Post-Interview Thoughts?

[SunAndMoon]

well!!! it was fun y'all see you next year when I reapply!!

 

lolll

that being said a TON of ppl I know felt like they completely blew a station when they interviewed. They're in med now.

Also I'm surprised the facilitator said that, although it is possible...on my day she declined to answer this question 

[MDmaybe99]

lolll

that being said a TON of ppl I know felt like they completely blew a station when they interviewed. They're in med now.

Also I'm surprised the facilitator said that, although it is possible...on my day she declined to answer this question 

 

 

On my day she had just mentioned "We take the average of your 10 stations"

[Al22]

It's a shame the students giving us the guided tour of the department we not told the MMIs would be different from their year. The student told us they would drop a station and that there would be a 2 min warning during the stations but then the latter wasn't true and the former no one tought to ask on interview day, but it seems it isn't true either.

[SunAndMoon]

It's a shame the students giving us the guided tour of the department we not told the MMIs would be different from their year. The student told us they would drop a station and that there would be a 2 min warning during the stations but then the latter wasn't true and the former no one tought to ask on interview day, but it seems it isn't true either.

 

 

The student who spoke to you may have been confused. I have interviewed previously at McGill and there was never a 2mn warning during the station.

[liveyourdream]

The student who spoke to you may have been confused. I have interviewed previously at McGill and there was never a 2mn warning during the station.

If I can add something, the student was not confused. The main facilitator on the MMIs day told us that the idea of a 2 min warning was indeed discussed but finally was not used during the MMIs. 

[SunAndMoon]

If I can add something, the student was not confused. The main facilitator on the MMIs day told us that the idea of a 2 min warning was indeed discussed but finally was not used during the MMIs. 

 

Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification. From what I remember this wasn't discussed in our interview and from previous experience there was no warning...It seems like it could be a good addition in the future though.

[bigshoes89]

I'm wondering about the variability of performance/scoring based on the personality of the interviewer and whether that is accounted for in any way...I feel like one's performance in certain station can be affected by the attitude of the interviewer and how they act and respond. 

In the post-interview "de-brief" the moderator should have mentioned that they normalize scores using z-scores to account for inter-evaluator differences and to help ensure fairness in ranking.

[Nietzsche_hammer]

Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification. From what I remember this wasn't discussed in our interview and from previous experience there was no warning...It seems like it could be a good addition in the future though.

A 2 min warning is not useful. The element of surprise is what makes the magic of the moment realistic. 

[bellejolie]

In the post-interview "de-brief" the moderator should have mentioned that they normalize scores using z-scores to account for inter-evaluator differences and to help ensure fairness in ranking.

 

yes this was done during my de-brief as well as us being told that they don't drop any station and use an average. 

[franmelan]

This wait is killing me. I went from thinking 8 went well to like 5 or 6 lol. 

 

Just out of curiosity...how many times have the rest of you taken the MMI? 

[Al22]

This wait is killing me. I went from thinking 8 went well to like 5 or 6 lol. 

 

Just out of curiosity...how many times have the rest of you taken the MMI? 

 

It was my 1st MMI and I have no idea how it went, in part because I cannot compare to a previous MMI (but also because we can't know what they are looking at in every station and how we did compared to others)

[MDmaybe99]

This wait is killing me. I went from thinking 8 went well to like 5 or 6 lol. 

 

Just out of curiosity...how many times have the rest of you taken the MMI? 

 

2nd time interviewing.. went better than the first one hopefully its a good sign

[Nietzsche_hammer]

It's my third time. I recall that the avg for Cad schools is 2.7 times. Given the competition, after 1 shot at McGill, you must be exceptionally good to get admitted. From my experience, your own feelings are not a predictor of success. The admission committee decision is. 

Good luck to everyone and yes the wait is terrible. 

[bluemonkey]

It's my second time - I also feel like it went better than the first time, but definitely not a perfect interview lol. Finding the wait quite hard...

[Al22]

Given the competition, after 1 shot at McGill, you must be exceptionally good to get admitted. 

 

   lol

[SunAndMoon]

   lol

 

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. Plenty of people get in on their first shot, people who are competent but not necessarily exceptional by any means. C'est juste que parfois, ca se joue à peu de choses.

 

You have as much of a shot as someone who has interviewed several times. If anything, perhaps you even have a leg up, as there could be some problem with the multiple re-interviewer (whether it is interviewing skills or pre-requisites). Coming from a reapplicant as well. 

[bluemonkey]

Hey I completely agree with the above poster. Lots of people get in on their first try & they are just like you and I. Keep your chin up! There's also a huge element of luck, I feel...in terms of what type of scenarios you get, how relevant they are to your own experiences etc.

[Nietzsche_hammer]

Hey I completely agree with the above poster. Lots of people get in on their first try & they are just like you and I. Keep your chin up! There's also a huge element of luck, I feel...in terms of what type of scenarios you get, how relevant they are to your own experiences etc.

I don't believe in luck. It's preparation. Interviews are the results of what you have done during all your life. It's not just multiple evaluations by interviewers. It's a performance, it's a construction. It does depend on external factors. But you are the main artisan. 

 

It's easier to believe that after one try you could be admitted. But the reality is more nuanced and I won't see it as a bad thing to not get accepted early. Being able to rebuild yourself after each time is what I call resilience. It's an ability that will serve you for all your life.

 

When you'll be sick, get a divorce, lose a job, you'll have nothing and your friends will probably leave you. The only thing you'll have is your ability to bounce back after failure. Learn it the hard way now.

[Al22]

It's easier to believe that after one try you could be admitted. But the reality is more nuanced and I won't see it as a bad thing to not get accepted early. Being able to rebuild yourself after each time is what I call resilience. It's an ability that will serve you for all your life.

How do you know I haven't learnt how to be resilient some other way ?     I get your point but there is many other things that can teach you to "bounce back" other than being rejected post-MMI...

 

 

When you'll be sick, get a divorce, lose a job, you'll have nothing and your friends will probably leave you. The only thing you'll have is your ability to bounce back after failure. Learn it the hard way now.

I don't think a rejection from med school would actually be a failure that would teach me the hard way how to bounce back and rebuild myself    I'd be very sad and all but I am well aware what the chances are for a first time interviewer and I'd just go on with my life and try again

 

(Again, I see and understand your point, except it is a rather depressing one so I had to answer, haha)

[SunAndMoon]

I don't believe in luck. It's preparation. Interviews are the results of what you have done during all your life. It's not just multiple evaluations by interviewers. It's a performance, it's a construction. It does depend on external factors. But you are the main artisan. 

 

It's easier to believe that after one try you could be admitted. But the reality is more nuanced and I won't see it as a bad thing to not get accepted early. Being able to rebuild yourself after each time is what I call resilience. It's an ability that will serve you for all your life.

 

When you'll be sick, get a divorce, lose a job, you'll have nothing and your friends will probably leave you. The only thing you'll have is your ability to bounce back after failure. Learn it the hard way now.

 

Not believing in luck is more of a choice that you made than a reflection of reality. 

 

The reality of who gets in after how many shots is not one that either you or I are fully aware of. That being said, I can reasonably say that a significant portion of my friends and acquaintances did get in after the first interview, and they are no better or worse than the ones I know for whom it took two or more interviews to get in. You will not be any better or worse than them after you get in too, despite the number of attempts you had to go through.

 

It is true that it can be a demonstration of resilience to better yourself in many ways in the face of rejection, but resilience can be demonstrated in different areas as well. I am glad to see that you are taking it as well as you could, however, because you see things as being within your control and failures as opportunities to grow. But things are not always that clear, whether we are talking about medical school admissions or divorce, the loss of employment, illness, etc. 

 

I am sure you mean well, though.

[Med79]

Hey I completely agree with the above poster. Lots of people get in on their first try & they are just like you and I. Keep your chin up! There's also a huge element of luck, I feel...in terms of what type of scenarios you get, how relevant they are to your own experiences etc.

 

Yeah luck is definitely a huge factor. It's kind of hard to not feel helpless about it lol. This is my second time doing the interview and I feel like it went better than the first but who knows...

[bellejolie]

I think if going in for a second time the reasons applicants do well is because they're able to 1. Know what they're going into and feel more calm about it (which impacts performance) and 2. Reflect on what they did wrong the first time. If a second time applicant doesn't change anything in the way they approach the interview from when they first apply, then it's possible the outcome won't change as well.

 

Additionally there certainly is luck involved IMO and I echo what was said before - the scenarios may suit your skill set and experiences and that will make you feel more confident, and as well since they standardize scores it largely depends on the rest of the applicant pool (which seems to be getting stronger and stronger).

 

In any case we'll know in less than 2 weeks! It's going slowly but quickly and I'm definitely feeling it. Also kind of dreading it even though i want to know the answer.

[MDmaybe99]

I've read in the french universities, they score you based on the applicants who interviewed at the same time as you (your day/time slot). Is this also true for Mcgill?

[caribou]

I think if going in for a second time the reasons applicants do well is because they're able to 1. Know what they're going into and feel more calm about it (which impacts performance) and 2. Reflect on what they did wrong the first time. If a second time applicant doesn't change anything in the way they approach the interview from when they first apply, then it's possible the outcome won't change as well.

 

Additionally there certainly is luck involved IMO and I echo what was said before - the scenarios may suit your skill set and experiences and that will make you feel more confident, and as well since they standardize scores it largely depends on the rest of the applicant pool (which seems to be getting stronger and stronger).

 

 

Exactly. I interviewed twice. Being familiar with the space and the setup, and having been able to reflect on what I could have done differently was definitely very helpful. That being said, lots of people get in on their first try. There are an incalculable number of variables to factor in - how anxiety may affect you, how well-suited the scenarios may be to your experiences/preparation/skill set, who your interviewers are, how they're feeling that day, how good the other candidates are (and how many of them are super anxious)... I think this is what people mean when they talk about luck. "Luck" is the wrong word, but I do believe chance is deciding factor, the same way chance applies to all aspects of life. All you can do is maximize the odds in your favour through practice and preparation. 

[Ross]

I'm a CEGEP applicant and I felt like most people who were doing the interview with me did well. I mean after the interview I felt ok (not really proud or sad), but others seemed to killed it ...  is it normal?