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The stakes are high when selecting future medical professionals. Medical schools must ensure their recruitment and assessment practices are fair and robust. Fortunately, they have access to a variety of assessments designed to meet this need. One of the first assessments that potential medical students might encounter is the MMI (Multiple Mini Interview).

This article explores what an MMI is and details what candidates can expect from the process.

What are MMIs?

MMI stands for Multiple Mini Interview, a format widely adopted by universities and medical schools as part of their admissions process. They are designed to create a standardised, fair interview experience. Typically, MMIs consist of a series of timed stations where candidates engage in different scenarios with multiple interviewers.

Medical schools are increasingly using MMIs over traditional one-to-one interviews for their ability to provide an objective and comprehensive assessment. Compared to individual interviews, MMIs introduce candidates to a range of interviewers and scenarios. This in turn, makes them more subjective and reducing the potential for bias.

What is a typical MMI format?

A typical MMI consists of a series of stations, usually between 6 and 10. Each station presents a different scenario and is designed to assess a specific skill or quality. These scenarios might include ethical dilemmas, role-playing exercises, or problem-solving tasks. Each station usually lasts between 5 and 10 minutes.

Candidates rotate through the stations, meeting different interviewers or assessors at each one. Once all stations have been visited the interview is complete.

What are the benefits of Multiple Mini Interviews for candidates?

For candidates, the main benefit of an MMI is the opportunity to clearly demonstrate their personality and the qualities that will make them good medical practitioners.

A further benefit is that since there are several stations, each with its own interviewer if one station/scenario does not go well, that bad experience/performance is limited to that one station. A candidate can move on to the next with a fresh start and have another opportunity to start again with another station interviewer. The outcome of the process is not based solely on the opinion of one or two interviewers.

Finally, candidates can be confident that the process is standardised and fair.  Interviewers treat all candidates the same and ask them the same questions/ pose the same scenarios.

 What are the benefits for Medical Schools?

The MMI format gives medical schools an objective, measurable process that treats all candidates fairly. They offer a more dynamic alternative to the traditional interview. They’re useful for assessing candidate thought processes and how they react in certain situations. They’re able to test more than just knowledge or aptitude for answering standard interview questions.

For instance, a candidate could be presented with an ethical dilemma or tasked with working collaboratively to solve a problem. Additionally, each station is time-limited, requiring candidates to demonstrate their ability to think critically and respond effectively within a strict timeframe. This timed format tests decision-making skills and the ability to work under pressure.

For Medical Schools, these are tangible benefits. It’s imperative that future medical professionals not only have the required medical knowledge but can react appropriately in any situation.

By presenting diverse, real-world challenges, MMIs allow them to better gauge how interviewees respond in different situations. Thus making them a more effective tool for selecting the best candidates.

Additionally, using the MMI format means Medical Schools have an objective, measurable process that is fair to all candidates. It’s more subjective and eliminates any bias (conscious or unconscious) that may be present with a single interviewer.

What is the difference between an MMI and OSCE?

OSCEs and MMIs are quite similar in format, as both involve multiple scenarios presented in timed stations that candidates must complete in rotation. The main difference, however, is that MMIs typically assess a candidate’s interpersonal skills, such as reasoning, problem-solving, teamwork, and professionalism, while OSCEs focus more on evaluating hands-on clinical skills and the practical application of medical knowledge. Experiencing an MMI during the medical school admissions process provides candidates with valuable practice for the OSCEs they may encounter later in their studies.

To learn more about OSCEs, read our Essential Guide.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format offers medical schools a fair, objective way to assess candidates’ interpersonal and problem-solving skills, moving beyond traditional interview techniques.

For candidates, it provides multiple opportunities to demonstrate key attributes in different scenarios while ensuring a balanced, fair process.

By using MMIs, medical schools are best placed to select well-rounded future professionals who are prepared for real-world challenges.