Interview Prep

[Kirby]

Hey everyone,

 

I was just reading on the med website about the tips for interview day. I was interested in this quote: "Do not assume the essays are MCAT style(For some reason, I made that assumption and got a nice little surprise the day of!)"

 

Did anyone else notice it? Any thoughts on what it might mean in terms of the essay questions? Funny thing is that I was actually going to start looking at some MCAT written questions as I've been out of school for a while now and am a bit rusty at my essay-writing skills! Anyone else have any ideas on how to prepare for the written section?

[BDog]

Hi there,

 

Although you cannot predict the questions, it is still reasonable to practice questions from the AAMC website. The goal is to ensure you deliver a concise and well-versed response to a relatively non-specific question. The MCAT questions are fairly general and thus provide a good platform for on-site essay preparation.

 

G'luck

[sky2685]

The difference between the MCAT essay and the U of C one is that you don't necessarily have to follow the T-A-S format you might have learned in an MCAT prep class (and indeed, it can feel like squeezing a square peg into a round hole if you try). The questions are a little more open ended. Having said that, I agree with BDog that it's a good idea to get used to writing structured and well-supported essays within a short time frame, and the AAMC prompts are probably your best source. As I used to tell my MCAT students, reading good literature and the news always helps to get those writing juices and ideas going too.

Good luck!

[Alyzee]

so maybe im retarded but i cannot find this page....can someone post the link? thanks!!!

[BDog]

Hi again,

 

The link is http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/preparing/writingsampleitems.htm

 

A further note: the MCAT prompts are simply a statement that you must argue for and against. This is different than the on-site essay. Most likely it will be scenario-based and will ask you a question versus simply stating a fact. It may even relate to a scenario you had during the MMI. It is similar to writing an MCAT essay in as far as you will need to validate your answer in a fluent, rational manner. Formulating a short position paper with a defined intro, agreeing, refuting and concluding paragraph isn't the goal. The goal is to evaluate your ability to convey in written form what you honestly think about the issue with which you are being faced. It is no different than the MMI where you must be holistic, reasonable, and open minded in your responses. Ensure you have very good grammar, sentence structure and are concise. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Several hundred essays makes for tiresome reading. Make yours short and meaningful.

 

Again, good luck

[Alyzee]

sorry i meant the uofc link!

[Alyzee]

nvm found it

[ibegtodiffer]

Just thought I'd share some resources I'd found. First there's some practice MMI questions on the Dalhousie website: http://admissions.medicine.dal.ca/interview_information.htm as well, McMaster has published its MMI interviewers manual online: http://www.acupunctureprogram.com/articles/Manual_for_Interviewers_2006.pdf/view

 

I know many of you have probably already found these but if not, I found them somewhat useful. Good luck this weekend and next!!

[dinesh6]

hey that interview manual was very helpful! I wonder what happens if the interviewer just has no more questions...or if in the role playing situation (consoling Sara with her anxiety of flying), there comes a point where the actor's worries are completely addressed, and there's no where else to go with it...

"Alright, I don't have any more questions. But to prevent bias, we are not allowed to speak for the next 4 minutes. Please do not fret over the following awkward silence... (four minutes of silence)...Have a good day!"

[premedgirl]

hey that interview manual was very helpful! I wonder what happens if the interviewer just has no more questions...or if in the role playing situation (consoling Sara with her anxiety of flying), there comes a point where the actor's worries are completely addressed, and there's no where else to go with it...

"Alright, I don't have any more questions. But to prevent bias, we are not allowed to speak for the next 4 minutes. Please do not fret over the following awkward silence... (four minutes of silence)...Have a good day!"

 

which interview manual?

[Kirby]

hey that interview manual was very helpful! I wonder what happens if the interviewer just has no more questions...or if in the role playing situation (consoling Sara with her anxiety of flying), there comes a point where the actor's worries are completely addressed, and there's no where else to go with it...

"Alright, I don't have any more questions. But to prevent bias, we are not allowed to speak for the next 4 minutes. Please do not fret over the following awkward silence... (four minutes of silence)...Have a good day!"

 

Hey -

In my last MMI I stumped them a few times in terms of questions. In my experience, they then tend to deviate to areas they are not supposed to (ie, where do you work, what kind of experience do you have, etc). It's unfortunate that they do this (as it's clearly not fair) but it happened on multuple occasions for me! I guess it beats the awkward silence

[sickgirl]

Okay, I probably should have looked into this earlier, but...

 

The only thing I have "confirming" my email is a response from Jeanette Kunkel with my interview time and date. Is this it? Other schools send confirmation packages and make you pay interview fees - while I'm delighted that Calgary doesn't do this, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything...

 

Good luck, all!

[Laika]

I think you're set sickgirl. That's all I have too.

 

Just out of curiosity, what schools charge interview fees?

[sickgirl]

Dal - is it the only one?

[Jamer]

The MMI is actually really fun guys. Don't worry too much.

 

...Unless you get some ******* who refuses to laugh at your jokes.