Medical What the Medical School Admissions Committee Looks for During an MMI

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During the multiple mini interview, or MMI, you’ll be evaluated by many different people at several different stations. Having multiple reviews and reviewers provides a more consistent way to evaluate applicants because schools end up with more data from the evaluations provided by each person who observes you. They rate you based on how you interact with others (your process) and what you say (your content).

To help you shine in this interview format, you’ll want to review these key criteria that the adcoms look for during the MMI.

Evaluating your process: How you interact with and relate to others
Your interviewers will be evaluating your facial expressions, body language, spoken and written communication skills, and your ability to collaborate as well as lead. While this list may seem long, you can collect a lot of information about a person in a 7-minute high pressure interaction.

In a mock interview I provided for a student, I noticed that he held the expression of contempt – one side of his mouth pulled up in a half sneer – so frequently that I gently pointed it out to him. He was horrified and hadn’t realized what he was communicating through his expression.

When I was director of the UC Davis School of Medicine Postbac Program and identified contempt in the expressions of applicants during interviews, I recorded it as a negative – especially when it was directed at the other applicants. A strong sense of superiority in a student doesn’t make for easy collaboration or mentorship.

Evaluating your content: What you share
You have a powerful presence in the interview room. You gain control over the situation when you choose what to share verbally with those around you. I recommend beginning and ending every interaction with gratitude – to set the tone. Focusing your energy on such positivity will help ensure that your interaction goes well.

Choosing your words carefully and being thoughtful about what you say and thorough as you think out loud through problems to find solutions, are critical to receiving high ratings. If you say “like” every other word, start editing it out of your speech now; the sooner you begin to consciously decide how you want to present yourself and be perceived through what you say, the better.

“Consciousness itself can bring qualitative change,” as one of my favorite teachers says. In your content, the most important thing you can do is allow them to see how you think through problems. The adcom is deciding if they want to teach you medicine. Being transparent in your thought process will help them see that you are methodical (do not skip steps), thorough, and persistent in suggesting as many potential solutions as you can identify. Then you just may be the student they are looking for.

Practicing your process and content
In bringing attention to your process and content, you can begin to strategize in all of the areas recommended to do your best at the MMI. Practice is the best way to prepare. To practice for your upcoming MMI, check out Accepted’s Mock MMI Services. We would be delighted to assist you. The interview is my favorite part of the medical school application! Mock interviews provide so many opportunities for the applicant to gain insight from the experience and can lead to remarkable improvement. Learn more about how we can help you GET ACCEPTED.


Alicia McNease Nimonkar worked for 5 years as the Student Advisor & Director at the UC Davis School of Medicine's postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and other health professional programs. She has served Accepted's clients since 2012 with roughly a 90% success rate. She has a Master of Arts in Composition and Rhetoric as well as Literature. Want Alicia to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!


Related Resources:

The Ultimate Guide to Medical School Interview Success, a free guide
The Medical School MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) Day
Practice, Practice and More Practice to Prep for Your Med School Interview

This article was originally posted on blog.accepted.com.

Applying to medical school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants like you get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where apply, working on your AMCAS application, working on secondary essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away. Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help you get accepted!

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