Poor Mmi

[PM333]

Hi everyone,

I know the MMIs are all completed now and the long wait begins. I don't think my MMI went as well as I would have liked. I did poorly on 3 out of 10 stations (at one station the assessor asked me to reread the prompt, at one station my answer was garbage and the assessor could not have looked more bored, and I didn't think I stood out whatsoever in the group station and did not contributed as well as I would have liked). The other stations were better but average, in my opinion. I noticed that most people were very confident leaving the MMI and said it was very fun and easy. I thought it was fun, but would not describe the experience as easy.

 

For those of you who currently go to the MMI, did you think ALL of your stations went well? 

Is average (keeping in mind that you, yourself are judging your own answer) considered not good enough? 

 

If I did very badly on 3 stations, does that mean I don't have a chance to get in? 

 

How did the rest of the applicants find it (keeping confidentiality obviously)? Did everyone find it as easy as the people I spoke too??

 

[jackz]

Hello PM333,

 

Sorry to hear that you didn't think your MMI went well, but I bet you're not the only one that felt this way. I definitely feel some of my stations could go a lot better if I had covered certain points / angles. Even for the ones I felt quite comfortable with, on my drive home, I realized additional potentially important points were missed. So in the end, if I were to rate myself, I'd go with "less than desirable". However, I do think you brought up a good point: it's just us assessing ourselves. How the assessors felt about our response could be very different. So as long as it's still "Awaiting a Final Admissions Decision", anything could happen. I know it doesn't answer all your questions, but I hope it helps.

 

Jack

[freewheeler]

I just spoke honestly and was myself. This means that I certainly went off on tangents many times and had to reel myself back in, asked for the prompt to be re-read if I felt forgot what the prompting question was mid-answer, etc. I also repeated myself at a number of stations, as I honestly didn't have much else to say as I felt that I had answered the initial question.

 

I thought I did just "ok" or average to be honest. 

 

Pretty much everyone I spoke to felt the same way--like they did reasonably well/ok or alright, but obviously not everyone's score can reflect that as they need to differentiate between applicants and everyone appears reasonably competent.

 

I thought the day was fun and the city as well as the school and people are awesome.

 

I also met my first "pre-med gunner" today. This was the only off-putting experience of today, where when I was interacting with them, they gave me the impression that they were sort of putting on a bit of an act and came across as very rehearsed or coached in all of their interactions (not only in the group station, but also after the MMI was done). The way in which they were behaving just didn't seem genuine and just kind of felt "off" to me as it didn't feel like they were really "there" when interacting with them.

 

They were also excessively dominating during the group station in a way that wasn't genuinely collaborative, but seemed much more like they were just out to impress the assessors (which is understandable, but certainly off-putting to work with when they aren't allowing others the space to voice their concerns or take more leadership as they are purposefully trying to manage everything and in the process, perhaps losing sight of the point of the station--ex. teamwork/collaboration/communication/working well with others, when they are overly task-oriented to the exclusion of the experiences of others). 

 

Overall, I'd love to return to U of C as a student, but I'll have to wait and see. In the meantime I am going to use this MMI as a learning experience and apply any insights gained to my upcoming interviews.

 

It will be interesting to return to this post in May and see how reflective it is of my final admissions decision.

 

[mab1989]

You are your own worst critic, and I think it's normal for you to feel bad afterwards - most people do. Replaying your responses won't change them. It's over now, and I think it would be helpful for your psyche to live life and hope for the best until the day of results.

 

As for how I felt after the interview, I think I did better this year than last. I think it has a lot to do with me being more myself and less rigid/systematic in my answers. Plus, I found the stations this year were different and on the funner side. There were stations that I thought I did okay in, but none that felt like I bombed in. But it's hard to say for sure if I did good or bad because it was difficult to tell what they were assessing for in the more unique stations.

 

And I agree with freewheeler that there were some very dominant individuals in the group station. I felt like there was a bit of head-butting because there were a couple dominant individuals in my group who were trying to take on the leadership role. Unfortunately, I didn't see either of them as leaders because they weren't very inclusive, which I think was not only transparent to me, but to the rest of the group and assessors.

[daftjustice]

I just spoke honestly and was myself. This means that I certainly went off on tangents many times and had to reel myself back in, asked for the prompt to be re-read if I felt forgot what the prompting question was mid-answer, etc. I also repeated myself at a number of stations, as I honestly didn't have much else to say as I felt that I had answered the initial question.

 

I thought I did just "ok" or average to be honest. 

 

Pretty much everyone I spoke to felt the same way--like they did reasonably well/ok or alright, but obviously not everyone's score can reflect that as they need to differentiate between applicants and everyone appears reasonably competent.

 

I thought the day was fun and the city as well as the school and people are awesome.

 

I also met my first "pre-med gunner" today. This was the only off-putting experience of today, where when I was interacting with them, they gave me the impression that they were sort of putting on a bit of an act and came across as very rehearsed or coached in all of their interactions (not only in the group station, but also after the MMI was done). The way in which they were behaving just didn't seem genuine and just kind of felt "off" to me as it didn't feel like they were really "there" when interacting with them.

 

They were also excessively dominating during the group station in a way that wasn't genuinely collaborative, but seemed much more like they were just out to impress the assessors (which is understandable, but certainly off-putting to work with when they aren't allowing others the space to voice their concerns or take more leadership as they are purposefully trying to manage everything and in the process, perhaps losing sight of the point of the station--ex. teamwork/collaboration/communication/working well with others, when they are overly task-oriented to the exclusion of the experiences of others). 

 

Overall, I'd love to return to U of C as a student, but I'll have to wait and see. In the meantime I am going to use this MMI as a learning experience and apply any insights gained to my upcoming interviews.

 

It will be interesting to return to this post in May and see how reflective it is of my final admissions decision.

 

I had a similar experience. Which timeslot and track were you? (I mean, I know there's more than one but mine was so transparent).

[lexiiiluther]

Also, remember that some of the assessors look bored regardless. I don't think they're supposed to show emotion, so there are definitely some people who were very unreceptive and cold, but that DEFINITELY doesn't mean you did a poor job. You really won't know if it was "poor" or not until May.

[MSWschnoodle]

I think everyone will have at least a couple of moments in the MMI when you sit back and say "Wow, that was not me at my best. Yikes." I didn't have any stations where anything went so poorly that I seriously considered a name change and witness protection program, but I absolutely had moments where I said "Well... that person thinks I'm boring/vapid/a complete impostor etc." I definitely had one or two stations that I still wish I could 'do over'. But that is also life in professional practice. I have had moments in my professional life where I went "WOW, that went REALLY badly. What a complete disaster". However, what I learned through those moments (and what I think the MMI tries to discover) is that everyone will flounder, but you need to maintain a relationship even when things aren't going to plan. If you can at least keep the relationship you can get a second chance to come back and say "So, I made a mistake. Can we try that again?" 

 

As for whether average is good enough or not... well it really depends and it's almost impossible to say. What you say is average might be either amazing or terrible to the assessor. Based on the odds of getting an offer of admission (30-40% is the number I hear bounced around most often) then if you have a dynamite pre-interview score an 'average' interview might be enough to get you past the bar. If you have an average or below average pre-interview score then you'd need an above average interview score. But theoretically someone with an average interview score could still receive an offer of admission in the right circumstances.

 

If you did badly on 3 stations that means you have 7 stations where you could have really good scores. As someone else pointed out, there is nothing at this point that can change your interview score, but try not to obsess on the negatives.

 

I REALLY enjoyed the MMI. I honestly had a lot of fun. I think 'easy' is the wrong way to phrase it but I certainly felt 'at ease' during the process and really just focused on enjoying the experience. My 'approach' (if you can even call it that) was that I would bring myself to each station and give answers that were authentic to who I am and what I would actually do. That could entirely backfire on me, but if I do get an offer of admission at least I will know that I got the offer based on who I am, rather than committing myself to spending the next 3 years trying to pretend to be someone different. If I get in I know I will grow and change in the program if I am lucky enough to get in, but at least I can build on who I actually am rather than trying to build on a persona I 'put on' during my interview. I loved most of the questions that were asked and the people I met at the interviews were folks that I would be proud to call my classmates. 

[medmedmed10]

I had a similar experience. Which timeslot and track were you? (I mean, I know there's more than one but mine was so transparent).

 

Ya, I suspect there were a lot of groups where this was a problem. In my group I didn't find anyone overly offensive or anything like that, but there definitely was one person who was talking more for the benefit of the assessors rather than to do a good job collaborating and working as a group. It meant that this person ended up talking A LOT, restating what others had said, and really seemed like they felt the need to express their opinion on everything. I don't think the assessors are stupid though, and I think it's actually probably one of the best ways to NOT do well on that particular station. In my experience (and most people's I'm sure), people that are the best to work with contribute good ideas but also know when to be quiet and listen. 

[BoopityBoop]

I definitely agree with everything that MSWschnoodle commented, especially the last part.

 

I think I felt at ease because I read the stations and did not know what they were looking for. This may be a good thing or a bad thing as you can not anticipate how you did. But even if you could anticipate how you did, it really isn't indicative of how you actually did. If you look at the Accepted/Waitlisted/Rejected post, there are people who thought that they NAILED their MMI but were not given an offer of acceptance. 

If I could add anything more, it's that I felt an immediate relief from finishing the MMI but then this feeling was followed by endless second guessing and self-criticism at night. I couldn't sleep because I would ask myself questions like, "Why didn't I talk about that" or "Crap I was totally rambling on that station" or "The assessor totally thinks I'm X,Y, and Z (negative traits)". But I realized that this is totally normal and if given the time I wouldn't say the first thing that came to my mind, but rather a formulated/calculated answer that doesn't really represent me as a person.

At the end of it all, I'm proud to have been even given the opportunity to be interviewed and look at the overall experience extremely positively. I tried to be very mindful of every minute I was at UofC and tried to just absorb the experience for what it is instead of overthinking it/dwelling on the past.
 

[CalgStudent]

I tried really hard to be authentic, like some of the others have pointed out, and I am not sure whether that was good or bad because I did not pay particular attention to what they might have been looking for. 

 

I too am still doubting myself and woke up this morning, having realized that I might not have done so well on a station that I previously was convinced I had nailed. 

 

After last week, first I felt not so great, then I thought I might have done well and now i'm back to doubting how well i performed. 

 

It's a hard process.

[bearpuppy]

The best thing is to let it go. From personal experience interviewing twice before, it is impossible to judge how you do:

 

First time around, I didn't feel great and my scores reflected that

Second time around, I thought it was much better, but not excellent, and yet I literally got the same *exact* score. 

 

One major issue is that you are being compared to others. so how you did is not only important in isolation, but also in reference to the rest of the group. 

 

This year I was a lot more calm in general, and that helped me. I still had two stations that I weren't very happy about though. But now all you can do is sit back and relax, reflect a bit on how you would change your prep for next year if you had to, and then move on with your life. 

[LostLamb]

It has been a few years since I was an applicant, but I can tell you that comparing my performance over several years of interviews at different schools that I actually felt that my interview the year I got in was my worst of all years!

 

So...that said...just sit back, relax, and see what happens in May. (easier said than done).

 

good luck!

LL

[nick]

It has been a few years since I was an applicant, but I can tell you that comparing my performance over several years of interviews at different schools that I actually felt that my interview the year I got in was my worst of all years!

Music to my ears

[sjc2]

It has been a few years since I was an applicant, but I can tell you that comparing my performance over several years of interviews at different schools that I actually felt that my interview the year I got in was my worst of all years!

 

 

Goes to show, you just never know! It's out of our hands now, so we just gotta hang in there for a couple of months!

[lexiiiluther]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but what if we're concerned about aspects of the MMI outside of the interview?

For example, on my day on my first track, I was instructed to go in "right away". I was waiting outside with everyone else, and one of the staff ushered me into the room telling me to "go in now". So I went in and the interviewer ushered me back out as the MMIs hadn't "actually started". I don't know - it happened to a few other people in different tracks and I'm just concerned that it created a bad first impression for the interviewers.

Is it worth emailing? My interviewer just seemed fairly unimpressed, and it's been bothering me the last few weeks! (I thought we were being sent a feedback form, but I haven't seen one).

[TheApiarist]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but what if we're concerned about aspects of the MMI outside of the interview?

 

For example, on my day on my first track, I was instructed to go in "right away". I was waiting outside with everyone else, and one of the staff ushered me into the room telling me to "go in now". So I went in and the interviewer ushered me back out as the MMIs hadn't "actually started". I don't know - it happened to a few other people in different tracks and I'm just concerned that it created a bad first impression for the interviewers.

 

Is it worth emailing? My interviewer just seemed fairly unimpressed, and it's been bothering me the last few weeks! (I thought we were being sent a feedback form, but I haven't seen one).

 

I remember a guy who was ahead of me started at one of those stations and got confused about whether he should come in or not. He ended up wasting some time.

 

I don't think it's that big of a deal tbh. It's not really an email-worthy matter, since they most likely can't do anything about it now. However, if it really worries you, go ahead. 

[Neurophilic]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but what if we're concerned about aspects of the MMI outside of the interview?

 

For example, on my day on my first track, I was instructed to go in "right away". I was waiting outside with everyone else, and one of the staff ushered me into the room telling me to "go in now". So I went in and the interviewer ushered me back out as the MMIs hadn't "actually started". I don't know - it happened to a few other people in different tracks and I'm just concerned that it created a bad first impression for the interviewers.

 

Is it worth emailing? My interviewer just seemed fairly unimpressed, and it's been bothering me the last few weeks! (I thought we were being sent a feedback form, but I haven't seen one).

...Maybe that was part of the station

[daftjustice]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but what if we're concerned about aspects of the MMI outside of the interview?

 

For example, on my day on my first track, I was instructed to go in "right away". I was waiting outside with everyone else, and one of the staff ushered me into the room telling me to "go in now". So I went in and the interviewer ushered me back out as the MMIs hadn't "actually started". I don't know - it happened to a few other people in different tracks and I'm just concerned that it created a bad first impression for the interviewers.

 

Is it worth emailing? My interviewer just seemed fairly unimpressed, and it's been bothering me the last few weeks! (I thought we were being sent a feedback form, but I haven't seen one).

What they meant is when the MMI started, go in right away as opposed to reading the prompt for 2 mins.

 

I would not email about it. It might come off as neurotic/excessively worried (not trying to be mean - me from a couple years ago would've debated the same thing!)

 

It's possible that it could have made a poor impression (not paying attention to instructions, etc.). But I bet you the assessor didn't care too much.

 

Plus, only half of the marks from the station come from their subjective appraisal of you (unless things have changed). The other half are based on objectives measures of how you handled the station.

 

It's just one station, in the worst case scenario, it can't bring you down too much

[lexiiiluther]

Haha I know what it meant, but it wasn't clear once we were standing outside our doors. We were all waiting outside to go in, but I wasn't aware there would be an intercom announcement telling us to go, the staff outside just started urging us to "GO IN NOW" for those of us on those specific tracks so I went in! 

[UCpls<3]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but what if we're concerned about aspects of the MMI outside of the interview?

 

For example, on my day on my first track, I was instructed to go in "right away". I was waiting outside with everyone else, and one of the staff ushered me into the room telling me to "go in now". So I went in and the interviewer ushered me back out as the MMIs hadn't "actually started". I don't know - it happened to a few other people in different tracks and I'm just concerned that it created a bad first impression for the interviewers.

 

Is it worth emailing? My interviewer just seemed fairly unimpressed, and it's been bothering me the last few weeks! (I thought we were being sent a feedback form, but I haven't seen one).

.

[gottawannit]

10char

[lexiiiluther]

Huh. Odd.

[TheApiarist]

You guys are talking about two different stations, and I think you're revealing a bit too much. But since everyone in this cycle already did their interviews, it's ok.

[UCpls<3]

Really? I know exactly what station you're talking about and I had a completely different experience - I was primarily asked questions about my process of creating my product rather than the product itself.

 

Sounds like a pretty crappy interviewer who got distracted by a cool design rather than being impressed by the thought process of the applicant.

 

I think that was a different station. I'm fairly* certain that the "products" we're talking about are also different haha.

Maybe they just had different questions on different days. 

[nick]

I think that was a different station.

Maybe they just had different questions on different days. 

They do.