Many allied health programs interview before they admit: audiology, podiatry, perfusion, anesthesiologist assistant, radiation therapy, sonography, orthotics and prosthetics, and more. Classes are small, and the interview can carry real weight. At Cleveland Clinic’s medical laboratory science program and Cal State Long Beach’s athletic training program, it is 25% of the score. Here is what named programs say about their interviews, profession by profession, from their own admissions pages.
From programs’ own admissions pages2026-27 admissions cyclesChecked October 28, 2026
Practice with a mock interviewOne-on-one on Zoom with Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP.
Jump to:Formats by professionWhat they assessVideos and examsQuestionsHow to prepareFAQ
Interview formats by profession
Each profession also has its own detailed guide: AuD, podiatry, chiropractic, perfusion, anesthesiologist assistant, radiation therapy, sonography, orthotics and prosthetics, medical laboratory science, athletic training, nurse-midwifery, dietetic internship, and respiratory therapy.
| Profession | Program | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| Audiology (AuD) | West Virginia University | Interview Day is February 1, 2027, in person for on-campus applicants. “Personal attributes are evaluated during the interview,” including “A desire for lifelong learning,” critical thinking, interpersonal and collaborative skills, and “An openness to receiving constructive feedback.” Source |
| Audiology (AuD) | East Tennessee State | For Fall 2027: “Instead of an interview, we are asking you to submit a short video as part of your application.” The video runs 2 to 4 minutes, and no more than 5. Source |
| Podiatry (DPM) | Des Moines University | “Our interview process is designed to accommodate you, with on-campus and virtual options available.” Both include an interview with faculty and time with current students. “Interviews are held on select Fridays.” Source |
| Podiatry (DPM) | Temple University | “Applicants may attend an in-person, on-campus interview or choose to participate in a remote interview.” On campus, candidates spend an hour at the clinic shadowing faculty. Source |
| Chiropractic (DC) | Palmer College of Chiropractic | “An interview is required. Interviews are often held in conjunction with the campus visit program or may be conducted via phone or video conference.” Source |
| Perfusion | University of Nebraska Medical Center | Interviews January 20-26, 2027 in Omaha. “Interviews consist of individual interview with admissions committee members and time to speak with current students.” Source |
| Perfusion | University of Utah | “Invitations to interview will be sent by the end of December 2026. Virtual interviews will be conducted in January 2027.” Source |
| Anesthesiologist assistant | Emory University | For Fall 2027: “Interviews will be conducted in-person by invitation only between June and Feb.” Source |
| Anesthesiologist assistant | Indiana University | “Personal interviews are offered to the most qualified applicants to assess interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism and leadership. Interviews are required for admission consideration.” Source |
| Radiation therapy | Duke University | For the 2027 class, interviews run February-March 2027, in person preferred. The interview lets the committee “assess better factors such as motivation, professionalism, and interpersonal communication skills,” and “an interview make-up date will not be offered.” Source |
| Radiation therapy | University of Nebraska Medical Center | Interviews February 19, 2027. “In person interview sessions will be conducted in Omaha in late February.” Source |
| Sonography | UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital | Interviews February 22, 23, and 24, 2027, at the hospital. “They will last approximately 30 minutes,” followed by time with a current student and an aptitude exam. Source |
| Sonography | University of Nebraska Medical Center | Interviews February 2027. “Virtual live interview sessions will be conducted in late February.” Source |
| Orthotics and prosthetics | UT Southwestern | In-person interviews for the May 2027 start. “During your visit, you’ll tour the program, and meet with faculty and current students.” Interviews begin in mid-November and mid-December. Source |
| Orthotics and prosthetics | East Tennessee State | For the Class of 2029, interviews are in early April or October, depending on the deadline. “Applicants’ understanding of the profession will be considered in their interview.” Source |
| Medical laboratory science | Cleveland Clinic | For 2027-2028: “Admissions interviews are conducted in-person at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus,” with a virtual option for distance or a disability accommodation. The interview is 25% of the total score. Source |
| Medical laboratory science | Penn State Health | For 2027-2028, interviews start around September. The interview evaluates “accountability, teamwork, time and resource management, self-confidence, communication and interpersonal skills, maturity and motivation for the field of medical laboratory science.” Source |
| Athletic training (MSAT) | Central Michigan University | Interview invitations begin mid-November 2026, and “Interviews are expected to begin in early December.” Source |
| Athletic training (MSAT) | Cal State Long Beach | For the 2027 cohort, interviews with the admission committee “will occur via video conference or face to face.” The interview is 25% of the evaluation. Source |
| Nurse-midwifery | Seattle University | For 2027-2028, interviews are in February. “If you are selected, we will contact you to set up an interview to further assess your ability to be successful in the program.” Source |
| Nurse-midwifery | University at Buffalo | “An interview is required for all graduate programs as part of the review process.” The Spring 2027 midwifery deadline is January 4, 2027. Source |
| Dietetic internship | NewYork-Presbyterian | For Spring 2027: “Interviews will be conducted via video conference.” Applicants are evaluated on “Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration, Accountability, Flexibility, Judgment/Decision Making Skills, and Customer Service Skills.” Invitations go out by February 1, 2027. Source |
| Respiratory therapy (BS) | Boise State University | “Selected students may be contacted to schedule an interview in mid-March.” Its FAQ adds: “Grades and the interview portion have the biggest impact on the application.” Source |
What these programs say they assess
Across the pages above, the same qualities come up again and again: communication, interpersonal skills, professionalism, teamwork, motivation for the field, and openness to feedback. Two programs also weigh your knowledge of the profession itself. East Tennessee State considers your “understanding of the profession” in its orthotics and prosthetics interview (ETSU), and Duke lists “knowledge of profession” among its selection factors (Duke). Shadowing and observation hours are your best preparation for those questions.
Beyond the interview: videos, exams, and shadowing
- Recorded video. East Tennessee State’s AuD program publishes its questions: “Tell us about yourself,” “What would someone who doesn’t like you say about you?,” “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?,” and “Is there anything else about you or your application that you think we should know?” (ETSU). For more on recorded formats, see our Kira Talent video interview guide.
- Aptitude exam. UCHealth’s sonography program gives every interviewee an exam on anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, algebra, physics, graph interpretation, and spatial reasoning. “There is no study material for this exam” (UCHealth).
- Clinic time. Temple’s in-person podiatry interview day includes an hour at its clinic “shadowing faculty as they provide clinical care to patients” (Temple).
- No make-ups. Duke’s radiation therapy program holds a single interview session and says “an interview make-up date will not be offered” (Duke). Put interview dates on your calendar before you apply.
Practice questions
Apart from East Tennessee State’s video prompts above, these programs don’t publish their questions. These are my practice prompts, not questions any program has published:
- Why this profession, and why not nursing, PA, or medicine?
- What did you see while shadowing that surprised you?
- What does a typical day look like for someone in this field?
- Tell us about a time you worked on a team under pressure.
- Tell us about a time you made a mistake. What did you do next?
- How do you handle a patient who is frightened or upset?
- Why our program?
How to prepare
- Know the profession cold. Be ready to describe the work, the setting, and the training path in your own words.
- Bring two or three shadowing stories, with specific patients, equipment, or moments, not general impressions.
- Check the format. In person, virtual, recorded, or with an exam: the pages above show how much it varies, even within one profession.
- Prepare for a committee. Several of these programs interview with the admissions committee itself, as at UNMC and Cal State Long Beach.
- Ask current students questions. Many of these interview days include time with them.
- Do a mock interview, on video if any part of your interview is virtual or recorded.
Your interviewers may have your application in front of them, so reread your personal statement first. If you haven’t submitted yet, see our personal statement examples for audiology, podiatry, chiropractic, perfusion, anesthesiologist assistant, radiation therapy, sonography, orthotics and prosthetics, medical laboratory science, athletic training, nurse-midwifery, dietetics, and respiratory therapy, or work with Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor.
If your interview is on video, see Zoom interview tips from Julie Cunningham, a licensed speech-language pathologist, for how to sound clear and steady on camera.
Practice with a real interviewer before the real one. My wife, Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist who runs mock interviews on Zoom for allied health applicants. She coaches every format: one-on-one, panel, MMI, and recorded video interviews such as Kira Talent. She works on how your answers come across: clear key words, pace, voice, filler words, organizing an answer so it has a point, staying steady when you're nervous, and how you look and sound on camera. It's $250 an hour.
Frequently asked questions
Do allied health programs require interviews?
Most of the programs on this page do, though some use a recorded video instead. East Tennessee State’s AuD program asks for a short video in place of an interview for Fall 2027.
Are allied health interviews virtual or in person?
Both, depending on the program. Utah’s perfusion program and UNMC’s sonography program interview virtually, while Emory’s anesthesiologist assistant program and UNMC’s radiation therapy program interview in person. Des Moines University and Temple let podiatry applicants choose.
How much does the interview count?
At Cleveland Clinic’s medical laboratory science program and Cal State Long Beach’s athletic training program, the interview is 25 percent of the score. Boise State says grades and the interview have the biggest impact on its respiratory therapy applications.
What do allied health interviews assess?
Programs name communication, interpersonal skills, professionalism, teamwork, motivation, and openness to feedback. Some, like East Tennessee State’s orthotics and prosthetics program, also consider your understanding of the profession.
Is there a test at the interview?
At some programs. UCHealth’s sonography program gives interviewees an aptitude exam covering anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, algebra, physics, graph interpretation, and spatial reasoning.
Related guides: Perfusion, Radiation therapy, Sonography, Respiratory therapy, Medical laboratory science, Dietetic internship, and Genetic counseling. See all interview guides by program.
Every date and quotation on this page comes from the program’s own admissions page, linked where it appears. A few of these pages give no cycle year; we used them only where they describe the program’s current process. Last checked October 28, 2026.