some tips from MMI interviewer

[someoneknows]

Hey all,

I used to benefit lots from this forum, and think I should pay back the favor. I am typing this between clinics, so please excuse the grammar error & typo.

Last few years, I was selected to be a MMI interviewer of a Canadian medical school, I notice some common misceptions still fly around. I hope to share some of my thoughts while not breaching the confidentiality agreement.

1. Remember to relax, sometimes the interviewers are as anxious as you, we know how much it takes to get you an interview opportunity, and we want to make it count. Especially for the first station, sometimes we haven't figured out how the rating works... Just treat us as normal human beings, and breath. If you need some time, take some time. Do not just throw out vague words when you actually need time to think.

2. Unless you do something really out of the line, we are not going to flag you. But if you are solely coming to medicine for money, or fame, or any other wrong reasons, and lack of basic empathy, it shows, and we will leave a note to the faculty.

3. Answer the question. If the question asks you what do you think about Trump, talk about Trump, do not talk about how you organized an anti-Trump event. Usually the question was there to assess you thinking on your feet, not what you have done in the CV! Your CV has been evaluated, and we want to see what else you can offer to medicine other than your grades and CV. I have heard multiple other interviewers commented on how the 14th time they hear about the applicants talking about their JAMA/BMO publication when the question was not about that at all, they just want to roll their eyes back and blank out. The caveat is: if the question is actually asking about YOUR experience and YOUR understanding, then your personal stories will help us differentiate you from other students. Or if your experience is directly tightly related to the question, that would be nice to mention too.

4. Sometimes we interrupt you, because you might be compeletely off topic and we want to help you - it is not we are rude. We understand how hard it is for you to get here, and seeing you wasting your precious time discussing the wrong topic makes us wanting to help - because you can't get any marks if you are on the completely wrong track. There are so many times I was trying to say something to direct the applicant, but the applicant just keep going and speake even faster and faster so he can finish his whole speech, that didn't serve him well because I was unable to rate him on one specific category as he totally didn't demonstrate that ability... Read the cues, read the facial expression of interviewers.

Depending on school, some schools might have stone faced interviewers. We were instructed to do so as well, but as far as I know, most of the interviewers are kind hearted people, they just want everyone to show their best of themselves, and we will go out of our way to help if you are very off track.

5. MMI is really about how well-rounded you are. It seems vague, but I really notice how maturity  can change the way a student answers the question.

6. If you make a tiny mistake, e.g: the promp says David, and you said John, that is not a issue at all. I can not speak for others, but that will not change my rating of your station. But still make sure you understand the question.

6. Be humble. The applicants who think they have everything together (straight As, volunteers exp, publications) and overly confident also shows, it tends not to do as well as they thought.

7. There is always next year. Medical school is always there, and your health, mental health and physical health is the most important thing for you. If you don't do well, come back again.