Post by Matthew Hawkes

I made a silly mistake at my UCL medicine interview. 🩺 Yet I still got in. Context: UCL medicine interviews uses the MMI (Mixed-multiple interview) format to assess potential students, with different stations that assess different skills/qualities. Each station has a 1 minute prompt, then 5/6 minutes to answer questions. They use a buzzer to signal candidates to move along to the next station/enter the room with the interviewer My Mistake: The buzzer signaled us to move on to the next station. The buzzer went off again, I read the prompt of the new station. And was ready. I entered the room with the interviewer, enthusiastically introducing myself. I completely forgot that I needed to wait for the next buzzer before I can enter the room 😳 Why I still got in at UCL: 1) I immediately apologised I owned up to my mistake. I explained to the interviewer I was too enthusiastic to start the station 😅. Owning up to mistakes is essential for healthcare professionals because we have a duty of candour for patients. 2) The interviewer saw my genuine enthusiasm Coming in early demonstrated my excitement to answer questions based on the station prompt. Medicine is a tough degree, with a lot of content and several years at medical school. Interviewers are looking for students that are passionate about medicine, as real interest will get you through the course. 3) I didn’t let the mistake affect me You will always have a station where you feel like you didn’t answer a question well. Or felt nervous. Or made a silly mistake like I did. But remember, healthcare professionals are human. They make mistakes too. Good professionals learn from mistakes and move on. If you don’t move on, you’ll stagnate your individual and professional growth. Similarly, if you don’t move on from previous station mistakes, it will negatively impact your performance in the next station. If it’s in the past, just move on! MMIs are challenging, with many stations including role plays, scenarios, reflections and exploring your understanding of healthcare careers. However, preparing how to conduct yourself at the interview gave me that edge. We’re at the height of MMI season right now. If you want to gain the edge, I am giving an opportunity for you to get personal support from a UCL medical student. Comment below this post for support! For mock MMIs -> www.mmitrainer.com #MMIs #Medicine #AspiringMedics #FutureDoctor #UCL #MedicSupport