Interview Insights: Interview Techniques and Preparation for Medical School

Medical school interviews play a pivotal role in the admissions process and come in various formats, each designed to assess different aspects of applicants’ suitability for a career in medicine. Most medical schools will use one of the two main approaches to conduct their interviews:

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI): MMIs are common methods of assessment for aspiring candidates and consist of a series of short, structured interview stations, each lasting around 5-10 minutes. Within each station, applicants are presented with a scenario or task and have a brief period to read and prepare their response before entering the interview room to discuss their thoughts with the interviewer. MMIs assess various skills and attributes, including communication, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, empathy, and professionalism. Applicants rotate through several stations, with each station focusing on a different aspect of their candidacy. This may include situational stations where candidates are presented with hypotehtical scenarios or dilemmas found in medical practice. Applicants need to evaluate each scenario and formulate a logical response for interviewers.
Traditional/Panel Interviews: Traditional interviews are medical school interview. In this format, applicants typically meet with one or more interviewers, often faculty members, who ask a series of predetermined questions. These questions may cover a wide range of topics, including the applicant’s motivations for pursuing medicine, ethical reasoning, personal experiences, and problem-solving abilities. This type of interview provide applicants with the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with interviewers and articulate their thoughts and perspectives effectively.

Medical school interviews typically aim to assess a combination of personal qualities, communication skills, ethical reasoning, and knowledge of healthcare issues. It’s essential to familiarise yourself with the format of the interview, whether it’s traditional/panel or MMI as each format require a different approach.

Understanding what admissions team want

To secure an offer for medicine, aspiring medical students must not only exhibit outstanding academic records but also demonstrate a genuine commitment to the medical profession by gaining relevant work experience or volunteering in healthcare settings. These attributes are essessed throughout the application process and successful applicants must also showcase essential skills, knowledge, and attributes that healthcare professionals should have.

These include:

Empathy
Effective Communication Skills
Ability to lead and work within a team
Understanding of Ethics
Ability to make decisions
Critical Thinking
Understanding of the healthcare system

Time Management

MMIs are structured with strict time limits for each station. Once your allocated time is up, the interview must conclude, even if you haven’t finished speaking. Practice answering questions within a time frame, aiming for concise and effective responses. Allocate around 7-8 minutes for each question during your practice sessions to simulate the time constraints of the actual interview.

Recovering From Bad Stations/Questions

In MMI circuits, time is critical. Successful candidates are the ones that do not let one bad station affect their subsequent performance. The interviewers at the next station will not know how well or poorly you performed in the last station. Treat each MMI station as a fresh opportunity to make a positive impression. Always remember to introduce yourself confidently, stand straight, maintain eye contact, and strive to establish rapport with each interviewer.

Listen Carefully

During both MMIs and panel/traditional interviews, interviewers can provide cues or additional information during the conversation. Pay close attention to these cues as this is how interviewers can lead you towards the answer they want. At other times, interviewers may escalate the diffifculty of the questions to push your abilities to the limtis, testing both your knowledge and problem-solving skills under pressure. Regardless, always be prepared to adapt your answers based on the new information provided, showcasing active listening, and communicate your thoughts coherently.

Preparation During Interviews

Before entering each MMI station, you will typically have a brief period, usually 1 minute, to review the scenario and formulate your response. Use this time wisely to identify the key themes and context of the question and then outline your approach. By formulating a plan to tackle and address each salient point, you can help examiners follow your thought process as well as ensures the most important points can be covered before the station ends. Remember the key words of the prompt and reiterate them within your response to improve your performance. Similar techniques can be applied to panel and traditional interviews. Take a moment to compose yourself and remember that interviewers cannot read your mind. By talking them step-by-step through your thoughts, you can demonstrate logical and critical thinking to interviewers even for the most difficult or unanswerable questions.

Researching the School

Before your interview, take the time to thoroughly research your target medical school. By familiarising yourself with its curriculum, teaching styles, and unique selling points, you can demonstrate to your interviewers that you understand what sets this institution apart and make a positive impression. This is doubly important as medical schools do not only differ by locations but also the resources they have access to and the way they teach their students, both of which can greatly affect your experience at medical school.

Developing Your Narrative

Crafting a compelling narrative about your journey to medicine can help you stand out during the interview. Reflect on your experiences, motivations, and defining moments and put together a story that shows how and why you decided to pursue a career in medicine. Be authentic and sincere in sharing your story, highlighting key experiences, challenges, and lessons learned along the way. Your narrative should showcase your passion for helping others and your commitment to the medical profession.

Relating your Answer Back to Medicine

When responding to any interview question or MMI prompt, always relate your answers back to the medical field. Make sure to place emphasise on attributes that crucial for doctors, such as critical thinking, empathy, communication skills, and ethical decision-making. Practice incorporating these qualities into your reflections from your experiences so that you can to demonstrate your readiness for a career in medicine.

Practicing Interview Skills

Practice is key to success in any interview. Consider participating in mock interviews with friends, family members, or mentors who can provide constructive feedback. Focus on articulating your thoughts clearly, maintaining eye contact, and demonstrating empathy and professionalism in your responses. Practice responding to a variety of interview questions, including situational, behavioral, ethical, and scenario-based questions.