Fellowship interviews come during residency, on a tight schedule. In the Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match, rank lists for July 2027 positions are due November 18, 2026. Many interviews are virtual, and at some programs your signal decides whether you get one. Here is what the NRMP, a program directors’ association, and named fellowships say.
From the NRMP, APCCMPD, and programs’ own pagesJuly 2027 appointmentsChecked October 28, 2026
Practice with a mock interviewOne-on-one on Zoom with Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP.
Jump to:The MatchVirtual interviewsNamed programsQuestionsHow to prepareFAQ
How the fellowship Match works
The NRMP’s Specialties Matching Service “encompasses multiple Fellowship Matches representing almost 90 subspecialties.” “Applicants must apply directly to fellowship programs in addition to registering for the Match,” through ERAS, FellowshipsCAS, or a program’s own application. “Interview dates and processes are set by individual programs” (NRMP).
The combined Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match “includes more than 30 subspecialties” (NRMP). Its dates for July 2027 appointments (NRMP calendar):
- September 30, 2026: ranking opens
- November 18, 2026, 9:00 PM ET: rank order list certification deadline
- December 2, 2026, 12:00 PM ET: Match Day
Other fellowship Matches, such as surgical, psychiatry, and radiology subspecialties, keep their own calendars on the NRMP site.
Virtual interviews
“APCCMPD recommends CCM, Pulmonary, and PCCM fellowship interviews be virtual only for all applicants, including local applicants, in the 2026-2027 interview cycle.”APCCMPD, April 30, 2026
The pulmonary and critical care program directors’ association found that virtual interviews were “used by 78% of programs in the most recent cycle,” and that “match outcomes are comparable between virtual and in-person interview formats” (APCCMPD). Yale’s PCCM program follows it: “our fellowship interviews for applicants in 2026-2027 will be held exclusively virtually” (Yale).
For sounding clear on a virtual fellowship interview, see Zoom interview tips from Julie Cunningham, a licensed speech-language pathologist.
What named programs say
| Program | Format | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa (Cardiovascular Disease) | Virtual, 3 to 6 faculty interviews | Interviews “individually with 3-6 of our faculty members, including the program director, the associate program directors, and the division director, for approximately 20-25 minutes each.” Dates September 16 to October 8, 2026. Source |
| Duke (Pulmonary and Critical Care) | Signals matter | “we are unlikely to extend interview offers to applicants who do not signal our program,” though “a program signal does not guarantee an interview.” Invitations “by mid-August.” Source |
| Yale (Pulmonary and Critical Care) | Virtual only | “our fellowship interviews for applicants in 2026-2027 will be held exclusively virtually.” Source |
Iowa adds that applicants “will also have an opportunity to speak with our fellows informally following the faculty interviews,” and “While we preferentially review applications from those who signal our program, we also consider applicants who do not signal us” (Iowa).
Fellowship interview questions to practice
Fellowship interviews are conversations with faculty, built from your application. These are my practice prompts, written for fellowship interviews; they are not questions any program has published:
- Why this subspecialty, and when did you decide?
- What do you want your career to look like in ten years: clinical, research, education, or a mix?
- Walk me through your research. What would you do next?
- Tell me about a difficult case and what you learned from it.
- Tell me about a time you disagreed with an attending or a consultant.
- Why our program, and what do you need from a fellowship?
- What do you do outside of medicine?
Faculty may ask about your personal statement and research, so reread both before every interview. If you’re still writing, see our residency personal statement examples, or work with Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor.
How to prepare
- Use your signals carefully where your specialty uses them. Duke and Iowa both say signals affect who they interview.
- Plan around call. In the Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match, interviews fall in late summer and fall of a busy residency year; schedule early.
- Prepare a two-minute version of your research and a two-minute version of your career plan.
- Have specific reasons for each program: named faculty, clinics, research groups, or training tracks.
- Set up for video. Good light in front of you, camera at eye level, and a quiet room you can count on between shifts.
- Do a mock interview with someone who will tell you when an answer runs long.
For the residency Match, see our residency interview guide.
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 medical fellowship 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
When is the 2026 fellowship Match?
In the NRMP Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match for July 2027 positions, rank lists are due November 18, 2026, and Match Day is December 2, 2026. Other fellowship Matches have their own calendars.
Are fellowship interviews virtual?
Many are. The pulmonary and critical care program directors’ association recommends virtual-only interviews for 2026-2027, and reported that 78% of programs used virtual interviews in the most recent cycle.
Do program signals matter for fellowship interviews?
At some programs. Duke Pulmonary and Critical Care says it is unlikely to interview applicants who do not signal it, and Iowa Cardiology says it preferentially reviews applicants who signal.
What is a fellowship interview day like?
At Iowa Cardiology, it is a series of individual virtual interviews with 3 to 6 faculty, about 20 to 25 minutes each, followed by informal time with current fellows.
Who sets fellowship interview dates?
Each program. The NRMP says interview dates and processes are set by individual programs.
For the NRMP rules on post-interview communication, see residency letters of intent.
Related guides: Medical school, Medical school secondary essay prompts, PA school, Anesthesiologist assistant, and Residency. See all interview guides by program.
Every date and quotation on this page comes from the NRMP, APCCMPD, or the program’s own page, linked where it appears. Last checked October 28, 2026.