Frequent Q&A

Frequent Q&A

Congratulations on your interview invitation! The interview process is unique to each school (see list of schools using MMI below), but most 'traditional' interview days are formatted in this manner:

Early morning welcome from the Admissions Office followed by presentations on joint degree programs, curriculum opportunities (rural med or research distinctions) as well as financial aid. These are meant to give you an overview of what the school has to offer both academically and financially. Many schools promote the same things in different ways, so take note of unique aspects of each school - for better or worse - which will ultimately influence your final decision.

More often than not, you will have two one-on-one interviews lasting ~45 minutes each. You will have at least one faculty member, and possibly a medical student. Contrary to popular belief, interviews serve not to test one's knowledge, but to ensure that the candidate is able to convey their passions for medicine in a professional manner. Prepare for the Standard Questions, probing your motivations to enter the professional and particularly your interests to do so at that institution. Further, be prepared to discuss hobbies, for those that succeed have an outlet when gross anatomy gets overwhelming; yes, something other than studying for another class. While medical ethics and the health care system may arise, they simply expect that you have contemplated these issues beforehand and can formulate a logical response and subsequent defense. Prepare for open discussion regarding apparent weaknesses in your application, if any, as well as the utilization of your year(s) after graduation, if applicable. As they put their pens down and asked me if I had any final questions, I saw that as a challenge to spark another short discussion about the school; this shows them you are truly happy to be there and have the opportunity to learn more from the expert's view.

Lunch will be provided along with a tour of the facilities guided by medical students. Use the tour as an opportunity to ask more casual questions about their personal experiences there (they are not evaluating you so... honestly, how's the food?). You will then have your second interview and leave around 2pm

Decisions can take anywhere from 2-10 weeks depending on the school. Wait lists go even slower and do not give decisions until outright accepted students commit later in the cycle. If you are in this boat, hang in there; it is worth the wait.

Advice for any interview: Know who you are speaking with; it may be a PhD who teaches pathology, an emergency physician, a medical student, or a Dean. Get their name and send personally signed thank you notes/emails TO THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE soon after your interview experience. AdComs keep anything you send and you want to be sure nothing is excluded from their consideration.

Contact me with any follow up questions, and as always, best of luck!

- AJ Schramm, MS4

What does a typical interview day schedule look like? What should I expect?

The multiple mini interview is a format of interviewing that is used by an increasing amount of medical schools (see below for a list of schools in the 2016-2017 cycle). While this forma is not the only style you may encounter on the interview trail (Types of Medical School Interviews), it is most likely to be the one you are not familiar with.

Why MMI? Research has shown that a variety of inherent factors, unique to the interviewer, can confound traditional interview formats. MMI’s offer each interviewee the opportunity to field a variety of questions/scenarios with an assortment of interviewers. This allows each candidate to receive multiple assessments from multiple assessors.

In general, the MMI consists of 6-8 stations, held one-on-one in individual rooms, each of which will include some form of interview scenario. The scenario/question may be prompted to the candidate in a variety of ways. Some may present the question on a computer screen outside of the room, while other may have the interviewee pose the question directly to the interviewee. Regardless of their delivery, the prompt usually allows the candidate a limited amount of time to mentally navigate the scenario (usually 1-2 minutes). At the end of this period either the candidate or interviewer will prompt discussion of the topic (typically 4-6 minutes). When the time is up or the candidate feels that they have completed the station, the session is ended and the interviewee proceeds to the next station.

Station topics vary widely; however, they typically fall within a few categories:

Ethical Decision Making
Critical Thinking
Communication Skills
Knowledge of the Health Care System
Standard Questions (ie. “Why do you want to be a doctor?”)
Survey/Essay Question (completed on a computer or paper

There is no “proper” way to begin preparing for these scenarios. I have provided a google drive

link below that contains a variety of resources for your preparation.

My only advice is that you really spend the 1-2 minutes they give you formulating an articulate

response. You will find it much easier to navigate/defend your opinion of ethical scenarios when

you have considered the topic from multiple perspectives; identifying pros/cons and stakeholders

to the situation presented, and above all BE READY to field follow up questions.

MD Schools:

Albany Medical College
California Northstate
Central Michigan University
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (hybrid—traditional + MMI)
Duke University
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
New York Medical College
New York University
Oregon Health and Science University
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Stanford University
SUNY Upstate
Tufts University (Maine Track only)
University of Alabama at Birmingham (hybrid)
University of Arizona
University of California-Davis
University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-Riverside
University of California-San Diego
University of Cincinnati
University of Massachusetts
University of Michigan (hybrid)
University of Minnesota
University of Mississippi
University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Nevada
University of Oklahoma
University of Utah (hybrid)
University of Vermont
Virginia Commonwealth
Virginia Tech Carilion
Wayne State (hybrid)
Western Michigan University (hybrid)

DO Schools:

AT Still University – School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona
Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine
Pacific Northwest College of Osteopathic Medicine
University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine
Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (hybrid)
List of Schools retrieved from: Thompson Advising

This list may not be complete, please do your research before your interview day!

Note: Each school that uses the MMI format will most likely be slightly different in how they

present it.

MMI Prep Resources on Google Drive

-Eric Merrell, MS4

What is a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)?

When entering medical school many people are worried about how to adjust their study habits to match the fast paced, high volume rate of learning that medical school demands of students. Unfortunately there is no one answer fits all in this situation due to the fact that everyone studies and learns differently. There are, however, different things that you can try out within the first semester of school to further understand how you learn best and what style of studying fits you.

Creating a schedule!

One of the most helpful tips someone gave me to start adjusting my habits was to create a daily breakdown and adjust from there. Here is an example of a daily breakdown for myself that I utilized for the first few months of school:

5am – wake up / gym / breakfast

7am – Go to school / review lectures for that day

8am – 12pm – class

12pm-1pm – Lunch

1pm – 3pm class

3pm-4pm – relax / personal time

4pm – 8:30/9:30pm study lectures from that day

9:30pm – relax / get ready for the next day

Obviously this can be adjusted in many ways. I personally am a morning person and find myself to be most productive in the early hours, and as such enjoy waking up at 5am and going to bed around 10:30pm. With that being said, this schedule could be shifted to fit a late night studier schedule. It should also be noted that on days before quizzes or exams this schedule does not necessarily involve working out or going to bed as early, and my time would be further allocated to the material being tested.

Not into scheduling out your time?

If you’re not necessarily a person who enjoys a rigid study schedule the best tip I can give you is to stay on top of the material presented. Medical school does not provide the flexibility to procrastinate until a few days before an exam. If possible it is very helpful to review lectures from that day to further familiarize yourself with the information. The beginning of the year is also a great time to kill bad study habits that allowed you to get by in the past.

Utilizing outside resources!

Another amazing tip a second year med student passed on to me was that if class lectures or videos aren’t sinking in, look towards external resources for help. There are numerous sources for every subject that you can buy online, in your bookstore, or possibly even borrow from an upperclassmen. Here is a list of what I have utilized in the time I have been in school:

First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 -> this can be utilized for many of your basic core courses such as microbiology or physiology
Sketchy Video Source – microbiology
Frank H Netter Atlas of Human Anatomy
Board Review Series, BRS -> books available for numerous subjects
Essential Anatomy App
Upperclassmen – although this isn’t a source you can buy, talking to fellow students who have been through the material already and know what to expect can be extremely helpful!

There are many more out there so don’t be afraid to ask other students or even your professor what they find helpful to better grasp what you are learning!

Study Groups!

If you aren’t used to studying with others but are finding it difficult to understand or stay on top of material looking towards study groups might be the answer! Talking things out with your peers not only helps solidify information you know, but will also provide different insights others might have picked up on that you didn’t necessarily realize. Not to mention study groups provide much needed opportunities to socialize with fellow classmates!

At the end of the day….

When it’s all said and done it is honestly up to each individual to figure out how they are going to learn best. You will realize that there isn’t as much time available to watch TV or just hang out like our undergraduate years provided, but the good news is that the majority of us will find the material being taught very interesting and actually enjoyable to learn. Most importantly, don’t forget to give yourself a break every now and then! Whether it be an early morning gym session or a midday nap, everyone needs personal time to relax. This will help keep your mind sharp and your studying productive. Good luck!

- Austin Hager, MS4

How did you adjust to studying in medical school? Any advice?

What does it cost to apply? How did you choose a list of schools to apply to?

Let's talk about the latter burden first, as it is much more painful, and I hope to make it less so.

Cost: The more you apply to, the better your chances of getting an interview, but price limits most of us to only a certain number of schools on your list. So how much does it cost? The AMCAS service charges approximately $160 for the application and one school, with additional schools costing $35 each. Be mindful, however, that each school sends a secondary application costing anywhere from $80-140 per school (don't forget travel expenses to attend interview day). If money is not an issue, go crazy; I've heard of some applying to 30+ schools. If money is a significant issue, consider applying for the Fee Assistance Program. If you qualify, they will pay for your MCAT fees ($310), the AMCAS application including 10 schools ($475), and send you a couple free MCAT prep books ($50). Most schools will waive the secondary application fee for those with the FAP (>$1,000 for 10 schools) APPLY TO FAP EARLY, as the FAP application process can take weeks, MCAT sign ups begin early and test sites fill up quickly. Once you have a budgeted number of schools, you can start looking into which ones to apply to!

Factors that may play into your choices (see next section on how to investigate these):

Tuition costs: State schools are a lot cheaper ($40k vs $80k) and many offer an equal, if not better education. Financial aid is available at every school, but grants are not as easily attainable as undergrad schools. So you will get loans to cover everything, but rarely discounts, if you will.
Grades: Unfortunately, acceptances are heavily dependent on your grades and MCAT scores. I personally selected some "reach" schools that were out of my league -- you never know! Most of my list contained schools I knew I was a competitive applicant for. Some used LizzyM formula to generate lists of possible schools, but this is simply a suggestion. I also suggest some backup schools/alternative programs you seem very qualified for; It is extremely competitive and I got denied outright by schools I thought were more "backup" in my mind.
Programs: All schools offer a degree, but many have specialized programs to fit your interests, such as a 3-year program with direct residency acceptance.If you are already committed to a particular area of medicine, these programs may be something to look into (Eric Merrell is in Rural Medicine at SUNY Upstate).
Research: Some schools require it, some programs have optional curricula involving research. As expected, certain schools are renowned for their medical research, so investigate this further before choosing.
Facilities: All of your time will be spent in the school, so this is a major factor playing into your experience. Do they have a new building? A new hospital? New labs? How is the library and the anatomy lab?
Location: Medical school is not 24/7, and it is nice to get off of campus. Make sure it is in a location that you wouldn't hate!

Do your research: Everyone emphasizes factors in different ways according to what is important to them. If you take anything away from this response, it is to use Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR). Produced by the AAMC, MSAR has the most up to date admissions statistics as well as detailed information on every medical school in the US and Canada to help paint a picture of what each school has to offer. Any factor described above can be compared and contrasted in this program to help you make a list of schools that fits you best! There's a catch: most of the detailed information is withheld from those without a subscription ($27/year). I paid for it, and I thought it was well worth it. Heath Professions Advisors have access to the program, so if you have a couple questions you could sit and use it with them at Hall of Languages. You could also share the cost with a friend to use.

In summary, the application process is EXPENSIVE so budget the costs. After reviewing the MSAR, I applied to 18 schools on my primary with the help of FAP, and submitted 12 secondaries. Knowing my standing, I chose to complete apps to 5 reach schools, 5 competitive, and 2 backups. I chose these mostly by location, tuition, and research/facilities. With this strategy, I ended up with 4 interviews and 4 acceptances. Everyone is different,however, and this is only one perspective! Hope it helps and, as always, best of luck!

- A.J. Schramm, MS4