MMI Feedback

[greaterwing]

Hi all,

I received feedback from a school I did not get accepted to. One area we discussed was the interview- the one and one interview went well however, the comments received from the MMI's were not great.

This school mentioned that although they though I was nice, polite, a team player, poised, humble... I was vague with my answers and needed prompting. They said I did not go into much depth and for one station I had "trouble probing the situation." In another station, I was supportive, but they didn't think I fully understood the situation.

What advice could you guys give me on how to improve with this?

I know one would be to give more specific examples and reflect on how a certain situation can be related to an experience I had.

I would also need to make sure I display confidence and try not to let the nerves get to me (this was my first interview/MMI!)

I would appreciate some feedback.

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[Syns]

PMing me the institution would help me give you more specific feedback.

Failing to "probe" the situation means you likely left a viewpoint unappreciated. It can be difficult for some to articulate all the necessary components into a single string of logic. I would recommend video taping yourself responding to situations you've never seen before in the MMI format. [Reading/think for 1-2 minutes, speak for 5-8 minutes -- depending on school.] Try to think of follow-up questions a rater would pose during your reading/thinking time so you can quickly and more seemlessly condition your response to accommodate their input. Practice, practice, practice....

You can do this!

 

[Wolfpack93]

I got pretty similar feedback at a school I interviewed at. Personally I hate MMIs, I'm trying to be a doctor not an actor (my school had acting prompts, not sure if this is how all MMIs are). But I think the main problem with my interview and possibly yours too was not arguing both sides of the prompt. Thinking back I really just answered my point of view on most questions and didn't elaborate on other possible view points.

 

[bannie22]

I have to say that interviews are very much a game. It is about reading what the interviewer wants to listen and to release that information in a fashion that leaves them wanting more.

It is rarely about the complete truth. But when you get to that point it is also when you realize that this is pretty much what life is about.

 

[greaterwing]

Thanks for your replies. I do think it is about reading the interviewer... I would say that a hard skill to work on. I will work on elaborating more on other viewpoints and try looking for more clues from the interviewer.

 

[MaxPlancker]

The secret to MMI is to think of it as a debate. When you read the scenario, you need to take a side (even if you come out saying you support both sides) and provide your reasoning/evidence for taking that side while also offering understanding of the other side. The interview will try to test your position by questioning your reasoning/evidence and/or by taking the opposite side. It's kind of a game of cat and mouse; try not to get cornered and it becomes pretty fun.

 

[greaterwing]

The secret to MMI is to think of it as a debate. When you read the scenario, you need to take a side (even if you come out saying you support both sides) and provide your reasoning/evidence for taking that side while also offering understanding of the other side. The interview will try to test your position by questioning your reasoning/evidence and/or by taking the opposite side. It's kind of a game of cat and mouse; try not to get cornered and it becomes pretty fun.

Okay that's good advice! Thank you!

 

[greaterwing]

I have a question regarding the teamwork sections in the MMI's. I know raters are looking for teamwork abilities, but do you expect you to be very serious during these or is it okay to be more outgoing with your partner in working on a puzzle. I received feedback that they didn't think I took a section very seriously. As I was super nervous, I thought I took every station seriously. The only one I can think of is the station where I had to work with someone, in which I was more relaxed and outgoing.

 

[MaxPlancker]

I have a question regarding the teamwork sections in the MMI's. I know raters are looking for teamwork abilities, but do you expect you to be very serious during these or is it okay to be more outgoing with your partner in working on a puzzle. I received feedback that they didn't think I took a section very seriously. As I was super nervous, I thought I took every station seriously. The only one I can think of is the station where I had to work with someone, in which I was more relaxed and outgoing.

What exactly do you mean by outgoing?

 

[greaterwing]

What exactly do you mean by outgoing?

Like talkative and friendly.

 

[MaxPlancker]

Like talkative and friendly.

Well that's a positive in any situation…you must have come off differently than you intended. Perhaps you talked too much?

 

[greaterwing]

Well that's a positive in any situation…you must have come off differently than you intended. Perhaps you talked too much?

Hm. I didn't talk that much. Things I said while we were working, were just "Oh I think what you're doing is a good idea," "Yes, I totally agree with you," or "We can figure this out!" I smiled and chuckled a few times as this was how both my partner and I interacted. I was just curious as one of my friends said it might have been better treat the puzzle at hand very seriously and to not to really smile or talk much as raters would think you're not taking it seriously.

 

[MaxPlancker]

Hm. I didn't talk that much. Things I said while we were working, were just "Oh I think what you're doing is a good idea," "Yes, I totally agree with you," or "We can figure this out!" I smiled and chuckled a few times as this was how both my partner and I interacted. I was just curious as one of my friends said it might have been better treat the puzzle at hand very seriously and to not to really smile or talk much as raters would think you're not taking it seriously.

Hmm okay you probably shouldn't chuckle in the MMI…smiling and communicating EFFECTIVELY is fine…and the language should perhaps not be too colloquial "totally agree" depending on the tone used. Perhaps you being friendly made you appear too relaxed in posture of something? Not sure but generally you shouldn't have problems with being friendly lol.