Often MMI stations are simply based on a quote, and your response to that quote. Here we’ll take a look at some possible stations, and how you might go about addressing this type of question.
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‘Equality is the soul of liberty; there is, in fact, no liberty without it.’ What do you think that this quote means? How would you relate it to Medicine? Is it important for us to campaign for equality as medical students, or in general?
This quote means that equality is the basic foundation of freedom. Without equality, we cannot have freedom. This is a very pertinent quote today, as people campaign for greater equality across the world. It’s understandable that those from marginalised groups would feel that they have less liberty than those from more privileged groups. If we were to reduce equality more and more, then fewer and fewer people would have true freedom, and in turn we might argue that liberty itself would be forsaken. Alternatively, through increasing equality we can increase liberty. I would relate this to Medicine through the core ethical pillar of Justice, which requires doctors to provide equal care to all, and equal access to care for all. Regarding campaigning for equality, I would argue that it is important as a more equal society will provide opportunities for all. This in turn will allow us to see the best in each of these areas. An equal society would be one without poverty and discrimination. As medical students we are given a certain privilege, and if one comes from a more privileged background, it becomes all the more important to campaign for equality, as it’s possible that one’s voice might be better heard than those that come from more marginalised communities.Â
‘You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.’ What do you think that this quote means, and what do you think that you can learn from failure?
I believe that this quote relates to resilience, and thus how we deal with adversity. No one can expect to succeed at everything the first time they try, and it’s through failure that we learn and grow. If we wish to succeed in life, we must become comfortable with the idea of failing, and growing stronger as a result. We must be ready to reflect after we fail, and then permit the failure and our subsequent learnings to drive us forward, so that we succeed on the second, or even the third time of asking. For those that wish to excel in professional life, some setbacks are likely – it’s how we deal with them that matters. I believe that we can learn about ourselves, and about the thing that we failed at. We might learn about how we recover, or about how we think. We might be able to consider what aspect of our thought processes led to us failing, and in turn correct this. Alternatively, we might realise that we simply were not sufficiently dedicated, or perhaps that we were complacent. Of course, we can also consider the activity or task itself – if we failed an exam, for example, then we should learn that we didn’t know certain topics well enough, or assess how we adjusted the test. If we failed a physical challenge, then we might learn that the standard was higher than expected, and that other training routines were more optimal. Either way, we can learn about both ourselves and exterior factors, and then return stronger.
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‘A doctor must show empathy rather than sympathy.’ Do you agree with this statement?
I agree with this statement, although showing sympathy can be of benefit as well. Empathy is the ability to put oneself in another’s place in order to truly try to understand what they are feeling. Sympathy is showing compassion and caring when another is undergoing a difficult experience. Therefore, empathy is more complex and more involved in terms of logical thought, and can lead to better understanding how to proceed – making it more suitable for a medical professional.
