A good med school interview book that covers both mmi and traditional interview

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manchestercity

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Hi,

Does anyone know of such a book?

Thanks.

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The Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty. It's a really solid book and it's author is on sdn so he may be able to give you some more information on it. Hope this helps.
 
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I think the most important thing you can do during an interview is have intelligent questions prepared to ASK the interviewer! They WILL ask you if you have questions and "nope" is not an acceptable answer, it makes you seem disinterested/uninformed.

Here are ten questions you must ask during your interview!

Survivor DO
 
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the medical school interview: Winning strategies from admissions faculty. It's a really solid book and it's author is on sdn so he may be able to give you some more information on it. Hope this helps.

+1
 
It doesn't seem to have many amazon ratings compared to other interview books, so it seems risky to rely on it...How extensive is the MMI explanatin there? Are there sample questions and answers?
 
As the author of Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty, I can answer any questions you have about the book. I have served on the admissions committee for many years, and I'm always excited to meet our future doctors on interview day. Students work hard to get into medical school, and the interview is the final and the most important hurdle in the admissions process. Over the years, I have seen many well-qualified applicants fail to gain admission to medical school because of poor interview performance. In other cases, the student receives interviews at multiple schools but fails to gain admission to his or her coveted school because of interview performance.

To help applicants be as well informed and prepared as possible, I scoured the scientific literature on the medical school admissions interview, and presented the information in an easy to use manner. I didn't want the book to only be the opinion of one or two people so the book also includes hundreds of quotes from admissions deans and committee members.

The book also provides examples of how students typically answer questions, and how these responses can be strengthened.

Some additional resources you may find helpful:

1) Excerpt from the book published on SDN (What is your weakness?)

http://studentdoctor.net/2013/07/what-is-your-weakness/

2) First Chapter of the book, Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty:

http://www.thesuccessfulmatch.com/up..._chapter_1.pdf

3) Article published on SDN - How to Succeed in your Residency Interview (the advice is applicable to the medical school interview)

http://studentdoctor.net/2009/11/the...ncy-interview/

4) SDN thread about Health Care Issue Questions Asked during the Medical School Interview:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/show...php?p=14277291

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

All the best,
__________________
Samir Desai, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine

This is what he posted on my similar thread a few weeks ago. I got it and think its very helpful so I'd highly recommend it.
 
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As the author of Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty, I can answer any questions you have about the book. I have served on the admissions committee for many years, and I'm always excited to meet our future doctors on interview day. Students work hard to get into medical school, and the interview is the final and the most important hurdle in the admissions process. Over the years, I have seen many well-qualified applicants fail to gain admission to medical school because of poor interview performance. In other cases, the student receives interviews at multiple schools but fails to gain admission to his or her coveted school because of interview performance.

To help applicants be as well informed and prepared as possible, I scoured the scientific literature on the medical school admissions interview, and presented the information in an easy to use manner. I didn't want the book to only be the opinion of one or two people so the book also includes hundreds of quotes from admissions deans and committee members.

The book also provides examples of how students typically answer questions, and how these responses can be strengthened.

Some additional resources you may find helpful:

1) Excerpt from the book published on SDN (What is your weakness?)

http://studentdoctor.net/2013/07/what-is-your-weakness/

2) First Chapter of the book, Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty:

http://www.thesuccessfulmatch.com/up..._chapter_1.pdf

3) Article published on SDN - How to Succeed in your Residency Interview (the advice is applicable to the medical school interview)

http://studentdoctor.net/2009/11/the...ncy-interview/

4) SDN thread about Health Care Issue Questions Asked during the Medical School Interview:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/show...php?p=14277291

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

All the best,
__________________
Samir Desai, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine

This is what he posted on my similar thread a few weeks ago. I got it and think its very helpful so I'd highly recommend it.


How extensively is MMI covered? I would like to find a book with extensive MMI coverage.
 
How extensively is MMI covered? I would like to find a book with extensive MMI coverage.

I second this. All but one of the schools I applied to now institutes the MMI and I'm having a lot of trouble finding info on this.

Thanks,
Bill R.
 
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I own this book. It does not cover MMI extensively. It focuses on traditional interviewing.
 
From what I gather there is no "trick" to preparing for MMI. If you can tackle a tough question or situation in a very thoughtful and logical manner, as well as communicate both effectively, then you will do well. These types of questions aren't meant for a correct or incorrect response, rather, they want to see how well you think on your feet.

My supposition at least.
 
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There must be some things you get trained on in terms of dealing with patients, grieving relatives, etc... Maybe someone has any ideas on where to get the training manual?
 
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I second this. All but one of the schools I applied to now institutes the MMI and I'm having a lot of trouble finding info on this.

Thanks,
Bill R.

I had my first MMI interview yesterday and I can say that there isn't really any good way to prepare for it. Honestly, knowing the scenarios beforehand might even cause you to perform worse because it would make your answers seem rehearsed and less human. Go into them with an open mind and do your best to respond intelligently and appropriately. It's tough for us neurotic, hyper-prepared SDNers to accept, but there really isn't any other way to approach it in my mind.

You could spend hours reading about bioethics or trying to find practice scenarios, but I really feel like it would be a waste of time. Just get comfortable talking with strangers and acting like a normal person. You'll be fine!
 
I had my first MMI interview yesterday and I can say that there isn't really any good way to prepare for it. Honestly, knowing the scenarios beforehand might even cause you to perform worse because it would make your answers seem rehearsed and less human. Go into them with an open mind and do your best to respond intelligently and appropriately. It's tough for us neurotic, hyper-prepared SDNers to accept, but there really isn't any other way to approach it in my mind.

You could spend hours reading about bioethics or trying to find practice scenarios, but I really feel like it would be a waste of time. Just get comfortable talking with strangers and acting like a normal person. You'll be fine!

Thanks for the words of encouragement! Glad to hear your MMI went smoothly.

I'm fairly comfortable with the setup; just figured it would be in my best interest to try to prepare for the scenarios if there are useful resources out there. It sounds like we're not expected to come in with a whole lot of background knowledge, though, which is great as far as I'm concerned!

Good luck with the rest of your interviews! I took a quick look at your MDApps, and it seem that we're applying to several of the same schools. Hope to see ya around!

Best,
Bill
 
do you recommmend it or is there a better book?

I have not read other interview preparation books, so I have no way to tell if there is a better book. However, I can speak about the book I read (the "Winning Strategies" book).

It covers a lot of the "essentials," including proper body language. Honestly the theme of the book can be summed up as: (1) Give elaborate answers (2) speak enthusiastically (3) always use your experiences as evidence for all your interview answers when even the least bit applicable. Those are the three points of wisdom I will be carrying with me into the interview. It also gives a list of common interview questions, which may be useful. I'd make sure to know how to answer: "Tell me about yourself," "Why medicine?" and "Is there anything you'd like to know about our school?" You should also know everything in your primary and secondary application cold, even if it's a passing reference you made in the sixth paragraph of your personal statement.

I caution against preparing too hard and strategizing too much. You run the risk of coming off inauthentic, which will easily be noticed by the interviewer. This will harm your performance quite a bit. I don't even know if I'd recommend any prep book for interviews, because of this aforesaid pitfall. Being authentic is so important.

Of course, if you're inherently uninteresting or inherently dispassionate about medicine, then you may need to lock down these strategies and become a very, very good actor. :laugh:

EDIT: The book also liberally quotes other adcomms from other schools. I've noticed many of their quotes come from supplementary materials that adcomms have posted on their college admissions websites. So in many respects this book is a compilation of materials you can find already online. This may be helpful to save you the effort of compiling it yourself. But I'd caution you to remember that adcomm opinions are very heterogeneous. I recall freaking out at a quote in the book that suggested that everyone in an interview pool is on a level playing field (i.e., interview performance is the only thing that matters). I assumed this was true of all schools. It's not. I talked to adcomms personally from two top-tier schools and they said, at least for their schools, that is entirely false.
 
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I have not read other interview preparation books, so I have no way to tell if there is a better book. However, I can speak about the book I read (the "Winning Strategies" book).

It covers a lot of the "essentials," including proper body language. Honestly the theme of the book can be summed up as: (1) Give elaborate answers (2) speak enthusiastically (3) always use your experiences as evidence for all your interview answers when even the least bit applicable. Those are the three points of wisdom I will be carrying with me into the interview. It also gives a list of common interview questions, which may be useful. I'd make sure to know how to answer: "Tell me about yourself," "Why medicine?" and "Is there anything you'd like to know about our school?" You should also know everything in your primary and secondary application cold, even if it's a passing reference you made in the sixth paragraph of your personal statement.

I caution against preparing too hard and strategizing too much. You run the risk of coming off inauthentic, which will easily be noticed by the interviewer. This will harm your performance quite a bit. I don't even know if I'd recommend any prep book for interviews, because of this aforesaid pitfall. Being authentic is so important.

Of course, if you're inherently uninteresting or inherently dispassionate about medicine, then you may need to lock down these strategies and become a very, very good actor. :laugh:

EDIT: The book also liberally quotes other adcomms from other schools. I've noticed many of their quotes come from supplementary materials that adcomms have posted on their college admissions websites. So in many respects this book is a compilation of materials you can find already online. This may be helpful to save you the effort of compiling it yourself. But I'd caution you to remember that adcomm opinions are very heterogeneous. I recall freaking out at a quote in the book that suggested that everyone in an interview pool is on a level playing field (i.e., interview performance is the only thing that matters). I assumed this was true of all schools. It's not. I talked to adcomms personally from two top-tier schools and they said, at least for their schools, that is entirely false.


Thanks.:)
 
I had my first MMI interview yesterday and I can say that there isn't really any good way to prepare for it. Honestly, knowing the scenarios beforehand might even cause you to perform worse because it would make your answers seem rehearsed and less human. Go into them with an open mind and do your best to respond intelligently and appropriately. It's tough for us neurotic, hyper-prepared SDNers to accept, but there really isn't any other way to approach it in my mind.

You could spend hours reading about bioethics or trying to find practice scenarios, but I really feel like it would be a waste of time. Just get comfortable talking with strangers and acting like a normal person. You'll be fine!

well put. thanks!
 
I have not read other interview preparation books, so I have no way to tell if there is a better book. However, I can speak about the book I read (the "Winning Strategies" book).

It covers a lot of the "essentials," including proper body language. Honestly the theme of the book can be summed up as: (1) Give elaborate answers (2) speak enthusiastically (3) always use your experiences as evidence for all your interview answers when even the least bit applicable. Those are the three points of wisdom I will be carrying with me into the interview. It also gives a list of common interview questions, which may be useful. I'd make sure to know how to answer: "Tell me about yourself," "Why medicine?" and "Is there anything you'd like to know about our school?" You should also know everything in your primary and secondary application cold, even if it's a passing reference you made in the sixth paragraph of your personal statement.

I caution against preparing too hard and strategizing too much. You run the risk of coming off inauthentic, which will easily be noticed by the interviewer. This will harm your performance quite a bit. I don't even know if I'd recommend any prep book for interviews, because of this aforesaid pitfall. Being authentic is so important.

Of course, if you're inherently uninteresting or inherently dispassionate about medicine, then you may need to lock down these strategies and become a very, very good actor. :laugh:

EDIT: The book also liberally quotes other adcomms from other schools. I've noticed many of their quotes come from supplementary materials that adcomms have posted on their college admissions websites. So in many respects this book is a compilation of materials you can find already online. This may be helpful to save you the effort of compiling it yourself. But I'd caution you to remember that adcomm opinions are very heterogeneous. I recall freaking out at a quote in the book that suggested that everyone in an interview pool is on a level playing field (i.e., interview performance is the only thing that matters). I assumed this was true of all schools. It's not. I talked to adcomms personally from two top-tier schools and they said, at least for their schools, that is entirely false.

thank you!!
 
I had my first MMI interview yesterday and I can say that there isn't really any good way to prepare for it. Honestly, knowing the scenarios beforehand might even cause you to perform worse because it would make your answers seem rehearsed and less human. Go into them with an open mind and do your best to respond intelligently and appropriately. It's tough for us neurotic, hyper-prepared SDNers to accept, but there really isn't any other way to approach it in my mind.

You could spend hours reading about bioethics or trying to find practice scenarios, but I really feel like it would be a waste of time. Just get comfortable talking with strangers and acting like a normal person. You'll be fine!

I think the key to doing well on any interview is to go in prepared. Saying that there isn't a good way to prepare for an MMI is not true. Practice makes perfect and what people fail to realize is that doing well on the MMIs requires having a framework not having rehearsed answers. Developing a framework requires practice!
 
How extensively is MMI covered? I would like to find a book with extensive MMI coverage.

check out MMI for the Mind by Dr. Kevyn To if you're still looking for a prepbook with extensive MMI coverage. It's written by a former MMI admission's interviewer at McMaster University School of Medicine where the MMIs originated. Google it or search it on Amazon. Good luck.
 
check out MMI for the Mind by Dr. Kevyn To if you're still looking for a prepbook with extensive MMI coverage. It's written by a former MMI admission's interviewer at McMaster University School of Medicine where the MMIs originated. Google it or search it on Amazon. Good luck.

Has anyone read this book? I'd appreciate a review/opinion.
 
Has anyone read this book? I'd appreciate a review/opinion.
I don't agree with the recommendation for that book.

First, I'm quite surprised at all the positive reviews for this book, which is what initially swayed me towards this purchase. However, after having read through this book, I must say I'm quite disappointed. Now, this book is not COMPLETELY useless. Although it does make a handful of decent points, I think that for the price, it's a rip-off. I would not recommend buying this book unless you can get it for under $10, because this book simply does not deliver you value for the money. The approach to MMIs presented by the author is very trivial and common-sense and does not serve much of a structural guidelines. He basically says to "identify the type of problem", "identify the source" and "relate it to personal experience". We all know this...

Then, he uses the rest of the book to cover a handful of MMI scenarios, but my opinion of his sample answers is that they lack depth. While the answers are not bad, they are answers that you can probably say in less than 30 seconds, which again is a consequence of inadequate depth. Additionally, while he lists possible probing questions as follow-up to your answer (something that all interviewer's will have prepared beforehand regardless of what your answer is), he does not provide sample responses to those probing questions.
 
I have read many books on medical school interviews, including two for MMIs. Every book has something to offer, but speaking as someone who has done many interviews, the old advice of "just be yourself" is the best. I did not find either MMI book to be very helpful, but if money is no object, then reading them is probably worth your time.

Some of the general med school interview books give contradictory advice, but it's probably a good idea to be prepared to answer the common basic open ended questions such as " why medicine" , "tell me about yourself" "your best/worst qualities" " "stressful situation" "what would your friends say about you" etc. Some books are good at those. Others have nice lists of random questions you might be asked.

The best preparation for MMI interviews would be to go onto You Tube and see the videos posted there. Some people advise using a certain format to answer questions, eg " This scenario asks what I would do if a 14 year old girl came to me asking for an abortion. Should I tell her parents. I have the following concerns...........etc". I'm not a big fan of this method. It sounds prepared, although I personally would not hold that against you. But no matter how much preparation you do and how well you anticipate the initial questions, you will not be able to prepare for the follow up questions, which will take you to unexpected areas, and which are customized to each interviewee's answers.

I do recommend that you become familar with the types of questions:
Being asked to discuss a scenario involving two people, often ethical.
Being given a scenario in which you have to interact with an actor playing a role.
Being asked about a policy question, which may or may not be medically related.
Being asked a standard interview question ( eg why do you want to be a doctor or tell me about a failure you experienced.)
Being asked to give or receive instructions on how to perform a task, such as draw a picture, while sitting back to back.

Other than that, just go in with an open mind and try to enjoy the experience as a challenge, and have fun. Approaching the MMI with that attitude is probably the best thing you can do to improve your outcome.
 
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