Preparing for the Biomedical Science Interview

Congratulations!  You’ve been offered an interview with the Biomedical Science major.  Interviewing can be an anxious and stressful event, but we hope to alleviate some of your anxiety by sharing some information about what to expect in the interview. 

Who will interview me?

The BMS major employs a format called the Multiple Mini Interview.  You will meet have four interviews with four different people in four different rooms, each lasting exactly twelve minutes.  You will have three minute breaks between each interview.  The interviewers will be a combination of faculty, BMS alumni, and current BMS students.

How long will the interview last?

Including the three minute breaks, total interview time is exactly one hour.

What questions will be asked? 

The Biomedical Science major interviews students so that it can determine the best 20 students who are a good fit with the program.  Some questions are designed to let you talk about your experiences, and some are designed to challenge you to think at a higher level. 

Why does BMS use the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format?

We feel the MMI format is the most fair method of interviewing.  It allows students to meet with a variety of people.  In any interview it is common for interviewers and interviewees to 'click' or 'not click' depending on a variety of factors, many of which are out of the students's control.  With MMI, you may not click with a couple interviewers, but you may really click with four of them.  In the end, we feel the MMI 'levels the playing field' for the students.

Is the MMI something the Biomedical Science major made up?

Not at all!  Currently the following US medical schools also use the MMI for their admission interviews:

Stanford

University of Arizona

University of California-Davis

University of California-Los Angeles

University of Cincinnati

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Virginia Tech

And the list grows every year!  Additionaly some US Dental schools, as well as Canadian medical schools, are using the MMI.

What is a competitive student? 

All students who are interviewed for the Biomedical Science major are very intelligent and very accomplished.  In the interview we hope to learn more about your personality, goals, and passions.  Resist the temptation to answer questions the way you think we want them answered and just be yourself.   Your academic record and application was impressive enough to earn you an interview, now we want to see if you are a good fit for the major.

What should I wear?

Students who are being interviewed for admission to the Biomedical Science major should consider this an opportunity to impress the faculty and staff in the major.  Business attire is appropriate.  Sweatshirts, t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers are not appropriate.  Make sure that your cell phone is turned off during the interview; calling or texting at any time during your visit would not be appropriate. 

What if I’m really nervous?

Relax!  The faculty and staff of the Biomedical Science major work with undergraduate students all of the time, and it is expected that interviewees will be nervous.  You should be yourself…and be the best “you” that you can be.  The major is not looking for a specific type of student to be admitted to the program…and you may be just what would be a good fit with the entering class! 

Anything else I should know?

Not only are you being interviewed, but you should also be interviewing the BMS major to see if it is what you want to do.  Continue to look at the major critically, and ask questions of the people you meet on your interview day.  We want to know your concerns about the major so we can address them and help you decided if BMS is a good fit for you.

Good Luck!