Baylor College of Medicine MD program · 2026-27 MD applicants (entering class of 2027)

Your Baylor College of Medicine interview

If Baylor invites you, you'll spend a Friday afternoon in a virtual interview program with two live one-on-one interviews, each 25-30 minutes, with faculty or student members of the Admissions Interviewing Subcommittee. Applicants describe the setting as welcoming with little pressure-testing, but they also say interviewers know your application and can ask very specific questions about it.

Sources (5)

Baylor College of Medicine: Interview Program: M.D. Program · Baylor College of Medicine: Virtual Interviews: Tips for Medical School Applicants · Baylor College of Medicine: How to Apply · Student Doctor Network: Baylor College of Medicine Interview Feedback & Student Reports · Student Doctor Network Forums: 2026-2027 Baylor College of Medicine (2026)

1,125applicants were interviewed for the Baylor College of Medicine School of Medicine Class of 2028, according to the school's own information for applicants. Baylor College of Medicine

Congratulations again: an invitation puts you among the roughly 1,100 applicants Baylor interviews for a class, so you have already cleared the biggest cut in the process. The school's pages here do not say how heavily the interview is weighed or what share of interviewees are admitted, so treat outside estimates of post-interview odds with caution.

Sources (1)

Baylor College of Medicine: BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE • SCHOOL OF MEDICINE INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS (2024)

WhoTwo interviewers from the Admissions Interviewing Subcommittee: a faculty member, a student member, or both; 2026 applicants report mostly MDs or PhDs Baylor College of Medicine · Student Doctor Network Forums

How longEach interview lasts 25-30 minutes; you only need to be on Zoom for your assigned slots Baylor College of Medicine · Baylor College of Medicine · Student Doctor Network Forums

WhereVirtual, on Zoom, as part of a Friday interview program Baylor College of Medicine · Baylor College of Medicine

WhenInvitations go out July to December; interviews run on select Fridays, August through January Baylor College of Medicine · Baylor College of Medicine

4 more: what they know about you, before you're invited, does it count, after

What they know about youApplicants report interviews are open-file and interviewers may raise any activity you listed; names are shared a day ahead Student Doctor Network · Student Doctor Network Forums

Before you're invitedA Casper score is required to be considered for an interview Baylor College of Medicine · Baylor College of Medicine

Does it countBaylor says it evaluates interpersonal skills, service, learning experiences and motivation for medicine Baylor College of Medicine

AfterTMDSAS rank list due January 29, match results February 12; interviewed applicants not matched go to the waitlist automatically Baylor College of Medicine · Baylor College of Medicine

How you get an interview

Baylor's MD program uses TMDSAS. Your file is complete only when Baylor has a verified TMDSAS application, the Baylor supplemental application and its $100 fee, your evaluation letters, and your MCAT and Casper scores. Baylor sets no minimum GPA or MCAT.

Casper is required. Baylor says you need a Casper score to be considered for an interview.
Holistic review. The Admissions Committee reviews files holistically, and invitations go out by email based solely on its recommendations, between July and December.
Check the portal yourself. Baylor says it is your responsibility to track your status in the AMP portal.
Updates have a cutoff. You can send updates through the online system until you are invited to interview. Once you have an invitation, Baylor no longer accepts updates.

Sources: Baylor College of Medicine: M.D. Program Admissions FAQs · Baylor College of Medicine: How to Apply · Baylor College of Medicine: M.D. Admissions Timeline

The interview day

Baylor's interview program runs on a Friday afternoon (all times CST), with an optional student event the night before.

Thursday, 6-8 p.m. A casual virtual social hosted by current students, only for applicants who register and RSVP. A 2026 applicant describes Zoom breakout rooms run by medical students.
11:50 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. A welcome video, a welcome from the Admissions Dean, a curriculum presentation and a welcome from the student co-chair.
1-3:30 p.m. Your two live interviews, 25-30 minutes each. You only need to be in the Zoom meeting at your assigned times.
3:30-5:30 p.m. A break, closing remarks from the Admissions Dean, a live student panel Q&A, then an optional live campus tour, medical center tour and talk on life in Houston.

Before you start, the interviewer confirms your cell number; if the technology fails, the interview finishes by phone. A 2026 applicant notes you can sign the web interview agreement ahead of time.

Sources: Baylor College of Medicine: Interview Program: M.D. Program · Baylor College of Medicine: Virtual Interviews: Tips for Medical School Applicants · Student Doctor Network Forums: 2026-2027 Baylor College of Medicine (2026)

What the interviews are like

Baylor describes questions as behavioral (past experiences), general (such as why you're interested in Baylor) and situational (how you'd handle a hypothetical).

Applicants report two styles: some interviewers work through a fixed list of questions, while others walk through your activities conversationally. Because applicants report the interviews are open-file, expect specific questions about what you submitted. One applicant reports being challenged on a claim in their own publication.

Questions applicants report include:

The basics. Tell me about yourself; why medicine; why Baylor; what are you looking for in a medical school.
Behavioral. A time you failed; how you handle conflict; a time you worked in a team; an example of leadership.
Healthcare and ideas. The biggest problem in healthcare and how you'd fix it; how politics influences healthcare.
Your research. Explain it as if to a patient with no science background.
Looking ahead. Where you see yourself in 10 years and how Baylor can help you get there.

Sources: Baylor College of Medicine: Virtual Interviews: Tips for Medical School Applicants · Student Doctor Network: Baylor College of Medicine Interview Feedback & Student Reports · Student Doctor Network Forums: 2026-2027 Baylor College of Medicine (2026) · Student Doctor Network: Baylor College of Medicine Individual responses (2009)

What they're looking for

Baylor says the interview assesses four things: interpersonal skills, service to others, learning experiences and motivation for medicine. Cognitive ability is judged from your transcripts, MCAT and GPA, so the interview is about the person.

In a YouTube interview, Baylor's dean of admissions adds:

Personal qualities. Communication skills, empathy, resilience and a commitment to service.
Clear goals. Whether you can explain your goals and how Baylor's program fits them.
Fit. Your fit with the school's culture and values and what you'd add to the learning environment.
Research helps but isn't required. You won't be ruled out for lacking research; it is valued for building critical thinking.

The dean also calls the interview a two-way process, so come with questions of your own.

Sources: Baylor College of Medicine: How to Apply · YouTube: Baylor's dean of admissions on the curriculum, campuses, mentoring and what the interview looks for

How to prepare

Know your file. Applicants stress knowing your application inside and out, since any activity can come up. Reread your supplemental answers.
Use specific examples. Baylor asks for detailed, specific behavioral examples, not generalities; clinical and nonclinical stories both count. Applicants recommend the STAR method (Situation/Task, Action, Results).
Don't read answers. A 2026 applicant warns that reading from another screen is very noticeable. Speak in your own words.
Protect privacy. Never name patients or places; say "the patient." If a story shows someone negatively, leave out names, titles and locations.
Set up properly. Use a laptop or tablet with a good webcam and microphone, not a phone, on a device that won't take calls. Be alone in a quiet, well-lit, private room (not a library or coffee shop), with the camera at eye level, dressed as you would be in person.
Learn Baylor's specifics. Applicants suggest detailed notes on what makes Baylor distinct, ready for "why Baylor" and "how will Baylor help you."

Sources: Student Doctor Network: Baylor College of Medicine Interview Feedback & Student Reports · Student Doctor Network Forums: 2026-2027 Baylor College of Medicine (2026) · Baylor College of Medicine: Virtual Interviews: Tips for Medical School Applicants

What happens after

After your interview you can send a letter of intent through the application system, but no further updates.

The TMDSAS Match. Rank your schools in TMDSAS by 5 p.m. CST on January 29; results are announced February 12. Interviewed applicants who aren't matched to Baylor and don't withdraw go onto the waitlist automatically, and waitlist offers go out May to June.
Pre-match offers. Applicants report (2026) that pre-match acceptances are rolling and based on ranking, not interview order; one August interviewee heard on January 16th. Applicants report out-of-state applicants hear within a few weeks of mid-February.
Campuses. Accepted applicants take part in campus selection in March. Applicants report (2026) that first assignments between Houston and Temple are largely random, so be comfortable with either campus.
For admitted students. Merit scholarships are awarded October through May, a Welcome Weekend is held in April, and Certiphi background checks go out in January.

Interviewees are also offered a chance to tour both the Houston and Temple campuses, and Open Houses run during interview season.

Sources: Baylor College of Medicine: M.D. Program Admissions FAQs · Baylor College of Medicine: M.D. Admissions Timeline · Reddit: relationship between interview date and prematch date? (2026) · Student Doctor Network Forums: 2025-2026 Baylor (2026)

Your interviewer

Luis Montemayor, MD (he/him) Fictional interviewer

Get a briefing on your own interviewer

Know who's interviewing you? Their LinkedIn profile is the best source.

Use a computer if you can. Open their LinkedIn profile in a web browser, click More (or ⋯) under their name, then Save to PDF.
On a phone: the LinkedIn app can't save a profile. Open linkedin.com in your phone's browser instead, switch to the desktop site, and use More → Save to PDF.
Upload the PDF here, or paste what you know about them (a bio, a profile page).

See the sample briefing

Pediatric hospitalist and Associate Professor at Baylor (Houston); on the interviewing subcommittee since 2020; reads every file and says he values how you think through hard situations over polished answers.

Dr. Montemayor cares for hospitalized children (asthma, bronchiolitis, diabetes, unexplained fevers) about 20 weeks a year. He practices in Spanish about half the time and leads a quality project on discharge teaching for Spanish-speaking families. He grew up in Brownsville, worked as a medical assistant for two years between college and medical school, volunteers monthly at a free pediatric clinic, and has mentored first-generation pre-meds from the Rio Grande Valley since 2015. He also facilitates first-year ethics small groups. He says he usually interviews alongside a student member and reads your whole file first. Expect a conversational interview that probes how you reason through situations, especially ones involving families, communication and access to care. A fixed question list is also possible. Be honest and reflective, not rehearsed.

Their path

BS Biology, UT Austin, 2003
Medical assistant, Valle Familia Clinic, Brownsville, 2003-2005 (gap years before medical school)
MD, UT Southwestern, 2010
Pediatrics residency, Bayou City Children's Hospital, Houston, 2010-2013
Staff hospitalist, Gulf Bend Children's Hospital, Corpus Christi, 2013-2018; built an interpreter-first family rounds protocol
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Hospital Medicine, Baylor, 2018-present (about 8 years)
Admissions Interviewing Subcommittee, 2020-present (about 6 years); first-year ethics small-group facilitator
Volunteer physician, Puente Pediatric Free Clinic, 2019-present; Rio Grande Pre-Med Mentors, 2015-present

What it means for your conversation

He has read your file and says so. Any activity can come up, so be ready to go deep on each one, including what you learned and what you would do differently.
He states he values how you think through a hard situation over a polished answer. For situational questions, think aloud: name who is affected, what you don't know, and what you would do first. It's fine to pause.
Much of his work is talking with parents about life after discharge (what families need to manage care at home), often across a language barrier. He may notice how you describe explaining things to patients or families. Plain-language explanations of your research or clinical experiences will land well.
He facilitates ethics small groups, so an ethics-flavored scenario is plausible (likely, not certain).
He took gap years working as a medical assistant and mentors first-generation students, so he will probably not see a nontraditional path as a weakness. Still, don't assume his views on any specific topic.
A student member will probably be your other interviewer or his usual pairing. Treat both conversations with equal seriousness.

Questions they may lean toward

Walk me through a time you had to explain something complicated to someone without a medical background, or across a language or cultural barrier. Discharge teaching and interpreter-first rounds are central to his work. Communication is one of Baylor's four stated criteria.
A situational or ethical scenario, such as a family disagreeing with a care plan or a peer cutting corners, followed by follow-up questions on your reasoning. He says he cares how you think through hard situations, and he teaches first-year ethics.
Specific questions about your service activities: who you served, what you actually did, and what changed your thinking. Service to others is a Baylor criterion, and he volunteers at a free clinic himself. He will likely tell real service from résumé-building.
Tell me about a failure or a time things didn't go as planned. Applicants commonly report this, and someone who prizes unpolished thinking may press for genuine reflection.
Why Baylor, and how will Baylor help you reach your goals? Standard Baylor question. Tie it to concrete features: Care of the Underserved or other pathways, serving Houston's in-need populations, the Learning Community advising groups, and the Texas Medical Center.

Honest common ground

If you are Spanish-speaking, from the Rio Grande Valley or South Texas, or a first-generation college student, these are real overlaps. Let them appear naturally if your file includes them. Don't push them.
If you worked as a medical assistant, scribe or similar during gap years, he did that too. You can describe your experience honestly without referencing his.
If you have pediatric, free-clinic, or interpreting experience, those are fair to discuss in depth because they are already in your file.
Texas-trained physician, so questions about training in Texas and Houston life are reasonable.

Questions to ask them

What do first-year students tend to struggle with most in the ethics small groups, and how do the groups help? He facilitates them, so he can give a firsthand answer about a real part of the curriculum.
How do Baylor students get involved in caring for Spanish-speaking or underserved families in Houston during the preclinical years? Ask only if this is a genuine interest. It's relevant to his work and to Baylor's service opportunities.
From your years on the subcommittee, what qualities do you see in students who thrive at Baylor? He has interviewed since 2020, so he has perspective, and the answer helps you judge fit.
What is it like teaching medical students on the inpatient pediatric wards? Open-ended and about student experience. It shows interest in clinical training without flattery.

Avoid

Don't recite his background (Brownsville, accordion, barbecue, soccer) or show that you studied his profile.
Don't claim an interest in pediatrics or Spanish-language care unless your file backs it up. He will likely probe.
Don't give memorized or scripted answers, and don't read from a second screen. He explicitly prefers real thinking, and reading is noticeable on Zoom.
Don't name patients, sites or individuals in stories, especially ones that show someone negatively.
Don't overstate your role in any activity or publication. He has read the file and may ask for specifics.
Don't treat a scenario question as having one right answer. Show how you weigh the options, and say what you'd need to find out.

A sample, to show what the briefing looks like: Luis Montemayor, MD (he/him) and their employers are invented.

Based on: The sample interviewer's profile (fictional) · Baylor College of Medicine: Interview Program: M.D. Program · Baylor College of Medicine: Virtual Interviews: Tips for Medical School Applicants · Baylor College of Medicine: How to Apply · Student Doctor Network: Baylor College of Medicine Interview Feedback & Student Reports · Student Doctor Network Forums: 2026-2027 Baylor College of Medicine (2026)

All sources · 22 plus 6 applicant threads

Applicant threads are linked under each question.