The Med School’s MMI Interview: Teamwork Activities

Medicine is a team sport. To gauge your collaboration skills, some schools will assess you in teamwork activities that you complete with another applicant. The pair of you might be asked to create an action plan together or one of you may act as an instructor and the other as a doer. (And then that gets flipped in a second exercise.)

An interviewer might ask you to build something with Lego blocks or do a puzzle together within a short timeframe. Only one of you can see a picture of the finished product, and the other person must listen to verbal instructions to assemble it. Medicine is intensely collaborative, so as silly as it seems to build a primary-colored train together, this activity will show some important communication skills. (And because more medical schools are shifting towards small group learning experiences—they want to see how you'd behave in them.)

Other schools may ask you and a larger team to find a solution to a problem or create a plan for a future program together. Things can get a little more heated here because opinions play more of a role. The most important thing to remember is that your teammates are not your competition, they are your colleagues. Listening to and empowering your teammates is a big deal. If you notice someone being left out of the conversation, be the person who asks, "What do you think, Tony?” If you're blocking out what a teammate is saying because you're waiting for your turn to speak, you will not do well in this team activity.

What if I don't finish?

That's okay! This isn't really about building the Lego train. You might be paired with a complete dud of a partner, someone who is so nervous that they can't focus. If you're the instructor in this activity, keep your cool and show patience with your partner. Search for new ways of explaining the same concept. If you are the doer, ask thoughtful questions. This is going to reflect well on you, finished project or not.

Related:

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Moral & Ethical Situations

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Healthcare Policy Questions

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Role Playing Scenarios

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Writing and Picture Stations

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Final Thoughts

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Role Playing Scenarios

"Enter the room and…" Not every school that utilizes the MMI will use role-play. But if they do, you could be presented with scenarios—in an in-person interview, it is sometimes taped to the door of a room—in which you must enter the room and speak to the actor inside as if they were your patient, a patient's family member, your colleague, or a close friend. An interviewer might be in the room watching, or there might be a camera in the room catching your big debut. (Since more schools have moved to doing interviews remotely, the “room” might be on Zoom or Kira.) Time yourself doing these practice prompts. In addition to other MMI prep, if you’re working with Apply Point, your AP advisor can act as a patient and give you notes at the end of the session.

You're not always going to "win" these scenarios. Your fake patient could continue to push back against your advice, etc. The point here is to show your empathy, thought process, and—this is the part people mess up—your ability to listen. Ask your partner questions about their thoughts, fears, or concerns. Don't give a soliloquy. Yes, this is your interview but in real life, these interactions would be conversations. Encourage an exchange. And don't be afraid to be quiet sometimes.

Think about how you'd handle these scenarios:

• A patient is refusing a treatment that would prolong his life because of its side effects. The patient's family passionately wants him to submit to treatment. Speak to this family.

• A physician’s assistant in your gynecology practice has repeatedly misgendered a trans patient. Your patient is upset. Talk to this PA.

• Your patient is terminally ill. Tell them.

• A hostile patient is demanding an opioid prescription for a supposed back injury—his X-ray does not show such an injury. Talk to this patient.

• Your best friend has been struggling with depression and is self-medicating with alcohol. Talk to her.

• You overhear a colleague using a racial stereotype when talking about a patient. Enter the room and talk to him.

• Your patient wants to hold off on starting a cancer treatment plan until after a family vacation in three months. Her condition is advanced, and you don’t think she should do this. Talk to this patient.

“Teach Me How to Tie a Shoe.”

Another potential task you might do with an actor or interviewer is walk them through a process step-by-step. One example is telling someone how to tie a shoe. Now that you’ve thought about that for a sec, you see how this might be difficult, right? Be patient with the other person and

yourself. Choose your words carefully and if you make a mistake, backtrack without panic. The point of a task like this is to test your communication skills. Are you being clear? Are you being comprehensive? Are you asking your partner what they want to know more about? Are you keeping a calm tone the way we’d want a doctor to when they’re explaining a complex treatment plan?

Related:

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Moral & Ethical Situations

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Healthcare Policy Questions

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Teamwork Activities

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Writing and Picture Stations

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Final Thoughts

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Moral & Ethical Situations

In an MMI interview, the Moral & Ethical Situation prompts are the ones that terrify applicants. They feel so high stakes. For example: Decide which of these two patients gets an organ transplant. Geez Louise.

Many MMI questions—especially the ones about morals and ethics—may omit details you might've considered when contemplating your answer. Fill in those blanks and consider them still because your answer could be conditional from an ethical or legal standpoint. "Conditional" does not mean wishy-washy but rather "If X factor is present, then my answer is Y."

Think about how you would answer this ethical question: A minor teenage patient asks you for a prescription for birth control pills—and doesn't want their parents to know about it. How would you handle this request?

You might reflexively have an answer to this—but pause and consider potential conditional factors, even if you ultimately dismiss them. Beyond answering your patient's request, what else might you discuss with your patient? You might ponder these questions:

• Are there legal matters to consider?

• Are there health risks to consider?

• Is your patient sexually active already or considering becoming sexually active?

• Is your patient 13 or 17?

• Will your patient be using a second form of protection to prevent STIs?

• Are they being pressured into a sexual relationship?

• Is there anything you should know about their partner/partners—like how old they are?

• If those things were not factors in your decision-making, why not?

Here's an example of a response to this question:

"If there are neither state laws limiting my ability nor significant health risks present, I would give my teenage patient a prescription for birth control without their parents’ knowledge. I would not tell their parents because the teen is my patient and deserves doctor-patient confidentiality. But there are things I would want to discuss before providing this prescription.

I would first provide my patient with information on all their birth control options. I'd advise my patient to use condoms as a secondary form of contraception to prevent STIs and ask them what they know about STIs.

Next, I'd want to establish that they want to have sex and that this isn't a case of a partner pressuring them to have sex. If the latter is true, it wouldn't determine whether I'd prescribe birth control, but it would influence our conversation, as I'd want to take care of my patient's mental health as well as their physical health. I'd also ask about their partner's (or partners’) age. Many age of consent laws have a close-in-age exemption, but some do not. I’d inform my patient if that was the case in our state, just so they’re aware of certain risks. If my patient revealed that they were already sexually active with a partner who was older than 18, I'd refer to my state's age of consent. I am required by law to report any suspected child abuse. I would also direct my patient to information on predatory behaviors.

If their partner was their same age, I likely would not weigh in on a 16- or 17-year-old’s choices beyond asking the aforementioned questions and providing helpful resources. But I might respectfully discourage a younger patient from having sex in the same way that I'd encourage a young patient to take care of their still maturing body and mind in other ways. (I know I'd advise my 14-year-old cousin or niece to consider waiting to have sex.) But again, I would still give a prescription to any patient that I legally can prescribe to, whether I was a family doctor or practicing at a sexual health center."

This is not a gut reaction—it's thoughtful, it's careful. This response considers legality—that's important. It involves a thorough conversation between doctor and patient. Wanting to connect shows empathy and asking the patient questions and providing answers to questions that they have or haven’t asked shows strong communication skills. The answer also expresses the respondent's personal beliefs; they would advise a 14-year-old relative to think more before having sex at such a young age. You might think this info has no place in the answer, but the interviewer wants to hear your internal monologue, not only what you'd say aloud to the patient. What matters most is that your resulting action is based on facts and that you showed your patient respect, not harsh judgment. You may not agree with this sample answer—but you should understand why it's a strong one.

Related:

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Healthcare Policy Questions

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Role Playing Scenarios

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Teamwork Activities

The Med School’s MMI Interview: Writing and Picture Stations

Medical School Applicants: Are You Taking Care of Yourself?

If you're going to dedicate your life to healthcare, start at home. Medical students have a significantly higher rate of mental illness than similarly aged postsecondary graduates, according to a 2019 study in Academic Medicine. One harrowing quote: "Higher rates of distress and burnout in physicians and medical learners have been linked to poor academic performance, increased thoughts of dropping out of medical school, lower levels of professionalism, decreased empathy, increased medical errors, increased substance abuse, and increased suicidal ideation." 

Despite the intensity of the medical school application process, preparing yourself for the stress of attending medical school is important. Practicing mindfulness, getting rest, and being a person in the world are part of being ready for a rigorous academic environment and career. 

Stay social. This is not to say that you should be partying the night before a medical school interview. But you do need to leave your desk—or at least have interactions beyond your study group. Keeping your relationships strong also provides a safety net in hard times and helps you to be empathetic. 

Sleep. When sleep is in your control, try to maximize the opportunity. A study published in the December 2021 Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research found that anxiety and stress directly impacted medical students' sleep during the second wave of COVID-19. One thing that you can do to combat that right now is to put away your phone every night. You've heard it before—but it's especially relevant to you. In a study published in the January 2022 Journal of Affective Disorders, medical students’ anxiety was associated with problematic smartphone use and sleep deprivation. 

Move. Do whatever you comfortably can do in terms of a regular exercise regimen. You don't need to run a six-minute mile to be a strong candidate for medical school —exercise is just another way to relieve stress (and reduce your risk of a meltdown). A study published in Academic Medicine in 2017 surveyed 12,500 medical students across the country and found that those who met the CDC's exercise recommendations had a lower risk of burnout and a higher quality of life. 

Get professional help. Even if you're not feeling extreme turmoil right now, this could be something to explore. "Studies suggest medical students experience high levels of mental distress during training but are less likely than other students to access care due to stigma and concerns regarding career progression," according to a 2020 study published in BMC Medical Education. The University of Cambridge developed a mental health program for medical students. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy, or Cognitive Analytic Therapy was provided to 189 students. Stress, anxiety, and suicide risk were "significantly reduced" and students' functioning "significantly improved." 

Meditate. This is just a suggestion, if it's not for you, it's not. But you could try it. (And cynically speaking—schools might be into it if you mention meditation during your interview. It shows both openness and dedication.) Meditation isn't about having a blank mind; it's about acknowledging and letting go of intrusive thoughts and accepting what is happening at the moment. This can aid performance, according to George Mumford, a mindfulness coach who taught Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan how to meditate. "Mindfulness is the process of making yourself flow-ready," he says. And don't all doctors want to be ready for whatever happens next?

Another benefit of incorporating these healthy behaviors into your life is that they can strengthen your tolerance for ambiguity. Studies have measured this quality in medical students and physicians for years, and they have shown that a physician's ability to tolerate ambiguity correlates to their level of psychological well-being. Those with a low tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty "tend to report a higher rate of referrals, burnout, and anxiety, and lower level of satisfaction, less comfort in dealing with dying patients, and higher levels of dogmatism, rigidity, and conformism," according to a 2017 study in Medical Teacher, which utilizes many others' findings as well as their own assessments. 

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