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The multiple mini interview (MMI), for example, is often thought to be impossible to prepare for. I am here to tell you that practice makes perfect. This applies to everything in life. Whether it involves preparing for an organic chemistry test, preparing to give a speech in front of an audience, or practicing for an upcoming driving test, practice is a key element to success. Preparing for the MMI and similar formats of interviews is similar to any other challenge you have faced in life. Practice makes progress.
Does which school you are applying to matter?
Seeing as to how I was accepted to multiple schools, I do not see why it would not work at any school that interviews students in the MMI format. Whether that is New York Medical College or medical schools in Canada (McMaster, UofT, Queens, McGill, Dalhousie, UBC, etc.) MMI preparation is a skill that can be improved.
Interestingly enough, I believe that preparing for the MMI also helped me prepare for traditional panel interviews which I had at various schools including Saint Louis in Minnesota and dentistry schools in Canada. Preparing yourself for a multitude of situations and reflecting on your personal experiences is a process that will serve you well in any type of interview.
Part 1: Resources
1. A partner: You need someone to practice with on a weekly basis. Review recent health care articles together and ask each other prompts. Providing feedback for each other is crucial to learning from your mistakes.
2. Practice prompts: There are quite a few resources available such as UBC's own medical school (http://science-student.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2014/01/Sample-Questions-2013-2014.pdf). The best ones include answers to the questions (http://TeachDoctor.com/interview-questions/ ). If you want to improve your interviewing skills, it would make sense to simulate questions from the interview. This website includes in-depth answers from medical students. You can answer all the prompts in the world but how do you know if your answers are what the interviewers are looking for? This is why it is helpful to have a resource that provides helpful responses that you can practice with.
3. Medical Ethics: Ethics in Medicine (URL: U of W School of Medicine Bioethic Topics). You are not expected to be a walking encyclopedia when it comes to medical ethics. Medical schools understand that incoming students should only have some knowledge on this topic.
4. Doing Right: A Practical Guide to Medical Ethics by Herbert. This book is held in high regard by a great deal of students. Does it actually help? I personally believe that the University of Washington’s online lessons are more than enough (see link 2). This book is an enjoyable read, but it does not involve enough active recall and practice. Reading it is a passive task that does not help in preparing you for the interview.
5. Communication and rapport: You should demonstrate an ability to establish rapport with patients. Obviously, there are indicators that people convey to the interviewer that they can or cannot convey empathy and consideration for other peoples’ perspectives. You should read the American Medical Association’s 6 tips on how to understand patients (URL: 6 simple ways to master patient communication). Again, there are many books on this topic. But the main idea is that you want to convey empathy and establish rapport with patients.
Medical schools want to produce doctors who truly care for their patient. As a matter of fact, rapport and understanding the perspective of others is a central aspect of medicine.
Does which school you are applying to matter?
Seeing as to how I was accepted to multiple schools, I do not see why it would not work at any school that interviews students in the MMI format. Whether that is New York Medical College or medical schools in Canada (McMaster, UofT, Queens, McGill, Dalhousie, UBC, etc.) MMI preparation is a skill that can be improved.
Interestingly enough, I believe that preparing for the MMI also helped me prepare for traditional panel interviews which I had at various schools including Saint Louis in Minnesota and dentistry schools in Canada. Preparing yourself for a multitude of situations and reflecting on your personal experiences is a process that will serve you well in any type of interview.
Part 1: Resources
1. A partner: You need someone to practice with on a weekly basis. Review recent health care articles together and ask each other prompts. Providing feedback for each other is crucial to learning from your mistakes.
2. Practice prompts: There are quite a few resources available such as UBC's own medical school (http://science-student.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2014/01/Sample-Questions-2013-2014.pdf). The best ones include answers to the questions (http://TeachDoctor.com/interview-questions/ ). If you want to improve your interviewing skills, it would make sense to simulate questions from the interview. This website includes in-depth answers from medical students. You can answer all the prompts in the world but how do you know if your answers are what the interviewers are looking for? This is why it is helpful to have a resource that provides helpful responses that you can practice with.
3. Medical Ethics: Ethics in Medicine (URL: U of W School of Medicine Bioethic Topics). You are not expected to be a walking encyclopedia when it comes to medical ethics. Medical schools understand that incoming students should only have some knowledge on this topic.
4. Doing Right: A Practical Guide to Medical Ethics by Herbert. This book is held in high regard by a great deal of students. Does it actually help? I personally believe that the University of Washington’s online lessons are more than enough (see link 2). This book is an enjoyable read, but it does not involve enough active recall and practice. Reading it is a passive task that does not help in preparing you for the interview.
5. Communication and rapport: You should demonstrate an ability to establish rapport with patients. Obviously, there are indicators that people convey to the interviewer that they can or cannot convey empathy and consideration for other peoples’ perspectives. You should read the American Medical Association’s 6 tips on how to understand patients (URL: 6 simple ways to master patient communication). Again, there are many books on this topic. But the main idea is that you want to convey empathy and establish rapport with patients.
Medical schools want to produce doctors who truly care for their patient. As a matter of fact, rapport and understanding the perspective of others is a central aspect of medicine.
