MMI interviews are a very common way for universities to assess all aspects of a candidate, allowing them to select those that are most suited for success at medical school. Today we’ll answer the question ‘why are MMIs interviews used`. These are very different to more traditional-type interviews, but with guidance, you can make real progress by preparing fully.
An MMI, or Multiple Mini Interview, is a medical school interview format in which candidates rotate through a number of short interview stations. Basically, its speed dating meets interviews.
In an MMI, candidates will have 1 minute to read the instructions for the interview station, before entering the interview booth for the x number of minutes allocated (normally 6-8). Then, a bell will sound, at which point candidates stop the interview, move to the next station, 1 minute for instructions and carries on. This continues until every candidate in that MMI block has moved around each station.
An MMI is an efficient and simple way for universities to assess a candidate’s ability in a multi-faceted way. By testing candidates in a number of distinct stations, they can massively vary what each station is testing. For example, they are able to have stations with actors in (and commonly do) to test how candidates interact with ‘patients’, followed by stations where some more practical skills could be tested, followed by a station where they are focusing on your commitment to studying medicine. More traditional interviews are more limited in this respect, as they tend to be only 1 candidate with one or two tutors.
Furthermore, in an MMI, as you have (around) 8 separate little interviews, this gives you the chance to make 8 different first impressions. The benefits to this are twofold. Firstly, if you are able to make a good impression to multiple people, this can only stand you in good stead. Your overall mark for your MMI performance is an equally weighted combination of your combined score from each independent section, therefore a number of good scores in different stations will give you the best chance of success. Secondly, having 8 different stations means that having a bad station (or two) isn’t going to totally ruin your chances of interview success.
In traditional interview formats, answering a question poorly could result in an unsuccessful interview performance, as this may be what the interviewer remembers of you and may affect the rest of your interview performance. However, with the ability to reset after each station, you can make a fresh start after a poor section, thus allowing you to maximise your chances of success.
Finally, universities use MMIs to increase how many candidates they can interview. By the nature of an MMI, they can assess ~8 candidates at a time in a very in-depth manner, allowing them to speak to a large volume of applicants. Therefore, they can be sure that they have selected the best possible candidates from those that have applied. As such, if you are due to make the required grades, have a strong enough UKCAT/BMAT score (if required) and a stand out personal statement, you can be fairly sure that you could be invited to at least on MMI day.
For the above reasons, MMIs are becoming increasingly popular as the chosen method for medical schools to assess potential applicants. As such, being prepared for an MMI is vital. Check out some of the interview preparation courses that Uni Admissions offer or speak to one of their expert tutors in order to find out more.
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