Interview: Cynda Ann Johnson, MD, On New Med School Admission Criteria

Published Online: Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Virginia Tech Carilion, the nation's newest medical school, is using a novel interview process for selecting new students. Applicants encounter a series of scenarios in which they must interact with their "interviewers" in a variety of different contexts, which tends to require them to grapple with ethical conundrums, think on their feet, and demonstrate their ability to work as part of a team. In this interview, Cynda Ann Johnson, MD, dean of Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, discusses how the school is attempting to select doctors with better people skills. (To read an edited transcript of this interview, click here.)