By Michelle A. Finkel, Insider Medical Admissions Founder
In the United States, a professional interview is subject to basic legal rules. Specifically, admissions officers should refrain from asking medical school interview questions that are not relevant to the position the interviewee is seeking. Questions about race, religion, sexual orientation, and marital or family status fall into this category.
If you are asked these types of questions, you can simply answer - if it's not distasteful to you - or respond by addressing the intent of the question without revealing personal information. ("I think you're asking if my home life will affect my ability to carry out my medical school studies or my clinical duties. I can assure it won't, and I’ll complete my full tenure here at your school.")
If you have the opportunity to give feedback to the institution about your medical school interview questions or experience, you can consider doing so after the interview. When I was interviewing for residency, I was asked by a faculty member if I had a boyfriend. After the interview day, I talked to a faculty mentor at my school who reported the situation to the other institution. The faculty member who asked me the illegal question was no longer permitted to interview.
Please note that a medical school that employs an interviewer who is still asking illegal questions in this day and age likely wants to know about this large misstep. If the admissions office does not, you probably do not want to go to that school anyway.