10 Tips for MMI Interviews

1. Treat each station independently

Each station will have a different interviewer so you have a clean slate for each question. If you mess up one of the stations, don’t let it affect the following stations. Take a deep breath and move on!

2. Make a good impression 

It is difficult in the short time that you have, but remember to be enthusiastic and passionate at each and every station. 

3. You can re-use content 

One of the beauties of having multiple interviewers is that you can use the same example for multiple answers. If you are asked about teamwork in one station and passion for medicine in another, you may find that you have an example or experience that shows both, so why not use it for both? You won’t be penalised for using the same example because it is a different examiner at each station. 

4. Research each specific university 

Each university will focus their stations on different topics. In addition to this, it is important to know as much as you can about the university’s medical school that you are having an interview at. You could be asked about why you’re attracted ton each medical school or what you can offer that school in particular. Take a look at the curriculum in advance and have a few points in your mind ready to mention.

5. Be prepared to act   

A classic MMI station is a role play scenario, often undertaken with a professional actor, so be prepared to have a simulated experience. It won’t necessarily be in a clinical setting, an example could be telling someone you have lost their dog, or admitting to a mistake you have made in a project. It’s a good idea to have a practice run with a member of your family or friend.

6. Know your personal statement inside out   

At an MMI, it is unlikely that the interviewers have read your personal statement, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be a question based on something you have spoken about in your personal statement. So don’t be caught out by not having brushed up on what you have previously told the admission team. 

7. Be natural   

You don’t have long at any MMI station, and as we said before, it is important that you leave a good impression, so don’t rely on a script. Although it is important to be well prepared for the questions you will be facing, it is just as important to not sound like you are reading a pre-prepared script. To do this, make sure you are comfortable with the content you wish to discuss at interview, and practice phrasing it differently for a variety of questions. Maybe even record yourself and watch it back, this is a great way to see first hand if you are coming across natural in your answers. 

8. Use your time effectively  

Make sure you are aware of how much time you have at each station. It is unlikely that the interviewer will guide you with regards to how much time you have left at the station. If the question asks you to discuss 3 skills, then don’t spend most of your time discussing your first skill, leaving little to no time on the other two. By dividing your time up evenly you will be more likely to score highly, as you have covered the whole question.  

9. Identify what the question is really asking you  

This does take a bit of practice, which is why it is so important to prepare well for your interview. Getting to the bottom of what the question is really asking you in relation to wanting to study medicine is key to scoring highly at interview. For example, a question asking why don’t you want to be a nurse? Is still asking you why do you want to be a doctor? However it is also looking for you to distinguish between the two job roles. In this question, for example, you don’t want to spend all your time explaining why you aren’t applying to nursing school, but instead focus on the differences between a nurse and a doctor, and why being a doctor is more appealing and better suited to yourself. 

10. Practice, Practice, and Practice 

it may seem obvious, but the more practice you do, the better chance you have a performing well. You probably won’t have been to an interview like this before, and chances are you won’t have had to deal with difficult patients, or break bad news. For these sort of scenarios ask family and friends to help you by playing these roles in some role plays. Make the stations up yourself, or practice with a tutor.