Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine Interview Prep
Pasadena, CA. Every school builds its interview day differently, so confirm the format in your invitation. The question types below come up across medical school interviews, and practicing them out loud is the fastest way to get ready.
Format
A hybrid model: a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) and a traditional one on one interview with a faculty member. Interviews are virtual from September 2026 through February 2027. Source (checked 2026-10-27).
Practice a question and hear what worked
Answer a real interview question out loud or in writing. MedCoach gives feedback on what you said, drawing on your own life story, which is one document where you write down the experiences and moments that shaped you.
Practice this format freeQuestion types to prepare
Why medicine
Why you want to be a physician, and what in your own life points there.
Ethics and judgment
A hard call with no clean answer. Interviewers listen for how you reason, not which side you pick.
Teamwork
A time you worked with others, what your part was, and how you handled friction.
Leadership
When you took responsibility for a group or an outcome, and what you would repeat.
Setbacks
A real failure or hard stretch, what you did next, and what changed.
Communication
Explaining something difficult, or listening to someone who disagreed with you.
Healthcare systems
How care is delivered and paid for, and the problems you have seen up close.
Self awareness
Feedback you took, strengths you can back up, and where you are still growing.
Why Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Why this program fits you, with specifics you could only know from looking closely.
Current issues in medicine
A healthcare policy or public health topic, and a view you can explain calmly.
Weaknesses
A real weakness and what you are doing about it, without a disguised strength.
Still on your application? See the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine secondary essay prompts.