Be certain you want to become a physician or dentist, and be able to verbalize your reasons for choosing your career path.

The Student Doctor Network is an excellent source of information on the interview process.  The site is maintained with the help of feedback from interviewees and contains advice, sample questions, and comments specific to various allopathic, osteopathic, and dental programs.

Student Doctor NetworkThe University of Washington has prepared lectures on medical school and residency interviews, and these can be found at:

Interview Preparation Checklist

Guide to Interviewing at Health Professions Schools

Health Professions Interview Questions

MSTP Interview Preparation and Reports 

Be informed!  Know you position on ethical and political issues in medicine.  Biomedical Ethics (PHIL A302) is an excellent introduction to biomedical ethics.  Read as much of the general medical literature as you can.  For example, the editorial sections of the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and the Journal of the American Medical Association can be helpful in developing an understanding of health care delivery and bioethical concerns.  Useful sources of information include:

Bioethics  Provides a number of links that contain information on bioethical issues in medicine, education, and research.

Bioethics.net: Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania 

American Society for Bioethics and Humanities

UW School of Medicine Department of Medical History and Ethics

Cases in Medical Ethics

Virtual Mentor  American Medical Association Journal of Ethics

Health Care Delivery: Rural vs. Urban Communities

New England Journal of Medicine Health Care Delivery Collection

The Health Professions Advising website has been developed by
the WWAMI Biomedical Program in partnership with the
Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarship.