Med schools will be releasing interview offers early in September (not counting University of Sydney, which usually releases the offers earlier). If ever, you will usually be called in for an interview in late September or early in October.
You won’t be having multiple interviews, just one. Your score will be standardised and shared with other schools if you didn’t immediately receive an offer at the school where you had the interview. Unfortunately, the chances of being accepted at other med schools if the school you interviewed at didn’t accept you are slim.
On the day of the interview, you will usually be given instructions before the actual interview. The MMI is usually made up of 6 – 10 short interview sessions, which will last for about 2 hours in total.
These interviews are designed to test your ability with regards to logic, judgment, conversational skills, ability to empathise, as well as problem solving skills. The scenario of the interview is random, so be prepared for anything. The interview could either be conducted in a conversational way, or you may even be asked to act out a certain scenario.
We have prepared a few tips to help you ace the interview:
TIP #1: Consider how much you can prepare for the interview with the time that you have. Consider your other commitments and how much time you can set aside to practice for an interview. If you’re not confident in your public speaking abilities or you haven’t done anything like this before, you might want to dedicate more time to practicing.
TIP #2: Decide whether you need to learn some relaxation methods before the day of the interview or not. Some people are more comfortable with public speaking than others. If you’re nervous, you won’t be able to perform to the best of your ability, so be sure to exercise some stress relief techniques if necessary.
TIP #3: Make sure you have learned as much as you can about the medical school where your interview will be conducted. Different medical schools may have different preferences. For example, if you receive an interview offer at Wollongong University, it’s wise to try to showcase an interest in rural practise because that’s what Wollongong University generally focuses on.
TIP #4: Make sure you’re familiar with the location of the interview before the actual day of the interview. You don’t need the stress of dealing with unfamiliar logistics on the day of the interview. Knowing your way around the area will really help lower your stress level.
TIP #5: Remember that you should not memorise answers to interview questions. It will sound unnatural and the interviewers will notice. However, this doesn’t mean that you should wing it. You should still practise to build your confidence.
For more information, check out our full article here: https://gradready.com.au/posts/gamsat-preparation-courses/mmi-interviews-how-can-i-start-preparing
