As UMKC, Drexel, Albany roll out interviews for BS/MD candidates, many people are starting to prepare for Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Here are the most important things you need to know about MMI for both BS/MD and medical school applicants. If you want to work with me for mock interviews for your upcoming BS/MD MMI, click here.
What is MMI?
Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) is an interview format that many medical schools have adopted. Rather than asking you questions about yourself and your activities, MMI is tests the way you think, communicate, solve problems. In an MMI interview, you will rotate through various stations. In each station, you will have a set amount of time to think about the answer to your question (often 2 minutes, but this is school dependent). Then, you will tell the answer to your interview who will ask a series of follow up questions.
What kind of questions do BS/MD MMI ask?
The type of MMI questions that you’ll see in your interview really varies per school. Therefore, your approach to practicing for each interview should also be different (hint: UMKC, Drexel, and Albany should all be prepared for differently!). Ethical and situational/ behavioral questions are very common because they assess your interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. However, I commonly see students falsely associate MMI with only these types of questions. MMI can ask anything from random questions to your opinion of our healthcare system to a self-reflection question. When in doubt, be prepared for anything and everything.
Approaching Ethics and Situational Questions
This is one interview category that is difficult to prepare for, mostly because of the lack of good resources. Yes, there are many resources out there, but very few are actually worthwhile to use for MMI preparation. While this might be an unpopular opinion, I stand by this because many the students who complete their mock interview with me for the first time still miss the point of the questions despite reading MMI books or watching MMI videos.
Approaching BS/MD MMI Ethics
Your answer should first identify if there is an ethical dilemma. Sometimes this includes the pillars of medicine. Without realizing what the issue at hand is, students often go down a patient that comes off as a tangent. In the time that they allow you to think about your question, start by figuring out if what they are trying to test you. Your answer should explain what the ethical dilemma is and what points about this issue is important to consider. Present it prior to your explanation about what you plan to do in the scenario.
Another key thing to know about ethics, situational, or behavioral questions is that they are testing your logical approach. They want to see how you analysis the situation, weigh your options, react, and find resolutions. Without covering all of those points in your answer, you fail to show your critical thinking, problem solving skills, and communication. While students sometimes try to use “a judgement free zone” in every answer, some situational questions may require problem solving or navigating a difficult scenario where the judgement free zone doesn’t necessarily apply.
Recognize that ethics may not always be situational, but rather the question may ask for your opinion on a controversial topic. An example of this could be “what is your opinion on the vaccine mandate” which was seen 1-2 years ago in some BS/MD interviews. While there isn’t a correct answer, students should be able to weigh the pros and cons and eloquently discuss why they may pick a side. Just be sure to consider the opposing views as well.
Avoid these MMI Ethics mistakes
One mistake many students make in questions with clinical vignettes is staying too focused on treating the patient. You will never be expected to treat patients in the scenario. If you knew how to treat patients, then you don’t need to attend medical school. Realize that many of these questions are testing what you would do, not necessarily your treatment plan. Remember, these questions are trying to test your interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.
My last piece of advice is never assume anything! If the question does not say it, do not make assumptions. These questions are vague on purpose. Avoid falling into the trap of making assumptions about other people’s actions. Admissions committees are looking for students who have an open mind.
Practice BS/MD MMI Healthcare Questions
It should be no surprise that healthcare questions commonly appear quite frequently in MMI interviews. After all, the healthcare system is complicated and confusing. From my experience, a solid understanding of the American healthcare system really distinguishes which students are accepted post-interview. So how do you prepare for arguably the most challenging question? I suggest starting by knowing the basics about insurance, Medicaid and Medicare, and barriers to care. This question is so important that I distinctly conduct specific preparation to teach my students about healthcare. Although I sometimes think my healthcare review sessions are overkill, it proves to be worthwhile when my students come back to tell me that their BS/MD or medical school interview was impressed with their knowledge of the healthcare field.
Self-Reflection Questions
These questions are exactly the same as what you would expect for traditional one-on-one interviews. Many schools who host MMI still love to ask questions about “Why Medicine”, your most meaningful activities, and challenges that you may have faced in your journey into medicine. Even if you have an MMI-type interview, make sure to review your resume and essays.
Random and Weird Questions
These questions are often fun and quirky– my favorite types of questions! The random and weird questions test how you think on your feet. Oftentimes, questions like “what is the best ice cream flavor” can throw off students. For questions like these, your answer does not actually matter. Pick something– anything– and defend it. This is also a great way to allow for your personality to shine especially if you are creative. Here are some of the popular questions that I’ve seen:
- What is your spirit animal?
- If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
- You’re moving to a remote island. What would you bring with you?
Final Thoughts
MMI can feel intimidating, especially for first time interviewers. Reading up on different ethical topics can help improve your knowledge of different things you may face in healthcare (not every topic in the link is important though). Practicing different types of questions to expose yourself to a variety of scenarios can also make you feel more confident in tackling any type of question during your interview. Lastly, practice a mock interview with someone skilled in answering different types of MMI questions. Good luck on your interview!
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