How to Choose a Medical School or Residency Interview Coach
11/6/2026
By Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, licensed speech-language pathologist
Short answer: choose an interview coach based on what you need to work on. If you need help deciding what to say, an admissions advisor or a physician who has interviewed applicants can help. If you know what you want to say but worry about how you come across, especially on video, a communication coach can help with your voice, pace, clarity, and body language. Either way, do at least one mock interview with feedback before your real interview.
I'm not neutral here. I'm a licensed speech-language pathologist, and I coach applicants on how they speak and come across, so I've put my own service first. For the formats and questions schools use, see this medical school interview questions guide from Vince Kotchian.
Mock Interview Prices Compared
Prices for the other services are as listed on each company's own website.
Checked November 6, 2026.
| Option | Price | Who coaches | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interview coaching (mine) | $250 for a 60-minute mock interview, or $250 an hour for coaching | Me, a licensed speech-language pathologist | 1:1 on Zoom: a practice interview in your format, then feedback on your answers, voice, pace, and body language |
| MedEdits | $375 or $650 for a 60-minute mock interview, depending on the interviewer's level | Former admissions officers | By phone or Zoom |
| Medical School Headquarters | $425 for a 50-minute mock interview | Admissions advisors | Video call: about 35 minutes of interview, then about 15 minutes of feedback |
| Shemmassian Academic Consulting | $599 for one 90-minute session, $1,099 for two, or $1,599 for three | Physician advisors | 1:1 video: a mock interview, then feedback on each question |
| The Match Guy (residency) | $800 for one hour of coaching, or $1,250 for three hours | Physicians, fellows, and residents | 1:1 online: a mock interview, then feedback |
| MedSchoolCoach | No price listed | Physician advisors | Online: a one-hour session, half mock interview and half feedback |
| MyERAS Editing (residency) | No package price listed. Additional mock interviews are $249. | Physicians | Mock interviews on video |
Your school's career or pre-health office may also offer mock interviews, and the AAMC has free interview resources for medical school applicants.
What to Look For
- Your real format: practice in the format you'll face: one-on-one, panel, MMI stations, or recorded video.
- Questions you haven't seen: a mock interview only helps if you can't prepare the exact questions.
- Specific feedback: on what you said and on how you said it, so you know exactly what to change.
- Practice on video: if your interview is virtual, practice on camera, the way you'll be seen on interview day.
- A clear price: so you can plan more than one practice session if you need it.
Which to Choose
- You're not sure what to say about your experiences or why you want to be a doctor: start with your pre-health advisor or an admissions advisor.
- You know your stories, but you rush, ramble, freeze, or sound flat on camera: work with a communication coach. That's what I do.
- English is your second language, or people often ask you to repeat yourself: a speech-language pathologist can work on clarity and pace using your own clinical vocabulary. See residency interview coaching for IMGs.
- You want free practice first: ask your school's career or pre-health office about mock interviews, and read my medical school interview prep and residency interview prep guides.
Practice With Feedback
In interview coaching, we practice your interview on Zoom, and I give you specific feedback on your answers, voice, pace, and clarity, and on your non-verbal communication: eye contact, facial expressions, and posture. A mock interview session is 60 minutes and costs $250, and the Planning Session is free.
Common Questions
How much does a medical school mock interview cost?
The paid mock interviews I checked on November 6, 2026 cost from $250 to $800 for one session, and some services don't list a price. My mock interview session is $250 for 60 minutes on Zoom.
What's the difference between an admissions coach and a communication coach?
An admissions coach, often a physician or a former admissions officer, focuses mostly on what you say. A communication coach focuses on how you say it: your voice, pace, clarity, organization, and body language. I'm a licensed speech-language pathologist, so my coaching focuses on how you communicate.
Do you coach MMI and recorded video interviews?
Yes. I coach one-on-one, panel, MMI, and recorded video interviews, all live on Zoom.
Is interview coaching the same as speech therapy?
No. It's an elective communication service, not a treatment for a speech or language disorder, and it doesn't involve any kind of diagnosis.