Top Ten Tips. MBA Behavioral Interviews

If you’ve been invited to interview at any or all of the schools on your list, congratulations! Now, it is time to begin preparing. See below for a list of our top ten interview tips:

1. Upon receiving the invitation, schedule the interview as soon as possible. This will enable you to avoid scheduling conflicts and select the time of day when you have the most energy and the fewest distractions. 

2. Read all you can about the program, and follow them on social media to stay abreast of their latest announcements, research findings, and other content. If possible, schedule an in-person visit prior to the interview, which often will include a tour, class observation, and lunch with current students. Talk to current or former students already in your network to gain insight on the interview process and other aspects of their MBA experience. 

3. Review your application and think through how you will succinctly, yet cohesively, explain your path to this point. What have been some of your most meaningful experiences that reinforced your interest in the study of business? You will likely receive some introductory question(s), which will require a three-minute elevator-pitch response, as well as several others that will require you to back up claims you make about your abilities in the areas of innovation, leadership, and teamwork with specific examples from your professional life. 

4. Convince them that their program is at the perfect intersection of where you’ve been and where you want to go. Be sure you can speak about specific courses, professors, case competitions, experiential learning opportunities, etc. that interest you most.  And explain why, citing some of your past experiences and/or future goals.  Remember, depth is better than breadth.  We would rather you explain at length one or two specifics that really set the program apart for you, than briefly mention seven to ten.

5. Prepare to weave into your responses what you will be able to offer the school. Make it clear how your experiences and interests, personal and professional, will benefit the school and create a stronger, more diverse MBA class and alumni base.

6. Think through your biggest career successes and failures, and consider what you learned from both. When answering a question about one of your failures, spend only 20 percent of the response on the situation and mistake. The rest of your response should be devoted to the actions you took to gain a better understanding and improve, and what you learned as a result.

7. Determine if there are any red flags in your application and, if so, craft a response that addresses the issue without making excuses. For example, if asked about the ‘C’ you received in Calculus your sophomore year, discuss what you have done to improve your quantitative ability since then, and make mention of those specific areas in your transcript and post-baccalaureate experience that are more indicative of your ability to compete in a rigorous academic environment.  

8. Stay current on domestic and international news. The Economist is wonderful, one of our favorite publications. You will also want to be aware of any news related to your current company, industry, and desired career path as these are great areas from which your interviewer may draw questions.  Setting up Google alerts for key phrases related to your company and industry will also help ensure you’re up to date.

9. Prepare three questions, which demonstrate your knowledge of and enthusiasm for the program, to ask the interviewer at the end of your session.

10. Compose a hand-written thank you note and snail mail it to your interviewer. In the note, thank them for their time, reiterate your interest in the school with specifics, make note of something memorable you spoke about during the interview, and, if applicable, make the yield protection statement (If admitted, I will attend.).

Post-Interview Questions: What to Ask Your Student Interviewer

As your interview wraps up, your interviewers will ask if you have any questions. You must have them. Being interested and thoughtful demonstrates your commitment to the program.

With student interviewers, your questions can be more personal, but you still want to show that you know something about the school. It's also a good idea to ask a question that relates to something you've just discussed or about a commonality that you two share, or that you share with the school:

• You mentioned that you're involved in researching X. I, too, have a background in researching X. Or, if you’re into completely different areas of research: I’m very interested in pursuing research at Specific Lab. Can you tell me more about your work at Specific Lab?

• My grandfather was in the Army, and I value our veterans. I know that the medical school has partnered with the local VA center to address both chronic pain and mental health issues. Have you worked there? What is it like?

• I’ve read about X, Y, and Z organizations here. What clubs and student organizations do you belong to? Have they proven valuable to you?

Post-Interview Questions: What to Ask Your Faculty or Admissions Committee Interviewer

As your interview wraps up, your interviewers will ask if you have any questions. You must have them. Being interested and thoughtful demonstrates your commitment to the program.

Some questions you might ask a faculty or admissions committee member include:

• I read about X clinical opportunity currently offered to medical students in their second year. Is that going to be available in the future? Can you tell me more about that opportunity?

• I worked on a Y study as a research coordinator, and I'm very interested in the Y research happening here. Are there plans to expand that?

• How diverse is the student body? Are there support services for minority students?

• I have not lived in an urban setting, but I have worked with underserved patients in a small town. About how many patients does the student-run clinic see a year?

The Medical School Interview: Don’t Forget, You’re Interviewing Them Too.

As your interview wraps up, your interviewers will ask if you have any questions. You must have them. Being interested and thoughtful demonstrates your commitment to the program. Perhaps you've visited this school before your interview day or spoken to current or past students. Terrific. But if everything you know about a program came from their website, this is your chance to find out more. You should be open to every school you're applying to—so this is about engaging, not interrogating. This Q&A flip is also a chance to show that you've done your due diligence. Be precise instead of broad. A weak question such as "What research opportunities are currently available?" will require your interviewer to launch into 1,000 things, most of which won't apply to you—oh, and that you could have read about on their website.

You should also keep your focus on the program. Asking an interviewing physician: "What made you choose your field?" is something you do at a lunch mixer. The questions you ask during an interview session should relate to how you and the school will fit together. If you're going to ask three questions, ask at least two meaty ones. You want to include details in your questions that show that you've done your homework on the school. After your third program-related question, close out by asking if you can contact them with other questions in the future. And if the school is your top choice, tell them right now. As we cover elsewhere in this guide, schools want to accept students who will definitely attend.

Check back throughout the week, we’ll provide sample interview questions that you can use to engage your faculty and student interviewers.

How to Use Community Service Experiences to Enhance Your MBA Application: Answering Your FAQs

Your MBA application should showcase the full range of your interests, abilities, and experiences. In addition to your academic and professional life, how you spend your free time can be telling. Today, we’re addressing our most frequently asked questions about how to incorporate community service into your MBA application.

I volunteered a lot in college, but I haven’t had much time to do so since I started working. Should I include those older experiences in my MBA application?

Your MBA application can include any experiences from the start of college onwards. Do keep in mind that the significance of your contribution matters. Participating in one “walk against hunger” your sophomore year will not carry the same weight as spearheading an initiative or raising a significant amount of money. Again, emphasize depth over breadth.

I am working constantly and don’t have time to volunteer right now. Should I try to fit something into my schedule?

Community service can enhance your application, but it is not a deal-breaker if you don’t have it. That being said, don’t forget to consider any volunteering you’ve done as a part of your company. Many firms include community service as a component of the performance framework. So, if you routinely help organize your company’s “dress for success” program, make note of that. 

I don’t volunteer for a nonprofit organization, but I do serve on committees at my workplace. Should I include this in my application?

Yes. Think about all that you do within your workplace that falls beyond the scope of your professional responsibilities. Are you a member of the holiday party steering committee? Or a participant on a DEI initiative? Those activities that go beyond your role are opportunities to demonstrate leadership, innovation, teamwork, and a commitment to giving back to and bettering your workplace.  

How to Use Community Service Experiences to Enhance Your MBA Application

Your MBA application should showcase the full range of your interests, abilities, and experiences. In addition to your academic and professional life, how you spend your free time can be telling. But before you run out and sign up for various volunteering gigs, there are a few things to keep in mind. 

• Show commitment and continuity. If you had experiences in college with a particular organization, say supporting the environment or working with the homeless population, you may want to pick up a role with a similar organization locally. Spend time on a cause you really care about. 

• Prioritize depth over breadth. A years-long involvement or considerable weekly time commitment with one organization is preferable to brief interactions working on a large number of causes. You will have more opportunity to make an impact.

• Flex different skills. Volunteer organizations are an excellent place to apply skills you may not yet demonstrate professionally. If you think your resume (or current position) is lacking in experiences that demonstrate leadership, innovation and/or teamwork, see if you can gain that experience in a volunteer setting. Entry-level professional roles typically don’t involve much people management, however, leading a non-profit initiative or committee often does! 

Check back tomorrow as we address FAQs related to community service and the MBA application.

Your Law School Application Resume: Don’t Forget the Basics

Yesterday we posted about the importance of focusing on results in your resume. Here are a few more important elements to keep top of mind while you’re crafting your resume.

Don’t forget to…

Keep it relevant. Your resume should only include experiences from the start of college onward, and should showcase your abilities in critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, and/or teamwork.

Review the Guidance. Some law schools instruct you to “submit a resume,” while others such as Yale Law School, provide unique specifications for your “activities section” submission. Review the school’s admissions page to confirm any instructions including format and/or page limits. If the school does not provide formatting guidance, you should keep it simple. Opt for left-justified text in an easy-to-read font—we prefer Garamond—sized between 10 and 12. 

Use proper grammar. Even the best writers can get worked up about creating resume text. Don’t overthink it. Make use of active verbs to showcase your contributions. Use proper punctuation and the appropriate tense (present for current activities, past for past activities). And do not lean on corporate jargon, rather you will want to ensure that you explain what you did and your results in a way that a classmate would understand.

Your Law School Application Resume: Focus on the Results

In contrast to your personal statement, which should be a deep-dive into a few pivotal stories from your life, your resume should showcase the breadth of your experiences and accomplishments. But remember, it should not merely communicate what you did in each role and extracurricular endeavor; each entry should explore WHY what you did and accomplished was so significant to you and/or your team and/or the organization as a whole. What results did you achieve? What impact did you have? What did you learn?

Law school resumes should include the following components and be no longer than one page:

1. Education. List all the universities you attended (including study abroad experiences) and the degrees you obtained. Include a bulleted list in the Education section of internships and extracurricular involvements you participated in while in college. And be sure to note any scholarships, awards, or honors you received. If you published a thesis, you can include that here too.

2. Work Experience. If you’re applying to law school directly out of your undergraduate studies, you may not have a lot of work experience and this is to be expected. Your work experiences should include summer jobs, internships, fellowships, and/or TA positions that you held during college, as well as any post-graduate employment. Use results-oriented bullets to describe your responsibilities and outcomes, and highlight any progression in responsibility. Elaborate on the impact you’ve had and/or the lessons you’ve learned. Also note any awards and/or honors you received.

3. Additional Information. This section can include significant extracurricular and charitable involvements, languages you speak, as well as any noteworthy skills, certifications, and/or memberships.

Check back tomorrow for additional guidance on crafting your resume.

Writing your MIT Sloan Pre-Interview Essay Submission

Those invited to interview at MIT Sloan will be asked to answer the following questions and submit their responses 24 hours prior to the interview:

• The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice. In 250 words or less, please describe a time when you contributed toward making a work environment or organization more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse.

• We are interested in learning more about how you use data to make decisions and analyze results. Please select one of the following prompts to respond to:

  • Please select an existing data visualization and in 250 words or less explain why it matters to you. The data visualization should be uploaded as a PDF. Examples may come from current events, a business analysis, or personal research.

  • In 250 words or less, please describe a recent data driven decision you had to make, and include one slide presenting your analysis. The slide may include a data visualization example and should present data used in a professional context. Your slide must be uploaded as a PDF.

The interview process is about getting to know applicants more thoroughly. The first question provides you with an opportunity to not only demonstrate that your values match those of MIT Sloan, but that you are willing to proactively work to put those values into action during your business school tenure. The second question allows you to submit proof of your analytical skills and showcase your comfort working with data and using it to drive decision-making.

Your Strategy: Your response to the first question should examine how you will demonstrate leadership in creating a diverse environment and promoting wellbeing among your peers. Focus on a specific example from your past professional experience to demonstrate your ability to cultivate a positive culture. Use the SAR (Situation, Action, Response) model. Spend about 20 percent of your response on the situation, and the remaining 80 percent on the actions you took and what resulted/what you learned. And be sure to clearly link the perspective you gained from this experience to what you hope to accomplish at Sloan.

In the second question, you will want to demonstrate your comfort with using data to tell a story, draw conclusions, and make decisions. If you opt to share a data visualization, clearly state the reasoning for the data visualization, the story or hypothesis you are looking to understand via the data, and why it is meaningful to you. You may want to visit the MIT Data Visualization project page to see current research projects, and gather inspiration. If you opt to submit a professional power point slide showing a data-based decision, ensure that your slide is simple, easy to read, and clearly describes your analysis, assumptions, and conclusions. Then, use your supplemental essay to expand upon each of these areas including the sources of the data, why you analyzed it in the way that you did (and, if applicable, why you did not use other analysis methods), the basis for your assumptions, and how you came to the conclusion that you did (including additional data that would help you to confirm your decision).

Writing Your HBS Post-Interview Reflection

If you have been invited to interview at Harvard Business School, you will want to start thinking about your post-interview reflection, which should be submitted within 24 hours of your interview. The submission is not a formal essay. Harvard’s Admissions Blog describes the exercise as a chance to both get students’ opinions regarding their interviews, as well as provide them with a real-world practicum. Professionals routinely need to send emails summarizing meetings and offering assessments, and their ability to do this well is critical for workplace success.

Here is our advice:

• Immediately after your interview, take down some notes about the topics you covered, including some specific details and points of connection. You’ll want to ensure that your content reflects back details from the day.

• Take time to reflect before you begin drafting. Think critically about the interview. This submission is an opportunity for you to demonstrate real-world strategic thinking and writing skills, as well as offer any information that you feel you did not adequately explain. Some points to consider:

  • What were the highlights?

  • What could have gone better?

  • Did anything about the interview, or your time on campus, surprise or excite you?

  • Were there any remaining “gaps” after your interview, and if so, how would you have addressed these?

  • Did you make it clear to your interviewer(s) what unique experiences, skills, or perspectives you would offer to your MBA class?

• Strike a tone similar to that of a post-meeting summary you would write to a colleague or supervisor at work.

• After you’ve drafted the piece, walk away. Come back later to review content, style, grammar, and flow with fresh eyes. Keep in mind that Harvard is looking for both a well-written and thoughtful assessment of your interview.

• This piece should not be crafted prior to the interview, adapted from another essay, or used as additional resume space. You’ll want to make the most of this final opportunity to show the admissions committee who you are and how you think.

After Your Med School Interview: FAQs on Follow-Up Strategy

Check out our earlier posts on writing Update Letters and Letters of Intent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send more than one Letter of Intent?

You can send a couple of quasi-Letters of Intent. You can tell up to two schools: "I will likely attend" or "X school is one of my top choices." But only send an "I will attend" letter to your top choice school.

What should I do when I get notified I’ve been put on the waitlist?

Send a Letter of Intent ASAP. If you want to turn your waitlist slot into an acceptance, sending a Letter of Intent to your top choice school is extremely important. We already highlighted what such a letter should generally entail, but waitlistees may also want to do a little more. When you update a school on a major accomplishment, a new Letter of Recommendation based on it by a professor or supervisor adds a little oomph. (Adding a random recommendation that isn't about something that has happened since your application is less likely to have an impact on a school's view of you.)

How do I decide where to send my Letter of Intent?

Be strategic about your note: You only get one, so shoot your letter of intent at a likely target, a safe bet. Of course, you should love the school, but choose a school you have a reasonable chance of getting into.

After Your Med School Interview: Send a Letter of Intent

How to Send a Letter of Intent

If a school is a top contender for you, go a step beyond an Update Letter, and send a Letter of Intent. Send a Letter of Intent one or two weeks after your interview or the instant you have been waitlisted. Your letter should include relevant updates since you submitted your application (what you'd put in an Update Letter). Plus, a reiteration of your interest in the program with shoutouts to favorite offerings. Be specific about why you are interested in the medical school and try to relate those interests to your background, accomplishments, and goals. Have you worked on a study that relates to something happening in one of their labs? Do you want to be a pediatric surgeon and they are affiliated with one of the best children's hospitals in the country? Tell ‘em.

And finally—and this is what makes a Letter of Intent different from an Update Letter—include the yield protection statement: "If admitted I will attend." Keep it tight. No more than one page. Three paragraphs, max.

Medical schools have several reasons for wanting to accept people whom they know will attend. First, they want enthusiastic students who will add to the morale of the student body. They also like to know, especially as the date of matriculation nears, that the applicant they accept will attend because no medical school wants an open seat on the first day of classes. Finally, medical schools like the percentage of accepted applicants who matriculate to be as high as possible since this reflects the desirability of the medical school. (That's their "yield percentage" stat.)

Check back tomorrow for our final post on how to follow-up after your Med School Interview.

After Your Med School Interview: Send an Update Letter

Naturally, you'll have the urge to be proactive as you wait for a school's decision. In the weeks after your interview—say, two to three weeks in—you should send a letter reiterating your interest to keep the admissions office thinking about you.

We're going to go ahead and say that you should send an update letter to every school where you’ve interviewed, unless you absolutely hated one or two and are confident that you'll get in elsewhere. You should also be writing to schools you’ve yet to hear from to remind them that you’re eager to connect. (A Letter of Intent will come later and should be for your one and only true love…but there's some flexibility there. More on that tomorrow.)

"Hey, remember me?”

How to Send an Update Letter

We know of one admissions director who an applicant emailed EVERY DAY after their interview to express their continued interest in the school. Yikes. She gets it. It was beyond too much; it seemed unhinged.

You want to send a maximum of two Update Letters over a six to 10-week period that reiterate your interest in each school with program-specific details. It should include that if admitted, you will likely attend. And only send letters that include a substantive accomplishment. If you don’t think you have one—you do! We like these examples of accomplishments that one might include in an Update Letter:

• "Since submitting my application, I have increased my overall GPA to 3.8, earning an A+ in Biochemistry."

• "As I mentioned during my interview, I began an internship doing clinical research at My Local Hospital in October. In the ensuing weeks, I have pre-screened 75 potential study subjects, gaining valuable research and patient-facing experience."

• "Since applying, I gave a poster presentation on a novel postpartum hemorrhage treatment at The Very Cool National Conference."

Check back tomorrow for our post on how to send your Letter of Intent.

What to Expect in Your MMI: The Writing Station

Over the next week, we will offer examples of the kinds of MMI questions a school might ask. Memorizing a ton of sample questions isn’t the way to go. But familiarizing yourself with the various types of MMI questions and practicing responses will help you make cogent statements that express desirable qualities within a set time.

The Writing Station

Not every school’s MMI will have a writing station, but the ones that do will present you with their prompt (or two and you can pick one) and a time limit. That could be eight minutes, it could be 30. The previously mentioned categories cover the type of material you might be presented with at the writing station—it could be a scenario, policy, or personal question. The only thing that makes this station different is that it is testing your written communication skills.

As we have said throughout this guide, focus on clarity in your writing. If you complete your answer, don’t feel the need to add more. You’re allowed to be done early. You might find that you run out of time and that you’re cut off before you complete your response. That’s a shame—but it happens. Don’t dwell on it. The content you have hopefully expresses some strong reasoning, etc. You likely did just fine.

What to Expect in Your MMI: Teamwork Activities

Over the next week, we will offer examples of the kinds of MMI questions a school might ask. Memorizing a ton of sample questions isn’t the way to go. But familiarizing yourself with the various types of MMI questions and practicing responses will help you make cogent statements that express desirable qualities within a set time.

Teamwork Activities

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. You won't impress your interviewers by bulldozing the other applicants and dominating the session.

Of course, you want to speak up, express your thoughts and opinions, and show leadership—but you must have a team in order to lead. Introduce yourself to your new teammates; try to remember their names and drop those names in when building upon something someone else has said. 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?”

You don't have to compliment your teammates’ every suggestion but at least know what they've said so that you're always adding to it—not repeating it. 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 partner 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.

What to Expect in Your MMI: “Teach Me How to Tie a Shoe.”

Over the next week, we will offer examples of the kinds of MMI questions a school might ask. Memorizing a ton of sample questions isn’t the way to go. But familiarizing yourself with the various types of MMI questions and practicing responses will help you make cogent statements that express desirable qualities within a set time.

“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?

What to Expect in Your MMI: Role-Playing Scenarios

Over the next week, we will offer examples of the kinds of MMI questions a school might ask. Memorizing a ton of sample questions isn’t the way to go. But familiarizing yourself with the various types of MMI questions and practicing responses will help you make cogent statements that express desirable qualities within a set time.

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, an 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 shut up 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.

What to Expect in Your MMI: The Picture Station

Over the next week, we will offer examples of the kinds of MMI questions a school might ask. Memorizing a ton of sample questions isn’t the way to go. But familiarizing yourself with the various types of MMI questions and practicing responses will help you make cogent statements that express desirable qualities within a set time.

The Picture Station

It’s possible that your MMI will include a picture station, where you are presented with an image and asked to describe it. The image could show something emotionally evocative or medicine-related or look like a vacation photo. Like most MMI stations, this one tests your communication skills. The most important thing to do here is to deliver a comprehensive response. Don’t just share what is in the image, share how the image is presented. (“On the right side…”) If the image is related to a current event or medical task, share what you know about it. If the picture makes you feel a certain emotion, share that too.

What to Expect in Your MMI: Healthcare Policy Questions

Over the next week, we will offer examples of the kinds of MMI questions a school might ask. Memorizing a ton of sample questions isn’t the way to go. But familiarizing yourself with the various types of MMI questions and practicing responses will help you make cogent statements that express desirable qualities within a set time.

Healthcare Policy Questions

A blunt quiz show question on healthcare today may be in the mix. Something like: "What is an HMO?" As we mentioned in the chapter’s intro, while interviewers will never ask you to diagnose anything, they will try to find out how much you know about the world of healthcare. How well read are you? How informed? The only way to answer a question like this is to be informed. So, know some basics.

And follow the news: Is there an antibiotic shortage? Is there a controversial new Alzheimer’s treatment? Did research scientists recently grow a human nose on a pig’s back? You don’t have to have read every behind-a-paywall study that has been written in the last two years, but certainly be up on the stuff that’s in the mainstream media.

An interviewer may ask for your opinion on hot-button issues in healthcare. Think: "What are your thoughts on stem cell research?" If you don’t have an opinion on a topic because you don’t know much about it, acknowledge that it is an important or controversial topic, then pivot to something relevant that you know about in-depth. Something like: "I have not done a ton of reading on stem cell research. But because of my clinical research position, I have worked with a novel treatment and believe that…" will have to do.

Here are some other questions to ponder:

• What would you say is the biggest challenge facing medicine today? Why?

• Do you think doctors are paid too much?

• What are your thoughts on predictive and pre-symptomatic genetic testing?

What to Expect in Your MMI: Small But Giant Prompts

Over the next week, we will offer examples of the kinds of MMI questions a school might ask. Memorizing a ton of sample questions isn’t the way to go. But familiarizing yourself with the various types of MMI questions and practicing responses will help you make cogent statements that express desirable qualities within a set time.

Small But Giant Prompts

Not every MMI prompt will be hypothetical-scenario-based. Some will be like those comically brief traditional interview questions encouraging huge, important answers. Yes, "Why our school?" could rear its head again. To answer this, connect the dots between your past experiences and current interests, with what is happening at the school, what resources they have, etc. Be ready for “Tell me about a time that you failed” and “Tell me about a time when you had a conflict” again too.

Related: What to Expect in Your Traditional Medical School Interview: "Tell Me About A Time When..."