrid: MMI + traditional interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| CA | University of California, Davis, School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Aug 2026–Mar/Apr 2027 | Not publicly specified |
| CA | UC Irvine School of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 + standardized Kira interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom + Kira) | Not publicly specified | Faculty + student interviews; length not publicly specified |
| CA | UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine | MD: traditional 1:1; PRIME-LA: MMI; MSTP: traditional | MD interview explicitly open-file | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| CA | University of California, Riverside School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Sep 2026–Mar 2027 | Not publicly specified |
| CA | UC San Diego School of Medicine | MMI (MD/PRIME); MD-PhD includes 1:1 + MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | MMI block approximately 8 AM–noon |
| CA | UCSF School of Medicine | Traditional; two double-blind interviews | Double-blind | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 45–60 min each |
| CO | University of Colorado School of Medicine | Structured group + individual interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| CT | Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; individual lengths not publicly specified |
| CT | University of Connecticut School of Medicine | 1:1 + group interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| CT | Yale School of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| DC | George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences | Traditional | Blind interview | Virtual | Aug 2026–Mar 2027 | Not publicly specified |
| DC | Georgetown University School of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Sep 2026–Feb 2027 | 1 interview; ~45 min |
| DC | Howard University College of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual planned | Sep 2026–Apr 2027 | Not publicly specified |
| FL | Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University | Situational / behavioral interview | Closed-file / blinded | Virtual + asynchronous | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| FL | Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Semi-blind (selected application info only) | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; length not publicly specified |
| FL | Florida State University College of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Full application available to interviewers | Case-by-case modality | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 50 min each |
| FL | Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual / online module | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| FL | University of Central Florida College of Medicine | Traditional; two interviews | Partially closed / blinded (no GPA, MCAT, grades, letters) | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; length not publicly specified |
| FL | University of Florida College of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Partially blind: MCAT/GPA withheld | Virtual / synchronous live | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; length not publicly specified |
| FL | University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine | Two traditional interviews | Mixed: 1 open-file experiential + 1 closed-file behavioral | Virtual | Mid-Sep 2026–end Apr 2027 | 2 interviews; 50 min each |
| FL | University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine | Traditional | Semi-open file | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| GA | Emory University School of Medicine | Group + 1:1 interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Sep 2026–Feb 2027 | Not publicly specified |
| GA | Morehouse School of Medicine | Traditional; faculty interviews | Not publicly specified | In-person (Atlanta) | Not publicly specified | 2 faculty interviews; full day ~9:45 AM–5 PM |
| GA | University of Georgia School of Medicine | MMI | Closed-file | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 6 stations × 8 min (2 min reading + 6 min response) |
| HI | University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Online | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| IA | University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine | Traditional / panel-style individual interview | Closed-file | Choice: in-person or virtual | Not publicly specified | 1 interview; 25 min; conducted by 2 faculty |
| IL | Carle Illinois College of Medicine | No interview | Not applicable | N/A | N/A | No interview conducted |
| IL | Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Sep 2026 onward | Not publicly specified |
| IL | Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine | Traditional; two interviews | Mixed: one full-file + one partial-file interview | Choice: in-person or virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| IL | Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine | Faculty + senior medical-student interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| IL | Rush Medical College | Traditional / school-specific virtual interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| IL | Southern Illinois University School of Medicine | Traditional; 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Typically in-person; video when needed | Not publicly specified | MD: 2 interviews; MD/JD: 3; lengths not publicly specified |
| IL | University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine | Traditional; three 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | 3 interviews; length not publicly specified |
| IL | University of Illinois College of Medicine | Hybrid: MMI + 1:1 faculty interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | MMI + 1 faculty 1:1; lengths not publicly specified |
| IN | Indiana University School of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 | Open-file | Online | Late Aug 2026–Feb 2027 | 1 session with 2 admissions committee members; length not publicly specified |
| KS | University of Kansas School of Medicine | Traditional; two individual interviews | At least one interview explicitly open-file | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 30 min each |
| KY | University of Kentucky College of Medicine | Traditional; two individual interviews | Not publicly specified | In-person | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| KY | University of Louisville School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Academically blinded | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| LA | LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine | Traditional; three 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 3 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| LA | LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Semi-blind: metrics, letters, updates withheld | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| LA | Tulane University School of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| MA | Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine | Traditional / faculty interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | At least 1 faculty interview; length not publicly specified |
| MA | Harvard Medical School | Traditional 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| MA | Tufts University School of Medicine | Traditional for MD; Maine Track adds MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Sep 2026–Mar 2027 | MD: 2 personal interviews; Maine Track: MMI + 2 personal interviews |
| MA | UMass Chan Medical School | Program-dependent: recorded + 1:1; PURCH MMI; LEAD traditional | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Program-dependent; MSTP up to 2 research interviews |
| MD | Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine | Traditional; individual interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Sep 2026–Mar 2027 | MD/MD-MBA: 2 interviews; MD-PhD: 5; length not publicly specified |
| MD | Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine | Traditional; two individual interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Mid/late Jul–early Dec 2026 invites | 2 interviews; 30 min each |
| MD | University of Maryland School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Remote / virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; ~45 min each |
| MI | Central Michigan University College of Medicine | MMI + group activities | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| MI | Michigan State University College of Human Medicine | MMI + traditional 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Sep 2026–Feb 2027 | MMI + 1 traditional interview × 30 min |
| MI | Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine | Short-form interviews + traditional 1:1 | Academics/MCAT blinded | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 3 short-form + 1 traditional × 30 min |
| MI | University of Michigan Medical School | Hybrid: 1:1 + MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| MI | Wayne State University School of Medicine | 1:1 faculty/alumni + 1:1 student + MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Aug 2026 onward | 2 individual interviews + 5 MMI stations |
| MI | Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 + group activity | Open-file traditional interview | Virtual | Late Sep 2026–mid-Mar 2027 | 1 traditional interview + group activity; length not publicly specified |
| MN | Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Partially blinded | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 30 min each |
| MN | University of Minnesota Medical School | Traditional interview + asynchronous recorded secondary component | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | Live interview count/length not clearly stated |
| MO | Saint Louis University School of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 + student group interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 1 admissions-committee 1:1 + group interview; lengths not publicly specified |
| MO | University of Missouri–Columbia School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Open-file | Virtual | Late Sep 2026–Feb 2027 invites | 2 interviews; lengths not publicly specified; day ~3 hr |
| MO | University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | In-person | Not publicly specified | 11 stations; station length not publicly specified |
| MO | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis | Traditional 1:1 | Open-file | Virtual anticipated | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| MS | University of Mississippi School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | In-person | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| NC | Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| NC | Duke University School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| NC | Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine | Station-based competency interview | Not publicly specified | Mostly virtual; limited in-person | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| NC | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine | Traditional | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| NC | Wake Forest University School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| ND | University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences | Panel / team interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Oct 2026–Jan 2027 | 1 panel with 3 interviewers; length not publicly specified |
| NE | Creighton University School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Open-file | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| NE | University of Nebraska College of Medicine | Traditional | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 1 interview; 30 min |
| NH | Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth | Traditional + group exercise | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Late Aug 2026–Mar 2027 | 2 interviews × 30 min + group exercise × 20 min |
| NJ | Cooper Medical School of Rowan University | Traditional / two-interviewer interview | Mixed: one committee interviewer + one blinded interviewer | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 1 interview; 30 min |
| NJ | Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| NJ | Rutgers New Jersey Medical School | Traditional; faculty + optional student interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | Faculty 45–60 min + optional student 30 min |
| NJ | Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School | MMI | Not publicly specified | TBD; virtual available for hardship/abroad | Aug 2026–Mar 2027 invites | 7 stations; total ~70 min |
| NM | University of New Mexico School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 30–60 min each |
| NV | Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV | Asynchronous + live structured interviews | Semi-closed file | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Required asynchronous + live small/large-group/1:1 components |
| NV | Roseman University College of Medicine | Traditional; two interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 30 min each |
| NV | University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine | Traditional | Not publicly specified | In-person | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| NY | Albany Medical College | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Sep 2026 onward | Not publicly specified |
| NY | Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 | Open file* (applicant reported) | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 1 committee interview; 30–60 min |
| NY | Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons | Traditional 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| NY | CUNY School of Medicine | Three interviews | Not publicly specified | In-person / on campus | Jan onward | 3 interviews; total interview block ~3 hr |
| NY | Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell | MMI | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| NY | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Open-file | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 30 min each |
| NY | Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Choice: in-person or virtual | Aug 2026–Mar 2027 invites | 2 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| NY | New York Medical College | MMI | Closed file* (applicant reported) | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 60+ min total* (applicant reported) |
| NY | NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine | MMI + team group activity | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Sep 2026 onward | Two ~70-min segments: MMI circuit + team activity |
| NY | NYU Grossman School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| NY | Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University | Traditional; two interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 separate interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| NY | SUNY Upstate Medical University Alan and Marlene Norton College of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Sep 2026–early Mar 2027 | Not publicly specified |
| NY | SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine | Traditional + peer conversation | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | 1 faculty interview ~60 min + peer conversation ~20 min |
| NY | University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry | Traditional + group interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 individual interviews + 1 group session × 30 min |
| NY | Weill Cornell Medicine | Traditional; two committee interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews × 30 min |
| OH | Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine | Program-dependent traditional interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | University Program: 2; CCLCM: 3 + group; MSTP: 6–7 |
| OH | Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) | Traditional 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Aug 2026–Feb 2027 invites | 1 interview; 25 min |
| OH | Ohio State University College of Medicine | Traditional; two individual interviews | Academics blinded | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| OH | University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2-hour MMI session; 8 interviewees; station details not publicly specified |
| OH | University of Cincinnati College of Medicine | Asynchronous scenarios + live 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Aug 2026–Feb 2027 | 6 Kira scenarios + 1 faculty 1:1 |
| OH | Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 45–60 min each |
| OK | University of Oklahoma College of Medicine | Panel / subcommittee interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Jul 2026–Jan 2027 | 1 interview; 75 min |
| OR | Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine | MMI + 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Aug 2026–Feb 2027 | MMI circuit + 1 admissions-committee 1:1; lengths not publicly specified |
| PA | Drexel University College of Medicine | MMI + student group interview | Closed-file | Virtual | Not publicly specified | MMI + group interview; lengths not publicly specified |
| PA | Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| PA | Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University | Three-interview structure | Mixed: primary full/standard; secondary blind; community component | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 3 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| PA | Penn State College of Medicine | Traditional | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| PA | Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania | Traditional; faculty + student interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 individual interviews; length not publicly specified |
| PA | Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University | Traditional; faculty + student interviews | Mixed: faculty open-file + student closed-file | In-person | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| PA | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine | Traditional; faculty + student interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Faculty + student |
| PR | Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual live + asynchronous | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| PR | San Juan Bautista School of Medicine | MMI + personal 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Mostly in-person; virtual only specific circumstances | Nov 2026 onward | 4 MMI stations + 1 personal interview; lengths not publicly specified |
| PR | Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Minimum ~1 hour total; station details not publicly specified |
| PR | University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine | Traditional / portfolio-based process | Not publicly specified | Virtual interviews accepted | Nov 2026–Mar 2027 | Not publicly specified |
| RI | Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews + group session | Open-file | Virtual | Mid-Sep 2026–Feb 2027 | 2 interviews × 30 min + group session |
| SC | Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine | Traditional; three 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 3 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| SC | University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia | Traditional; two interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 30 min each |
| SC | University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville | Traditional / panel-style interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 1 interview; 50 min; 2 committee members |
| SD | University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine | Traditional 1:1 | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| TN | East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; lengths not publicly specified |
| TN | Meharry Medical College | Admissions committee interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| TN | Belmont University Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine | Traditional + structured interview | Mixed: 1 open-file + 1 closed-file | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 30 min each |
| TN | University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine | Traditional; two individual interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; ~30 min each |
| TN | Vanderbilt University School of Medicine | Two traditional interviews | Mixed: one open-file + one closed-file | Virtual | Aug 2026–Jan 2027 invites | Open-file ~35 min + closed-file ~20 min |
| TX | TCU Burnett School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Kira) | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| TX | Baylor College of Medicine | Traditional; two interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Jul–Dec 2026 invites | 2 interviews; 30 min each |
| TX | McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston | Traditional; two interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; ~20 min each, max 30 |
| TX | Texas A&M University School of Medicine | MMI + personal interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual for regular MD; EnMed in-person | Jul 2026–Jan 2027 | 6 MMI stations × 5 min + 1 personal interview × 15 min |
| TX | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | MMI; full day ~8:30 AM–3 PM |
| TX | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine (Lubbock) | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 20 min each |
| TX | University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine | MMI + group exercise | Not publicly specified | In-person | Not publicly specified | MMI + group exercise; lengths not publicly specified |
| TX | UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Faculty has full file; student sees essays/experiences | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 30 min each |
| TX | Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine at the University of Houston | Group interview + individual MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Interactive group + individual MMI; lengths not publicly specified |
| TX | Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin | Innovation + traditional formats | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| TX | John Sealy School of Medicine at UTMB | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual only | Not publicly specified | 7 stations × 7 min + 3 min prep per station |
| TX | UT Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine | Group interview + two individual interviews | Not publicly specified | Mixed: in-person group + Zoom 1:1s | Aug 2026–Jan 2027 | 2 Zoom interviews × 30 min + in-person group session |
| TX | UT Southwestern Medical School | Traditional; two faculty interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Aug 2026–mid-Jan 2027 | 2 interviews; 25 min each |
| UT | University of Utah School of Medicine | Traditional | Not publicly specified | In-person (Salt Lake City) | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| VA | Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old Dominion University | Panel interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual (Zoom) | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| VA | University of Virginia School of Medicine | Traditional; two 1:1 interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 2 interviews; 30 min each |
| VA | Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Aug 2026–Mar 2027 | Not publicly specified |
| VA | Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine | MMI | Not publicly specified | In-person | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified |
| VT | University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine | MMI + group problem-solving | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | MMI + group exercise; lengths not publicly specified |
| WA | University of Washington School of Medicine | Panel interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 1 panel with 3 interviewers; length not publicly specified |
| WA | Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine | Asynchronous + live structured interviews | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 4 asynchronous interviews + 2 live structured interviews |
| WI | Medical College of Wisconsin | Traditional / campus-dependent | Open-file | Virtual | Not publicly specified | Milwaukee: 2 one-on-one; Central/Green Bay: 1 panel; lengths not publicly specified |
| WI | University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health | Traditional 1:1 + small-group interview | Not publicly specified | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 1 faculty/alumni 1:1 × 30 min + small-group interview |
| WV | Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine | Traditional | Open-file | Virtual | Not publicly specified | 1 interview with 1–2 interviewers; ~40–45 min |
| WV | West Virginia University School of Medicine | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Sep 2026 onward | Not publicly specified |
An asterisk indicates recent applicant-reported information rather than a current official school statement. “Not publicly specified” means I could not verify that field strongly enough to present it as a current fact. If your interview invitation provides different or more detailed information, follow the medical school’s current instructions.
What Interview Formats Do Medical Schools Use?
Medical schools use several different interview structures, and “virtual versus in person” is separate from “traditional versus MMI.” The AAMC describes live in-person, live virtual, hybrid, and asynchronous interviews as different technology formats, while the interview itself may be one-on-one, group based, panel based, or an MMI. A school can therefore conduct a traditional interview virtually, run an MMI over Zoom, combine an MMI with a traditional faculty interview, or use several formats on the same interview day. The AAMC guide to interview types provides a useful official overview of these distinctions.
In this database, traditional interviews remain extremely common, but hybrid models are also widespread enough that I would never assume a school uses only one format from its reputation. I found 47 school entries where MMI appears somewhere in the interview structure, while “traditional” appears in 100 entries; those groups overlap because some schools deliberately combine the two or use different formats for different tracks. If your invitation is for a special pathway, dual-degree program, regional campus, or mission-focused track, make sure you confirm the format for that specific program rather than assuming the standard MD interview applies.
Which Medical Schools Use MMI Interviews?
A Multiple Mini Interview, or MMI, uses several shorter stations rather than one long conversation. The exact structure differs by school: some programs use five or six stations, others use more, and hybrid schools may pair an MMI circuit with a traditional interview, group exercise, or asynchronous assessment. The AAMC’s own applicant guidance describes MMIs as a format designed to evaluate communication and other attributes through a series of stations, which is why the preparation should focus on reasoning and communication rather than memorizing one perfect response.
The main table is the most useful place to check whether a particular school uses an MMI because it also shows whether that MMI is virtual, how many stations are publicly reported, and whether another interview component occurs on the same day. If your school uses an MMI, my free MMI practice tool and scenario bank gives you timed two-minute reading periods with six- or eight-minute answer periods so you can practice the part that feels most unnatural at first: organizing your thoughts while the clock is running.
Which Medical Schools Use Traditional Interviews?
Traditional interviews are still common across U.S. MD admissions, but “traditional” does not mean every school runs the same conversation. Some programs use one faculty interview, others use two or three separate interviews, and several pair a faculty conversation with a student interview, group exercise, or another structured component. The interviewer may have your entire application, only selected portions of it, or almost nothing about you before the conversation begins.
For a traditional interview, I would prepare the major themes rather than memorize a script. My common medical school interview questions and how to answer them guide covers the questions that repeatedly show up, while my Tell Me About Yourself guide is useful for one of the deceptively broad questions that can open an interview. You want enough preparation that your experiences come to mind quickly, but you still want to sound like you are having a conversation with another person.
What Is an Open-File Medical School Interview?
In an open-file interview, the interviewer has access to some or all of your application before or during the interview. That can include your activities, essays, academic history, secondary responses, recommendation information, or other parts of the file depending on the school. “Open file” is therefore not perfectly standardized, which is why I kept more specific descriptions such as academically blinded, partially blinded, or one-open/one-closed when a medical school provided them.
If your interview is open-file, reread your application carefully before interview day because something you wrote months ago can become the starting point for a question. My guide to what to study before a medical school interview walks through exactly what I would reread, including your personal statement, activities, most meaningful experiences, secondary essays, research, and school-specific material. You do not need to repeat what the interviewer can already see; use the conversation to add reflection, context, growth, and details that could not fit into the written application.
What Is a Closed-File Medical School Interview?
A closed-file or blinded interview gives the interviewer limited information about you, although the amount withheld varies by school. One program may hide GPA and MCAT while still providing essays and experiences, another may withhold most of the application, and a school with multiple interviewers may intentionally give one interviewer the full file and blind the other. That is why I have preserved terms such as “semi-blind,” “academically blinded,” and “mixed” instead of forcing every school into a simple open-or-closed label.
Closed-file interviews usually require you to provide a little more context when you discuss an experience because the person across from you may not already know the story. You still should not recite your entire AMCAS in every answer. Give the interviewer enough background to understand the situation, then spend most of the answer explaining what you did, what you learned, and how the experience shaped you.
Are MMI Interviews Open File or Closed File?
There is no universal rule that an MMI must be closed-file. Many MMI stations are structured so that the evaluator is focused on your response to a scenario rather than your academic record, but individual schools can design their interview process differently and may combine blinded stations with another open-file conversation. The format column and file-access column in the database are separated for exactly this reason.
If a medical school does not tell you whether its MMI is open or closed, do not allow that uncertainty to dominate your preparation. Know your own application well enough to discuss it if asked, but spend most of your MMI practice learning to identify the people affected by a scenario, clarify missing information, consider competing perspectives, and explain your reasoning calmly. That preparation remains useful whether the evaluator has seen your application or not.
Are Medical School Interviews Virtual or In Person in 2026–2027?
Virtual interviewing remains dominant in the current data. In the table above, 141 of 161 programs have a modality field that includes virtual, online, or remote interviewing somewhere in the process, although some of those schools also offer an in-person choice or use a mixed process. Nineteen entries include an in-person or on-campus component, so those categories are intentionally not mutually exclusive.
The continued use of virtual interviews is consistent with current AAMC guidance, which recommends virtual interviews when feasible and suggests post-acceptance visits as a way to let applicants experience campuses while reducing travel cost and inequity during selection. If your interview is virtual, I would still treat the day as a formal interview: test the platform, internet, microphone, camera, lighting, and backup plan in advance, then use my medical school interview attire guide if you are deciding what to wear on camera or in person.
How Long Are Medical School Interviews?
There is no standard length for a medical school interview. Some traditional conversations in the current table are roughly 20 to 30 minutes, others run 45 to 60 minutes, and a complete interview day can include several separate interviews, presentations, student sessions, group activities, or MMI stations. An MMI may involve a series of short timed stations even though the overall interview block lasts well over an hour.
I would use the length information to practice pacing rather than trying to fill every available minute. A 30-minute traditional interview does not mean each answer should last five minutes, and an eight-minute MMI station does not mean you should speak continuously until the timer ends. My STAR Method medical school interview answer builder can help you organize behavioral stories so that you provide enough context, spend most of the answer on your actions, and still leave room for reflection or follow-up questions.
When Is Medical School Interview Season?
Medical school interview season does not begin and end on one national date. The AAMC says invitations commonly begin in late summer or early fall and are most commonly offered from August through February, although some schools continue into the spring. The school-specific table shows why a single national deadline is so misleading: current interview windows range from late summer starts through programs that continue interviewing into March or April.
If you are reading this because other applicants already have interviews and you do not, the timing column should give you some perspective. My no medical school interviews in September guide goes much deeper into how I would interpret early-cycle silence, while my Do Medical Schools Interview Better Applicants First? article explains why an earlier invitation should not automatically be treated as proof that the school has ranked one applicant above everyone interviewed later.
How Should You Prepare for an MMI vs. a Traditional Interview?
I would prepare both formats from the same foundation: know your own story, understand why you want to become a physician, research the school, and become comfortable talking about your experiences without memorizing paragraphs. The difference is where I would put the extra practice time. For a traditional interview, I would spend more time on your application, common questions, school fit, behavioral stories, and follow-up conversation; for an MMI, I would add repeated timed practice with ethical, communication, teamwork, conflict, and situational prompts.
That is also why I would not use a generic interview question bank without first checking the school’s format in this table. Start with my Complete Medical School Interview Guide, use the pre-interview checklist so you do not miss logistics, and then choose the resources that fit your actual interview. For an MMI, use the MMI scenario bank and timer; for behavioral questions, use the STAR answer builder; and for school-specific preparation, use my medical school research guide and Why This School guide together.
What I Found on SDN and Reddit/r/premed About Medical School Interview Formats
For this article, I searched Student Doctor Network and Reddit, particularly r/premed, for recent discussions about school-specific interview formats, open-file versus closed-file interviews, MMI preparation, and what applicants wished they had known before interview day. I used those communities as applicant-experience sources rather than treating them as official admissions policy, because forum information can be extremely useful for understanding how an interview feels while still becoming outdated when a school changes its process.
A recurring theme on r/premed is that applicants prepare better once they know the exact format. Recent MMI discussions repeatedly emphasize practicing under realistic timing, considering more than one perspective in ethical or interpersonal scenarios, and avoiding answers that become so memorized that they stop responding to the question. A September 2026 discussion about MMIs also shows how school-specific these interviews can be: applicants were trying to determine whether “Why our school?” and other institution-specific questions could appear within an MMI rather than assuming every station would be a generic ethics prompt. Another August 2026 r/premed discussion specifically advised applicants to determine whether an interview is open- or closed-file before deciding what parts of their application to emphasize.
SDN is particularly useful for school-specific applicant reports because its interview feedback database aggregates reported modality, interview length, number of interviews, file access, and applicant experiences. I used recent applicant evidence only when it was strong enough to be useful and labeled it as applicant reported; I did not take a historical SDN percentage spanning multiple cycles and quietly present it as a 2026–2027 school policy. That is why you will see “Not publicly specified” more often in the file-access column than you might see on a less conservative database. SDN’s current school pages can be very useful for recent applicant reports, but the aggregate percentages should still be treated as crowdsourced evidence rather than official school policy.
The best practical use of SDN and Reddit is therefore to learn what applicants experienced and generate questions you need to verify. If a recent applicant says a school used six MMI stations but your invitation email says seven, use seven. Your current invitation and the medical school’s instructions are the sources that control your interview day.
What Medical School Admissions Officers Say About Interview Preparation
I also reviewed AAMC guidance written for or featuring medical school admissions professionals because I wanted this page to explain what the format means for your preparation rather than stopping at a database. The AAMC’s admissions interview framework says interviews help schools assess applicant–school fit and competencies that are not easily measured through the written application, MCAT, or GPA. That helps explain why a school may deliberately choose a structured MMI, a traditional conversation, or a combination: the interview is gathering information the rest of your file cannot show as directly.
Sunny Nakae, an assistant dean for admissions whose advice is published by the AAMC, recommends that applicants know their own application in depth, communicate their motivation for medicine and their interest in the specific school, and prepare without becoming scripted. She also emphasizes using stories to show growth, teamwork, failure, resilience, and other qualities instead of simply repeating what was already written in the application. I think that is one of the most useful ways to approach interview preparation because it gives you structure without turning you into someone reciting a memorized speech. You can read the AAMC admissions officer interview advice directly as well.
AAMC guidance for structured interviews also shows why behavioral questions appear so often. The organization recommends interview questions that ask applicants about past behavior or how they would respond to a situation, with interviewers focusing on the situation, action, result, communication, professionalism, and other competencies. This is exactly where your story bank and STAR framework become useful: they help you remember the substance of your experience while leaving the wording flexible enough to answer the question you were actually asked.
How I Would Use This Table After You Receive an Interview Invitation
I would first find your medical school in the table and identify the format, file access, modality, and any available timing information. Then I would compare that with your invitation email and applicant portal because the school may have sent instructions that are newer or more specific than any public source. Once you know the format, your preparation becomes much more focused instead of trying to prepare for every possible interview style at once.
Next, I would research the institution itself using my How to Research a Medical School Before Your Interview guide, then review the common interview questions and your own primary and secondary applications. Prepare more questions for the school than you think you will need because several may be answered during presentations; my Questions to Ask During a Medical School Interview guide separates questions that work better for faculty, students, and admissions representatives.
Finally, handle the small logistical pieces early enough that they do not become the reason you are stressed the night before. Confirm the time zone, platform or physical location, attire, transportation if applicable, identification requirements, and any pre-interview assignments. My pre-interview checklist and interview attire guide cover those details so that your final preparation can focus on the conversation itself.
Can a Medical School Change Its Interview Format During the Application Cycle?
Yes. Interview modality, scheduling, station structure, and other details can change during a cycle, which is one reason the AAMC tells applicants to review MSAR profiles and individual medical school websites for the most current information. Some schools also describe their current approach as tentative or explicitly say that virtual versus in-person plans may be updated later.
I plan to treat this page as a living database rather than a one-time article. If a school updates a current official policy, that should replace older applicant reports; if a detail cannot be verified for the current cycle, I would rather change it back to “Not publicly specified” than leave an outdated answer ranking in Google simply because it is more satisfying to fill every cell.
Does Your Medical School Interview Format Affect Your Chance of Acceptance?
The interview format itself does not give you a simple acceptance probability. Schools choose formats based on what they want to assess and how they structure their admissions process, while post-interview decisions can still incorporate interview performance alongside other parts of the application. Reaching the interview stage is encouraging, but two applicants interviewing in different formats at different schools cannot compare their odds just by counting stations or interviewers.
If you are trying to understand what happens after interview day, my What Do Medical Schools Look For After Your Interview? guide explains how schools may combine the interview with the rest of the file. You can also use my medical school post-interview acceptance rates database for school-specific historical context, while remembering that a historical percentage cannot predict the outcome of one individual interview.
Frequently Asked Questions About Medical School Interview Formats
What is the most common medical school interview format?
Traditional interviews remain very common among U.S. MD programs, although many schools now use hybrid structures that combine a traditional conversation with an MMI, group activity, structured scenario, or asynchronous component. Because “traditional” and “MMI” are not mutually exclusive at hybrid schools, I would check the individual school row rather than relying on one national percentage.
Do all medical schools use MMI interviews?
No. Many medical schools continue to use one-on-one traditional interviews, panel interviews, or hybrid formats, while others use MMI circuits as the primary interview. In this database, MMI appears somewhere in the interview structure for 47 programs, but several of those pair the MMI with another component or use it only for a particular track.
Are all traditional medical school interviews open file?
No. Traditional interviews can be open-file, closed-file, academically blinded, partially blinded, or mixed, and some schools deliberately use two interviewers with different levels of access. Check the file-access column separately from the interview-format column because knowing that a school uses a traditional interview does not tell you what the interviewer can see.
Are all MMIs closed file?
No. MMI stations are often structured around standardized prompts rather than a detailed review of your application, but there is no universal rule requiring every MMI to be closed-file. Some schools also combine MMI stations with a separate open-file interview, so prepare to know your application even when the station-based portion is blinded.
Are medical school interviews virtual in 2026–2027?
Most programs in this database include a virtual, online, or remote component, but in-person interviews have not disappeared. Some schools are entirely virtual, some are primarily in person, and others give applicants a choice or use different modalities for different parts of the process.
How many medical school interviews will I have on interview day?
It depends on the school. Some programs conduct one interview, many conduct two, and others use three or more interviews or a circuit of multiple MMI stations; dual-degree and special-track applicants may complete additional interviews beyond the standard MD process. Use the final column in the table as a planning tool, then follow the schedule in your invitation when it provides more detail.
How long is a medical school interview?
Individual traditional interviews commonly fall somewhere around 20 to 60 minutes in the current school data, while MMI stations are much shorter and occur in sequence. The total interview experience can last several hours once you add orientation, presentations, student sessions, tours, group activities, and multiple interview components.
What should I do if the school does not publicly say whether the interview is open or closed file?
Prepare for both possibilities rather than guessing. Reread your entire application so you can discuss anything you submitted, but practice introducing enough context that a person who has never seen the activity or essay can still understand your answer.
Where should I find the most current interview format for my medical school?
Start with the interview invitation, applicant portal, and the medical school’s official admissions website because those can reflect changes made after a public comparison table was updated. The AAMC’s current Interview Policies report is also valuable because the information is supplied by participating medical schools and the reports are republished as schools update them.
What should I ask during a medical school interview?
Ask questions that help you evaluate the school and that benefit from the perspective of the person you are speaking with rather than asking for facts sitting on the admissions homepage. My Questions to Ask During a Medical School Interview guide includes separate ideas for faculty, current students, interviewers, and admissions staff so you can prepare several options before the day begins.
What happens after the medical school interview?
After the interview, schools may review the interview evaluation alongside other pieces of your application, and the exact process varies by institution. My post-interview guide, post-interview acceptance-rate database, and interview timing guide can help you understand that stage without trying to read your interviewer’s facial expressions as a prediction of the final decision.
Final Thoughts on Medical School Interview Formats by School
I built this page because finding out how a school interviews should not require hours of detective work. Once you know whether you are walking into a traditional conversation, MMI circuit, panel, group activity, open-file interview, closed-file interview, virtual day, or some combination of those, you can spend your preparation time on the things that actually help you communicate well.
Use the table as your starting point, verify the current instructions from the school, and then practice for the format you have actually been invited to complete. If you want the entire preparation process in one place, return to my Complete Medical School Interview Guide, and after interview day you can continue with my guide to what medical schools look for after the interview rather than trying to guess your outcome from every small detail of the conversation.