Mount Sinai Interview Prep Guide (2025-2026)

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is a highly competitive program, with roughly 8,800 applicants for only about 119 spots in the recent class (an overall acceptance rate near 1.3% inspiraadvantage.com). The interview process is holistic and seeks to assess each candidate’s fit with Mount Sinai’s mission-driven culture. Applicants undergo two open-file, one-on-one interviews in a semi-structured format icahn.mssm.edu, allowing interviewers to explore an applicant’s experiences and attributes in depth. Mount Sinai’s mission emphasizes excellence, innovation, collaboration, and health equity icahn.mssm.edu, and its newly launched ASCEND curriculum reflects these values by integrating personalized, hands-on learning from day one of medical school icahn.mssm.edu. Past interview questions have touched on themes like healthcare challenges and working with diverse populations studentdoctor.net, and candidates should be mindful of the application timeline (e.g. AMCAS primary deadline October 1, secondary due November 1) when preparing for the 2025–2026 cycle inspiraadvantage.com.

Mount Sinai conducts traditional interviews rather than an MMI. Each invited applicant spends a day meeting faculty and students and completes two 30-minute interviews with members of the admissions committee icahn.mssm.edu. These interviews are open-file – the interviewers will have reviewed the applicant’s entire file (personal statement, activities, letters, etc.) and often ask detailed questions about the candidate’s experiences forums.studentdoctor.net. Interviewers are typically faculty (or senior staff) on the Admissions Committee, and the style is described as semi-structured yet conversational. In fact, past students report that the atmosphere is “super chill” and focused on getting to know the applicant forums.studentdoctor.net. The school’s interviewers use a standardized evaluation, assessing each candidate holistically on academics, clinical exposure, service, research, and personal attributes during these conversations icahn.mssm.edu. While receiving an interview invite is an accomplishment (only about 11% of applicants were interviewed in a recent cycle icahn.mssm.edu), the post-interview selection remains competitive – offers are extended to a limited number of interviewees starting in January, with many others placed on a waitlist or rejected.

Mount Sinai’s mission statement highlights advancing science and medicine “for the benefit of humanity” through a culture of excellence, innovation, collaboration, and belonging, with an unwavering commitment to health equity icahn.mssm.edu. The school’s vision is to push boundaries in education, research, and patient care by thinking like a startup – encouraging entrepreneurship, risk-taking, and disruptive ideas to improve outcomes icahn.mssm.edu. Equally important is a longstanding commitment to service: since its founding in 1968 as a medical school inside a working hospital, Mount Sinai has valued passion, inquiry, dedication, leadership, and innovation in addressing real-world health needs icahn.mssm.edu. These core values translate directly into the selection process. The Admissions Committee explicitly evaluates whether applicants’ attributes align with Mount Sinai’s mission and values icahn.mssm.edu. For example, the school seeks students who are open-minded, empathetic, and driven to become future innovators and advocates in medicine icahn.mssm.edu. Understanding Mount Sinai’s mission can help applicants appreciate the school’s emphasis on health equity and social responsibility – themes that may arise in interview discussions or in the qualities interviewers look for.

Mount Sinai’s MD program is known for its forward-thinking curriculum and robust opportunities. In 2024, the school launched the ASCEND curriculum, a re-envisioned program focusing on personalized, active learning and early clinical exposure icahn.mssm.edu. The curriculum is structured in three phases (Pre-Clerkship, Clerkship, and Integration & Transitions), integrating basic science with hands-on clinical training from the very start of medical school icahn.mssm.edu icahn.mssm.edu. This approach "blurs" the traditional divide between pre-clinical and clinical years, as students begin interacting with patients almost immediately icahn.mssm.edu. Mount Sinai’s environment also offers rich clinical and research experiences: the school is the sole academic partner of the large Mount Sinai Health System, giving students access to a diverse patient population across multiple teaching hospitals in New York City icahn.mssm.edu icahn.mssm.edu. Class sizes are relatively small (around 120 students per cohort), which fosters a close-knit community. The program places a strong emphasis on research and scholarship – approximately 94% of Mount Sinai medical students engage in a research project with faculty, and over 80% have authored a paper by graduation icahn.mssm.edu. The school also provides unique pathways such as the FlexMed early-assurance program, which allows college sophomores to secure a spot at Mount Sinai without taking the MCAT, encouraging students from diverse academic backgrounds (in humanities, arts, computer science, etc.) to enter medicine inspiraadvantage.com. These distinctive features of the program not only define the student experience but can also inform thoughtful questions that applicants might ask on interview day.

• How is the new ASCEND curriculum enhancing student learning, and what feedback have current students given about its personalized, active-learning approach? icahn.mssm.edu
• What opportunities do Mount Sinai medical students have to conduct research or publish, and how does the school support student research involvement? icahn.mssm.edu
• In what ways can students engage with the surrounding community or pursue health equity and advocacy projects during their time at Mount Sinai? icahn.mssm.edu
• Mount Sinai is affiliated with a wide network of hospitals across New York. How are clinical rotations assigned, and do students get experience at different hospital sites (e.g. community hospitals like Elmhurst and the main Mount Sinai Hospital)? icahn.mssm.edu icahn.mssm.edu
• What mentorship or advising programs are in place to help students navigate their career goals, research interests, or leadership development while in medical school? icahn.mssm.edu

Because Mount Sinai’s mission and location stress health equity and community impact, certain healthcare policy topics are particularly pertinent. The school encourages applicants to gain exposure to social determinants of health and health disparities icahn.mssm.edu, reflecting an expectation that future students will be knowledgeable about how societal issues and policy decisions affect patient outcomes. Serving a diverse urban population in New York City, Mount Sinai is deeply engaged with issues like access to care for underserved communities, Medicaid and public hospital policies, and the challenges of urban public health. Nationally, broader healthcare debates – such as insurance coverage, healthcare costs, and reforms to improve equity – are also relevant to Mount Sinai’s focus on advocacy and justice in medicine. In fact, the institution has launched initiatives to address systemic racism in medical education mountsinai.org and houses an Institute for Health Equity Research, signaling its leadership in tackling policy issues around diversity and inclusion. Interviewees should be prepared to discuss current events or challenges in healthcare, as past Mount Sinai interviews have included questions on “the biggest challenge in healthcare today” studentdoctor.net. Being conversant in topics like healthcare disparities, public health responses (for example, lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic in NYC), and ethical issues in medicine will help candidates engage thoughtfully in policy-related discussion.

• Health disparities and social determinants of health: aligning with Mount Sinai’s mission of health equity, awareness of how factors like socioeconomic status, race, or housing affect patient health is important icahn.mssm.edu.
• Access to care in urban communities: issues such as insurance coverage, primary care availability, and caring for uninsured or underinsured populations are highly relevant in New York City’s healthcare landscape.
• Healthcare reform and affordability: understanding current debates on national healthcare policy (e.g. improving affordability of care, the role of public insurance programs) can be useful, given Mount Sinai’s patient population spans all income levels and insurance types.
• Public health and pandemic response: topics like vaccination policy, pandemic preparedness, and addressing public health crises (in light of Mount Sinai’s frontline experience during COVID-19 in NYC) may arise in conversation about healthcare systems.
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine: Mount Sinai’s efforts to combat systemic racism and increase diversity in medical training mountsinai.org reflect a broader policy focus in healthcare on ensuring equitable treatment and representation.

Mount Sinai takes a holistic approach in evaluating applicants, meaning that beyond strong grades and MCAT scores, a wide range of non-academic factors are considered. The Admissions Committee explicitly looks at each applicant’s experiences in areas such as clinical exposure, community service, research, and leadership or extracurricular activities icahn.mssm.edu. Significant hands-on clinical experience (for instance, volunteering in hospitals, EMT work, or shadowing physicians) demonstrates familiarity with patient care environments. A track record of service and advocacy – working in underserved communities, engaging in public health projects, or other volunteerism – is highly valued, aligning with Mount Sinai’s commitment to social responsibility icahn.mssm.edu. Almost all successful applicants have been involved in research or other scholarly projects, reflecting the school’s research-intensive culture (notably, 94% of current students undertake research during their MD program) icahn.mssm.edu. Leadership, teamwork, and other extracurricular accomplishments are also important, as Mount Sinai aims to train future leaders in medicine and looks for evidence of initiative and collaboration in applicants’ backgrounds icahn.mssm.edu. In interviews, these qualities are often explored through discussion of the applicant’s past activities – the interviewer might probe how you handled a leadership role or what you learned from a community service experience. Overall, traits like communication skills, cultural competence, ethical responsibility, and resilience are woven into the review process as well, consistent with the school’s holistic, mission-aligned evaluation icahn.mssm.edu.

• Clinical experience: Demonstrated exposure to patient care (e.g. hospital volunteering, shadowing, clinical employment) shows that you understand the realities of medicine and have confirmed your passion for working with patients icahn.mssm.edu.
• Community service and advocacy: Long-term volunteer work, community outreach, or advocacy roles illustrate a commitment to serving others and addressing social determinants of health – qualities Mount Sinai prioritizes in line with its health equity focus icahn.mssm.edu.
• Research and scholarly activity: Participation in scientific research or other scholarly projects is a strong asset. Mount Sinai is a research powerhouse, and applicants who have engaged in research (especially with tangible outcomes like publications or presentations) align well with the school’s investigative culture icahn.mssm.edu.
• Leadership and extracurricular involvement: Holding leadership positions in student organizations, teams, or community initiatives – or otherwise distinguishing yourself in extracurricular talents – indicates initiative, teamwork, and the potential to become a leader in the medical field icahn.mssm.edu.
• Interpersonal and communication skills: Though harder to quantify on paper, these are evaluated through recommendation letters and interviews. Mount Sinai’s interviewers will be assessing how well you communicate, work with others, and exemplify professionalism and empathy during your interactions icahn.mssm.edu.

Mount Sinai’s admissions process is aligned with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) core competency framework for entering medical students. In fact, the school notes that its evaluation of applicants’ experiences and attributes is modeled on the 15 Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students endorsed by the AAMC icahn.mssm.edu. This framework covers a broad range of competencies in several domains: interpersonal (e.g. service orientation, cultural competence, teamwork, oral communication), intrapersonal (ethical responsibility, resilience and adaptability, reliability, capacity for improvement), thinking and reasoning (critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, scientific inquiry, written communication), and science knowledge (living systems and human behavior). By using these competencies as a guide, Mount Sinai ensures that applicants are assessed not just on academic prowess but also on personal qualities and skills essential for a physician. During interviews, for example, interviewers will be gauging competencies like communication and ethical judgment in your responses, in addition to reviewing evidence of qualities like teamwork or cultural awareness from your past experiences. Familiarity with the core competencies can help applicants understand what attributes Mount Sinai is looking for and how they might be exemplified through one’s background and stories.

Looking at reports from past Mount Sinai interviews, several common themes emerge in the questions asked. Motivational and “fit” questions are very typical – for instance, many applicants have been asked “Why do you want to attend Mount Sinai?” studentdoctor.net or more general prompts like “Tell me about yourself” studentdoctor.net and “Why medicine?” These questions allow you to articulate your reasons for pursuing medicine and specifically why Mount Sinai’s program appeals to you. Deep dives into the applicant’s experiences also make up a significant portion of the interview. Because the interviews are open-file, anything on your application is fair game – interviewers often ask about specific research projects, clinical experiences, jobs, or extracurricular activities you’ve listed (e.g. “Tell me about your research in X field” or “What did you learn from [experience]?”) studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. If you’ve done notable research, be prepared for questions exploring your work (even hypotheticals about your findings, in the case of MD/PhD interviews) studentdoctor.net. Cultural competency and teamwork come up as well – for example, candidates have been asked about experiences working with people from different backgrounds studentdoctor.net or challenges they’ve faced in group settings, reflecting Mount Sinai’s emphasis on diversity and collaboration. Additionally, interviewers may pose ethical or current-events questions to gauge your awareness of healthcare issues and moral reasoning. A notable example is a question reported by past applicants: “What is the biggest challenge in healthcare today?” studentdoctor.net. This invites discussion of health policy or system-level issues (and ties into the school’s focus on health equity and advocacy). Overall, the tone of Mount Sinai’s interviews is often described as conversational and not overly stressful – the interviewers want to have a genuine dialogue – but they will touch on a broad range of topics to understand each applicant’s motivations, accomplishments, and fit with the school.

• Personal background and motivation: Open-ended prompts like “Tell me about yourself” studentdoctor.net are common, giving you a chance to highlight key aspects of your journey. Interviewers also frequently ask "Why medicine?" and "Why Mount Sinai?" studentdoctor.net to assess your motivations for a medical career and your specific interest in Mount Sinai.
• Experiences from your application: Expect detailed questions about activities you’ve listed – for example, discussing your research (“Tell me about your research in [topic]”) studentdoctor.net, clinical volunteering, or even unique jobs or hobbies. Interviewers have been known to pick a particular experience (such as an interesting job or project) and ask you to elaborate on what you did and learned.
• Working with diverse populations: In line with the school’s values, you might be asked about any experience you have interacting with people from backgrounds different from your own studentdoctor.net. This could be phrased as, “What experience do you have with individuals from diverse backgrounds?” and is an opportunity to demonstrate cultural sensitivity and adaptability.
• Ethical and policy questions: Some interviews include questions about current issues or challenges in healthcare. A past example is, “What is the biggest challenge in healthcare today?” studentdoctor.net. Similarly, you might get a hypothetical scenario or an ethical dilemma. These questions are meant to gauge your awareness of the healthcare environment and your ethical reasoning skills, so it’s good to be prepared to discuss a few key issues thoughtfully.
• Future goals and interests: Interviewers sometimes ask about your future aspirations in medicine, such as “What specialty are you interested in?” studentdoctor.net or where you see your career heading. There’s no right answer to these – many applicants aren’t certain – but the question allows you to talk about fields or issues in medicine that excite you (and it gives a sense of whether Mount Sinai’s program, which has strengths in research and certain specialties, fits your goals).

The application process for Mount Sinai follows a standard medical school admissions timeline, with some specific dates to keep in mind for the 2025–2026 cycle. Being aware of these deadlines is crucial for timely submission of materials and for anticipating when interviews and decisions take place. Below are the key timelines for the cycle in question:

• May 2025: AMCAS primary application opens (applicants can begin working on and submitting their initial application) inspiraadvantage.com.
• October 1, 2025: AMCAS primary application deadline for Mount Sinai (all primary applications must be submitted by this date) inspiraadvantage.com.
• July – October 2025: Secondary application invitations are sent out by Mount Sinai (on a rolling basis). In practice, Mount Sinai sends its secondary to all verified applicants, usually within a few weeks of receiving the AMCAS application, but this window represents the timeframe during which secondary invites may be issued inspiraadvantage.com.
• November 1, 2025: Secondary application deadline. All applicants must submit the Mount Sinai-specific secondary application (and fee) by this date inspiraadvantage.com.
• August 2025 – February 2026: Interview season. Mount Sinai conducts interviews on a rolling basis during this period inspiraadvantage.com. Invitations to interview typically start going out in August, and interviews run through the fall and into late winter (usually wrapping up by end of February) icahn.mssm.edu.
• January 2026 – August 2026: Admissions decisions are released on a rolling basis inspiraadvantage.com. Mount Sinai begins sending out acceptance offers as early as January 2026, continuing through the spring and potentially early summer. Applicants who interview earlier in the cycle may receive decisions earlier, but many decisions (including waitlists) are not finalized until March.
• March 2026: Waitlist assembled. By mid-March, Mount Sinai typically finalizes its waitlist of acceptable candidates who were not initially admitted inspiraadvantage.com.
• March – April 2026: “Explore Icahn” revisit weekend for admitted students takes place during this period inspiraadvantage.com. Admitted applicants are invited to campus to learn more about the school before making their final decision.
• May 2026: Waitlist movement begins. As some admitted students withdraw or choose other schools, Mount Sinai may start admitting students from the waitlist in May (and continuing through the summer as needed) inspiraadvantage.com.
• April 30, 2026: Deadline for accepted students to narrow their choices per AAMC guidelines (often referred to as the “Plan to Enroll” deadline). By this date, applicants holding multiple acceptances should choose their top school and relinquish other acceptances.
• Mid to Late July 2026: “Commit to Enroll” deadline (typically 3–4 weeks before orientation). Accepted students who are definitively joining Mount Sinai must select “Commit to Enroll” in the AMCAS portal, indicating they have withdrawn all other applications inspiraadvantage.com.
• August 2026: Orientation for the incoming class and the start of first-year classes at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai inspiraadvantage.com.

In summary, thorough preparation for a Mount Sinai interview involves understanding the school’s unique blend of traditional and forward-looking elements. The interview format – two open-file, conversational interviews – is designed for a holistic appraisal of each candidate, so knowing your own application and how it reflects key competencies is essential. Mount Sinai’s mission-driven focus on innovation, compassionate care, and health equity icahn.mssm.edu permeates its curriculum and admissions priorities, which means the stories and values you bring should resonate with those themes. By acquainting yourself with the program’s offerings (from the ASCEND curriculum to abundant research opportunities) and staying informed on relevant healthcare issues, you can demonstrate a genuine fit with the Icahn School of Medicine. Ultimately, being authentic and reflective about your experiences – while keeping Mount Sinai’s values in mind – will help you confidently navigate the interview and show how you could thrive in this environment.