Former Assistant Director of Application Advising Mallory Joynt visits her old stomping grounds of the PHA blog to provide some insight into interview preparation, especially as we enter into interview season.
For MMIs, they are really trying to determine how you think and make decisions. The usually aren’t looking for the “right” answer, but your ability to think through a situation from multiple angles, to make a decision, and to justify that decision.
You always want to recap the scenario – this demonstrates your understanding of the scenario and gives you a little time to calm your nerves before you really start your answer. Then you want to outline your options. For example, if the question is an ethical dilemma and the prompt asks how you would respond, you’ll want to tell the interviewer about the different ways you might consider respond (“In this case, I have two options. I can do ________, or I can _______). Then go through the pros and cons of each option. After explaining the pros and cons, you’ll want to make your decision and justify it (Ultimately, I would _____ because ______). This shows you’re ability to think critically about an issue, to see both sides, but to still be able to make a decision in a tough situation. When possible, try to tie in personal examples (“While not the exact same thing, I dealt with a similar issue when….”).
You can never really prepare for everything you might see in an MMI, so it’s really more about practice. If you’ve never practiced before, it’s easy to just jump in and tell the interviewer what you would do and why, without considering other options. It is possible to pull up a few scenarios online and simulate your own mock MMI. Try not to read the scenarios in detail beforehand. Give yourself a minute to read the scenario, then record yourself giving your answer. Once your timer buzzes, cut the recording, give yourself a minute to read the second scenario, then record yourself giving your answer. Do this for at least 5 rounds. Most MMIs give 1 minute to read the question and 6-7 minutes for the answer, but can depend on school - we recommend asking former friends who have interviewed at a school. The recording part is most important! Watching yourself back and doing some self-assessment is huge in helping you identify what you need to work on, especially with interview taking place virtually.
Also, some MMIS are more like regular interviews, just in a short format with multiple interviewers. In this case, you’re not necessarily answering scenario-based questions, but more typical interview questions like “Why do you want to be a doctor?”. In this case, just make sure to keep your answers clear and concise. You won’t have a lot of time so you definitely don’t want to ramble.
Some additional attached/linked some resources here:
How Bioethics can help with MMI - https://sps.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2019-06/September2015-Advisor_Klitzman-article_pgs37-40.pdf
Columbia MMI Resource - https://sps.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2019-06/advanced-MMI-prep.pdf and video on deconstructng MMI questions:
UM MMI Resource - https://careercenter.umich.edu/article/mmi-resources
A former student shared the following advice and strategy: reflection is key. Many medical students point out reading 2 books: "Multiple Mini Interview MMI: Wining Strategies from Admissions Faculty" and "The Medical School Interview" several times through and take notes in the margins and follow releant advice. In particular, the MMI book lists examples of "good vs. great" responses to a variety of typical MMI prompts. One former alum noted on focusing on the themes and characteristics in the best responses, and then reflected/took notes on how they would try to apply them to my own responses/experiences. They made a Google Doc to put all of notes in one place, and studied it periodically. This allowed them to quickly apply my own experiences to some of the MMI prompts without hesitation, while still emphasizing those important themes/characteristics. On MMI day, they tried to apply a past experiences to each prompt received, because it really helps you stand out beyond just answering the prompt as most interviewees will do.
Maxing out confidence, especially if you are someone who is a bit more introverted or quite in interview settings, is important. Preparation is key. You don't want to come off as rehearsed and therefore don't want to memorize your answers, but you should know your themes, experiences, and characteristics you want the interviewer to see.
Another student writes:
"One additional piece of advice (a bit abstract) I highly recommend is to try to practice mindfulness during the interviews. On such an important day like an interview, I tend to get so nervous that I don't remember anything that happened, or anything I said once the interview ends. I realized during my prep that if I made an honest effort of just taking it moment by moment and question by question, that I would have an easier time confidently answering the question and that I would actually remember what I said. Taking a moment to focus on my breath, calm my mind, and then begin to organize my thoughts between MMI stations was extremely helpful. This piece of advice was maybe the biggest game-changer for me, and is especially helpful for MMIs, when 1 station can throw off the rest of the interview. There's so much information on mindfulness in medicine nowadays and easy to find resources/tips. Some doctors will even do a "mindfulness check-in" right before they enter an exam room in order to shift their focus entirely on their patients, so there's definitely something to it."
If you have more questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact your PHA advisor or email phaletters@emory.edu for more information. You should take advantage of the PHA Interview Services, like InterviewStream and the Emeritus Faculty Mock Interviews: http://prehealth.emory.edu/apply/interview-prep.html
-Mallory Joynt