Cut Off Mid Sentence During MMI

[SpideyMD]

Today during one of my interviews that was an MMI, I was cut off mid-sentence at more than one station while answering follow-up questions. Is this common and a bad thing?

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[cj_cregg]

Can't speak to whether it's common. Obviously YMMV with regards to whether it's a bad thing...you might have just had a series of kind of rude interviewers, or perhaps there is something about the way this school conducts interviews that led to this happening. But I would personally not do this to an applicant I was interviewing unless they were really rambling and I saw no other way to move the conversation forward. If this isn't a common thing that happens to you in other interviews or other contexts, I wouldn't stress about it.

 

[Goro]

Today during one of my interviews that was an MMI, I was cut off mid-sentence at more than one station while answering follow-up questions. Is this common and a bad thing?

Did the interviewer cut you off, or was this a feature of a recorded session? If the former, then yes, it's a bad sign. If someone is babbling on incessantly, I will cut them off.

 

[SpideyMD]

Did the interviewer cut you off, or was this a feature of a recorded session? If the former, then yes, it's a bad sign. If someone is babbling on incessantly, I will cut them off.

It was due to time constraints we ran out of time and I didn’t get to finish what I was saying

 

[SpideyMD]

Can't speak to whether it's common. Obviously YMMV with regards to whether it's a bad thing...you might have just had a series of kind of rude interviewers, or perhaps there is something about the way this school conducts interviews that led to this happening. But I would personally not do this to an applicant I was interviewing unless they were really rambling and I saw no other way to move the conversation forward. If this isn't a common thing that happens to you in other interviews or other contexts, I wouldn't stress about it.

Hey I should have mentioned it was due to time constraints. Does That help

 

[Goro]

It was due to time constraints we ran out of time and I didn’t get to finish what I was saying

Not good. It meant that you couldn't think concisely. Communication skills are a required competency for medical students and residents.

On the to next interview, older, but wiser.

 

[SpideyMD]

Not good. It meant that you couldn't think concisely. Communication skills are a required competency for medical students and residents.

On the to next interview, older, but wiser.

Even if they were follow up questions?

 

[cj_cregg]

Hey I should have mentioned it was due to time constraints. Does That help

Yeah I agree with Goro that you were probably not being quite concise enough.

I haven't done an MMI from either end so someone more experienced is welcome to correct me if this is bad advice for the format, but interviews should be conversational. It's unlikely that you'd monologue for 2+ minutes when talking with a friend or colleague, and you shouldn't do it in an interview either. Answer the question, but you don't have to provide a ton of detail - if they want more, they can ask for it. Pay attention to body language. Are they starting to look bored or antsy, are they starting to engage less frequently with eye contact, nods, "uh huh," etc.? If so, wrap it up.

 

[Goro]

Even if they were follow up questions?

Not sure what you mean

 

[LunaOri]

As someone who has been an MMI interviewer, it is not a bad thing. We have to stop the applicant when time is up, even if they are in the middle of a very interesting thought, because we have to give equal time to each applicant. We also have to keep the applicants moving from station to station, otherwise chaos ensues! It’s a good sign that you were able to use all your time!
(Personally, I always say “So sorry, time is up, we have to stop now”, thank them, wish them a good day).

 

[fxryker]

Not sure what you mean

After answering the original question, I asked if they had any additional or clarifying questions. A few of them did, which resulted in follow-up questions. Answers were sometimes cut short.

 

[fl.man]

also had an MMI yesterday and it was my first time, i had to cut my answer short and got cut off a few times too, i finished right on time maybe half the time. it was always to the follow up questions bc sometimes they were 4 questions deep. i don't think it's a big deal, we might've even interviewed at the same school

don't stress over it to much! idk about yours but there was almost no way my MMI could've been conversational (some parts were a little conversational). asking someone at a station to have the same conversation with 10 different interviewees is unrealistic though. not to mention, some stations have beefy questions where you will have to monologue for 2+ mins just bc of all the issues and whatnot

 

[Angus Avagadro]

A couple responses cut short, probably not an issue. Consistently cut short, indicates the responses weren't organized. To me , that would suggest a lackluster interview

 

[Goro]

After answering the original question, I asked if they had any additional or clarifying questions. A few of them did, which resulted in follow-up questions. Answers were sometimes cut short.

I agree with my learned colleague Angus.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Depends on the rubric, quite honestly. Casper presumably does not penalize you for rambling on. I've had rubrics where you get the highest tier of available points if you thoroughly answer all the questions. I've seen rubrics where it doesn't matter. It totally depends on the prompt and what would constitute a high-scoring response.

I scare enough people to admit that I already begin triaging your overall impression score down after about 15 seconds, and then it's going to be a question of fine tuning. It all depends on the interview training and -- as I already mentioned -- the rubric.

Is it common? I think so, especially for those who have not prepared their interview response timing. The Casper/SJT prompts from PrepMatch in our subforum is useful for this purpose. Did you use them?

 

[sunshower26]

You are completely fine. Were they the initial set of follow-up questions (first additional question) or the third/fourth? I answered the questions and the immediate first, second, maybe third follow-up, and then it just became a conversation probing the issue and of course, was cut off as we were talking! Always ended with us seeing the 3, 2, 1 countdown or limited time, smiling ruefully, and waving a quick goodbye.

 

[MDMechEngr]

NOT GOOD. You likely were rambling.

 

[LunaOri]

NOT GOOD. You likely were rambling.

I respectfully disagree. We usually have enough followup questions to fill the whole time, and will keep going until time is up. It is NOT bad for the applicant to run out of time during a followup question.

 

[LunaOri]

So what is the best etiqutte for MMI, should you pause after 1-2 min when you think you have answered the first question to allow time for follow ups?

You should stop after you have finished talking about all aspects of the question, including considering other possible perspectives.

 

[Goro]

So if that takes me 2 min thats ok? What if it takes me 6 min and the station is 6 min?

Reread the wise LunaOri's answer