Your Medical School Interviewer Might Be A Hospital CEO: Why Understanding Policy & Admin Matters
Get the "Big Picture" of Healthcare
Undergraduate pre-health students often overlook the “big picture” of healthcare. Whether you want to become a physician, PA, nurse, or other allied health professional, policy and admin can significantly impact your career and the way you work down the line.
Policy knowledge could be the secret weapon in interviews—and in future careers.
Why This Matters for Pre-Meds
Health professional schools are looking for leaders, not just test-takers. Navigating the classroom is very different from the ever-changing, tumultuous reality we live in. You must be able to take initiative, educate yourself, and actively interpret the times. This, of course, doesn’t have to be done independently; lean on colleagues, mentors, and read discussions like the ones in ‘pre-health scaries’ during the process.
Many interviewers come from admin or policy backgrounds (i.e., deans, CEOs, public health officials). And even if the interviewer is not from a policy background, they most likely have a deep understanding of it due to the nature of healthcare.
Healthcare is more than medicine—it’s systems, economics, and ethics. As most of us know, medicine is not pure science. It’s messy and frequently intersects with insurance, financial, legal, and emotional challenges. Policy is just one aspect of medicine, but one that is often ignored and deserves some attention and thought.
Knowing how hospitals work helps you answer questions like:
“What’s one thing you would change about the U.S. healthcare system?”
“What’s your take on physician burnout and EHRs?”
“What are your thoughts on value-based care?”
“What are the most pressing social determinants of health that should be addressed?”
(MMI interviews are especially likely to bring up these questions)
Quick Crash Course: What You Should Know
Top 5 topics every premed should Google before interviews:
Medicare vs. Medicaid
Hospital administration structure (CEO, CMO, department heads)
The role of policy in public health (e.g., VAWA, ACA, Roe v. Wade fallout)
Health equity & social determinants
Insurance, billing, and access barriers for patients
How to Learn This Stuff (Without Taking a Policy Course)
Follow credible medical policy newsletters (KFF Health News, STAT, Healthcare Brew).
Watch TED Talks or listen to podcasts (e.g., Freakonomics MD, The Nocturnists).
Talk to hospital administrators or sit in on board meetings (ask during shadowing).
Join AMSA, APHA, or health policy student orgs.
Medicine Needs More Than Just Science Nerds
Being well-rounded means thinking like a future physician-leader.
Show admissions committees you understand that healthcare is a system, not just a stethoscope.
You don’t need to master policy—just care enough to learn the basics.
CTA: Resources and Recap
Check Out: “Sample Medical School Interview Questions”
Recommended Reading: “Policy & Politics in Nursing and Healthcare” or “America’s Bitter Pill”
Bonus: Link to a 10-minute explainer video on the ‘anatomy of healthcare’