Abstract: Medical school interviewers often decide within the first five minutes whether a candidate stands out, and “tell me about yourself” is almost always the question that opens that window. This piece breaks down a 60-second framework pre-health students can use to answer with confidence: lead with a brief personal note, follow with two professional highlights from your application, and close with gratitude and enthusiasm. Drawing on a panel interview scenario set at a fictional medical school, the article walks through what self-assured humility sounds like, why memorized scripts backfire, and how to practice a response that feels conversational rather than rehearsed. The advice translates directly to dental, pharmacy, optometry, veterinary and other health professions admissions interviews, as well as residency and early-career job interviews. For applicants preparing for high-stakes conversations, the first 60 seconds may be the most important minute to plan.

When I work with people starting their careers out of college and veterans entering the civilian workforce, I get the same question: “How do I get comfortable in an interview?” Regardless of whether you are entering the job market or transitioning to another company or role,  what candidates are really asking is “How do I make an impact in the first five minutes of an interview?”

Research consistently shows that interviewers form impressions quickly. A widely cited study in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology found that nearly a third of interviewers reach a hiring decision within the first five minutes of an interview, with another 40% deciding by the 15-minute mark.¹ Given the speed of business today, the use of virtual interviews, and demands on people’s time, I would argue that decisions are faster now than when the study was conducted in 2015. In sum, the adage of “first impressions are lasting impressions” remains true.

There are many roads to go down in making a good first interview impression: resume content, appearance, being on time. But for purpose of this discussion, let’s review a “high probability” question: “Tell me about yourself.”

Why Interviewers Ask This Question

Why is this a common question? It seems casual, but it’s doing real work for the interviewer. Most ask it for one or more of the following reasons:

• It is a simple ice breaker.
• It is a casual question that fills airtime as both the interviewer and candidate get settled.
• The interviewer may not have had time to review your resume prior to the meeting and wants to start the meeting with a broad question.
• It’s a simple question that can go in many different directions.

As an interviewer, when I have asked that question, I have seen candidates get off to a fast start with a sharp self-introduction that opens an engaging conversation. I have also seen candidates freeze and answer abruptly, or speak for 15 minutes without taking a breath. You want to be the fast start candidate.

The 60-Second Framework

Here are recommendations to consider before your next interview:

• Keep your response to 45 to 60 seconds. That’s all the attention span the interviewer will have for an opener.
• Show genuine enthusiasm for the discussion, control your nerves, and do your best to relax.
• Stick to three points, in this order: personal, professional, and gratitude

Personal

Provide a personal insight and show your human side. You can cover any number of topics: Where you are from, your family, why you entered the industry, or a fun fact (e.g. “I’m the youngest of seven”). Sharing personal information shows you are transparent and helps build rapport with the interviewer. Keep the comment to one or two points and stay away from hobbies, since interviewers do not want to hear about hobbies at the start of the interview.

Professional

Provide two points about your background that are highlighted in your resume. Do not go into detail, as there will be time for that discussion. You’re only trying to establish credibility.

Show gratitude and enthusiasm

Close with a brief statement why you are excited about this opportunity and how you appreciate the interviewers are giving you. Interviewing is time-consuming for admissions committees and employers, so show your appreciation.

In sum, show “self-assured humility” in your response.   The ability to voice enthusiasm and confidence without ego or arrogance will build immediate credibility with people you want to persuade.

How To Practice

Since there is a high likelihood you will be asked this question in the first 60 seconds of an interview, you will want to practice, practice, practice.  Here are a few suggestions:

• Write out an outline of what you’d like to cover
• Rehearse a response out loud
• Record a response. The Voice Memos app is a great way to practice with your smart phone. Recording yourself will replicate nervousness that is typical in an interview. Listen to your response: Is it too long, too short, does it sound conversational or like a hostage message?
• Practice with someone and ask for feedback

Do not memorize a script. Lines in a script can be forgotten. Dead air kills an interview. Keep it casual, be confident but not arrogant. Remember self-assured humility.    

Sample answer: medical school panel interview

Here is what it looks like in practice.

Situation:  A student is meeting with an interview panel to discuss an opportunity to attend a medical school. There are four people on the panel, including the facilitator. The candidate walks into a meeting room and sits in a chair across from the four interviewers.  The room is quiet while panel members are making notes from a previous meeting. Finally, the panel facilitator speaks.

Panel facilitator: “Good morning, Mary. My name is Tom Smith. I’ll serve as facilitator in this 60-minute panel interview to get to know you and your interest in attending XYZ Medical School. Each panel member will be asking you a series of questions. To kick this session off, tell us about yourself.”

Candidate’s Response: “Thank you, Mr. Smith, for this opportunity to speak with all of you today. I grew up in the Atlanta area, the oldest of three siblings, raised by parents who taught me the value of hard work. I’m graduating this spring from the University of Georgia, and it has been an incredible experience. My classes and professors reinforced my interest in science and my decision to pursue a career as health care professional. I also had the opportunity to gain clinical hours at Piedmont Athens Regional while attending school full time. I’m excited to talk with you all today and discuss why I want to attend XYZ Medical School”.

Whether it is a panel or one-on-one interview, the structure should be the same. Start with personal information to connect with the audience. Introduce professional accomplishments you want to highlight in the interview. Close with gratitude for the interviewer’s time and enthusiasm about the opportunity.

The Bottom Line

The first five minutes of an interview sets the pace of the meeting. Be prepared to respond to “tell me about yourself” in a confident and engaging manner and you will make an immediate impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1. Frieder, R. E., Van Iddekinge, C. H., & Raymark, P. H. (2016). How quickly do interviewers reach decisions? Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 89(2), 223–248. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12118

Disclosure of AI Assistance: Claude was used to help generate the article abstract and Frequently Asked Questions sections based on the author’s original work.

Photo by Wafiq Raza on Unsplash

The post “Tell Me About Yourself”: How to Answer the Most Common Medical School Interview Question appeared first on Student Doctor Network.

Abstract: Major Graciela Orantes, DVM, wanted to be a veterinarian since she was two years old. She just took the long way to get there. A 2009 graduate of West Point, she served eight years as an Army Medical Service Corps officer — including deployments to Afghanistan and Kuwait — before enrolling at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. At the time of the recording of this video (June 2025), she was a pathology resident five years into her service as an Army veterinarian. She spoke with the Student Doctor Network about her non-traditional path and what pre-vet students can learn from it.

Tell us about yourself.

Major Graciela Orantes, DVM: Well, I’m from Chicago, Illinois. I have a non traditional path as far as getting into the veterinary corps with the US Army. Actually, I’m a graduate of the United States Military Academy 2009. I served eight years as a medical service corps officer, where I did complete two deployments, one to Afghanistan, one to Kuwait. I became a company commander at one point and then served as a ops officer for a veterinary unit. Then I went to vet school in Iowa State and then re-entered the Army. That has always been the plan – to try to retire and do a full career from the Army, and have served as a veterinarian now for five years for the Army. I’m currently in further advanced education, because apparently I love being a student for life.

When did you first decide to become a veterinarian and why?

I actually wanted to be a veterinarian since I was a little kid. Since I was, like, two or three, my mom, she had to deal with me rescuing stray pigeons, cats, dogs, and trying to find them a shelter, a place to live. And we always had pets growing up and I always wanted to be a veterinarian. So my very close West Point friends knew about it, but not a lot of people actually knew that it was my end goal when I first entered the Army….I’m very blessed that my family loves animals just as much as I do, and I’m a first generation American, so my mom told me stories about her dad raising pigs and like having wildlife and chickens and all that. So always grew up with that.

What surprised you most about veterinary school as a non-traditional student?

Because I was a non traditional student, I actually went to vet school with an eight year gap between undergraduate and vet school. It was a little difficult, I think, at first, just to get back into the academic mindset. But I’m very thankful. Actually, I’m very blessed to have done my Army service beforehand because I had a much more broader understanding of how wide a (career) a veterinary medicine degree can get you. I wasn’t tunnel focused in one area or one specialty. I was able to see how veterinarians can work in so many different roles: as of a part of direct patient care, (and other areas) such as public health, government regulation, ensuring the health and safety of soldiers through the food sources. We know (that) bacteria, parasites and viruses humans can get from contact with (a) wide variety of animals. I think that that gave me a broader perspective and allowed me to really fully take advantage of my education and not be so focused on grades too. I think that sometimes that can be a downfall of going straight from undergrad to vet school, is not having a little bit of that perspective.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in vet school?

I think my biggest challenge was just adapting to being a civilian. I went to military High School, military undergrad. I had eight years (of) military service. So it there are always challenges. You know it is. It becomes your identity. But I one of the things I recommend to all aspiring students, especially if they are veterans, is to contact our student veterans council there, every school has it, and just link in with them. At least at Iowa State, it was just great. Once a week, we would meet and have dinner, and I didn’t have to talk about school. I could talk our military language and jargon that I did not realize is a thing, because that became my second language, or third language, in my case, and freely cursed. I’m not gonna lie, I cuss, I cuss. But you know, you can’t do that in an educational environment.

To go with other people who have had various experiences was really great. And learning that, in the end, it doesn’t matter if you were like number one or the last in class, everybody that graduates is going to be called a doctor. The most important part is teamwork, and I think that was the biggest challenge, because a lot of my classmates have been in an individual setting up until getting to vet school, right? It’s all about your individual grades, your individual animal hours, your individual experiences. That gets you into vet school, and they had more of a bit of a challenge, because in veterinary medicine, it is a team effort. It is a team sport, because you can be the best doctor, but if you do not know how to work with your vet technicians, your administrative staff, your hospital staff, your receptionist, you can’t be successful. So that was a blessing that I got to bring a little bit into it, and then learn from my amazing classmates. They were so brilliant and smart and (helped me) get back into academics, because it eight years is a long time to lose that skill of sitting for eight hours at a time listening to teachers drone on.

Did you choose to specialize, and what does specialization look like in the Army Veterinary Corps?

So that’s the funny part for me. So to me, as a first generation American college student, professional, I hit like, the goal. Once I once I was called Dr. Orantes, right? And I did not realize that there was so much more beyond that. Even having been in the military, there’s so much more specialization, and I have the biggest imposter syndrome ever. But thankfully, I have amazing colleagues, subordinates, peers, mentors and bosses that have always encouraged me.

One of the things in the military, especially in the veterinary core, is if you’re gonna rise up to make O5 or O6 (rank of Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel), you have to specialize. If not, you won’t progress, right? So it was an added opportunity to pursue a specialization.

There are five different specializations within the veterinary core. You can be preventative medicine. You can become a specialist in a specific area, surgeon, large animal internal medicine, cardiology, radiology. You can become a pathologist, a lab animal veterinarian, or you can go and earn a PhD. So I decided to become a pathologist, and I am currently in residency. I have just finished my first year of residency for that, and I’m very thankful for that opportunity. It’s mind blowing, it’s just opening so many more things. It’s combining things that I love about veterinary medicine, and I still get to do medicine.

What is unique about serving as a veterinarian in the Army?

Being a veterinarian in the Army is a lot of work. We are a hot commodity, and I only say that because we don’t only serve the Army. We serve all of the Department of Defense. We take care of Navy, Air Force, Marines, (and) Army as well. We also take care of the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol dogs and stuff like that. So it is a lot of work, but it is such a blessing because we have a unique perspective and job that nobody else has.

(I was the Officer-in-Charge) of two kennels, Navy and Army, which meant that I was their veterinarian, 24/7 of 18 military working dogs. I was in charge of their routine medical care and all the emergency care, and in advocating for the welfare and advocating on behalf of the Military Working Dogs to the unit was a very unique opportunity. Seeing the amazing things that these athletic dogs can do. On top of that, working with my food safety food specialists, ensuring that the food that all of our DOD families and soldiers consume (is safe). That means (inspecting the) post exchange and base exchange, the little shoppettes to Burger Kings and things like that, or your installation based festivals, food trucks and things like that. Every food (item) that comes into post gets inspected by one of our soldiers and by the veterinarians on a routine basis. (Also) taking care of all the CDC Child Development Center pets that they get, like the hamsters and the lizards and fish. I was in Japan, so I was responsible for the care of privately owned animals for our service members, all their cats and dogs that they brought over, especially because of language barriers and everything like that.

…Participating in exercises with nation partners was very interesting. Teaching the Japanese handlers how to do first aid care to their military working dogs, or how to incorporate a military working dog program with their forces, or participating in these allied partnerships. Because even the food that goes in the ships we inspect, so being present whenever you have those partner naval operations and things like that that happened in the Pacific Command, we always had a solider there. So having that perspective is really cool.

The other part is, now that I’m here on the pathology center, is a lot of veterinarians and army veterinarians were part of the research for our COVID vaccines. So even things like that, we help with research (for) burn management first aid kits for our medics and our Navy counterparts, the first life support and things like that for our combat soldiers. So to know that we’re part of that type of research and help with that is incredible. Having that wide perspective is amazing. And honestly, being able to lead a team with a little bit of people. For me, for example, I ended up building a clinic from scratch. So guess who had to teach the spouses or the food inspectors to help me do anesthesia so I can take care of our very important warriors, our four legged warriors, our military working dogs. I had to, so learning to teach was a really interesting experience, and maybe I’ll become a teacher in the future – I don’t know. It was a very good experience, too.

If you had to do it all over again, would you still choose your career path?

I absolutely would, and I would do it the crazy way again. Yes, it was painful to transition from active duty to reserves, back to active duty and then back to school. I keep getting four- and eight-year gaps in between my schooling, and that can be painful, but honestly, all the experiences and all the people I’ve met has just opened my perspective on the importance of veterinary medicine and how how we serve such an important function in society. And then it also helped that I was a medical service corps officer beforehand, so from the beginning, I got to see the One Health concept of the amazing work our nurses and combat medics do, and our doctors and PAs and physical therapists and all that, and then how I get to bring in how veterinarians can play a role in that and be that that link. So, yeah, I would do it all over for sure, hands down.

What advice do you wish you had known as a pre-vet student?

I did life sciences pre-med at West Point, so I didn’t get to do the agricultural part of it, or nutritional part of as far as how that affected animal stuff. So I don’t know if I have any good information to give with that. I think, for me, the biggest thing to advice any pre-vet student is to not get tunnel focused on one specialty. I’ve had too many classmates that grew up farming, and they think that they just want to be a large animal veterinarian, but then they discover it and get into it and aren’t happy, and then they have to transition to something different, or someone that was gung ho about being a surgeon and realized they hated doing surgery, right? So my biggest thing is get as much experience with a wide variety of veterinarians and different experiences in different spaces, just to have that broad perspective.

What final advice do you have for students considering this path?

I think for everybody, it’s just like, hey, (follow it) if it’s your dream and it’s your passion. It’s been my passion since I was two to be a veterinarian. Yes, I took a lot of twists and turns to get there, but the biggest thing I say is enjoy the journey. I think we can get so focused on what the next goal is and what the next step is. And I was very guilty of that, and I look back, and oh my gosh. Look at all these amazing people I met, and these opportunities and and all of that. So I think really do enjoy your journey.

The career within the military is very unique. It gives you such a unique perspective. I’m not saying it’s not going to be hard. It absolutely is. I’m not one to sugar coat it, but if you have determination and passion and and you learn to work in a team like it’s honestly an easy career, and you get such a great experience, and you get to value your education so much more because you have a different perspective. Yeah, I think that’s all awesome.

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Abstract: When a new medical school receives preliminary accreditation, the admissions team faces a sprint-recruiting timeline to assemble an inaugural class in months rather than years. In this Q&A interview, Jean Shelton, Assistant Dean for Admissions at the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University, shares how her team built an admissions infrastructure in months rather than years. Shelton describes how the school’s whole-person-care mission shaped screening rubrics, interview design, and secondary essay prompts, and how early faculty involvement and interprofessional partnerships accelerated outreach. She also discusses waitlist transparency, applicant feedback loops, and the unique value proposition of attending a medical school that has not yet graduated a class. This article offers practical insights for pre-health students considering new programs and for admissions professionals navigating accelerated launch timelines.

When a new medical school receives accreditation, they often have a limited window in which they can recruit and enroll their first class. New schools often compress the typical yearlong admissions cycle into just a few months, sprint-recruiting, interviewing, and enrolling an inaugural class on an accelerated timeline.

The Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University was first announced in October of 2020 and welcomed its first class in July 2024. I recently spoke with Jean Shelton, a veteran admissions leader who has now helped launch two new medical schools, most recently as Assistant Dean for Admissions at Belmont’s Frist College of Medicine. She details her experiences in launching the application process for a new medical school.

Frist College of Medicine Origin Story

When were the admissions team (you) hired and the committee members convened? Feel free to give your background and any prior experience.

I moved to Nashville in June of 2022 as the third member of the Student Affairs team at the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University (FCoM). This was my second new medical school, but there’s a saying about medical schools – if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen one! I’ve been working in medical and graduate health admissions since 2007 with FCoM being my fourth institution. Most recently, I was the founding Director of Admission at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine and held the role of Assistant Dean for Admissions & Student Life at the end of my tenure in Kalamazoo.

When I arrived at FCoM, the Admissions Planning Committee (the precursor to the Admissions Committee) had been convened. They were still norming and forming as a group with many new to medical education as well as Admissions work so a lot of early time was spent with education and mapping where core attributes would be assessed in the admissions process. Our mission centers on whole person care so it was integral to have this approach in our admissions process at each stage. When the LCME notified us of our preliminary accreditation in October 2023, we had our MSAR entry posted within the day, and were active on AMCAS shortly thereafter!

We started interviewing in January of 2024, wrapping those up in March, cut the ribbon on our new facility in April of 2024 and welcomed the 50 members of the Frist College of Medicine Class of 2028 in July 2024.

From Mission to Process

What goals did your leadership envision when coming up with a mission/vision for the school and the student body?

A distinct benefit of working at a new medical school is getting to see your voice in the mission, vision, and values as a new program is developed. During our early days, so much time was spent discussing hopes, needs, wants, and dreams for our future students and the community we serve. 

We chose a focus on whole person care with the reality that our patients are informed by the worlds they live in and the values they hold. We also wanted to intentionally focus on ourselves as whole people. Lots of early conversations about the dreams for our students include the dream of our graduates still being enamored with medicine in the same way they were at the beginning of medical school. This dream helped shape our Impact Weeks, focus on student wellness, and even the architecture choices for the school facility.

Belmont University is an ecumenical institution. We welcome students of all faith backgrounds and no faith background. The FCoM values unite us and bring focus to our shared goals.

Who developed the screening and interview rubrics? Secondary essay prompts? Can you tell us how they were developed?

With my experience, I was able to lead the discussions around screening rubrics, interview plans, and secondary application essays. The total faculty and staff numbers were still pretty small so we were all wearing multiple hats. But, this also meant we were all well-informed! When I came on-board, I took the lead on putting plans on paper to be refined by the Admissions Committee. We had our supplemental application essays prompts ready before we were active on AMCAS so we were able to share them on our website and social media to help applicants move quickly.

When it came to developing these questions and rubrics, this all tied back to mapping the core attributes. What did we need to assess about our applicants and at what point in the cycle? Because we had done that work early on, we were able to focus on the questions and prompts to provide us with the information needed.

Are you considering other assessments (PREview, Casper, recorded interviews/Kira Talent) for future cycles? If so, what plans does your committee have to determine their value?

I am personally a fan of the AAMC PREview. I feel it gives some quantitative data about a candidate’s professional readiness early in the cycle. I’ve been actively working alongside the AAMC for a few years as the exam has been developed. Our committee is currently using the PREview for research. As a new school with a small class (about 50 in each of our first two classes) we want to continue to study outcomes and correlation between PREview and our curriculum before requiring it. We are recommending the PREview over other exams because medical school faculty and administrators have been involved in the development and the financial impact is lessened with AAMC resources like FAP.

Outreach and Recruitment

What help have other colleges (within the university) provided in developing an outreach or recruitment strategy?

Belmont University offers a wide variety of Graduate Health Programs including Nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy. Before the medical school, Belmont has had a fairly regional recruitment footprint and the medical school has helped broaden that scope. We have partnered with these other programs – and our undergraduate sciences – since the beginning. We are stronger together in our recruitment and student services/support. This partnership has garnered opportunities to showcase all the graduate health programs at Belmont University across the nation with pre-health students and with the National Association for Advisors of the Health Professions.

Whose advice have you sought to navigate this “sprint-recruiting” timeline?

I can’t imagine doing a sprint admissions cycle without having a strong medical school admissions background! I’ve been fortunate to have been asked by colleagues at the AAMC to offer tips and guidance as other new admissions teams navigate the sprint. One of the best tips I received was to remember that your faculty are also missing having students around and mobilizing them to interview, help with tours, and support campus visits; it is great for both the faculty and the applicants!

Student Success

Are there plans for interprofessional learning and experiences?

Absolutely! We have partnered with Belmont University’s Graduate Health programs – nursing, pharmacy, PT, OT – for interprofessional experiences. For the medical students, these often occur during the Impact Week. Impact Weeks are scheduled between most of the system course blocks and provide an opportunity for wellness, interprofessional education, and health equity, anti-racism, leadership (HEAL) topics. From medical simulations in the Simulation Center to changing car tires, these interprofessional opportunities help students grow their professional networks, explore interactions of healthcare teams, and build strong communication skills.

Evaluating and Assessing Success

What are your goals for this inaugural class(es)?

We took on the mantra early on that, “Your success is our success”. We listen to our students providing opportunities for feedback at every stage. We have already implemented changes from our inaugural class that our second class has benefited from. Students who feel heard and valued help build community and student culture. That sense of inclusion is critical for us as a new program. We have our sights set on Step 1 & 2 success along with the goal that as our students graduate and enter residency, they are still enamored with the field of medicine.  

How are you measuring the candidate application and interview experience?

A unique opportunity of a new school is building an admissions process with the same values/practices as your curriculum. Therefore, we start asking for feedback from our applicants. We want to know what is going well, what can we work on, and what are you learning about us? We don’t have a long history and the information about FCoM available to applicants isn’t as deep as more established programs so we want to be sure applicants are getting to know us as they make informed decisions. All candidates receive an anonymous post interview survey and we also include a survey any time an applicant exits our process.

What can you disclose about your waitlist management?

The waitlist process shouldn’t be a mystery. During the interview day, I tell applicants there are three possible outcomes from the interview day – being offered admission, being added to the waitlist, and being released from the process. Among the other details, I always reiterate the main rule we have with our admissions committee – we do not add anyone to our waitlist who we wouldn’t be happy to have in the class. Emphasis on ‘happy’! As a new school – and a small program – we are still figuring out our numbers. It’s our responsibility to build a class that is strong together – bringing different experiences and backgrounds so our students can learn from and about each other. Our waitlist is also live and reviewed each time our committee comes together. This means a candidate on the waitlist may be offered admission at any point in the cycle.

Persuading Future Students and Faculty/Administrators

Over the next four years, prospective students will want to know why they should attend a program that hasn’t graduated a class (and has no history of “match data”). What insights do you have to persuade them?

Being in an early class requires a certain level of ambiguity tolerance. That’s not the right fit for everyone and a decision only you can make! On the flip side, as a new school, the focus we have on student success – academically and personally – that is different at a new school. The opportunities to build, have your voice heard, and leave a legacy for future students is unmatched.

Final Thoughts

Is there anything memorable (in a good or humorous way) about how this process has been going?

The bonds of standing up a new medical school and working together to do that are unmatched! The members of the FCoM Student Affairs & Belonging team spent about a year with about seven of us sharing a small conference room as an office while our facility was being built… We learned very quickly all about each other professionally and personally! Now that we have a beautiful office space with each of us having our own spaces, we still come together for lunch daily – just like we did in those early days!

Thomas F. Frist Jr. College of Medicine Photo Credit: Sam Simpkins

The post Sprint-Recruiting a New Class: How the Frist College of Medicine at Belmont University Built an Admissions Process from Scratch appeared first on Student Doctor Network.