How do you feel your academic background has prepared you for success in medical school and beyond?

Remember that in an MMI interview, interviewers will pay attention to the body language and overall confidence of each prospective student they speak with. If they sense hesitation or lack of confidence, your interviewer might assume their program would be a struggle for you. Make sure to answer this question with confidence and a concrete example of your ability to handle a large and diverse workload as a future medical student.

"I'm confident that my great study habits and work ethic started during high school, where I was a multi-sport athlete, a choir member, a member of FBLA, and an honor roll student every semester. I was encouraged to take AP science courses during my junior and senior years and was excited to earn college credit before enrolling. I double majored in biology and Spanish for my bachelor's degrees, knowing that medical school was the path for me. During college, I worked hard and learned much about myself and how to study and prepare for success. This includes being organized, detail-oriented, and a great communicator with fellow student colleagues. I'm a diligent note-taker and use tech resources to help me stay organized. I've found that, come exam time, that method helps me be as prepared as possible. Knowing that the next four years will bring increased challenges in the classroom setting, I'm confident that my study habits will get me through these challenges. I'm also very confident that I have the resources to know my limits if I'm becoming too tired or burned out. I hear horror stories of individuals trying to get a competitive edge during medical school by skipping much-needed sleep and other relaxation time, and that just wouldn't be me over the next four years."

Walk the interviewer through the educational path that has taken you to this point. Feel free to start with highlights from your high school education. Then, make sure to spend some time on your undergraduate program. Rather than hearing you generalize your ability to handle a large workload, your interviewer will be looking to hear about your specific study habits, how you keep organized and on track, and how you keep yourself from getting burned out quickly. This will be where you can highlight your ability to be successful in loaded semesters, group projects, exams, and finals. To further solidify your answer, talk about study tips, tricks, and habits you developed that will help to ensure your success as a medical student.