Congratulations on receiving a University of Connecticut BS MD Interview Invite! UConn’s Special Program in Medicine (otherwise known as SPiM is an 8-year program that allows accepted to students to pursue a BA or BS degree in UConn’s Honors Program and directly matriculate to UConn School of Medicine. We are super excited for you, and our BS MD Admissions interview team is happy to help you out. In this blog post, we want to give you step-by-step tips on how you can prepare for your UConn BS MD Interview. Our goal is to help you STAND OUT!
In this post, we will cover:
- What does the UConn BS MD program look for in applicants?
- How to prepare for UConn’s BS MD Multiple Mini Interview?
- Research unique opportunities at the University of Connecticut’s Special Program in Medicine
- Read about healthcare issues that affect Connecticut
- Common UConn BS MD interview questions and how to prepare
- Schedule a mock interview with our Cracking BS MD Admissions team!
If you have any questions or want to schedule a mock interview, feel free to contact Dr. Rishi Mediratta and Dr. Rachel Rizal below!
What does the UConn BS MD Admissions Committee look for?
You’ve been working hard throughout high school and you’ve finally received the coveted UConn BS MD interview invite! So obviously, you had a strong academic track record including good grades and good standardized test scores. You also had patient care and clinical opportunities throughout your time as a high school premedical student.
The UConn SPiM has a 3.5 unweighted GPA requirement. Given that every single UConn BS MD interviewee is going to have strong academics + clinical experience … and likely research too, how will you stand out?
It is important to note the unique traits that the UConn BS MD program looks for in its applicants.
Highlight the following qualities in your UConn BS MD Interview:
- Commitment to clinical medicine – It’s a big commitment to choose a career at 17 or 18 years old. UConn looks for students who are sure they want to practice medicine. Therefore, they want to hear about your clinical experiences and patient care experiences during your UConn BS MD interview. Specifically, you should not only talk about shadowing and observing doctors, but you should also talk about working directly with patients. Additionally, you need to articulate why you want to be a DOCTOR and not any other healthcare professional in your UConn BS MD interview.
- Well-roundedness – UConn SPiM is looking for candidates who have interests outside of medicine! Make sure to talk about your hobbies and things you like to do for fun 🙂
- Ties to Connecticut – Because the University of Connecticut is a state school,
How To Prepare For The UConn BS MD Interview
The UConn BS MD interview is extremely tough because it is a hybrid format consisting of a traditional interview + a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). You have to prepare well for both!
First, the UConn BS MD Interview consists of the Multiple Mini Interview.
The Multiple Mini Interview consists of several interview stations – these are “mini interviews” where you have 2 minutes to think about a scenario and 8 minutes to give your response.
The absolute best way to prepare for the UConn BS MD interview is through our Mastering the Multiple Mini Interview course created by Dr. Rachel Rizal herself! It’s the first MMI course in the United States and she uses her experiences from being an applicant who did MMIs herself and her insights from being a Stanford MMI interviewer.
Sign up for the Mastering the Multiple Mini Interview course today!
Second, if you receive a UConn BS MD Interview Invite, prepare your answers to traditional interview questions. Here are some helpful resources for traditional BS MD Interviews
- Download our Cracking BS MD Admissions interview guide
- The most important question is “Tell me about yourself.”
- [ Prepare a STRONG response to that question using our step-by-step advice: How to Answer Tell Me About Yourself College Interview]
- Read our tips on how to answer 4 other common BS MD interview questions.
- Why do you want to come to ______ college / BS MD program?
- Why do you want to come to _____ medical school?
- Is there anything else you want me and the admissions committee to know?
- Tell me about _____ activity.
- You should also read our STAR method blog post because many CASPer questions are behavioral-type questions.
- [Read more: STAR Method for College Interviews and BS MD Interviews ]
Third, improve your interview skills by scheduling a mock interview with us!
From our experience, we LOVE working with BS MD applicants because they work hard, they are coachable, and they practice a ton. However, with our coaching, we will help you fine-tune your answers.
Take a look at our college interview coaching packages.
A big part of this is actually learning about BS MD interview strategy. What should you highlight in your UConn BS MD interview?
Typically, BS MD applicants can improve in the following ways:
- Do not adequately explain why medicine
- Talk about their extracurricular activities like a resume but they do not talk about what they learned from
- Can incorporate more specific stories and examples throughout the interview
- Talk about generic reasons to go to the medical school and not specific reasons tailored to themselves
Take a look at our interview preparation packages and if you have questions or are interested, contact Dr. Rachel Rizal and Dr. Rishi Mediratta at hello@bsmdadmit.com or the contact form below.
Mock Interviews: Refine Your Interview Skills With Us 1-On-1
Rachel Rizal, MD
Changing the trajectory of people’s lives
Undergraduate
Princeton
Medical School
Stanford
Awards & Scholarships
Fulbright Scholar
USA Today Academic First Team
Tylenol Scholarship
RISHI MEDIRATTA, MD, MSc, MA
Advising students to attend their dream schools
Undergraduate
Johns Hopkins
Medical School
Stanford
Awards & Scholarships
Marshall Scholar
Tylenol Scholarship
Global Health Scholar
Research Unique Opportunities at UConn
We like to give UConn BS MD applicants very specific opportunities to look up at the University of Connecticut undergraduate campus and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. You need to mention these in your interview!
Research Opportunities at and around UConn
- 2 clinical opportunities: First and foremost, you are applying to a BS MD program. Therefore, you should look for clinical opportunities you want to pursue at UConn! You can start looking for clinical opportunities here!
- 2 community opportunities: UConn appreciates students who want to serve its local Connecticut community. Find public health or community service opportunities! You can start by looking at different UConn service opportunities here or here.
- 1-2 other non-academic extracurricular activities: Medical schools do not want college students who are only focused on academics! They also want students who pursue other interests. Look up at least one extra-curricular activity you want to be a part of as a UConn undergrad. You can take a look at UConn’s activities and student organizations.
- 2 academic opportunities: Have an idea of 1 or 2 majors you’re interested in. If you’re interested in a particular Major or specific class, write those down so that you can weave those into your UConn BS MD interview.
Read About Current Event Issues That Affect the Connecticut Community
Read about healthcare issues that affect Connecticut
- Look up the Connecticut Health Department’s website and/or local newspapers to see the most recent pertinent healthcare issues. You can also find some resources here.
- Some popular Connecticut healthcare issues that our BS MD Admissions team regularly hears about are the following:
- Opioid Use Disorder & alcohol abuse
- Heart disease & stroke
Common UConn BS MD Interview Questions
It’s important to prepare STRONG answers for the following common UConn BS MD questions:
- Tell me about yourself.
- What are three words that describe you?
- Why BS/MD vs attending a 4-year university?
- Why do you want to go to UConn SPiM?
- Do you have any idea about what major you want to pursue?
- Can you tell me about a time when you faced a challenge and how you resolved it?
- Talk about a time when you worked on a team and there was a challenge.
- Where do you see yourself in 15 or 20 years?
Scheduling a Mock Interview
Work with our BSMD Admissions interview team for your upcoming UConn BS MD interview!
How to schedule a mock UConn BS MD interview:
- If you have questions, feel free to contact Dr. Rachel Rizal and Dr. Rishi Mediratta about BS MD interview prep.
- If you have no questions, purchase mock interviews here. Most students will purchase 4 mock interviews with our team and the Mastering the Multiple Mini Interview course, which includes an additional mock interview. Many students will use 3-5 of their mock interviews to prepare for UConn’s hybrid BS/MD interview. Students will also use mock interviews to prepare for Ivy League or Scholarship interviews!
- After purchasing the mock interview package, you will receive an automatic email that allows you to upload your application materials, including your Common Application plus UConn BS MD supplemental essays. Additionally, you will be asked for more information like your name, contact information, interview date, time zone, and availability. Please fill out the form thoroughly.
- Our interview team will reach out to you to schedule a mock BS MD interview!
If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to Dr. Rachel Rizal and Dr. Rishi Mediratta through the contact form below. Or, you can email us directly at hello@bsmdadmit.com.
Mock Interviews: Refine Your Interview Skills With Us 1-On-1
Rachel Rizal, MD
Changing the trajectory of people’s lives
Undergraduate
Princeton
Medical School
Stanford
Awards & Scholarships
Fulbright Scholar
USA Today Academic First Team
Tylenol Scholarship
RISHI MEDIRATTA, MD, MSc, MA
Advising students to attend their dream schools
Undergraduate
Johns Hopkins
Medical School
Stanford
Awards & Scholarships
Marshall Scholar
Tylenol Scholarship
Global Health Scholar