Creighton Interview Prep Guide (2025-2026)

Creighton University School of Medicine offers a mission-driven medical education guided by Jesuit, Catholic values creighton.edu. The interview experience reflects this ethos, with a friendly, low-stress atmosphere where applicants are assessed on personal fit as much as academic metrics studentdoctor.net. The MD program spans two campuses (Omaha, NE and Phoenix, AZ) and emphasizes service to others, community engagement, and training physicians to meet regional healthcare needs creighton.edu alumni.creighton.edu. Applicants are evaluated holistically – beyond grades and MCAT scores, Creighton highly values experiences in volunteer service, clinical exposure, research, and demonstration of key personal competencies like empathy and integrity creighton.edu creighton.edu. Past interview questions at Creighton commonly explore an applicant’s motivation for medicine, alignment with Jesuit values such as cura personalis (care for the whole person), ethical reasoning, and awareness of current healthcare issues studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. The following guide delves into each of these aspects, from the interview format to the school’s mission, program highlights, relevant policy topics, and important application timelines.

Creighton conducts traditional in-person interviews rather than an MMI. Typically, applicants have two separate 30-minute one-on-one interviews, often one with a faculty member (or alumnus) and another with a medical student studentdoctor.net. These interviews are open-file, meaning the interviewers have reviewed the applicant’s file and can ask specific questions about the applicant’s experiences studentdoctor.net. The tone is generally conversational and low-stress – many students report a friendly, get-to-know-you style without overly challenging questions studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. Creighton’s interviews are meant to assess personal qualities and fit with the school’s values, so expect discussion of your background and motivations rather than stress tests. Around 955 applicants were invited to interview for the class entering 2025, and about 250 were accepted, implying roughly a 25% post-interview acceptance rate creighton.edu creighton.edu. (Creighton uses a rolling admissions process, so a strong interview performance is key.)

Creighton’s mission is rooted in its Jesuit, Catholic heritage. The School of Medicine’s mission is “to improve the human condition” through excellence in education, knowledge advancement, and compassionate patient care creighton.edu. In practice, this translates to a profound emphasis on service, social justice, and caring for the whole person. The Jesuit philosophy of cura personalis – care for the entire individual – is central to Creighton’s identity creighton.edu. Students are taught to treat patients with empathy and to consider social and spiritual factors alongside medical needs.

Creighton explicitly aims to form ethical leaders in healthcare who will serve their communities. The university often invokes the Jesuit tenet of being “women and men for and with others,” underscoring the value of serving others in need prospectivedoctor.com. In fact, one of Creighton’s secondary essay prompts asks applicants to reflect on how their life experiences align with that service-oriented Jesuit tenet prospectivedoctor.com. The school’s vision statement likewise highlights that graduates will become leaders advancing medicine, health, and well-being creighton.edu. In essence, Creighton’s values stress that excellent physicians must be men and women for others – committed to social justice, compassionate care, and the moral development of their communities.

Founded over 130 years ago, Creighton’s School of Medicine provides an education balancing rigorous science with humanistic training. The program now operates across two campuses: the main campus in Omaha, Nebraska, and a regional campus in Phoenix, Arizona creighton.edu creighton.edu. Students apply through a single process for both locations and may be assigned to either campus, each of which offers state-of-the-art facilities and diverse clinical opportunities. (For example, the Phoenix campus opened in 2021 to address Arizona’s physician shortage with a cutting-edge health sciences center creighton.edu alumni.creighton.edu.) Creighton enrolls approximately 250 new medical students each year creighton.edu, drawn from around 6,000+ applicants nationwide creighton.edu. The class size has grown in recent years to meet healthcare workforce needs, and the student body is known for its diversity in backgrounds and experiences. Once enrolled, Creighton medical students benefit from a collaborative learning environment and a curriculum that encourages interprofessional education – the Omaha campus’s new facility brings medical, nursing, pharmacy and allied health students together under one roof for integrated training creighton.edu.

Beyond the classroom, Creighton offers ample opportunities for research and community engagement. Students and faculty conduct research in areas such as cancer, infectious disease, and bone health creighton.edu, often with an aim to improve patient outcomes and reduce disparities. In keeping with its mission, the program strongly encourages volunteer work and service-learning; many students volunteer at free clinics or participate in global health mission trips. Creighton’s supportive atmosphere and Jesuit ethos foster close mentor–student relationships and a focus on personal growth alongside medical training. These distinctive features can also provide great talking points during your interview – for instance, you might ask about how the two-campus system is managed, how Jesuit values are incorporated into the curriculum, or what community service opportunities are available to students creighton.edu creighton.edu. Showing genuine interest in Creighton’s unique programs (such as its Phoenix expansion or research centers) can demonstrate that you have done your homework and that you resonate with the school’s goals.

Creighton’s mission and locations naturally tie into several healthcare policy and ethics topics. Being aware of these can help you discuss big-picture issues in your interviews, if they arise. Some important themes include:

• Jesuit Catholic healthcare ethics: Creighton’s religious affiliation means that questions of medical ethics and social justice are especially salient. The school’s philosophy emphasizes caring for the marginalized and upholding dignity for all patients. Interviewers may be interested in your perspective on ethical issues or how you would handle value-laden scenarios in medicine (for example, decisions at Catholic hospitals or advocating for vulnerable patients), aligning with Creighton’s focus on service and justice creighton.edu.
• Regional healthcare needs: Both Nebraska and Arizona face physician shortages and healthcare disparities, which is one reason Creighton has a presence in both states. In Nebraska, rural communities continue to struggle with limited access to healthcare providers despite some improvements unmc.edu. Likewise, Arizona’s rapidly growing and aging population has strained the healthcare system – the state ranks 43rd nationally in primary care physicians per capita and is projected to require over 1,500 more primary care doctors by 2030 alumni.creighton.edu. Creighton’s expansion to Phoenix is a direct response to these regional needs alumni.creighton.edu. Candidates should be aware of issues like rural health access and the challenges of serving diverse communities in these areas.
• National health policy debates: Creighton interviewers have been known to ask about broad U.S. healthcare issues, so it’s wise to familiarize yourself with current policy topics. You might consider your stance on questions such as “Is healthcare a right?” studentdoctor.net, how to improve the healthcare system’s affordability and quality, or what you see as the biggest challenge facing American healthcare today studentdoctor.net. Discussions around the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurance coverage, and healthcare reform in general could come up. Being able to articulate informed, balanced views on these matters – always with an eye toward the impact on patients – will reflect well on your awareness of the healthcare landscape.

Like most medical schools, Creighton employs a holistic admissions process that looks well beyond test scores and GPAs. In particular, Creighton places strong emphasis on an applicant’s experiences, personal qualities, and alignment with its service-oriented mission creighton.edu. The Admissions Committee evaluates whether candidates have demonstrated the virtues and commitments that Creighton believes are essential in a physician. Notably, the school has outlined specific non-academic criteria that it expects from applicants:

• A commitment to serving others through volunteerism: Creighton requires substantive engagement in non-medical community service, especially with underserved populations creighton.edu. This “service of others” is not just a minor requirement – it’s central to proving you fit a Jesuit institution culture. Successful applicants often have extensive volunteer work that exemplifies compassion and solidarity with those in need.
• Clinical exposure and patient contact: The school also expects applicants to have significant experience in clinical settings creighton.edu. This includes shadowing physicians and hands-on patient care or interactions. By having diverse clinical experiences, you show that you understand the realities of medicine and have confirmed your desire to be a physician.
• Strong personal attributes and character: Creighton looks for qualities such as intellectual curiosity, emotional maturity, honesty, and motivation creighton.edu in its future students. These traits are seen as “necessary in a physician” and are assessed throughout your application and interviews. The ability to work in teams, communicate well, and lead ethically could also fall under this umbrella of personal competencies.
• Research and other extracurricular achievements: While not an absolute requirement, scientific research experience is highly valued by Creighton’s admissions committee creighton.edu. Engaging in research (whether bench science, clinical research, or community health projects) can demonstrate intellectual curiosity and resilience. Additionally, leadership roles in organizations or other extracurricular accomplishments can help you stand out, provided you can tie them to traits like teamwork, service, or learning.

Creighton’s approach to evaluating applicants aligns with national competency frameworks for medical education. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) defines a set of core competencies that pre-medical students should develop – spanning areas of service orientation, ethical responsibility, teamwork, resilience, communication, critical thinking, and scientific knowledge. In fact, these competencies were updated in 2023 and are being used by medical schools (including Creighton) in the 2024-2025 cycle to assess applicants’ readiness students-residents.aamc.org. What this means for applicants is that Creighton is looking for evidence that you possess key professional and interpersonal skills in addition to academic prowess.

Many of Creighton’s stated selection criteria map directly to the AAMC’s core competencies. For example, the AAMC lists ethical responsibility and integrity as crucial traits – Creighton echoes this by valuing honesty and moral character in its applicants creighton.edu. The AAMC emphasizes a service orientation, and Creighton explicitly requires community service and a commitment to others as part of its admissions criteria creighton.edu. Attributes like resilience and adaptability can be inferred through Creighton’s interest in emotional maturity and how you have grown from challenges. By familiarizing yourself with the core competency framework, you can better understand what Creighton is seeking. In your application and interviews, aim to illustrate these competencies through your experiences – for instance, showing teamwork and communication skills from a group project, or demonstrating cultural awareness from working with diverse communities. This alignment with national standards ensures that Creighton’s admitted students are not only a good fit for the school’s mission, but also prepared to excel in the competency-based medical training that follows.

Students who have interviewed at Creighton report a variety of questions, but certain common themes appear frequently. Knowing these themes can help you reflect on relevant experiences beforehand (though you should always answer authentically rather than rehearsed). Creighton tends to cover:

• Service and Jesuit values: It’s very common to be asked about service or altruism. For example, applicants have been asked “What does service mean to you?” studentdoctor.net or to describe their volunteer work and its impact. These questions gauge your alignment with Creighton’s mission of serving others and “men and women for others” ethos.
• Motivation and “Why Creighton?”: Interviewers often explore your personal journey to medicine and interest in Creighton. Expect questions like “Why do you want to be a doctor (and why at Creighton)?” or “Describe your path to medicine.” studentdoctor.net. They want to know what drives you, how you’ve confirmed your desire to pursue medicine, and why you see Creighton as a good fit for your goals. Be prepared to articulate what appeals to you about Creighton’s program, values, or location in a sincere way.
• Diversity and inclusion: Given Creighton’s diverse student body and focus on social justice, you might be asked about diversity. One reported question was, “How do you contribute to the diversity of the school?” studentdoctor.net. You could also be asked about experiences working with people from different backgrounds or how you would serve varied populations. These questions assess cultural competency and openness to learning from differences – qualities important to a Jesuit education.
• Ethical and healthcare issues: Some interviews will include questions on medical ethics or current healthcare challenges. Examples include being asked to discuss an ethical dilemma you have encountered or read about studentdoctor.net, or more general prompts like “What is a major issue in health care today?” and “Do you believe health care is a right?” studentdoctor.net. Creighton isn’t looking to grill you, but they do want to see that you can think seriously about the moral and systemic issues doctors face. Formulate opinions on topics like healthcare access, patient autonomy, and the physician’s role in society, and be ready to share your reasoning in a balanced manner.
• Personal and behavioral questions: Interviewers frequently ask behavioral questions to understand how you handle challenges and grow from them. For instance: “Tell me about a time you set a goal for yourself and didn’t achieve it. How did you respond and what did you learn?” studentdoctor.net. Similar questions might cover times you faced adversity, made a mistake, or experienced stress. The aim is to gauge your resilience, self-awareness, and capacity to learn from setbacks – all crucial traits for surviving and thriving in medical school. Think of a few anecdotes from your life that highlight these qualities, as they can be useful if such questions come up.

Staying on top of deadlines is an important part of interview preparation, since a timely application can affect when you interview. Creighton’s admissions operate on a rolling basis, meaning earlier applicants may secure earlier interview slots and admission decisions. Below are the key dates for the 2025–2026 application cycle (applying in 2025 for matriculation in fall 2026):

• June 1, 2025 – AMCAS application opens and can be submitted. This is when you should aim to submit your primary application to Creighton and other schools creighton.edu (earlier in the summer is better to avoid delays).
• September 1, 2025 – Interviews begin. Creighton starts interviewing Regular MD and MD/PhD applicants in early September creighton.edu. If you submit early and are competitive, you could receive an interview invite around this time. (Interview season then runs through fall and winter, typically until March as noted by the admissions office creighton.edu.)
• October 15, 2025 – Initial admission decisions released. This is the first date that Creighton (and most U.S. med schools) start notifying Regular MD applicants of acceptances creighton.edu. From this day onward, accepted students are notified on a rolling basis. If you interview early, you could hear back by mid-October.
• November 1, 2025 – AMCAS primary application deadline. Creighton’s final deadline for your primary application submission is Nov 1st creighton.edu. It’s not recommended to wait this long, but if you do, ensure all materials are in by this date.
• November 15, 2025 – Transcript deadline for AMCAS. All required transcripts must be submitted to AMCAS by this date creighton.edu to complete your application file.
• January 15, 2026 – Secondary application deadline. If you received a secondary (which Creighton sends to applicants with MCAT ≥ 500 or pending scores creighton.edu), you must submit the completed secondary by Jan 15th creighton.edu. However, waiting this long can push your interview late; it’s better to submit the secondary well before the deadline.
• April 30, 2026 – “Plan to Enroll” deadline and last day to withdraw for refund. By April 30, accepted students should narrow to one school per AAMC guidelines. Creighton also specifies April 30 as the last day to withdraw an acceptance and still receive a deposit refund creighton.edu. After this date, if you hold a Creighton acceptance, you’re expected to either commit or forfeit your deposit. Waitlisted candidates may be admitted from April through the summer as spots open.

In summary, successful preparation for a Creighton School of Medicine interview involves understanding and embracing the school’s values while also staying informed and organized. Know Creighton’s mission – its dedication to service, care for the whole person, and Jesuit ideals – and be ready to discuss how your own journey reflects those principles creighton.edu creighton.edu. Be familiar with the format and expectations of the interview day: a conversational, open-file discussion where you can be authentic about your experiences and motivations. Review healthcare issues relevant to the communities Creighton serves and to the nation at large, since thoughtful insight on these demonstrates the awareness expected of future physicians. Finally, keep track of application timelines so you can arrive at your interview calm and confident, knowing you’ve put your best foot forward. With a solid grasp of the school’s program and values, and reflection on your own fit within them, you will be well-equipped to convey why you belong at Creighton University School of Medicine.