Questions to Ask Programs During Residency Interviews

Residency interviewers almost always end with "Do you have any questions for us?" The best answer is yes. Good questions show you have researched the program, and the answers help you build an honest rank list. This page gives questions by category, says who to ask, and flags the extra questions that matter for IMGs. For the interview process itself, see interview season overview.

Before you ask: do the homework #

Read the program website, the curriculum page, the resident roster and any recent news. A question that the website answers makes you look unprepared. Instead, build on what you read: "I saw that the program has a continuity clinic in the second year. How do residents balance it with inpatient rotations?"

Match the question to the person #

Questions about training #

• How is feedback given, and how often do residents meet with leadership?
• How do you support residents who are struggling with a rotation or an exam?
• What are the strengths and gaps of the program, in your own words?
• What changes have you made in the past few years, and what is planned?
• How are rotations scheduled across hospitals, and how long are commutes between sites?
• What do graduates do after training, in practice and fellowship?
• What research or quality-improvement opportunities are there, and is protected time provided?

Questions about culture and wellness #

• How would you describe the relationship between residents and faculty?
• What do residents do together outside work?
• How does the program handle duty hours in practice and who do residents go to with concerns? (ACGME sets common requirements on duty hours and learning environment, so the program should be able to describe its approach.)
• How do you support residents' mental health?
• What has changed because of resident feedback?

Questions that matter more for IMGs #

These are legitimate, and programs expect them. Check the website first.

1. Visa sponsorship. Which visas does the program sponsor (J-1, H-1B or both)? If H-1B, is it offered to all residents, and is passing Step 3 required before filing? See J-1 vs H-1B.
2. Certification and exams. What are the program's requirements for ECFMG certification and USMLE steps, and by when? Do these match what you have already told them?
3. Start date and onboarding. If visa processing delays a start, how has the program handled this for other residents?
4. IMGs in the program. How many residents are IMGs, and does the program have experience supporting them? Residents who are IMGs can tell you what the first months were like.
5. Licensing. Does the state require anything special for training licenses, and does the program help with the application?
6. Onboarding costs. Who pays for visa filing fees, licensing and moving? Policies differ.

Ask about visas and certification in a factual tone. Do not ask a program to "make an exception" in an interview, and do not suggest that your ranking depends on the answer. NRMP expects complete, accurate disclosure of matters like licensure, visa status or delayed starts, and says that omitting something relevant can be treated as a violation. See interview season overview.

Questions to avoid #

• Anything the website answers. It signals that you did not look.
• Opening with salary, vacation or call-free time. Ask later, or ask a resident about workload in general terms.
• "What are my chances?" or "Where do I stand?" Programs generally cannot say, and the question puts them in an awkward position.
• Asking about other applicants or where else they interviewed. Programs should not be asked to reveal details of others, just as programs cannot ask you where else you have applied or interviewed.
• Negative gossip, such as "I heard you have problems with..." If you have a concern, frame it as a neutral question about how the program addresses it.
• Leading questions about your ranking. NRMP's rules say programs cannot ask you to reveal your ranking or imply that ranking depends on a statement of intent, so do not put them in a position where it could look that way.

What to do with the answers #

Write notes within an hour of each interview. Record anything that surprised you, and the names of people you spoke to. Those notes feed into your list: see rank order list strategy. Compare answers across programs on the factors that matter to you, such as supervision, case volume, visa support and where graduates end up.

If you run out of questions #

If your questions were answered during the day, say so: "You've answered most of what I had, and the one thing I'd still like to understand is...". It is fine to ask fewer questions if each one is genuine. For after the interview, see post-interview communication.