You will complete three (3) total interviews.
The first is a standardized video interview (SVI) that you complete on your own prior to the interview day.
There will be two (2) live, virtual faculty interviews scheduled on the interview day you selected on mdapply.wustl.edu. In the live interactions, one will be a standard interview where a Committee on Admissions (COA) member has reviewed your full application. The other will be a closed file interview where the COA member knows only your name and does not have access to your application. In each case, the interviewer will tell you which type of interview is being conducted, so you have context on how much information the interviewer has on hand and how much background information you may need to provide in the conversation.
Washington University does not allow either applicants or interviewers to record the interviews. We ask applicants not to have other individuals in the room where you are participating in our interviews. The expectation is that the interview will be a private conversation between the interviewer and the applicant.
To start the interview, log into the portal (mdapply.wustl.edu), click the Interview tab then select the Virtual Interview from the menu. You will see a start button next to each interview. Clicking start will connect you directly with the faculty member via Zoom. We expect standard interviews to take 40-60 minutes; closed file interviews will typically take 20-30 minutes. All interviews need to occur with webcam/video and microphone.
You will receive an email approximately 2 business days prior your interview date with specific interview times or you may log into mdapply.wustl.edu at 8:30am CT on the morning of your interview to confirm your interview times.
The AAMC provides Virtual Interviews: Tips for Medical School Applicants, to assist in preparation.
Most of our interviewers are academic physicians, with multiple areas of responsibility. In particular, their clinical schedules can be quite unpredictable. In the event of a clinical emergency, we will reassign your interview to another faculty member.
The virtual context will not change the typical expectations of a medical school interview. Your professional attire and timeliness should be a priority as you prepare. We recommend that you treat these virtual interviews as you would an in-person interview.
Note that there are no expectations for attire for our Meet the Students and WashU Wednesday sessions. Casual dress is fine for both.
Your environment should be quiet and free from distractions. You will not be evaluated on the quality of your room or background. You may use a virtual background, but this may lower the quality of the video displayed to the faculty and is not recommended.
We recommend a laptop or desktop computer with high speed internet, a webcam and a microphone. It is not recommended that you complete the interviews with a mobile device.
You may reach the Office of Admissions at (314) 362-6858.
Yes, if you need to reschedule, return to the Virtual Interview Experience calendar to select a date and time.
Yes, you may attend multiple tours. In addition to our regularly occurring tours, we will also offer a variety of specialty tours later in the admissions cycle.
Beginning October 19, we expect to offer optional “Why WashU Wednesday” sessions virtually at 5pm CT, to help connect prospective medical students to our current student body and to continue to allow prospective students to discover what makes WashU unique. Any student who has been scheduled to interview or who has completed their interview will be able to participate in these sessions (the first invitation for a “WWW” event will correspond to the week an applicant is scheduled to interview). Beyond student panels, we anticipate sessions focused on the Gateway Curriculum (including its coaching program), research, St. Louis, the medical school’s relationship with the city, diversity, and dual degree options. The Office of Admissions will also strive to connect prospective students to our many affinity groups; that planning is ongoing.
We encourage you to attend multiple Why WashU Wednesday events throughout the admissions cycle. The focus of these sessions will vary, and even when topics are repeated, we will likely have a slightly different team of current students and/or faculty participating in the session—so new voices to hear from and with whom to interact. You are welcome to attend as many of these sessions as your schedule allows—they will add to your understanding of the WashU medical education experience. Recordings for most of these sessions are available.
Please email our Office of Student Financial Planning via MedFinancialAid@wustl.edu.
The Office of Student Financial Planning offers individual meetings with international applicants. Email MedFinancialAid@wustl.edu to schedule your appointment.