Success at interviews involves adequate preparation and utilization of resources. Moreover, your self-confidence will indirectly affect how you perform at interviews. Being adequality prepared for the interview will dispel some uncertainty you may feel about questions which will be asked and how to effectively answer them. The aim of interview preparation, regardless of the nature of the interview is universal. Your aiming to become comfortable talking about yourself ( attitudes and motivations) and expressing your ideas.
As soon as you receive an invitation for the interview you should begin planning your revision schedule. Effective preparation is integral to successful outcomes.
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Before you begin your interview preparation it can be useful to know how the MMI process works at the Medical School you will be attending and what the Medical school are looking for in candidates. Most medical schools will provide candidates with lists of qualities they are looking for in their applicants. They may also advise you on MMI specific information such as the number and duration of stations and the nature of stations e.g. is it question, scenario or role play based? Being fully informed about what the MMI entails allows you to adapt your preparations to the university accordingly. If you have not explicitly received information about the interview from your university, make sure you check out their prospectus or website. Do not rely on what other people are saying on forums etc. this information may be outdated or incorrect for you given your circumstances. The medical school may host a live session where they explore preparation for their interview and signpost you to useful resources. These sessions can be really insightful, if you do miss the session check with the university whether it was recorded or if you can access the information they shared.
In order to fulfil your potential during the interview your preparation should be insightful. There are likely to be certain types of questions you find more difficult, practice these and research some top tips for how to approach these questions. As part of your preparation, you may come across questions which particularly phase you, note these down and ensure you consider what key points you could make.
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Admissions tutors do not want to hear pre-rehearsed or generic answers. Within your answers you want to demonstrate your values and attributes which make you suitable for medicine. Most questions may give you the opportunity to talk about an experience you have witnessed or been a part of. Aim not only to describe what you did but to reflect, exploring and explaining the event. Use analytical analyse to think about Why you did what you did. Answers which include active reflections allow you to showcase your self-awareness, vital for developing an excellent emotional intelligence. Ask yourself the following three questions:
Applicants are expected to show an interest in the career of medicine displaying an awareness of medical hot topics, issues and events. Using websites such as BBC Health can help you to stay up to date with what is happening in the medical community. Ensure you read about bioethics, new research and technologies, policies etc. use this information to create informed opinions on these topics.
As with any form of learning/ studying there are several different preparation strategies that applicants adopt. This may include creating flashcards on commonly asked questions or recording and listening back to your answers. It can be useful to mimic the interview conditions as part of your preparation. Sharing your ideas with other people can feel much more daunting than speaking them alone. It is important you learn how to calm your nerves. It is natural to completely freeze or excessively talk as a symptom of nervousness but being aware of this as a flaw is important. You may not realise the impact that the interviewers’ non-verbal cues and body language has on your confidence and performance. Have you considered your own non-verbal communication skills, maintain eye contact and use open body language Preparing for an interview with someone else will help you to deal with uncertainty as the ask questions you perhaps didn’t expect?
The night before your interview it may be useful to re-read through any notes you have made and practising speaking your answers. We strongly advise you avoid cramming ad learning new material. You are likely to have already learned everything you would feel confident talking about, don’t confuse or stress yourself out.
