Mock MMI (February 2013) Follow-up/Questions

[dreizehn]

Hey all,

If anyone on here came to the Mock MMIs today (February 9, 2013) and has any questions they didn't get a chance to ask during the debrief, or thought of a question after leaving, feel free to post it here and I'll do my best to answer (or if you didn't get a chance to attend but have a general question about the process).

For anyone who mock interviewed with me today (James; I was there 10:30-4:30): I may or may not be able to provide more direct feedback (depending on my memory, as well as the nature of your question), but if you want to send me a PM on here I'll see what I can remember.

Please note: In either case, while most general questions are fine, there are some things and some specific details about the MMIs themselves that I will NOT answer for the sake of confidentiality and/or due to existing policy.

[out of province]

Hi there,

I don't live anywhere near Guelph so I couldn't sign up for the Mock MMI. Also, I went to university out of province so all the pre-vet students I network with are applying to U of S which uses the traditional interview format. So I feel a bit out of the loop when it comes to the interview. Is there any advice/general info about the MMI that you could share which isn't already on the OVC website?

[cbarne01]

Some of my takeaways as a participant:

- You have 2 minutes to read the prompt (taped to the door) but you can take as much time as you want. Its ok to think about it a little longer. One vet student said that he waited in the hall for a couple of minutes on purpose to cut down on the awkward silence after he'd answered. You can also leave once you've answered and the interviewer has asked any followup questions.

- The interviewers have been asked to not give feedback. This includes facial reactions and body language - they will just sit there, don't think its because you're saying anything wrong.

- I'm not 100% sure, but I think that paper and pencil are provided if you want it.

- Try to answer the question (often solve a problem) but if you can't that's ok. Work through your thought process and reasoning.

- Consider all the people involved.

- It might be a good idea to look into the CVO & CVMA position statements for background on controversial topics.

[out of province]

Wow, thank you both for your responses. That really helps!!

[fsc23]

Now that I'm done finals I can finally focus on my interview! All of the above info is great and I think I have a good idea of what to expect from talking to students who have been through it, but I have a few more questions. I'm not sure if an answer can be given due to the confidentiality agreement and all of that, but I thought it was worth a shot.

1. Are there always acting stations included in the 8 stations?
2. I think I read this on a medical school interview forum, but I heard that one of the 8 stations was set up like a "typical" face-to-face interview where you are asked questions about yourself and your experiences. Is this true?

Thanks and I understand if I don't get a clear-cut answer!

[dreizehn]

Congrats on being done finals for another year, and on getting an interview! That's a giant step closer to admission.

Honestly, I don't recall in depth every detail of the confidentiality agreement, but I'm fairly certain the major bit is that one is not allowed to discuss the exact scenarios from the MMIs, or certain details of the process itself that have not already been made available on the admissions web site. Unfortunately, I think both of your questions stray a bit too close to this for my comfort, so I'm going to err on the side of caution and say I'm unable to provide those details. Sorry. Furthermore, even if I or others were to provide that information it would be important to keep in mind that, as with any admissions process, modifications are possible every year, so what it's been like in previous years is not a guarantee of what it will be like in the future.


One important side note raised by your post though is the importance of one's personal experience with animals and the veterinary world (i.e., there actually is a purpose for all that animal experience and vet experience on the BIF... ). When discussing scenarios, being able to discuss your own relevant personal experiences and how they have shaped your approach can often provide more depth to an interview. Just make sure the experience IS actually relevant (i.e., don't try to cram in personal experience at each station just for the sake of doing so; sometimes it might strengthen a specific point you are trying to make, but in other cases it may simply be irrelevant and distracting). So do be sure to have a solid grasp of what veterinary experience you have, and think in more detail specifically about some key experiences. Also, as I've said above, don't make anything up just because you think it might sound good. It's often quite easy for the interviewers to pick up on this and it can really weaken the quality of the answer, not to mention that it's really not a fitting practice when interviewing for a professional school. Finally, keep in mind your own responsibilities for confidentiality if you do use your vet experiences. The veterinary world is still a relatively small professional community (of which your interviews are a part), so be sure to strip your examples of specific, identifying details (i.e., DON'T give details of the vet, clinic, patient, owner, specific town, etc.) (e.g., instead of "I saw an animal welfare issue back in Antarctica with Dr. Vet at the Polar Vet Clinic where Mr. Smith wasn't taking very good care of Flippy the penguin." it would be more like "While shadowing one vet, I was involved in a case with a penguin that raised some interesting points regarding animal welfare...").

Good luck with the interviews!

[fsc23]

You must have read my mind - incorporating experiences was actually another question I had and forgot to ask, so thanks!

[guest45942]

Hi Everyone,

I've gone through this forum and read conflicting statements about whether or not we are allowed to have a paper and pen with us during the MMI. If we ARE, will it be provided or should we bring our own? Can we bring the paper with us into the room?

[Guest2]

Apr 18, 2014 13:31:16 GMT -5 guest45942 said:

Hi Everyone,

I've gone through this forum and read conflicting statements about whether or not we are allowed to have a paper and pen with us during the MMI. If we ARE, will it be provided or should we bring our own? Can we bring the paper with us into the room?

Assuming it's the same as last year, you're given a pad of paper and a pen when you sign in. When you leave each station the interviewers keep the paper to keep the scenarios as private as possible.

[lowenger]

All you need for the MMI is photo ID and a water bottle with water.

[guest01]

Hi,

I would like to ask if we should be prepared for role play/collaboration stations at the interview. I know that the MMI for medical schools have them but, I'm not sure whether it's the same for OVC.

Thanks!

[lowenger]

You should prepare for MMIs, we cannot tell you what individual stations are.

[catalina]

Hey i was just wondering if there are any books or web cites that can prepare us for the interview? I know there are some for dental and medical interviews but have not found any for vet.

Thanks