For many years, medical schools used traditional interviews to assess promising candidates after reviewing their written applications. But in 2001, McMaster University’s medical school in Canada began developing the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) in hopes of creating a better assessment tool. In an MMI, applicants rotate through a series of brief, timed stations, each with a different scenario or question and a different interviewer. Importantly, each station is scored independently, which is why some feel the format is fairer and more valid: one bad interviewer shouldn’t sink a candidacy.
Is the MMI better than a traditional interview?
Research suggests that the MMI predicts some training outcomes modestly better than traditional interviews, but there’s no clear evidence that it produces better doctors. Nevertheless, the MMI has grown in popularity over the years, and many schools now use the format.
How does an MMI run?
A medical school’s MMI usually includes 6 to 10 stations, each lasting 5 to 10 minutes. Applicants get a minute or two to read a prompt posted outside the room, and then they enter the station and respond. The prompts don’t test scientific knowledge (traditional interviews usually don’t, either). Instead, they assess ethical reasoning, communication, critical thinking, and empathy.
Interviewers may stay silent, or they may ask follow-up questions. If you finish before time is called, that’s okay. Don’t pad your answer.
Are MMI interviews online?
They can be, but many institutions have returned to in-person MMIs. Check each school’s interview-day page for guidance. If yours is virtual, set up your camera in advance, keep a clock in view, and know how you’ll move between stations.
What are some examples of MMI prompts?
- Ethical dilemma: What would you do if you were in practice with your best friend, and she was giving Valium prescriptions to your other friends?
- Role-play with an actor (often involving conflict): You are walking into a patient’s room. The patient has back pain and is frustrated about the perceived long wait to see a doctor.
- Behavioral question: Describe a time your values conflicted with what you were asked to do.
- Policy prompt: What do you think is the most pressing global health issue right now?
- Questions about your candidacy: What are your three greatest strengths?
- Questions about your interest in the school: What are three reasons you want to attend our school?
- Opinion: What is your definition of human dignity, and how does it relate to end-of-life care?
How do I approach an MMI prompt?
First, use all of the reading time. Avoid rambling, getting flustered, or letting one bad station affect the next.
- Ethical dilemmas: Consider medical professionalism’s commitment to putting the patient first, confidentiality, doing no harm, and transparently addressing medical error. Weigh your options and choose a plan; avoid extremes.
- Role-play: Show empathy, active listening, and conflict-resolution skills. Note that prompts aren’t always medical. For example, a role-play may be set in a non-medical venue. The principles are the same.
- Behavioral questions: Brainstorm these before your MMI. Think about times you failed, made an error, or had a conflict, and how you handled them or could have handled them better.
- Policy and opinion stations: These also deserve solid preparation. Consider issues like AI, vaccines, and drug pricing. Don’t lead with a political opinion. Show that you understand the issue and can reason aloud, and address trade-offs.
- Questions about your candidacy and interest in the school: It’s critical to prepare for these; they’re more common in MMIs than you might think. Practice talking about yourself and distinguishing yourself through your accomplishments, and create an elevator pitch you can use. Also research each institution so that you know real details about its curriculum, location, and hospital system.
Read each school’s interview format description, including the reading time, the number of stations, and whether there’s role-play. In addition, rehearse aloud, keep up with current events in health policy, and do mock MMIs with an experienced interviewer who will give you robust feedback.
Can you walk me through an example?
Yes, let’s take: What would you do if you were in practice with your best friend, and she was giving Valium prescriptions to your other friends?
First, understand the tension in this setup: your best friend, whom you work with and are loyal to, is misusing her medical license. Acting on the information will damage your practice and your friendship.
Second, recognize where your responsibilities lie as a medical professional: the patient always comes first.
Because of this principle, you must report your friend’s actions. Doctors have a duty to report colleagues who are impaired, incompetent, or acting unethically.
Once you recognize this responsibility, act decisively. Don’t go into the station and say, “I’d probably need to report my friend.” Also avoid, “The next time this happens, I’m going to do something.” In other words, don’t let the tension in the prompt override your professional responsibilities to put patients first and do no harm.
What should you do? There are a few ways to reach the right outcome. You might report this to your institution first and then to the medical board, or you might report it to the DEA. In addition, you could talk to your colleague kindly but firmly and offer to go with her to get psychological help if needed. There are several appropriate paths, but the bottom line for this scenario is that patients’ well-being comes first and you have a duty to report this colleague. Of course, act through legitimate channels (not the press, for example).
Note that in real life, you would need some confirmation that your friend is really handing out these prescriptions unnecessarily. The prompt doesn’t say how you learned this information. Usually, you can assume the scenario you’re presented is accurate, so don’t spend much time at the station questioning the prompt. You could simply say, “Assuming I’ve confirmed this is truly occurring, I would…”
Here’s a brief example of what an applicant might say at this station:
“This is a challenging situation because a physician who is my closest colleague and best friend is acting unethically. However, patient safety always comes first. Assuming I’ve confirmed this is truly occurring, I would need to report it right away. I would raise my concerns with hospital administration and escalate to the medical board or the DEA if the hospital didn’t act decisively. I would also approach my colleague and offer her support.”
Where can I get solid help with MMI practice?
Contact me for expert help with mock interviews. I can assist with MMIs, traditional interviews, or both. My Mock Interview Service (one hour) and Package (two hours) include a pre-review of your background information, thorough practice with experienced feedback, and an individualized document afterward summarizing the guidance we discussed so you can review on your own. Please reach out as soon as you get your first interview invitation, because my schedule fills quickly.
