Heisencat Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hello there! This post is mainly addressed to any current/past medical student who has been accepted to Mac in the past after going through the lovely MMI. Can you please share some specific tips/strategies for doing well at the MMI? For example, was there a particular way that you structured your answers? Did you have a specific approach for each type of scenario? How did you go about preparing yourself? Having done the MMI before, I understand its basics (like the importance of discussing different perspectives/alternatives, explaining your reasoning, being confident etc.) and would really appreciate some more specific advice. I've got to add that I found trojanhorse's guide to improving your MMI really helpful and am wondering if others have similar suggestions on how to go from average to excellent! Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 1) I think practice is essential. There is likely a subset of the population that does not need any practice to do well but I would say rehearsing how to answer questions is a big plus. Either use mirrors, and talk to yourself, or get a very self sacrificing friend to listen to you answer questions. 2) Scour the web for questions. My approach was pretty simple: I tried to think of answers to just about any of the "typical" questions possible. In that process, I built up a massive library of answers in my mind. Even if the interviewer asked a question I did not actively prepare for, the answer is likely within that "library." This prevents me from having to think on the spot and allowed me to have a smoother interview experience, with a seemingly ready answer to any question. If you think about how you would answer most of the questions floating out there, I think you can easily build a repertoire of genuine answers. 3) Practice MMI scenes with a time limit. If it's 2 mins for the prompt and 8 mins for the station then practice it that way. Use a timer on your phone. If you finish answering the prompt, then sit in silence until the timer hits the 8min mark. The awkwardness of that silence can only be experienced- not explained. It will drive you to do better next time. Also remember that some schools ask follow up questions but others do not- this is entirely dependent on the school. My approach would be to aim to spend all of the station time talking. Having a friend to practice MMI stations with is very helpful. 4) Film yourself. I filmed myself for some of my answers and I picked up on subconscious behaviour that gives away nervousness. You may notice things about your way of speaking that you may not have thought about yourself. Give it a shot! 5) Practice with strangers. You will likely never have met your interviewers. It can be awkward, sometimes, to practice with friends. Giving corny answers to "Why medicine" can be very challenging with friends or family members. Try and set up interview groups with applicants in your city and get to work! 6) Most universities provide mock interviews. Take advantage of this! Everything helps. Ask around at your campus to find out more. 7) This may not be high yield but I would look briefly into the recent negotiations between the OMA and the ON govt. It's a pretty big deal for physicians and it's probably good to be aware of this. No harm in being aware, really. I'll keep adding to this as things come up. That's it for now, and good luck candidates of 2015! Lots of advice here: http://forums.premed...nd-well-wishes/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISeeFire Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 That was excellent, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StriveP Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 3) Practice MMI scenes with a time limit. If it's 2 mins for the prompt and 8 mins for the station then practice it that way. Use a timer on your phone. If you finish answering the prompt, then sit in silence until the timer hits the 8min mark. The awkwardness of that silence can only be experienced- not explained. It will drive you to do better next time. Also remember that some schools ask follow up questions but others do not- this is entirely dependent on the school. My approach would be to aim to spend all of the station time talking. Having a friend to practice MMI stations with is very helpful. Good advice, but one thing. I think it depends on the school, if they have follow-up questions then I think it's better the talk for 8minutes - 2minutes = so talk for 6minutes. The remaining 2 minutes I would ask for a follow up question since these followup questions may address a point you may have missed. Please do correct me if i'm wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Good advice, but one thing. I think it depends on the school, if they have follow-up questions then I think it's better the talk for 8minutes - 2minutes = so talk for 6minutes. The remaining 2 minutes I would ask for a follow up question since these followup questions may address a point you may have missed. Please do correct me if i'm wrong. Yup- not all schools do that though, hence why I said "aim" to spend all the station time talking. It's usually relatively clear if a follow up question is going to be asked. If you fall silent, and nothing is asked, I would aim to continue talking. The worst thing is sitting there silent for a few minutes. Hence I would "aim" to talk for the full duration but give a more concise answer with a few mins for potential follow ups, and take up the full time if no follow ups are asked. But yea, it's school specific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolelol Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Yup- not all schools do that though, hence why I said "aim" to spend all the station time talking. It's usually relatively clear if a follow up question is going to be asked. If you fall silent, and nothing is asked, I would aim to continue talking. The worst thing is sitting there silent for a few minutes. Hence I would "aim" to talk for the full duration but give a more concise answer with a few mins for potential follow ups, and take up the full time if no follow ups are asked. But yea, it's school specific. So when they're evaluating you is it only on the question you're presented with, and then if you fall short they have follow up questions for extra stimulation of your thinking, all of which fall back to evaluating you on the original question? Or do they expect you to answer relatively quickly and then answer their followup questions so they can evaluate you on those too? Some people have told me it's bad to talk for the entire duration because they also want to hear about what you have to say for the followups arghh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ameltingbanana Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 So when they're evaluating you is it only on the question you're presented with, and then if you fall short they have follow up questions for extra stimulation of your thinking, all of which fall back to evaluating you on the original question? Or do they expect you to answer relatively quickly and then answer their followup questions so they can evaluate you on those too? Some people have told me it's bad to talk for the entire duration because they also want to hear about what you have to say for the followups arghh It honestly depends. I wouldn't stretch an answer out unnecessarily - it feels unnatural to both you and the interviewer, and it makes it obvious that you're trying to fill the minutes. I think the followup/probing questions are an important part of the station, as it allows you to add extra depth to your answers and show your interviewer that you can react quickly to whatever they throw at you. I agree with you however, you're going to get different views from different people on whether or not to talk the whole 8 minutes. Leon's advice is good - try and "read" your examiner/the prompt as to whether a followup question is coming (they might look confused, lean forward, body language, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 So when they're evaluating you is it only on the question you're presented with, and then if you fall short they have follow up questions for extra stimulation of your thinking, all of which fall back to evaluating you on the original question? Or do they expect you to answer relatively quickly and then answer their followup questions so they can evaluate you on those too? Some people have told me it's bad to talk for the entire duration because they also want to hear about what you have to say for the followups arghh I have no idea as I'm not on Admissions but I would say answers to follow up Qs are probably important. As such, I would make sure not to drag on my answer through to the end if it's obviously apparent question are pending. I'd say you can usually tell in some way. Worst case, you finish 2 mins before the station, find there are no follow up Qs, and restart talking for the last 2 mins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 It honestly depends. I wouldn't stretch an answer out unnecessarily - it feels unnatural to both you and the interviewer, and it makes it obvious that you're trying to fill the minutes. I think the followup/probing questions are an important part of the station, as it allows you to add extra depth to your answers and show your interviewer that you can react quickly to whatever they throw at you. I agree with you however, you're going to get different views from different people on whether or not to talk the whole 8 minutes. Leon's advice is good - try and "read" your examiner/the prompt as to whether a followup question is coming (they might look confused, lean forward, body language, etc.). Yup, that's what I meant. It really is the best way to figure out where the station's heading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearded frog Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 You get one score for the entire station so any answers to follow up questions will be considered as part of the whole response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heisencat Posted January 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Thanks, Leon! That's very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanmari Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 For most stations, I tried to structure so that I gave a satisfactory answer with 1 to 2 minutes remaining. But at the same time, I tried to keep a surplus idea in my head that could be left unsaid but can be used to fill the rest of the time if there were no follow-up questions. I gave a slight pause after my first blurb, and then if the examiner didn't interject (they will, if they have follow-ups and there are only 2 mins left), I continued with the bonus point I had in mind. It's relatively easy to do this; iirc they give you sheets of paper to jot your ideas down prior to entering each station. Write down as many points as you think you need for a satisfactory answer, then write down one more. Keep the last one as the ace up your sleeve. What needs practice is timing so that your answer finishes with 1 to 2 minutes remaining; sometimes this doesn't work out and you end up speaking for the full 8 minutes, and sometimes you're left with minutes to spare even after you use up your last point. The more you practice your pacing, the more accurate you will be. I did have one station when I really ran out of things to say, and had to sit there for about a minute. If this happens to you, look confident. Don't fidget and umm as if you're trying to come up with something, just put on a nice smile and look at the interviewer and wait. They will smile back at you. Sometimes they don't. That's alright. You won't fail. Then you can calmly look around the room. Thank the interviewers on your way out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanmari Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 1) I think practice is essential. There is likely a subset of the population that does not need any practice to do well but I would say rehearsing how to answer questions is a big plus. Either use mirrors, and talk to yourself, or get a very self sacrificing friend to listen to you answer questions. 2) Scour the web for questions. My approach was pretty simple: I tried to think of answers to just about any of the "typical" questions possible. In that process, I built up a massive library of answers in my mind. Even if the interviewer asked a question I did not actively prepare for, the answer is likely within that "library." This prevents me from having to think on the spot and allowed me to have a smoother interview experience, with a seemingly ready answer to any question. If you think about how you would answer most of the questions floating out there, I think you can easily build a repertoire of genuine answers. 3) Practice MMI scenes with a time limit. If it's 2 mins for the prompt and 8 mins for the station then practice it that way. Use a timer on your phone. If you finish answering the prompt, then sit in silence until the timer hits the 8min mark. The awkwardness of that silence can only be experienced- not explained. It will drive you to do better next time. Also remember that some schools ask follow up questions but others do not- this is entirely dependent on the school. My approach would be to aim to spend all of the station time talking. Having a friend to practice MMI stations with is very helpful. 4) Film yourself. I filmed myself for some of my answers and I picked up on subconscious behaviour that gives away nervousness. You may notice things about your way of speaking that you may not have thought about yourself. Give it a shot! 5) Practice with strangers. You will likely never have met your interviewers. It can be awkward, sometimes, to practice with friends. Giving corny answers to "Why medicine" can be very challenging with friends or family members. Try and set up interview groups with applicants in your city and get to work! 6) Most universities provide mock interviews. Take advantage of this! Everything helps. Ask around at your campus to find out more. 7) This may not be high yield but I would look briefly into the recent negotiations between the OMA and the ON govt. It's a pretty big deal for physicians and it's probably good to be aware of this. No harm in being aware, really. I'll keep adding to this as things come up. That's it for now, and good luck candidates of 2015! Lots of advice here: http://forums.premed...nd-well-wishes/ Sorry for double-post, but I thought I'd put in a little more emphasis for this point. I think Leon makes a great point here with regards to being aware, and that it's actually pretty high-yield to know current events related to healthcare, especially in Canada, for med school interviews in general. Arguments are always strengthened by relevant, specific examples, and news is a great place to get them. Whether it's the OMA/gov't negotiation, the ebola outbreak, or the failure of the flu vaccine this year, knowing what's going on and being able to integrate that into a theoretical answer will help you shine and make your answers for MMIs seem less contrived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 I'd recommend looking up the recent court ruling in favor of physician assisted suicide. Major development in healthcare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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