Good residency interview questions do two jobs: they show the program you’ve done your homework, and they get you answers you can’t find online. Below are questions to ask, common questions you’ll be asked, and the public data to look up before interview day.
Research the program first (15 minutes)
- The hospital: find the main teaching hospital on our hospitals page for its size, quality ratings, number of residents and fellows, and the clinicians by specialty who work there.
- The faculty: on the hospital or medical group page, see how many physicians in your specialty list it.
- The region: check the doctors per capita map and shortage areas if you might stay after training.
- Training length: confirm the program and any fellowship lengths in residency and fellowship length by specialty.
Use the map to find teaching hospitals near the programs you’re interviewing with. Hover over a dot to see how many residents and fellows each one trains, and select it to open the hospital’s page.
Dots: teaching hospitals, sized by residents and fellows in training (larger dots are bigger; hover for details, select one to open it). Shading: physicians per 100,000 residents by county; pick another specialty above.
Sources: CMS Hospital Provider Cost Reports (residents and fellows, full-time equivalents), CMS Provider Data (hospital locations), NPPES NPI Registry and U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 (shading).
Residency interview questions to ask the program director
First, ask about outcomes and change. For example, where graduates go tells you more than any brochure. In addition, the way a director answers shows how the program treats residents.
- What has changed in the program in the last two years, and why?
- Where did your last three graduating classes go: fellowships, jobs and locations?
- How do residents get procedural or case volume, and how do you track it?
- What are your board pass rates? Also, what support do residents who struggle get?
- Who funds the program, and do you plan to add or cut positions?
- Can you give an example of a change that came from resident feedback?
Residency interview questions to ask current residents
Residents usually speak more freely when faculty are not in the room. So save these residency interview questions for the pre-interview social or the resident lunch. Then compare their answers across programs.
- What does a typical week look like on your hardest rotation? Do residents stay within duty-hour limits?
- If you could change one thing about the program, what would it be?
- Do residents socialize outside work? Is the cost of living manageable on a resident salary?
- How available are faculty, and does teaching still happen on busy days?
- Would you choose this program again?
Questions you will probably be asked
Most programs ask similar questions. Therefore, prepare short, specific stories rather than memorized answers. For instance, one patient story can answer several of these.
- Why this specialty, and why this program?
- Tell me about a difficult patient or a mistake and what you learned.
- Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
- What would you add to our program?
- Walk me through a research project or experience on your application.
After the interview
Write notes the same day, while details are fresh. For example, note the people, the hospital, the residents’ mood and your gut feeling. Later, these notes make your rank list much easier. Finally, follow program and NRMP rules on post-interview communication, because the Match is binding.
Sources
Match rules: NRMP (opens in a new tab). Application process: AAMC ERAS (opens in a new tab). Program requirements: ACGME (opens in a new tab). Related: how to choose a residency program.