Fear of MMI interview

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CaliforniaAppli

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So I have this irrational fear of MMI interviewing ( I have one coming up in the next month). I am afraid that when I read the prompt in front of the door I am going to freeze and everything I read will not be processed. Then I will go into the room and just stand there awkwardly with nothing to say.

Perhaps this could be an MMI question itself haha, what advice would you give to calm me down?
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Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself.






Let Harry Potter guide your way through MMI.
 
CaliforniaAppli said:
Perhaps this could be an MMI question itself haha, what advice would you give to calm me down?
Click to expand...

Even if you screw up the first question, you'll have 6-7 other questions to redeem yourself.

Even if the first interviewer exudes a seething hatred of you and your being, you'll have 6-7 other interviewers to charm and impress. :)
 
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eHombre said:
Even if you screw up the first question, you'll have 6-7 other questions to redeem yourself.

Even if the first interviewer exudes a seething hatred of you and your being, you'll have 6-7 other interviewers to charm and impress. :)
Click to expand...

This is the nice thing about MMI -- your first one can go absolutely terribly, but once the bell rings, it's a fresh start.

Once you get going with it it's kind of a whirlwind and then you're done before you know it.
 
Have you had any regular interviews prior to this one?

I had one MMI and it was my very first interview. I was pretty nervous, but once I got into the situation it became kind of a game. I did enjoy it, but I definitely had a moment or two where I finished talking and silence ensued. Some of the interviewers will go back and forth with you, and others will just expect you to keep talking.

I've read posts on SDN that say there's no way to study for MMIs, but I don't think there's much truth to that. Sure, you have to think on your feet, but honestly google as many MMI questions/scenarios as you can and talk yourself through them. I felt that helped my performance a quite a bit.
 
CaliforniaAppli said:
So I have this irrational fear of MMI interviewing ( I have one coming up in the next month). I am afraid that when I read the prompt in front of the door I am going to freeze and everything I read will not be processed. Then I will go into the room and just stand there awkwardly with nothing to say.

Perhaps this could be an MMI question itself haha, what advice would you give to calm me down?
Click to expand...

just talk out scenarios with friends, particularly ones who are combative and opinionated. Those people who are "that kid" in class are the friends that ask you the thought-provoking questions.

Also, loved ones who are willing to go the distance for you help more than you think :) I asked my BF to act out an MMI question with me that involved an obstinate patient and he went over the top for me. I laughed him off saying THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN...and then what do you know, when it came time for my MMI, one of my last interviews was almost the exact same scenario, verbatim.

You never know! Good luck! :luck::xf::luck:
 
I found the MMI style to be much more laid back than the traditional interviews.

I would suggest not prepping for them at all (honestly) because it only raises the stress level and sets expectations. Just make sure you spend the entire two minutes prepping/outlining. Even if it feels like you have nothing, take your response and think it through completely.
 
*about to feel stupid*
...What's an MMI? I googled it, and found the definition "multiple mini interview" but could someone extend on this?
 
I really like the MMI. Even if you feel like you don't click with one interviewer, or feel like you bombed it, it won't ruin you if you wipe your mental slate clean before you move to the next station.

If you really want to do preparation, reviewing ethical scenarios might be helpful, but you'd want to do that for a regular interview anyway.
 
Camy99 said:
*about to feel stupid*
...What's an MMI? I googled it, and found the definition "multiple mini interview" but could someone extend on this?
Click to expand...
blame%20canada.jpg


A more serious answer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYZc-rItyRw
There are other places to find information if you google "Multiple Mini Interview"
 
I did the MMI at Duke. I can't disclose any details, but I feel like you can definitely prepare for them [to a certain extent]. E.g., read over ethical scenarios in general, practice being firm and logical, etc..
 
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CaliforniaAppli said:
So I have this irrational fear of MMI interviewing ( I have one coming up in the next month). I am afraid that when I read the prompt in front of the door I am going to freeze and everything I read will not be processed. Then I will go into the room and just stand there awkwardly with nothing to say.

Perhaps this could be an MMI question itself haha, what advice would you give to calm me down?
Click to expand...

Edit, never mind, I thought you meant it was your first interview...not everyone knows what MMI stands for.
 
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I just had two MMI's and they were really not that bad. I think the best way to prepare is to 1) practice as you would for a traditional interview, since some stations may have traditional questions (why medicine? why this school?), 2) understand common ethical frameworks like utilitarianism, virtue ethics, etc., and 3) practice scenarios with friends: http://zeroratio.blogspot.com/ or http://www.medicine.usask.ca/pt/admission/Practice_MMI_QuestionsUofS.pdf

As for the interview itself, my best advice is to spend the 2 minutes coming up with 1) a couple of points you want to make, and ideally a mnemonic so you remember them all once you're in there, and 2) a really strong opening sentence/thesis. If you start strong, you can kind of let the momentum carry you forward. And if you blank or get off track, you can always return to your thesis statement. At some schools, they will give you the prompt again inside the room, and re-reading it might help you out.

If I finished talking early, none of my 20 interviewers ever stared at me blankly for the last few minutes; they always asked follow up questions. If they are staring at you blankly, ask, "Do you have any questions for me/about what I said?" or, if you're grasping for more to say, bring up a common objection to your viewpoint and respond to it.

EDIT: Also, usually the prompts are very short. Some are just 1-2 sentences, so you can read them over and over. Even for the longer ones, 2 minutes is plenty of time to read them over 3-4 times and still have time to think about what you want to say.
 
kexy said:
I just had two MMI's and they were really not that bad. I think the best way to prepare is to 1) practice as you would for a traditional interview, since some stations may have traditional questions (why medicine? why this school?), 2) understand common ethical frameworks like utilitarianism, virtue ethics, etc., and 3) practice scenarios with friends: http://zeroratio.blogspot.com/ or http://www.medicine.usask.ca/pt/admission/Practice_MMI_QuestionsUofS.pdf

As for the interview itself, my best advice is to spend the 2 minutes coming up with 1) a couple of points you want to make, and ideally a mnemonic so you remember them all once you're in there, and 2) a really strong opening sentence/thesis. If you start strong, you can kind of let the momentum carry you forward. And if you blank or get off track, you can always return to your thesis statement. At some schools, they will give you the prompt again inside the room, and re-reading it might help you out.

If I finished talking early, none of my 20 interviewers ever stared at me blankly for the last few minutes; they always asked follow up questions. If they are staring at you blankly, ask, "Do you have any questions for me/about what I said?" or, if you're grasping for more to say, bring up a common objection to your viewpoint and respond to it.

EDIT: Also, usually the prompts are very short. Some are just 1-2 sentences, so you can read them over and over. Even for the longer ones, 2 minutes is plenty of time to read them over 3-4 times and still have time to think about what you want to say.
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You're kidding right? A mnemonic, good lord. Walk up to the door, read the prompt, and you will begin to formulate rational thoughts, that by the grace of god, you will remember in the next 30 seconds spent waiting to enter the room. Let's stem the neuroticism for one thread, at least. My MMI was very enjoyable. It's not rocket surgery. Once you go through it, you'll realize it's just like everything else, totally do-able, with a little self confidence.
 
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writingmedicine said:
You're kidding right? A mnemonic, good lord. Walk up to the door, read the prompt, and you will begin to formulate rational thoughts, that by the grace of god, you will remember in the next 30 seconds spent waiting to enter the room. Let's stem the neuroticism for one thread, at least. My MMI was very enjoyable. It's not rocket surgery. Once you go through it, you'll realize it's just like everything else, totally do-able, with a little self confidence.
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Haha, sorry, I wasn't trying to be neurotic. The OP was worried about blanking, as was I. That was one strategy I used to avoid it, and to make sure I hit all the points I wanted to hit. Obviously this tactic is more appropriate for some scenarios than others (e.g. ethical dilemmas, not role-playing!). I also stand by the strong opening sentence advice. I think it's way better to start out with "There are three important factors to consider in these kinds of cases" than to start out with "Well, okay, uh, so I think that..."
 
Disclaimer: I haven't had an MMI interview, so feel free to ignore this post if you want.

I did read a NYTimes article about MMI interviews in which they spoke to admissions personnel regarding the format. Interestingly, one of the recurring themes in their commentary about what makes a successful MMI interviewee was not someone who came in, guns blazing, and confidently laid out their ideal plan for the situation, but rather a person who thoughtfully analyzed the information they were given, humbly remarked on their own ideas about it, and asked lots of questions. In fact, I believe that asking targeted, thoughtful questions was the trait that came up as impressive most often.

Food for thought. Good luck OP.
 
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Calvinball said:
Disclaimer: I haven't had an MMI interview, so feel free to ignore this post if you want.

I did read a NYTimes article about MMI interviews in which they spoke to admissions personnel regarding the format. Interestingly, one of the recurring themes in their commentary about what makes a successful MMI interviewee was not someone who came in, guns blazing, and confidently laid out their ideal plan for the situation, but rather a person who thoughtfully analyzed the information they were given, humbly remarked on their own ideas about it, and asked lots of questions. In fact, I believe that asking targeted, thoughtful questions was the trait that came up as impressive most often.

Food for thought. Good luck OP.
Click to expand...

You have nailed it. Ignorant premeds will fail to see the utility in these statements, but this is legit. Be confident in yourself, stick to your views and provide support for your statements, but don't be so naive as not to consider that in the "gray area scenarios" that you are placed in, there is often not a perfect answer.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Right-P...12/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1320591773&sr=8-12

9780195428414.jpg


I crushed my only MMI interview last year because I read this book and maybe two others on medical ethics. I also read http://www.amazon.com/Landmark-Amer...0K/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1320591955&sr=8-18
LandmarkBook176.jpg


My interview was politics/ethics heavy. Reading up really helped. I think most of the interviewers aren't looking for a correct answer. They are looking for a well reasoned answer that you actually can explain and it makes sense.
 
Can't disclose anything of course, but there are published journal articles from when MMI was pioneered (McMaster) that can be helpful.
 
CaliforniaAppli said:
So I have this irrational fear of MMI interviewing ( I have one coming up in the next month). I am afraid that when I read the prompt in front of the door I am going to freeze and everything I read will not be processed. Then I will go into the room and just stand there awkwardly with nothing to say.

Perhaps this could be an MMI question itself haha, what advice would you give to calm me down?
Click to expand...

Rest assured that most of the prompts are VERY short (<3 sentences), so it's not like you really need to read too much. Also rest assured that there's usually a second copy of the prompt inside the room (they're probably used to some people freezing up). Another thing I was concerned about was using up the whole 8-10 minutes... I was worried I'd finish my spiel in like two minutes and they'd just stare at me. That hasn't happened to me once at four different MMI interview days; interviewers will engage you and ask follow up questions, just like in a traditional interview. Plus, I have found most interviewers to be very friendly and, as others have mentioned, the first station is nerve-racking but you'll quickly get into a rhythm and find that it's over before you know it!

You should prepare for a couple of traditional questions that may be thrown in there (why this school, why medicine, ethical dilemmas, your opinion on health reform, etc.), but otherwise your life experience is the best preparation. I think that being a thoughtful, humble yet confident, and open-minded person is really all you need to do. You may want to get an overview of medical ethics, but that's probably not really necessary. FWIW, if you google MMI medical school prompts you can find some sample prompts; maybe reading over those will help you relax. Don't worry too much about preparing for specific scenarios though; at one school, I was told about a study done on MMIs, where half of the students received the prompts three weeks before the interview, and the other half didn't. Guess what--they got the same ratings.

One other thing-- I thought two of my MMI interview days went HORRIBLY and I got into both of the schools. You really can't tell how you're doing, so just try to relax and have fun. :luck:
 
There's good advice here... all I'm going to say is that my MMI was definitely the most fun and engaging of any interview I had, so let's hope its the same way for you :)
 
CaliforniaAppli said:
So I have this irrational fear of MMI interviewing ( I have one coming up in the next month). I am afraid that when I read the prompt in front of the door I am going to freeze and everything I read will not be processed. Then I will go into the room and just stand there awkwardly with nothing to say.

Perhaps this could be an MMI question itself haha, what advice would you give to calm me down?
Click to expand...

Just say whatever, they're not expecting incredible thought out responses. A surefire way to burn some time is to remark about how you might need "more information" about the scenario to make a better decision or ask some question about the scenario that wasn't totally clear...your interviewer will usually throw some more info at you or talk about it. I got into an argument with one of my interviewers about performance enhancing drugs and everything was still fine.

Do anything except what you're afraid of..freezing and doing nothing.
 
i absolutely LOVE MMI
just be yourself and enjoy it :)
well... i like acting so maybe this is why i loved it, but its an opportunity for you to shine and let interviewers see who you are in person. Dont stress, you will do much better if you relax and give it 100% of your energy. seriously, its an awesome experience :))))
 
CaramelFrapp said:
i absolutely LOVE MMI
just be yourself and enjoy it :)
well... i like acting so maybe this is why i loved it, but its an opportunity for you to shine and let interviewers see who you are in person. Dont stress, you will do much better if you relax and give it 100% of your energy. seriously, its an awesome experience :))))
Click to expand...

if you take the opposite of everything s/he said, that's what percy thinks
 
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