The costly early-phase MMI mistakes are all preventable: booking late, poor audio, memorised scripts, answering a different question from the one asked, and speaking to the camera as if it were a wall. Acuity advises registering at least 3 days before your preferred date and warns against last-minute bookings. The rest are habits you can fix in a week of recorded practice.
Mistake 1: booking late
Acuity states identity verification and payment processing take time. See Early-phase MMI dates.
Mistake 2: bad audio
A rater hears you before they judge you. Test with headphones. See Early-phase MMI tech setup.
Mistake 3: reciting
Scripts sound recited. Arvin Ardakani teaches applicants a structure and then has them vary the content on every attempt.
Mistake 4: all setup, no decision
Spend about a quarter of your time on the situation and the rest on what you would do and why. That is where critical thinking and decision making are scored.
Mistake 5: ignoring the people involved
Name every person affected and say something specific about each. Compassion and interpersonal skills are on Ottawa’s list.
Mistake 6: running out of energy
The sitting is about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Practise four stations in a row.
Mistake 7: skipping feedback
Recording is not enough. Someone who marks honestly should review it. Arvin Ardakani marks recorded answers personally and mentors applicants at every step through ExperienceMED, with direct WhatsApp access: book an interview session.
See How to prepare for the early-phase MMI in one week for a plan and Ottawa medicine interview format.
What happens after the early-phase MMI?
The early-phase MMI for 2027 entry ran on 16, 18 and 19 October 2026, and Acuity has not posted dates for the next cycle. At Ottawa, interview invitations come from a rank-order list built from CGPA, early-phase MMI score and Autobiographical Sketch score, and interviews are typically held between February and March: a semi-structured panel interview of about 40 minutes. For that stage, read the Ottawa medicine interview format and see the Interview program. Applying next cycle? Everything on this page still applies: applicants are contacted in early October, shortly after the OMSAS deadline.
Related: Ottawa medicine interview format, How to prepare for the early-phase MMI in one week, What to wear and where to look in the early-phase MMI. Arvin Ardakani marks recorded answers personally and mentors applicants at every step through ExperienceMED, with direct WhatsApp access: book an interview session.