CUNY Med Interview Prep Guide (2025-2026)

CUNY School of Medicine’s admissions process is mission-driven and holistic, reflected in an interview format that uses multiple mini-interviews (MMIs) to find compassionate, community-oriented candidates medicine.cuny.edu forums.studentdoctor.net. The program’s unique accelerated 7-year BS/MD structure (with no MCAT or AMCAS required) medicalaid.org and its focus on primary care in underserved communities influence what interviewers look for and even the questions applicants might ask. An awareness of the school’s core values and relevant healthcare issues—such as physician shortages and health disparities—provides important context for your interview responses aamc.org. Likewise, understanding the non-academic qualities the school prioritizes (e.g. service, communication, integrity) medicine.cuny.edu will help you recognize the themes behind many interview questions. Finally, the interview prep process isn’t complete without knowing the timeline: applications are due December 1, 2025, interviews take place in the winter, and final decisions are released by April 1, 2026 medicine.cuny.edu medicine.cuny.edu.

CUNY School of Medicine conducts its interviews in a multiple mini-interview (MMI) style, meaning applicants complete a series of short, back-to-back interviews instead of one long panel forums.studentdoctor.net. Each “mini” interview station typically involves a different interviewer (faculty, staff, or sometimes student) and a unique question or scenario. This format is generally closed-file, so interviewers focus on your spontaneous responses and personality rather than reviewing your academic file. The MMI approach allows the school to assess attributes like ethical reasoning, problem-solving, and communication skills across multiple snapshots, in line with its holistic admissions philosophy.

The interview day atmosphere is known to be welcoming and applicant-friendly – candidates are greeted by current students and staff who help them feel at ease talk.collegeconfidential.com. In fact, one of the interview sessions is a conversational meeting with a current student, which many applicants find engaging and supportive talk.collegeconfidential.com. Receiving an interview at CUNY SoM is also a strong positive sign: historically, roughly half of those interviewed have gone on to receive an offer of admission medicalaid.org.

The mission of the CUNY School of Medicine is centered on primary care and health equity. The school was founded to produce highly skilled physicians who will provide quality care in communities historically underserved by healthcare and to make medical education accessible to students from underrepresented backgrounds medicine.cuny.edu. Its guiding values are often summarized as Access, Excellence, Community, reflecting a commitment to diversity, quality, and service. A key admissions consideration is alignment with this mission – candidates who show genuine interest in becoming primary care doctors in underserved areas are particularly valued medicine.cuny.edu.

The CUNY School of Medicine is an accelerated seven-year BS/MD program, one of the few in the country that admits students directly from high school medicine.cuny.edu. Students spend the first three years at The City College of New York completing undergraduate coursework (earning a BS degree), then transition directly into the four-year medical school curriculum – all within the same program (with no MCAT or separate AMCAS application required) medicalaid.org medicine.cuny.edu.

This continuous path (originally established as the Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program in 1973) enables CUNY to recruit motivated students early and tailor a curriculum focused on primary care and urban health needs. The school is based at CCNY in Harlem – notably, it is the first new medical school in Manhattan since 1860 medicine.cuny.edu – and it partners with local healthcare institutions (such as St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx) for clinical training and clerkships ccny.cuny.edu. The program remains small and highly selective (around 70 students matriculate per year, which is roughly a 4% admission rate) medicalaid.org, creating a close-knit learning community.

You should be familiar with these distinctive program features not only to answer interview questions but also to ask insightful questions of your own. You might consider asking about aspects of the program that particularly interest you, for example:

• The accelerated 7-year BS/MD format medicine.cuny.edu is unique; how is the transition from the undergraduate phase to the medical phase supported for students?
• Given the school’s mission of serving underserved communities medicine.cuny.edu, what opportunities do students have to engage in community health during their training?
• The school aims to engage in groundbreaking research medicine.cuny.edu; what research opportunities can students pursue during the program?
• Where do students complete their clinical rotations, and how does the partnership with St. Barnabas Hospital influence those experiences? ccny.cuny.edu

Being aware of broader healthcare issues can help you stand out in interviews at CUNY SoM. Many of these policies and trends tie directly into the school’s mission and location. Some important topics include:

• Primary care physician shortages – The United States faces a projected shortfall of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036 aamc.org, with primary care shortages acutely affecting underserved areas (including parts of New York).
• Healthcare disparities and access – Communities such as Harlem (a designated Health Professional Shortage Area) medicine.cuny.edu experience disproportionate health burdens, underscoring the need for improved access to care and preventive services in underserved urban neighborhoods.
• Diversity in medicine – The underrepresentation of certain racial and socioeconomic groups among physicians is a national concern. Programs like CUNY SoM address this by recruiting more students from historically underrepresented backgrounds medicine.cuny.edu, aiming to produce a physician workforce better equipped to serve diverse communities.

Beyond academics (grades and test scores), the CUNY School of Medicine places heavy emphasis on an applicant’s personal qualities and experiences. Some key non-academic criteria include:

• Commitment to service – A strong record of volunteer work and community service is explicitly valued medicine.cuny.edu.
• Communication skills – Effective written and verbal communication abilities are important (the school looks for evidence of these in essays and interviews) medicine.cuny.edu.
• Personal attributes – Qualities such as maturity, integrity, compassion, and motivation are considered essential in candidates medicine.cuny.edu.
• Mission alignment – Genuine interest in primary care and working with underserved populations (in line with the school’s mission) is a significant factor in selection medicine.cuny.edu.

The admissions process is guided by national competency standards. In particular, the AAMC’s Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students (15 key competencies) serve as a framework in CUNY SoM’s holistic review medicalaid.org. These competencies span areas like service orientation, cultural competence, teamwork, ethical responsibility, resilience, communication skills, and scientific inquiry. Interviewers will be looking for examples of these competencies throughout your interview responses – for instance, gauging your ethical reasoning (integrity), empathy and teamwork, and communication effectiveness – alongside your academic achievements.

While every interview is different, past applicants have noted some common themes in CUNY SoM interview questions. You can expect topics such as:

• Motivation and "Why medicine?" – You will likely discuss why you want to be a physician and why you are drawn to this program in particular, allowing you to demonstrate your passion for helping others (especially in underserved communities) medicine.cuny.edu.
• Personal experiences & qualities – Interviewers often explore your background to understand who you are beyond academics. Be prepared for questions about meaningful experiences, challenges you’ve overcome, or leadership and volunteer activities – they want to see characteristics like compassion, resilience, and integrity (one past student noted that the program cares much more about an applicant’s character and passion than about test scores talk.collegeconfidential.com).
• Ethical or scenario-based questions – You may be presented with hypothetical situations (emulating an MMI station) that test your ethical reasoning, problem-solving, and ability to communicate under pressure forums.studentdoctor.net.

For the 2025–2026 admissions cycle (entry year 2026), keep these key dates in mind:

• Application deadline – December 1, 2025 medicine.cuny.edu.
• Interview period – January through March 2026 (interviews are conducted on a rolling weekly basis during this time) talk.collegeconfidential.com.
• Admission decisions – By April 1, 2026, all interviewed applicants are notified of the final decision (acceptance offers are released by this date) medicine.cuny.edu.

In summary, effective interview preparation for CUNY School of Medicine involves understanding the program’s distinctive mission, format, and expectations. You have seen how the school’s focus on underserved communities medicine.cuny.edu, its integrated BS/MD curriculum, and its holistic selection criteria all shape the interview experience. By familiarizing yourself with the school’s values, being conversant in relevant healthcare issues, and knowing what qualities the interviewers are looking for, you can approach your interview with confidence and show that you are a great fit for the CUNY School of Medicine.