Home › Posts tagged interview practice
Blog Archives

Medical and Dental School Interviews: Preparing for your MMI

Posted on by by

I just completed a Mock Interview Service with a lovely client who was about to face his first MMI-style interview. Although the majority of medical and dental school interviews are still traditional, some institutions utilize a multiple mini interview (MMI) platform. The MMI is a format that uses several timed stations to assess applicants’ interpersonal skills and judgment.

A few things to note about MMI interview questions:

1) They are not always medically-related. You may be asked to manage an everyday problem (e.g. a disagreement at the supermarket).

2) They are not always situational. You need to be prepared for conventional questions (e.g. what are your three greatest strengths?).

3) Schools are trying to assess whether you can skillfully employ important techniques and demonstrate professionalism. Underlying topics might include your ability to offer effective counseling, your understanding of patient-doctor confidentiality, an ability to diffuse a heated situation, a capacity to admit wrongdoing, or reporting an impaired supervisor.

4) Make sure to read the school’s description of their MMI format: How many minutes do you have to prepare with the prompt, how long are the stations, are there role-play scenarios? Knowing what the structure is will help decrease stress. 

It’s important that you practice MMI questions before you go to your medical or dental school interview. Even if you have excellent social skills, there are techniques you should hone to expertly manage the challenging MMI format.

Tags: , , ,

Medical School Interview Tips: What Do AdComs Really Want?

Posted on by by

For those of you who’ve submitted your secondary essays, it’s time to start thinking about medical school interviews. Here are tips on what medical school admissions officers/committees are seeking:

1. They want someone distinctive. Your goal is to distinguish yourself from all of the other applicants by showcasing your accomplishments. Anyone can say s/he wants to help people or is hard working. Fewer candidates can prove it with their pre-professional achievements.

2. They want to ensure you’re committed to medicine and you have an idea of what you’re getting yourself into. Medical school is tough; the institutions are not seeking someone who is ambivalent and might quit. Giving examples of your clinical experience can help.

3. The schools want to ensure you’re reasonable. They want to see that you don’t have a problem personality, aren’t going to harass your colleagues, and aren’t going to cause the institution embarrassment or extra work. Being professional during the interview day and having strong letters are important.

4. They want to hear you’re particularly interested in their program. You can convince them of your enthusiasm by knowing specifics about the school and city.

You would never take the MCAT without practicing first, and yet, countless applicants go to medical school interviews without preparing. If you’re interested in working with me, please hire me soon, as I’m booking up for September.

Tags: , , ,

Taking the Fifth

Posted on by by

The goal of every medical school, residency, and fellowship interview is to distinguish yourself from everyone else to demonstrate you’re worthy of a competitive spot. So what happens when you get this (ugly) question:  

If there were one reason not to accept you, what would it be?

When a (salty) faculty member asks you this interview question, her motivation might be to determine whether there’s a weakness in your application she’s missing. Or she may be assessing how you manage stressful situations by posing a question that is unpleasant.

While you need to be honest throughout the entire application process, you do not need to volunteer information that might harm you. So, for a charged question like this one that conflicts with your goal, you might answer, “While no candidacy is perfect, I have a strong application, and I don’t see a reason not to accept me.” Then you can leverage the question as an opportunity to mention the strengths of your candidacy. Remember: You have a duty to further your application, not damage it.

Contact me for mock interview help. I still have some October slots open, as of this writing.

Tags: , , ,

Accomplished, Not Lovely

Posted on by by

Pre-pandemic, I went to hear the author Nicole Krauss speak about her novel Forest Dark. I’m a big fan of Krauss’ writing. The day I heard the author speak, she had published an opinion piece in the NYT Sunday Magazine called “Do Women Get to Write with Authority?” In the article, Krauss highlights the lack of power women writers have compared to men, and specifically, how female artists’ work is often characterized as “lovely,” a word she describes as lacking in “independent power.”

I must admit that I sometimes use the word “lovely” (both for women and men) when I like someone. But Krauss made me think about the word in the context of achievement – not personality – and her point is well-taken.

With medical school interviews starting soon, you should keep in mind that you want the faculty member you’ve met to leave saying you were “accomplished,” not “lovely.” Many applicants miss this point: You don’t want to simply be liked; you want to be seen as worthy. It’s critical that you focus on that important goal as you practice for interviews, crafting strategic, substantive responses to potential questions. 

I would strongly recommend Krauss’ History of Love (her best book in my opinion), Great House, Forest Dark and To Be A Man.

Tags: , , ,

Medical School Interviews: Preparing for your MMI

Posted on by by

Although the majority of medical school interviews are still traditional, many institutions (including dental schools) are using the MMI platform – even though interviews are now held in a virtual setting. The MMI (multiple mini interview) is a format that uses several timed stations to assess applicants’ interpersonal skills and judgment.

A few things to note about MMI interview questions:

1) They are not always medically-related. You may be asked to manage an everyday problem (e.g. a disagreement at the supermarket).

2) They are not always situational. You need to be prepared for conventional questions too (e.g. what are your three greatest strengths?).

3) Schools are trying to assess whether you can skillfully employ important techniques and demonstrate professionalism. Underlying topics might include your ability to offer effective counseling, your understanding of patient-doctor confidentiality, your ability to diffuse a heated situation, your capacity to admit wrongdoing, etc.

It is important that you practice MMI questions before you go to your medical school interview. Even if you have excellent social skills, there are techniques you should hone to expertly manage the challenging MMI format. 

Tags: , , ,

About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital. She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

Receive FREE Insider Medical Admissions Tips.

Sign Up

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the FeminEm podcast: