A Guide to Multiple-Mini Interviews (MMIs) for Medical Schools in the UK

To get into a medical school in the UK, you must undergo a series of interviews. One of these is Multiple-Mini Interviews (MMIs).

MMIs are designed to assess certain soft skills of candidates. But unlike traditional interviews, a candidate must move to different stations.  

Each station takes place in a different area. Upon entering the room, the candidate will meet the interviewer. The interviewer either asks a question or gives a scenario for a role-play.

The entire course of the interview takes about two hours to complete (with 10 stations). If your chosen medical school in the UK employs this, it’s best to prepare.

Read on to understand how MMIs work for certain medical schools in the UK:

What are Multiple-Mini Interviews?

MMIs involves a series of short interviews separated into stations. There are usually 10 stations involved, lasting about seven minutes each. Candidates have around two minutes to prepare for each station.

As mentioned, a candidate may role-play a certain scenario with an actor. The candidate must then enact the scenario while the assessor or interviewer observes.

There are also stations wherein the interviewer asks a stem question. But there might be follow-up questions depending on the candidate’s answer.

A candidate may also take on group tasks involving problem-solving activities. In these stations, a candidate will interact with other candidates.

Multiple-Mini Interviews Assessment

You might be wondering how you will be assessed through MMIs. The answer varies depending on the medical school. Each has its own set of criteria to follow.

Let’s take the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) as an example. For the MMIs, each of the stations is worth the same marks. So if there are 10 stations, each station is worth 10% of your total score.

UCLan also doesn’t provide feedback immediately after each station. You can only hear feedback after you’ve been offered a spot in their school.

Preparing for Multiple-Mini Interviews

Remember, MMIs test various soft skills. It’s best to have a couple of preparation tips up your sleeve.

For starters, you must be confident to perform each task on the station. If you’ve been asked a question you don’t understand, make sure to clarify before answering.

Listen to each instruction carefully. Do your best to satisfy the criteria in each station.

Medical Schools in the UK That Use MMIs

Not every medical school in the UK uses MMIs. But if you happen to apply to one that does, you must prepare.

MMIs vary per medical school although you can expect the common steps discussed. To help you get started, here’s a shortlist of medical schools that use MMIs:

• Aberdeen
• Aston
• Brighton and Sussex
• Buckingham
• Brunel
• Cardiff
• Edge Hill
• Edinburgh
• Exeter
• Hull York
• Imperial
• Kent & Medway
• Leicester
• Manchester
• Norwich
• Plymouth
• Queen’s University Belfast
• St Andrews
• St George’s
• Sunderland
• Warwick

Multiple-Mini Interviews (MMIs) are used by certain medical schools in the UK to assess the soft skills of candidates. Make sure you’re prepared to take one by reading more tips here at MSM Unify.